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Mercury touches 47° Celsius Police now using WASPS teams to keep protesters at bay |
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Powercom goofs up: Swaps meter connections of households Hi-tech facilities at Civil Hospital grounded 78 BKU activists detained outside IGP office| Members of the BKU being detained by the police in Bathinda on Sunday. photo: Vijay Kumar
GNM exams: City students bring laurels Unemployed teachers convene meeting, protest against state govt
ETT teachers during a convention at the Teachers’ Home in Bathinda on Sunday. Photo: Vijay Kumar Wheat, two gas cylinders stolen from school
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Mercury touches 47° Celsius Bathinda, June 8 As per the met department, if the mercury rises further than this, the record of heat wave in the month of June for the last 10 years will be broken. The minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 26.6 degree Celsius. In the forecast released by the agri-met department of the Punjab Agricultural University Regional Station, Bathinda, the residents of the city and its adjoining areas may expect no respite from the heat wave in the region as a similar dry and hot weather will continue for at least four more days. As per the forecast released by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the region will experience mainly clear sky with the possibility of some areas experiencing dust storm or thunderstorm. The intensive heat wave threw normal life out of gear as the harsh and dry weather forced the residents to stay indoors. Despite it being a Sunday, all the main markets of the city wore a deserted look through the morning and afternoon and registered a footfall only late in the evening. Long unscheduled power outages
Power supply in the city has been affected as mostly all the major localities in the city are facing long power cuts for nearly a month now and the duration of the cuts is increasing day by day, due to which residents of the city have been affected. Bathinda thermal plant stopped working fully as the disc insulator in its grid burst on Saturday evening. It left the residents high and dry as half the city remained without power supply till late in the night on Saturday. Residents kept calling the complaint centres of the department, but to one’s surprise, all the phones of the centre were switched off or were out of reach. Irked, people reached the complaint centre at Gol Diggi and raised slogans against the electricity department. It is pertinent to mention that today, the default in thermal plant could not be resolved due to the agitation of the engineers and it is likely that the functioning of the thermal plant will start only on Monday. XEN, Bathinda city, Hardeep Sidhu said the city was facing power cuts due to the shortage of supply whereas there is a huge demand for power. “No Power Cut Zone” tag now holds no significance as the long unscheduled power cuts in the city have increased after the Lok Sabha elections. The city was in the “no power cut zone” for the last five years. With the outcome of results in which the SAD candidate trailed by more than 29,000 votes from the city, it seems that now the tag of the “no power cut zone” holds no or little significance. Eyeing by-elections, no power cuts in the Talwandi Sabo constituency
When the whole region is affected by the unscheduled cuts, the Talwandi Sabo constituency isn’t facing any power cuts these days. Sources inside the department claimed that they have been instructed verbally that this constituency should be kept unaffected by power cuts. It is worth mentioning that during the Lok Sabha elections, the SAD trailed in Talwandi Sabo and Rama Mandi areas of the constituency. The SAD is trying to keep the people of the area happy by keeping athe area free of power cuts as by-election for this assembly seat is going to take place soon. Increase in demand for ice
These long power cuts have led to a steep hike in the demand for ice in the city, as refrigerators are not able to cool water and freeze ice as long power cuts and voltage fluctuation keep rocking the city. This has increased the sale of ice and has also led to a steep rise in the price of ice but ice sellers are not able to fulfill the rising demand for ice and after 5 pm, ice is not available in markets these days. Shortage of water
adds to woes
The supply of drinking water in Bathinda city has been hit following the stopping of the flow of water in the Sirhind canal due to some repair work. In the absence of adequate supply of water, the RO systems, installed in each ward, are bearing the brunt of the inadequacy, with long queues forming to get potable water. |
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Police now using WASPS teams to keep protesters at bay Bathinda, June 8 These WASPS teams were constituted after the Delhi gangrape case to build confidence among girls and keep surveillance in different areas through the control room and jump into action whenever an untoward incident came to their notice. The members of these teams have undergone special training at Bathinda and Kapurthala centres and are equipped with modern arms and communication gadgets. The members of the squad had also been given specially modified Honda Activa scooters for patrolling to keep a close vigil on the eve-teasers outside the schools and colleges in the city. The WASPS units have to interact with the school and college girls on a regular basis and remain in touch with the heads of institutes. But now, the WASPS squad, instead of keeping a vigil on eve-teasers, are busy stopping the protesters. It is pertinent to mention that many a time in the past, residents complained that WASPS teams are not seen near the schools and colleges and members of the WASPS squad are seen busy on their mobile phones during their duty hours or gossiping with other colleagues instead of keeping a watch on eve-teasers. NK Gosain, dean of the college, said WASPS teams are not seen much in the city these days. It was started with much fanfare with new Canadian style dress, Activa scooters and latest equipment but was now losing its sheen, as boys hardly fear them, he added. DSP Gurmit Singh, in-charge of WASPS, said the teams are called for support while controlling the women protesters. It is worth mentioning that in the early days when the scheme was started, it had shown good results and incidents of eve-teasing had come down drastically.
