Bathinda, September 9
The City Bus Service to the areas beyond railway lines will be launched by the start of October. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the service will be signed with the PRTC tomorrow at Chandigarh.

The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), has identified routes for 20 minibuses that will add to the fleet of existing long and low-floor buses.

Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta convened a meeting of the MCB and PRTC officials this evening wherein the routes were finalised. The identified routes are being sent to the state government so that it could issue a notification.

Gupta said the cities with population below 5 lakh were being granted funds from the Government of India for facilities such as the city bus service. "Bathinda is the first city of the district to get funds under the Government of India scheme. We expect the Centre would fund more than 80 per cent of the project," he said.

Along with Bathinda, Ludhiana and Jalandhar too are getting city buses, but under different schemes. Both the cities have population much larger than Bathinda and are one of the earliest municipal corporations in the state.

Already, the PRTC has been asked to float tenders for purchase of buses.

Sources said if the scheme continued to run on these lines, the buses would be launched in city by the beginning of October thereby providing much-needed relief to those living beyond the railway lines, almost half of the city's population.

It is learnt that a team of professionals was hired to conduct a survey for the routes of new buses considering the width and condition of roads as well as the volume of traffic.

Bathinda, September 9
The state government has failed to launch metered water connections scheme in the urban local bodies of the state despite the urgency exhibited for the same.

In October last year, the government had drafted a metered water connection policy for all the municipal corporations and councils in the state to check the depleting water resources and providing some additional revenue to the local bodies.

The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), had duly passed the policy draft in its general house meeting held on October 9 last year.

Sources in the department of local bodies said the government was at crossroads over the issue of procuring meters as well as setting up a laboratory or outsourcing the work of testing the quality of meters installed.

Besides metering water, emphasis would be laid on checking leakages. The consumer will be served a notice directing him to fix the leakage in two days, failing which he would be penalised.

As per the draft of the policy, water usage charges would be different for residential and commercial establishments. Premises not covered under residential and commercial properties would be charged under the mixed category usage at Rs 5 per kilolitre.

The mixed use category would be applicable to such premises where a part of residential premises was also being used for commercial purposes provided water use was for non-intensive purposes. For instance, residences that also house a grocery shop or a doctor’s clinic etc would be covered under the mixed use category. However, establishments like dhabas, tea shops, sweet shops, barber shops etc, where water usage by nature of the trade activity is intensive, commercial tariff would be charged.

For multi-storey residential apartment complex, water would be supplied to the society through meters. A meter would be installed at the underground tank considering it as a single unit only. The society may get sub-meters installed for individual houses. The urban local body would issue bills on quarterly basis that shall be payable within 15 days of the presentation of the bills.

Water charges for domestic usage were fixed at Rs 2 per kl per month for the firest 10 kl, Rs 4 per kl per month from 10 kl to 25 kl, Rs 7 per kl per month from 25 kl to 50 kl and Rs 9 per kl per month for usage above 50 kl. Charges for water used for commercial purposes were fixed at Rs 4 per kl for first 10 kl, Rs 8 per kl per month from 10 kl to 25 kl, Rs 16 per kl per month from 25 kl to 50 kl and Rs 32 per kl per month for water usage above 50 kl.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed formulation and implementation of a water meter policy in 2010 following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the court. The PIL had objected to supply of unmetered water resulting in its misuse and wastage.

Bathinda, September 9
The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), collected Rs 4.25 lakh on the first day of the camps being held for regularisation of plots and houses at unauthorised colonies in the city.

The MCB held camps at six places in the city today wherein 15 applications were received and Rs 4.25 lakh were deposited as regularisation fees.

Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta said the amount collected from plots and houses would go into the account of the MCB while the collections from colonisers would be forwarded to the state government. No application was received from the colonisers today.

In the camp held at Parasram Nagar, near water works, nine applications were received while five applications were received at the camp held in Lal Singh Basti, street number 24, and one application was received at the camp held on the Malout road, near Ambuja Cement factory.

Besides, the department received around 250 queries from different quarters and people took forms and gathered details of other necessary documents required for the purpose.

Earlier in the day, Bathinda (Urban) MLA Sarup Chand Singla and the Municipal Commissioner inaugurated the camp on the Malout road.

Camps are being held at Lal Singh Basti, street number 24, Malout road, near Ambuja Cement factory, Adarsh Nagar, street number 7, Multania main road, Parasram Nagar, near water works, and Street number 13-9, Guru Gobind Singh Nagar, Prajapat dharamshala.

People having houses or plots in unauthorised colonies can get their immovable assets regularised on-the-spot at these camps. The camps will continue till October 6.

Bathinda, September 9
The Indus Ind Bank today reached an out-of-the-forum settlement by paying a sum of Rs 50,000 to a US-based NRI.

In her complaint to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ramanjeet Kaur Bhatti, the NRI, complained that her husband Dharminder Singh, who died in March last year in the US, had an account in the Indus Ind Bank. The complainant said being the nominee, she had moved an application in the bank seeking closure of the said account intimating the bank about her her husband's death.

The bank stated that an amount of Rs 27,500 was lying in Dharminder's account. After closing the bank account, the woman went back to the US. However, when the complainant returned to India around four months ago in May she found a bank receipt at her residence in Maur Mandi which showed that her husband deposited a sum of Rs 83,000 on June 15, 2011.

