Bathinda, May 6
An ambitious project of the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) worth crores to equip the traffic police and the PCR vehicles with the GPS network has being lying pending due to its non-payment to a private company which was running it from police control room.

Sources said that surveillance GPS was run by software and some engineers that were hired by the HCL company. But their contract had expired in June last year and since then it has not been functioning as the private firm did not renew the contract demanding the due payment.

The GPS gadgets were installed on 25 PCR motorcycles, nine others mobikes, two cars of the traffic wing and all the cars of the station police officer’s (SHO) of the district police.

Rajbir Singh Behniwal, in charge of the Police Control Room while talking to the Bathinda Tribune admitted that the surveillance GPS unit has lying non-functional since last year.

Talking about the GPS technology, he said this technique is good as we have been able to trace each and every police vehicle where it moves, so that the police don’t reach late at the crime spots.

He also added that the equipment which was installed in the police vehicles had very poor battery life and many of its systems had developed technical snag, making them non-functional.

Devinder Singh from the HCL company while talking to the Bathinda Tribune said though their payment of Rs 40 lakh for installing the GPS gadgets in the police vehicles was still lying pending with the Punjab Police yet the company has been telling the Punjab Police to renew the contract since last year which they (the police) were not doing.

He also stated that he met with ADPG Dinkar Gupta today in Chandigarh who agreed to sign the contract after May 16. If things went ahead positively, we will soon start supplying Internet connection and software to the control rooms of police station.

It is pertinent to mention that the GPS-enabled motorcycles and cars were introduced in the Punjab Police as a part of modernisation. The equipment helped in tracking the movement of vehicles and was expected to improve police functioning. 

Bathinda, May 6
After a long wait of more than two years, Government Rajindra College will finally open its doors for students willing to pursue Diploma Course in Hospitality Management which it would offer from the academic session 2014-15.

The building, which has been constructed next to the boys’ hostel on the college premises, has now been handed over to the college. The college authorities have also forwarded the building utilisation certificate to the university.

In top gear to begin the classes when the college opens for the new academic session, the authorities have already purchased 90 per cent of the equipment required for training students during the course, which would comprise of a year-long course training and six months of training period.

The course will be offered as part of the Higher Education Society of the college and hence, the faculty will also be recruited on contractual basis. Principal of the college, Vijay Goyal, said the college authorities will get the syllabus approved by Punjabi University, Patiala, and will also begin recruitment of teachers as per the guidelines of the university. The number of seats and the fee structure is yet to be decided.

Amritsar, May 6
Keeping in view the demand of the students and their parents, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has decided to start two new BA vocational courses in refrigeration, air conditioning and automobile technology at Guru Nanak Dev University College, Verka and Guru Nanak Dev University College, Patti.

Both the colleges have received grants of Rs 1.85 crore each from University Grants Commission (UGC) to start these vocational courses.

Principal Mehal Singh said it was a matter of pride that the UGC had shortlisted university colleges for starting these courses and also sanctioned grants for the purpose.

He said these courses would impart skills to the students and promote self-employment.

These courses would prove beneficial for the students of these areas and would be run with the help of science and computer science courses already being run by these colleges, added the principal. — TNS

Bathinda, May 6
Controversy regarding the cremation of a deceased Lachaman Singh, who died four days ago at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, has deepened with Lachaman’s relatives wanting cremation at his native village Gehri Bhagi, while woman Sukhdev Kaur, who is claiming to be Lachaman’s wife, has triggered a controversy demanding the cremation to be held at Bathinda.

However, the body of the deceased is still at the mortuary of the Civil Hospital for the last four days. The relatives of the deceased also reached Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office to meet him in this regard.

Lachaman’s relatives said that Lachaman Singh, 55, was earlier working as temporary employee in the Agriculture Department and was an alcoholic. While he was working, a woman named Sukhdev Kaur came in his contact. Lachaman Singh died on Saturday at the Civil Hospital after his kidneys failed.

They said they wanted to take the body of their family member to their native village and this women and the police were stopping them.

Tej Kaur and Mewa Singh, Lachaman’s mother and brother, respectively, said they met Tehsildar, DSP City, Canal Colony police station SHO, but so far, they have been denied justice. They also demanded that the body of their family member should be handed over to them. While Gupreet Singh, SHO of the Canal Colony police station, said Sukhdev Kaur, a resident of Baba Deep Singh Nagar, has claimed herself to be the wife of the deceased and has also shown ration card and other papers as proof to the police.

He also stated that the family members and villagers are denying their marriage then they should show some proof regarding this and investigation in this matter is still on.

DSP City Gurjeet Singh Romana said now the decision of the case will be taken tomorrow in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Bathinda, May 6
In a mission to save the public money, the employees of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) have decided to launch an agitation if the government failed to take necessary steps to check the corporates turning into defaulters and recover money from them.

The AIBEA today held a press conference along with Punjab Bank Employees Federation in Ludhina, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Patiala, and Bathinda to raise their voice against the alarming increase in bad loans and oppose the corporate loot of public money.

The association demanded stringent measures to recover bad loans by making willful default of bank loan a criminal offence.

The association on its own released the list of corporates declared defaulters with bad loans. AIBEA named 406 corporates who account for bad loans of more than Rs 70,300 crore.

Amongst the 400 odd corporates, AIBEA blamed Sterling Bio Tech Limited, Sterling Oil Resources Limited, Sterling Port, Sterling Sez and Infra Limited as defaulter of Rs 3,672.6 crore from different banks in India. Similarly, Winsome Diamond and Jewel Co Limited, Forever Precious Jewellery and Diamond Limited as defaulter of Rs 3,156.6 crore, Kingfishers Airlines Limited is a defaulter of Rs 2,673.24 crore, Electrotherm - Rs 221.42 crore, Corporate Espat Alloy Limited - Rs 1,359 crore.

