B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Officials found missing during surprise check
Muktsar, January 2
With the mercury continuing to dip, the attendance in government offices has already started turning thin and a number of employees have been reportedly marking their attendance from their home in Muktsar district.

Cong plans rally in Moga on Jan 9
Faridkot, January 2
Less than a week after Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain joined the SAD (B), the Congress has started bracing for a by-election. Getting in the poll mode, the party today organized a public meeting in Moga, giving a call to the voters to 'teach a lesson' to Jain who ditched his supporters.

Check crime against women: Harsimrat
Bathinda, January 2
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Member of Parliament from Bathinda, today emphasised upon the need to initiate efforts to safeguard the dignity of women and to curb crime against them.

Ambulance driver charred to death
Ferozepur, January 2
An ambulance driver belonging to the health department was charred to death while he was sleeping in the driver's room near the trauma ward at the local Civil Hospital here today.

Design flaw renders artificial lake useless
Muktsar, January 2
Faulty design and lack of planning in creating an artificial lake, a waterfall and an open air theatre in 2002 by the district administration at the Red Cross Bhawan here has resulted in the wastage of money that went into its construction.


The wooden-cum-iron bridge over the lake is also in a poor shape. Photo by writer

Drug peddler nabbed
Muktsar, January 2
The city police today claimed to have nabbed a narcotics smuggler after seizing nearly 5 kg poppy husk from his possession. The police said the accused had been identified as Bohad Singh. A case under the NDPS Act had been registered against him. — TNS

Suwidha camp held
Muktsar, January 2
As many as 351 people availed of the benefit of Suwidha camp held at Bhai Ka Kera village in Lambi assembly constituency today. DC Muktsar Paramjit Singh and SDM Malout Amandeep Bansal visited the camp. — TNS

Officials found missing during surprise check
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 2
With the mercury continuing to dip, the attendance in government offices has already started turning thin and a number of employees have been reportedly marking their attendance from their home in Muktsar district.

As many as 16 employees of various government offices were found absent today during a raid conducted by the Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh. The DC found that even a number of senior officials were not present.

Those found absent during the surprise visit included an assistant engineer Iqbal Singh, a junior engineer Suba Singh, tax collector Jaswinder Singh, sevadar Rajrani, Sukhwinder Kaur and Sukhjit Singh, all employees of the Block Development and Panchayat Office.

Similarly, district programme officer and CDPO Ruchi Kalra and clerk Jaswinder Singh were also found absent.

During the raid, an employee even produced the 'forged' leave application of his senior before the DC.

Further, an executive engineer in the irrigation department, Gurdeep Singh, SDO Bachan Singh, Pritam Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Bhullar and Gurjant Singh, were not found present in their offices.

Besides, two teachers of government senior secondary school at Malout were also not found present in the school.

"I have issued strict warning to all government employees in the district to remain present during the duty hours, otherwise strict action will be taken against those found absent," said DC Paramjit Singh.

The Deputy Commissioner said that in the coming days, he would visit the government offices, schools to check the working of the officials.

Cong plans rally in Moga on Jan 9
Party gets ready to tackle the impact of Joginder Pal Jain joining the SAD (B)
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 2
Less than a week after Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain joined the SAD (B), the Congress has started bracing for a by-election. Getting in the poll mode, the party today organized a public meeting in Moga, giving a call to the voters to 'teach a lesson' to Jain who ditched his supporters.

The Congress has coined "anti-hooliganism" as a slogan to fight the by-election. Addressing a public rally today, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary Harminder Singh Gill said the voters in Moga will teach a lesson to the ruling alliance in the by-election for unleashing terror in the minds of the common man.

Speaking at the rally, the Congress leaders even gave hints of the party joining hands with the People's Party of Punjab (PPP), Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The alliance candidate in Moga by-election will rout the Akali Dal, claimed Harminder Gill.

However, PPP President Manpreet Badal said his party has not yet taken any decision about the Moga by-election.

