B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

FCI official accused of seeking graft
Moga, May 8
Tension arose between the rice millers and the local authorities of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Moga on Wednesday over the allegations of corruption and behaviour of an FCI official with an employee of a rice miller.

Bridge to join Mohar Jamsher with rest of India
Fazilka, May 8
Sixty-six years after the Independence, nearly 900 inhabitants of the border village Mohar Jamsher, that has an unusual topography, are finaly going to enjoy access to the mainland in the near future. A concrete bridge being constructed on the Sutlej river would link the villagers with the rest of the country. The bridge is expected to be completed in two months.

The construction of a concrete bridge on the Sutlej underway at border village Mohar Jamsher. A Tribune photograph

Health Department officials conduct a district-level ‘Beti Bachao Workshop’ under the PNDT Act in Muktsar on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Panchayat polls: SAD leaders banking on incumbency factor
Faridkot, May 8
There is no promise of free laptops for class XII students, no pledge of zero tolerance towards corruption and no sops like round-the-clock-power supply; as they did in the 2012 Assembly election. The SAD (B) leaders and candidates in the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections are not repeating these promises any longer. To lure the rural voters, the Akalis are now relying on pension benefit, BPL cards for the poor and the allotment of five-marla free-hold plots.

School girl crushed to death
Abohar, May 8
Seema Rani of Dhaani Latkan was crushed to death as an overloaded tractor-trolley hit her bicycle outside gurdwara Damdama Sahib on the Fazilka-Abohar-Malout road (NH 10) here today.

Red Cross Day
Fazilka gets ambulance that will shift patients at subsidised rate
Fazilka, May 8
Deputy Commissioner Dr Basant Garg who is also the president the District Red Cross Society, flagged off an ambulance to mark the World Red Cross Day at the District Red Cross Bhawan today.

Staff Shortage
Muktsar DC office employees to hold protests on May 16, 17
Muktsar, May 8
The Deputy Commissioner Office Employees’ Union today decided to lodge a protest for two days on May 16 and 17 regarding their major demand to get more staff for the smooth functioning of the district.

Two held with 11 qtl poppy husk
Bathinda, May 8
The Counter Intelligence Wing today arrested two persons with 11 quintal of poppy husk which is said to be worth nearly Rs 14 lakh.


Ajay Maluja, AIG, Intelligence, shows the seized popy husk from inter-state smugglers in Bathinda on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

FCI official accused of seeking graft
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, May 8
Tension arose between the rice millers and the local authorities of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Moga on Wednesday over the allegations of corruption and behaviour of an FCI official with an employee of a rice miller.

Hundreds of rice millers and their employees gathered at a local storehouse of the FCI and raised slogans against the local authorities.

They alleged that a technical assistant (TA) of the FCI, Pankaj Kumar, not only misbehaved with one of their employees who came along with a truck to off-load milled rice but also manhandled him causing minor injuries.

The millers informed the district magistrate Arshdeep Singh Thind and the senior authorities of the agency about the incident.

The police came to the storehouse and took Pankaj Kumar into custody for inquiries.

A spokesman of the rice millers' association alleged that the said TA was demanding bribe to accept the rice on the pretext of taking samples and rejecting it. At least, two trucks were there in the storehouse for the last few days for acceptance by the FCI authorities, resulting in damage to the foodgrains.

However, Pankaj denied the allegations and said he was performing his duty as per the FCI rules.

Later, the rice millers also protested outside the office of the district manager of the FCI but no untoward incident or clash between the millers and the FCI authorities was reported.

Efforts to contact the district manager of the FCI Rajiv Kumar over the phone for his version proved to be futile.

Bridge to join Mohar Jamsher with rest of India
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, May 8
Sixty-six years after the Independence, nearly 900 inhabitants of the border village Mohar Jamsher, that has an unusual topography, are finaly going to enjoy access to the mainland in the near future. A concrete bridge being constructed on the Sutlej river would link the villagers with the rest of the country. The bridge is expected to be completed in two months.

A visit to the site of the construction across the barbed wire fencing after taking permission from the Border Security Force authorities revealed that the construction work was going on in full swing. As per official sources, Rs 7 crore would be spent on constructing the bridge.

The topography of the village has made it different from the rest of the country. It is surrounded by Pakistan on three sides and by the river Sutlej on the fourth. The river flows at the entry point of the village.

The inhabited area is also surrounded by the barbed wire fencing from all four sides making the life of the villagers miserable. A temporary arrangement is made by laying a pontoon bridge that helps the villagers cross the river. But the bridge too is removed when the monsoon arrives and the Sutlej river is in spate.

The only way left to reach the village is through the boat. Hence, the villagers virtually remain cut off from the mainland till the bridge is relaid after a gap of three months. “The construction of the bridge would ease the life of the villagers. It should be completed before the commencement of the rainy season,” demanded the village sarpanch Kulwant Singh.

“Now it is the turn of the Central Government to come forward to remove the last hitch by relocating the wrongly erected barbed wire fencing at the entry point of the village, to offer them complete freedom. Since the fencing has been erected near the international border along the village to check the infiltration from the Pakistan side, there is no point in keeping it at the entry point also,” said Makhan Singh, an elderly villager.

“The residents are also suffering from dreaded diseases like cancer, abdominal infections, arthritis, fluorosis, depression and skin infections in the absence of reverse osmosis system in the village,” said the sarpanch, adding that pleas to instal RO systems in the village have fallen on deaf ears.

The Trouble The topography of Mohar Jamsher village has made it different from the rest of the country. The village is surrounded by Pakistan on three sides and by the river Sutlej on the other. The river flows at the entry point of the village. The inhabited area is also surrounded by the barbed wire fencing from all four sides making the life of the villagers miserable. A temporary arrangement is made by laying a pontoon bridge that helps the villagers cross the river. But the bridge too is removed when the monsoon arrives and the Sutlej river is in spate.

