Bathinda, July 7
In violation of the Supreme Court orders, liquor vends on the national highway in Bathinda continue to thrive. Owners have opened the rear side of vends without changing their location. The liquor vends are operating against the SC orders.

Excise officials claimed that following a High Court order, all liquor vends along the national highway were closed but some of them facilitated backdoor entry. Expressing dissatisfaction, the High Court told the PWD to ensure the closure of all liquor vends. Later, the Supreme Court rejected the Haryana Government’s plea against the HC order and directed to close the liquor vends along the national highway.

The High Court in its earlier order had directed the Punjab and Haryana Governments to ensure the closure of all liquor vends along the national as well as state highways. It had also directed that the vends should not be at a visible distance from the highways.

A committee was also formed to look into the issue and the licences of the violators were to be cancelled. The owners were to get compensation for the closure of their vends.

GS Tiwana, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (regular wing), Bathinda, said many liquor vends had facilitated the backdoor entry.

Madan Lal, a senior engineer with the PWD, said he had not received any written order regarding the issue so he was not in a position to comment.

When asked what his department was doing for the implementation of the court’s directions, CPS (Excise and Taxation Department) Sarup Chand Singla said he wopuld ensure the court’s directions are followed. 

Bathinda, July 7
More than six persons were injured in road accidents in the past two days in the city. Harbans Singh (45) was injured when his motorcycle met with an accident in Deep Singh Nagar.

Later, he was admitted to the Civil Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

In another incident, one person travelling on a scooter was seriously injured as his two-wheeler hit a footpath.

Two motorcyclists were injured in separate accidents on the Bathinda-Bhucho road. Both the victims were taken to the Civil Hospital for treatment. They have have been identified as Brijesh Kumar and Kulbhushan.

In another incident under the Multania flyover, two persons, who were on a scooter, were hit by a jeep. Both received serious injuries. They have been identified as Sunil Kumar (25) and Rajinder Kumar (20).

Notably, two days ago, four persons were killed and seven were injured in road accidents in the city.

With an increase in accidents, the residents have demanded a ban on heavy vehicles passing through the city at high speed.

“Everyone’s life is precious and almost everyday, fatal road mishaps take place in and around the city. The authorities concerned have not taken any initiative to check mishaps. The government should act swiftly in this direction,” said Sahara Jan Sewa president Vijay Goyal.

Abhikant Bansal, a resident of Ajit Road, said “The authorities should allow the entry of heavy vehicles in the city only during the night as the roads are narrow. Their entry during the day results in congestion, which is the main reason behind the increase in number of road accidents.”

“The administration is not serious about it as they have diverted traffic to the Bhagu Road. The road is narrow and any untoward incident can happen anytime,” said Harpreet Kaur, a resident of the Civil Lines area.

Traffic in-charge Parmjit Singh said,” Most accidents take place due to the careless attitude of the people.” He urged the residents to follow the traffic rules. 

"There is a need to change the timings of trains besides the introduction of new trains between Bathinda and Delhi. There is no train from Bathinda to Delhi during the day. There are only late night or early morning trains to Delhi." — Amandeep Singh

"The increase in freight charges has hit the business hard. The decision should be taken back and new superfast trains between Bathinda and Delhi should be started as traders go to Delhi on a regular basis. This will save our time"—Harvinder Goyal, a coal trader

"Rail fare has been increased by 14.2 per cent. But the Railway Department has not increased the facilities or services for passengers. The hygiene, even in AC coaches, is not maintained. So, the Rail Minister should lay emphasis on providing better hygiene in trains" — Manpreet Jaura, a trader

Bathinda, July 7
Though Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has written to Union Labour and Employment Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to reallocate 43 industrial training institutes to the state, the existing ITIs are facing several problems.

Government Industrial Training Institute, Bathinda, has 69 posts of instructor, group instructor and other official staff but 11 posts are lying vacant. Of the 69 posts, 11 posts are for the office staff but four of them are lying vacant, thereby, affecting the office work.

Seven posts of instructor and group instructor are lying vacant. The real crunch is in the Class IV category. Against the sanctioned strength of 34, only 13 seats have been filled. Principal Rupinder Kaur said, “We have urged the Department of Technical Education to fill the vacant posts, especially those of Class IV employees. We are waiting for the recruitment process to begin.”

On deputation for four years in another office

Seo Ram, one of the Class IV employees at the Bathinda ITI, has been on deputation at the ADC (D) office for the past four years. “I have been working in the office of the office ADC (D) for almost four years. I joined here on deputation as the office was facing a staff crunch. I may go back back to the ITI in a month,” said Seo Ram . “We have written several times to the ADC (D) office and raised the issue with the district administration but all in vain. We are facing a shortage of Class IV employees,” said the principal.

Basic facilities provided to students

Despite facing several problems, the institute is providing all basic facilities to its students. Earlier, students used to complain about the non-availability of potable water on the campus, but now two RO plants and two water coolers have been installed.

The institute has also installed six CCTV cameras to keep a close eye on various activities at the institute. 

