Bathinda, August 7
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal will attend the Independence Day celebrations at the Multi Purpose Stadium in the city, said official sources.

Ordering strict security arrangements for the occasion, the administration has commenced the preparatory exercise with different teams, doing the rehearsals. SSP Gurpreet Bhullar, said, “Security arrangements in the city had been worked out in all details for the Independence Day celebrations.” — TNS

Bathinda, August 7
The Hooda government is frustrated seeing clearly its defeat written on the wall of Vidhan Sabha results, so, he attempted capturing gurdwaras at the gun point said Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal, addressing gathering in villages in Talwandi Sabo constituency today as a part of the campaign for the party candidate Jeet Mohinder Sidhu.

He said the Congress was on the verge of extinction totally exposed in ‘divide and rule’ policy it learnt from the British masters. He said in the parliamentary elections, people of the nation had already punished it for following such anti-nation policies and now with assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra, Congress would witness its final ouster.

Badal said Indian people were teaching befitting lesson to the Congress party which ruled the country for more than five decades by following the policy of ‘divide and rule’ taught to it by British rulers before leaving the India. He said the party shrunk to 44 seats in the Parliamentary elections and party was all set to meet the same fate in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls.

He addressed rallies in favour of Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu at Sangat Khurd, Teona Pojarian, Tangrali, Jogewala, Gatwali, Giana and Kanakwal villages.

The SAD, in a press release, claimed that Rajwinder Singh, a former sarpanch of Teona Pojarian village and prominent Congress leader from Talwandi Sabo constituency joined the SAD today.

Talwandi Sabo, August 7
The Punjab Congress president, Partap Singh Bajwa, today, asked the five-time Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, as to what legacy he wanted to leave behind?

Bajwas said, “It is really sad that the person who has created a record by being the Chief Minister for the fifth time, has a blank mark sheet. He does not have a single contribution to claim. On the contrary, his name is associated with creating social tensions, the latest being that of Haryana where he has pitted Sikhs against the Sikhs.”

Canvassing for the party candidate, Harminder Jassi, the party president spoke against the state government at Jeon Singh Wala, Chathewal, Bhagiwander, Mahi Nangal, Laleana, Kamalu, Bangi Ruldu, Bangi Nihal and Rama Mandi.

The PPCC chief said for the last several years, this government and the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, have been making tall claims about development but now, suddenly, they have reverted to the Panthic agenda to exploit the sentiments of the Sikhs.

Pulling out from his coat the election manifesto of the SAD, Bajwa rapped Badals for not fulfilling even a single poll promise. The government had, in fact, backtracked from the promises like unemployment allowance and laptops with data cards. Instead of laptops, the government toyed with the proposal of providing cheap tabs but now the promise had been abandoned altogether, he added.

He slammed the Akali Dal candidate, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu as a deserter and an opportunist who had left the Congress for his personal gains and had no commitment.

However, people would give him a snub by rejecting him this time. He claimed the Congress candidate, Harminder Singh Jassi, would make it to the Assembly with a big margin as the people were determined to teach a lesson to the opportunists.

He was accompanied by Jassi, and MLAs, including Parminder Singh Pinky, Gurkirat Singh Kotli and Navtej Singh Cheema, besides other leaders. — TNS

Bathinda, August 7
As many as 40 families of freedom fighters today convened a meeting at the the Public Library under the presidentship of Manjitinder Singh Brar. They decided to boycott the Independence Day function to be held at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium in the city.

The families accused the state government of ignoring the well-being of the freedom fighters and stated that only a countable number of freedom fighters were still alive in the district and the state government was still not worried about them nor was it willing to extend any financial assistance to them or to their family members.

They demanded that the Punjab government should follow the Haryana government and start giving Rs 20,000 monthly pension to the freedom fighters or their family members. They added that the Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal had promised to extend all support to the families of freedom fighters in May 2014, but the state government did nothing.

They added that as a sign of their protest against the state government’s attitude towards them and their families, they will not attend the I-day celebrations at the stadium and will instead hold a small function at the Public Library itself on the day.

Bathinda, August 7
After receiving a warning from the intelligence agencies that the first Independence Day speech of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under a serious threat as he could be attacked by Pakistan-backed militants, the security in all the major cities in the country have been beefed up ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. In Bathinda also, the police are making its presence felt at all sensitive installations, especially the bus stand and railway station.

It is pertinent to mention that Central agencies have also warned the security machinery and the Ministry of Home Affairs that apart from a possible direct attack on the PM, groups like LeT and SIMI may carry out bombings in the markets and outskirts of the capital and other parts of the country to disrupt the celebrations.

In view of the security, it has been put on high alert in the city and the police have set up check points at the major areas in the city.

