L U D H I A N A

Digvijay blames Punjab for delay
Ludhiana-Chandigarh rail link
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — The Union Minister of State for Railways, Mr Digvijay Singh, today blamed the Punjab Government for delay in the commencement of work on the proposed Ludhiana-Chandigarh rail link. He said despite being asked a number of times, the state government had failed to give its consent to contribute 5 per cent of the total cost of the project, being share of the beneficiary state.

Punjabi beauties in offbeat ramp show
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — Excitement spiced with comedy marked the Vishav Panjaban 2000 contest. Modern Punjabi damsels changed into traditional attires to walk down the ramp.

Vishav Punjaban 2000, Swaranjit Sandhu, and Aman and Poonam, the first and the second runners-ups, respectively, receive their prizes from Mr S.R. Kler, Additional Deputy Commissioner, in Ludhiana on Saturday night. — RB

Two workers killed in factory brawl
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — An altercation between two night-shift workers of a plastic bag factory in Shivaji Nagar here cost them their lives. While one worker succumbed to his injuries on the spot late last night, the other died in hospital today.

Paper leakage alleged
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — Rowdy scenes marked the beginning and the end of the 3rd state-level mathematics test organised by the Castle Learning Centre at Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, here today. Over 1100 students from 35 schools took the test.

ROADSIDE ENTERPRENEURS
They tell your fortune for Rs 10
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — Scores of fortune tellers have encroached upon the pavements outside Panjab University's Extension Library in a bid to catch the attention of passersby, luring them by giving them insights about their future.

Shabd singing programme
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — Religious nectar flowed uninterrupted for 16 hours before the ninth vishal alokik rainn subai gurmat samagam came to a close here this morning. Devotees started thronging the venue soon after 4 p.m. yesterday when the night-long programme of shabd singing got under way at the Dasehra grounds in Jamalpur Colony, Focal Point.

‘Tohra should not lay terms for support’
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — Punjab Finance Minister and senior leader of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal Capt Kanwaljeet Singh today asked the All-India Shiromani Akali Dal chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra to lend unconditional support the SAD.

CRIME

Son accuses mother of cheating
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — A city resident has alleged that his mother has cheated him by leasing out a building owned by him. He said, in doing so, she had violated a recent court order that affirmed his ownership right.

Four booked under Dowry Act
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — The district police has booked four persons under various provisions of the IPC for allegedly demanding more dowry and causing mental and physical torture to Baljit Kaur, a resident of Dalem village. Those facing criminal charges under Sections 406 and 498-A, IPC, are Jasvir Singh, Jarnail Singh, Sukhdev Kaur and Ramandeep Kaur, husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law, respectively, of the complainant. No arrest has been made so far.

EDUCATION

Training course on soil fertility
LUDHIANA, Nov 26 — A month-long training course on Pedology and soil mineralogy in relation to soil fertility was inaugurated by Dr J.S. Kolar, Director of Extension Education, in the Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, on November 23. The course will conclude on December 22.