Bathinda, August 29
Despite minting of money by shopkeepers by ‘renting out’ pavements outside their shops, the Municipal Corporation has failed to curb the practice due to political interference.

“Only those who fail to approach the local MLA or any other political leader associated with the ruling alliance face action,” said an MC official. He said almost every shopkeeper allows dyers, mehandi artists and other vendors to put up their stalls on the footpath outside their shops.

“Many people charge Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per month for the use of footpaths while others pocket 50 per cent of the income of the vendors,” said Vijay Goyal, a resident of Kikkar Bazar.

The temporary stalls, however, pose a risk to the lives of commuters due to the paucity of space. “The shopkeepers earn huge by renting out the footpaths and share nothing with the MC. A vendor encroaches upon the parking space for at least three to four motorbikes or a car in Dhobi Bazaar, Kikkar Bazaar, near Arya Samaj Chowk, Mehna Chowk, the market surrounding the bus stand and Railway Road,” Vijay said.

Officials of the Tehbazari wing of the Municipal Corporation are supposed to remove these encroachments but they hardly bother to pave way for the smooth flow of the traffic in the markets.

“We remove only those encroachments against whom written complaints have been lodged. The complaints are received against the poor people who make an earning by putting up such stalls outside the shops in the markets,” said tehbazari wing in-charge Kulwinder Singh.

Kulwinder, a superintendent, two clerks and three sewadars have been assigned the task of removing the encroachments from the markets.

He said before 1997, the government used to collect daily fee from the temporary establishments. “At present, we do not collect money on daily basis. We collect a monthly fee of Rs 150 from 30 to 40 vegetable sellers at the back of the bus stand,” Kulwinder said.

Bathinda, August 29
More than a week has past after the firing incident at Rama Mandi on the day of polling but the police have failed to register a case in this regard. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar had instructed the SP(D) to submit a report within an hour at the time of the incident.

The police have failed to record the statements of SAD candidate Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi as they were present on the spot at the time of the incident. They have also failed to record the statements of witnesses.

Despite the lodging of formal complaints by the candidates, the police have not registered any FIR in a case so far.

Superintendent of Police (Detective) Swaran Singh Khanna, who is heading the special investigation team (SIT), said they had received complaints from both the candidates.

He added that they were waiting for the report of the Kharar-based laboratory to ascertain the weapons that were used in the firing incident.

Sources in the police said they had identified the culprits who opened the fire but they were not in a hurry to disclose their names and the investigation was still on.

Notably, the police have already given a clean chit to the SAD in a report sent to Chief Election officier (CEO) VK Singh and claimed that the security personnel of Congress candidate Harmander Singh Jassi opened the fire.

Congress candidate Harminder Jassi alleged that district administration was working hand in glove with the SAD. He said if anyone proved that his security personnel fired the shots, he would quit politics. He said the incident should be probed by the CBI.

Bathinda, August 29
Employees of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) demanded the strengthening of the single-window facility to provide better services to the people visiting the MC office.

The president of the Municipal Workers’ Union, Ravinder Cheema, said people did not use the single-window facility to get their work done. “Instead, they directly approach the employees. Sometime, they offer bribe to the employees,” he said. He added that the practice resulted in corruption, which needed to be stopped immediately.

“We have taken up the issue with the Municipal Commissioner, along with other union members, to curb the menace,” Cheema said.

He said every work was supposed to be finished within a stipulated time period but people did not wait and bribed official to get their work done.

“When we already have the single-window facility for them, then people should use it,” he added.

He stressed upon the need of improving sanitary conditions in the MC office.

“We have also planned to chalk out a strategy so that the entire building could be whitewashed. We have also decided to start a canteen for the MC employees,” he said.

He said the office environment would be improved to improve the working conditions in the MC office.

Bathinda, August 29
Special Secretary (Health) VIkas Garg today visited the de-addiction centre in Bathinda. He met all the patients at the centre. Currently, 17 patients are undergoing treatment at the de-addiction centre. The centre has the capacity to treat 25 patients at a time.

Vikas Garg, along with the doctors, interacted with the patients and asked about the problems faced by them.

“The state government is providing free medicines to drug addicts. The government will soon open de- addiction centres in every district,” said Vikas Garg.

One of the patients from Kotfatta village of Bathinda said, “I wasn’t willing to come to the centre but the staff here advised me to stay at the centre for sometime. Now, I have promised to renounce drugs. I am worried about my family. I used to consume opium in a huge quantity. Now, I am doing better here.”

Meanwhile, the psychiatrist at the centre told the Special Secretary that a number of drug addicts were coming to the centre just to get the medicine, which served them as substitute for drugs as they were not easily available to them.

