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Protesters skip Transport Nagar
Death in sewer |
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Girls missing from Jogi Nagar traced in Aligarh
Small-scale industry demands TOD rebate
KV-1 teacher’s novel ‘Tinka Tinka’ wins award
No let up in number of road mishaps
Birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar observed in city
Convention seeks repeal of Bhullar’s death sentence
Members of the Association for Democratic Rights, Punjab, hold a convention at Teachers’ Home to demand the repeal of death penalty for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar. Tribune photo: pawan Sharma
Watch out for early signs of diabetes: Doc
Seminar on technology organised
Cultural performances mark PTUGZS farewell function
IMA unit holds sports event
Mother-son duo held with poppy husk
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Protesters skip Transport Nagar
Bathinda, April 14 On March 17, the city police was forced to barricade the road outside the Teachers' Home to prevent the protesting Elementary Teacher Training (ETT) teachers from staging a dharna outside the District Administrative Complex. The city was turned into a fortress on March 18 after various farmers' unions announced that its members would assemble in the city and stage a protest. A day later, a large number of shopkeepers blocked the traffic on the Mall Road and the arterial roads of Nai Basti after burglars broke into a cyber café and set it ablaze after decamping with the goods. On March 29, a large posse of police intercepted the special trainer teachers, who had assembled at the Teachers' Home. The police, however, had to give in to the protesters and allowed them to take out a rally around the Fauji Chowk and burn copies of their relieving letters at the Mehna Chowk. On April 8, the police was left with no option but to round up several special trainer teachers to prevent them from protesting outside the District Administrative Complex. Several teachers managed to dodge the police and held a rally in some of the busiest markets in the city. "Transport Nagar is on the outskirts of the city and if we protest there it will not affect the administration at all. The administration claimed that the place was earmarked for holding protests since it offered water and toilet facilities to the protesters. But in reality, the administration wants the protesters off its back," said the district leader of a teachers' union. Resham Singh, the state president of the Democratic Teachers' Front, said, "The government will be forced to fulfill our demands only when its officers will get to know about it. There are no government offices in the Transport Nagar. What purpose will a protest held five km outside the city serve?" "The way members of the Unemployed Linesmen Union and their family members were manhandled by the police at the Baisakhi Mela in Talwandi Sabo yesterday is shameful. Protests make sense not in villages or fringe areas but at places which are the focal points of power. In future also, no protests will be held in the Transport Nagar," said Buta Singh, head of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakonda).
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Company officials asked to appear before Mayor today
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, April 14 "His relatives expressed the desire to take the body to Delhi where he had many relatives," said assistant municipal commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal. Mandal's family members took away the body in a taxi at around 2 pm. The postmortem report of the deceased stated that he died of asphyxiation and the sewer water had entered his lungs. The deceased had entered the manhole to check the plug of the sand-filled jute bags, which fell on him. A four-hour-long extensive rescue operation began, but he could not be saved. The team of the 7th Battalion of the NDRF fished out the body from the manhole. Divers Ajit Kumar Sahu and Narayan Chandra Mandal had jumped into the sewer waters alternatively. Inside the sewer, Rupesh's body was found beneath one of the jute bags, which were used to plug the sewer. Since the water flows from the bus stand towards the Mansa road, the deep divers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 7th battalion, Ajit Kumar Sahu and Narayan Chandra Mandal, faced a tough time negotiating with heavy volume of water flowing in the pipeline. It was the fifth such death in the last five years. None of the deceased in all the cases was a regular employee of either the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) or the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB). All the deceased were employees of contractors who were awarded various works. In all the cases, the Municipal Corporation had blamed the contractors for not taking complete safety measures but failed to act sternly against them. Meanwhile, the officials of the company, Bali Boy India, which has been given task of de-silting the sewer in the city, has been asked to appear in the office of Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman on Monday in connection with the incident.
