Bathinda, October 18
Following the raids conducted by the Health Department in Bathinda to check the rampant sale of spurious sweets, a well-known sweets manufacturer and retailer of Bathinda could face action if their food samples are found to be negative, amounting to food adulteration.

The Health Department, Bathinda, had speed up their raids on a number of shops and cold storages ahead of Diwali. About 80 samples, including 45, from the cold storages have been sent to a laboratory in Chandigarh by the department in the raids conducted in the last two months.

According to officials of the health department, they had earned an amount of Rs 7 lakh as fine since 2012 from the defaulters whereas about five cases are being heard in the district courts about the adulteration and around 37 are being heard in the court of the Adjudicating Officer-cum-ADC (General), Bathinda.

In 2009, ahead of Diwali, the district health department had taken samples from private sweets shops near Ghode Wala Chowk. The samples were taken on October 2, 2009, and the results failed the test reportedly. Two quintals of khoya was seized from the retailers by the Health Department and was destroyed after the tests were failed.

Under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, the health authorities can file a case against the accused in the court directly and the court then decides on conviction. A three-year imprisonment and fine up to Rs 10,000 can be awarded to the accused for food adulteration. No FIR needs to be registered by the health authorities as the department can directly file a case in the court. The offenders can be charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

A number of cold storages at Rampura Phul, Nathana and Goniana Mandi, Sangat, Rama Mandi, Maur and Talwandi Sabo and in other blocks have been inspected by the Health Department following a tip-off.

Ahead of the festive season, the department often conducts raids at sweets shops and cold storages, where huge quantities of prepared sweets, to be sold during the festival season, are stored.

In certain cases, the Health Department has also found that the milk products and the sweets were kept in pathetic conditions. Prepared sweets like rasgullas, gulab-jamuns and milk-cake were kept in dirty containers in the most unhygienic conditions.

Food inspector, Bathinda, Amritpal Singh, said, “Since 2012, we have collected an amount of Rs 7 lakh till now, and about five major cases are being decided in the courts of Bathinda. Minor cases that include substandard food are in the court of the Adjudicating Officer-cum-ADC, Bathinda. The report of samples comes in around 20 days. In the last two months, we have sent about 80 samples and reports of 20 samples have failed. A fine would be imposed as they all have been found to have minor adulteration that includes sub-standardisation of food. No major case has been found ever.”

Bathinda, October 18
To put more pressure on the police for the transfer of Canal Colony SHO Gurpreet Singh following his alleged misbehaviour, a section of Congress MLAs today decided to intensify their stir.

Bathinda, October 18
Shopkeepers seem to have shown thumbs down to the instruction issued by the district administration to put up fire crackers stall only at designated areas in the city. But a high number of shopkeepers in the city have put up the stalls and are selling these firecrackers illegally outside their shop putting the lives of the people in danger.

One such stall each was spotted at the Hazi Rattan chowk and near Des Raj Senior Secondary School area today. Crackers were being openly sold flouting safety norms. Besides, smaller stalls came up in the all the areas in the city.

Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, Dr Basant Garg, has designated four sites for sale of crackers in the city. Sale of crackers will be allowed at the Multi-Purpose Stadium, Government Rajindra College, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant Stadium and Railway Dasehra ground.

As per the rules, firecrackers are to be sold at the designated places only, which are open spaces. This is done to ensure that in the event of an accidental fire, loss to life and property remains less. Also, open spaces facilitate entry and exit of fire tenders.

A shopkeeper, selling fire crackers in open, said his was not the isolated case, who was selling the fire cracker in his shop he was a small trader. He added that business remains down throughout the year, so during the festive season, they hope to earn something for their family. He added he was selling limited stock of the firecrackers only.

However, the administration claims that they are keeping a check on the shopkeeper selling fire crackers in the city without licence or in the open despite ban.

No matter what the authorities claim, the fact remains that crackers are being sold in violation of the safety norms.

Bathinda, October 18
Residents appear to be facing a lot of problems these days as there is no proper parking space in main markets of the city and the rush is increasing these days due to the festive season.

A huge traffic congestion is witnessed in the market because people park their vehicles outside the shops where they want to go without caring about the passing commuters.

Bathinda, October 18
A section of the residents of National Colony alleging lack of basic amenities today raised slogans against the Punjab Government. The residents including Beant Singh, Navreet Singh, Buta Singh and others alleged that despite depositing hefty taxes, of Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 to the Municipal Corporation by each of the six—most affected—houses, nothing has been done in this regard.

One of the residents Beant Singh said that though sewerage pipes were laid in the colony but one of the streets is still bereft of the facility in which six houses are situated.

“Also the lid of the sewerage holes is extended beyond the limits in the streets which has lead to road accidents”, Beant said. He pointed out that the problem is brought into the notice of concerned corporation officials umpteen times but to no avail.

“Our MLA Sarup Chand Singla too miserably failed to bring a solution to the problem”, Beant said. He added that the senior SAD leadership has now learnt the art of procrastination.