The doctor said such medicine should not be easily available in the market and the chemist shops should keep record of the sale of the medicine. 

Jalandhar, August 29
The Municipal Corporation (MC) officials have started gearing themselves up for the forthcoming hearing of the National Green Tribunal regarding the delay in starting the Solid Waste Management Project on September 2.

A Nakodar-based social activist, Gaurav Jain, during the last hearing, had presented photographs and videos regarding the piling of garbage heaps in Nakodar as well as in the city before the tribunal over which the MC officials are now in a tizzy.

Officials of the O&M branch have already started preparing for the hearing, collecting news clippings pertaining to all those episodes when the MC officials announced to start work and the safai karamcharis went on an indefinite strike.

The MC officials are also likely to hire a lawyer even as they had been earlier pleading the case on their own. The health officers, too, have been asked to dig out all those media reports such as those on the 10-day strike by the staff in October 2011 and August 2013. They have also started culling pictures showing how the whole city was affected due to no lifting of garbage and piles filling up even the city roads.

To make their side stronger and to show the political pressure being used by the union leaders, the MC staff is also likely to present how even the Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi had been gheraoed by the safai federation members over the matter on June 9, forcing the matter to be later addressed by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.

About a fortnight ago, Secretary Local Bodies, Ashok Gupta, too, had paid a visit to Nakodar as well as the Jalandhar garbage collection point at Wariana, checked the status of the project and held discussions with the staff here on the matter. He had also announced that the waste management project for the 27 urban local bodies, falling in the Jalandhar cluster other than those in Jalandhar city, would start from September 2.

Bathinda, August 29
Nearly 300 students of Central University of Punjab, Bathinda campus, today sat on a dharna on the university lawns for close to five hours protesting the sub-standard food served in the university mess.

The students submitted a letter to the university authorities pertaining to the quality of food and functioning of the university mess.

They said the mess committee members and the students had consistently been insisting upon improving the mess services.

The students claimed that in the past too, they had complained about the same issues to the authorities, including the chief warden.

They were served mixed vegetable dish in dinner on August 27, which was emanating foul smell, they said, adding that the dish was removed from the serving counter after the students complained to the chief warden.

The officiating Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof P Rama Rao met the protesting students and assured them that necessary action would be taken.

Following the students demand that the mess contractor should tender a written apology for the low quality food, the officiating V-C had a discussion with the contractor after which the latter submitted a letter of apology.

“The contractor has submitted a written apology and the problem has been solved. The weather is such that the fermentation process begins in the food prepared for dinner. After the intervention of the staff, the dish was removed. The matter was settled after the mess contractor tendered an apology,” the officiating V-C said.

The students said this was not the first time that they had complained against the mess food.

Bathinda, August 29
The NCC wing and the Sports Department of Giani Zail Singh Punjab Technical University (GZS PTU) Campus Bathinda jointly organised a cross-country race to celebrate the National Sports Day in honour of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. As many as 200 students participated in the event.

The faculty, staff and students were present early in the morning to participate in the event. The race started from the campus gate located on Badal Road, crossed Nanhi Chawn Chowk on the way to Badal and finally ended on the campus sports ground.

While Kiral Groung bagged the first position, Jaskaranpreet Sohi and Gurjot Singh secured the second and the third positions, respectively.

Students said such events highlight the importance of team work, leadership, discipline and above all sportsmanship.

Lt Rajeev Kumar Varshney, ANO, 20 Punjab NCC, said the event was organised to create awareness among the students about the importance of sports for maintaining physical and mental fitness.

Sports president Sikandar Singh Sidhu and deputy sports president Dilbagh Singh motivated the students on the occasion.

Campus DPE Gurneet Singh Sra and Rupinder Kaur made their all out efforts in managing such a big gathering and providing all necessary guidelines in successfully completing the event.

Campus director Dr Jasbir Singh Hundal, under whose guidance and support this race was organised, addressed the gathering and expressed his concern about the diminishing interest of students in sports.

He said involving students in such constructive activities and channelising their energies in sports, NCC, NSS and co-curricular activities would keep them away from social evils such as violence, sex abuse and drugs.

Bathinda, August 29
Difference of opinion and factionalism among the Elementary Teachers’ Training (ETT) unions came out in the open when the state president of the ETT Teachers’ Union, Jagsir Sahota, accused Jaswinder Singh Sidhu, state president of the ETT Adhyapak Union, of using foul language while communicating on messenger service.

Holding a meeting here at Teachers’ Home today, Sahota alleged that Sidhu, who had been sitting on a fast-unto-death for close to two weeks, had given in to the pressure of the government and was now demanding that only the teachers working in the elementary schools under Zila Parishad be shifted to the state Education Department while keeping the functioning of the schools under the Zila Parishad system.

