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13-yr-old feared drowned in Sirhind Canal
Two labourers crushed under speeding truck |
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VK Sharma replaces Uma Shankar as Municipal Commissioner
Cancel case against BFUHS asst prof, SSP urged
old-age pension
Bathinda to be covered under JNNURM
Literary talent hunt: Vipan Kumar shines in debate competition
NGO to focus on integrated marketing of farm produce
Teachers discuss long-pending demands
Ahead of road blockades, cops arrest 11 BKU members
Students clash, one booked
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13-yr-old feared drowned in Sirhind Canal
Bathinda, September 19 The body of the Class VI student is yet to be recovered even as 24 hours have passed since he fell into the canal water. Though the services of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and private divers were taken, the body is yet to be located. Area residents believed that the child either got caught between the bed of the water channel and heavy idols or was washed away in the high-speed canal water. The boy has been identified as Vishal, a student MHR School and a resident of Ghanaiya Nagar behind DAV College. "Of three siblings, including two sons and a daughter, he was the eldest and was pushed aside during the immersion at around 6 pm yesterday," said Vishal's cousin Gola. He said Vishal's father was a safai karamchari with the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB). Gola said Vishal ‘drowned’ near the bridge on the canal where the fall of water has made that particular area more than 30 feet deep. Gola saw his cousin sitting on the bridge and falling into the canal after he was pushed aside by someone in the crowd. "The spot where the child fell is the main point for immersing idols as there is a staircase nearby. As per a rough estimate, more than 500 people, including children, were present near the canal when the incident occurred," said Sanjay Kumar, a safai karamchari of the MCB. More than 100 idols of Ganesha weighing anything between 20 kg and upto 100 kg were immersed in the Sirhind Canal yesterday. Sanjay said the missing child apparently did not know swimming. "He surfaced twice and drowned the next moment," Sanjay Kumar added. Some young boys, who had first entered the canal to help others in immersing idols, too failed to locate him due to chaos that prevailed there. City residents said this was the third such fatal incident during the past just one and a half years. The authorities have failed to take any preventive measure or to deploy police force to streamline the process of immersing idols during such occasions. Thermal SHO Harpreet Singh, when contacted, said a considerable number of cops were present at the place. "Even the DSP (City) and the Kotwali SHO had visited before and after the incident to assess the situation and to take stock of the crowd and the precautionary measures taken," the SHO claimed. He claimed that the incident occurred as nobody saw the child drowning and those present on the occasion thought that the child was one of the swimmers. "Search for the child began after around two hours when family members of the child raised an alarm about their missing son," the SHO said. He added that the unprecedented rush of the people made search difficult and the child could not be traced. "We are still trying to locate him with the help of private and NDRF divers," Harpreet said. |
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Two labourers crushed under speeding truck
Bathinda, September 19 The accident occurred at around 7.45 pm. The duo, who were on a scooter, had just crossed the Lehra Mohabbat railway crossing when the speeding bus, which was coming from the opposite direction, ran over them. The vehicle and bodies of the youngsters got badly crushed under the front wheels of the bus. Anil Kumar, one of the volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa, an NGO, who had reached the place of accident, said the deceased have been identified as Guddu and Rajesh, both 25 years old. Guddu’s family members had reached the spot while Rajesh’s kin was yet to come. The volunteers said the police was also informed about the accident and the bus, which belongs to the Roop Transport, too has been seized. The bus was on its way to Bathinda from Rampura. The policemen, who had reached the spot, said a case was likely to be registered against the bus driver for rash and negligent driving. It is pertinent to mention here that the number of accidents have increased manifolds on the road. Earlier on Tuesday, a biker had received serious injuries after he was hit by a speeding bus in a similar manner. |
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VK Sharma replaces Uma Shankar as Municipal Commissioner
Gupta's term as commissioner saw many reforms being introduced, which the municipal councillors and people had initially resented. Gupta had joined the corporation in late 2010 and was transferred out for a period of two months during the 2012 Assembly elections. It is during his tenure that the project of the proposed garbage treatment plant on the Mansa Road witnessed tough resistance from residents of seven colonies near the dumping site, who have moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Though Gupta was criticised for hiring private companies for cleaning the clogged sewers of the city, the sewer's carrying capacity has increased after de-silting. He is also credited with bringing the Rs 105-crore drinking water and sewer projects to provide 100 per cent coverage in the city, though the opposition opposed him for taxing the already economically burdened Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB). Also the introduction of property tax drew ire from various quarters, but has succeeded in improving the economic health of the MCB. Besides the commissioner, XEN Tirath Ram has been transferred to Moga. |
