Breach plugged, but water enters houses

Breach plugged, but water enters houses
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Pakka Kalan (Bathinda), September 13
Insensitive attitude of the district administration towards the 150-ft-wide breach that occurred in the Pakka minor of the Kotla branch canal yesterday has halted the lives of the residents of Pakka Kalan village. The gushing water after damaging hundreds of acres of standing cotton, paddy and chilly crops today entered their houses forcing them to move to safer places.
Though villagers with the help of hundreds of people from nearby villages and dozen tractors and two JCB machines managed to plug the breach in the evening, they could not find way to drain out the accumulated water till the filing of this report.
During a visit, The Tribune observed that it was a flood-like situation in the village. All streets were waterlogged and people were busy draining out water from their houses.

Villagers try to plug the breach in Pakka minor of Kotla branch canal on Monday. The breach occured on Sunday; villagers taking their household goods to a safer place as water entered their houses at village Pakka Kalan in Bathinda on Monday. Photos by writer

Accusing the administration of showing indifferent attitude towards their problem, Joginder Singh,

whose house was inundated, said: “Had the administration did something yesterday, the situation could have been prevented from taking such an ugly shape.”
“When about 200 of us failed to plug the breach, we staged a dharna on the Bathinda-Dabwali road yesterday following which the administration assured us of sending ITBP jawans for help and asked us to lift the dharna, which we agreed to at 11 pm,” said villagers. “However, when the ITBP jawans reached the spot, they refused to help us saying it was not their job to plug the breach, they could just evacuate the marooned villagers if required,” they alleged.
Meanwhile, Bathinda DC Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, along with civil and police officials, reached the spot to assess the situation. However, his visit irked the villagers, who rued that, “When we were making requests on Sunday to send the administrative staff to help us to plug the breach, nobody bothered. But now when all is about to be completed, a team of bureaucrats landed here to express sympathy.”
After observing the situation, the DC ordered a special girdawari to ascertain the quantum of loss. The area in charge of the SAD for the Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituency, Amarjit Singh Sidhu, said he would inform the CM about the situation and urge him to consider the incident as a natural calamity.
On the other hand, village sarpanch Balkaran Singh said: “The administration neither provided us manpower nor any monetary help. The whole expenditure on running the tractors and JCBs is being borne by us only.”

Security breach stuns all

Security breach stuns all 
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Goniana (Bathinda), March 18
Despite the Z-plus security, it was shocking to see a non-medical student Nirmal Singh jumping over the stage, when Sukhbir Badal, the chief of the SAD (B), was delivering his speech.
Not missing a second the security personals rounded him up and took him to the police station Nehianwala.
The mother of the accused, Shanti Devi said, “Nirmal was frustated, as he wanted me to be confirmed in the school as a peon, where I have been working on ad-hoc basis from the past several years.” Adding to that she said her son was desperate to meet Sukhbir Badal personally and to get the application sanctioned. It has been reported that the panchayat members of the village went to the Nehiana wala police station to get him released.
When contacted, the probationer IPS officer P.K.Yadav, he said, “To extract the actual facts, interrogations have been going on”
“Meanwhile a departmental inquiry would also be initiated to find out the cause for the lapse on the part of security and person found guilty would be punished,” he added.
On being asked about the arrest of the youth, Sukhbir Badal said, “Every thing has a proper channel and one must follow the procedure.

Canal breaches farmers’ hopes

Canal breaches farmers’ hopes
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 15
Canal breach has become a very common occurrence in Bathinda district.
On November 1, a distributary of the Sirhind Canal near Bhai Mati Das Nagar overflew its embankments. Its waters first entered the adjoining sewerage construction site and then into Bhai Mati Das Nagar. The breach was reported to be 10-12 feet wide.
A week later, on November 8, a 30-feet wide breach in the embankment of the Sirhind Canal affected several persons as the water gushed into houses and jhuggis on the outskirts of the city.
Again on November 12, a breach in the distributary of the canal outside village Burj Tharod and Dod near Bhagta Bhai in the district, added to the problems. The breach was said to be 15-feet wide, which inundated the nearby agricultural land.
On November 14, several hectares of agricultural were flooded as the waters of the Behman distributary canal breached the embankment. The flow of water was diverted to prevent it from entering NFL Colony.
The authorities have no straight answers for the reason behind the breach. Erosion of land, damaged roots of trees and foul play are all a possibility, they say. But officials of the irrigation department say, albeit on the condition of anonymity, that the department is not getting sufficient funds for the repair of embankments and de-silting that is urgently required.
Farmers in the area say that even when there is not much need, water level in the canal is high. So, the embankments need to be repaired.
Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari said that the inquiry has been marked to the ADC (Development). “But it will take a few more days to come up with a factual report,” he added.
Speaking on phone, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Irrigation Minister, Punjab, said, “We have made a master plan which suggests that all the canals and drains in the state are in dire need of repair and de-silting. The plan has already been presented to the chief minister. Now the only issue is of generating funds. As soon as funds are generated, the process of repairing the canals will start on a war-footing.”

