Bathinda, October 14
Unprecedented delay of clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for the Rs 600-crore World Bank Project of widening the Bhawanigarh-Bathinda Road is likely to put an extra burden of Rs 10 crore on the Punjab government.

The delay in the forest clearance has almost stalled the widening of Bhawanigarh-Bathinda Road, whose funding is done through the World Bank. Out of the total 200-km project, the sanction of nearly 80 kms is yet to be granted by the MoEF.

The cost of the project is escalating as major work is affected due to delay in clearance for the last more than two months. Information procured under the Right To Information Act (RTI) by The Tribune reveals that the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) is delaying the project over frivolous grounds.

The committee is regularly raising objections over one pretext or the other and recently it refused to entertain a reply forwarded by the Principal Secretary.

“The committee stresses upon the need of writing the letters by the respective deputy commissioners under whose areas the widening of road is being done,” said a senior PWD B&R official. Despite the fact that the Principal Secretary is quite senior and competent to reply to the ministry the authorities in Delhi seek letters from the deputy commissioners of Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda.

The officials associated with the project stated that they fear a burden of Rs 9 crore to Rs 10 crore in view of the delay in granting the sanction by the MoEF.

A diversion of 45 hectares of the forest land is to be done under the project which includes 14.61 hectares land in Sangrur, 17 hectares in Mansa, and 13.37 hectares of area in Bathinda.

The officials stated that initially, they have procured letters of approval from the respective Divisional Forest Officers of Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda in April 2013. Sent the same to MoEf, which raised objections and again, there were replies but again objections are being raised over one pretext or the other.

The project began in December 2012 and major works related to the widening were supposed to be completed within first three years. The project is running nine months behind the schedule.

Ishwar Singh, additional the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (central), when contacted, said that the matter was lying pending in their Delhi office as they have got the powers to clear the sanction in more than five hectares of land.

“We have cleared those patches where the land is less than 5 hectares,” he said. None of the MoEF officials of Delhi could be contacted for comments.

Bathinda, October 14
The effect of the devastating Hudhud cyclone, that has ravaged parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha over the past two days, was felt by the residents of Bathinda late Monday evening and the entire day today. With wind velocity being recorded at 12.5 kmph, the weather of the area changed for the better.

Beginning late Monday evening, Bathinda and its surrounding areas, began experiencing a dip in the temperature as strong winds began blowing raising the expectation of a rainfall and an early onset of winter.

Such was the effect of the cool winds that the maximum temperature dropped by six degree Celsius. While on Monday, it was recorded at 33.4 degree Celsius, by Tuesday afternoon, it had fallen by several notches to be recorded at 27.5 degree Celsius. However, no great change was recorded in the minimum temperature on the two days as it recorded at 19.2 and 19 degree Celsius on Tuesday and Monday, respectively.

Dr Rajkumar of the Punjab Agriculture University’s agri-met regional centre in Bathinda, said, the change in the weather was triggered by the Hudhud cyclone. “Although, the cyclone has hit Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, its effect can be seen across the nation. The weather is expected to remain cloudy over the next 24-36 hours in Bathinda and its adjoining areas,” he said.

He, however, added that the cloudy sky may not usher in rain in the region. “While a few scattered areas may experience light showers, there’s no forecast of a downfall as the residents may be expecting from the skies,” he said.

The fresh forecast released by the regional centre predicted that the winds, blowing at a velocity of 10 to 12 kmph, will continue to lash the region over the next 24 to 36 hours. The temperature may rise again after a few days since the effect of the Hudhud cyclone has already begun to decline.

Bathinda, October 14
United India Insurance Company has been penalised and directed to pay accidental claim of Rs 1.49 lakh by the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum.

The insurance company had refused to pay the claim over the pretext that the car driver admitted his mistake by paying a fine of Rs 1,000 to the Indian Railways. The complainant’s car collided with a fast moving passenger car and the vehicle was completely damaged and its driver (complainant) escaped unhurt.

In his complaint, 28 years old Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Nandgarh village, Bathinda, said that he had his Maruti Alto Car insured for a sum of Rs 1.90 lakh but the opposite parties never supplied him any insurance policy instead of only the cover note.