The bank reached the compromise as Ramanjeet Kaur Bhatti moved the forum alleging that the bank showed Rs 27,500 as balance in the account of her husband while in fact, it was Rs 87,000.

The complainant's counsel Raman Roy Khattar said the bank officials had handed over the draft of Rs 50,000 after reaching the compromise.

Bathinda, September 9
The BSNL, Bathinda, has decided to install 55 new towers in Bathinda and Mansa revenue districts to enhance the coverage of mobile service.

A meeting of the BSNL advisory committee was held here today where members said in case of non-receipt of landline telephone bills, the complaint may be lodged at phone number 0164-2246765. Besides, the tariff plans for various post paid and pre-paid schemes were also discussed during the meeting.

Advisory committee member Om Parkash Sharma, member Urmila Gupta, general manager Bathinda Amit Garg and BSNL officials Shiv Kumar and Ashwani Kumar were present at the meeting.

Bathinda, September 9
Members of the Welfare Association of the Sons of Sarawan Bodla have honoured a fellow villager and youth on his appointment to the provincial civil services.

PCS officer Harjit Singh Sandhu, who recently took charge as Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Maur, was honoured by the outfit founder, Sohan Singh Sandhu, other members of the association and elders of the village.

Having a large number of government servants (over 550 serving and retired) as its members, the association is doing a yeoman service in the area by not only running a well-stocked library in the village but also holding de -addiction camps in the vicinity at regular intervals.

Bathinda, September 9
The SSA/RMSA office employees will go on mass leave on September 11 and get together outside the office of state project director, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, Mohali.

In a press statement issued here the SSA/RMSA Office Employees Union state president Talwinder Singh Warring said a meeting to decide the action was held today. It was decided that the protest will be peaceful. He said on August 28 the CM Prakash Singh Badal had conducted a meeting of education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, Director General of School Education (DGSE) Anjali Bhawra and others officials wherein it was declared that the decision on implementing pay scale revised on November 30, 2011 be taken. Anjali Bhawra was directed to write to the Government of India soon to get the funds.

A delegation of the association met Anjali Bhawra on August 30 this year asking for the revised salary, but her office did not gave a satisfactory answer.

Warring said there was resentment amongst the employees against DGSE office for not giving them satisfactory answers. On September 11, all the association members across the state will take mass leave and get together at the Mohali office.

Bathinda, September 9
The state government is dedicated to abolish the harassment of common man in public offices, said the chairman of zila parishad, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, while addressing a meeting of the Bathinda Jewellers Association.

He said the officials have been directed to ensure that problems of common man are solved on priority basis and nobody should have to run from pillar-to-post to get even the simplest of works done.

The president of association Pratap Singh Jaura, city president Kultar Singh, general secretary Rajinder Khurmi and others honoured Maluka.

The Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, has set up a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Malwa region. The museum will be inaugurated today. Tribune file photo

Bathinda, September 9
The Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, is organising a programme tomorrow. Chancellor of the university, Dr Sardara Singh Johl, will grace the occasion.

The university has set up a museum dedicated to the history, arts, craft and material culture of the Malwa region of Punjab. The museum exhibits the history of Bathinda region and its historical monuments. Many artifacts which were part of the everyday life and are almost extinct are now, have been displayed in the museum.

A document in the form of a book has been prepared by the university containing complete information about the museum. The book will be released tomorrow by Chancellor Dr Sardara Singh Johl in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jai Rup Singh. The people who have contributed in the establishment of the museum will also be felicitated. A book on biodiversity and insects, by renowned zoologist Pushpinder Kaur, former professor, Department of Zoology, Guru Nanak Dev University, will also be launched by the Chancellor on the occasion.

The university has also initiated complimentary computer literacy classes for the senior citizens with the aim of teaching them the basics of computer. Forty-nine citizens also took part in the programme. These senior citizens would also be awarded certificates on the occasion.

During the fourth Foundation Day of the university, a blood donation camp was also organised in which the faculty, students and research scholars donated 101 units of blood. Certificates would be given to the participants of the blood donation camp by the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jai Rup Singh.

Bathinda, September 9
The students of Baba Farid College of Management and Technology visited Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Limited-Tractor Division, Pinjore, a public sector undertaking (PSU) engaged in providing engineering services.

As many as 42 students of MBA, second year, visited the industry with two faculty members Saurav Bansal and Pooja Grover. On behalf of the company, MK Sharma accorded a warm welcome to the team. Sharma provided a brief overview and historical background of HMT group and explained the way it emerged as a leading engineering company across the globe.

Team went around the manufacturing plant to get insights about production of tractors and automotive parts. Team visited design shop, testing laboratory, materials store and production shop floor and were explained sequence of different processes.

Bathinda, September 9
The police has arrested a woman with 7 kg poppy husk. The accused Sarabjit Kaur was arrested with poppy husk from near Sheesh Mahal. A case under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at Canal Colony police station.

In another similar case, police has arrested one Baldev Singh of Gurusar Sehna village with 7 kg poppy husk. The accused was arrested from near Gehri Buttar village and a case under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against him at Sangat police station. Dhanna Singh of Kotli Khurd was arrested from near Kamalu Sawaich with 6 kg poppy husk. Police has registered a case under sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at Maur police station.