Bathinda, July 31
As many as 80 households of New Shakti Nagar, situated on Mela Ram Road, allege bias in removing over 100 hutments near their locality. The residents said while local politicians got the slums removed from the areas in which they have their vested interests, they are not initiating any action in New Shakti Nagar.

“We are now fed up with making repeated requests to the Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner and other officials concerned,” said the president of the Residents’ Welfare Association, Satish Arora.

He said their association now plans to launch a massive protest against the district administration and will expose the politicians who got the hutments removed from places where they had their vested interests.

The residents lament that the number of hutments are on the rise in view of the lean attitude adopted by the authorities. “The hutment owners use ‘kundi’ connections to run their appliances, including coolers, television sets, refrigerators and a few of them even have got other kind of high 
voltage electrical appliances,” Arora said.

Another resident, Kamal Gupta, said the incidents of snatching, theft, robberies and other heinous crime is on the rise in view of the hutments around the area—where people of middle and upper middle class reside.

“We have no qualms over the stay of these poor people but the government on the one hand, makes tall claims of rehabilitating the slum dwellers and on the other, it refuses to deliver the promises in practice. The government should have shifted these poor people to constructed houses, as per its promise made during the elections,” said Pawan Navetia.

He pointed out that the sight of these poor people fighting with each other after consuming alcohol every evening is unbearable. “Even their children suffer amidst hot and humid conditions and are suffering from numerous diseases and some of them die due to malnutrition,” said Poonam Arora.

She pointed out that the local residents have seen these poor people plead umpteen times every time the Powercom officials take away their electric wires fitted with kundi connections. “But they again purchase new piece of wires and set up kundi connections. Then the Powercom officials too are seen pleading with these slum dwellers that at least they should disconnect the kundi connections during the day time,” Poonam added.

Santosh Navetia said there are around 80 houses in New Shakti Nagar which is a planned colony built more than 15 years ago.

“At that time, the developer had promised every facility to the residents. But now, the colony is under the Municipal Corporation which is not doing anything to bring respite from the hutments,” said Ritu, another resident of the colony.

Anu said the hutments have encroached upon the 100-feet road passing beside their colony and the poor people, children and women could be seen attending to nature’s call near the colony houses.

Geeta Bansal added that the road belongs to the Municipal Corporation, that owns the responsibility for removing the hutments, but due to political unwillingness, the effort has not been initiated.

General secretary of the association Pawan Garg and another Desraj said once Gurjeet Romana, the then SHO, deployed in a nearby police station had dared to remove these hutments. “When only three to four hutments were left to be removed, the SHO got a phone call from a senior politician and the work was stalled. The hutment dwellers then again spread their tentacles and constructed their dwellings all over the place on both sides of the road,” Desraj said.

Prahlad, a leader of those residing in the hutments, said all poor people residing in the hutments have got their ration card, voter card, Aadhar card and driving licence made. “We are casting our votes for both the Congress and the SAD in every election. We have a major chunk of votes—over 400—and we will not shift our base till the government provides us with permanent houses,” said another hutment owner.

The poor families said most of the families are junk dealers or rag pickers and have got slips from the state government under the Rajiv Aawas Yojna. “Though the government gave us the slips to occupy houses under the project, yet nothing has materialised so far,” she said.

She added that the families are residing in hutments on the roadside for over a decade. Earlier, they had encroached upon a piece of land behind Kamal Cinema, then they shifted to a place near Pukhraj Cinema and now they are camping for the past these years near New Shakti Nagar.

Municipal Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh said the corporation was working on the project of rehabilitation of the slum dwellers.

“We have identified 30 slum pockets in the area falling under the Municipal Corporation and a proposal has been sent through the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC),” he said.

He said after removing the initial objections raised by the higher authorities, the proposal has been sent again. It is a long procedure to rehabilitate the slums, involving the Central government as well wherein 1,280—identified poor families—are to be rehabilitated on 13 acres of land.

Bathinda, July 31
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) appear to be in no mood to take any chances in the upcoming Talwandi Sabo byelection. With Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal assigning SAD leaders ward-wise duties in Talwandi Sabo two days ago, state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Kamal Sharma has also deputed senior BJP leaders Madan Mohan Mittal and Tarun Chugh to look after the campaigning in favour of the BJP-SAD candidate Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu from the Talwandi Sabo constituency.

Sunil Singla, media in-charge BJP, Punjab, said that state BJP president Kamal Sharma had deputed two senior BJP leaders Madan Mohan Mittal and Tarun chugh to campaign for the SAD-BJP candidate in Talwandi Sabo. He also said that Tarun Chugh will reach the constituency tomorrow and will also be present during the filing of the nomination papers of the SAD candidate, while Madan Mohan Mittal will reach here in a day or so and join the campigning. He is presently in Jammu to attend a party meeting.