Bathinda, July 7
The online registration of beneficiaries of old age, widow, handicapped and dependent children pension schemes has caused inconvenience as the names of many beneficiaries have been left out. They are running from pillar to post for re-entry of their names.

In Bathinda district, there are 94,383 beneficiaries of the pension schemes. Around 250 widows could not be traced by the banks according to sources.

The condition is similar in Mansa. On Monday, the Mansa Deputy Commissioner held a meeting with officials and promised to provide smart cards to all beneficiaries. Around 649 beneficiaries have got pension twice whereas some of the beneficiaries did not receive their pensions due to some fault in the server.aSurjit Kaur from Bathinda said, “My pension was stopped after the online system began. The government used to deposit my pension after two to three months but this time, with the introduction of the new system , many beneficiaries were unable to withdraw pension until they got it renewed at the DSSO office. In this process, many beneficiaries lost their amount as the government withdrew it.”— TNS 

Talwandi Sabo, July 7
At 8 am everyday, the Bunga Mastuana Academy at Takht Damdama Sahib reverberates with kirtan. Students are trained in kirtan and Gurbani here, enabling them to adopt religion as a way of earning a livelihood.

The academy has been running for the past 82 years, which is the oldest Gurmat sikhya academy in the state. The academy not only provides free stay and education, but also helps children settle in their lives. Of the 80 students here, only 10 are from Punjab while rest are from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. A handful of them belong to the families that have adopted Sikhism.

After the completion of the training, the institute gives certificates to the students, which makes them eligible for the post of a “paathi” in gurdwaras. A paathi is paid Rs 6,000 initially, which is increased to Rs 35,000 .

Young children from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh, whose parents could not even afford two square meals a day, have found a meaningful life here. Tarandeep Singh (16) is one such student. He came to the academy after his father’s death. Tarandeep wants to follow his seniors’ footsteps while serving the Almighty.

The secretary of the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Mohinder Singh, said the children from poor families come to the academy. “They are admitted and trained here. Many of them visit the academy after getting jobs,” he said.

In the 1970s, the academy saw a sudden rush of students from UP, Bihar and Rajasthan. The maximum number of children are from Alwar district of Rajasthan.

The aim of the academy is to churn out the students that have right diction and pronunciation of Gurbani. “Even devoted Sikhs do not know the correct pronunciation of Gurbani. We train the students in such a way that they attain perfection in Gurbani,” he said.

Gurmat education is given for two years. The academy has never asked any of its students to leave. Its youngest student is a six-year-old, who was found abandoned a year ago. 

Bathinda, July 7
An M Phil, a double post-graduate, a retired deputy chief engineer, a social worker and several other highly-qualified persons thronged the room where the training session for para legal volunteers (PLV) is going on at the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre.

Interestingly, these highly-qualified persons are undergoing the training for a job for which anyone, who has studied till Class X can apply. The job pays them only Rs 250 per day.

Elaborating on the trend, secretary of District Legal Services Authority, Jasvir Kaur, said, “We are increasingly getting applications from well-qualified persons who wish to serve the society and make the backward sections of the society aware about the laws. Some of the volunteers, who have applied this year, had worked with us earlier as well.”

The ADR Centre imparts training to volunteers and thereafter, they are issued cards that authorise them to go to legal aid clinics, set up in villages, to solve local issues.

The para legal volunteers are also responsible for conducting seminars and talks at legal aid clinics and make the villagers aware about various laws and their legal rights.

The ADR Centre had received 52 applications from persons vying to become PLVs. Only 23 were selected after a round of personal interviews conducted by District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh.

While last year, the centre had imparted training to 119 volunteers, this year the number has reduced a little after the Supreme Court of India changed the guidelines for the selection.

Earlier, anyone who fulfilled the qualification criteria could undergo the training session and could be recruited and removed from the service at any time of the year.

Now, as per the changed selection procedure, a three-member committee had been constituted to select the volunteers.

The three-member committee, comprising of the District and Sessions Judge-cum-chairman DLSA, Tejwinder Singh, secretary DLSA Jasvir Kaur and Chief Judicial Magistrate Raman Kumar, selects the candidates on the basis of interviews.

Now, the card issued to the volunteers is valid for a year and the validity can be extended to another year.

“The volunteers are given training in laws pertaining to labour, unorganised industrial sector, family, property, juvenile justice and laws and rights related to women among others. This basic information equips them to tackle cases at legal aid clinics and also guide the complainants on the right legal path,” added Jasvir Kaur. 

Bathinda, July 7
Demanding clearance of pension and medical bills, PRTC retired employees today staged a protest in front of the bus stand and raised anti-government slogans.

Members of the PRTC Pensioners Association accused the state government of formulating policies that are contrary to the interests of retired employees.

There are around nine depots in Punjab and 4,000 employees across the state who are not getting their pension. In the district, there are about 350 retired employees who have not got their pension.

Rs 70 lakh is disbursed as pensions to 350 retired employees every month.

PRTC Pensioner Association press secretary Satpal Sharma said, “The government is not willing to give us pensions. We will intensify our agitation if our demands are not met. If the government is running short of funds, it should write to the Governor to impose financial emergency.” 

