B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Panchayat elections
Licensed gun holders told to deposit arms or face action
Faridkot, July 1
Three days after the use of firearms during a clash between two groups of Akalis in Rupianawala village in Faridkot that left 13 injured, the police has now tightened the noose around all licensed gun holders in the rural areas.

Women exempted from poll duty in Faridkot
Faridkot, July 1
In a big relief to the women on election duty in Faridkot, the District Electorate Officer (DEO) has exempted them from duty in panchayat elections in the district. While earlier, all newly married, pregnant, lactating and elderly women teachers were exempted from election duty, now all women have been exempted, said Ravi Bhagat, District Election Officer.

Stepfather, kin booked for youth’s murder
Abohar, July 1
A technocrat Buta Singh (24) of Sirsa origin was allegedly killed by his stepfather and other relatives over a land dispute in village Tippanwali of Fazilka district. His mutilated body was found on Sunday in RB lower canal near village Faquirwali in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan. Sarpanch Rajinder Singh lodged an FIR with the police against unidentified persons in this regard.

Road traffic blocked in protest against killing of blue bulls
Abohar, July 1
The killing of five blue bulls outside village Chak-2/3 near Sriganganagar on Abohar-Hindumalkot-Sriganganagar road has triggered strong protests. The national headquarters of the Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha based at Abohar condemned the hunting and urged the government in neighbouring Rajasthan to trace the culprits and ensure stern action.

Proposed PUDA colony: Govt served notice for compromising eco norms
Fazilka, July 1
Reacting on the complaint filed by a local resident, Navdeep Asija, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court of India, to ensure the ecological security of the country, has issued a fresh notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, to initiate appropriate necessary action for allegedly compromising environmental norms for the proposed Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) colony near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence here.

Farmers seek uninterrupted power supply
Muktsar, July 1
A large number of farmers today blocked the Malout-Sriganganagar highway demanding uninterrupted power supply.

Panchayat elections
Licensed gun holders told to deposit arms or face action
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 1
Three days after the use of firearms during a clash between two groups of Akalis in Rupianawala village in Faridkot that left 13 injured, the police has now tightened the noose around all licensed gun holders in the rural areas.

Earlier, the district administration used to ask all licensed firearm owners to deposit their arms either at the local police station or at the respective arms dealer's shop, from where a receipt was to be provided to the police. But now, after the use of firearms in a clash in Rupianawala village, the police has started a massive exercise of making door-to-door visits, forcing the licensed weapon holders to deposit their arms.

Using the loudspeakers in gurdwaras, the police first made a public announcement in every village yesterday asking all firearm owners to deposit their weapons, followed by the police knocking at the doors of those who showed defiance. If earlier, the police was giving relaxation by insisting on depositing only one weapon in case of two or more weapons in a house, now all weapons are being deposited.

GS Randhwan, SSP, Faridkot, said there is no relaxation in the rules for depositing the firearms this time to ensure peaceful elections. More over, 90 per cent licensees have deposited their weapons in Faridkot district, he said.

Earlier, during the assembly elections in February 2012, the police were not so rigid in forcing the firearms owners to deposit their weapons. Out of a total of 3,23,927 arms licences in the state that has 3.30 lakh weapons, 1,67,066 licensed arms were deposited in Punjab during the assembly elections.

In Faridkot, the number of licensed firearms is 11,113. The maximum number of licensed weapons in Punjab is 35,794 in Gurdaspur, followed by 35,152 in Bathinda, 26,726 in Ludhiana, 25,801 in Moga, 22,500 in Amritsar, 21,503 in Hoshiarpur, 17,332 in Ferozepur and 17,120 in Muktsar.

While the police is taking the help of private gun dealers in depositing the weapons and allowing them to charge a monthly deposit fee from the weapon owners, many licensees who reside on the outskirts of the city or in the fields, said they are exposed to threats to their life and property without the weapons.

The police and the civil administration were working as per the directions of the Election Commission. "We got instructions to ask the licensees to deposit their weapons last month," said Ravi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot.

Women exempted from poll duty in Faridkot
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 1
In a big relief to the women on election duty in Faridkot, the District Electorate Officer (DEO) has exempted them from duty in panchayat elections in the district. While earlier, all newly married, pregnant, lactating and elderly women teachers were exempted from election duty, now all women have been exempted, said Ravi Bhagat, District Election Officer.

Over 300 women were on election duty in Faridkot and most of these are government teachers. With fear of violence hovering over the rural bodies elections this time, more and more women want exemption from election duty.

They want the district authorities to let off women teaching staff from election duty on weekdays as it is impossible for them to work along with their household and teaching assignments as all government school opened today after the end of summer break.