It is worth mentioning that the SAD-BJP is working overtime to ensure the victory of their candidate from here, as after the poor performance in Lok Sabha from Bathinda Lok Sabha consitueicy, the party does not want to take any chances this time. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party candidate in the fray, it has made the contest triangular. The party is hoping for more sucess after its performance in the Lok Sabha election, when both CM Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had underestimated the power of the AAP.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the urban voters gave thumbs down to the Akalis, venting their anger over the imposition of property tax and the absence of an environment conducive for growth of trade and industry. The villagers mainly voted in favour of Akalis despite complaining against the SAD-BJP government for its “failure” to check the spread of diseases like cancer and pollution from the Bathinda refinery.

This indicates that for the Akalis, standing by their supporters in rural areas is important. Out of 13 wards of Rama Mandi town, Akalis could get more votes from their rivals only in three wards (No. 9, 10 and 11).

It can also prove to be a dark horse and eventually decide the winner by eating into the vote bank of either of the two.

The party can even hope to win if it succeeds in fighting the elections in an organised manner with day-to-day involvement of its national leaders.

Bathinda, July 31
The forecast released by the Met Department came to be true after Bathinda and its adjoining areas got respite from the hot and humid weather following intermittent rains throughout the day.

Although the city woke up to a sunny and extremely humid morning, the weather turned for the better by noon after the sky became overcast.

Although the city pinned its hopes on the cloud cover, the skies refused to open up till only after 1 pm.

Interestingly, while several parts of the city and its adjoining areas received heavy rainfall, many areas didn’t get to see even a drop of water. Weather remained pleasant through the evening as well.

According to the forecast released by the centre, the region is expected to experience similar weather over the next two days.

As per the Punjab Agricultural University’s Agriculture-Meteorological Bathinda Regional Centre, the maximum temperature was recorded at 34.2 degree Celsius and the minimum temperature was recorded at 26.6 degree Celsius.

Bathinda, July 31
A number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Bathinda today protested against the state government and burnt the copies of a notification for blood price as a sign of protest.

The NGOs demanded that the state government should reduce the price of blood per unit to Rs 750 as claimed by the Punjab Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani a few days ago before the media.

It’s noteworthy that the state government with its notification in July this year, had reduced the price of blood units up to Rs 300 from the increased price of Rs 1,000. Private hospitals were being charged Rs 1,000 per unit after the prices were raised by the state government. Sonu Maheshwari, who runs the Naujwan Welfare Society, said, “The govt had promised to reduce the increased prices of blood in private hospitals from July 1 this year. But it failed to back its word. However, in the govt hospitals, it had reduced the price from Rs 1,000 to Rs 300 again, but the price has not been reduced for private hospitals. We burnt today the copies of notification as protest.” — TNS

Bathinda, July 31
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union today took out a rally against drugs, law and order situation, government’s move to suppress the right to protest and farmers’ distressed condition at Mandi Khurd, Jodhpur Pakhar, Ballianwali and other 20 villages in the district.

Addressing the gathering at a rally, Sukhdev Singh termed the anti-drugs drive started by the state government as merely a drama.

He said no action was being taken against influential persons involved in the drugs business. The police had been arresting drug-addicts and issuing statements in the media about their crackdown on drug smugglers, he added.

The members alleged that through drugs, the government and drug lords were earning crores of rupees.

The situation has led to an increase in crimes as drug addicts indulge in petty crimes such as snatching and thefts to arrange money for drugs, they said.

A large number of people die in the state because of drugs and numerous others are taking to drugs due to poor economic condition, unemployment, inflation and other problems, they said.

“If the government really wants to take out youngsters from the trap of drugs, it should provide better employment opportunities, provide free treatment at drug de-addiction centres and take strict action against those involved in drugs,” they said.

Their fight for the demands of farmers regarding farm debts and compensation to the farmers who committed suicide would continue, they added.

They announced to participate in the protest rally, whose call has been given by Bhai Rupa Action Committee against the Prevention of Public and Private Property Bill-2014, from August 5 to 11 at Rampura.

Bathinda, July 31
An awareness programme on prevention of tuberculosis was organised at Red Cross Bhawan under the guidance of deputy director-cum-civil surgeon Dr Tejwant Singh Randhawa and secretary, Red Cross, RC Dhand.

Dr Ashok Monga, district TB officer, STS Krishan Kumar and Meenu Dhingra from the Civil Hospital delivered lectures on TB signs, symptoms and its prevention. More than hundred participants from different villages and districts attended the programme.

Dr Ashok Monga said, “If a person is suffering from cough for more than two weeks, he should go to the nearest TB centre for sputum examination so that the disease can be controlled in time.”

First-aid trainer Naresh Pathania appealed to the participants to spread maximum awareness about prevention of tuberculosis.

Narotam Singh Maan and Jagdeep Singh Kapoor also shared their knowledge about TB.

RC Dhand said TB is preventable and curable. “We should convey this message in the community. Many people generally don’t reveal it and don’t get proper treatment, failng which, they cross initial stages. It is curable and can be prevented.” — TNS

Bathinda, July 31
A two-day-old baby girl was found abandoned in the cradle placed at Mahant Gurbanta Dass Deaf and Dumb School on Goniana Road here today at 8:35 am.

The number of infants left here since the cradle was placed has reached to 24.