The police are keeping close check at the bus stand and the railway station with special checking drive going on with sniffer dogs and metal detectors. Another reason for the security is that on August 15, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, any one of them is expected to unfurl the tricolour at the Multipurpose Stadium.

With bypoll of Talwandi Sabo scheduled to by held on August 21, the police will also have a tough time keeping protestors at the bay during the Independence Day celebration, as with the bypoll round the corner, a large number of protesting unions are already camping in Bathinda staging protest against the state government for not fulfilling its promises. So it is expected that these protestors may try to disrupt the Independence Day function at Bathinda.

It is worth mentioning that the Punjab police commandos’ barricading is already underway in the city, they are keeping a close eye on the movement of the traffic and bad elements at the various points of the city. They are checking the vehicles and cutting challan along with traffic police.

Deputy Superitendent of Police (DSP) City Gurjit Singh Romana said commandos have already even deployed in the city, anti-sabotage team will arrive tomorrow. Moreover, checking would be more intensified more at public place like railway station and bus stand ahead of the Independence Day.

Bathinda, August 7
The local police have arrested one man with illegal weapons today. The accused has been identified as Mohan Singh, 30, a resident of Rajasthan.

The police have also recovered a .12 bore rifle, a 315 bore pistol and a 9 mm pistol along with 29 live cartridges from him.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the ASI Balwant Singh, along with a CIA staff was checking vehicles at the Talwandi Sabo bridge when they came to know that a notorious gang that its member are planning some theft in the area and also has illegal weapons. Earlier also, they had been involved in dacoit in Gidderbaha and Abohar area.

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar also stated that in preliminary interrogation the arrested accused has admitted that he along with his two other members Sanjay, alias Karan Singh, a resident of Fatheabad and Rakesh, alias Subhash, a resident of Rajasthan, were also staying with him at the slum area of Talwandi Sabo.

He also stated that earlier also, three cases have been registered against them.

The SSP said a case had been registered against the three accused under Sections 384, 382, 506 of the IPC and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act at the Talwandi Sabo police station.

Bathinda, August 7
Learning a lesson from the Muktsar incident, wherein a student lost his life after being shot on the premises of the Government College, the Government Rajindra College has decided to make sure that such an incident does not take place on the college premises and hence, had placed two metal detectors at the entrance of the college.

In view of the Muktsar incident, DSP Gurjit Singh Romana had reached the college on Wednesday and had expressed his apprehension that a similar incident may take place on the college campus. He had also addressed the students of the college and asked them to maintain peace and calm in the college and not indulge in any kind of violence pertaining to the issue of college politics.

“We had received intimation that a tensed situation may arise on the campus of Government Rajindra College on Wednesday and hence, I went there to take stock of things and also directed the police department to place two metal detectors at the entrance as a preventive measure to ensure that no weapons are carried inside the college campus,” Romana said.

He added that although the detectors had been placed at the college entrance for a day or two, the police department may continue with the plan if the response was good and if it felt the need to continue with the security cover at the entrance of the college.

“The metal detectors have been placed by the police department to make sure that the campus remains safe. More than 4,000 students come to the college everyday and it is not possible to check them all so metal detectors are being used for the work,” said college principal, Vijay Goyal.

It is pertinent to mention here that like in the case of Muktsar incident, wherein two groups of students had clashed over the issue of college union, in August last year, students at Government Rajindra College had entered into a violent clash leaving two students seriously injured. The clashing students had also vandalised the boys’ canteen.

The fight had broken out over the non-existing college union and had stemmed from the fact that one group pasted posters for the post of president of the college union and the other group had opposed it.

Bathinda, August 7
Civil Lines Club, the oldest club of Bathinda, will go to polls on August 10 to elect its committee members.

Rajinder Mittal and Rajiv Gupta have been unanimously nominated as the president and general secretary of the club by the parent body. Elections will be held for the posts of the vice-president, secretary cultural and treasurer.

While Gangeshwar Bansal, Dr Ajay Gupta and Rajnish Jain will contest for the post of vice-president. Varinder Mohan, Sudhir Bansal and Raj Kumar are contesting for the post of treasurer, Jaideep Nayyar, Jaideep Taneja and Dravjeet Thakur will contest for the post of the secretary cultural. As per a circular of the club, all the candidates can spend maximum Rs 10,000 while canvassing. The candidates will have to submit their expenditure statement with the returning officer Sanjiv Goyal. The Civil Lines Club was first established in 1971 and was restarted in 1997 under the presidentship of Rajinder MIttal. Mittal has remained the president of the club ever since.

While in 1997, the lifetime membership fee of the club was Rs 2,000, it was gradually increased and stands at Rs 2 lakh plus the monthly charges of Rs 200. The club has an amount of Rs 1 crore and 92 lakh in its account.

