Bathinda, March 20
The District Election Officer today asked representatives of various political parties to maintain their poll expenses within the limit of Rs 70 lakh.

In a meeting with the representatives held today, the District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav spoke about seeking requisite permissions and following the model code of conduct religiously.

Representatives of the Shiromani Akali Dal, National Communist Party, Indian National Congress Party, the CPU, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party were present.

Yadav said that every candidate will have to maintain his or her expenses ledger from the time the candidature is filed. The expenses register will have to be matched with shadow expenses register available with every Returning Officer. It would have to be done every three days.

The candidate will have to open a separate bank account for expenses and can make cash payments of up to Rs 20,000 only. For any payment above Rs 20,000, the candidate will have to make payments through cheques or drafts.

Before holding any rally, the candidate will have to seek permission as well as fill Form 16 mentioning the proposed budget for rally. The Election Commission will get this rally videographed and as per the rates fixed, the expenses incurred in the entire rally would be filled in the shadow expense register. Same rates would be applicable throughout the district.

In case a star campaigner visits the constituency and the candidate travels on a helicopter with this star campaigner, half of the expense of travelling would be entered into the expense register of the candidate. Similarly, if the candidate is present at a star campaigner's rally, the entire expense incurred on the rally would be entered in the candidate's expenditure account. For carrying more than Rs 1 lakh, the star campaigners will have to seek a certificate, or else the cash would be forfeited.

For filing nominations starting from April 2, the general category candidate will pay Rs 25,000 as security, while a Scheduled Caste candidate will pay Rs 12,500 security through Form 32, a challan form.

Before opening election offices, the political parties will have to inform the office of the District Election Officer.

Yadav added that distributing langar or anything else at the rallies was not allowed. Similarly, if more than Rs 50,000 cash and material of more than Rs 10,000 is found from candidate's vehicle, while going for a rally, action would be taken against him or her.

Later, Yadav also convened a meeting with Returning Officers and sector officers. He detailed the officers about their duties before, during and after the polls.

ADC (Development) Sonali Giri, ADC (General) Rajiv Prashar and all AROs were present at this meeting.

Bathinda, March 20
The apartments project of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) has evoked a lukewarm response from the market attracting only 200 applications so far for the 307 apartments.

Response to the scheme is yet to pick despite its deadline of March 24 approaching near. Located strategically on the Power House Road, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal laid the project’s foundation stone on February 25. It is the first group housing project of the state government from which the department had high expectations.

The 200 applicants include employees of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) and that of a thermal plant in a private sector. The BFUHS Vice-Chancellor has written to the BDA showing interest in taking 100 apartments for its staff that would be deployed at the advanced cancer diagnostic centre, which is under construction in Industrial Growth Centre.

Confirming this, BDA Chief Administrator Varinder Kumar Sharma said that the medical community has expressed its interest in preferring group housing. “Usually, our projects get maximum applications in the last two days. We are waiting for more applications to be filed just before the scheme closes on March 24,” he added.

He added that unlike private developers, who calculate corner-to-corner area, including all kinds of facilities like staircases too, the BDA’s projection of corner-to-corner covers the entire apartment.

“We are offering 10 years of maintenance, which no private player does. On the top of it, the twoBHK apartments and threeBHK apartments have an additional room each that has entrance separate other than the entrance of apartments. It means that at the cost of twoBHK and threeBHK, the owners will get one additional room each that can be used as children’s room or servant quarters,” he added.

He added that instead of the area welfare association being entrusted with the work of developing community club and swimming pool, the BDA will execute these projects.

“The area has road connectivity from all four sides and is among prime city properties,” he added.

Talking about the high cost of each apartment, Sharma said the prices have been raised due to the latest market fittings being installed in modular kitchens of the apartments.

Kanakwal (Bathinda), March 20
A special health screening camp that was conducted near Guru Gobind Singh Refinery failed to find villagers sick due to the alleged pollution emanating from the refinery.

The villagers had approached the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda alleging that the pollution emanating from the refinery had caused problems for them. Acting on the complaint, DC Kamal Kishore Yadav asked the management of Max Superspeciality Hospital to conduct a health camp at the village.

