I took up the matter with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal recently and he has assured that the players will be given jobs very soon. We had asked the players to submit documents and the process was delayed. We have received the requisite documents now. The players will soon get jobs.
— Sikander Singh Maluka, Chairman, Punjab Kabaddi assn

Bathinda, October 8
High drama prevailed outside over 25 associated schools in the district when officials from the office of the District Education Officer (DEO) reached there and informed the school authorities that they face closure for not complying with the Right To Education (RTE) Act guidelines. Teachers and staff members of some schools reportedly raised slogans against the Punjab Government.

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, Director General of School Education (DGSE) Kumar Rahul said, “I held a meeting with the DEOs and directed them to follow the guidelines of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, according to which the schools, which do not comply with the RTE Act, have to be closed.”

Jagdish Singh Ghai of Punjab Associated Schools Association (PASA) said, “While most of the associated schools in Punjab had been given recognition letters, closure orders were issued against the remaining which did not meet the RTE guidelines.”

Bathinda, October 8
The Bathinda court today deferred the hearing in the case seeking interim bail for oncologist Dr Manjit Singh Jaura for November 11.

Dr Jaura has been serving as an associate professor, oncology, with the GGS Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, and was booked following the complaint of a cancer patient from Bathinda, Usha Rani, who accused him of misguiding her and directing her to the local Pragma Hospital on the Bhatti Road for treatment.

The case came up for hearing today wherein the officials of the medical college apprised the court that they had lodged a complaint with the SSP, Faridkot, that Dr Jaura had allegedly misbehaved with the deputy registrar and the medical superintendent of the medical college.

The complainant’s counsel pleaded that the record of the Pragma Hospital be sought so as to ascertain whether Dr Jaura was doing private practice or not. — TNS

Bathinda, October 8
Two suspected cases of dengue were reported from Bangi House Wali gali near the Teachers’ Home here today.

On receiving the information about two patients showing symptoms of dengue and having admitted at the Ludhiana hospitals, a team of Health Department visited the area. Cvil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni said the team found dengue larvae in the water collected in two huge plastic canisters. The larvae were destroyed and the health officials undertook the mandatory exercise of conducting a recce in the nearby houses to prevent the spread of infection.

Dr Sahni said since the present weather conditions were conducive for dengue larva to grow and multiply, people should take utmost care and not allow accumulation of water near their houses. He added that besides ensuring that water was not collected in desert coolers, people should also avoid storing it in huge tanks.

Later, District Health Officer Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa convened a meeting with some officials of the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), including municipal commissioner Vipual Ujwal and assistant commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal.

The MCB officials were impressed upon to direct their sanitary inspectors not to allow accumulation of water near residential and industrial areas and to conduct fogging in the areas within the MC limits on a regular basis so as to prevent occurrence of vector-borne diseases.

Bathinda, October 8
A mother-son duo was acquitted in a dowry death case. The court of District Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh today acquitted Gurtej Singh and his mother Malkit Kaur. Gurtej’s father Nahar Singh was declared innocent during police investigation.

In his complaint to the Sangat police on December 24, 2012, Jaspal Singh, a resident of Bhyauri village in Muktsar district, had stated that his daughter Sukhjit Kaur was married to Gurtej Singh from Pathrala village in Bathinda district. He alleged that Gurtej and his parents used to pester his daughter to bring more dowry.

On Decmeber 22, 2012, Sukhjit called up her father and told him that her life was in danger. She asked him to come to Pathrala. Jaspal reached her house only to find her dead.

Jaspal alleged that Sukhjit’s husband Gurtej, mother-in-law Malkit Kaur and father-in-law Nahar Singh had strangled her for not bringing enough dowry.

A case was registered against the three accused but during police investigation, Nahar Singh was found innocent. — TNS

Bathinda, October 8
The NRHM Employees’ Union continued their pen down strike for the second day today. In a press release issued here today, the union spokesperson claimed that health services in the district were hit due to the strike.

The employees also staged a dharna and raised slogans against the state government for not accepting their demands. The union is demanding regularisation of the entire staff working under the NRHM scheme. Till the time the NRHM staff members are regularised, they should be paid on the basis of equal work, equal pay. Among the other demands of the union are facilities as per the service rules of the Punjab Government and release of the salary of two months, which was deducted in view of the union's agitation against the government.

Addressing the employees, District Programme Manager Gayitri Mahajan said the NRHM employees were being meted step-motherly treatment. She questioned if regular pay-scales could be applied to those working under the Central schemes like Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA), then why the NRHM employees were kept bereft of it.

Another leader Keshar Gaur said the two-day pen-down strike was a warning to the government and if their demands were not met, the union would be forced to intensify the agitation wherein state-level rallies would be held at Bathinda and Lambi.

Employees working under various other health projects too have extended their support to the NRHM staff.

Bathinda, October 8
One person was killed while eight sustained injuries in a road accident near Kotfatta bus stand here today. The mishap took place at around 5:30 am when a Mahindra Pick-up van and a canter coming from opposite direction collided head-on.

There were nine people travelling in the van, of which one was killed and eight got injured. The victims were going towards Bathinda to buy vegetables and fruits when the mishap took place. The driver of the canter fled from the scene. The deceased was identified as Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Kotfatta. Those injured were Gurcharan Singh, Sandeep, Birbal, Daya Chand, Hari Chand, Jagga Singh, Rajbir Singh and Gurdev Singh. The Kotfatta police booked the canter driver and took the vehicle into its custody. Further investigations are on. — TNS

Bathinda, October 8
Civil surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni today issued a to-do list for senior medical officers (SMOs) of the district. The twelve-point agenda letter sent to the SMOs contains general rules to be followed in a hospital.

