Bathinda, September 24
With registration of 65 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrest of 75 persons during the past nine months, the area falling under Rama police station has become the most notorious for drug peddling in Bathinda district this year.

As compared to 440 persons arrested in such cases last year, the Bathinda police so far managed to arrest 726 persons this year. While the number of arrests have increased to a great extent but the contraband seized from the accused has reduced.

As per the details procured from the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Bathinda, Talwandi Sabo follows next where this year so far (from January 1 to September 21), 56 persons have been arrested in connection with 45 cases registered under the NDPS Act. After Talwandi Sabo, 43 cases have been registered at Sangat police station where 60 persons have been arrested for drug peddling and consumption of drugs.

Police sources said Rama, Sangat and Talwandi Sabo were border areas due to which they were more prone to drug-related activities.

SSP Ravcharan Brar said special attention was given to such areas and anti-drug campaigns were being launched in the areas where drug peddling had increased.

The lowest number of cases (14) has been registered at Balianwali this year and 16 persons have been arrested. Besides, the number of cases registered at Sadar Rampura was 16, Sadar Bathinda (20), Nandgarh (21), Nehianwala (24), Phul (16) and Dyalpura (24).

The seizure of opium in the 19 police stations of the district during the past nine months, however, is comparatively less this year. While last year saw the police confiscating 54.658 kg of opium, it seized 47.975 kg of the contraband this year.

Similarly, the seizure of poppy husk too reduced from the last year's 66.58 quintal to 34 quintal this year. As compared to the last year's seizure of 1,464 gram of smack, 496 gram of the narcotic was seized by the Bathinda police.

Further, the maximum number of vehicles seized in connection with drug peddling cases is 13 at Talwandi Sabo police station, followed by nine at Canal Colony police station. The Rama police seized seven vehicles, the Sangat police seized six vehicles, the Cantonment and Thermal police seized five vehicles each while one vehicle each was seized by the Phul and Nandgarh police. The Kotwali and Sadar police stations did not seize any vehicle in connection with a case under the NDPS Act.

While none of the police stations in the district registered a case pertaining to possession of 'charas' this year except for Kotwali police station where 40 gram of the narcotic was seized. Cases of heroin seizure were registered only at the Cantonment, Thermal and Rama police stations.

The maximum quantity of opium (27.5 kg) was seized by the Canal Colony police officials, followed by eight kg at Rama police station, 3.2 kg at Talwandi Sabo, 2.46 kg at Nehianwala, 1.9 kg at Balianwali, 1.54 kg at Kotwali and 1.25 kg at the Civil Line police station.

Though 57 persons have been arrested with registration of 37 cases, the maximum quantity of poppy husk (73.63 kg) was seized from the areas under the jurisdiction of the Canal Colony police station. The Sangat police seized 58.139 kg of poppy husk, Talwandi Sabo (15.550 kg), Rama (50.4 kg) and Maur (10.5 kg).

The maximum number of vials (1045) was seized at Maur, followed by 333 at Kotwali and 260 at Sangat. The maximum quantity of Ganja (4.50 kg) was seized at Thermal police station followed by 1 kg at the Cantonment police station.

Bathinda, September 24
More than 100 teachers of government schools located on the outskirts of the city were stranded in the morning as officials of the District Transport Officer (DTO) stopped to penalise the ‘taxis’ they were travelling in.

“The private bus and minibus operators had submitted a complaint with us stating that private vehicles were being used as taxis to ferry teachers to and from schools. They also stated that these illegally plying taxis were also eating into their business,” said DTO Damanjit Singh Mann.

He added that a naka was set up from 6 am to 9 am at Bibiwala Chowk and ‘taxis’, which were ferrying passengers on sharing basis, were stopped and issued challans since they didn’t have the requisite permit to do so.

“Some of the teachers started arguing that they were getting late for school. We withheld the papers of 12 vehicles and asked the drivers to report at the DTO after they have dropped the teachers,” the DTO said.

Meanwhile, the teachers were a harried lot as many of them got late for school. “Teachers cover a distance of 30-50 km to reach their schools. Some of the schools are located in villages and the teachers can’t depend on public transport. Hiring private vehicles on shared basis is the best way to deal with the problem,” said Gurdeep Sing Mann, who was also stranded in the morning. He teaches storekeeping and purchasing at Government Senior Secondary School, Mandi Phul.

Ramandeep Kaur who teaches at Government Elementary School in Kothe Tallwali Mehraj, had to take a leave after the vehicle she was travelling in was stopped at the ‘naka’ for over half an hour.

