Bathinda, October 2
The cap on supplying only six subsidized LPG cylinders to a household per year has started affecting the mid-day meal scheme in the district.

Because of ambiguity over the rules and regulations, the supply of LPG cylinders to jails, schools, hospitals, temples and gurudwaras are getting affected as the owners of the gas agencies in the city are refusing the supply for mid-day meals in government schools.

District Education Officer (Secondary) Hardeep Singh said he has received complaints from the heads of different schools.

"The school heads say the gas agency owners have refused to give cylinders for the school's use at domestic rates. I have duly informed the Deputy Commissioner's office about the issue," he added.

Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said he has informed the Director General of School Education (DGSE), Punjab, as well as the Secretary, Education, Government of Punjab, about the issue. "We have learned that the cost of cooking will also increase with the cap on LPG cylinders. The state government will take up the matter with the Central Government soon and things would be sorted out," he said.

Yadav added that all the regulations and guidelines are about the domestic supply. "The government norms are silent over the usage of cylinders for institutional purposes. Since this is a scheme of the Central Government, the decision largely lies in the hands of the Government of India," he added.

A teacher at a government school in village Deon said the gas agency providing them with cylinders, has flatly refused to supply them at domestic rates. "We cannot keep our children hungry for want of fuel. So, we collected some wood from the nearby areas and cooked food on 'chulha'. We faced the problem of managing the smoke emanating from the chulha," he said. Most of the schools are managing the mid-day meals using wood or other combustible material to keep the hearth burning.

Mid-day meal is the most important component of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) that emphasizes on providing nutritious food to the children studying in government and government-aided schools.

In Bathinda district, there are 79 senior secondary schools, 92 high schools, 95 middle schools, 18 schools under the SSA, 17 schools under NABARD, 268 primary schools and 127 Panchayati Raj Institute (PRI) schools.

Info sought on SHGs preparing mid-day meal

The district administration has sought details pertaining to the self-help groups (SHGs) and cooks involved in the mid-day meal scheme.

In a letter issued to all government schools, the district education office has directed the schools to provide the information in a prescribed data capture form. The schools have been directed to fill these forms and submit them by October 5. The primary schools should submit the forms at the block level, while the upper primary schools should submit the forms at the cluster level.

The block primary education officers and the cluster heads have been directed to deposit the information at the office of the district mid-day meal in-charge by October 8.

ADC (Development) Mohammad Tayyab said the details have been sought in the context of some SHGs being removed and the work being handed over to some other SHGs.

His office has received complaints in this regard, said the ADC.

"We just want to enquire if this has happened in other schools as well. If the non-performers were removed then it is okay. But if the genuine workers were removed, then we will inquire into the matter," the ADC added.

Bathinda, October 2
The secrecy of the examination system is at stake in Bathinda where question papers are being sent to the open market to get their photostat copies.

The students of government schools, from classes VI to X, are appearing in their first semester examination.

Instead of providing an adequate number of question papers, the education department has directed the schools to get their question papers xeroxed in the open market.

The examinations started on September 25 and will end on October 6. The teachers said earlier, all question papers were provided together before the beginning of the examination. According to the teachers, they have been running from pillar to post seeking question papers from the cluster heads.

Even the Sarkari School Sikhya Bachao Manch today stated that the government schools were facing the problem. The members of the Manch said they have informed the District Education Officer (Secondary) about the problem, but nothing has been done to resolve it.

"But today, I don't have the question papers of the exam that is scheduled for tomorrow. I have been directed to collect the papers from the cluster in-charge tomorrow in the morning, which means the exam may get delayed and may not begin at 9:30 am, its scheduled time," said one of the teachers. While some schools have not got the question papers for tomorrow, others have received it.

The teachers informed that now, the question papers are being delivered from a Sangrur- based printing press daily in the morning at the district headquarter and is further being distributed to the cluster heads. The teachers said that in the rush hour, question papers are not properly distributed and hence, photostat copies have to be procured.

Meanwhile, Director General School Education (DGSE) Kahan Singh Pannu claimed that all schools are receiving the question papers on time.