In December 2013, the complainant’s car collided with a train at an unmanned railway crossing in Behman Diwana village and an FIR was registered by the Government Railway Police (GRP). In a bid to avoid hassles and further legal tangles, Kulwinder had deposited a fine of Rs 1,000 with the railway authorities.

The car was completely damaged in the collision, but the complainant escaped with minor injuries.

Advocate, Naresh Garg, stated that the complainant, when moved a claim with the opposite parties, they declined to pay the claim over the pretext that the complainant admitted his fault and claim cannot be given he was at fault while driving the car.

The advocate pleaded in the forum that there were numerous road accidents in the past wherein the accused drivers too were at fault and cases are also been registered but even then the insurance companies never repudiate their claims over the pretext of the driver’s mistake.

The consumer forum, after hearing the arguments, claims and pleas of both the parties reached on the conclusion that there was deficiency on the part of the insurance company that was directed to pay a sum of Rs 1.49 lakh and Rs 2,000 as cost and compensation.

Bathinda, October 14
SAD MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta’s younger sister, Kulwinder Kaur, died while she was undergoing treatment at Max Hospital on Monday night. She had been in coma for the last many days in the hospital. Kulwinder’s husband alleged that his wife died due to negligence on the part of the doctor of the Max Hospital.

The Kotwali police station, on the statement of Ajaib Singh, husband of the deceased, has registered an FIR against Dr Rajesh Vashisth along with a junior doctor and a staff nurse under Section 304 of the IPC.

The police have also started conducting raids to arrest the accused. A medical board of doctors conducted a postmortem of Kulwinder’s body at the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, to examine the exact reason behind the death, the viscera have been sent to a lab for examination.

A resident of Power House Road, Kulwinder Kaur, was working on the post of principal at the government school in Gobindpura village. Her husband, Ajaib Singh, said on September 14 last month, his wife’s deteriorated suddenly and she was admitted to Max Hospital for treatment.

Dr Rajesh Vashisth was getting his wife treated and on September 14, she was given an injection after which her health deteriorated even more and she went into a coma after sometime.

On Monday night around 9 pm, she died at Max Hospital. He alleged that his wife died due to a wrong injection administered to her by a doctor of the Max Hospital.

He also accused the doctor of being negligent during the treatment of his wife.

A postmortem examination was conducted by a medical board of doctors comprising Dr Ramesh Maheshwari, Dr Visaser Chawla and Dr Ramanpreet Kaur. The team conducted postmortem and have sent a viscera to the Kharar laboratory for the examination to know the exact reason of the death.

SHO, Kotwali police station, Mahesh Saini, said a case against the two doctors and one staff nurse of the Max Hospital has been registered but no arrests have been made in this case so far.

The Max Hospital stated that the patient was a case of stage 4 breast cancer with metastasis in liver and bones. In August 2014, she had taken palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastasis. On September 14, the patient (critical stage 4 cancer patient) presented at the Emergency of Max Super Speciality Hospital with diarrhoea and was advised symptomatic treatment.

On the same day, she suffered a sudden cardio-respiratory arrest and was revived and put on ventilator support. Her condition was extremely critical right from the time of admission.

The family was continuously briefed about her line of treatment and her medical condition. She was under the treatment of a senior oncologist and was provided with the best medical treatment.

Bathinda, October 14
The local police today foiled a plan of the Bathinda District Congress Committee (Urban) to launch an intensive protest against the Police Department.

As part of the plan, Congress workers from across the district were expected to assemble outside the Canal Colony Police Station.

The police, however, barricaded all entry points on the road leading to the police station and rounded up all those who tried to reach the dharna site and dropped them.

As the party workers failed to reach the protest site, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and former MLA, Harmander Singh Jassi, managed to reach there along with his supporters. Jassi decried the police action calling it “suppression of Democratic Rights”.

Raising slogans against the police, Congress leaders and workers alleged that the police manhandled women workers of the party while rounding them up.

“The police personnel, under the instructions of DSP Gurjit Singh Romana, turned the area into a fortress,” they added. Addressing the gathering, Jassi took a dig at the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, campaigning in Haryana, and stated that every section of the state was troubled with the failed governance.

