Bathinda, April 6
The sitting Member of Parliament from the Bathinda parliamentary seat, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who claims to have driven Bathinda towards development, has arduous tasks ahead. Despite being given the VIP status, Bathinda city still lacks proper water and sewerage system. Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, whose setting up had promised a number of jobs to the youngsters, has only daily wagers or youth from the lower social strata working in it, while the question of employment still looms large.

The Tribune News Serviced spoke to Harsimrat Kaur Badal about her vision for the Bathinda city.

What are your plans for the youth and women of the city?

Women will have to understand their power. For years, I, too, was a housewife, but when the situation required, I stepped forward and entered politics. A woman should never undermine herself. Every woman is a strong goddess who feeds a family and brings up children. As a woman, I would like to have more female participation in decision making issues.

To empower women, we are already running the Nanhi Chhaan campaign, raising our voice against female foeticide and ushering in greenery in the world. Under the campaign, we have trained women in sewing and stitching, making them an earning member of the family and providing them financial independence.

The city has enough schools and colleges for the girl students. We are aiming at making them independent by giving them a safe and secure atmosphere wherein they do not get scared while venturing out alone. For youngsters, not only the city, but also the entire state needs better opportunities to work. Our youngsters are talented, honest and hardworking. We need projects that can provide quality job for which a state level policy, with support from the Centre, would be required.

How do you envision Bathinda city to be developed? As an IT hub, education hub, textile hub or health tourism hub?

I would love to make Bathinda don all these caps. The Bathinda city has many aspects to talk about. In the last ten years, it has metamorphosed into a centre of attraction becoming an epicentre of all good activities. Having the Central University of Punjab (CUP), quality engineering colleges, medical college, sports school etc, Bathinda is already an education hub of the region with two private universities, one medical college, Punjab Technical University’s owned Giani Zail Singh engineering college, the Institute of Hospitality Management (IHM) and others.

On top of it, we have Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, which is not very far away from the city and is among the country’s most advanced refineries. Suiting its needs, there are some institutes offering petrochemical courses, which aim at preparing students to meet the refinery’s requirements. On the top of all, we have several projects in the industrial sector such as setting up of the Cargill’s Green Field Dairy feed project in the Bathinda city. The city has potential which the state government is tapping to its best and will continue to do so.

Water supply and sewerage facilities have always remained an issue in the city. With the burgeoning population, the local body has not been able to provide these civic amenities to everyone efficiently. Comment.

The state government had committed to cover cent per cent population of the city with water supply and sewerage project. Despite not getting enough funds from the Central government, the state went ahead and decided to borrow loan for providing water supply and sewerage facilities. Our main aim is to ensure that people living beyond the railway track get proper civic amenities. To cover them, the project has been planned and sent for loan. Besides, work is on to lat sewer and drinking water pipes across railway crossings with proper dumping facility.

What are your plans for slums in the city?

City slums are being rehabilitated. The slums of Dhobiana Basti were provided 25 square yards of constructed houses and were shifted from hutments to cemented houses. On a similar line, we have a project for housing slums for which the Central government grants are being tapped. More projects would be prepared on rehabilitating slums once we are re-elected. Our special emphasis would be on the development of the trans-railway line areas some of which are slum pockets. The basic idea is not only to give them better housing solutions but also to provide them with job opportunities.

Bathinda, April 6
On the first rehearsal for the Lok Sabha election to be held on April 30, around 300 government employees remained absent from the duty and all of them have been served show-cause notices.

Assistant Returning Officer Rajiv Prashar addresses the staff on election duty at Government Polytechnic College in Bathinda on Sunday

Maximum absenteeism was marked in the Bathinda urban area with around 200 employees choosing to stay away from the rehearsal. This figure does not include the applications of employees who sought exemption on one ground or the other.

Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), Rampura Phul, Sakattar Singh Bal said that of the 995 staff on duty, around 70 were absent. One hundred thirty contractual staff members have given representation requesting exemption from duty as per directions of the State Election Commission.

Besides, the office received around 25 applications of employees seeking exemption. The constituency officials have sent a demand for around 230 more staff.

Similarly, at Talwandi Sabo, around 41 employees were absent, while the figure for Bhucho Mandi was 29 and that for Maur was 40. In Bathinda urban, around 80 per cent staff was present and 200 were absent. The ARO Damanjit Singh Mann said the absentees will be served show-cause notice for dereliction of duty. “If we do not take an action now, these people may not turn up for the next rehearsal as well. We don’t want to leave anything to chances,” he added.

Similarly, in Bathinda rural, 90 per cent of the staff were present. Around 40 were absent and 48 have applied for exemption citing different reasons for not being able to attend duties.

