Bathinda, July 11
The activists and members of the NREGA Employees' Union, Punjab, E-panchayat Employees Union, Punjab, and other contractual employees under the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation today burnt an effigy of the chief minister in the wake of their demands.

The effigies of the CM were burnt in all districts across the state. They demanded that the employees, who have been included in the merit lists on the basis of the advertisements for vacancies floated in the newspapers, should be given regular pay scale. These employees are given the work load of regular employees but the salary is meagre.

NREGA Employees Union president Varinder Singh said if the government does not accept their demands, a state-level rally will be held in Bathinda on July 18. In the next phase, the unions plan to reach out to the villagers to damage the reputation of the government keeping in view the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, the organizations have held a protest on May 28 at Patiala, on June 19 at Mohali and on June 26 at Jalandhar, but failed to evoke any response from the state government.

Prominent among those present today included the state vice-president of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, Balwinder Singh, general secretary Mahinder Singh, president, state committee, ITIO, Sukhpal Singh, president, sub-committee, Government Rajindra College, Ram Saran and others.

Bathinda, July 11
World Population Day was observed in different parts of the city today.

The Health Department conducted an awareness and health check-up camp at the urban healthcare centre in Lal Singh Basti. Seventy-five pregnant women were examined and given free medicines, while 42 children also underwent check-up at the camp.

Speaking on the occasion, District Family Welfare Officer Dr Ravanjit Kaur Brar said the ideal age of marrying a girl was after 18 years and that of a boy was after 21 years. She gave information about various modes of contraception including condoms, contraceptive pills, intra uterine devices as well as permanent methods of sterilisation including tubectomy and vasectomy. She laid emphasis on strictly adhering to the two-children norm as well as spacing the gap between two children by at least three years.

Civil surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni presided over the function while chief pharmacist Bhoj Raj conducted the stage. District deputy mass media officer Harjinder Kaur counselled the visiting women on contraceptives and distributed them free of cost. Dr Pamil Bansal, the in-charge of Lal Singh Basti urban health centre, was also present at the event.

Meanwhile, at The Millennium School, Bathinda, an educational lecture was organized to mark the day in collaboration with the Bathinda Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society. A talk was delivered on the theme of adolescent pregnancy at the school for the students of classes VI to IX.

President, Bathinda Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society, Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu delivered the talk. The role of the family, school, society and media in the prevention of teenage pregnancies was discussed in detail.

Speaking at the event, Dr Sidhu said there are over 600 million girls in the world today. Sixteen million teenaged girls give birth each year while another 3.2 million undergo unsafe abortions.

"This happens because the pregnant girls have never had the opportunity to plan their pregnancy. A vast majority, 90 per cent, of the pregnant adolescents in the developing world are married. But for most of them, pregnancy has little to do with informed choice. Often it is a consequence of gender discrimination, rights violations (including child marriage), inadequate education or sexual coercion," he said.

He added that complications from pregnancy and childbirth can cause death or grave disabilities, such as birth canal injuries. Adolescent girls also face high levels of illness, injury and death due to unsafe abortion. He laid emphasis on getting girls educated and enabling them to receive good education throughout their adolescence. When a young girl is educated, she is more likely to marry late, delay childbearing until she is ready, have healthier children, and earn a higher income.

He also added that all age appropriate comprehensive sex education should be imparted. This is especially important to empower young women to decide when and if they wish to become mothers.

Bathinda, July 11
The teams of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) as well as the Health Department will start conducting door-to-door visits from July 15 to control dengue, a vector-borne disease.

A meeting of the officials of the Health Department and the MCB was conducted at the Corporation office on Mal Godam Road today. Officials at the meeting included municipal commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta, assistant municipal commissioner, Kamal Kant Goyal, District Health Officer Dr RS Randhawa, sanitary inspectors of both the departments as well as the multi-purpose health workers.

Dr Randhawa said the visits will aim at sensitising people on the causes for dengue and ways to control it. All the 65,000 households in the city will be checked for stagnant water, which serves as a breeding ground for the mosquito that causes dengue. The team will check for the dengue larvae, if any.