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Girls missing from Jogi Nagar traced in Aligarh
Bathinda, April 14 Canal Colony Station House Officer (SHO) Karamjit Singh said an Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh)-based NGO, the Udaan Society, searched Jogi Nagar in the Google, an Internet search engine, and got the phone number and address of a resident of the locality. The resident brought the matter into the notice of the SHO who called up the NGO and enquired about the missing girls. The NGO informed that two girls were handed over to them by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Aligarh. The GRP questioned the girls, who were roaming aimlessly, and later, brought them to the office of the NGO. "The description about the two girls traced in Aligarh was similar to that of the girls missing from Jogi Nagar. We informed the NGO that the girls belong to Bathinda," the SHO said. He said the NGO told the family members that their girls were safe and healthy. Members of the Udaan Society had asked the family members to bring along a proof, which could verify that the children belong to them. "A team of policemen accompanied the poor family to Aligarh. They took along a copy of the FIR, photographs of the children and other proofs," the SHO said. He added that the girls were brought to Bathinda this afternoon. The girls, who were in a state of shock, did not name any kidnapper or that they were allured by someone to board a train to Aligarh. The police said further action would be initiated after recording the statements of the girls' parents. Once the girls come out of the shock, they would be asked about their side of story. The police and the girls' family members thanked the NGO for its initiative that reunited the girls with their parents. It may be recalled that the two girls had left their home to pay obeisance at a nearby temple at around 8 am four days ago but did not return. The family accused a man in the locality of kidnapping the girls. Though the girls were said to be missing, a case of abduction under Section 363 of the IPC was registered at the Canal Colony Police Station following protests by area residents. |
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Small-scale industry demands TOD rebate
Bathinda, April 14 In a recently-announced tariff plan, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has introduced TOD tariff for the large-scale industry. Under the new tariff, introduced for the first time in the state, the large scale industry will be given a rebate of Re 1 per unit from 10 pm to 6 am during winter (from October 1 to March 31). The power generation profile is flat in summer, wherein there is almost equal load in day and night hours. However, the demand for power in winter is lesser in both domestic and agricultural sectors. "In winter, the power load crashes at night, but the generation cannot be reduced," added an officer of the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL). He added that the TOD means win-win situation for both the power corporation and the consumers, as it would neither require load shedding nor buying costly power from the open access. In Bathinda, large-scale industries like the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at Phulokhari and the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) have their captive power plants (CPP) and hence, draw minimal power from the state power sector. While the refinery has the CPP with a capacity of over 150 MW, the capacity of the NFL's CCP is around 24 MW. An NFL spokesperson said the industry was yet to get an official notification about the TOD system. For the TOD facility, special meters known as downloadable meters are used. These meters record consumption of power as per the time slot. While the large-scale industry is still waiting for the official notification, the small-scale industry demanded that the same TOD slot should be extended to them as well. PS Randhawa, an industrialist, said the small-scale industry was in crisis and the government could help it by providing it with the TOD slot. "However, the TOD is meant to benefit big corporate houses only, which already have enough means to meet their expenses. The time period allocated for the TOD is the one wherein power is available from the open access too. The state power department is trying to fill its coffers by cashing in on the same time period," he added. It is pertinent to mention here that during the PSERC hearing held at Bathinda, deputy chief engineer H S Khurmi (retd) had proposed TOD on the pattern of Canada where even the domestic sector is being given supply on the TOD basis. To begin with, the PSERC has allowed it to the large-scale industry, which may be extended to the small-scale and the domestic sectors in the years to come. The TOD rebate
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KV-1 teacher’s novel ‘Tinka Tinka’ wins award
Bathinda, April 14 The novel was chosen by a committee formed for the purpose by the Central Hindi Directorate, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Suresh, who teaches Hindi at Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 in Bathinda, said one should not turn author just because he/she has stories. "Unless the stories have something to tell the reader or are mirror of what is happening in the society, they will not turn into good literature. I spent three years on the novel and kept it for one year before sending it for printing," he added. Talking about the novel, he said, "The story follows a love story which goes through turmoil during the 1984 riots. The story tells the reader to live life with simplicity and contentment. The lead characters, Dev, Dhara, Uday and Seher, are all inspired by nature." When asked what made him adopt the pen name 'Hans' and change his name from Suresh Kumar to Suresh Hans. "I like the bird since in Hindi there is a saying that 'Hans doodh ka doodh paani ka paani kar deta hai'. This made me adopt the open name." Talking about his inspiration, he said, "I like the writings of Kamleshwar and Bhishm Sahni. Apart from the classics, I also like the writings by some young writers. I believe that all literature lovers should read classics and popular or new literature. Sometimes, the new writings may turn out to be thought provoking." "From 1998 to 2003, I published a magazine called 'Hastakshar'. It used to be the only Hindi magazine published from Punjab. I used to write for it, edit the stories and bear the cost of its printing too. I had interviewed Bhishm Sahni for the magazine. I still have the letter through which the writer had sent me the answers of my questions. It is my prized possession," he added.
