Fazilka road mishap: Next of kin of six victims given government jobs

In a measure to apply balm on the wounds of families of road accident victims, Punjab health minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani handed over appointment letters for government jobs to the next of kin of six victims of the Fazilka mishap on Wednesday.

Further, cases of four victims were sent to the head office for further permissions. Additionally, heirs of two victims were found to be minors. Work to provide jobs to the rest is under process.

13 persons, including 12 teachers, had died in a massive accident between a jeep and a truck on Friday, near village Chandmari on Ferozepur-Fazilka road.

The victims, including five women, were posted in Ferozepur district and had pooled in to engage the jeep for their daily commute.

The accident occurred near Chandmari village, 5km from Fazilka, on the road to Ferozepur when the jeep driver tried to overtake another vehicle in the fog. The jeep hit the truck and the impact was such that half of it went under the truck. The truck driver is absconding.

"Nothing can compensate for the death of young nation builders. Punjab government stands by the families of victims and to help them in such a crucial time, we are not only providing jobs but will also ensure that they may get posting at the nearest place to their respective houses," Jiyani said.

Meanwhile, a family of Sonu, the driver of the jeep, also demanded a job for the one of the family. A candle march was also held in this regard.

Caption: State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani, handing over the appointment letter to one of the family members in Fazilka on Wednesday.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/fazilka-road-mishap-next-of-kin-of-six-victims-given-government-jobs/story-BpPhqDXLdEtXJBdzjzBrkL.html

Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary - Fazilka Tourism

The city of Abohar is located in the Fazilka District of Punjab towards the north-east of Sri Ganganagar city and southeast of the city of Fazilka. The Fazilka District was previously a part of the Firozpur District. The city is located close to the intersection of Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab and is also close to the international neighbour Pakistan. For this reason the city is also known as the Trinity of Culture, Civilization and Ethinicity of Punjab. Abohar is famous as one of the largest producers of cotton in the northern zone of India. The city was originally found in the 12th century by Raja Abheraj Bhatti and was named as Abhegarh and later was named as Abohar.

Close to the city is the private wildlife sanctuary, the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located about 15 Km from Abohar. The sanctuary sprawls over an area of 186.5 Km2. The sanctuary spreads over thirteen villages that are home to the Bishnoi community. A unique initiative has been started by the Bishnoi community which has shown concern and taken up the responsibility to protect the black buck deer. The black buck is the State Animal of Punjab and is considered to be sacred by the Bishnois. The community also protects the blue bull popularly known as the Neelgai. The initiative taken by the community has been successful and the number of black bucks has risen by 3000. Visitors to the sanctuary can enjoy the scene of black bucks racing in the sanctuary.

The flora in the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is classified under the tropical dry mixed deciduous forest. The sanctuary is also home to several other animals apart from the black buck and blue bull. Porcupines, wild boars and black ducks can also be spotted easily in the sanctuary. Unlike other wildlife sanctuaries that are located over public or government land, the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over private land. The Bishnois protect the animals in the sanctuary from the hunters by not allowing them to hunt in the area.

The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is conveniently connected by road and is best visited during the winter months when the temperatures are favourable and visitors can enjoy the natural surroundings and see the wildlife of the sanctuary at its best. The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is a must visit for visitors who want to see the native black bucks in their natural surroundings.

History

The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary was originally notified as a sanctuary in 1975 and again in 2000. It is a private nature reserve located in the Fazilka District of Punjab. The sanctuary was initially established temporarily in 1975 and later in 2000 it was established as a sanctuary under the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act. The sanctuary is home to several varieties of flora and fauna indigenous to the area.

Wildlife

Flora: Albizia lebbeck, Acacia nilotica, Azadirachata indica, A. tortilis, Dalbergia sissoo, P juliflora, Prosopis cineraria and Melia azedarach.

Fauna: Wild Boar, Blue Bull, Porcupines, Hare, Jackal and Black Duck.

Best Time to Visit

The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is best visited during the winter season from October to March. At this time the weather is nice and visitors can enjoy roaming around the sanctuary. The summer season is not recommended as the temperatures are soaring and the monsoon season receives heavy rains.

How to Reach Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary

The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary can be reached from all parts of Punjab. The sanctuary is well-connected by road and is located within easy reach of the city of Abohar. Buses, taxis and cars are available from Abohar to reach the sanctuary. Abohar is located on NH 10 and NH 15. Bhatinda is located about 77 Km from Abohar and 225 Km from Amritsar. The city is conveniently connected by bus and train to different parts of Punjab.

The city of Abohar has a railway station located about 1 Km from the city centre. The Abohar railway station is connected by broad gauge railway line on the Ganganagar-Delhi railway route. The other closest major railheads to Abohar are in Sri Ganganagar about 50 Km and Bhatinda about 77 Km from the city.

There is no airport in Abohar. The closest airports are the Raja Sansi International Airport in Amritsar and the Sahnewal Airport in Ludhiana. These airports offer good connectivity to Chandigarh and Delhi. From these airports visitors can take buses or taxis to reach the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary.

http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/attractions/wildlife/abohar-wildlife-sanctuary.htm

13 schoolteachers killed in road accident near Fazilka

Praful Nagpal
Fazilka, December 9

Thirteen government school teachers, including five women, were killed in a road accident near Chandipur village, 9 km from here, on Friday morning.

They were going to their schools in a jeep. Eyewitnesses said there was a head-on collision between the jeep and a truck.

Those killed have been identified as Sanjiv Bagla (Shatirwala village near Fazilka), Shankar Lal (Fazilka), Manohar Lal (Abohar), Ram Pal (Abohar), Satinderjit Singh (Fazilka) Ashish (Faizlika), Nazam (Killianwali), Sanjeev Kumar, Bindia (Abohar), Tejinder Kaur (Fazilka), Shetal Kakkar (Fazilka), Natasha (Balluana) and Kiran Bala (Fazilka).

In all, 15 people were traveling in the jeep.

Gopi Chand, who was injured critically, was shifted to a hospital at Abohar.

The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to Civil Hospital at Fazilka. Senior officials of the district administration have reached the spot.

Among the deceased were newly appointed ETT teachers.

Following a bandh call given by the local Beopar Mandal, shops were closed in the town to show solidarity with the bereaved families. Senior leaders, including Congress MLA Sunil Jakhar, Akali MP Sher Singh Ghubaya and BJP Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani, reached the local civil hospital.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed grief over the incident and condoled the deaths.

He said the loss of teachers, who chiselled young minds for the future of the nation, was "irreparable" and it had not only traumatised their families, but their students as well.

The Deputy CM and SAD chief said he and his government were with the bereaved families at this critical hour. He also advised all to use utmost caution while driving in the coming days when dense fog dominated during early and later hours of the day.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh and AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi also condoled the deaths. They said the incident was a sad moment.

Amarinder asked the state government to change the school timings in order to ensure that "schoolteachers, students, and other staff are not exposed to the risk of such accidents due to fog". With PTI

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/13-govt-school-teachers-killed-in-road-accident-near-fazilka/334565.html