As most government school male teachers were also assigned election duty, the deployment of women teachers on election duty also gravely affected teaching in schools, said the women teachers.

"We share the concern of the women teachers and keeping in view the loss to the students, all women were exempted from poll duty," said Bhagat.

Stepfather, kin booked for youth’s murder
Our Correspondent

Abohar, July 1
A technocrat Buta Singh (24) of Sirsa origin was allegedly killed by his stepfather and other relatives over a land dispute in village Tippanwali of Fazilka district. His mutilated body was found on Sunday in RB lower canal near village Faquirwali in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan. Sarpanch Rajinder Singh lodged an FIR with the police against unidentified persons in this regard.

Buta Singh's maternal grandparents on Monday identified the body and lodged another FIR at Ghamoorwali police station accusing the stepfather and other four relatives in village Tippanwali of killing Buta Singh.

SHO Daleep Singh said the body was fished out after a four hour struggle when the irrigation officials suspended the supply of water in the sub-canal. A search led to the recovery of his driving licence and photo ID card. Preliminary investigations indicated that the purse and mobile phone was removed before throwing Buta Singh into the Gang canal in Fazilka district. His hands were tied, his head had been struck with a heavy object and the body was packed in a polythene bag. His maternal uncle Surjit Singh told the police that his sister was married to a landlord in village Tippanwali in 1987. But he was already married. His first wife approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The accused negotiated with his first wife but the second wife left the house and took shelter with her parents.

There was dispute over an agricultural land as the second wife wanted a share for her son Buta Singh. The latter was called to village Tippanwali by his stepbrother last Thursday and allegedly killed, the maternal grandparents of the deceased told the police.

Road traffic blocked in protest against killing of blue bulls
Our Correspondent

Abohar, July 1
The killing of five blue bulls outside village Chak-2/3 near Sriganganagar on Abohar-Hindumalkot-Sriganganagar road has triggered strong protests. The national headquarters of the Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha based at Abohar condemned the hunting and urged the government in neighbouring Rajasthan to trace the culprits and ensure stern action.

Hundreds of members of the Bishnoi community, including some from Abohar villages and Sadhuwali, located on the Punjab-Rajasthan border, staged a dharna at the terminal of the interstate road. They said that five blue bulls were killed by unidentified hunters and their bodies were spotted within a three km radius in the wildlife sanctuary area. One of them had been shot dead. Some MNREGA workers said they heard gun shots late last evening. The police seized a rifle and some bullets packed in a bag under a tree during a search in orchards and shrubs.

As none of the senior police and civil officials turned up for two hours, the protesters sat on a dharna and parked vehicles to block traffic. District forest officer Daya Ram Dulad faced a crowd that gheroed him for a few minutes. The protesters regretted that the police and the forest department officials were trying to pass the buck instead of taking immediate steps.

A case has been registered in this regard. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Parkash Rajpurohit assured the protesters that action will be taken soon. The protesters warned that they would intensify their stir if the suspected blue bull killers are not arrested within a week.

Proposed PUDA colony: Govt served notice for compromising eco norms
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, July 1
Reacting on the complaint filed by a local resident, Navdeep Asija, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court of India, to ensure the ecological security of the country, has issued a fresh notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, to initiate appropriate necessary action for allegedly compromising environmental norms for the proposed Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) colony near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence here.

The PUDA has proposed to raise a colony comprising 56 houses on the bank of the extinct Badha Lake, a wetland and lush green area, after cutting hundreds of trees.

“We brought the matter to the notice of the CEC two years back, which in turn, asked the state government thrice to take necessary action but nothing tangible has come out,” informed Asija.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Forest and Wildlife Preservation Department, Punjab, has already informed the complainant through the Right to Information Act that more than 400 trees are there at the colony site. If these trees are axed, it could cause an adverse effect on the biodiversity and can damage the flora and fauna of the area.

Another important aspect is that the proposed low-lying flood-prone area acts as a safeguard from floods during the monsoon. “The construction of houses there can cause destruction in case of flash floods,” apprehended Asija.

Asija had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding cancellation of the proposed project in the larger interest of Fazilka town. The hearing in case has been scheduled for July 8.

Farmers seek uninterrupted power supply

Muktsar, July 1
A large number of farmers today blocked the Malout-Sriganganagar highway demanding uninterrupted power supply.

Irked over the unscheduled power cuts, the farmers this morning gathered near Bhai Ka Kera village and squatted on the road, blocking it with tractor-trolleys.

Though police officials reached the spot to pacify the protesters, they did not lift their dharna. — TNS