"In order to maintain complete secrecy, we are experimenting with providing question papers on the day of the exam. Since the scheme is in its early stage, there are a few bottlenecks. Gradually, we will iron out all the problems," the DGSE asserted.

Bathinda, October 2
Dreaming of earning Rs 20 lakhs by making a few threatening phone calls to a rich man in the city has landed a DAV College student in trouble. The BA Part-1 student has been arrested by the police with the mobile phone used to threaten the complainant.

SSP Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill said the accused was easily caught by the police. "The police have numerous gadgets and contacts with the mobile companies which help in tracing such threatening calls. Now, threatening someone using a phone has become a thing of the past and the youth landed himself in trouble," the SSP said.

He said the accused was arrested from near the Rose Garden and the mobile phone used by him along with the SIM was also recovered from him.

The accused has been identified as Manpreet Singh Manna, a native of nearby Bhokra village. He was residing in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar. Policemen investigating the matter said the youth was naïve and made phone calls not only to the complainant but to others as well. The details of the phone calls made to the other mobiles were traced and the youth was arrested.

Manna has been accused of demanding Rs 20 lakh from Sunil Kumar, a resident of Baba Farid Nagar.

Sunil Kumar, along with his relative Gurcharan Singh, brought the matter to the notice of the police and the matter was investigated with the help of the mobile companies.

The youth threatened to kill the complainant if he failed to give him Rs 20 lakhs before October 3. The accused has been booked under section 387 of the IPC at the Thermal police station.

During the preliminary investigation, the accused revealed that he made the calls from a mobile phone which he found lying near Bhatti road a few days ago. The youth said his family has a dairy and he found the mobile lying on road while selling milk in the area.

He revealed that the threatening calls were made in a bid to become rich. DAV College principal Dr JS Anand said he was not aware of any of his students being nabbed by the police. "We may think of taking action but since the incident took place outside the college and the police have already registered a case, it is now for the police and the youth's parents to look into the matter," he said. 

Bathinda, October 2
A day after the residents of Partap Nagar raised a hue and cry over what they called was inadequate security arrangements in their area, DSP City-1-Gurmeet Kingra and Canal SHO UC Chawla reached there to enquire into their problems.

The residents discussed their problems with the policemen and demanded the immediate removal of liquor vends and a meat shop from the locality.

Without mincing words, the residents accused the policemen of not doing their duty properly as the criminals were raising their heads without any fear of law.

"The policemen were informed of the troubles being faced by the residents. The cops assured that patrolling would be intensified and the police pickets in the area would be strengthened," said Gurmel Brar, a local resident.

He said the residents have formed a 16-member committee for night vigil and to keep tab on the illegal activities of the unwanted elements roaming in the area.

Brar said the issue of drug addicts disturbing peace too was discussed during the meeting with DSP Kingra and SHO Chawla. The residents from ward number 37 and street numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5 of Partap Nagar had raised the issue of lack of security in the area. The residents were upset over the repeated incidents of theft, snatchings and loot during the last few months.

The policemen assured of providing security cover in the area and said cops would keep vigil round-the-clock and would not allow anyone to take law into their hands.

The DSP said special focus would be given to the areas where problems like snatchings, theft and eve-teasing have been reported. Efforts would be made to deploy the maximum number of policemen during the evening when unwanted elements roam around and disturb peace in the locality. The DSP also assured of action against cops who do not perform their duties properly.

Bathinda, October 2
The birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was observed at different places in the city today.

(Left) Congress workers offer floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri at the district Congress office on Tuesday; Tributes were paid to the two stalwarts at Lala Sant Ram Memorial Library. Tribune photos: pawan Sharma

An emotional farewell to the teacher at Gilpatti village.

Bathinda, October 2
The panchayat of Gillpatti village accorded a warm send off to a teacher of the Government Elementary School Gillpatti, Ramesh Kumari. Of the 33 years of her service, she has spent the last 13 years teaching children, mostly belonging to the deprived sections of society, at this village.

The members of the panchayat, students, and the NGOs honoured the teacher for her services.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were former MLA Hardev Arshi, SAD press secretary Dr Om Prakash Sharma and former district public relations officer Waheguru Pal Singh, among others.