B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Pak repatriates Indian girl
Abohar, April 2
The Pakistan Rangers handed over Pooja, a 6-year-old girl, to the Border Security Force (BSF) late last evening after a flag meeting near the border outpost (BoP) Neelkanth in Khajuwala segment near Bikaner.

Cleanliness drive begins at Muktsar grain markets
Muktsar, April 2
Taking a serious note of the report “Basic amenities missing at mandis in Muktsar dist” published in The Tribune today, officials of the market committee immediately swung into action and started a cleanliness drive in the grain markets of the district.

Workers clean the grain market in Muktsar on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

EVMs stored in auditorium, school holds cultural activities in the open
Muktsar, April 2
An auditorium built at a cost of Rs 10 lakh at the Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School here is not serving the intended purpose of holding cultural events.

Congressmen join SAD (B)
Ferozepur, April 2
Senior Congressmen, including the vice-president of the District Congress Committee ( Ferozepur) Manjit Singh Sodhi and Anokh Singh Nijher, a former director of the Punjab Mandi Board, along with some other party workers joined the SAD (B) in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at a function organised in Chak Suhelewala village here today.

Pak repatriates Indian girl
Had strayed into the neighbouring nation while collecting firewood
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, April 2
The Pakistan Rangers handed over Pooja, a 6-year-old girl, to the Border Security Force (BSF) late last evening after a flag meeting near the border outpost (BoP) Neelkanth in Khajuwala segment near Bikaner.

She had crossed the border while collecting dry wood on Friday evening. She along with her two minor brothers had taken a herd of cattle to graze near the border. She, however, had stayed there after sending her brothers back with the cattle to collect firewood.

While deporting Pooja the Pakistan Rangers provided her with clothes, footwear, chocolates and sweets. The girl was relaxed during her stay across the border and had no idea that she had violated the law, sources said. After she was reported missing, the BSF held four flag meetings with the Pakistan Rangers. The latter then spotted the girl and agreed to send her back.

Khajuwala MLA Dr Vishavnath Meghwal had earlier faxed a letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, seeking his intervention through diplomatic channels.

She was deported in the presence of BSF Commandant Subhash Chander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Babu Lal Bishnoi, Station House Officer Ram Chander Chaudhary and Tehsildar Ram Chander Pachar.

The girl’s father Sukh Ram Meghwal of Chak village 47KYD (Khajuwala) had on Friday night informed the police that his daughter along with his two sons had taken a herd of cattle to graze near the international border. She was to return home after collecting firewood but did not turn up.

Thereafter, police and area residents sought the help of the BSF deployed near the border to trace the girl. The patrolling party near BoP Neelkanth was able to spot the footprints of the girl close to the border. They had come to the conclusion that she had crossed over to Pakistan by mistake. 

Fruitful search

• Pooja’s father reports her missing after she doesn’t return home from the fields
• The BSF spots the girl's footprints close to the border and contacts the Pakistan Rangers
• The latter then locate the girl and repatriate her

Cleanliness drive begins at Muktsar grain markets
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 2
Taking a serious note of the report “Basic amenities missing at mandis in Muktsar dist” published in The Tribune today, officials of the market committee immediately swung into action and started a cleanliness drive in the grain markets of the district.

Gurcharan Singh, Secretary, Market Committee, Muktsar, said, “I have told all the staff members to ensure cleanliness of all mandis before the arrival wheat. Many cleaners have been deployed for this purpose.”

“A machine has also been pressed into service to lift the garbage,” Gurcharan said. He said senior officials of the departments concerned were expected come here for the inspection of the mandis in the next few days.

EVMs stored in auditorium, school holds cultural activities in the open
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

A sealed entrance to the auditorium at a government school in Muktsar. A Tribune photograph

Muktsar, April 2
An auditorium built at a cost of Rs 10 lakh at the Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School here is not serving the intended purpose of holding cultural events.

For the past five years, the district administration has stored electronic voting machines (EVMs) inside the auditorium in 2005. Resultantly, the school authorities have been organising cultural programmes in an open ground.

Besides the auditorium, two rooms of the school have also been taken for the purpose.

The main entrance of the auditorium, which was built in 2005, has been blocked after raising a wall. Three cops guard the machines throughout the day.

School teachers said the auditorium was used to hold functions only twice, following which it was taken over by the district administration to store the EVMs.

They demanded that the authorities concerned should shift the machines to some other place. “The machines can be stored in a room at any other place but cultural events can’t be held anywhere else except for the auditorium, especially when it was built after spending a huge amount of money. The authorities concerned must look into the matter and take a decision in this regard,” added the teachers.

The principal of the Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Neelam Bala, said, “It has been nearly five years that the machines have been kept in the school auditorium. The higher authorities are well aware of the situation as they frequently visit the school to inspect the machines. However, no decision has been taken so far to shift the EVMs to any other place.”

When contacted for his version, Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh said he was busy in a meeting.

Election tehsildar Hukam Singh Sodhi, who was told by the Deputy Commissioner to comment on the issue, said, “The EVMs were kept in the school auditorium after the approval from the higher-ups. Moreover, this is the only hall in the town that has sufficient space.”

Congressmen join SAD (B)

Ferozepur, April 2
Senior Congressmen, including the vice-president of the District Congress Committee ( Ferozepur) Manjit Singh Sodhi and Anokh Singh Nijher, a former director of the Punjab Mandi Board, along with some other party workers joined the SAD (B) in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at a function organised in Chak Suhelewala village here today.

While welcoming the Congress leaders into the party’s fold, Sukhbir alleged that the Congress has always pursued divisive politics and its leaders have always ignored the interests of the common man to pursue their own vested political interests. He said the Congress leaders and workers were sore over the treatment being meted out to them by the higher functionaries of the party. — OC