Bathinda, November 26
While the stage is being set for the inaugural function of the World Kabaddi Cup-2013 in Bathinda, the organisers of the event are leaving no stone unturned to make the function a success.

Apart from roping in professional chefs and chief cooks, an Audi Q7 worth nearly Rs 60 lakh is being brought from Ludhiana for Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. The actress is likely to give a 12-minute performance on the stage during the function.

The cost to hire the Audi is Rs 55,000 per day besides Rs 125 per kilometer. The actress would reach Bathinda by plane at Bhisiana airport. But due to lack of night-landing and takeoff facilities at the airport, Priyanka is likely to return in the hired Audi Q7 to Delhi. Apart from this Audi, three more vehicles would accompany her from Bhisiana to Hotel Sepal. These cars would be used by some bouncers and other artistes. Deputy Commissioner and SSP would then accompany the actress from hotel up to the stadium.

While during the last year’s function, Shah Rukh Khan stayed in a hotel at Mittal Mall, Priyanka is likely to stay at Hotel Sepal this time. The survey of the site has already been conducted by the bouncers, private security guards and the Punjab Police Commandoes. The area where important visitors will stay has been sealed for the outsiders.

The sports events wherein the top three teams would take home Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakhs will witness nearly 20,000 spectators during the opening ceremony. During the last opening ceremony, the stadium was packed to its capacity after the spectators occupied their seats five hours ahead of the schedule to see the Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

The opening ceremony would be held under the floodlights after which kabaddi matches would be performed at different locations across Punjab. For the VIPs, foreign delegates, guests and the 150 to 200 employees of a Mumbai-based private company, Ferriswheel Entertainment Private Limited, too are being arranged in different hotels of the city by the district administration.

Eighty men and 80 women staff of the company are staying at a hotel adjacent to the Multipurpose Stadium.

A meeting of city hoteliers was held today wherein the ADC (development) passed instructions to the hotel owners and managers to leave no stone unturned for the service of their guests.

A road being carpeted ahead of the World Cup Kabaddi in Bathinda on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Bathinda, November 26
The district administration is making the arrangements for hosting the opening ceremony of the fourth World Kabaddi Cup-2013 on November 30 and subsequent matches on a war footing. This was evident as the pot holes on the Bibiwala Road that had been lying neglected for several months were filled today.

Though the authorities managed to do a wonderful cover-up job yet the sewer pipes lying by the road, related a different story altogether and indicated that the joy of the commuters will be ephemeral. The road outside DAV College had been giving trouble to commuters but was not re-carpeted as sewer pipes had to be laid afresh under the road. However, in a hurry to give all the city roads a facelift, the potholes on the road were filled while the sewer is yet to be laid and the pipes meant for it are still stocked by the road.

Floodlights get power

The floodlights at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium that had been without any power connection, finally got it after the Sports Department took a temporary connection of 33 kWs for the World Kabaddi Cup. The power connection to the floodlights had been cut off by the electricity department earlier this year after the administration had failed to pay the bill to the tune of Rs 60,000.

Music to the ears

The state government has roped in a renowned music speakers company JBL from New Delhi to handle the sound system at the stadium during the opening ceremony. The workers of the company were seen installing the speakers and other music systems at the stadium today. The company officials have been directed to make sure that the surround sound is offered to the audience for a better experience.

Official review

ADC (D) Sonali Giri and SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar visited the Multipurpose Sports Stadium today to review the arrangements. Under the guidance of sanitation officer, Ranvir Rana, workers have been employed to clean every nook and corner of the stadium.

Bathinda, November 26
The ambitious Rs 100-crore project of the state government which aimed at providing 100 per cent coverage of drinking water and sewer supply to the areas falling under the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB), has now escalated to Rs 154 crore.

With the state government directing corporation to ensure that roads too are laid in the areas where sewer is laid, doorstep sewer connections are provided and the project has to be maintained for the next 10 years, the cost of the project has escalated.

The state government observed that many households do not apply for sewer connections when the sewer lines are being laid in their areas. People later resort to taking connections illegally by sabotaging the sewer pipes and in the procedure they not only cause loss to the revenue of Municipal Corporation Bathinda but also damage the roads and other sewer lines.

“In order to circumvent such problems, the government has directed that every household be provided doorstep sewerage connection followed by laying the roads. This will be a win-win situation for people as they will not only get sewer connections but even the roads usually left damaged by sewer work, will also be laid anew,” added the Municipal Commissioner, Vipul Ujawal.

