Bathinda, August 18
All eyes are fixed on the hearing in the case of municipal solid waste treatment plant listed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for Monday.

The NGT-appointed local commissioner, Ritwick Dutta, who visited the facility on July 27, will submit his report before the tribunal.

The petitioners in the case, Captain Mal Singh and others, as well as their lawyer Guriqbal Singh Chahal have already reached Delhi today to attend the hearing.

Dutta was appointed as the local commissioner after the petitioners submitted photographs before the tribunal to substantiate their complaint against the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), that it was not managing garbage scientifically, as the tribunal had directed. The counsel for the MCB had rubbished the petitioners' claim. Subsequently, the NGT appointed Dutta to look into the credibility of the photographs.

During his visit to the plant on July 27, though Dutta had declined speaking to the media, he noted before the public the veracity of the photographs. Dutta noticed the garbage littered on the site of the treatment plant and even took pictures of the site, which might be a part of the dossier that he would submit to the NGT tomorrow.

Residents of the area around the solid waste treatment plant have been giving a tough fight to the setting up of the plant in the vicinity of the site where municipal solid waste of the city is being dumped for the past three decades.

People reason that once the solid waste plant was set up, garbage from 17 other urban local bodies would find its way to the city for the purpose of processing. They fear that presence of residential areas in the proximity of the project site will spell doom for the health of the residents of the area infamous as cancer-stricken.

Due to a litigation pending in the Mandi Khurd case, the land filling facility where the waste of processed garbage will be dumped, even the company awarded with the project, the JITF, is not showing keen interest in going ahead with setting up the plant.

"Setting up the plant will not be possible unless the litigation on the Mandi Khurd land filling facility is cleared. We had even toyed with the idea of using 10 acres of land allocated for extension of the sewer treatment plant (STP) as land filling, but nothing concrete has come out of it," said officials of the JITF.

Bathinda, August 18
Aiming to improve the functioning of the mid-day meal scheme, the Punjab State Mid-Day Meal Society has sent a letter to the district education officers (secondary and elementary). The letter contains nine points to make the working of the scheme more efficient.

To begin with, the society plans to increase the monitoring of the food prepared for the students of primary and upper primary classes in all the government schools as part of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) project. The letter reads that the monitoring of the scheme needs to be better and officials concerned should do so at their levels.

The society has also made it mandatory that a staff member or a member of the school management committee has to taste the food before it is served to children. If the supervisor feels the need, changes may be made in the food.

Reiterating the directive given several times earlier, the society has asked the schools to make sure that ingredients brought from the market were of good quality, branded and sealed. Foodgrains ought to be stored in containers which can be locked to prevent adulteration.

The process of training of mid-day meal cooks will be expedited to cover more cooks in the future. It is pertinent to note here that close to 30 cooks underwent a training programme at the Hotel Management, Catering technology and Applied Nutrition in Bathinda.

The schools have also been asked to judiciously spend the cooking fund given to them under the scheme. The government provides Rs 3.34 per meal for primary students and Rs 5 per meal for upper primary students.

To relieve parents of any worries regarding the scheme, the schools have been directed to address all their queries during the parent-teacher meetings. The schools have been vested with the responsibility of spreading awareness about the scheme so as to clear the doubts in the minds of the parents and ensure that more children are enrolled in schools.

A quarterly meeting will be conducted by the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda, who is also the member secretary of the society, to monitor the scheme and seek reports from various officials about the improvements being made in the project.

Addressing the long-pending demand of the mid-day meal cooks, the society has also asked the schools to ensure that attention is paid to the safety of the cooks. Schools have been asked to prominently display the contact details of the nearest government medical health centre in case there is a medical urgency.

Bathinda, August 18
The case of exclusion of holders of small plots and houses from the Ring Road Phase I project, wherein the Supreme Court gave judgment in favour of these people, is an example of the government superseding suggestions and orders of the chairmen of the Improvement Trust, Bathinda, and the deputy commissioner.

In the SC judgment, it has been clearly mentioned that it is difficult, if not impossible, to fathom any reason behind the secretary to the Government of Punjab rejecting the recommendations made by the chairman of the Improvement Trust for exemption of the land belonging to small plot holders.

