Bathinda, August 1
The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Ugrahan today accused the state government for keeping their leaders in the jail by falsely implicating them in cases under Sections 107, 151 , which is a bailable offence. They stated that the Bathinda police are showing the same example in the cases of the kisan and labour union leaders.

Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union state president, Zora Singh, BKU Ekta Ugrahan district president Shingra Singh Mann and Mithu Singh Kotra were arrested by the police on May 26 at Bucho, when they were silently protesting against the police inaction in arresting the accused Gurlal Singh in Gandhar minor rape case. Even after two months, the police have kept them in the Bathinda Central Jail.

BKU Ekta state secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union state secretary Lachman Singh said even after the cancellation of cases and bail being granted, they have been kept inside the jail by lodging new cases against them on the directions of the Badal government.

As per detail, Zora Singh, Shingra Singh Mann and Mithu Kotra were arrested under Sections 107, 151 of the IPC at Nathana police station on May 26. But when on June 23, 2014 the case was cancelled, then Zora Singh , Mithu Kotra was again booked by the police in a new case under Sections 107, 151 of the IPC at Civil Lines police station, where as one day prior police put arrest of Shingara Singh Mann in old case at Rampura police station on June 22.

Again, when the new case against Zora Singh and Mithu Kotra was cancelled on July 18, then again police implicated them in a new case under section 107, 151 of IPC at Maur police station and they were rearrested inside the jail premises only, while Shingara Singh Mann also after getting bail in old Rampura case, instead of releasing him, the police registered a new case against him under Section 107, 151 at Civil Lines police station on July 1, 2014.

The unions condemned the police act on the directions of the Punjab government to keep. They stated that the police was trying to suppress the farmers’ union by arresting their leaders as 25 main leaders of the unions have already put behind the bars, while police is searching 91 more leaders to arrest them and implicate them in wrong cases.

Bathinda, August 1
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bathinda, Dr Basant Garg, today took a stock of the construction of boys’ hostel and students’ centre at the Giani Zail Singh Punjab Technical University Campus, Bathinda.

While the DC inspected the area, senior officials involved in the project apprised the DC of the facilities which will be offered to the students at the hostel and the students centre. Elaborating on the two facilities, the DC stated that the five-storey boys’ hostel, being constructed on an area of 97,000 sq ft, will have 140 rooms which will accommodate 420 students.

He added that the students will get all the modern accommodation facilities and conducive environment for studying at the hostel which is being constructed at the cost of Rs 13.78 crore. Sharing details about the students’ centre, the DC stated that centre, which is being constructed on an area of 35,000 sq ft at a cost of Rs 4.67 crore, will have a cafeteria, an open-air theatre and several other facilities.

Executive Engineer, B&R Department, Neeraj Bhandari, stated that while 25 per cent work of the boys’ hostel was complete and 35 per cent work of the students’ centre was complete and that both the projects will be completed within the stipulated time-period. — TNS

Bathinda, August 1
The state government seems to have failed to provide medicines to cancer and heart patients at the NCD Centre (Non-Communicable Diseases), a Center-State project, in Bathinda, thus leaving the patients in lurch who have to go for costlier treatments from other health institutions.

Facility of radiotherapy is also unavailable at the Bathinda Civil hospital following which the state government had not included Bathinda hospital for treatment of cancer patients under Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund. At present, there are 16 hospitals included by the state government for treatment of cancer patients under the scheme and a private Max hospital Bathinda is among the empanelled hospital.

Since the inception of the project, for the last two years, around 1,300 cancer patients have undergone treatment out of which, 750 have undergone chemotherapy. But the patients have to pay the cost of treatment on their own. From day one, none of the cancer patients here have been provided free medicines.

It’s pertinent to note that cancer patients are supposed to get free full-fledged treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. The Cancer Control Unit has been established with a mission to detect cancer at an early stage and help patients get out of the rut of the disease if possible.

The facility was established vide a Central government project on prevention and control of cancer under the National Programme for Control of Cancer, Diabetics and Cardio-Vascular Strokes (NPCDCS) in Bathinda, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur. The Centre and the state are sharing expenditure in the ratio of 75:25.

The Non-Communicable Diseases centre (NCD), tasked to detect the symptoms of cancer among the patients that includes a staff nurse, a laboratory technician, a counselor and a health educator besides an oncologist.