The tenders for the Rs 154-crore project will be opened for bidding tomorrow on November 27. The contractor will also be given task of maintaining the project for a period of at least 10 years.

It was during his visit to Bathinda on August 24 last year that the Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, local bodies, Suresh Kumar, had directed the MCB to prepare a Rs 100-crore project that will cover all the households in the city which do not have sewer or drinking water connection.

With scarce means of resources and income, the MCB now faces an uphill task of collecting Rs 154 crore before HUDCO sanctions loan installments. Sources in the MCB said the Bathinda Improvement Trust will be contacted to pay the 50 per cent amount remaining against the payment of the Blue Fox property of corporation. The trust had taken Blue Fo property of corporation at Rs 96 crore of which only around 50 per cent payment has been made.

For the remaining sum, the MCB will dig deep into its pockets collecting money from the property tax and user charges imposed on people. The project will be completed in two years and a half.

As per the MCB figures submitted before the government, there are about 65,000 households in the city out of which only 28,238 have drinking water connections. MCB claims to have sewer in 85 per cent area of the city of which major portions are blocked due to one reason or the other. The project includes 7.79 km of main sewer in the city, 109 km of branch sewer, two disposals and one sewerage treatment plant (STP). The sewer will have to run under seven railway crossings in the city.

Bathinda, November 26
Students of Government Rajindra College, supported by the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa), today staged a dharna outside the gate of their college and blocked the road.

The students protested against the fee hike announced by Punjabi University and questioned why were they being asked to pay the mid-session hiked fee. “They did not intimate us when we were taking admission in the college and now, in the middle of the session, when we came to collect our roll numbers, they asked us to pay,” said an agitating student.

However, bursor of the college, Prof Surinder Singh, stated that the university had hiked the fee in the beginning of the session. But since the students had already submitted their fee, the college paid the rest of the amount to the university on the behalf of the students.

“It was decided internally that the difference in the current and the hiked fee will be charged from the students when they would come to collect their roll numbers for their semester or annual examinations. The students have no other option but to deposit the hiked examination fee, migration fee, security, verification, development funds, etc,” he added.

The students also raised slogans against the district administration, transport department and the police department for not filing their complaints, about the problems they faced while travelling to and from the colleges, seriously.

The students alleged that operator of a privately-owned bus, mistreated a few girl students of the college when the refused to pay for the ticket. “The frequency of government buses is less and the students have no option but to travel in the private buses and their operators do not accept the students’ pass. Travel concession is given to the students across the country but not in Bathinda,” Sarabjit Singh, a student of DAV college who also sat on the dharna.

The students argued that if nothing else, the transport department could at least intimate the bus operators to allow the students to travel with pass. They accused the police department for letting the bus operator, involved in beating up a student, off the hook.

“While the government says that it is engaged in giving bicycles to bring school girls to schools, they are oblivious towards the needs and demands of the college students. The government has Rs 6.5 crore to spend on bringing an actress to Bathinda but no funds to instate more buses into the PRTC fleet,” he students said.

Bathinda, November 26
A day after a senior policeman was seen consuming liquor openly in a parking lot outside a hotel on the GT Road near three cinemas, SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the initial identity of the accused policemen has been obtained and it was found that they were from Ferozepur.

“The reports revealed that the policemen consuming liquor yesterday in the city were returning from a VIP duty at Banawala village where the Chief Minister had inaugurated a thermal plant. The reports gathered from the lower-rung officials said that the policemen were from Ferozepur,” the SSP said.

Terming it dereliction of duty and a serious offence of not maintaining the dignity of the police uniform, the SSP added that CCTV footage of the nearby buildings was also being inspected by his subordinates to ascertain the identity of the accused policemen. Bhullar said he would take up the matter his counterpart in Ferozepur to punish them.

It may be mentioned here that a senior cop, accompanied by constables was seen consuming liquor in an open parking area. While the senior cop enjoyed liquor, his subordinates were seen waiting in a black-coloured Maruti Alto car. — TNS

Bathinda, November 26
Hotels, restaurants and resorts will now have to pay 1.5 per cent of property tax against the 3 per cent imposed on it earlier.

A delegation of the Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association, Bathinda, met Municipal Commissioner Vipul Ujwal today demanding that the hospitality sector be considered an industry as per the state government’s notification issued in the year 2012.

