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Road roller lover comes calling from UK
‘Had the machine been in England, it would have been made operational by now’
Ferozepur, January 13
The Road Roller Association (RRA), UK, has lauded the efforts of the Ferozepur railway division in giving a new lease of life to the historic 105 years old classic steam road roller of British origin which is of immense vintage value being the only one of kind existing in the country today.

Derek Rayner, vice-chairman of the RRA, UK, along with Ferozepur DRM NC Goyal install the traditional horse logo on the vintage steam road roller of British origin, in Ferozepur. A Tribune photograph

Vet dispensaries shut as docs deputed at livestock championship

Muktsar, January 13
Winter is at its peak and the animals are suffering from various diseases caused by the intense chill, but a majority of veterinary dispensaries and hospitals remained closed in Muktsar district because of the National Livestock Championship organised by the state animal husbandry department that concluded yesterday.

The Civil Veterinary Dispensary at Sotha village in Muktsar lying closed on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

The Civil Veterinary Dispensary at Sotha village in Muktsar lying closed on Wednesday

Rajasthan govt land falls prey to property dealers in Faridkot
Faridkot, January 13
About three years after the father of a HP cadre IAS officer sold a prime piece of land in Faridkot to property dealers, an investigation by the revenue department has found that a major portion of this land, worth over Rs 2 crore, was under the ownership of Rajasthan government. The probe was launched after a complaint in this regard.

Region hails railway minister’s announcements
Abohar, January 13
Former MLA Dr Mohinder Rinwa, member of the Northern Railway Users Consultative Committee Hanuman Das Goyal and members of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee Madan Lal Bhalotia and Pawan Nagori have welcomed the announcements made by the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal during the Maghi Mela at Muktsar today.

Jakhar on panel of Cong’s chintan shivir
Abohar, January 13
AICC president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a high-level committee of seven senior leaders for the "Chintan Shivir" of the party to be held at Jaipur from January 18-20. CLP leader Sunil Jakhar is the only nominee from Punjab.

Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary
Shobha Yatra held
Fazilka, January 13
Hundreds of school students and residents holding placards and pictures took part in a "Shobha Yatra" taken out on Saturday evening to mark the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda. The programme was organised by Swami Vivekanand Jayanti Samaroh Samiti.

