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Hurdles for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in city
Coal shortage leaves one unit each in
three state-run thermal plants shut
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Open House
response
Shopkeepers, corporation employees at loggerheads
Goniana residents object to extension of limit by MC
Attack on doctor, driver
Residents protest against hotel for dumping garbage on road
De-addiction camp, cycle rally held in Mansa
Baba Farid College wins zonal cricket tourney Feedback
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Hurdles for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in city
Bathinda, September 28 Residents of Parasram Nagar, Dhobiana Basti, Sanjay Nagar and Aggarwal Colony lamented that heaps of garbage were not removed from their respective localities. Mohan Lal, a resident of Parasram Nagar, said: "Though there are a few streets in their locality which have been spruced up, garbage still lies on the main roads at the end of the streets." Mohan Singh, another resident of Dhobiana Basti, said: "Heaps of garbage remains dumped on the roadside and the drains have not been cleaned for a long time." Safai karamcharis said in view of their pending demands for regularisation, pension scheme, promotion and other demands, the campaign against poor sanitation would fail to take off in the real sense. "Our workers fail to complete the assigned tasks in an actual manner in view of the pending demands," said Safai Karamchari Union president Veer Bhan. He pointed out that earlier, they faced problems due to safai karmcharis working in the houses of the senior government functionaries but now most of them have been withdrawn. "But still 20 to 30 safai sewaks work at the residence of the officers," he said. "Brooms, gloves, hand driven cart, soaps for the sewermen and other material is being provided regularly by the corporation but the lack of other long pending demands has dampened the spirit of the safai karamcharis,” Veer Bhan said. "Two machines purchased by the MCB a few years ago for the cleanliness of the city are lying unused for the past more than five years." Local residents said, "In view of the half-hearted contribution by the safai karamcharis, there are many areas which lie in neglect and proper sanitation is not being maintained in these areas." Chief Sanitary Inspector Jaspal Mankhera said, "The cleanliness drive is not only launched by the MCB but also by the other government departments as well. Railways, government schools, office of the deputy commissioner and others too have launched a similar drive." "We involve 100 to 150 safai sewaks for the everyday cleaning in five residential and commercial areas falling within the municipal limits," said Mankhera adding that their aim was to instill a sense of sanitation among the area residents. "It is not like if we have got an area cleaned then it will remain cleaned for the coming days as well. People should approach us to get their respective areas cleaned and then extend a helping hand to keep their respective areas cleaned," he said. He said though it was holiday today being Sunday even then the Safai Workers had gone to clean the drains and collect garbage on Bangi Road, Surkhpeer Road, Dhobiana Basti and Beant Nagar. He said, "At least 20 to 30 workers in five separate groups headed by an inspector go for the cleanliness drive in the city. There is no dearth of the Safai Karamcharis as they have 710 regular employees and 138 are working on contract-basis. I have no idea about the workforce deployed in the government houses as the work of cleanliness assigned to the workers is accomplished with the existing workforce." Municipal Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh said, "The authorities are trying to sensitise the people about cleanliness for which they also seek their support." |
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Coal shortage leaves one unit each in
three state-run thermal plants shut
PANEM had already stopped the coal supply since September 19 leaving the state-run three thermal plants with coal shortage. Against the capacity of 21 days these plants have only left with five-day coal. A unit in each of three thermal power plants being run by state government had been shut down while others are expected to shut down with shortage of coal if the situation continues. PSPCL (Punjab State Power Corporation Limited) that entered into a joint venture agreement March 21, 2001 with a private party, M/s Eastern Minerals & Trading Agency (EMTA) to form a JV company (M/s PANEM coal mines ltd.) for development and operation of a coal mine. PSEB (Punjab State Electricity Board) was allocated Pachwara coal block in Pakur district in Jharkhand state by Ministry of Coal, Government of India in 2002. PANEM has signed a Coal purchase agreement (CPA) with PSPCL, earlier known as PSEB, on August 30, 2006 for 30 years to supply coal from this mine to PSEB thermal plants. The mine is in operation since 2006 by PANEM. All the 14 units of total capacity of 2,640 MW at Ropar , Bathinda and Lehra require 40,000 tonnes of coal that calculates about 11 rakes daily out of which PANEM is to supply around 6 rakes that calculates about 20,000 Tonnes of coal daily. At present around four rakes are being received from CIL (Coalfield India Limited). If the situation remains as such then thermals may face closure due to coal scarcity. Earlier three units of Ropar thermal Plant were closed on July 23 due to coal shortage As per the agreement PANEM is to supply 70 Lac Tonnes of coal annually (about 6 Lac ton monthly) to PSPCL thermals in Punjab but it had supplied every year less than the commitment. During 2013-14 PANEM supplied only 59 lakh tonnes of coal. During the first five months (April to August) of 2014-15 it supplied 6.8 lakh tonnes of coal at Ropar, 5.5 lakh tonnes at Lehra and 2.2 lakh tonnes at Bathinda. Thus, total only 14.5 lakh tonnes of coal was supplied that counts only a 50 per cent of 29 lakh tonnes of coal which PANEM was supposed to supply during the first five months as per agreement. Low quality coal supplied