Dr Sahni has directed SMOs to follow the guidelines and a checking in this regard will be held ten days later.

The same set of instructions were passed on to the civil surgeons during their meeting held with the newly appointed Health Minister on Monday.

The SMOs have been asked to maintain punctuality and discipline in hospitals.

They have been told to give priority to cleanliness, plantation and ventilation in hospital wards as well as cleanliness of toilets.

Interestingly, the letter has asked the SMOs to give due "respect" to elected representatives and senior citizens, which may not go down well with the doctors. “We already give preference to senior citizens over others. However, directing us to give priority to elected representatives seems to be indulging in sycophancy,” said an SMO.

Doctors have been advised to mostly prescribe drugs, which are available at the hospital. They have been asked to make a call register (used for calling specialists on duty) operable.

It has been specified that staff nurses on duty will be responsible for the bedding of a patient along with pillows, blankets etc. The SMOs have been asked to take a daily morning round of half an hour before the onset of the OPD. They have been asked to regularly interact with patients and ask them about facilities at the hospital and their grievances.

They have been asked to get a white wash done wherever required.

The SMOs have been asked to ensure that all power back-up instruments such as generators and inverters and other equipment in all the health institutions of the block are functional.

They have been directed to install grievance and suggestion boxes in their hospitals at the reception. The SMOs have been directed to lock it and to review the complaints on a weekly basis.

They have been directed to ensure that poor patients are not denied treatment for want of money and are treated under funds and schemes for poor. 

Bathinda, October 8
Farmers were today appealed to bring dried paddy to grain markets in order to ensure that the crop had lesser moisture content and hence more saleable value.

Agriculture department’s assistant marketing officer Dr Parmeshwar Singh and agriculture development officer Dr Suresh Kumar stated this in a press statement issued here today.

They appealed to farmers to clean the paddy before bringing it to the grain market for procurement.

After getting the paddy cleaned, auctioned and weighed, the farmers should remember to take the "J Form" from the commission agents.

When the produce is sold, the mandi board gives this form, which consists of details of the transactions, to commission agents. It also contains the exact information about the expenses to be borne by farmers for the charges incurred on cleaning, unloading, weighing and packing.

In this way, the farmer has an authentic record, which he could produce whenever the government announces bonus for the season, added the agriculture officials.

They added that as per the government standards for procurement of paddy, its moisture content should not be more than 17 per cent. Farmers were advised not to harvest paddy using combine-harvesters from 7 pm to 10 am.

The unloading and cleaning fee will be charged from the farmer at the rate of Rs 4.17 per bag (35 kg) and rest other charges will be borne by the buyer.

The agriculture officials also appealed to the farmers to not burn the paddy stubble after harvesting the crop.

Bathinda, October 8
On the second day of the 59th Punjab State School Sports tournament, 32 league matches were played at four venues under the supervision of District Education Officer (DEO) Harkanwaljeet Kaur and Additional Education Officer (Sports) Pavittar Kaur.

Under the supervision of convenor Harminder Singh Gulabgarh, kabaddi circle style matches were played at the DAV College. While the Fazilka team beat the Ferozepur 40-24, the Fatehgarh Saheb team beat the Mansa team 23-22, the Ludhiana team beat the Ropar team 30-18, the Faridkot beat the Fatehgarh Saheb 30-18, the Jalandhar beat the Fazilka 34-11, the Maluka wing beat the SBS Nagar 34-28.

In matches conducted at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium under the supervision of convenors Ramandeep Singh Bokhra and Jasvir Singh Bhucho, the Gursdapur team beat the Hoshiarpur team 38-31, the Amritsar team beat the Patiala 33-32, the Tarn Taran beat the Mohali team 46-27 and the Jalandhar beat the Ludhiana team 45-36.

In other matches, the Hoshairpur team was declared the winner since its opponent Muktsar team was not present. In other matches, the Kapurthala beat the Amritsar 43-22 and the Sangrur beat the Tarn Taran 42-24.

The kabaddi circle style competitions for girls were organised at St Xavier's School under the supervision of convenors Gobinder Kaur Kotbhara and Bhinder Kaur Lehra Mohabbat.

While the Bathinda beat the Fazilka 42-15, the Sangrur beat the Faridkot 28-25, the Ferozepur beat the Mansa 29-5, the SBS Nagar beat the Patiala 12-1 and the SBS Nagar beat the Fazilka 15-1.

Basketball competitions of the boys' category were held at Khalsa Senior 
Secondary School under the supervision of convenors Sukhjinderpal Jodhpur Romana, Harcharan Singh Gillpatti and Binder Kaur Multania.

While the Rup Nagar beat the Kapurthala 45-16, the Moha beat the Sangrur 50-46, the Mansa beat the Fazilka 73-48, the Ludhiana Academy beat the Barnala 43-6, the Fatehgarh Saheb beat the Gidderbaha Wing 50-40, the Jalandhar beat the Rup Nagar 33-11, the Patiala wing beat the Faridkot 68-28, the Patiala beat the Bathinda 31-21 and the Muktsar beat the Ferozepur 48-29.

In the basketball matches in the girls' category, the Ludhiana beat the Muktsar 54-34, the Ludhiana beat the Fazilka 45-5, the Hoshiarpur beat the Mansa 42-29, the Patila beat the Faridkot 27-22 and the Ropar beat the Moga 32-14.

The principal of Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Nazar Singh, met the players and encouraged them to inculcate a healthy team spirit. The results were compiled by convenors Karamjit Singh Khemuana, Sukhvinder Manshahia, Balvir Commando Jangirana, Rajinder Singh Deon, Gurinderjit Singh Lehra Sauda and others.