This despite the fact that the acquired land was intended to be utilised not only for construction of the ring road but also for development of commercial, residential and institutional plots, which would have been ultimately allotted to other persons either by draw of lots or auction.

The apex court had observed: "How could there be a justification to demolish the residential houses of the appellants for providing commercial, residential and institutional plots to others?"

The then chairman of Improvement Trust was Mohan Lal Garg, who had recommended that the small houses and plot holders be kept out of the scheme. However, the secretary to the Punjab Government superseded the recommendation and included the small plot and house holders in the scheme, which later became a bone of contention. Resultantly, the project has been withheld for more than 12 years.

The scheme was framed on Decmeber 12, 2000, covering an area measuring 45.57 acres. Thereafter, a notice under Section 36 of the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, was issued to enable interested persons to file objections. Some of the appellants in the SC case filed objections and pleaded that their plots may not be acquired because they had already constructed houses after getting the plans sanctioned from the competent authority.

The chairman of the Improvement Trust, Mohan Lal Garg, had pointed out that exempting these house holders would not affect the scheme and would rather minimise legal hurdles.

In 2005, the then chairman of the Improvement Trust, Jagroop Singh Gill, submitted a report to the state government suggesting that these plots be left out so that the trust was not required to contest an 'unnecessary' litigation. Even the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda endorsed the suggestion and added that 2,278 sq yards of land be released. 

Bathinda, August 18
The tall claims made by the authorities regarding the resolution of the stray cattle menace appears to have fallen flat with a woman being seriously injured by rampaging bulls near Post Office Bazar last night.

Volunteers of the NGO Naujawan Welfare Society said they rushed to the spot last night after getting a distress call from a passerby seeking help from the stray bulls. The volunteers of the NGO said that panic gripped the bazar when some bulls started fighting and then chased each other.

The injured woman, Manju, a resident of Afeem Wali Gali, said she was on her way home. She was on a two-wheeler with her daughter and took a U-turn after watching the bulls coming towards them. But they came in contact with the stray animals and the woman fell off the two-wheeler.

While the mother became unconscious, her daughter escaped with minor bruises. The volunteers of the NGO said the girl and her mother were trembling with fear and it became difficult for the passersby to drive away the animals. The residents of the area said a large number of people were present in the market and they had to flee after the bull fight.

In another incident, a car was severely damaged when a bull collided with the vehicle near lake number three on Goniana Road. The bull, however, died in the accident and the occupants of the car escaped unhurt.

The local residents said that many people have lost their lives and received injuries. Vehicles too have been damaged in accidents involving stray cattle but the authorities appear to be indifferent.

Earlier, Bathinda MLA Sarup Chand Singla, Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta and other senior leaders of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal had claimed that the problem would be addressed but nothing has been done so far to keep the stray cattle away from the roads.

President of the NGO, Naujawan Welfare Society, Sonu Maheshwari said he would soon file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the sorry state of affairs and the negligent attitude of the authorities concerned in this regard. 

Bathinda, August 18
The Director General of School Education (DGSE) has taken a serious note of the absence of teachers from school and has written a letter to all the principals, in-charges and teachers of the government schools asking them to make sure that the classes are held uninterrupted.

The DGSE has pointed out that it has come to notice that principals, in-charges or teachers often miss classes to attend the meetings convened by the District Education Officers (secondary and elementary). The DGSE also says that it is also often noticed that whenever a principal or in-charge goes out for any work, a teacher or two always accompany him.

The letter has asked the school heads to refrain from taking any teacher along in case they go out of the schools. The DGSE has said that steps need to be taken to make sure that the classes are held as per the schedule.

It has also directed the school principals to try and send only the non-teaching staff to run errands for the school instead of sending teachers thereby hampering the classes.

Bathinda, August 18
As many as 45 shooters participated in the District Shooting Championship held at The Millennium School on Sunday. The championship was inaugurated by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Singh Brar in the presence of the Mayor of Bathinda, Baljit Singh Birbehman, who is also the president of DRSA. General secretary of DRSA Amrit Pal Singh Brar and shooting coach Veer Pal Kaur were also present on the occasion.