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No let up in number of road mishaps
Bathinda, April 14 "We witness two to three accidents in a day and shift the injured to the hospital. Apart from the plying of heavy vehicles, reckless driving too contributes to the rising number of road accidents," said Pushpesh Sharma, a resident of Pujanwala Mohalla. Mehar Sekhon, a resident of Markfed Colony, said she along with her five-year-old son and mother-in- law fell off from a two-wheeler near Fauji Chowk two days back. "The road was quite slippery at the roundabout as oil from a tanker had spilled on to the road. My mother-in-law pointed out the foul smell as we were coming down from the ITI flyover," Mehar said. "We slipped as my scooter skidded on the road. The child received a cut on his leg while my mother-in-law was also seriously injured," Mehar added. The family members were rushed to a clinic in Mehna Chowk where they were given first aid after which the child, who was already suffering from fever, was taken to a children's hospital. Traffic policemen in the city, while expressing their helplessness in controlling the mishaps, said traffic has increased manifold in the city and there is hardly any initiative by the authorities to check the problem. No senior traffic policeman was available to comment on the issue. |
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Birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar observed in city
Bathinda, April 14 Patron of BHAVADHAS, Rajinder Guddu, advisor Balwant Rai Nath, chairman Veerbhan, vice-chairman Mohan Lal Godiwala and others were also present on the occasion. The gathering paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar and called upon the people to follow in his footsteps. A motorcycle rally was organized on the occasion that started from Dr Bheem Rao Ambedkar Park. Passing through various parts of the city, the rally concluded at Bhagwan Valmiki Chowk, near Government Rajindra College. Balwant Rai Nath thanked the gathering towards the end. Meanwhile, the workers of the NGO, Sahara Welfare Society, bathed the statue of Dr Ambedkar outside the district administrative complex today. The volunteers of the NGO paid floral tributes to Dr Ambedkar and organised a langar for the needy. President of the NGO Vijay Goyal said people should take oath to help the needy and the downtrodden, which was the aim of Dr Ambedkar. Only then can social equality and economic parity be restored in society, Goyal pointed out. |
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Convention seeks repeal of Bhullar’s death sentence
Bathinda, April 14 Dedicating the meeting to Irom
Sharmila, who has been protesting against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in
Manipur, the regional head of the union, Ajmer Singh Aulakh said the administration was trying to gag the citizens by taking away their democratic right to protest and present their point of view. General secretary Prof Jagmohan Singh added that the government's decision not to allow anyone from protesting in the city was indicative of its pressure tactics. Revolutionaries like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt were also remembered during the meeting for their revolts against the British government's attempt to gag the freedom struggle. Also present during the meeting were the members of Tarksheel Society, PWD Field and Workshop Workers Union, Vigyan Chetna
Manch, Anganwadi Workers Union, and other unions. |
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Watch out for early signs of diabetes: Doc
Bathinda, April 14 He added that the pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes can be prevented with simple dietary changes and exercises. "Most people come to know about the disease three to five years after it has affected them," he said. Dr Kotru said a comprehensive diabetes and obesity care unit will be launched at the Max Hospital. He will work on preventive diabetology, managing diabetic complications, diabetic foot care and obesity care. Dr Kotru has found a very high incidence of diabetic foot in the rural population, which puts them at the risk of getting the foot amputated. He said emphasis would be on creating awareness as in 75 per cent of the cases, it can keep the disease at bay.
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Seminar on technology organised
Bathinda, April 14 The workshop-cum-seminar was conducted by Jagjit Singh, human resource manager of the company and covered the topics of recent technological advances, work
areas, job scopes and skill level required by various companies. The workshop was based on the engineering tools used in industrial automation for control purpose. These tools included PLC, SCADA, HMI and VFD. Amanpreet Singh Sandhu thanked the team from the company. He added that such workshops and seminars helped in raising the awareness level of the students. The officials of the polytechnic college said that efforts would be made to organise such events from time to time to enhance the knowledge of the students and also to open career avenues for them in their chosen field.
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Cultural performances mark PTUGZS farewell function
Bathinda, April 14 The farewell party was organised by the students of all the batches of the department. The cultural items presented by the students were received with a huge round of applause. Songs and titles were given away to the outgoing students and the students also shared their experience. Campus director, Dr Jasbir Singh
Hundal, was the chief guest while registrar Prof GS Bath was the guest of honour at the function. The title of Mr Farewell went to Viplav
Arora. Harpreet Kaur was declared Miss Farewell. Mementos and greeting cards were given to all the students. Raman Rai gave the welcome address while Mandeep Dhillon proposed a vote of thanks. The evening ended with conveying of good wishes from the faculty members followed by dinner. |
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IMA unit holds sports event
Bathinda, April 14 IMA secretary Dr Rohit Goyal organized the event. The president of the games committee was Dr JS Romana who was also
the captain of the badminton team. Dr Harinder was the winner in chess and table tennis. In carom, Dr Bindu Mittal won the final, while in the badminton (singles), Dr TS Nagpal won the title. A cricket match was held in the evening between Dr Ajay XI and Dr Sharadh XI teams. Dr Rohit said the IMA had organized the games after a span of 10 years and around 100 doctors had participated in it.
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Mother-son duo held with poppy husk
Bathinda, April 14 Poppy husk is reportedly in demand as wheat harvesting season has begun and farmers consume it to work for longer hours. The police said the accused had kept the contraband in five bags.
— TNS |
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Bathinda, April 14