Sahota said Sidhu’s demand of shifting only the teachers and not the entire schools was wrong since it would continue affect the future of thousands of children who were studying in these schools.

Since differences in the opinions of both the unions were evident, the two unions would now discontinue their plan to unite and protest against the government, he added.

He said the union would hold a state-level meeting and chalk out its future plan of action. — TNS

Bathinda, August 29
Principal of Government In-service Training Centre, Bathinda, Khushbir Singh, was the chief guest on the second day of the three day-Inspire Awards exhibition organised at the Teachers’ Home here.

Khushbir Singh appreciated the models depicting various principles of science and mathematics and the efforts of the teachers and students.

He suggested that the models displayed at the exhibition should also be displayed at the schools and be used as a teaching aid to inspire students.

He was accompanied by deputy district education officer (SE) Sukhbir Singh, district coordinator, ICT, Mohinder Pal Singh and coordinator Edusat and SSA, Amardeep Singh.

District science supervisor (DSS) Baljit Singh said students of Bhoj Raj Jain Public School, Government Elementary School, Ghanaiya Basti, Des Raj Memorial Senior Secondary School and Bhai Daan Singh Akal Academy, Bhai Daan Singh Wala, visited the exhibition to see and learn about the models displayed here.

He said the visitors took a keen interest in the models and asked many questions related to the functioning of the models.

He appreciated the services of Sukhwinder Singh Manshaia, Amardeep Singh, Sher Singh, Babu Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Jasbir Singh, Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, Angrez Singh, Shawinder Singh, Mahinderpal, Harpreet Singh and Surinder Singh.

The DSS said he, along with Sanjiv Nagpal, lecturer biology and Vijay Kumar, lecturer physics, were judges at the exhibition. The results will be announced on August 30, 2014. 

Bathinda, August 29
The three-day District Rural Under-16 Sports Tournament concluded here today at the Multipurpose Stadium. Colonel (retd) Dalwinder Singh, director, Sports School, Ghudda, and his wife Daljit Kaur, were the chief guests at the closing ceremony.

They enlightened the players about the life of hockey legend Dhyan Chand. They also distributed prizes to the winners.

In the handball boys’ event, Bathinda got the first place, Talwandi Sabo second and Sangat got the third place. While in the girls’ event, Talwandi Sabo got the first place, Nathana got the second and Bathinda got the third place.

In basketball (boys), Sangat got the first place, Bathinda got the second and Talwandi Sabo got the third place. While in the girls’ event, Bathinda got the first place, Talwandi Sabo got the second and Bhagta got the third place.

In hockey (boys), Bathinda got the first place, Sangat got the second and Talwandi Sabo got the third place. In the girls category, Sangat got the first place, Bathinda got the second and Talwandi Sabo got the third place.

In Kabaddi (boys), Nathana got the first place, Sangat got the second and Talwandi Sabo got the third place. While in the girls category, Nathana got the first place, Maur got the second and Talwandi Sabo got the third place.

In the volleyball (boys) event, Sangat got the first position, Bathinda got the second and Maur got the third position. In the girls’ event, Sangat got the first position, Rampura got the second and Bathinda got the third position.

In the kho-kho event (boys), Sangat got the first position, Talwandi Sabo got the second and Nathana got the third position. While in the girls’ event, Talwandi Sabo got the first position, Sangat got the second and Phul got the third position.

In football (boys), Rampura got the first position, Sangat got the second and Bhagta got the third position.

Bathinda, August 29
The non-resident Indian (NRI) police station has registered a case against an advocate for allegedly encroaching upon the land of his relative by forging the will. The price of the land is stated to be around Rs 3 crore.

In a compliant to the police, NRI Shivdev Kaur Sandhu stated that her mother Jasveer Kaur had 28 acres of land in her name at Bakshiwala village and in 2001, her mother made power of attorney of the land in the name of Harinderpal Singh, an advocate and a resident of Bakshiwala village.

In 2008, due to some reasons, Jasveer Kaur cancelled the power of attorney through the court. But, she did not know that the accused had kept the papers of her will with himself.

Later, following the death of Jasveer Kaur three years ago, the accused allegedly got the land transferred in his name on the basis of her first will. When Shivdev Kaur came to know regarding this, she came to India and she reported the matter to the NRI police station.

The police booked the accused on the charge of fraud.

The non-resident Indian (NRI) police station has booked a resident of SAS Colony on the charge of cheating a Kenyan resident of Rs 2.8 lakh.

In a compliant to the police, Hina Karai, a resident of Kenya, said Dinesh Kumar and his associates had taken Rs 2.8 lakh from her and provided her a fake vise for Canada.

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