Canal water enters Talwandi Sabo

Breach in Distributary
Canal water enters Talwandi Sabo
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Talwandi Sabo, February 18

Water entered several areas of this holy town early this morning following a breach in a canal distributary.
Though there was no casualty, life was thrown out of gear. Dozens of vehicles, including some heavy ones, got stuck in the mess as the soil beneath recently laid sewer pipes caved in, following which some roads also got sunk.
The canal distributary was breached at a point near Dashmesh Public School under which sewerage board officials had recently laid a sewer pipe.
Adding insult to injury, senior officials reached the spot only when the situation had turned difficult and people were themselves putting in efforts to cope with it.
People termed the incident as a fallout of the hurry shown by sewerage board officials to bring the whole town under a sewer system (a project worth Rs 17 crore) before the Baisakhi Mela to be held here in April.
The district administration has sought a detailed report regarding the breach from the officials concerned.
It is reported that an employee of the Punjab State Electricity Board was the first to notice the breach in the early hours. He immediately called up the police. Some other passersby initiated efforts to plug the breach. They also sought help from nearby villages.
Later, on receiving information that water had gushed into fields adjacent to Takht Damdama Sahib, the administration launched rescue work. With the help of cranes, big vehicles were pulled out.
Officials of the Irrigation Department said the canal distributary was dry when the sewerage board officials laid the sewer pipe beneath it. As per the schedule, they released the water supply in the distributary on Wednesday evening after which the incident took place. They put the blame for the breach on the contractor assigned the job as well as the sewerage board officials concerned who allegedly failed to take proper care to check the joints after laying the pipe.
MS Kang, SDM, Talwandi Sabo, said: “Immediately after receiving information, operations were initiated. All vehicles stuck in the mess were pulled out and traffic was managed”. Replying to a query about the action to be initiated against the guilty persons, the SDM said: “I have sought a report from sewerage board officials, who will submit it by Friday”.

Valentine’s Day becomes vigilante’s day?

Valentine’s Day becomes vigilante’s day?
Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists take to moral policing, manhandle youths
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 14
Despite the tall claims of the Bathinda police of providing a peaceful atmosphere to those celebrating the Valentines’ Day in the city, activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today indulged in hooliganism and manhandled couples celebrating the day.
Calling themselves “guards of Hindu ethics”, the VHP activists slapped boys sitting with girls in parks. The activists did not pay heed to the explanation given by the couples, and forced them to apologise in public.
Leading a group, including activists of ABVP and Bajrang Dal, VHP secretary Sukhpal Sran today pounced upon some couples sitting in the Rose Garden. According to information available, they snatched the cards from the hands of lovebirds and tore it off. Further, they forced the boys to do sit-ups. If a boy objected, he was slapped tight in the face.
When the couples stated that they were just sitting in the park and were not doing anything objectionable, Sukhpal asked girls to give the contact number of their parents so that their marriages could be arranged with the boys they were sitting along.
An advocate from Chandigarh, Babu Ram, was also victimised when he was sitting in the park with his girlfriend. Not knowing about his profession, the activists started thrashing him and asked him to tender an apology.
On reaching the spot, TNS observed that people were trying to get police help but hardly any cop was standing nearby. Meanwhile, some girls accused the group of hurling abuses and misbehaving with them.
However, after some minutes, some cops reached the spot and asked the VHP and ABVP activists to check their behaviour, otherwise, they would be booked. As the cops were listening to the grievances of couples, the activists fled the spot.
SHO Kotwali GS Romana said, “We had rounded up the hooligans but the complainants withdrew their complaints and we released them after a warning.”
VHP secretary Sukhpal said over the phone, “We did not misbehave with any girl but asked them to give their parents’ contact numbers so that they could be married to the boys with whom they were celebrating the Valentine’s Day.”
“We urge people to support us in this cause as the Valentines’ Day is a product of western culture, which is spoiling our youth and invading our culture,” he added.