“We are still wondering how will we travel tomorrow onwards. It is especially difficult for female teachers to cover such long distances considering the low frequency of buses on these routes,” she said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another teacher said, “Many teachers were weighing their options in the morning. We would have staged a dharna at the chowk if we were not getting late for school. We were also worried about surprise checkings conducted by officials of the Education Department during which they take serious note of teachers who take unauthorised leaves or reach late.”

Bathinda, September 24
The weather changed for the better today as the city witnessed rain in the afternoon.

Although the region received a brief spell of rain of about half an hour, it was enough to bring down the temperature. While the maximum temperature was recorded at 34.4 degree Celsius, the minimum was settled at 26.2 degree Celsius. By 4 pm, the sun was out again adding to the humidity level.

Besides pleasures, the rain brought back problems too, especially for the farmers, as it could spell trouble for certain crops which are on the verge of maturity, the experts said.

Dr Jaspal Gill, director of the Punjab Agricultural University Regional Research Station, Bathinda, said, "The balls of cotton crop have started opening and harvesting of the crop will also begin soon. Any amount of rain during these days may damage the crop and can be a cause of worry for the farmers."

He added that the early varieties of rice were also nearing harvesting. "Such untimely rain is not good for the mature rice crop, as it will hamper the process of harvesting," Dr Gill said.

While rain helped in making the weather pleasant, it caused trouble for commuters as several main and arterial roads were rendered clogged with rainwater.

Traffic in some parts of the city came to a crawl as the water stagnated on Ajit road, Powerhouse road, areas near the District Administrative Complex (DAC), Civil Lines, Parasram Nagar, Namdev Marg., Parjapat Colony, Green Avenue, Nai Basti, Balla Ram Nagar, Kamla Nehru Colony, Kothe Amarpura and Sirki Bazar.

Bathinda, September 24
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Mittal today adjourned for tomorrow the hearing on the anticipatory bail application of Dr Manjeet Jaura, who has been accused of fleecing a cancer patient and pocketing Rs 5 lakh from her in installments.

A case under Section 420 of the IPC was registered against Dr Jaura on September 13 at the Civil Line police station on the complaint of Usha Rani, a resident of Qila road.

The cancer patient had accused the doctor of taking money from her at Pragma Hospital, a private super specialty hospital on Bhatti road, instead of diagnosing her at GGS Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, where she had reported initially.

The doctor was assistant professor at the Faridkot hospital and is accused of misguiding the patient by asking her to get treatment from him at Pragma Hospital in Bathinda.

Dr Jaura had joined GGS Medical College as assistant professor on contract basis in December 2008 and got the regular job in July 2009. He resigned from the post a few days ago after a case was registered against him.

The cancer patient, Usha, said she failed to get free treatment of more than Rs 1 lakh in the government hospital at Faridkot, as Dr Jaura misguided her and asked her to get treatment from the private hospital. The woman also accused the doctor of issuing threats to her after she accused him of misguiding.

The woman is in possession of the prescription slips and letter heads of Pragma Hospital that bore signatures and name of the doctor. One cannot write prescriptions on the letter pads of a private hospital while being employed in a government hospital.

In his bail application, Jaura claimed that he was being implicated in false case and refuted the allegation of cheating the cancer patient. He claimed that being a qualified MD in radiotherapy from AIIMS, he is competent to practice chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He stated that Malwa being a cancer belt and on the directions of the Punjab Government, he had been organising cancer detections and awareness camps in collaboration with NGOs and hospitals on Sundays and holidays. He claims to have recommended medicines on the letter head of Pragma Hospital brought by the complainant, on humanitarian ground during one of the camps.

The doctor pointed out that the cancer patient and her husband pressurised him to prepare bogus bills to the tune of Rs 5 lakh from Pragma Hospital but he refused and was therefore threatened by the patient.

Investigating officer in the case Jagdev Singh said the police had moved applications to Pragma Hospital and GGS Medical College and Hospital seeking records pertaining to the treatment by the doctor. “The investigation depends upon the records obtained from the hospitals especially from Pragma Hospital,” he said. Jagdev Singh pointed out that if anything incriminating against the owner of private hospital comes to fore, action would be initiated against him as well.

Dr SS Gill, Vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, said Dr Manjeet Jaura had sought permission to hold seminars and health check-up camps a couple of times. He said no doctor working in the college could participate in camps without prior permission even on holidays.

On his private practice, the VC said a departmental inquiry has been initiated against the doctor. Though there is no deadline fixed for the inquiry, it will be completed soon, the VC said.