The District Election Officer (DEO) Kamal Kishore Yadav visited all the places where rehearsals were being held. Rehearsal for Bathinda urban was held at the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) on the Mansa Road under the ARO Damanjit Singh Mann. For Bathinda urban, it was conducted at the Community Centre in Model Town Phase III under the ARO Dalwinderjit Singh and for Bhucho Mandi, it was held under ARO Rajiv Prashar at Government Polytechnic College.

Similarly, for the Rampura constituency, the rehearsal was held at Punjabi University neighborhood campus under the ARO Sakattar Singh Bal. For Talwandi Sabo, it was held at Dasmesh Public School under the ARO Rajesh Sharma and for Maur, it was held at Punjabi University neighbourhood campus at Maur under the ARO Paramdeep Singh.

During the training, the concerned staff were told about their responsibilities, each from the time polling started to the time the entire polling material was deposited with the respective election offices.

The DEO Yadav told the polling staff to cast their vote using the facility of postal ballot. He added that for the April 20 rehearsal, persons deputed within his own constituency will have to fill form 12 A, while those deputed outside will have to fill form 12 and get the vote certificates.

He dissuaded the polling staff from seeking wrong exemptions. He added that for seeking poll duty exemption on medical grounds, a medical board of four members has been constituted. Without nod from this board, no exemption would be granted to the staff from poll duty. 

Bathinda, April 6
The District Election Office (DEO) today declared exemption of the contractual staff, primarily from the Education Department, from the election duty.

At the first rehearsal, conducted at various places in the city for the April 30 Lok Sabha elections, the contractual staff gave representations to the respective Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) mentioning directions of the State Election Commission that bar putting the contractual employees on the poll duty. In its orders, issued on April 4, the State Election Commission has reiterated its orders pertaining to the issue.

In the backdrop of these events, the District Election Office now faces challenging task of removing names of around 300 contractual employees from the poll duty lists and depute other people on the job.

Confirming this, the Additional District Election Officer Sonali Giri said that in the lists, submitted to the Election Office, only 160 names have word “contractual staff” written against it. “We did not assign any such employee on the election duty. Besides, all the other contractual employees have been given different nomenclatures, which the software meant for assigning duties could not detect and hence they were put on election work,” she explained.

Meanwhile, the DEO has served show cause notices to four institutes namely the Central University of Punjab (CUP), Government Rajindra College (GRC), Government ITI Institute and the office of District Education Officer (secondary) for sending lists with names of the contractual employees.

The DEO Harkanwaljit Kaur said since the guidelines on issue were not clear, the respective school heads ended up sending names of the contractual employees as well for the election duty.

However, sources in the department said in the last week of January all the heads of the schools were issued letters asking them to submit list of employees.

“It was clearly mentioned in the letter that if any employee was left out, it would be responsibility of the school head and he or she would be answerable to the election office,” added an employee of the Education Department.

Candidates come out of an examination centre in Bathinda on Sunday

Only the top 1,50,000 candidates, including all categories, from the JEE (Mains) qualified to appear in the JEE (advanced) examination from all across the country. However, only students who are among the top 20 per cent in their respective boards will be considered eligible.

Traffic travails

Traffic came to a standstill as the city registered a huge influx of students coming to the city to appear for the examination.

Traffic jams were reported at almost all the roads leading or connected to the centres as students and their anxious parents started gathering outside these centres and when the candidates came out after appearing for the examination.

Parents of the candidates who had come to Bathinda from other cities, also packed the roads as they parked their vehicles outside and around the centres and waited for the examination to get over.

Bathinda, April 6
It proved to be a hectic Sunday for Vennu Badal, wife of the Congress-PPP joint candidate for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, as she went around the city conducting nukkad meetings with the residents of various areas.

She went to Model Town, Pratap Nagar, Sanguana Basti, Guru Gobing Singh Nagar, Power House Road, Ajit Road and other areas.

General secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and former Bathinda MLA, Harmander Singh Jassi was also present during these meetings and addressing the gatherings, he said, “Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal doesn’t get tired of talking about the development the city has seen in the past couple of years but the truth remains that residents of several parts of the city are still waiting to get even the basic civic amenities.”

Veenu Badal challenged the SAD-BJP government of disclosing the data regarding how much grant was released for which development project and how the money was spent. She also accused the state government of embezzlement of funds which the Congress-led Central government released for the state.

She also added that the Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal had, in his five terms, as the CM failed in maintaining the law & order situation in the state.

They also questioned the Badals about the money it spent on buying a seven-star hotel, a fleet of 400 buses and partnership in various industrial projects in the state.

Also present during these meetings were Iqbal Singh Shillon, Rupinder Bindra, Ashok Kumar, Surinder Jaildar, Amrinder Sandhu, Om Prakash Sharma, Ashwini Goyal, and several others.

