B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Students want state govt to preserve ancient monuments
Abohar, February 10
More than 50 students of the PG Department of History at the DAV College here, who visited the ancient monuments in Nakodar and Sultanpur Lodhi besides the Kala Sangha, feel that the state government should take steps to preserve the ancient monuments.

BJP workers seek state chief’s help
Abohar, February 10
Unable to resolve the chronic sewage problem plaguing the city, Abohar Municipal Council president Shivraj Goyal has now sought cooperation from the new state BJP president Kamal Sharma.

Two run over by trains in Abohar
Abohar, February 10
Two persons were run over by different trains here yesterday, GRP sources said.

Udyan Abha to be back on tracks by Feb 20
Abohar, February 10
The 13008/13007 Udyan Abha Toofan Mail will resume its run on the Sriganganagar-Abohar-Bathinda-Delhi route by February 20, official sources confirmed. The train had been suspended on this route owing to foggy weather in the last week of December 2012.

LPU inks pact with US varsities
Jalandhar, February 10
Lovely Professional University (LPU) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Kirkwood Community College to promote research by way of collaborative projects/assignments.

Bus driver held with poppy husk
Abohar, February 10
The police today seized 10 kg of poppy husk during a search conducted in a Punjab Roadways bus of the Ferozepur depot. The bus was intercepted near an abandoned petrol pump on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road, DSP Veer Chand said.

Triple-riding leaves one dead, two injured
Fazilka, February 10
A migrant labourer was killed while two pillion riders were injured in a road accident as the bike on which they were riding skidded into a seepage drain on the Abohar road. The injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

Two arrested with stolen rice
Bathinda, February 10
The Mansa police has arrested two persons with 100 bags of stolen rice. Acting on the information about rice being stolen from a godown on the Budhlada road, the police acted and recovered the rice bags and nabbed the two accused.

A view of one of the three lakes in Bathinda. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Students want state govt to preserve ancient monuments
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 10
More than 50 students of the PG Department of History at the DAV College here, who visited the ancient monuments in Nakodar and Sultanpur Lodhi besides the Kala Sangha, feel that the state government should take steps to preserve the ancient monuments.

Sharing their views on returning after the study tour, the students said Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, during a 70 minute session, said he was determined to continue efforts to get Kala Sangha and Budha Nullah cleaned despite the failure of the officials in keeping the deadline fixed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for making the rivers free of pollution.

The students told Seechewal that contaminated water continues to flow through the Abohar branch, Malukpura distributory as well as Gang (Bikaner) and Rajasthan canals resulting in the spread of deadly diseases.

Seechewal also advised the students from farming families to adopt organic farming to minimise the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides as both cause food pollution.

The students paid obeisance at Dargah Baba Murad Shah in Nakodar and visited historic places in Sultanpur Lodhi.

BJP workers seek state chief’s help
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 10
Unable to resolve the chronic sewage problem plaguing the city, Abohar Municipal Council president Shivraj Goyal has now sought cooperation from the new state BJP president Kamal Sharma.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the state government to make available Rs 65 lakh to the council to put the choked sewerage in order but the funds are still waited.

Goyal along with the city unit presidents Mukhtiar Singh Soni and Rajinder Chaudhary, Yuva Morcha presidents Ankur Garg and Sikander Kapur and senior leader Ram Kishan Mittal met the state president at his residence in Ferozepur.

They are learnt to have explained that the state government had not paid heed to the requests for funds made during the past four-five years. The council had lost a major source of income as the government abolished octroi.

The council had not been able to pay Rs 80 lakh on account of wages to its staff as the collection of water and sewerage charges too is in limbo due to court proceedings initiated by the consumers.

The problem had been discussed with the former state party president Ashwani Sharma during his visit to Abohar and Bhagat Chuni Lal, Minister for Local Bodies at Chandigarh but in vain.

The local BJP leaders are learnt to have told the state party president that this gave the Congress the opportunity to take up the matter through public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

As no technical staff has been provided to the Abohar municipal council, the teams that had been borrowed from the other civic bodies under the directions of the High Court have returned to their home towns.