Bathinda, July 7
After the report published in Bathinda Tribune regarding the lack of security personnel deployed at Police Lines, the district police swung into action and deployed a security guard at the entrance of the society.

The move has been taken to keep an eye on persons entering and leaving the society. Earlier, anybody could enter the area freely. Though a security guard has been deployed, there is no screening of vehicles entering the Police Lines, which still remains a matter of concern.

As a large number of police officials stay at the police quarters in Police Lines, including Senior Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) Sukhdev Singh Chahal and DSP (City).

A senior official of the Police Department said security in the area had been upgraded.

The move may result in decreasing the number of accidents at the road outside the Police Lines as vehicles used to enter and go out of the gate at a high speed in the absence of any security guard. 

Bathinda, July 7
Services of National Health Mission (NHM) are likely to face tough times ahead in Punjab with many of its contractual employees ready to leave their jobs after being selected by the Punjab Subordinate Service Selection Board for the post of clerks.

The Punjab Government had promised to regularise these employees, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The employees are still waiting for a decision regarding this.

Around 150 contractual employees from the Health Department have been selected for the post of clerk that demanded graduation in any stream and Punjabi typing in its eligibility criteria.

The candidates were selected on merit basis after clearing the type test.

The selected employees will now get a salary three times higher than what they used to get.

The contractual employees under NHM, a centre-state programme, get a salary ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000.

Among those selected include district program managers (DPM) qualified with MBA or Masters in social work or Masters in psychology, district monitoring officers, district accountants, district statistical officers and computer operators.

A selected candidate said, “The government only makes promises and does not fulfill them. So, despite being highly qualified, we have opted for clerical jobs. We were getting lowest salaries despite holding key positions. The employees at key posts were withdrawing salaries up to 11,000 only and that too after two or more years of working. The salary of a clerk will be around Rs 34,000 per month.”

NHM employees in Mansa met Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal yesterday and asked about the promise made before the Lok Sabha election. The CM, however, ensured them to fulfill it soon.

Makkhan Singh, member, Subordinate Service Selection Board, said, “Most of the candidates selected are contractual employees working with the Health Department, Suvidha Centers and others. The selection is done on merit basis. The selection list is uploaded on our website.”

Dr Inderjit Singh Rana, former NRHM Employee Union state president said, “The government is violating the labour laws as it is now reducing the salary of employees without any reason. We have been demanding regularisation of jobs from a long time and we were promised the same in March 2014. We have high hopes from the government.”

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, Punjab Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said, “Yes, the Cabinet passed a resolution deciding the regularisation of services of NHM employees in the state. It will be done in the forthcoming budget.” 

Bathinda, July 7
Scientists of Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, today organised a programme to train farmers and undergraduate agriculture students in bee-keeping.

The farmers and students were told to adopt this culture as a means of earning as in the south-western Malwa region there is a great scope for bee-keeping as a subsidiary occupation.

Environment entomologist Dr Amarjit Lal Sharma imparted training with boxes of bee colonies at a culture farm.

During the first training session, Dr Sharma elaborated upon the type of boxes and the maintenance of the queen bee and workers by providing proper food and ideal environment.

Vice Chancellor Dr Nachhatter Singh Malhi appreciated the programme as it provided exposure to students and farmers.

The venture can be started with a small investment. 

Bathinda, July 7
Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) No 4 today organised the opening ceremony of Rajya Puraskar Testing Camp-2014 under the leadership of principal Asha Sachdeva.

Five regions — Jammu, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gurgaon and Dehradun, 390 scouts and 350 guides are participating in the camp. The closing ceremony will be held on July 11.

Commanding Officer of 21 Engineering Regiment, Col P Chhikara, was the chief guest at the function.

It was inaugurated under the presence of Deputy Divisional Commissioner (S&G) and Assistant Commissioner, KVS (RO) Gurgaon, Dr B Kaur.

Col Chhikara hoisted the flag and inspected the march past by the scouts and guides.

Students of local Kendriya Vidyalayas presented a cultural programme, which started with Ganesh Vandana presented by the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 3, AFS Bhisiana.

Students of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 welcomed the guests with their group song while Kendriya Vidyalaya No 3 students rendered a patriotic song. Girls of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 4 presented a giddha.

Programme coordinator Sanjeev Trivedi said the scouts would be lodged at Kendriya Vidyalaya No 4 and the guides at Kendriya Vidyalaya No 5.

At the end of the ceremony, Dr Kaur motivated the students to do well in the camp. Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Sushila Sehrawat presented the vote of thanks. 

Bathinda, July 7
Sachin XI won the Bathinda Premier League (BPL) for the second consecutive year by beating DLC Dhaba by seven wickets. The match was played at the Police Public School ground here yesterday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar was the chief guest on the occasion.

DLC Dhaba won the toss and elected to bat first. The team put up a total of 146 runs at the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Palash remained the highest individual scorer with 46 runs in 30 balls.While chasing the target, Sachin XI started well and reached the target in 18.1 overs. Ranjeet Bhola scored 93 runs.—TNS