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Cancel case against BFUHS asst prof, SSP urged
Bathinda, September 19 People supporting Dr Jaura marched from the Nehru Park in the Civil Station area to the SSP office. Led by the office-bearers of the Bhai Kanhaiya Cancer Roko Society, the people demanded cancellation of the FIR lodged against the doctor. SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar said he had taken the representation given by the delegation that met him and assured that the case would be looked into on merit basis. Meanwhile, another cancer patient today accused Dr Jaura of misguiding her. Shinder Kaur from Behman Diwana village suffers from esophageal cancer and has been undergoing treatment at the Fardikot medical college for the past one year. She claimed to have spent Rs 1 lakh on treatment and medicines. However, a letter issued to the medical superintendent of the college in the month of March this year states that Rs 60,000 has been released for her treatment. Shinder Kaur claimed that the amount never reached her and she had been paying for treatment from her own limited resources. She alleged that Dr Jaura misguided her as while grant had been provided to the university but she was made to food the medical bills. The registration of a police case against Dr Jaura has opened the Pandora’s box highlighting the lacunae in the system of disbursing financial assistance up to Rs 1.5 lakh for cancer patients under the Chief Minister’s Cancer Relief Fund. As per the rules, the respective empanelled hospitals are given money per patient and no grant is directly given to patients. Kultar Singh from Bhai Kanhaiya Cancer Roko Society claimed that at the government medical colleges in Amritsar and Patiala, a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakh has been created from where cancer patients are provided medicines free of cost. The cost of medicines is later claimed from the government. Kultarr claimed that no such dedicated fund had been created at the Faridkot university due to which cancer patients have to suffer. |
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old-age pension
Bathinda, September 19 The patwari concerned will investigate the income and land ownership of the beneficiary. The work on investigating the data of Rampura Phul sub-division has already started. Rampura Phul sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Charandeep Singh said meetings would be held in a cluster of villages on specified dates. These meetings would be photographed. He added that the list of suspected cases had already been put up on the notice boards of the respective panchayats. Claims and objections pertaining to those cases could be made during the meetings to be held on September 30, October 1, October 3 and October 4. Patwari, panchayat secretary and BLO of the area concerned will be present at the meetings. On September 30, meetings will be held at 9: 30 am at villages Ramuwala, Dyalpura Mirza, Mehraj, Dhipali, Salabatpura, Harnam Singh Wala, Bhai Rupa, Rampura, Kotra Kaurianwala and Rampura city. At 2 pm, meetings will be held at Hakam Singh Wala, Siriewala, Raiya, Kangar, Burj Gill, Gill Kalan and Jawahar Nagar. On October 1, the meetings will be held at Phool, Koer Singh Wala, Hamirgarh, Alike, Gaunspura, Sidhana, Dyalpura Bhaika, Pitho and Chotian at 9:30 am, and at Bhodipura, Bhagta, Ghandabana, Dullewala, Selbrah, Jeond and Burj Mansa at 2 pm. Similarly, on October 3, the 9:30-am meetings will be held at AkliaJalal, Maluka, Phulewala, Adampura, Kalonke, Kararwala and Jethke and at Gurusar, Kothaguru, Sandhu Khurd, Rajgarh, Gumti Kalan and Buggar at pm. On October 4, meetings will be held at Kesar Singh Wala and Burj Tharor at 9:30am and at Burj Ladha and Neor at 2 pm. Anyone who wants to present claim or objection pertaining to the old-age pension can raise it during these meetings. |
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Bathinda to be covered under JNNURM
Bathinda, September 19 The Comprehensive Capacity-Building Programme (CCBP) is an integral part of the mission under which the selected cities will get
dedicated City Reforms and Performance Management Cell (RPMC) funded by the Government of India (GoI). The Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) will convene a meeting of all the 15 cities on September 20 at Chandigarh. Confirming this, Rajesh Kalra, PMIDC general manager and state nodal officer, JNNURM, said that the selected cities included nine municipal corporations and municipal committees. He said the establishment of the RPMC would be of a great help to the municipal bodies as it would contribute in capacity building. “The municipal bodies do not have enough expertise and manpower to identify potential and the need of the cities. Experts will be employed who would work for the municipal bodies, tailoring reports as per the needs of these bodies. At the same time, these experts will train the staff of the civic bodies, making them self-reliant,” added Bathinda Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta. He said the cells would prove helpful in the implementation of the the Central schemes. “There are numerous schemes of the Centre government under which civic bodies can get financial assistance. However, due to the lack of expertise and knowledge we are unable to get the the grants. These cells will help in the percolation of the Central schemes to the grassroots level,” he said. Each cell will be paid Rs 1.5 lakh per month for the allowance of its staff and will get an exclusive and dedicated infrastructure. There will be six posts in the each cell. Monthly salary of the entire staff will be Rs 2.30 lakh. The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) will support these cells for four years and after that the states will have to bear the cost of running these. The MoUD has directed the states to submit a capacity-building proposal by September 30. |