“Keeping in view the government circular, the hospitality industry will have to pay 1.5 per cent of the total property tax calculated on the covered area,” said Vipul Ujwal.

President of the association Satish Arora and secretary Anil Kumar met the commissioner. Anil Kumar said the lessening of the tax to 1.5 per cent will come as a great relief. “At a rough estimate, if the owner of a hospitality centre was paying house tax of Rs 1.5 lakhs plus five per cent fire cess, it would now roll down to Rs 45,000 plus the fire cess,” he said.

Anil Kumar said the move would be of great benefit to the hotel, resort and restaurant owners who have been on the warpath demanding facilities and relaxation in taxes from the government.

Bathinda, November 26
Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bathinda is holding Fitness Update 2013 – an sports events for the doctors of the city.

Dr Shiv Dutt, president, IMA, and Dr Rohit, general secretary, said that on December 1, different sporting events would be held here. These will include 20 overs a side cricket match, badminton, table tennis and carrom.

Around 100 doctors will participate in the event. The most fit male and female doctor will be honoured at the event. 

Gobindpura (Bathinda), November 26
Kapoor Singh (82) still cares for his tractor like the way he used to 46 years ago. Being the vehicle of the family all these years, the family has developed an inseparable bond with the tractor. The tractor which was purchased in 1967 by Kapoor's father, has seen five generation of the family. The vehicle is now driven by Kapoor's great-grandson.

While the villagers kept changing their agricultural tools and vehicles, the family members of Kapoor stick to their tractor and boast of many other tools which are still in a working condition for the past 50 years.

"Whenever any of us gets ready to take a ride on the tractor, grandfather always instructs us not to run fast, maintain the speed while negotiating the potholes and keep the engine idling before putting the vehicle in the first gear besides giving other instructions," said Kapoor's son, Jeet Singh.

"I could not sleep since the day my great-grandson announced he would renovate the tractor with a fresh coat of paint and change the old parts. I advised him to keep its originality intact," Kapoor said.

The family members said their passion for the old tractor is also because of the rising number of vehicles on the roads and in the agricultural fields.

The tractor of the family has the quality to sow and level agricultural fields and to pump out water from the well still with the same agility as it was on the first day.

"Its maintenance with care is the only reason why it still works properly though there is no need to change its basic parts," Kapoor said. Though the tyres, battery, headlight and other parts have been changed from time to time, all the other parts are original.

Kapoor remembers that he had purchased the tractor, Massey Ferguson in 1967 for Rs 16,000 and a sum of Rs 2,000 had to be shelled out extra. The extra money was meant for someone else who had booked the tractor in his name but later transferred it in the name of Kapoor's father.

The elderly farmer's family own 20 acres of land on which they grow potatoes, wheat and cotton and the major work is done using the more than four-decades-old tractor. "Many villagers, after learning about the profitability and fortune of this tractor, approached us for its purchase but we refused to sell it even in lieu of a new tractor," said Jashandeep Singh, Kapoor's great-grandson.

He said the plans to change the colour of the tractor with a fresh coat of paint are in the offing but his grandpa is not willing. The self-start, fuel efficient tractor still gives competition to the new tractors in the village, he said. 

Bathinda, November 26
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) started its two-day pen-down strike today.

The BDA officials and workers today boycotted work and sat on a dharna. They also raised slogans against the state government for not accepting their demands. The future course of action will be decided on Wednesday evening.

The BDA employees are demanding pension, separate allotment of plots, implementation of ex-gratia class I, increase in two years of service on the pattern of Punjab government employees, promotion of class IV employees (as per their qualifications) to supervisors, regularisation of 45 daily wagers and promotion of stenographers.

Earlier too, the BDA employees had held a five-day dharna but the government did not respond to their repeated demands. JAC president Sukhpal Singh and chairman Navreet Grewal said the employees have been agitating since long to get their justified demand fulfilled.

Bathinda, November 26
National Law Day was celebrated at the Government Rajindra College under the guidance of District Sessions Judge cum-chairman of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Tejwinder Singh. Daljit Singh Ralhan, Chief Judicial Magistrate, was the chief guest at the function.

Advocate Kawaljeet Singh spoke elaborately on legal benefits extended to the citizens of the country. College students, Seenam and Neha, presented their papers on the topic. Students also presented a skit which was prepared under the guidance of Prof Gursharan Kaur. — TNS