“The fact that the SAD alliance partner the BJP has started questioning the working of the party in the state is a pointer of the way the state is being ruled.’’ added Jassi.

Jassi also took the opportunity to brush off the announcement made by the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa (Haryana) about its support to the BJP in Haryana elections. Jassi stated that the Dera was free to take its own decisions and added that such decisions could also tilt the power scales in Punjab.

Rekindling the incident of firing in Rama Mandi during the bypolls held in August, he stated that the police had turned into SAD workers during the bypolls and the same could be seen these days as well.

Jassi derided the police from not heeding to the demands of Congress workers in Bathinda and instead rounding them up as if they were repeated offenders.

Bathinda District Congress Committee (Urban) president Mohan Lal Jhumba who had accused the SHO of Canal Colony Police Station of misbehaving with him, when 
he questioned a mutual compromise reached between Congress worker Darshan Bansal and a depot holder Vimla Devi, stated that since the police seemed to be in no hurry to solve the matter, he will sit on fast-unto-death starting Wednesday.

“The police are yet to receive any written complaint from the leaders’ side. The department will look into the matter only after a written complaint is lodged,” added Romana.

Bathinda, October 14
The Advanced Cancer Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Institute (ACDTRI) in the city was supposed to start in March this year. However, the project is yet to kick off.

The OPD and indoor facilities were being expected to start at the upcoming Advanced Cancer Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Institute in the months of March and June, respectively.

The setting up of the centre is being considered as a great relief to the cancer patients of the Malwa region.

In December, Vini Mahajan, Principal Health Secretary, accompanied by SS Gill, vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health and Health Advisor to the state government, K K Talwar, inspected the under-construction ACDTRI centre and claimed that it would start functioning within three months.

It is pertinent to mention that the state government had signed an agreement with the Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation of India (HSCCI) for the construction of the first cancer hospital of the district in the public sector in August 2011.

“We are facing a lot of hurdles. The state government has fully supported us and we are in the final stages of completion. Some hurdles with regulatory bodies including acceptance test and others are on their way and would be sorted out soon. The process has been initiated to complete the last stage of construction.

“Specialised rooms for the special machines would be here and soon. The project would be handed over to the state government,” said General Manager, Advanced Cancer Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Institute, Dr S Mahajan. 

Bathinda, October 14
Dr Daljit Singh, a vegetable scientist, who has developed seven varieties of vegetables and standardised production technology of vegetables under net house, which is being adopted by farmers of the state, has been nominated as an active member of the International Society of Horticulture Science (vegetables sector).

Dr Singh visited Argentina, the UK, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand and presented his works.

The society selects persons who have scaled heights in their respective fields and have played a cogent role in stimulating and sustaining the growth of the vegetable science and other worthy reference of interest at the local, regional, national and international level.

The life-time work of Dr Daljit Singh will be published in the Asia Pacific Who’s Who, Volume XIII, and will be distributed all over the world.

Dr NS Malhi, Vice-Chancellor, congratulated Dr Daljit Singh for the laurels he has brought to the varsity and said he had done an excellent job in the field of vegetable sciences.

“Apart from guiding the research students, his work towards the high- yielding and high-quality vegetables varieties is indeed commendable,” added Mahi.

“Through this achievement, Dr Singh had added one more feather to his cap which will really help the students to excel in the field of research,” said managing director Sukhraj Singh Sidhu and added that this is an honour not only for Guru Kashi University but also for the entire region.

Bathinda, October 14
The ongoing power struggle between the alliance partners SAD-BJP in Haryana has also started showing its impact in Bathinda with BJP Bathinda urban president, Parminder Goyal, claiming that in the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Bathinda (MCB), the BJP will stake claim to Mayor’s post.

Parminder Goyal, while talking to The Tribune, said the BJP city unit was fully ready for the upcoming MCB elections. As per the alliance, the BJP is contesting 22 seats out of a total of 50 seats. He also stated that as per the situation seen in Haryana elections during campaigning, they had started preparing in all the 50 wards and now, the party high command has to decide on the alliance they are ready to contest with in all the 50 wards of the city.