Bathinda, September 24
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bathinda Kamal Kishore Yadav today convened a meeting to look into the arrangements being made by the Sports Department to host the Punjab State Women Games in the district from October 3-5.

He said teams from various districts would participate in 12 events in the tournament. These would include athletics, basketball, badminton, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, gymnastics, handball, swimming, table-tennis, lawn tennis and volleyball.

The DC assigned duties to officials of various departments to arrange for the accommodation, food and coordination of the teams coming for the tournament. He also directed the authorities concerned to set up information booths at the bus stand and the railway station for the convenience of the teams coming to Bathinda from other places.

He added that athletics, kabaddi, gymnastics and volleyball competitions would be held at the multi-purpose sports stadium in the city, while basketball and tennis competitions would be held at the Police Public School.

Yadav said table-tennis, handball and kho-kho competitions would be held at the SSD School, hockey matches would be held at the hockey stadium at Government Rajindra College and swimming competitions would be organised at the Civil Lines swimming pool.

Assistant Deputy Commissioner (development) Mohammad Tayyab, Bathinda SDM Damanjit Singh Mann, Talwandi Sabo SDM Shruti, District Sports Officer Karam Singh Sandhu and officials from various other departments were present also present during the meeting.

Bathinda, September 24
Punjab Technical University organised PTU Industrial Training Fest at Giani Zail Singh Campus in Bathinda today.

PTU placement officer Navdeepak Sandhu said more than 3,000 students from all over Punjab participated in the event. Six organisations - CMC Limited, Noida, Green Maple Technologies, Gurgaon, Political and Business Daily, Delhi, Stellar Edge Solutions Private Limited, Chandigarh, Advance Technology, Chandigarh and Gtech Software and Education, Ludhiana, evaluated the students for more than 600 openings.

The selection process included a written test followed by an interview. The selected students will be paid a monthly stipend of up to Rs 5,000 or will be provided free-of-cost training. Students may be offered employment on the basis of their performance in these organisations, he added.

He said another industrial training event would be organised in October in or near Chandigarh, with a different set of companies, for the students who could not participate in the Bathinda event.

Sandhu thanked the faculty, staff and students of the campus for organising the entire event. Dr Sanjiv Aggarwal, training and placement officer of the campus, coordinated the event on behalf of the campus.

Campus director Dr Jasbir Singh Hundal said such events were the need of the hour as talented and deserving students were given opportunities to share their intellect and technical abilities to a large number of companies at the same platform.

He added that such events aimed to provide maximum opportunities to its students for selection in industries as trainees who would enhance their employability skills. He said it was the vision of Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor of the university, to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Bathinda, September 24
Congress workers are gearing up for a show of strength during the visit of state president Partap Singh Bajwa to Bathinda tomorrow. Advocate Rajan Garg, son of former minister Chiranji Lal Garg, held meetings in the district courts today with advocates and munshis for the maximum gathering.

Rajan said apart from the state Congress chief, various other leaders would be present during Bajwa's visit to his residence in Model Town-phase-1. He said various wrongdoings of the state government would be discussed during the occasion. — TNS

Bathinda, September 24
Government College, Malerkotla, will play University Campus Patiala in the final of the Punjabi University Patiala Inter-College Cricket Tournament. The Akal College of Physical Education (ACPE), Mastuana Sahib and Khalsa College, Patiala, will play for the third place. The matches will be played at the Police Public School grounds on Friday.

The semifinal matches of the tournament were held in the city today. In the first match, Government College beat ACPE by 8 runs. The former won the toss and chose to bowl first.

The ACPE had a shaky start and the batsmen could not survive the bowling attack of Zuhaib who claimed five wickets while conceding 22 runs in 3.3 overs.

Rehampreet took three wickets in just one over and gave away a single run. The ACPE’s batsmen went back to the pavilion in the tenth over with only 59 runs on the scoreboard. Parambir’s knock of 19 runs in 15 balls and Premjot’s score of 17 runs in 11 balls could not save the day for the team.

Buoyed by M Bilal’s score of 29 runs in 27 balls and Zohaib’s score of 10 runs in 15 balls, Government College attained the target in 11 overs at the loss of two wickets. Both the players remained not out.

The second match, between University Campus and Khalsa College, was marred by rain and on the basis of the run rate, the former were declared the winners.

Khalsa College won the toss and chose to bowl first. Hasanpal of University Campus scored 44 runs in 34 balls while Vipul scored 25 runs in 21 balls. The team put up a total of 126 runs in 20 overs at the loss of seven wickets. Khalsa College could play only seven overs and scored 30 runs at the loss of one wicket.