L U D H I A N A

Jeweller got himself robbed for insurance money
Focal Point robbery case solved, prime accused absconds
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The local police today solved the mystery behind yesterday’s robbery at Neelmani Jewellers in the Focal Point area. The police said the robbery had been masterminded by the owner of the shop, Sukhminder Singh, to get the insurance money for paying off debts. It has turned out to be a hoax robbery.

Gurpurb celebrated with fervour LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev was celebrated with religious fervour in the city today. All gurdwaras of the town witnessed hectic activity since early morning. Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Sarabha Nagar, was full of devotees by 6 am. After the bhog ceremony of an Akhand Path at 7 am, a captivating kirtan darbar was held.

Women prepare food at a community kitchen in a Sarabha Nagar gurdwara, on Gurpurb in Ludhiana on Saturday. — Photo by Rajesh Bhambi

MC approves projects worth Rs 6 crore
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The Finance and Contract Committee of the Municipal Corporation has approved the allotment of development work and estimates of work regarding construction, surfacing and widening of roads. It also approved lining of streets and lanes, laying of water supply and sewerage, acquisition of forest land for widening of highways and creating infrastructure for sports in the city worth over Rs 6 crore.

Bad command also caused breakdown
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The breakdown in the Bharat Nagar telephone exchange here on Thursday was due to not only a faulty card but also a wrong command given by a senior official to the computer. The Divisional General Manager at Dharamsala, Mr Charan Dass, had rushed to the city on Thursday to repair the fault in the computer system at the exchange.

Rose Garden to be given a facelift
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The Rose Garden is in for a facelift. The final conceptual plan for redevelopment of the garden has been approved. According to the in charge, Mr Jaswinder Singh Bilga, the plan has incorporated existing elements and structures, with sufficient modifications. The idea is to make Rose Garden a model garden with adequate display and experience elements. Mr Bilga says the implementation of the plan is expected to be completed by April next.

Postal complaints via Internet
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 —The Department of Postal Services has started accepting complaints on the Internet in Ludhiana. Mr M.K. Khan, Senior Superintendent of Post Office (SSPO), told Ludhiana Tribune here today that the department had started two E-mail accounts in order to provide speedy redress of public grievances.

CITY SCAN

Unforgettable Dr Kapoor and his hospital
Animals and birds leave footprints on sand, only to see these get washed away. It is only men of vision, decision and action who leave footprints on sands of time that cannot be erased. Such men leave a legacy, enrich heritage, establish institutions, symbolise human spirit and glorify human kind. One such person was Bisheshar Lal of Chiniot.

MAIL BAG

The problem of air pollution
Ludhiana has gained notoriety as the most polluted city of Punjab. In the morning hours, open places like Rakh Bagh and the Rose Garden are covered with dense smog and the air has a toxic smell. In the absence of winter rains, the polluted air settles down to the ground level. Enter Ludhiana from any side, and you are confronted by a thick layer of smoke which covers the city like a dark cloud.

COMMUNITY

Yoga — the way of living
LUDHIANA: YOGA, taken from a Sanskrit word, means linking oneself with the Supreme. It is the philosophy that offers instructions and insights into every aspect of life: the spiritual, the mental and the physical – through its eight-fold system and many paths. As practised traditionally in India, yoga includes a set of ethical imperatives and moral precepts, including diet, exercise, and meditative aspects. In the West, yoga focuses primarily on postures (gentle stretching exercises), breathing exercises, and meditation.

Coffee culture taking root
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — A chirpy old man in the coffee house in Bhadaur Market narrates his 25-year-old association with the eatery. He and some other “regulars” have formed a Coffee Friends Club and they assemble here in the evening. The members include young and old alike. There are lawyers, businessmen and other professionals also. At these meetings, they recite poetry, discuss politics and a host of other things till it is closing time and the staff asks them to call it a day.

A market with a glitter
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — To break the monotony of humdrum life, people in the city throng the local Sarabha Nagar Market in the evening. The motley crowd comprises people of all age groups and children. The hustle and bustle reaches its peak at around 8 p.m.

Library that reaches out to people
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — Instead of people reaching out to the libraries, the books reach out to you. That is what Indira Gandhi Mobile Library’s purpose is, to go to almost all the localities of Ludhiana as well as the localities on the periphery of the city to felicitate the readers, specially the housewives, to read books, and browse through magazines while the mobile van is parked there. This mobile van is being run courtesy the Municipal Corporation.

Sangh to carry on struggle
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today resolved to carry on its struggle to safeguard the rights of the working classes. Addressing the biennial session of the district unit of the BMS at Cheema Chowk, Industrial Area A, activists including Mr Shravan Kumar, president, Mr Kartar Singh Rathor, general secretary, and Mr Ramesh Palta, secretary, focussed on the pending demands of workers and warned the state government to grant justice to the workers, failing which the sangh would be forced to resort to agitational methods.

Craze for designer wear
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — Boutiques and showrooms selling designer wear, both for men and women, are adding a new dimension to the fashion scene of this city. People here do not mind spending on clothes and they do not settle for anything less than the latest designer label, according to Mr Deepak Dhanda, who along with his wife, Neelam, runs a boutique on Pakhowal Road. They had started with women’s wear but have now diversified into men’s wear as well.

Mohan Singh Foundation to have unit in Sweden
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — Noted Punjabi writer Ninder Gill, who had recently taken voluntary retirement from the Audit Department of the state government to permanently settle in Sweden, has been nominated convener of Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation there.

CRIME

1.5 lakh stolen from scooter
Ludhiana, Nov 11 — In spite of the tall claims made by the local police regarding efficient use of ground force for curbing the crime rate, sporadic incidents of theft and robbery continue to be reported.

BUSINESS

Shawl makers an envied lot
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — While most of the industry is facing a slump, the shawl manufacturers appear to be an envied lot. The shawl industry has witnessed a boom. Despite the domestic market shrinking fast, the shawl manufacturers have made up the losses from exports. Earlier, about 90 per cent of the product was sold in the domestic markets while only 10 per cent was either exported or sold to foreign tourists.

EDUCATION

Millennium issue of journal 
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The millennium issue of Journal of Research was released by Dr G.S. Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, here today. Dr Mohinder Singh Bajwa, Director of Research disclosed that with the ushering of 21st century the format of the research papers and scientific references to be included in the journal had been modified according to the latest international standards.

COURTS

Concorde Motors told to repair car
LUDHIANA, Nov 11 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Concorde Motors Ltd here to remove all defects in a car owned by Mr Ashwani Kumar Bhatia, a local resident.

SPORT

COA win 
LUDHIANA, Nov 11— College of Agriculture (COA) won the first league match of the PAU Inter-College Cricket Tournament, which started here today at the PAU Stadium. COA defeated College of Basic Sciences and Humanities (COBS&H) by seven wickets.