A team of four people will be given two wards each. All the 50 wards will have to be covered within a month. 

Bathinda, July 11
The government of Punjab has extended more benefits to the holders of National Health Insurance Scheme cards.

In a press statement issued here today, deputy medical commissioner Dr Vinod Goyal stated that now benefits under the facility can be availed even without getting admitted to a hospital, as was being done before. He said the diagnostic tests will be conducted free of cost and medicines too would be given free.

Special camps are being held at different hospitals in Bathinda as per the schedule mentioned below. A special camp will be held at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, on July 16.

On July 19, a camp will be held at the Civil Hospital, Rampura Phul. On July 23, a camp will be held at the community health centre (CHC), Goniana.

On July 26, it will be held at CHC Bhagta, on July 30, the camp will be held at CHC, Nathana, on August 2 at CHC Sangat and on August 6 at the Civil Hospital, Maur. On August 8, the camp will be held at the Civil Hospital in Raman and on August 13, it will be held at CHC, Bhucho Mandi.

Bathinda, July 11
Max Super Speciality Hospital today announced its empanelment under the Ex-Servicemen's Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

The facility entitles ex-servicemen and their family members to avail of cashless treatment on empanelled specialities and various medical facilities ranging from general, laboratory, imaging and specialised services.

Dr Aniruddha Suranglikar, General Manager, Operations, Max Super Speciality Hospital, said ECHS is a comprehensive healthcare scheme which caters to the needs of ex-servicemen by getting tertiary level of healthcare services within their easy access. The main purpose of the scheme is to efficiently manage the needs of ex-servicemen's population and their dependents.

As part of the empanelment, Max Super Speciality Hospital will provide a wide range of specialised services to the ex-servicemen and their families including cardiology, cardiovascular, orthopaedic, medical and surgical oncology surgeries. The hospital will also offer a comprehensive spectrum of laboratory and imaging services focused on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of ailments.

The ECHS empanelled general services include intensive care unit, critical care units, laboratory services including clinical pathology, biochemistry and microbiology, under imaging services like X ray, CT scan, MRI, mammography, USG and USG Doppler, under specialized services like cardio thoracic surgery, cardiology (consultation and diagnostics), interventional cardiology, orthopaedic surgery (including arthroscopy and joint replacement surgery), vascular surgery, medical oncology and surgical oncology among others.

Bathinda, July 11
The School of Languages, Literature and Culture of Central University of Punjab is offering admission to MA (Honours) in Punjabi and Comparative Literature during the academic session 2013-14. This novel course will focus not only on the various facets of Punjabi literature but also on comparative literature theory, translation theory, world literature, diasporic Punjabi literature and Indian literature.

A press release issued by the Central University of Punjab today said that the course has been initiated in the School of Languages, Literature and Culture keeping in mind the new interests and study methods being adopted globally.

The study of language and literature from the perspective of comparative literature will help the native language to imbibe global influences in substantial proportions. The CUP said that the unique course in Punjab will allow the students to learn not only about Punjabi literature and language but also help them compete in various other fields such as administrative examinations, judiciary and journalism due to its so designed content.

The detail can be accessed at the university website www.cup.ac.in. 

Bathinda, July 11
Two residents of Dikh village of Bathinda got life imprisonment for murdering another villager over three years ago over a trivial issue of embarking first on a bus that was packed with passengers.

The court of additional sessions judge Mahinderpal Pahwa pronounced the decision and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the accused. The two accused, Angrez Singh and his cousin Manjit Singh Ghora, are already in jail after the police arrested them a few days after the murder of 32-year-old Jassa Singh of Dikh village. Rara Singh, one of the accused in the case, was acquitted by the court.

Advocate Gurjeet Khadyal was the counsel for the complainant in the court while Karminder Sodhi was the lawyer for the opposite party.

A case under sections 307, 324, 323 and 34 of the IPC was registered against the accused on February 4, 2010 at the Balianwali police station and section 302 of the IPC was added after ten days when the victim died in a private hospital at Bathinda.