Despite written requests and personal visits to intervene over the issue, nothing has been done by any of the political leaders, the residents alleged.

The residents lament that due to the blocked streets they are unable to reach at their respective houses. “Earlier we were using an empty plot to reach our respective houses but with the construction of a house has now again blocked our entrance,” said Buta Singh.

Despite the fact that all the houses have cleared their tax payments and have got the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) they are yet to get the basic facilities. 

Bathinda, October 18
Employees of the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) today staged a dharna outside the regional office of the bank at Civil Lines here today.

The call for dharna was given by the Oriental Bank of Commerce Employees Union (NR).

Addressing the gathering, SK Gautam, joint secretary, AIBEA and secretary Punjab Bank Employees Federation said, “ In the OBC, the outsourcing has gone to such an extent that in more than 1,300 outlets of the bank, cleaning and sweeping are being done by casual and temporary employees. The union demands regularisation of their services.”

He cautioned the management not to harass the employees, otherwise the union will observe a one-day strike on November 5.

Bathinda, October 18
Following the recovery of a box containing two mobile phones, two chargers and two packets of bidis, once again the security arrangements at the Bathinda Central Jail have come under the scanner.

During a checking conducted at the jail hospital, a box was found lying along the wall.

The Civil Lines police station has registered a case against the unidentified accused under Sections 188 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and 52 A of the Prisons Act 1894.

In the past,too, drugs and mobiles have been recovered from the jail inmates. 300 capsules were recovered from a prisoner Monu Kumar, a resident of Maur Mandi, on August 20. A mobile was found hidden in a soap dish of Kuljit Singh, alias Ruby, a resident of Jalandhar in July. A mobile phone battery was recovered from an inmate on May 30. Another mobile was recovered from a prisoner on May 10.

The problem is on the rise in all prisons across the state.

Cell phones help criminals to threaten witnesses, besides planning their escape from the jails. Sometime, they extort money while staying in the jail.

The issue had come to the fore when two groups clashed inside the Bathinda jail on May 15. They blamed each other for using mobile phones and supplying drugs in the jail.

Sources inside the Central Jail said, in many cases,relatives of the prisoners gave mobile phones to them. Similarly, narcotics and other communication devices were found in cement blocks and bricks in the past.

Notably, the state government has decided to install jammers in the jails across the state. But the project is yet to see the light of day in the absence of funds. However, a sum of Rs 4 crore was earmarked to provide modern communication devices to the jail staff in 2012.

Bathinda, October 18
The Talwandi Sabo police have registered a case against eight persons for opening fire on a student inside Yadwinder College.

In a complaint lodged by the victim, Karanbir Singh, he stated that the accused Manpreet Singh, a resident of Talwandi Sabo, Harpreet Singh of Giana village, Jasdeep Singh and Amandeep Singh of Mian village, Jeet Singh of Bangi village Nihal Singh and three unidentified persons were roaming on the campus with swords, arms, sharp-edged weapons with them and when he tried to stop them, they shot at him and beat him up badly.

SHO, Talwandi Sabo police station, said those who have been booked in the case are hoodlums. All are outsiders and were trying to suppress the college students. They opened fired on the victim, when he tried to stop them.

The police registered a case under Sections 307,148,149 of the IPC and 25.27,54,59 of the Arms Act and further investigation is in progress. However, no arrests have been made so far in this case. — TNS

Bathinda, October 18
Sports School Ghudda emerged the champions in (U-14 boys) basketball championship in the 60th Punjab State School Games, that concluded at Khalsa Senior Secondary School, here today.

The five-day event was held by the District Education Officer (secondary) Amarjit Kaur Kotfatta and District Assistant Education Officer (sports) Pavittar Kaur.

Results of the final day:

Sports School Ghudda beat Sri Muktsar Sahib 44-42 . Jalandhar defeated Amritsar 35-20. Amritsar logged a win against Muktsar Sahib with a margin of one score (29-28). Sports School Ghudda registered win against Jalandhar with a margin of two baskets (43-41) and Sports School Ghudda defeated Sri Muktsar Sahib 35-27.

In the super league matches, Sports School Ghudda attained the first place, Jalandhar secured the second place, Amritsar remained at the third place and Sri Muktsar Sahib secured fourth place.

In the morning session principal Bhupinder Kaur from Desraj Government Senior Secondary School met the players and encouraged them to perform better.

District Science Supervisor Baljit Singh Sandoha distributed prizes among the winners.

Bathinda, October 18
The district-level women’s sports competition will be held on Oct 20 and 21 at different places in the city.

The event will see the competitions in athletics, basketball, badminton, handball, hockey, gymnastic, kabaddi, kho-kho, lawn tennis, table tennis and volleyball. District Sports Officer Balwinder said athletics, volleyball, kho-kho and kabaddi events would be held at the Multipurpose Stadium. Hockey matches would be held at Hockey Turf Stadium. St Xavier’s School would host handball matches & gymnastics & lawn tennis would be played at the Police Public School. — TNS