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Powercom goofs up: Swaps meter connections of households Bathinda, June 8 Upset over the whopping amount in bills, received immediately after the shifting of the meters outside the house in February-March 2012, the house owner, after around eight months, realised something was wrong. He found that the meters had been swapped and started making the rounds of Powercom offices but to no avail. After knocking the doors of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, the complainant, Balbir Singh of Jujhar Singh Nagar, got some respite. The Forum directed the Powercom to adjust the extra bill paid by the complainant and also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the Powercom and further directed it to set right the bills of both the houses. The counsel for the complainant, Sukhdarshan Sharma, said his client paid an amount of over Rs 50,000 due to the 'faulty' connections, installed advertently or inadvertently by the Powercom officials. Powercom officials, Assistant Engineer of Cantonment Sub-Division-Bathinda and Assistant Engineer, Commercial-1, through their counsel, pleaded before the Forum that it was not the fault of their department's officials but of the consumers who interchanged the electric wires. They pleaded that when the meters were installed outside the houses one and half years ago, how can the complainant claim that the meters were swapped eight months ago. The opposite party number two-the neighbour with two air-conditioners in his house-too appeared before the Forum and pleaded that he had no role to play in the goof- up. He stated that since the meters came directly under the control of the Powercom-after they were shifted outside the houses-the consumers had no role to play. The Consumer Forum, after hearing all the pleas, allegations, claims and counter claims, declared that the Powercom officials were at fault. The Forum, as per the facts, circumstances and evidence placed on file, observed that neither the complainant nor his neighbour interchanged the electric wires as they are not technical persons or professionals and it is done by the Powercom officials. The Forum, while observing deficiency in services, directed the Powercom to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and adjust the extra bill in the future bills of the complainant. It also directed that the less amount paid by the complainant's neighbor be recovered.
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Hi-tech facilities at Civil Hospital grounded
Bathinda, June 8 The condition at Bhai Mani Singh Hospital in Bathinda is similar, as here the Health Department had prepared a plan to build a diagnostic centre inside the hospital premises, under which many hi-tech machines were to be installed so that the patients coming to the Civil Hospital could get their tests done at low rates. But the project exists only on paper. Highly placed sources in the Health Department said it will take some time to open a diagnostic centre as the building has been completed but the company with which an MOU was signed, has opted out. The company was to install hi-tech machines and run this centre. With the delay in the opening of this centre, the patients are suffering as they have to pay more for these tests at private clinics. The building for the diagnostic centre has been completed but machines are yet to be installed The diagnostic centre which was to open at the Civil Hospital would have facilities for MRI, city scan, ultrasound, bone scan, 3D ultrasound and digital X-ray etc. Its building, built by the department, is lying vacant as machines have not been installed so far. Company which was to install machine leaves To open this centre nine months ago, officials from the civil hospitals visited Chandigarh and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a company operating one of the leading diagnostic centres in the country. The company was to install the machines at the centre but it left after signing the MoU and refused to install the machines. Ultrasound machine lying defunct An ultrasound machine has been installed at the OPD block of the Civil Hospital but that has been lying defunct due to lack of a specialist doctor. The department had signed a contract with a private doctor to run this facility but it worked only for a few days. As no scan is being done at the Civil Hospital, patients have to go to private clinics and hospitals which charge a hefty amount. Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Satish Goyal said the Health Department had signed an MoU with a private company to open the diagnostic centre here but they did not have more information regarding this as senior officials of the department at Chandigarh were involved in the project. |
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78 BKU activists detained outside IGP office| Bathinda, June 8 It is worth mentioning that the workers of the BKU Ekta-Ugrahan have been staging a protest outside the IGP’s office and surrendering since May 26 when their leader Shingara Singh Mann, along with his supporters, was arrested. Sources claimed he was arrested as he was also heading the protest against the SGPC in Bhai Rupa village following a row over 161 acres of land. The protesters accused the Badal government and the IGP of patronising the drug smugglers, rapists and other anti-social elements. They said after their protest, the police arrested the third accused in the rape case, Gurlal Singh, four months after the incident. The protesters said in Faridkot Shruti kidnapping case also, the police had threatened the activists that cases would be filed against those who come out to protest against the government. But in this incident, going further, the police arrested the activists who had come to demand justice.