Eighteen schools and colleges took part in the competition. Students of The Millennium School, Police Public School, St. Xavier's School, Giani Zail Singh Engineering College, St. Joseph's Senior Secondary School, University College, Ghuda, Government Rajindra College, Regional Polytechnic College, Guru Harkrishan Public School, Government Polytechnic College, Guru Nanak Dev Public School, Baba Farid School, Guru Ramdass Public School, Silver Oaks Public School, Lord Rama Public School and Mahindra Public School participated in the competition.

While Jorawar Singh bagged the first position in the air rifle junior men's category, the second place went to Manpreet Singh. The third place went to Prabhjot Singh. In the air rifle youth men's category, the first position went to Harsumit Singh, second to Navjot Singh and the third position to Harmanpreet.

In the air rifle junior men's ISSF category, Angad Brar stood first. In air pistol senior men's ISSF category, Sawrajyodh Singh bagged the first place while the second place went to Manmeet Singh Sidhu.

In the air pistol senior men's category, Baltej Singh clinched the first place while the second place went to Gurwinder Singh. The third place went to Ravinder Kumar. In the air pistol junior men's category, Preetinder Singh bagged the first place while the second place went to Mandeep Singh and the third to Arwinderjit Singh.

In the air pistol youth men's category, Lakhwinder Singh was adjudged first while Gaganpreet Singh bagged the second rank. Sehajpal Singh came third. In the air rifle senior women's category, Harjot Kaur bagged the first place while in the air rifle youth women's category, Navjeet Nijjar bagged the first position.

In the air pistol senior women's category, Baljinder Kaur bagged the first position while the second place went to Veerpal Kaur. In the air pistol youth women's category, Dilpreet Kaur bagged the first position, Anmolpreet Kaur bagged the second position and Manjit Kaur got the third position.

In the air rifle open sight junior men's category, Mansher Singh won the first prize while the second and third prizes went to Jagdeep Singh and Ajaypal Singh. In the air rifle open sight youth women's category, Gurleen Kaur Sidhu bagged the first place.

Bathinda, August 18
Police have registered a case against four persons for selling wheat meant for the poor at the ration depot in Chak Fateh Singhwala village.

Investigating officer Gobind Singh at Nathana police station said 90 quintal of wheat has been recovered from the possession of the accused which they were trying to sell in the market. He said that Manish Kumar was the depot holder and Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and Sucharan Singh were helping him in the sale of the wheat at the ration depot.

Bathinda, August 18
A two-day exhibition of photographs will be held at the DAV Senior Secondary School in Bathinda on August 19 and 20.

The exhibition, 'The Shutterbugs', has been organised by the DAV Art Club. All the members of the Kaleidoscope photography club will be the guests of honour on the occasion.

Principal of the DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar Ludhiana, will be the chief guest on the occasion.

All the photographs to be showcased at the exhibition have been clicked by the students and staff members of the school. The event is expected to instill keenness about the art among the students.

Bathinda, August 18
After the successful completion of the inter-school sporting competitions, Bathinda district is now all set to host a couple of district-level as well as national-level inter-school sporting competitions.

As per the sports calendar issued by the Education Department, the district has been chosen not only to host the district-level competitions but the national level competitions as well.

As per the national-level sports competition schedule, the district will host basketball competition in the Under-19 (Boys) category from November 20-25. During the same time, it will also host a hockey competition for the Under-17 (Boys) category, netball competition for the Under-19 (Boys) category and Under-19 (Boys) circle kabaddi matches in Bathinda.

During the district-level competitions, Bathinda will host basketball competition for the Under-19 (Boys) category from October 12 to 16. During the same time, it will also host the hockey competition for the Under-27 (Boys) and netball competition for Under-19 (Boys) categories.

Under-19 (Boys) circle kabaddi, Under-14 (Girls), Under-17 (Girls) and Under-19 (Girls) competitions in gymnastics and wrestling competitions for boys in the Under-14, Under-17 and Under-19 categories will also be held in Bathinda.

Under-14 (Boys) competition in handball, national style kabaddi competition for Under-17 and Under-19 (Boys) categories will also be hosted by Bathinda.