Following the request, a team of four doctors examined around 152 patients at Government Elementary School in the village. Most of the patients examined were found suffering from illnesses wherein environmental pollution could not be the cause.

Dr Monica Arora said she had examined women suffering from gynaecological problems and men suffering from hypertension. Similarly, cardiologist Dr Bhupinder Brar said he had examined patients suffering from heart problems and hypertension (high blood pressure), which are not a direct outcome of air pollution.

However, the villagers insisted that pollution from the refinery was creating problems for them. Bhakar Singh, a resident of the same village, said the villagers have been facing breathing problems after the refinery was set up. Earlier too, a team of doctors from Talwandi Sabo government hospital had conducted a health check-up camp at the village, which the villagers did not find satisfying.

“We felt it would be better if private hospital doctors examine us and so we approached the DC,” he said. He added that the turn out of villagers was low as no free medicines were being provided today.

Another villager Preetam Singh added that people in the village were suffering from itchy skin, not noticed before the refinery was set up.

It is pertinent to mention here that the villagers of Kanakwal have demanded that they be re-located far away from the refinery. For this, the district administration is looking for land on the Talwandi-Raman road wherein the village would be relocated on around 100 acres of land.

Of the 100 acres, 50 acres of consolidated land belong to one individual, while the rest of 50 acres belong to different people. The district administration is holding talks with the owners of the land to acquire it and hand it over for re-locating to village Kanakwal. 

Bathinda, March 20
Around 12 members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) were rounded up today while holding a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s office.

Farmers under the aegis of the BKU held district-wise protest wherein they gathered in groups and walked towards the city. Farmers coming from the Maur side were intercepted at the Jassi Pau Wali Chowk, while those coming from Rampura were stopped at Bhucho. Police installed barricades at these two places as well as outside the Mini-secretariat to prevent the protesting farmers from entering different places.

BKU president Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan and Laxman Singh Sewewala said that during the meetings held with the government on February 18 and February 28, the needy farmers were promised residential plots, which they are yet to get. The government had promised to give possession of these plots on February 25.

The union had submitted a list of around 10,000 farmers who have committed suicide due to losses in agriculture.

The government had assured that the respective deputy commissioners will investigate these cases. However, nothing has been done.

Farmers are also demanding an end to the attachment of property of agricultural loan defaulters, closing of cases against farmers pending in tehsil offices, reducing of fees on transferring property to blood relation to one per cent, issue the pending Rs 28 crore under MNREGA, implement the decision of waiving fees for the Scheduled Caste students in government and private institutes, distribute ration, take back cases registered against the farmers during various agitations and protests.

Bathinda, March 20
The ongoing work on de-silting the sewerage system in the city may jump its April 1 deadline. Besides paying the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) for the maintenance of sewer in the city, the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) had roped in a private company to de-silt the sewer system.

Since the manual de-silting was impossible in the decades old sewer system, a private company was hired and was given one year’s time period to clean the sewer. The deadline for the project ends on April 1, while ten per cent of the work is still pending. The project was given at a contract of Rs 310 lakhs.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal said that the same company was also asked to de-silt the sewers of Mansa city and Raman owing to which the work in Bathinda city got delayed.

“The work may jump the deadline but would take a maximum of 10 to 15 days extra as only the section from Ajit Road to Ghode Wala Chowk remains pending,” he said.

Till March 12, the six main sections of the city had been de-silted. These included the area from Ganesha Basti Chowk to Civil Hospital, storm water sewer from Thakur Bhawan to Hanuman Chowk, Hanuman Chowk to railway station, Amrik Singh Road from Gole Diggi to Annapurna Mandir, from Multania bridge to Haji Rattan Chowk and Bhatti Road to Chandsar Basti Maheshwari Chowk on the 100-foot road.

Earlier, on April 13 last year, one of the employees of the company had died while working in the sewer on the stretch of GT Road right opposite Government Rajindra College. Following this, the company was let off after the matter was decided at a meeting of the corporation held on April 26.

However, the MCB officials added that besides spending a huge sum of money on maintaining the sewer system in the city, the corporation is unable to recover the same from the user charges.

“Not even 25 per cent amount spent on the sewer every year is collected as user charges,” confided an MCB officials. Analysis of the data of the last five years, wherein the MCB has paid the PWSSB for maintaining the sewer vis-à-vis user charges collected, show a pathetic state of affair. In the absence of adequate user charges, the MCB is spending from its municipal funds.

