B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Village that falls under three sub-divisions!
Fazilka, September 30
The residents of one of the leading mandis of Fazilka district, Roranwali, have been caught in a piquant situation as they have to travel to three different towns to get their routine official works done.

High uranium content causing cancer, says MP
Sangrur, September 30
People in the region fell victim to cancer after drinking water that had a high content of uranium and heavy metals, said Vijay Inder Singla, Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur, here on Saturday.

Abohar college a nursery for principals, PU senators
Abohar, September 30
Acclaimed widely as a nursery for principals, the DAV College here has now got the distinction of producing the maximum number of senators in the Panjab University (PU) among the colleges of Ferozepur revenue division. The college produced the maximum number of principals too.

Contests mark PU zonal youth festival
Fazilka, September 30
The youth festival of the Panjab University, Muktsar Zone, began at the National Girls College at village Chaurianwali, 6 kms from here yesterday. The cultural extravaganza evoked a good response from hundreds of students participating in the festival. Fazilka was offered to host the festival after a gap of 15 years.

Students playing sitar during the Panjab University Zonal Youth Festival held at the National Girls College, Fazilka. Photo: Praful Chander Nagpal

Paucity of funds holds up Abohar-Sania bypass project
Fazilka, September 30
The Municipal Council, Fazilka, had worked out an ambitious project to carve a bypass along the national highway here to reduce the increasing traffic hazards at the border road on outskirts of the town some three years back.


The foundation stone of the Abohar-Jandwala-Sania road bypass laid on April 2, 2010. A Tribune photograph

Village that falls under three sub-divisions!
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, September 30
The residents of one of the leading mandis of Fazilka district, Roranwali, have been caught in a piquant situation as they have to travel to three different towns to get their routine official works done.

The sub-divisional offices of different departments relating to Mandi Roranwali are attached with three different sub-divisions of Fazilka, Jalalabad and Muktsar.

Mandi Roranwali, which has a population of about 2700, is part of Jalalabad sub-division and they have to go to Jalalabad town for work relating to the tehsil and SDM offices.

Official sources said people have to travel to another leading mandi and sub-tehsil, Arniwala, for the registration of sale deeds and work related to revenue.

“There is no direct bus service between the two mandis. Hence, the residents, mostly farmers, are forced to travel by train or their own vehicles. They even have to wait for other alternative means of transport,” said a resident Onkar Singh.

Ironically, Mandi Roranwali is attached with the Sadar police station in Fazilka. They have to cover a distance of about 24 kms to reach here for redressing the disputes.

Last but not the least, the villagers have to go to nearby Mandi Lakhwali for depositing power bills in the Powercom office there. Interestingly, the Lakhewali Mandi powercom office comes under the Powercom sub-divisional office at Muktsar. Hence, they are forced to visit Muktsar for any work related to the Powercom.

“Roranwali Mandi should be attached to only one sub-division for the convenience of the residents and easy access to that particular town,” demanded Joginderpal Singh and Lovely, both residents of the area.

High uranium content causing cancer, says MP
Sushil Goyal/TNS

Sangrur, September 30
People in the region fell victim to cancer after drinking water that had a high content of uranium and heavy metals, said Vijay Inder Singla, Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur, here on Saturday.

Singla said out of the 106 water samples taken from Barnala district and sent to BARC, Mumbai, 71 samples were found containing high uranium contents.

The MP said 30 samples of drinking water from Barnala district and 97 samples from Sangrur district had been sent to the laboratory of PBTI, Mohali, to check the level of heavy metals. As per the report, 11 samples from Barnala district and 28 samples from Sangrur district were found to be contaminated, he added.

Under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, the Central Government had given funds to set up reverse osmosis (RO) plants in 47 villages of Sangrur district in the first phase, Singla said.

Under the programme, 80 per cent of the total cost of setting up the RO would be borne by the Centre, while the remaining 20 per cent would be contributed by the state government, he added.

Singla also said under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, (sanitation programme) of the Central Government, over 400 villages of Sangrur district would be provided with new toilets. 

Abohar college a nursery for principals, PU senators

Abohar, September 30
Acclaimed widely as a nursery for principals, the DAV College here has now got the distinction of producing the maximum number of senators in the Panjab University (PU) among the colleges of Ferozepur revenue division. The college produced the maximum number of principals too.

Principal Dr Sanjeev Kumar Arora has won from the graduates' constituency by polling 3236 first preference votes. His campaigners Tarsem Sharma and PC Padhey recalled that in the past, principals HR Gandhar and Dr BC Josan too had recorded a win besides the teaching staff members, BL Rinwa, Ashok Sachdeva and Iqbal Singh Sandhu.

Sandhu has again won the elections from the teachers' constituency. A former student, Vipul Narang, now serving in Kenway College of Education here, has won from the technical teachers' segment.

Dr RP Asija and Dr Shashikala, who were elected as senators while serving at the DAV College of Education here, are alumni of the DAV College.

Dr SK Arora said he will leave no stone unturned to get a PU research centre sanctioned here. He said he will urge the PU to sanction five additional seats free of cost to all the self-financing colleges besides granting additional paid seats within 10 days of the closure of admissions to save the aspirants from dilemma.

Dr Arora said forms of the students who fail to clear the exams must be processed at the local colleges to save time and money. A grievance redressal cell will also be set up at the DAV College here to provide relief to the students. — OC

Contests mark PU zonal youth festival
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, September 30
The youth festival of the Panjab University, Muktsar Zone, began at the National Girls College at village Chaurianwali, 6 kms from here yesterday. The cultural extravaganza evoked a good response from hundreds of students participating in the festival. Fazilka was offered to host the festival after a gap of 15 years.

Nearly 19 teams from different colleges of Fazilka, Ferozepur and Muktsar districts are taking part in the festival.

Students participated in various competitions like poster-making, rangoli, embroidery, mehandi designing, on-the spot photography, creative writing, word and religious song recitation, classical vocal competition, folk orchestra, Indian orchestra, folk instruments, folk song and western vocal solo.

"Collective efforts are needed at all level by the colleges, universities, NGOs and government organisations to create recreational opportunities for the youth so that their hidden talent can be traced and shaped in the right direction. Such events not only provide a source of enjoyment but also throw light on various social obstacles,” said the chief guests Forest Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani and Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya .

“The youth festival has been a binding factor for students across the colleges and connects the youths to our culture,” said the Director, PU Youth Festival, Prof Nirmal Singh Zaura.

Chairman of the Prof Mohan Singh Memorial, Jagdev Singh Jassowal, Malout MLA Harpreet Singh and other dignitaries were also present.

Paucity of funds holds up Abohar-Sania bypass project
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, September 30
The Municipal Council, Fazilka, had worked out an ambitious project to carve a bypass along the national highway here to reduce the increasing traffic hazards at the border road on outskirts of the town some three years back.

The then Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia had laid the foundation stone of the 15-km long Jandwala-Abohar-Sania road bypass on April 2, 2010. But the proposal has now run into rough weather as nothing tangible has emerged after the laying of the foundation stone.

The bypass was to be constructed near the Abohar road. Had it become operational, about a dozen villages would have been directly linked with Abohar town. This would have eased the flow of traffic on the Fazilka- Abohar NH-10.

It is stated that the construction of the bypass has not been started due to paucity of funds.

"I am not aware of any proposal to construct the bypass. It is not on the agenda of the council," said Executive Officer of the Municipal Committee Sukhdev Singh.