The medicine cost for chemotherapy cost a patient from Rs 2,000 to 6,000 for one time treatment dose and the patient has to undergo six times the treatment dose. The medicines for cancer patients are supposed to be given for free. But it has never reached here. The free medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular patients are also unavailable.

Satnam Singh, a patient from Bhucho in Bathinda, said, “I had undergone three doses of chemotherapy and I had to purchase three more. I and my wife, both, are farm labourers and being hand to mouth, I am unable to purchase such costly medicines.”

On the unavailability of medicines, Dr Vandana Middha, Oncologist, said, “The medicines would reach within a month from now. As demanded by the higher authorities, we had submitted the demand list of medicines for all these patients and we hope that medicines would reach very soon.”

Bathinda, August 1
Residents of Model Town Phase-III seem to be upset these days due to posters put up on display by a liquor contractor in a liquor godown.

“The huge posters have pictures and logos of various liquor brands, encouraging people to consume liquor. This is in gross violation of the rules that have banned the advertisement of this kind,” said Swaran Singh, a resident of Model Town Phase-III.

“My residence is close to the liquor store, where liquor cartons are stored and whenever I pass by, my teenage children would look inquisitively,” he said.

The posters of liquor are put up on display not far away from the residence of Punjab Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka. Another resident, Jaswinder Sandhu, said the posters were not removed from the place despite bringing the matter into the notice of the officials concerned of the Excise Department.

“Though the Punjab government claims to have banned the use of drugs like opium and poppy husk but seems to be encouraging the consumption of liquor, especially in Bathinda,” said another resident Gurjant Sidhu. He added that a large number people come for evening walk in the under construction Dadi-Poti park and appear to be quite upset over the posters that irk the evening walkers.

“In view of these posters, people have also been approaching the workers and attendants of the liquor store to purchase liquor. Since those who have put the posters on display have only the authority to store liquor, but cannot sell, they turn down the request of purchases made by passers-by,” said Gurwinder Mann, a resident of nearby Ajit Road.

Mann said if the posters are not removed then they would lodge a police complaint in this regard.

When contacted Patiala-based AETC (compliance), SS Bangra, said: “Though I have not seen the posters yet the initial description of the advertisement shows that these are encouraging people to consume liquor. This is a violation of the Excise Act and it not only should be removed but an action should also be initiated against those who have put it on display.”

Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda), August 1
Talwandi Sabo has become a new capital of protests in view of the by-elections. Apart from various teachers’ fraternity, farmers unions have also been protesting against non-fulfillment of their long-pending issues.

The un-aided school teachers and farmers protested for two days each in Talwandi Sabo to make their voice heard by the authorities and unaided teachers also protested for a day.

“As the day of elections nearing, announcement and appeals are regularly been made by various organisations and unions to throng at Talwandi Sabo,” Gurpal Singh, a Talwandi Sabo resident.

He said the police remain present in the town in view of the protests and had been regularly making rounds on the busy roads.

On Thursday, a large number of teachers associated with unaided staff (aided schools) thronged Talwnadi Sabo and started shouting slogans in view of their long pending demands.

The protesters tried to take out a protest march through nearby villages but were rounded up by the police between Lelewal village and Talwandi Sabo.

The teachers on their motorbikes, with black flags tried to pass through the city roads but were stopped by the police.

“The protests not only bring unrest among the motorists and pedestrians but have also panicked the party candidates contesting the elections as the protesters try to gherao the candidates as well,” said Harjaspal Singh, owner of a spare parts shop.

He added that the police had a tough time last week when they came to know about the gherao of SAD candidate Jeetmohinder Sidhu by some protesters. “A police team headed by the DSP in gypsies and other vehicles continuously made numerous rounds on city roads to control the protesters in view of the reports of gherao,” the shop owner added.

Meanwhile, the policemen, too, had a tough time staying continuously in Talwandi Sabo to maintain law and order. 

Bathinda, August 1
The Punjab Mazdoor Union and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Ugraha today held a dharna outside a liquor vend at Kotguru under the drive started by them against the drugs.

While addressing the protesters, district president of the BKU Ekta Ugraha women wing Harvinder Kaur said the state government under the fear that people had raised revolt against the drugs, have started an anti-drug authority drive under which they are arresting the drug addicts and put behind the bars. While big smugglers of the drugs are roaming freely in the state and even after coming out of names of many cabinet ministers in their connection with drug smuggler Jagdish Bhola, but they have been given clean chit even without any inquiry.