Chairman, Red Cross Society Hospital, Veenus Garg, along with Dr Charu Meeta, assistant commissioner and Dr Jaimeen Mann visited the hospital for her check-up.

Doctors claimed that child was healthy weighing around 2 kg. The team of doctors then examined the baby and declared it to be normal.

With the goal of saving infants from being left at odd places, the “Bhangura” scheme was introduced on January 1, 2008. Under the scheme, a cradle was placed in front of the Red Cross building in Amritsar, Bathinda and Ludhiana. Anybody can leave an infant without being asked any question.

In Bathinda the cradle was placed on February 28, 2009.

Placing of the cradle also saves the guardians from embarrassment of facing difficult questions.

The identity of parents or the single mother is not asked and the new arrival is taken to the nearest hospital for medical examination and provided required feed and medical aid. The infant is later sent to the licensed adoption placement agencies in the state from where the infant can be adopted.

Principal, Mahant Gurbanta Dass Deaf and Dumb School, Maninder Kaur Bhalla, said, “The cradle concept was one of the many measures initiated by the administration to save the girl child.”

Doctor Satish Jindal, a pediatrician, said, “The child was being kept under observation and was handed over to the District Red Cross Society as per norms.”

Bathinda, July 31
The ETT teachers today managed to give police personnel a slip early this morning when they changed their plan to protest and observe a hunger strike outside the Zila Parishad chairman’s residence and instead, did the same outside the residence of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla.

The ETT teachers, who had been staging protests and demonstrations in the city for the last couple of days, demanding that the 5,752 schools under the Zila Parishad be brought under the state Education Department, had announced that they would stage a gherao the residence of the ZP Chairman Gurpreet Singh Maluka.

Following the announcement, several police personnel were deputed outside the residence of Maluka to keep the protestors at bay and stop them from staging any dharna or sitting on hunger strike. Getting a whiff of the police deployment outside Maluka residence, the teachers assembled outside the Multipurpose Sports Stadium at 9 am and changed their plan and went to the residence of CPS Singla.

Holding banners and posters asking that their demands be met, the teachers shouted slogans against the state government and the Education Department for neglecting the staff and students of elementary schools in schools under the Zila Parishad.

Within minutes of the protest, a police party led by DSP Gurjeet Singh Romana reached the spot and asked the teachers to end the dharna. After the teachers refused to do so, the police personnel forcibly took the teachers away, packed them into police vehicles and took them to the Civil Lines police station. The police detained 27 men teachers and 23 women teachers.

Later during the day, the other members of the ETT Teachers’ Union took out a candle-light march demanding the release of the teachers who were detained in the morning. The teachers took out a candle light march from Mall Road to Bhagat Singh Chowk.

Demands

For long, the ETT teachers recruited in elementary schools under the Zila Parishad have been pointing out that the future of both the teachers working at the schools and the students of the schools was in darkness. Arguing that unlike other schools, competitions related to academic and extra-curricular fields and even the end-of-term papers are not conducted in the schools under Zila Parishad, they have been demanding merger of these schools with the state Education Department.

Bathinda, July 31
Baba Farid Senior Secondary School, Deon, (Bathinda) celebrated the martyrdom day of Udam Singh. Students of the BFSSS sang songs, made speech and recited poems on the occasion.

A play was also staged showcasing various parts of the life and sacrifices of Udam Singh.

Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal, chairman of Baba Farid Group of Institutions and Paramjit Kaur, director (administration), BFGI were the chief guests of the function. Students threw some light on Shaheed Udam Singh’s life. — TNS

Bathinda, July 31
Campus director Prof Jasbir Singh Hundal today inaugurated a new mess and a common room at the Post Graduate Students Hostel on Giani Zail Singh Punjab Technical University (GZS PTU) Campus, Bathinda.

The mess and the common room will cater mainly to the students pursuing post-graduation and research scholarship on the campus.

Keeping research and development in mind, the residential quarters for Class III and IV staff were renovated and converted to make the hostel and provision has been made so that families of research scholars can also stay independently.

Prof Hundal expressed his gratitude towards Rajinder Gupta, chairman, board of governors of the campus and Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, PTU, Jalandhar, for taking active interest in the endeavour.

He said this cost-effective yet important step would go a long way in meeting the future needs of the campus.

He also congratulated Prof Kalyan Roy, warden, PG hostel, Dr Rakesh Singla, chief warden, Jagdeep S Sidhu, SDE and Rupinder Singh, JE of estate section and Public Works Department (B&R) for completing the work in time. 

Mansa, July 31
The district administration today held a meeting at Bal Bhawan to discuss plans regarding the Child Baby Reception Centre where orphans can get care and protection under the supervision of the administration and the Child Protection Unit.

In the meeting, Mansa Deputy Commissioner Parveen Kumar Thind said very soon the centre would be constructed here at Bal Bhawan for children below fourteen-year age, who are abandoned by their parents.

The deputy commissioner said, “People should feel free to call at 01652-232869 if they find an orphan in the district. The office of the Child Protection Unit here would take care of the child and very soon the Child Baby Reception Centre will be established here at Bal Bhawan.”