Non-utilisation of allocated funds worries fisheries dept

Non-utilisation of allocated funds worries fisheries dept
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 22
Lack of interest among farmers of Bathinda to adopt fish farming has become a cause of worry for officials of the fisheries department as they are finding it difficult to spend the allocated funds, besides disbursing the earmarked amount of subsidy and meeting the target of loan assistance. The authorities would have to return funds worth lakhs to the state exchequer at the end of the current financial year.
Sources in the fisheries department disclosed that the district was allocated a sum of Rs 7.82 lakh for the expansion of a government hatchery at Rai Ke Kalan village during 2009-10. However, the department could not even find the official agency to get the work executed.
Further, a sum of Rs 1.97 lakh was allocated to the district for disbursing subsidies for excavation of fish ponds during the current financial year, but the department could not disburse even a single penny till January 31, 2010.
Fearing that the amount will lapse after March 31, the department has now found five farmers for issuing grant of Rs 91,420 as subsidy for excavation, input material and feed.
The Bathinda office of the department was asked to meet the loan assistance target of Rs 15 lakh during this year but till January end, only four cases were assisted with Rs 10.44 lakh. However, the officials are now assisting a farmer with a loan of Rs 2.30 lakh but it is under process.
Meanwhile, if one goes by the statistical details of the fish seed production in this district, it is negligible. The state authorities had fixed this year’s target of fish seed production for Rai Ke Kalan hatchery at 18 lakh but till last month, the authorities could get only 85,000 fish seeds from the hatchery.
However, an official of the department said the plant had produced about 5 lakh fish seeds during the year but more than 4 lakh were transferred to the account of last year to make up for the deficiency.
Replying to a query related to the dismal performance, deputy director of department of fisheries, Bathinda, Sukhdev Singh said, “There is no hurdle from our side. It is just a lack of interest among the farmers to avail of the benefits of government schemes.”
“Though fish farming is a beneficial trade, the high value of land has emerged as the major reason behind farmers shying away from adoptin it as a subsidiary occupation,” he added.

VB initiates probe into city beautification project

VB initiates probe into city beautification project
BMC officials yet to place records before sleuths
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 22
The controversy over the execution of a much-hyped Rs 40-crore worth city beautification project has brought the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities under the scanner of the Vigilance Bureau (VB), Bathinda range.
Receiving two complaints, one anonymous and other from social activist Ved Parkash Gupta, VB sleuths summoned all details and documents of the project from the BMC officials.
A highly-placed source in the VB, Bathinda range, said the BMC authorities were apparently unwilling to provide the documents as despite receiving the order followed by a reminder, the BMC officials had not come up with the record.
“The delay is increasing our suspicion. We will send one more reminder. Even if the officials do not produce all required details, we are firm on taking action against all officials concerned,” a VB official said.
It may be mentioned that the tenders of the project were opened on January 24, 2008, and the construction work was initiated after Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia laid more than a dozen foundation stones under the project on February 18, 2008. The project included re-carpeting of almost all roads and main streets, development of parks, work on storm water system, streetlights and beautification of the city.
To execute the project, the BMC authorities, during the tenure of the then BMC Commissioner KK Yadav, had taken a loan of Rs 40 crore from the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB). The controversy had arisen since the day tender was opened as local contractors accused the BMC authorities of doing injustice to them. They had alleged that the terms and conditions of the tender were such that a small contractor could not comply with. Ignoring their allegations and objections, the tender was allotted to a construction company, said to be an outfit of a ruling SAD leader of Bathinda.
Besides the small contractors, city residents and councillors too had accused the authorities of corruption. They even accused the construction company of using sub-standard material in connivance with the BMC authorities.
Taking a step ahead, during a general house meeting, Krishan Kumar Garg, a councillor of the BMC, had openly accused the BMC staff of perpetuating percentage wise corruption in the project.
Confirming the details, SSP Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda range, Chaman Lal said, “We have initiated a probe and are waiting for the BMC authorities to submit the documents. Once the allegation is proved, everybody, irrespective of the designation, will have to face the music.”
BMC Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “I have no information about the VB inquiry. Moreover, the tender was allotted before I assumed charge, but I will ensure full cooperation with the VB officials.”