A vehicle that met with an accident due to dense fog on Dabwali road earlier this week. A Tribune photograph

Bathinda, December 30
The prevailing foggy weather, apart from disrupting normal life, has also resulted in an increase in the number of road accidents. More than a dozen serious accidents have been reported because of the fog this season in which two people have lost their lives while more than 15 were reported injured in and around Bathinda city.

Accidents have been reported on Goniana road, Mansa road, Dabwali road, Barnala road and near Ghorewala chowk, Power House chowk, GT Road and other busy intersections in the city.

In an accident that took place on Dabwali road in the wee hours today, a resident of Sirsa lost his life while three others including an 11-year-old boy received serious injuries.

The driver of the Maruti 800 car, Prem Kumar, a resident of Sirsa, lost his life today while Sukhmandar Singh his wife, Sukhpal Kaur and their 11-year-old son Gurmilan Singh received serious injuries when their car collided head-on with a speeding tractor- trolley. The trolley loaded with cement bags was going towards Bathinda when the accident took place.

According to the volunteers of Sangat Sahara, the accident took place at around 8 am when the Maruti car was trying to overtake a city bus near Sangat Kenchiyan. The driver of the car failed to notice the approaching trolley and the two vehicles collided head-on.

The occupants of the car are residents of Balmiki Chowk in Sirsa and were returning from Bathinda after attending the funeral rites of a relative. Doctors at the Civil Hospital said Gurmilan Singh had sustained a fracture in the arm while his parents received head injuries. They were admitted to the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital. Their condition is now stated to be critical but out of danger.

The volunteers of the NGO Sangat Sahara said they have witnessed four major road accidents on Dabwali road alone during the last one week. They said all the accidents have taken place due to dense fog. The smaller vehicles have rammed into the bigger vehicles and cars overtaking each other have collided with vehicles approaching from the other side due to low visibility.

In a similar accident that took place near Gehri Buttar village, four persons returning from Ludhiana received serious injuries last night. The car in which they were travelling was trailing behind a truck. The car driver failed to see the road due to the dense fog and when the truck driver applied brakes suddenly, the car rammed into the truck from the rear.

Those injured in the accident were identified as Gurbachan Singh, Harnam, Balraj, and Harjeet Kaur. They were heading towards Ranian in Haryana and the accident took place around midnight.

They received head injuries and the glass shards from the window panes entered into their eyes. They were rushed to the Civil Hospital where they were given first aid and then shifted to another hospital in Haryana.

In yet another accident that took place near refinery road, a jeep and a car collided due to fog yesterday in the afternoon. Though no serious injuries were reported, both the vehicles were severely damaged.

The residents of the area said there are no traffic lights, speed-breakers or other identity marks to help the commuters identify the turn towards the refinery from the Dabwali road. Many accidents have taken place in the past wherein people have received serious injuries, said the residents.

Meanwhile, Dimple Goyal, son of a Bathinda-based cloth merchant, was found lying in a water channel near Sangat. Dimple was taken to a hospital by the volunteers of Sangat Sahara in a serious condition. The volunteers said after bringing the youth out of the water channel, they brought him to the government hospital at Sangat for treatment. 

Bathinda, December 30
The year 2012 remained a year of ups and downs as far as Bathinda railway junction is concerned. While the year's rail budget ushered in some good news and new development projects were started, old problems like the shortage of porters prevailed.

Washable aprons, which will ensure better sanitation on the railway tracks, were introduced at the Bathinda junction this year. The construction of the washable aprons was completed on platform numbers 5 and 1.

For those taking trains from the Bathinda junction, the 2012 Rail Budget brought good news. It was announced that the weekly train, Sri Ganganagar-Hazoor Saheb-Nanded Express, would by converted into a tri-weekly. After much dilly-dallying, the railway authorities have decided that starting from February 2013, the train will run thrice a week.

In the rail budget, it was also announced that the bi-weekly Amritsar-Jaipur Express would be extended till the holy city of Ajmer in Rajasthan. The train will begin touching Ajmer starting February next year.