Panchayat polls: SAD leaders banking on incumbency factor
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 8
There is no promise of free laptops for class XII students, no pledge of zero tolerance towards corruption and no sops like round-the-clock-power supply; as they did in the 2012 Assembly election. The SAD (B) leaders and candidates in the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections are not repeating these promises any longer. To lure the rural voters, the Akalis are now relying on pension benefit, BPL cards for the poor and the allotment of five-marla free-hold plots.

But above all, to lure the voters, the Akali candidates in the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in the area are mainly relying on their predominant influence in the government offices.

“If you vote for Akali candidates, there would be a deluge of development funds for your village as the party is in power. In case a Congress candidate is elected, he will give you nothing except for attending the bhog ceremonies and marriage functions.” This is how most Akali candidates and leaders sum up their speeches while seeking votes.

As wielding influence on the police is like scoring a brownie point in the rural areas, the ruling party leaders and candidates are relying on this tactics to impress the voters.

Mantar Singh Brar and Deep Malhotra, two SAD (B) MLAs in Faridkot district, said the overall development of the rural areas is the main agenda that the party candidates will harp on while seeking votes. “We are committed to the promise that the rural area is the top priority of the Akali Dal,” said Deep Malhotra.

However, Kushal Deep Dhillon, former MLA and general secretary, Punjab Congresss Committee, alleged that the Akali candidates and leaders in Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections were throttling the democratic process by terrorising the voters.

“Though the election code of conduct was enforced, some Akali candidates are collecting applications for the pension and BPL cards from the poor in the villages to befool them and are violating the code of conduct,” said Dhillon.

The authorities in the Social Security Department said no application can be processed pending the election code of conduct. “We have received no application for the pension or other benefits after the announcement of elections,” said a senior officer in the department at Faridkot.

School girl crushed to death
Our Correspondent

Abohar, May 8
Seema Rani of Dhaani Latkan was crushed to death as an overloaded tractor-trolley hit her bicycle outside gurdwara Damdama Sahib on the Fazilka-Abohar-Malout road (NH 10) here today.

The victim was on her way to Government Senior Secondary School for Girls. The police has seized the vehicles and booked the driver under Sections 427, 279 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code.

Principal Dr Bindu Arora along with staff members visited the site and later conveyed condolence to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, two daily wage earners were injured as a lift collapsed outside a furniture house located on the Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh road. One of them, identified as Neetu, succumbed to injuries in the Civil Hospital. 

Red Cross Day
Fazilka gets ambulance that will shift patients at subsidised rate
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, May 8
Deputy Commissioner Dr Basant Garg who is also the president the District Red Cross Society, flagged off an ambulance to mark the World Red Cross Day at the District Red Cross Bhawan today.

The ambulance, to be run by the Red Cross Society, would offer services at a subsidised rate of Rs 7 per kilometer to the patients.

While addressing a distinguished gathering, the DC also highlighted the different welfare projects undertaken by Red Cross Society in Fazilka district.

The founder of Red Cross Society globally, Jean Henry Dunant, was also remembered. Venus Garg, chairperson, Hospital Welfare Section, Civil Surgeon Dr Baldev Raj, Assistant Commissioner Rajpal Singh, District Transport Officer Balbir Singh Rana, District Education Officer Sandeep Dhuria and Municipal Council president Anil Kumar Sethi were also present at the function.

The DC said the society would make efforts to involve NGOs for launching vocational courses to provide better job opportunities to the unemployed and the needy. He said four mega blood donation camps would be organised during the current year to promote voluntary blood donation with the cooperation of the health department.

Subhash Arora, Secretary, District Red Cross Society, said during the past year, the society has distributed tricycles to the handicapped and sewing machines to the needy women to help them earn a livelihood. A building has also been raised during the past year on a piece of land provided on lease by the Municipal Council. Four new shops are also being constructed at the Red Cross Bhawan for resource mobilisation. Besides, the president of the Arhtiya Association, Fazilka, Shriniwas Bihani donated Rs one lakh to the Red Cross Society. Agricultural expert Vikram Ahuja also announced Rs 11,000 for the Red Cross Society.

Staff Shortage
Muktsar DC office employees to hold protests on May 16, 17

Muktsar, May 8
The Deputy Commissioner Office Employees’ Union today decided to lodge a protest for two days on May 16 and 17 regarding their major demand to get more staff for the smooth functioning of the district.

Spokesperson of the Union, Harjinder Singh, said, “We have raised this issue a number of times with the authorities concerned, but all attempts went in vain. During a meeting of our state-level body, we have decided to lodge a protest by wearing black badges and holding gate rallies.”

Harjinder Singh further said the district was being run by almost half of the sanctioned strength of employees. — TNS

Two held with 11 qtl poppy husk
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 8
The Counter Intelligence Wing today arrested two persons with 11 quintal of poppy husk which is said to be worth nearly Rs 14 lakh.

The accused were identified as Mangdeep Singh of Bharowal in Tarn Taran and Jaswant Singh, a resident of Fatiabad in Tarn Taran. A case under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against them at the Thermal police station.

It is learnt that the accused entered Punjab in a truck carrying bags of onionis. The truck was checked during a naka laid by the Counter Intelligence Wing officials near lake number three of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant on the Goniana road. On search, the officials found the contraband hidden underneath the bags.

The accused confessed that they had been smuggling poppy husk for the past long time. Further, they stated to the police that they purchase poppy husk from Rajasthan at a cost of Rs 400 per kg and sell it in Punjab for Rs 1,200 per kg.