Bathinda, April 6
Teachers, who are still waiting for their salaries for the month of February, are in a confusing situation over the issue of filing their income tax returns.

Teachers of Sarkari Sikhya Bachao Manch said during the last financial year, they were paid for less than 12 months and the delayed salaries for the months of the last financial year would be given to them in the financial year 2014-15.

They have asked the state government to make it clear whether the tax returns on delayed salaries are to be filed for the last financial year or as part of the income of the next financial year.

They said they would be at a loss both ways. If they file their income tax returns for the salaries of all the 12 months for the last financial year, they would end up paying for the salary they didn’t get and if they include the delayed salary in their income for the financial year 2014-15, their income may fall into the upper taxable income slab and they may end up paying more than they ought to.

Bathinda, April 6
A team of super-specialist doctors from Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana, conducted a free medical check-up camp at Health Street Hospital, Bathinda. The team comprised of neurologist Dr Alok Jain, gastro surgeon Dr Pankaj Sihag and plastic surgeon Dr Nitin Sethi.

Patients suffering from epilepsy, stroke, migraine and tremors consulted Dr Alok Jain. Dr Jain said a significant number of patients he treated included women, who complained of headache, which was primarily due to stress and emotional disturbance.

Dr Pankaj Sihag said most of the patients he examined were suffering from liver diseases caused due to high alcohol consumption and faulty dietary habits.

Dr Nitin Sethi met patients for hair transplant and cosmetic surgeries.

The MD of Health Street Hospitals, Dr Ajay Gupta, said these doctors would be available for consultations on second and fourth Friday of every month. — TNS

Bathinda, April 6
Notwithstanding the controversy that erupted after replacing the returning officer for District Bar Association (DBA) elections, the candidates in fray for the post of president have intensified canvassing.

The DBA elections are slated to be held on April 24.

The candidates in fray for the post of president are former bar association president JR Khattar, advocate Navdeep Singh Jeeda, advocate Bansi Lal Sachdeva and advocate Gurtej Singh Sidhu.

The lawyers are trying to woo advocates through door to door visits and garnering personal relationships.

Earlier, heated arguments, allegations and counter allegations were made against each other following the replacement of returning officer Balwant Dhillon with Rajbhupinder Sidhu.

Dhillon was accused of over-involvement in the elections by indulging into striking out the names of a section of voters and was thus replaced.

Dhillon, however, lodged a written complaint with the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana High Court with the demand to appoint an observer to look into the claims of both the groups.

Dhillon also accused a section of lawyers of forcibly taking away election related record by breaking the lock of a room in the courts complex.

Council secretary Karanjit Singh had said the bar had the right to replace the RO. He, however, added an observer from Mansa had been appointed to enquire into the matter and a detailed report would be submitted to the council within the next few days.

Returning Officer Rajbhupinder Singh Sidhu said every effort would be made for free and fair elections.

Bar association president Mohinder Sidhu said whatever had been done so far was within the ambit of set guidelines and norms and no unfair practice would be tolerated. “The lawyers had put up a united show in the past elections and will continue to do so in future as well,” Sidhu said.

Bathinda, April 6
The next time you visit the most happening place of the city, Dhobi Bazar, don’t forget to taste the five varieties of Raju’s gol gappas.

The roadside vendor, Raju, originally hailing from Gwalior, has been selling beverages-filled deep fried gol gappas for the past 28 years.

The place where he parks his rehri has remained the same for the past many years.

His teenager son also lends a helping hand to his father to accommodate the increasing number of customers at their stall outside the Jaipur Jewellers adjoining the Sadbhwana Chowk in the main market.

Raju boasts of the varieties of gol gappas he sells, including the small plain ones and those made with Sugi. The gol gappas are prepared everyday by Raju and his family residing near the market.

The father son duo comes every evening and sell this delicacy from 5 pm to 9.30 pm.

Six plain gol gappas with four stuffed ones are sold for Rs 20, with a choice of flavoured water.

“We usually cater to five to eight customers at a time and can serve them satisfactorily with their choicest varieties,” Raju said.

The varieties include khatta meetha, pudina, heeng, jaljeera and paanwala. The chilled water varieties are complemented with gol gappas stuffed with curd, potato, onion, tomatoes and masala.

There are people who visit us after having their dinner while others have gol gappas during a break from shopping. Raju lays special attention towards cleanliness.

He has set his stall in the middle of the most visited market area of not just the city but surrounding districts as well. Raju has also employed a worker to clean utensils and do other odd jobs.

“We always try to sell all the stuff that we prepare during the day. We never use anything stale or that was left the previous day,” said his young son Ravi.

He added the family never earned a bad reputation by selling inferior quality food.

“We either distribute the leftover food to the hungry people sitting by the roadside or simply through it away,” Raju said. 

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