Meanwhile, a deputation of the residents of Goniana Mandi met the Union Railways Minister Pawan Bansal requesting him to halt the Jammu-Tawi Express in Goniana to ensure better connectivity.

The work of doubling the track between Delhi and Bathinda was also sanctioned and the work has been underway for some months now.

The work on doubling the track has been completed between Delhi and Jakhal and the work between Jakhal and Budhlada is also nearing completion.

Although the task of doubling the track is lagging behind as it was to be completed till Mansa by March 2013, the railway authorities are hopeful that the entire work would be complete by the year 2014.

The absence of a ramp was the biggest problem faced by the elderly and the physically challenged at the Bathinda junction. Construction of a pathway connecting all the platforms began at the junction this year.

The pathway, which can be used by the elderly and the physically-impaired passes through the parcel office at the junction and has linked platform number 5, 6 and 7. A structure has been pulled down at the junction to extend the pathway to link platform numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well.

The problem of porters, however, prevailed this year too. Only a countable number of porters, fleecing the customers at the Bathinda junction, forced the passengers to carry their luggage themselves.

Unmanned crossings remained a cause of worry for the residents of the nearby areas as well as the railway staff as an increasing number of accidents were reported from such crossings in the Bathinda district.

Bathinda, december 30
Instilling a sense of security in the heart of the city’s residents, SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar said the city police would remain on its toes while the city will be busy ushering in the New Year.

He added that the senior police officers, including the SHOs, DSPs and SPs will patrol the city to keep a check on the law and order situation in the city.

Police PCR vehicles, including bikes and four-wheelers, would continuously patrol the sensitive areas in the city and would take prompt action, if needed.

Brar stated that policemen, in uniform and plain clothes, had already been deployed at all the crossings, bus stand, railway station, Dhobi Bazaar, near the eating joints and city hotels to keep a check on any nuisance, criminal activities or anti-social elements.

Brar said all the main intersections of the city were already under police surveillance and more policemen had been deployed at various city areas.

“Our endeavor is to instill a sense of security in the hearts of the residents. The entire police force has been directed for the same. Those attending the police control room number 100 and the women helpline numbers will be extra vigilant,” Brar added.

The SSP also pointed out that the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and other squads too were on their toes to keep a tab on the law and order situation in the city.

Bathinda, december 30
In a cross case, police booked a resident of Dhobiana Basti and his neighbour for threatening and beating each other.

One of the accused, Bhola Singh, is reportedly engaged in milking the Deputy Commissioner’s cows.

In his complaint, Ranjit Singh, a driver by profession, accused Bhola of using the DC’s name to influence the police inquiry and threatening him with dire consequences.

Ranjit accused Bhola of pelting him with stones and getting him implicated in a false case. He added that Bhola had the habit of introducing himself as a DC residence worker at various places, including the Civil Hospital and the police station.

Ranjit said the false case in which he had been implicated by Bhola was pending in the High Court.

Investigating officer in the case Mohan Singh, from Cantonment police station said Bhola was a witness in a case of kidnapping of a boy from Mansa.

He added that Bhola had claimed that he had seen the boy at Ranjit’s residence but there was no proof of the same. Mohan added that Ranjit underwent a narco analysis test in Gujrat in connection with the case of kidnapping.

Cantonment SHO Paramjit Singh said a cross case had been registered against both the parties under Sections 341, 323, 324 and 34 of the IPC. Apart from Bhola and Ranjit, Bhola’s father Malkit Singh has also been booked in this connection.

DC KK Yadav could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Bathinda, december 30
Police have registered a case against four persons for eve- teasing at a city hotel. In his complaint to the police, Bharat Bhushan, a resident of Nai Basti said he and his family members were having dinner at a hotel in the city.

He added that four men entered the hotel and passed indecent remarks at her daughter. He alleged that the men got into heated arguments when objection was raised. He said the accused also caught hold of his daughter’s hand and tried to misbehave with her.