Bathinda, June 22
The domestic airport at Bathinda which is awaiting its inauguration for the last one and half years is all set to begin operations soon. A team from the Air India, a government undertaking, visited the domestic airport at Virk Kalan in Bathinda recently. The officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) also accompanied them.

It is worth mentioning that the airport is not operational as of now. Many private airlines visited the site but did not show interest in it fearing non-availability of passengers.

As the airport has been constructed on sand dunes, the AAI is giving due importance to the environmental issues. The AAI is also making efforts for proper landscaping around the aviation terminal. Keeping in mind the further provision for expansion, the airport will have a parking space for nearly 25 cars in the first phase of construction

Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, met the Union Civil Aviation Minister this week regarding the starting of this domestic airport at the earliest. A high-level delegation from the Air India visited Bathinda and Pathankot domestic airports last week and if everything goes according to the plan, then it is expected that the airport will be functional by the second week of August.

According to the Airport Authority of India (AAI), they informed the government before August 15, 2012 through a letter that the airport was ready. Even private companies like Spicejet showed their interest but later backed out fearing that the operations would not be viable as there is not much industry in the Malwa region. To attract the companies, the state government even announced deduction in VAT on fuel surcharge but it failed to bring about fruitful results.

Bathinda already on air route

Bathinda already lies on the air route of the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The A-320 flights going towards Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir cross through the Delhi circuit which includes Karnal, Ambala, Chandigarh, Shimla, Bilaspur , Jammu and Ladakh. While returning, due to the cloud cover, flights take the path over Jammu via Pathankot, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Rewari and Delhi.

The first airport of the Malwa region is lying idle for the last two years after its completion, waiting for the flights to start.

As per sources, the reason behind the airport not becoming operational was that the Union and the state governments had locked horns, as both wanted to take the credit for this.

The Congress-led UPA government did not want to start the airport till the general elections, whereas the Badal family wanted it to start it before the elections at any cost as it lies in the constituency of SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had lambasted the UPA government for not starting the Bathinda domestic airport while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

"It is worth mentioning that the civil airport has been built at a cost of Rs 25 crore with the state government acquiring and providing 40 acres of land belonging to village Virk Kalan. The airport is adjacent to the defence airbase at Bhisiana and has no runway of its own. It will use the 9,000 feet runway at the Bhisiana airbase.

The airport has been constructed as per the conditions required for two 50-seater aircraft (ATR) to operate at the same time.

The building, which is fabricated of glass and steel, is called a pre-engineered structure, that houses a VIP lounge, two check-in counters, a 30-seater fully air-conditioned security hold, two conveyer belts and other standard infrastructure required for a domestic airport

As the airport has been constructed on the sand dunes, the AAI is giving due importance to the environmental issues. The AAI is also making efforts for proper landscaping around the aviation terminal. Keeping in mind the further provision for expansion, the airport will have a parking space for nearly 25 cars in the first phase.

Sunil Dutt, Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), said a team from the Air india had visited the airport sites at Bathinda and Pathankot this Wednesday and inspected the possibility of starting flights from here. Senior officials of the AAI also accompained them.

Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal said she recently met the Union Civil Aviation Minister and he assured her that he will visit Bathinda soon and inaugurate the airport. She is now hopeful that the Bathind airport will soon be operational.

It is worth mentioning that a catchment area of at least 100 km radius has no air facility for civilians as of now. Besides the overall development of the region, the Rs 20,000 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery and Banawali thermal plant are the major push factors for the project.

Bathinda, June 22
The Bathinda police today registered a case against Ram Kumar, who was allegedly hit by a speeding vehicle of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Swaranjeet Kaur here yesterday. The accident occurred near the Gill Patti T-intersection yesterday around 11.30 am when the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and her driver were on their way back from duty after attending to Harsimrat Badal’s visit.

The victim was rushed to the Civil Hospital and had allegedly suffered critical injuries.

A case was registered on the basis of a complaint by constable Jagsir Singh at the Nehianwala police station. The complainant said that the motorcycle-borne man took an abrupt turn on the road between Bathinda and Goniana which led to the accident after which the police vehicle rammed into a tree.

As per the daily crime report released by the Bathinda police, the DSP too, received serious injuries. Though the identity of Ram Kumar was revealed on Saturday, the police mentioned that the biker was still unidentified. Ram Kumar is a brick kiln worker and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital where his condition is stated to be critical. The police today booked him under Sections 337, 279 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code.

Bathinda, June 22
The tall claims of the state government of providing state-of-the-art infrastructure at the bus stand here have been dashed to the ground.

The state government has failed to provide even the basic facilities to the passengers.

Garbage scattered in the open at the bus stand in Bathinda on Sunday. Photos: Vijay Kumar

There is no facility for providing filtered drinking water. The passengers have to carry their own water or buy it from the vendors at a higher rate.

A highly-placed source in the department claimed that even vendors at the bus stand do not want that the passengers should get the facility for clean drinking water.

There are no arrangements for providing cold water to the passengers in summer at the bus stand. Large potholes have come at many places due to the stagnant water. No attention is being paid to cleanliness. Overflowing sewage emanates a foul smell. The place has become a breeding ground for water-borne diseases. There are a large number of potholes right at the entrance of the bus stand. It is worth mentioning that due to the potholes filled with sewage, the tyre of a city bus burst due to which the passengers had to face many problems.

The condition of the toilet is also pathetic and people urinate in the open but there is no check on it. Because of this, women passengers have to face the problem.

The state government had been claiming for many years that it would provide an air-conditioned bus stand in Bathinda but instead of upgrading the facilities, the government has failed to provide even the basic facilities for passengers who visit the bus stand every day.

Mukesh Kumar, a passenger, said the Health Department and the Municipal Corporation had started a door-to-door drive in the city to tell the residents to make sure that water does not stagnate near their homes. But at the bus stand where a large number of people come, the stench from the stagnant sewage greets them.

Bathinda, June 22
To destroy the seized liquor, the Excise Department today siphoned off 250 boxes of liquor, containing nearly 9 litres each, in the sewerage pipes of the District Administrative Complex (DAC).

The authorities said the process is adopted by them to destroy the seized liquor. "Either we simply drain it out into the sewerage pipes or put them into the drains or spill them on to the dry surface. To escape the eyes of the drunkards and unscrupulous elements, we usually destroy the liquor in such a manner,” said Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) BS Gill.

Nearly 2,700 litres of liquor have been destroyed in two phases by the department this time.

He said the liquor was destroyed after a gap of around one and half years. The officials said a committee was formed to destroy the liquor lying in a room of the department. By initiating steps to destroy the liquor, an area in one of the rooms of the department has now been spared to keep something else.

The officials said they would destroy the liquor only on holidays, Sundays or Saturdays.

The officials were seen emptying the liquor bottles in a bucket and then into the sewerage pipes of the DAC.

They pointed out that usually, they ask the liquor manufacturers to purchase the liquor with ten per cent discount. “But since there is litigation and paper work involved, they never come forward to purchase the seized liquor. The quality of the liquor is also suspect,” said a senior official.

One box of liquor contains nearly 9 litres and the liquor was seized from various places by the department's officials during surprise checking or at special nakas.