Besides the less quantity, PANEM had supplied the sub-standard coal particularly during May and June that was poor on account of more than 34 per cent ash and less than 4,000 kcal per kg, a lower GCV (Gross calorific value). Out of the total 73 rakes supplied during april to June 2014 at Ropar six were found to be of poor quality below acceptable level (Non-confirming, as per CPA). Similarly 23 out of 60 rakes supplied at Lehra and one out of 14 rakes supplied at Bathinda was found to be below norms. As per CPA if non-confirming category/ poor quality coal rakes during a quarter are more than five per cent of total rakes supplied during that quarter then no payment on account of coal price and freight is to be made by the PSPCL to PANEM. PANEM was not paid the payment as eight per cent rakes at Ropar, 38 per cent at Lehra and seven per cent at Bathinda were found to be non-confirming or poor quality. Following this PANEM as per provisions of CPA has challenged the test results which have been done in the presence of PANEM representatives and asked for third party testing of samples of coal of these non-confirming rakes. But without waiting for third party test results, a payment of freight of non-confirming rakes Rs. 24 crore including Rs 18 crore by Lehra and Rs 6 crore by Ropar thermal plants, as interest bearing advance to the firm against provisions of CPA has been paid as approved by BODs (Board of Directors) during their meeting on July 30 this year. The cases to pay freight of non-confirming rakes were put up to BODs by Chief Engineers of Ropar and Lehra thermals in a hush manner and no recommendations or comments of high level committee consisting of five chief engineers, financial advisor, Legal advisor and a deputy chief engineer has been taken as per practice being followed so far. This committee in one of its report has observed that, "Advance payments to PANEM are beyond provisions of CPA and extending these may lend support to the claim raised by PANEM in the arbitration case and the stand taken therein by PSPCL may be weakened." The coal samples of 53 no rakes of GHTP Lehra Mohabbat were challenged by PANEM and were sent to the Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, (CIMFR) Dhanbad and Nagpur for third party testing and the test results of Dhanbad and Nagpur too confirmed that 23 rakes of coal supplied by Panem were of poor quality and are non-confirming category. CIMFR interestingly ascertained the quality of coal little lower than Lehra Mohabbat test results and additional recover of 38 lacs has been imposed on PANEM. Surprisingly Ropar could not send the coal samples for testing at CIMFR as PANEM has not deposited the requisite fee. |
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Deteriorating facilities a cause of concern
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 28 The residents of the city have raised the question mark over this sports policy of the state government in spoiling huge money on the building rather than facilities for the sportspersons. Lack of sports facilities affects sportspersons performances Lack of sports facilities in the city are bound to adversely affect the performance and moral of sports persons. We cannot expect our players to give medal winning performances at the national and international level sports events when they are deprived of healthy diet, coaches and adequate sports infrastructure. Much to the disappointment of sports lovers, various sports projects such as Cricket Stadium, Hockey Astroturf, shooting range and Dashmesh Sports Academy announced with much fanfare by the CM and Dy. CM are lying incomplete due to the apathy of the Govt. Budding sports persons are both disappointed and discouraged. If this is the state of affairs in sports minister's area, one can easily imagine the plight of rest of Punjab. Prof NK Gosain No recruitment by sports department
Everything start's from teacher or coach. There is no recruitment made by sports department of coaches and the department is not strict with them, they are just busy in enjoying their salary. If coaches are their in the ground then they can done maintenance of ground with the help of player's and funds should be utilize in making good players not for the architectural design. There is no use of big stadiums if there is no desire and spark in player's. So coach is must. There inter school, college, self team matches should be performed. It's also may become the good source of earning money from visitor's. This money can then used for players. Abhi Gupta International cricket stadium a must
Around 500-600 local sportspersons are associated with the cricket game in the city and regional coaching camp of Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) is also to come up at cricket stadium to promote young and bidding cricketers, but now government has suddenly proposed to convert the 26 acre land of the stadium into a fish market and that to which was leveled and central playing pitch has been laid. This International cricket stadium was announced with much fan fare in 2007 but till today it was hanging in balance under the official wrapping. YL Chopra Government should
review its policy
The government should provide basic facilities for the sports persons in the city. As there is no stadium which has full facilities for the players in the city, as multipurpose stadium do not have coaches, equipments. Multipurpose stadium Astroturf has been laid but still it is incomplete. There is high need for the government to review its sports policy as just building big stadium will not do anything, as we need better diet and coaches for the players. Vikas Gupta |
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Shopkeepers, corporation employees at loggerheads