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Literary talent hunt: Vipan Kumar shines in debate competition
Bathinda, September 19 The head of the Punjabi University Regional Centre and a renowned critic, Dr Boota Singh Brar, was the chief guest during the event. Addressing the students, Dr Brar said it was important for students to take part in literary events as these sharpened their personality. Principal Vijay Kumar Goel welcomed the chief guest. Youth coordinator Dr Gurjit Singh Mann said the selected students would represent college at the zone-level youth fest to be held at Malwa College from October 1 to October 3. A pre-zonal festival will be held on September 20. At the pre-zonal event, singer Jazim Sharma will be the chief guest. Folk song, skit, giddha, bhangra and music competitions will be held during the event. In the today’s event, students spoke on issues of corruption and contribution of media. Poetry recitation contests were also held, wherein Harpreet Singh stood first. In declamation, Sonam was declared the winner. Arun Bala was the stage convener of the event, while Jyotsana Singla, Sukhdeep Singh and Seema Gupta were the judges. |
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NGO to focus on integrated marketing of farm produce
Bathinda, September 19 In a press statement issued here today, the executive director of the KVM, Umendra Dutt, said Ashish Gupta from the Organic Farming Association of India joined as the observer. Ashish Gupta gave details about the successful implementation of the Participatory Guarantee Scheme [PGS] in many areas of the country from the point of view of marketing of organic products. He asked the farmers to work in groups. Gupta also advised them to get benefits of processing and value addition of naturally-grown products. During the meeting, Ashok Nandneeya explained various schemes of the government. He talked about the need of advertising the naturally-grown products, identifying market for the same and maintaining the quality of products. The meeting started with the lecture of Amar Singh Azad. He presented the current environmental and health scenario in Punjab and said that the present scenario was serious. "Punjabis are becoming victim of hepatitis C and diabetes in addition to reproductive health problems," he said Dr Azad added that the conditions deteriorated due to the industrial pollution and excessive use of chemicals in agriculture. "While these chemicals are proving dangerous for the environment andthe health of people, the political class seems to have no concerns," he said. It was decided that for the forthcoming rabi season, training workshops for farmers will be held from October 1 to October 20. It was also decided that training workshop under the Participatory Guarantee Scheme PGS would be held from January 3 to January 5. |
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Teachers discuss long-pending demands
Bathinda, September 19 During the meeting, the long-pending demands of the union were discussed. The members also pointed out that numerous meetings were held between the union members and higher officials of the administration and government but these bore no fruit. The union decided that it would intensify the protest against the administration and the government and would gherao Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during his visits to Sangrur and Dhuri. The members also decided that in the coming days, the union would launch unannounced protest and demonstrations in Bathinda. “The district administration and the government will be responsible in case any untoward incident takes place during the protests,” the district president said. |
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Ahead of road blockades, cops arrest 11 BKU members
Bathinda, September 19 The block president of the union, Amreek Singh Sivia, said two farmers each from Bathinda, Nathana, Rampura and three from Sangat and one Paramjit Kaur from Rampura area were arrested. He said their union held a protest in Amritsar a few days ago against the shifting of electricity meters outside the houses in villages. More than 100 farmers were rounded up and many were arrested during the protest. Tomorrow’s protest was meant to get those farmers released. However, the government arrested more farmers and union leaders, Amreek Singh regretted. |
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150 teachers participate in training programme
Bathinda, September 19 Community AIDS educator Narinder Bassi, district resource person (science) Amardeep Singh and lecturer Sanjeev Nagpal educated the teachers about the programme. Narinder Bassi talked extensively on the issue of the moral degradation and AIDS. Sanjeev Nagpal spoke on the adolescence education programme's aim of providing solution to problems of adolescents. Amardeep Singh deliberated upon the issue of adult education. Rajiv Bhatia and Shyam Sunder were the stage conveners during the training programme while district inspection team in charge Rajiv Bhatia delivered the vote of thanks. |
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Students clash, one booked
Bathinda, September 19 The complainant said he was going towards the canteen when they attacked him and inflicted injuries on him. The complainant said the bone of contention was the rejection of Shammi's name by the students for the presidentship of the college student union. Civil Line SHO Sukhdev Singh said a case under Sections 341, 324 and 34 of the IPC had been registered in this connection. |
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Bathinda, September 19