Kisan leader Basant Singh, accusing the government, stated that village schools are on the verge of closure, but the government is opening liquor vends one after another in the village. Schools, colleges, hospital and other public places are not getting funds and even budget is going down, but the liquor manufactures are being given special packages of Rs 500 crore.

All the protestors demanded that liquor, including other drug manufacturing, should be stopped and strict actions should be taken against the drug smugglers.

Bathinda, August 1
All the safai karamcharis, clerks and workers of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), Punjab, revolting against the state government, have announced a pen-down strike on August 4 on the call of the Municipal Action Committee against their long-pending demands of regularisation and change in the transfer policy.

Municipal corporation employees today staged a gate rally outside the Municipal Corporation office. While addressing the rally, Safai Karamcharis’ Union, president, Veerbhan, general secretary, Mohan Lal, chairman, Sohan Lal, assistant chairman, Vishambar Nath, patron, Rajesh Kumarm and Municipal Workers’ Union president Ravinder Singh Mann, general secretary Ranjit Singh and Punjab Municipal Workers’ general secretary Bhola Singh lambasted state government for not fulfilling their demands.

They also demanded that the state government should regularise 138 rickshaw kiosks immediately as per resolution number 277, employees who have left should be taken under old-pension scheme, educated safai karamchari should be give promotions as per their educational qualification, seeing the area of the city 1,500 safai karamcharis should be recruited, employees working on outsourcing should be regularised, 75 rickshaw kiosks workers and employees working in the JITF company should also regularised and as per the Central government. The Punjab government should also release 10 per cent DA installment immediately.

They stated that if their demands are not fulfilled, then they will be forced to stage a pen-down strike on August 4.

Bathinda, August 1
Students of BBA and BSc Airlines Tourism and Hospitality Management (ATHM) sixth semester in Punjabi University examinations conducted in May 2014 performed well and came out with flying colours.

Abhinav Pandey topped the merit list of BBA with 81.4 per cent marks followed by Jimmy Singla and Aseem Sharma who scored 81 per cent marks each. Kulveer Kaur topped the merit list of B.Sc ATHM with 76 per cent marks followed by Jasveer Kaur with 75 per cent marks.

Dr. Manish Bansal, deputy director academics, Baba Farid Group of Institutions (BFGI), said: “The result is a major achievement for the students as well as the institute. Overall result has been very impressive and we are sure to bag some university merit positions also. I congratulate all the students and wish them all the best for their bright career ahead.”

Bathinda, August 1
Residents of Home Land Enclave situated on Bathinda-Goniana Road were up in arms against the snapping of water connections of nearly 175 households around 5 pm today evening.

More than 100 families began protesting against the snapping of water connections in front of the residence of the coloniser. In panic, the coloniser called up the police after which a and heavy police force, including a DSP, SHO and several policemen comprising women cops reached the spot.

“We got so panicked that initially, we thought the police would start raining batons on us since we had been fighting against the snapping of water connections we raised hue a cry over the issue,” said Dr Kuldeep Mangla.

He said the issue of water woes had been hanging in fire since the inception of the colony in 2004.

Mangla along with a large number of other residents demanded that the water connection of the colony be linked with the water supply of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB).

The members of the Homeland Welfare Association threatened to launch a stir if the matter is not resolved within a day as the residents would need the most basic requirement.

One of the residents of the colony, close to the coloniser, advocate Jai Gopal Goyal, said the water connection in the colony was not linked to the colony in a legal manner. “The water connection disconnected by the MCB is not a violation done by the coloniser. People, who had the water connection connected under political pressure during recent the Lok Sabha elections are at fault actually,” Jai Gopal said.

He added that the coloniser has already provided the water facility to the entire Homeland residents since day one of the construction of the colony.

Coloniser, Vishnu Goyal, remained incommunicado despite making multiple calls.

DSP Palwinder Cheema, SHO Jeet Singh were among others who rushed to handle the situation.

Bathinda, August 1
Members of the Bathinda unit EGS/AIE/STR Adhiyapak Union Punjab today protested outside the office of the District Education Officer (Elementary) Shiv Pal Goyal and submitted a memorandum favouring their demands.

Member of the union, Jaskaran Singh, stated that a compromise was reached between the government officials and a deputation of the union and it was promised that once the AIE/EGS/STR teachers clear the ETT examination, their salaries will be raised to Rs 5,000 per month.

The teachers stated that although the Education Department had asked them to submit their qualification documents, the DEO was delaying the implementation of orders. — TNS