"Talking about the alliance at this stage is speculation. Let the parleys begin and the PPP would take its decision after arriving at a consensus within the party," said Manpreet Badal.

Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh said the state Congress will organise a huge political rally at Moga on January 9 and Captain Amarinder Singh will address the party workers and chalk out a new programme for staging protests against the state government's policies.

On Joginder Pal Jain's departure from the Congress, Rana said too much should not be read into it as Jain himself had admitted that he was a businessman and not a politician.

The Congress will highlight the involvement of party leaders in the chaotic state of affairs, Rana said.

Former minister Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Malkeet Singh Dakha, PPCC secretary Harpal Singh Brar, former MLA Vijay Sathi, Mohammad Sadiq and Tara Singh Sandhu were among the prominent Congress leaders who spoke on the occasion.

Check crime against women: Harsimrat

Bathinda, January 2
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Member of Parliament from Bathinda, today emphasised upon the need to initiate efforts to safeguard the dignity of women and to curb crime against them.

During her tour to Sardulgarh in Mansa, Harsimrat said atrocities on women could be prevented with the collective effort of every section of society. The change in the existing laws vis-à-vis the mentality towards women was also necessary, Harsimrat said.

She exhorted the people to come forward for making the Nanhi Chaan, a public movement. Appreciating the recent decision of the Punjab government that no women can be summoned to the police station for verification or inquiry in cases of crime, Harsimrat announced that special steps would be taken at school and college levels to train the girls in self-defence. — TNS

Ambulance driver charred to death
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, January 2
An ambulance driver belonging to the health department was charred to death while he was sleeping in the driver's room near the trauma ward at the local Civil Hospital here today.

As per the information, the deceased, identified as Lakhwinder Singh, drove the ambulance belonging to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Sources said the incident occurred when his quilt apparently caught fire from the heater in the room while he was fast asleep.

A passerby noticed smoke coming out of the room following which the hospital staff was alerted. However, by the time the room could be opened, Lakhwinder had already succumbed to his burn injuries.

SMO Dr Manchanda said the deceased had extensive burns on his body due to which he died on the spot. The body was later handed over to the family after the postmortem.

Design flaw renders artificial lake useless
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 2
Faulty design and lack of planning in creating an artificial lake, a waterfall and an open air theatre in 2002 by the district administration at the Red Cross Bhawan here has resulted in the wastage of money that went into its construction.

In the last 10 years, the artificial lake has not been used for more than a year, said sources. While creating the facility for the amusement of local residents, the then Deputy Commissioner Usha R Sharma had planned to start boating in the lake, but the lake remains dry because of its faulty design.

Instead of making any alteration in the existing plan, the administration has even built 12 shops on the lake bed to raise funds for the Red Cross society by collecting monthly rent from the shopkeepers.

"The situation has turned worse just because of lack of planning. If the lake gets filled with water, the shops located in it get submerged. In such a situation, neither can we demolish the shops nor can we use the lake for any other purpose. Moreover, the entire structure has become useless," said an employee of the Red Cross society.

Giving details, he said only the open air theatre was serving its purpose, as it was being used by some local organisations to hold seminars, meetings and staging plays. Even these events are not frequently held.

"Besides the open air theatre, the other projects constructed for the amusement of the public are also lying useless. Though a huge amount was spent at that time, it has failed to serve its purpose," he added.

It was also found that the wooden-cum-iron bridge made over the lake was also in a poor shape.

However, when asked about the non-functional lake and waterfall, the authorities concerned simply said that these were closed as a precautionary measure as any kid might have fallen into the lake.

Hardev Kaur Gill, secretary, District Red Cross Society, said, "The lake and the waterfall were created before I took charge here almost four years ago. But during my stint here, I have not seen water in the lake or water flowing in the artificial waterfall."

"As per my knowledge, the lake and waterfall were used only in the initial one year," she added.