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GNM exams: City students bring laurels Bathinda, June 8 Principal of the Mahanta Gurbanta Dass College of Nursing, Dr Surinderpal Jassi, sounded elated as he shared that the college had registered 100 per cent pass percentage. Other students of the college, Amanpreet Kaur and Harmanpreet Kaur, secured the fourth and fifth positions in the district, respectively. The Punjab Public College of Nursing also registered 100 per cent result. College Principal Mandeep Kaur stated that Rajinderpal Kaur, principal of the Deep Institute of Nursing & Medical Science, Lehra Mohabbat, appreciated the students of her college for securing good marks. She shared that Harwinder Kaur stood first in the college with 80 per cent marks while Heena stood second and Gurpreet Kaur stood third in the college with 79 per cent and 78.4 per cent marks. Topper wants to serve people Sandeep Kaur, the student who topped the examination in the district, stated that she took up nursing to serve the people in their need of hour. Sandeep is a resident of Sahoke village in Moga district. While her father is a farmer, her mother is a homemaker. |
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Unemployed teachers convene meeting, protest against state govt
Bathinda, June 8 Demanding that the government begin the process of recruitment at the earliest, the members of the union threatened that while they had been waiting for long to get recruited in schools, they will not stay put if the government delayed the process anymore. District convenor of the union, Balkar Sidhu and district general secretary of the union Sardul Singh, while addressing the gathering, stated that the teachers will not tolerate the disinterest with which the state government was handling the process of recruitment of teachers. They added that if need be the union will launch an intensive protest against the government. The teachers also accused the government of trying to commercialise the education sector to a great extent to mint money and fill its own coffers rather than thinking about and working for the larger good of society. They also demanded the unconditional release of the members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta-Ugrahan and Punjab Mazdoor Union who were arrested when they tried to stage a protest outside the residence of the Inspector General of Police, Paramraj Singh Umranangal, last week. Also present during the meeting were Amit Kumar, Karamjit Kaur, Sukhpal Singh, Jaspal Singh, Ripundeep Kaur, Satinderjit Singh and Gurjot Singh, among others.
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Wheat, two gas cylinders stolen from school Bathinda, June 8 Man thrashed
The local police have booked three persons for beating up a man. A resident of Jandawala village reported that three persons entered his house at 6 pm and beat him up as he stopped them from sitting at his shop on June 6. The Nehiawala police have registered a case against all three accused under Sections 452, 323 and 148 of the IPC. — TNS |
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The sun beat down harsh and the heat wave which has hit the Northern India showed its intensive side in Bathinda on Sunday when the temperature rose to be recorded at 47.2 degree Celsius, the highest this year so far.As per the met department, if the mercury rises further than this, the record of heat wave in the month of June for the last 10 years will be broken. 
Women armed special protection squads (WASPS), constituted to keep an eye on eve-teasers and anti-social elements outside the schools and colleges in the city, are being used these days to keep the protestors at bay.
As many as 78 activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta-Ugarahan were detained by the police from outside the office of the Inspector General of Police
(IGP), Bathinda zone, Paramjit Singh Umranagal today in the afternoon, when they were staging a protest demanding the release of their leaders and workers who were arrested by the police while demanding justice in the rape case of a minor girl on May 26 at
Bathinda.
Members of the Unemployed ETT TET Teachers Union convened a meeting at Teachers' Home today. Raising slogans against the state government, the teachers alleged that instead of recruiting teachers to fill the 4,901 vacant posts of teachers, the government had stopped the recruitment process.
A
view of the newly constructed diagnostic centre building lying locked at the Civil Hospital in Bathinda. Photo:
Vijay Kumar
Bathinda GNM students have done the city proud in the results announced by the Punjab Nursing Council today for the examination held for the first year. While Sandeep Kaur of Mahanta Gurbanta Dass Nursing College secured the first place in the district, the second place was secured by Harwinder Kaur of Deep Nursing College and the third place went to Sukhpreet Kaur of Punjab Public College of Nursing.