Goyal also stated that it was sure that they would claim stake for the Mayor’s post this time in the elections. As Bathinda is the main urban headquarters of the party in the Malwa region, it does not matter that they contest alone or in an alliance with the SAD, they will claim the Mayor’s post.

SAD leader and a former mayor, Baljit Singh Birbehman, said he could not comment on the issue as it was up to the party high command of both the parties to decide. But as per the pact, the SAD will have a Mayor in Bathinda, Patiala and Ludhiana, while the BJP will have Mayor in Jalandhar and Amritsar. About the ongoing tussle between the SAD-BJP in Haryana elections, he said these issues would be resolved by the high command of both the parties soon. It is worth mentioning that earlier also, a tussle between the SAD-BJP had come to the fore when during the Lok Sabha elections, earlier, this year, BJP leaders give canvassing a miss for the SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal. As all the leaders had gone to Amritsar to campaign for BJP bigwig Arun Jaitley.

Bathinda, October 14
The district administration of Bathinda and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) today held a public hearing pertaining to the expansion of the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery of HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd., village Phulokhari, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda.

The hearing was held at the Canal Guest House, Raman Mandi, Tehsil Talwandi Sabo, under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Dr Basant Garg.

The officers present in the public hearing included SDM, Talwandi Sabo, Kulwant Singh, environmental engineer, (SEAC), the Punjab Pollution Control Board, head office Patiala, Rajiv Sharma, and environmental engineer, the Punjab Pollution Control Board, regional office, Bathinda, Joginder Singh.

Dr Garg said as many as 1,034 people from the villages of Punjab and Raman Mandi area participated in the public hearing. Around 20 people raised objections that were duly recorded using videography as well as written objections. All the objections and replies by the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery authorities will be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) as part of the public hearing for further action, he said. He added that the HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd had applied for expansion of the existing project from 9 MMTPA to 11.25 MMTPA by debottlenecking and installation of 2 x 300 TPH mixed solid fuel fired steam generators and installation of bitumen blowing unit of capacity 0.52 MMTPA. Along with this augmentation of necessary utilities such as cooling towers, DM plants etc and augmentation of pollution control facilities like sulphur recovery unit.

Dr Garg directed the officials concerned at both the refinery and the administration to address the immediate problems being faced by the residents. The public hearing ended with a vote of thanks to the presiding-cum-supervisor officer and the public present in the hearing.

Bathinda, October 14
Different Convent School organised ‘Sarang 2014’, an annual prize distribution function, on the premises of the school here on Tuesday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, Surjeet Singh Jyani, was the chief guest on the occasion. The function was inaugurated by Hardeep Singh Dhillon, managing director of a bus service in Gidderbaha by lighting the ceremonial lamp. The programme which was dedicated to the theme ‘Save the girl child’, began with the “path” of “Japji Sahib”, followed by “Ganesh Vandana” presented by the Class IX students.

As many as 60 students of Classes VIII, IX and XI presented a skit focusing on the role being played by women in the society.

Boys of Class XI presented “bhangra”. Principal, Deepti Sharma, read out the annual report of the school and elaborated on the future plans.

Bathinda, October 14
In the ongoing 60th Punjab School State Games, Sangrur district beat Fazilka 30-4 in basketball here on Tuesday.

A match in progress between Ludhiana and Mansa during the ongoing Punjab School Games in Bathinda on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

The games were conducted at Khalsa Senior Secondary School under the District Education Officer (Secondary) Dr Amarjit Kaur Kotfatta and District Education Officer (Sports) Pavittar Kaur.

The results of the day are as follows:

Jalandhar district beat Patiala 10-2.

In the Bathinda versus Moga match, Bathinda emerged the winners with 21 baskets while Moga earned 10 points.

Ludhiana defeated Gurdaspur 29-6, Amritsar logged win over Mansa 29-14, Jalandhar remained victorious over Barnala 29-6, while Amritsar trounced Fazilka 26-10.

Sangrur district beat Fazilka by a margin of 30-4.

In the other two matches, Ludhiana made 31 baskets while Mansa scored 11 baskets. Jalandhar overpowered Moga by 26-7 in another match played.