Bathinda, September 28 Jiwan Kumar, one of the shopkeepers, booked by the police, accused the corporation officials of targeting only the shopkeepers of the Kikkar Bazar and not the other markets. "Employees of the MC's Tehbazari wing came to confiscate the material from Kikkar Bazar around 20 days ago but they were not allowed to carry out their functioning as there are many other markets in the city which too are full of encroachments," said Jiwan Kumar. He said the employees again came on Friday and singled out his shop to remove the encroachments by confiscating some material. "Either encroachments should be removed from the entire market or they should not carry out the task at all," said
Jiwan. He said, "There are many marketplaces including the Mehna Chowk market, area at the backside of the bus stand, Amreek Singh road and Dhobi Bazar is full of such encroachments but nobody bothers to ensure to remove encroachments there also. He said that they will not initiate any further action in this regard and would not plead before the area MLA meet any of the senior political leaders as whatever is happening is in witnessed by the public and the leaders in same manner." President of the Municipal Workers Union Ravinder Cheema said earlier the material confiscated from the market places was auctioned by the authorities. "We will take up the matter with the Municipal Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner on Monday to re-introduce the same," said
Cheema. "We will also seek police protection for our employees or else they will not be able to come out in the market places to perform their duties", the union president added. Expressing concern over the sorry state of affairs in the other market places he replied that the issue of not removing the encroachments in the other markets too would be brought into the notice of the senior officials. "The encroachments from all the market places should be removed in a smooth manner without adopting any bias attitude against anyone", Cheema said. He also accused some shopkeepers of putting up their material at the roadside and allowing the roadside vendors to sell products at their doorsteps by pocketing monthly money from these vendors. |
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Goniana residents object to extension of limit by MC
Bathinda, September 28 "This is an attack on our fundamental right as we all will have to face numerous problems with change of address," said the former municipal councillor of the ward number one, Tara Singh. He said, "With the change of addresses of the people they will not be able to receive any communiqué. For instance if a student has to receive his or her roll number they will not be able to receive it at the right address and all the other people too would feel the heat due to the move of changing the addresses." The government has formed a committee for the reconstituting the total number of votes in a ward and objections has been sought from the area residents. In their written objections the area residents appreciated for removing the disparity of the voters. "Earlier, 13 wards of Goniana Mandi had 500 to 1,300 voters but now with the reconstituting of these wards, 800 to 1,000 voters are incorporated in each ward. The number of wards will remain the same," Tara said. The area residents said with the change of wards they will have to change the addresses in their verifications, including the ration card, Aadhaar card, postal addresses submitted in the educational institutes and all the other identity proofs. The residents have submitted their objections to the Director Local Bodies, DC and Human Rights Commission to look into the matter. |
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Lady doctor demands arrest of Congress leader Bikka
Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 28 Demanding the arrest of these two accused section of doctors today morning reached Cant police station and met the SHO. They demanded that these accused should be arrested at the earliest and secret as per law should be taken against them. They also threatened that if police failed to arrest the accused by Monday morning then they will observe strike and will keep the OPD service suspended at civil hospital on Monday. Punjab Civil Medical Service Association president Dr Beant Singh Mann, general secretary Gurmail Singh, Dr Maninderpal Singh, Dr Ajay Gupta, Dr Dheeraj Goyal, Dr Sukhmander Singh, Parminder Bansal and Dr Rajesh Badyal of IMA today reached the cantonment police station and demanded to arrest the two accused which was let off by the police after arrest. They said the police has released them under political pressure. The cantonment police station in charge Mohan Lal said they have registered a case against all the accused. These two accused would also be arrested soon.
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Residents protest against hotel for dumping garbage on road
Bathinda, September 28 Residents’ Welfare Committee president Sarup Singh alleged that the hotel staff throws garbage on the road, due to which the area stinks. The commuters face many problems too. He said, “We were left with no option but to protest. The other problem which we face is that people visiting the hotel park their vehicles on the road, which disrupts the traffic.” Residents said they would intensify their protest if the hotel owner didn’t stop throwing garbage on the road. Rajinder Jindal, a hotel official, said garbage had been lying scattered over the place for the last five days as no worker had come to pick it up due to strike of safai karamcharis in the
city. TNS |
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Though the authorities have launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Bathinda with much fanfare, there are many hurdles in view of the long pending demands and lack of basic facilities to the safai karamcharis of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda.
Residents of street number nine of Guru Gobind Singh Nagar today held a protest
against Hotel Highway Inn situated on Barnala Road here. They were irked at the hotel for throwing garbage on the road and blocking the road by wrong
parking of cars, which affects the commuters. Residents today blocked the main Barnala road for some time.
Bathinda, September 28