Assistant secretary, Punjab Bank Employees Federation, Pawan Jindal, said, "AIBEA is the biggest association in India and we have demanded from the Government of India to make stringent laws to protect the banks and the public money, to make willful default of bank loan a criminal offence, order investigation to probe nexus and collusion, amend recovery laws to speed up recovery of bad loans, take stringent measures to recover bad loans, not to give incentives to corporate delinquents and RBI should periodically publish the list of bank loan defaulters. We will investigate and soon announce the names of companies of politicians that have been declared defaulters."

Bathinda, May 6
To meet the increasing demand of potable water at Central University of Punjab, a desalination plant has been installed on its city campus by the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR), Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

The need to install the plant arose as small RO plants installed at several places were insufficient to meet the increasing demand of water and they also required frequent repairs.

As per the tests conducted on ground water at different sites on the campus, the quantity of TDS found is around 2,100 ppm, which is not fit for direct consumption. The installation of desalination plant will produce water with TDS less than 20 ppm.

Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof (Dr) P Ramarao expressed his satisfaction over the installation of desalination plant.

The installation of the plant was done under the supervision of Dean, School of Engineering and Technology, Prof AK Jain, Dr Dhanaya (MS), Dr Sanjeev Thakur, Er GS Sra and Registrar Col (retd) Jagdev Kartar Singh.

Bathinda, May 6
Residents of Jogi Nagar protested against the liquor vend located at Gurukul Road yesterday. Noticing the exacerbating situation, the tehsildar of the area himself visited the protest site and assured the residents to solve the problem within a day.

Samaj Welfare Society general secretary Devinder Singh, who was heading the protest, said women and girls come in the evening to buy vegetables from vendors at this road. But anti-social elements who visit the liquor shop often indulge in eve-teasing and even molesting women.

He said opening liquor vends at public places was against the rule of law.

Protestors said even a notice to close the shop was pasted on its wall but it was opened after a few days.

They said the liquor vend remained closed in the days of election. But immediately after the polling on April 30, it was opened again and the action committee president was badly beaten.

Residents and officer-bearers of the committee warned that they would block the road and protest against the district administration if the vend was not shifted.

Bathinda, May 6
Students of SSD Women’s Institute of Technology (SSDWIT) brought laurels to their college by securing excellent marks in the university examinations.

Students of MCA -1 (first semester), Anjali Goyal and Manveer Kaur secured the first position in the college by getting 85.8 per cent marks. Ruchika and Jagdeep Kaur secured the second position by getting 85.3 per cent marks while Ritika secured the third position by getting 85.1 per cent marks in the university examination. As many as 26 students secured above 75 per cent marks.

In MCA-III (fifth semester), Dimple Rani secured the first position in the college by getting 86 per cent marks, Manjot Rani secured the second position by getting 85.5 per cent marks and Priyanka Rani secured the third position by getting 83.3 per cent marks. As many as 26 students secured above 75 per cent marks.

In MBA-II (third semester), Pallavi Mittal secured the first position in the college by getting 84.3 per cent marks, Ashwinder Kaur Walia secured the second position with 82.2 per cent marks and Ravinder Pal Kaur Brar secured the third position by getting 80.6 per cent marks. Eight students secured above 75 per cent marks. 

Bathinda, May 6
The police officials at the control room seem to be quite upset with fake calls they receive each day at the emergency No. 100.

The officials said that they receive calls in which people abuse them and when they inquire about the details of the caller, they find that the caller had been using the mobile SIM on fake identity.

“Sometimes, children also dial the number and waste time on the most important police number. When we call back to their parents they just apologise,” added the official.

Sources said that even the emergency service number is not up to the mark, as four telecaller services of this emergency number are not working and only one is at use of public.

It is pertinent to mention that five telecallers were installed with a motive that if one telecaller is busy than the call will automatically with be transferred to another.

But now, with only one telecaller at the helm of public, residents are facing problem as 100 number remains quite busy these days.

Shikhar, a city resident, told the Bathinda Tribune that a few days ago, he dialed the emergency number at night after meeting with an accident, but to his surprise, initially nobody picked his call and thereafter, the number got busy.

Rajbir Singh Behniwal, inc harge of the police control room, said usually they receive nearly 400 calls each day. “We try to provide maximum relief to the people. As we receive a call, we immediately inform the concerned police officials to reach the spot.

He also admitted that with four telecallers lying defunct there was lot of inconvenience among people as they have to wait long for the call to answer.

He also warned of initiating action against those making fake calls to the 'emergency number 100' in future.

Mohali, May 6
The Mohali police today arrested a Bathinda-based doctor and his mother, also a doctor, on the charges of harassing his wife (doctor) for dowry, here on Monday.

The accused, Dr Parneet Singh and his mother Dr Manjit Kaur, have been arrested from near Mohali District Courts Complex while the two other accused in the case, Dr Sukhdev Singh Sidhu (Parneet’s father) and Rana Ramneek Singh (Parneet’s brother) are yet to be nabbed.

The accused family runs a nursing home in Bathinda.

Giving details, inspector Navin Pal Singh Lehal, station house officer (SHO) of the Mataur Police Station, said that the mother-son duo has been arrested from near the Mohali District Courts Complex, where they had come to attend a court hearing in a maintenance case, also filed by the victim, an ENT doctor at Government College Medical Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh. We have registered a case under Sections 406, 498 A and 506 of the IPC against Dr Parneet Singh, his mother Dr Manjit Kaur, his father Dr Sukhdev Singh and his brother Rana Ramneek Singh at the police station,” said Lehal. He added that the case was registered after a proper inquiry.