Bathinda, August 7
Members of several unions and organisations today got together at the grain market in Sangat Mandi to protest against the newly-introduced Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act 2014.

Members of the Democratic Farmers’ Union, Dehati Mazdoor Sabha, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Punjab Subordinate Services and other unions took out a protest rally against the Act and burnt the effigies of the state government.

Raising slogans against the state government, the protesters stated that various unions and organisations would continue to stage protest against the Act till it is not scrapped.

Bathinda, August 7
The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 with directions to pay Rs 2.43 lakhs of insurance cover to United India Insurance Company Limited on the complaint of a Muktsar resident.

When complainant’s car met with an accident in Haryana, the insurance company took the plea that the car—a commercial cab—was having the permit to ply only in Punjab.

The complainant, Om Parkash, said the vehicle, was having temporary permit to ply in Haryana as well.

“Moreover the driver of the vehicle was a trained one and the accident took place due to the negligence of the truck-canter which rammed into the complainant’s vehicle”, said Advocate Chander Mohan,counsel for the complainant.

Chander said the driver of the cab was seriously hurt in the accident and was admitted to the hospital due to the negligence of the driver of another Tata 407 (a mini truck), which was driven at a high speed. A case was registered against the driver of Tata-407 at Dabwali police station.

“ The insurance company, in a bid, to escape from the liability of paying the insurance cover, keep on delaying the matter over one pretext or the other,” said Chander Mohan. The surveyor had also declared that the vehicle, which met with the accident, had a total loss due to the accident.

The forum, after hearing the arguments of both the parties, reached the conclusion, that there is a deficiency on the part of the insurance company. The forum observed that the appellants are not entitled to repudiate the claim merely on the ground that the vehicle, involved in the accident, was not having the required certificate on the date of the accident.

On the same analogy, the appellants had no right to repudiate the insurance claim on the ground that by driving the vehicle without route permit, the respondents have violated the statutory provisions, the forum further observed.

Accepting the complaint, the forum slapped a fine of Rs 15,000 and directed the — United India Insurance Company Limited, The Mall, Bathinda through its Divisional Manager and United India Insurance Company Limited branch office, through its Branch Manager Sri Muktsar Sahib—to pay claim amount to the tune of Rs 2.43 lakhs with rate of interest from three months after the accident.

Bathinda, August 7
In a move to dilly dally the investigation of a female infant suspected of being sold out the police has different versions over the matter in which a death certificate was wrongly issued by the district health official.

The Health Department, in its inquiry, had written to the higher health authorities for a departmental action against the doctors and a health worker besides marking the case to the police demanding investigation into the matter in order to trace the female infant.

Sources said on March 27 this year, one Jasbir Singh, a resident of Mehma Sarja village, became father of third girl child. But on April 9, a death certificate of the same infant was issued by the health authorities. Some whistleblower reported to the Health Department that the same female infant had been sold out to other state and the family had wrongly got issued the death certificate following which the Health Department had the matter inquired.

Initially, a review team constituted by the Health Department to inquire into the matter reported that the infant had died due to jaundice.

The Senior Medical Officer, Goniana, Dr Avtar Singh Dhillon, then constituted an inquiry team of two doctors to submit the report again over the death of the infant.

But the inquiry team mentioned that the infant was alive and the death certificate was issued wrongly.

A doctor at the Civil Hospital, however, requesting anonymity, revealed that according to the report the death certificate of the infant that was wrongly issued and the health worker who had issued the certificate had no evidence to prove the death of child with jaundice.

However, a few days ago, SMO, Goniana, Community Health Centre, Avtar Singh Dhillon, claimed that the infant’s parents had revealed of handing over the child to Jasbir Singh’s sister, but she further gave the child to someone else.

The SMO, besides filing the complaint with the police at Nahianwala police station, has also recommended for a stern departmental action against the regular employees, including ANM Ravinder Kaur, supervisor Malkeet Kaur, and a doctor, in addition to requesting the de-recognisation of services of ASHA worker, Golo Kaur, who got issued the death certificate.

When contacted SHO, Nahianwala, Paramjit Singh, said, “I have marked an inquiry and we are investigating into the matter.” However, ASI Paramjit Singh, claimed to have returned the papers to the concerned SHO as the Mehma Sarja village does not fall in their area.

In the meanwhile, Paramjit Singh said that the police are busy on duty in Talwandi Sabo and the case would be investigated soon from Monday.

Bathinda, August 7
The Bathinda police today booked owners of a dhaba for offering beer to customers at the dhaba itself. The accused have been identified as Sanjeev Kumar and Tarsem Singh.

A case under Sections 61,1,14 of the Excise Act has been registered against them at the Kotwali police station.