The complainant's father, Mukhtiar Singh, said his son was attacked by the accused with a sword. Jassa was on way to the village flour mill to get the wheat grains grounded into flour when the duo, who were on a bike, blocked the path of the victim and hit his son on the head using a sword. The father regretted that the second accused again hit his son with an iron rod and fled from the spot after leaving his son lying in a pool of blood.

The father said that his son had a minor tiff with the accused over the issue of entering into the bus first at the village bus stop. Though the matter was resolved with the intervention of the villagers and some bus passengers, the accused harboured a grudge against the boy and attacked him the next day in the morning at around 8.30 am.

Bathinda, July 11
A Meerut-based firm has been directed to pay Rs 10,000 as penalty for not repairing the synthetic surface floodlit tennis court in the Chetak Sports Complex at Bathinda Cantonment, as required under the agreement between the two parties.

A complaint in this connection was lodged with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum by the in-charge of the Chetak Sports Complex against the Khalsa Gymnastic Works, Meerut. Manish Makhloga appeared before the Forum as the complainant in the case.

The quorum of Forum president Vikramjit Kaur Soni, members Amarjeet Paul and Sukhwinder Kaur pronounced an ex-party decision in the favour of the complainant as the opposite party failed to appear despite summons being served on it.

The complainant stated that tenders were invited for a synthetic surface floodlit tennis court to be laid on the existing clay tennis court at the Chetak Sports Complex. The Meerut-based firm was awarded the contract of constructing the tennis court. Among other terms and conditions of the tender, the firm was to provide a warranty for three years to repair the tennis court if it develops any defect.

The opposite party completed the construction in March 2011 and the entire payment of Rs 12,03,568 was paid after retaining five per cent of the amount, as agreed between the two parties. However, the complainant found some defects in the tennis court in May 2011 and brought the same into the notice of the opposite party through a letter dated May 12, 2011. The firm was requested to conduct repairs within seven days, as per the clause of the supply order.

The complainant stated that the coating of the tennis court got damaged at various places, a crack developed at the junction of the synthetic court and the tiles used for seating arrangements got dislocated at a number of places.

Numerous telephonic and written complaints made to the opposite party drew no satisfactory reply.

Though the opposite party, in its letter dated September 1, 2012, promised that their representative or technical expert would visit the sports complex in November 2012, nobody turned up.

The complainant approached the Forum to get directions issued to the firm to get the tennis court repaired and to extend the warranty period for three years besides cost and compensation.

The Forum accepted the complaint with Rs 10, 000 as compensation and directed the opposite party to rectify the defects in the tennis court to the complainant’s satisfaction and obtain a satisfaction note in this regard.

The Forum stated that the order should be complied with within 60 days from the day of the receipt of a copy of the order, failing which the complainant might get it repaired from some other agency and the cost of repair will be deducted from the bank guarantee due to the vendor.

The opposite party will have to recompense the complainant in case the cost of repairs increases the amount of the bank guarantee.

Bathinda, July 11
Use of sub-standard bricks was detected for the construction of the extension wing of the Woman and Child Hospital being constructed on the premises of the Civil Hospital today.

The incident took place at around 2 pm, when a group of people detected that a tractor-trolley of sub-standard bricks were being used to construct the aforesaid building.

When the matter was brought to the notice of Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni, he visited the site. To ascertain the strength of bricks on the spot, Dr Sahni threw the bricks, which were damaged after being banged on to the ground.

Dr Sahni said the tractor-trolley was indeed carrying sub-standard bricks that got damaged on being banged on to the ground. The batch was supposedly received for the construction of a manhole near the building.

"To ascertain the quality of bricks, these will have to be tested by the officials of the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) who are executing the project," he said.

Dr Sahni has written to the civil department of the PHSC, Bathinda, marking an inquiry into the episode. Meanwhile, XEN, PHSC, Sukhchain Singh said he was out of station. "I got a call informing me about the incident. The tractor-trolley was immediately sent back and no batch of bricks was unloaded from it," he said. He added that none of the sub-standard bricks was used in constructing the building.