The Powercom had snapped electricity supply to the sewage disposal works due to non-payment of bills but it was restored when the district administration intervened. Now, streetlights have been switched off plunging the main bus stand in darkness.

The deputation claimed that Kamal Sharma has discussed the situation with Bhagat Chuni Lal who has assured of taking effective steps soon.

Two run over by trains in Abohar
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 10
Two persons were run over by different trains here yesterday, GRP sources said.

It is learnt that a youth was reportedly noticed jumping on the rail track when the Bathinda-Fazilka passenger train was approaching the Seetogunno road.

Another person, identified as Sukhminder Singh of Muktsar, was run over by another train near Bahawalbassi rural station on the Abohar-Malout section.

Meanwhile, the body of an unidentified person has been recovered from the Malukpura canal near Dhaani Bishesharnath on the Abohar-Kandhwala road.

In another incident, a woman, identified as Santo, was killed while her son Sukhwinder Singh sustained injuries as a private bus hit them near the neighbouring town Sadulshehar today. The bus was impounded, the police said.

Udyan Abha to be back on tracks by Feb 20
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 10
The 13008/13007 Udyan Abha Toofan Mail will resume its run on the Sriganganagar-Abohar-Bathinda-Delhi route by February 20, official sources confirmed. The train had been suspended on this route owing to foggy weather in the last week of December 2012.

It was allowed to run on the Mughalsarai-Howrah route only.

The restoration of the train's original schedule might boost the transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables besides redressing the woes of hundreds of commuters who had to spend more on travelling to Delhi by the AC superfast Sarai Rohila-Sriganganagar express train that was available only on alternate days.

LPU inks pact with US varsities
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 10
Lovely Professional University (LPU) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Kirkwood Community College to promote research by way of collaborative projects/assignments.

The MoU was signed with a 21-member delegation that included a Senator, academicians and industrialists.

The memorandum signed with the US universities focuses on student exchange programmes, research proposals and collaborative degree programmes.

University Chancellor Ashok Mittal said the university aimed to partner with universities from across the globe.

The Senior Vice-President, Iowa State University, Dr Jonathan Adam Wickert said the Jalandhar university was an ideal choice "in our pursuit to bring our academic expertise and experience to India.”

Bus driver held with poppy husk
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 10
The police today seized 10 kg of poppy husk during a search conducted in a Punjab Roadways bus of the Ferozepur depot. The bus was intercepted near an abandoned petrol pump on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road, DSP Veer Chand said.

The driver, Angrej Singh of Patti (Tarn Taran), has been arrested under the NDPS Act. The bus (PB05 N9260) from Sriganganagar was going to Amritsar when the police intercepted it.

Triple-riding leaves one dead, two injured
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, February 10
A migrant labourer was killed while two pillion riders were injured in a road accident as the bike on which they were riding skidded into a seepage drain on the Abohar road. The injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

As per the details available, Bajrangi, a mason, his brother Sudama and nephew Nand Lal, residents of district Jehanabad in Bihar, now residing at Madhav Nagri here, were returning Fazilka after finishing their work in village Beganwali on Saturday evening.

As they reached near the seepage drain, about three km from here outside the BSF headquarters, their motorcycle rammed into the railing of the bridge and fell into the drain. Bajrangi (30) died on the spot.

The president of the General Mazdoor Union, Luxmi Narain, has demanded suitable compensation from the administration for the migrant labourer's family on compassionate ground. 

Two arrested with stolen rice
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 10
The Mansa police has arrested two persons with 100 bags of stolen rice. Acting on the information about rice being stolen from a godown on the Budhlada road, the police acted and recovered the rice bags and nabbed the two accused.

Makhan Singh, who was unloading the rice bags, was arrested from the spot while another co-accused, Kewal Singh, was arrested later.

The other accused fled from the spot taking advantage of the darkness.

A case under Sections 420, 409 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in this connection.