From 2008 to 2013, the highest user charges collection was in 2012-13 at Rs 481.05 lakhs, while it spent Rs 598 lakhs. The worst collection was in 2008-09 when the corporation collected a mere Rs 92.06 lakhs against the Rs 320 lakhs spent as maintenance charges.

Bathinda, March 20
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is holding a kisan mela on March 21 at its Regional Station located on Dabwali Road.

Director, Regional Station, Bathinda Dr JS Gill said the theme of the kisan mela is “Belode Rasayan Upar Kharcha Ghatao, Vatavaran Bachao, Munafa Vadhao (Decrease expenses on unnecessary chemicals, save environment, increase profit).

He said that the seeds of improved varieties of different kharif crops, including the new variety of paddy PR 123 and of Basmati Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509 as well as fruit plants recommended by the PAU will be sold at the fair.

Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon will preside over the function. The exhibition will be put on display by the different departments of the Punjab Agricultural University and other allied concerns.

Bathinda, March 20
A workshop on diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) was held at the community health centre (CHC), Goniana, today.

Addressing the paramedical staff, Vinay Gandhi, a worker of Pehal, an NGO, said 80 per cent of diabetics were in the underdeveloped and developing countries. India has around 5 crore diabetics.

He said the Type II diabetes during the pregnancy was a major health challenge that not only affected the health of a mother but also of the unborn child.

Dr Avtar Singh Dhillon, SMO, said women suffered from diabetes during pregnancy even if they did not have any diabetic history before conceiving. This leads to development of Type II diabetes. Women suffering from obesity, having family history of diabetes, earlier diabetes in pregnancy, conceiving after the age of 30, having irregular menstrual cycle, history of still birth and overweight baby earlier are more prone to gestational diabetes.

Medical Officer Dr Tejwant Singh said when a woman suffered from gestational diabetes, she may experience an increase in weight more than normal, getting tired early, increase in thirst and hunger, frequent urination, persistent nausea and other such things.

It also leads to high blood pressure and the baby born may be overweight making delivery process little difficult.

Educator Lakhwinder Singh said to keep sugar levels in control during the pregnancy, women should refrain from eating bakery products, sugar syrups and starch soups.

The CHC, Goniana, also held quiz competitions for the ASHA workers in collaboration with the Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF).

Project coordinator of the ACF, Sanjay Kumar, said such events helped ASHA workers stay updated and created interest in their jobs.

Bathinda, March 20
An international seminar on “Crop productivity and sustainability — shaping the future” was held at the Baba Farid Group of Institutions (BFGI), Deon, today.

Twelve delegates from Pakistan and different states of India, including Mizoram, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal, are participating in it.

Dr Shahzad Basra, Dr Abdul Wahid and Dr Zahid Ata Cheema from University of Agriculture, Pakistan, organising secretary of the event Dr GS Mahal and main speaker, former Vice-Chancellor, PAU, Dr Khem Singh Gill, lit the ceremonial lamp.

Dr Mahal welcomed the participants. He said a major motive of the conference was to discuss issues related to agricultural sector and their solutions.

Managing director, BFGI, Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal, said the aim behind organising the international conferences was to increase the knowledge of students and make them employable.

Highlighting the topic of the conference, Dr Khem Singh Gill said it was embarrassing that there was no facility and technological advancement for the villagers in India. He said one must concentrate on research which was helpful for making agriculture a huge profession by developing and updating laboratories, technological facilities and foreign techniques as well.

The delegates were honoured by presenting them with shields and shawls. 

Bathinda, March 20
Sewa Bharti, an NGO, elected its office-bearers unanimously, here today. The election was held in the presence of state president, training, Krishan Arora, and secretary Anil Garg.

During the meeting, social activities of the organisation were discussed. DK Garg was elected president, Raja Ram Bansal general secretary and Kamal Garg and Bhushan Goyal were elected vice-presidents.

Jagdish Maitri, treasurer, Tirath Ram Bansal, in-charge of the physiotherapy camp, and ID Pal was elected in-charge of the Amarpura Basti dispensary. — TNS