"Our officials on duty are very strict and vigilant. I am sure that sub-standard bricks have not been used in any part of the building," he said, adding that he was yet to receive letter from the civil surgeon's office.

The 50-bed woman and child hospital is being constructed to raise the strength of the hospital to 100 beds. The new building is being constructed in the parking space as well as in the lush green parks that existed here.

This is among the five hospitals in state being augmented under the Mother and Child Health (MCH) programme of the Central Government. Besides Bathinda, hospitals at Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar have been selected under the scheme.

The building is supposed to be completed within a span of nine months. It will have wards, eight special rooms with bathroom facility, a pre-labour room, a labour room, three OPD rooms for doctors and a common toilet block.

Talwandi Sabo, July 11
Volunteers of a city-based NGO fished out six unidentified bodies, including those of a woman and a child, from a water channel 60 km away from here today.

The Sahara Jan Sewa, the NGO, learnt about the bodies through a phone call at around 5 am. NGO volunteers Jagga, Surajbhan, Veerbhan, Harpreet, Binder and Vinod rushed to the Golewala Head of the Bhakra canal and retrieved the bodies by 1.30 pm.

The volunteers said nobody from the nearby areas dared to dive into the canal as gushing water terrified even those standing on the banks of the canal.

The bodies appeared to have been floating for days.

The canal diverts to Haryana from the Golewala Head and enters Bathinda from Sardulgarh in Mansa.

One of the bodies appeared to be over 15 days old while others seemed to be around a week old. The child’s body had black kurta-pyjama on while others were naked.

The volunteers said right under the bridge, a whirlpool is formed where bodies usually get entangled.

“Normally, policemen and beldars of the Canal Department push bodies ahead to get rid of them but this time, the bodies were badly caught in the whirlpool,” alleged NGO president Vijay Goyal.

Goyal said nobody bothers to bring such bodies out of the water and this was the reason the volunteers from Bathinda rushed to the spot.

Residents of the villages nearby said three bodies were floating for the past few days while three reached there last night.

Talwandi Sabo Station House Officer, Inspector Rashpal Singh, said prima facie, it did not appear that all the deceased were related to each other. “They might have died on different dates. However, there seem to be a connection between three bodies,” he said.

Rashpal Singh added that the two dead men seemed to be above 40 years old while the age of the woman was between 30 and 35 years. The child appeared to be 10 years old.

He pointed out that one of the bodies, which appeared to be of around 25 to 30 year-old man, had ‘Sahil’ tattooed on the right arm.

The police said the bodies would be preserved for 72 hours for identification. Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC were being initiated in this connection, the police added.

While two bodies were kept at the mortuary in the Civil Hospital, Talwandi Sabo, as it does not have provision for more than two bodies, four bodies were brought to the Civil Hospital at Bathinda.

Bathinda, July 11
City lad 16-year-old Gaurav Kumar won a bronze medal at the Friendship and Goodwill Karate Tournament held at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 7.

He was accorded a warm welcome at the local railway station today. Gaurav has been practicing karate for the past six years and has also won gold at the International Open Karate Championship held in Bhutan in September last year.

A student of Plus Two at the local SSD Senior Secondary School, Gaurav is the son of an auto-rickshaw driver Sanjay Lal, living in Paras Ram Nagar area. The youngest of four siblings, Gaurav started practicing karate on his own and started to shine.

"Slowly and steadily, I got sponsorship to participate in various championships. For instance, my karate trip was sponsored by the Avon Cycle Company," he added.

Bathinda, July 11
The Cantonment police has arrested a man for raping his 20-year-old daughter.The girl went to the police late on Wednesday evening and narrated the incident to SHO Paramjit Singh Doad.

Doad said the girl had come with her friend to report the matter. A resident of Danga Peedit Colony, Model Town phase I, the girl alleged that her father had been raping her for some time.

Police got the medical examination of the girl conducted that confirmed the rape. Acting on the girl's complaint, the man was arrested.

The accused is a labourer and has five children. The victim is his third daughter, the elder two being married. Police is investigating the case further to buttress the charges.