	Auction of residential plots and commercial sites by Fazilka MC 10 yrs on, buyers await possession Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, January 13 The Municipal Council has earned over Rs two crore from the auction of over 200 plots and commercial sites in Dhobi Ghat colony in the last decade after working out an ambitious project of carving out a colony named after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. But the council has reportedly left the buyers in the lurch as no development work has been initiated so far. This is despite the fact that the council has also received development charges from the buyers. "There is resentment among the purchasers and bidders over the alleged indifference of the council over initiating the development work," said Dayal Singh and Pushpinder, who bought plots in the area. "We have no access to our plots as the place has virtually turned into a garbage dumping site. We have visited the MC office several times seeking demarcation but officials keep us at bay on one pretext or the other," said Kranti Kumar, another buyer. A part of the colony has turned into a pond because of the drains flowing in from the other residential areas as there is no proper drainage system. It is stated that the amount earned by the council in the name of development has been diverted to other works. Ironically, the council has reportedly provided basic sewerage and water facilities to other unauthorised colonies but the Dhobi Ghat Colony is deprived of such facilities even after a decade. The council had paved the demarcated streets with mud some time back but that has also been washed away. The owners and bidder have demanded that the MC begin the development work immediately. When contacted, Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Sukhdev Singh said the demarcation of the plots would be carried out within a fortnight and the development work would begin after the demarcation.
	Road roller lover comes calling from UK ‘Had the machine been in England, it would have been made operational by now’ Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, January 13 The Road Roller Association (RRA), UK, has lauded the efforts of the Ferozepur railway division in giving a new lease of life to the historic 105 years old classic steam road roller of British origin which is of immense vintage value being the only one of kind existing in the country today. A team from the RRA, UK, led by its vice-chairman Derek Rayner came all the way from York to see the majestic steam road roller which has been given a pride of place in front of the sprawling DRM office complex here. Rayner was visibly fascinated to see the vintage machine which has been recently restored after it was found lying abandoned in one of the old railway yards by Satinder Pal Singh Bhatia, Assistant Traffic Manager (ATM), a few years back. Rayner had also brought along with him the original logo of the Aveling and Porters Limited (Rochester), the company which had manufactured this roller way back in 1908. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) NC Goyal, who had played an instrumental role in the restoration of the roller besides other old locomotives and coaches of immense vintage value, joined Rayner in installing the "traditional horse emblem" on the roller. Rayner also suggested a few improvements to restore the machine's original form. "Had this machine been in England, it would have been made operational by now," said Rayner, adding that the RRA has the expertise to make steam operated machines operational even now. Rayner also brought the original dispatch challan of the roller from the UK. He said that as per the Lincolnshire archives and other documents available with the RRA, this steam road roller, weighing eight tones, had been dispatched from England on February 28, 1908. "It first arrived in Karachi and was subsequently brought to this place," he added. The DRM said during that period, several steam road rollers of different specifications had been imported from England. However, very few of them still existed across the world now. "Reminiscent of the times when the dusty railway colonies were asphalted by steam operated machines, this roller of British origin is a rare model known to exist with forward sloping cylinder and fly wheel mounted inside the horn plates," Goyal said, adding that the roller was last steamed in 1977. Old-timers in the area still recall that the roads carpeted by this roller were popularly called as "Chikni sadak" (smooth roads). Two more majestic machines including a vintage rail locomotive (MAK-21 model) besides a narrow gauge coach, both of them imposing and elegant, have also been stationed outside the DRM office here. All of them have become a centre of attraction, not only for the passersby but for the entire railway staff who are thrilled to become the proud owner of these magnificent relics which have added grandeur to the rail complex.
	Vet dispensaries shut as docs deputed at livestock championship Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, January 13 Winter is at its peak and the animals are suffering from various diseases caused by the intense chill, but a majority of veterinary dispensaries and hospitals remained closed in Muktsar district because of the National Livestock Championship organised by the state animal husbandry department that concluded yesterday. A number of doctors and pharmacists posted at the dispensaries run by the department were deployed at the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium here to look after the championship. A visit to the rural areas had revealed that most of the dispensaries were closed and people were left with no other option but to take their animals to the private doctors for treatment. Kala Singh, a resident of Madhir village in Gidderbaha sub-division, said, "My cow sustained an injury near the leg but the village dispensary was lying closed. So, I had to take the cow to a private doctor who charged a huge amount for the treatment." The situation was almost similar in the city, where a visit to the Civil Veterinary Hospital revealed that hardly anyone was present there. A veterinary doctor said on the condition of anonymity, "Nearly 75 per cent institutes of the animal husbandry department were closed in Muktsar district just because of the national livestock championship." He said the staff was only present in the dispensaries and hospitals coming under the Zila Parishads. Director, Animal Husbandry Department, HS Sandha, also admitted that the staff was not present at a number of dispensaries. "As the department was organising this prestigious championship, the problem might have occurred at some dispensaries. But we did make some arrangements to overcome the problem." "If the doctor from a village dispensary was deployed at the championship, the pharmacist was told to remain present in his absence. At some villages, one doctor was given the temporary charge of two to three dispensaries," added Sandha. It may be mentioned here that the animals are reported to be suffering mainly from three diseases in winter - hypothermia, mastitis and pneumonia.
	Rajasthan govt land falls prey to property dealers in Faridkot Balwant Garg/TNS Faridkot, January 13 About three years after the father of a HP cadre IAS officer sold a prime piece of land in Faridkot to property dealers, an investigation by the revenue department has found that a major portion of this land, worth over Rs 2 crore, was under the ownership of Rajasthan government. The probe was launched after a complaint in this regard. The investigation found that of the total 3902 square yards of land that was sold, the seller was the owner of only 272 square yards and the rest of the 3030 square yard was Rajasthan's property. On the basis of this inquiry, while the district collector has cancelled the mutation of this land in the revenue record, no legal action has so far been taken against the accused. Some days back, in his legal opinion to the police, the deputy district attorney (ADA) recommended the registration of a criminal case but no action has been taken. The alibi is that in a second legal opinion to the district collector, the district attorney recommended a 'wait and watch policy, until the accused challenges the cancellation of the mutation in the higher courts. More than 50 years after the Rajasthan government acquired over two lakh acres of agricultural land in south-west Punjab for the construction of Rajasthan Feeder Canal, the ownership of this land still exists in the name of the original owners-- the farmers-- in the revenue records. This glitch in the revenue records has come in handy for some unscrupulous property dealers and influential persons who sell this land to unsuspecting buyers. In some cases, when these illegalities came to light, the police registered criminal cases against the buyers and sellers but in many other cases, where the beneficiaries were politically well connected or influential persons, no legal action was taken. The latest case came to light when Pawan Kumar, a resident in Faridkot made a complaint to the district collector, alleging that Bhagwant Singh was not the owner of 3902 square yards of land that he sold to the property dealers on October 21, 2010. It was alleged that a major portion of this land was under the ownership of Rajasthan government. The collector ordered an inquiry and the allegations were found to be correct. "We have taken up the matter with the revenue and canal departments to transfer the ownership of the land in the revenue record in the name of Rajasthan government to check such fraudulent sale deeds," said District Collector Ravi Bhagat. As some revenue officials are also in the dock for the registration of this sale deed and entering its mutation, so the district collector has warned them to be cautious in checking the record about the ownership of Rajasthan government.
	Region hails railway minister’s announcements Our Correspondent Abohar, January 13 Former MLA Dr Mohinder Rinwa, member of the Northern Railway Users Consultative Committee Hanuman Das Goyal and members of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee Madan Lal Bhalotia and Pawan Nagori have welcomed the announcements made by the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal during the Maghi Mela at Muktsar today. Dr Rinwa said the minister has accepted the long-pending demand for running the Fazilka-Delhi express train and introducing the Jan Shatabdi train from Ferozepur to Delhi. The minister has shown concern for the commuters of Sriganganagar, Abohar and other towns by consenting to extend the 14712/14711 Sriganganagar-Haridwar inter-city express train to Rishikesh. To ensure punctuality, it will be better to allocate two rakes on the route, they added. They said the outlived AC chair cars of the inter-city trains for Haridwar and Delhi too should be replaced soon. Ferozepur: The decision to start a Jan Shatabdi from Ferozepur to New Delhi has delighted people in this border town. Parminder Singh Pinki, MLA, said the new train will play a vital role in the development of this border town, which has remained neglected. Pinki claimed the minister has also promised to start a train between Ferozepur and Haridwar in due course. Ashok Bajaj, a retired ITO, said he had written many letters to the railway ministry to sanction a Shatabdi between these two stations. Several NGOs and social service organizations have also welcomed the move which they said will go a long way in giving boost to the battered economy of the region. Prominent social worker SN Malhotra, PC Kumar, Inderjit Singh Gogia and others also lauded the move.