B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

CM approves land transfer for PGI satellite centre
Ferozepur, August 7
In a significant development which will give a fillip to the healthcare needs of the entire border region in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today finally approved the proposal to transfer 25 acres of land belonging to the agriculture department to set up a satellite centre of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, including a 100 bedded hospital in this town.

Protest in Jalalabad ahead of Sukhbir’s visit
Fazilka, August 7
A day ahead of the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 8 to the Fazilka district headquarters to administer oath to newly elected sarpanchs and panches, a former sarpanch of village Hamid Saideke in Jalalabad area, Kashmir Singh, sat on fast unto death today to protest against the failure of the government to make the newly constructed Government Girls College at Jalalabad operational.

Picked up by police from Moga hospital, PPP leader referred to PGI
Moga, August 7
The People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) today alleged that the Moga police had crossed all limits of high-handedness to suppress the voice of the opposition parties.

Breach in canal inundates cotton fields
Abohar, August 7
Heavy rain resulted in a breach in the Malukpura minor sub-canal near Pattibillah village today. Hans Raj and Rajan Setia, farmers, said the breach was noticed at 3am following a long downpour. A team of the Irrigation Department, led by SDO Pritam Singh, visited the village but by then the breach had widened up to 70 ft and submerged the cotton crop spread over 100 acres, besides inundating kinnow orchards covering 15 acres.

boost to healthcare
CM approves land transfer for PGI satellite centre
Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, August 7
In a significant development which will give a fillip to the healthcare needs of the entire border region in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today finally approved the proposal to transfer 25 acres of land belonging to the agriculture department to set up a satellite centre of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, including a 100 bedded hospital in this town.

Sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said a proposal in this regard was mooted by the Financial Commissioner (Development) according to which another 25 acres of panchayat land will be allotted to the agriculture department on lease hold basis in village Wajidpur in lieu of its land which shall be allotted to the PGIMER for establishing its satellite centre.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MH&FW) had given its nod to develop a satellite centre of the PGIMER, Chandigarh, at Ferozepur for which it had asked the state government to provide a suitable chunk of land. While thanking the CM for allotting the land, Parminder Singh Pinki, MLA, Ferozepur, said he had taken up the matter with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ferozepur some time back following which Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had asked his officials to draft a proposal in this regard.

Later, a team of doctors from the PGIMER had conducted a survey in this border region following which a concept proposal was prepared and sent to the ministry. Thereafter, PK Pradhan, Secretary (MH& FW) asked the Director, PGIMER, to prepare a detailed project report along with its financial implications.

In the proposal, the PGIMER officials had emphasised upon the need to set up healthcare facilities that can provide specialist teaching and training services in this hitherto neglected district that shares its border with Pakistan. The team has also studied the morbidity and mortality profile of the district during which it was identified that besides communicable and non-communicable diseases, gunshot injuries, mental health and substance abuse were also rampant in the area.

Pinki said the proposed satellite centre will be linked to the PGIMER for referral, training and consultation purposes. The centre will have a department of medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia, community/family medicine besides psychiatry, considering the health needs of the local community. Sources in the ministry said two faculty members supported by two senior and junior residents each will be posted in all departments supported by the PGIMER faculty besides a provision for round-the-clock Emergency services alongwith OPD and inpatient facilities. An initial investment of around Rs 200 crores is likely to be made on the project.

Pinki further said that keeping in view the likelihood of the opening of Hussaniwala-Lahore border for trade and transit, the proposed centre will provide vistas for mutual cooperation between India and Pakistan in the healthcare sector. “The hospital will also provide relief to the residents from the everlasting fear of war,” said Pinki, adding that as per UN conventions, the areas where hospitals are situated are not supposed to be attacked during the war.

Non-functioning of govt girls’ college
Protest in Jalalabad ahead of Sukhbir’s visit

Fazilka, August 7
A day ahead of the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 8 to the Fazilka district headquarters to administer oath to newly elected sarpanchs and panches, a former sarpanch of village Hamid Saideke in Jalalabad area, Kashmir Singh, sat on fast unto death today to protest against the failure of the government to make the newly constructed Government Girls College at Jalalabad operational. The high profile Jalalabad assembly constituency in Fazilka district is represented by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

NGOs of Jalalabad under the banner of the All India Students Federation began an indefinite chain hunger strike two weeks back to lodge their protest against the failure of the authorities to make the girls college functional. The college was constructed in 2011. Hundreds of students and members of NGOs including a large number of girls took out a protest march in Jalalabad bazaars and raised slogans against the Punjab government. “I sat on fast unto death with the motive of providing higher education to the daughters of this border area to enable them to compete in the world," said former sarpanch Kashmir Singh, who owes allegiance to the ruling SAD.

“Neither politicians nor officials heeded their demand. An ultimatum has been sounded to the government to start the functioning of the girls college by August 15. Otherwise, they would be compelled to intensify their agitation,” warned Parmjit Singh Dhaban, president, AISF, who is spearheading the agitation. — OC

Picked up by police from Moga hospital, PPP leader referred to PGI
Kulwinder Sandhu /TNS

Moga, August 7
The People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) today alleged that the Moga police had crossed all limits of high-handedness to suppress the voice of the opposition parties.

The senior vice-president of the PPP Kuldip Singh Dhose alleged that a false and fabricated case of attempt to murder was registered against his son Davinderjit Singh alias Ladi Dhose who is the vice-president of the youth wing of the PPP and many of their supporters, last week.

At least eight persons including Ladi were injured in a clash between the PPP and SAD workers at Kaila village in Dharamkot sub-division of the Moga district following a dispute over cutting off of potable water supply to Dalit residents of Kaila village last week.

“My son suffered head injuries but no FIR was registered against the Akali sarpanch of Kaila village and his associates who attacked him,” Dhose alleged.

Ladi was admitted to the district hospital from where he was arrested by the police allegedly after influencing the health authorities. The doctors released him from the hospital. Later, he was produced before a local court, which sent him to judicial custody.

But keeping in view of the seriousness of his injuries, senior authorities of the jail department got him re-examined by a special medical board, which today referred him to the PGI, Chandigarh, for better treatment.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone while on his way to Chandigarh, Dhose alleged, “Instead of registering a case against those who attacked me, the police not only took me into custody forcibly from the hospital but also misled the court on my health condition. Now, I have been referred to the PGI by a special medical board, which has exposed the attitude of the Moga police”.

The PPP leaders had also alleged that the police picked up three women of Kaila village on Tuesday from their residences and kept them in illegal custody till 11 pm last night. “They were released only after the PPP workers stormed into the Fatehgarh Panchtoor police station,” Kuldip Dhose said.

He also produced these women before the media who alleged that the police misbehaved with them and demanded a judicial probe into the incident, besides departmental action against the SHO of the police station concerned.

PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal said the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating fast. “The SAD-BJP is trying to suppress the voice of not only the activists of the opposition parties but also the media, which is against the principles of democracy and violates human rights,” he said.  

  Breach in canal inundates cotton fields

Abohar, August 7
Heavy rain resulted in a breach in the Malukpura minor sub-canal near Pattibillah village today. Hans Raj and Rajan Setia, farmers, said the breach was noticed at 3am following a long downpour. A team of the Irrigation Department, led by SDO Pritam Singh, visited the village but by then the breach had widened up to 70 ft and submerged the cotton crop spread over 100 acres, besides inundating kinnow orchards covering 15 acres.

Farmers blamed the department for poor maintenance of the canal system, officials claimed canal water was not needed for farmers due to incessant rain and they had kept water outlets plugged, and this resulted in overflowing and subsequent breach in the sub-canal. — OC