L U D H I A N A

Government fails to resolve liquor imbroglio
Ludhiana, April 16
Even two weeks after the expiry of licenses of liquor vends that yielded around Rs 220 crore to the state exchequer last year, the imbroglio over the auction of vends still continues and detailed discussions held in the meeting of the State Cabinet at Chandigarh last evening also proved inconclusive.

Parking chaos outside courts
Ludhiana, April 16
A number of vehicles can always be seen parked along the road between the Old Courts complex and Lakkar Bridge. Those who do not find space here, park their vehicles in the nearby lanes to the annoyance of those who live there. The road gets blocked everyday and vehicles that cause it mostly belong to lawyers and those who visit the courts.

Haphazardly parked vehicles along the road outside the Old Courts complex, Ludhiana.  — Photo Rajesh Bhambi

Vacancies in govt schools affect teaching
Ludhiana, April 16
Teaching in government schools of the district is yet to start, even though the new academic session began more than two weeks ago. Hundreds of students return home each day without opening their bags, owing to an acute shortage of staff in these schools. The vacancies include those of principals, head teachers, teachers and lecturers.

Cheating charge against ASI
Ludhiana, April 16
A number of migrant residents of Sherpur have approached Mr Kuldip Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, to get back Rs 9,000 which was said to have been taken away by Mr Jarnail Singh, ASI, in charge of Sherpur police post, on the night of April 8.

Nambardars held for cheating
Ludhiana, April 16
The Economic Offences Wing of the city police has arrested two nambardars for attesting a fake document of sale of a house of an ailing woman. The accused — Buta Singh and Prem Chand — have been sent to the Central Jail here and they will also be in judicial custody till April 28. The third accused, Jaswant Singh, is yet to be arrested.

COMMUNITY

Vegetable market project waiting for CM
Ludhiana, April 16
One of the modern vegetable markets in Punjab, which has been planned to boost the quality vegetable trading on large-scale and increase the vegetable exports from the state, will be set up soon after the state Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, inaugurates the building sometime soon. The Punjab Mandi Board and the marketing committee, Ludhiana, have already provided about Rs 7 crore in the current financial year for this project.

Evicted from home and no justice yet
Ludhiana, April 16
It has already taken him four years. But he has not lost heart nor faith in the legal system of the country or in the proverbial victory of truth over falsehood. Among the various complainants who have filed separate applications against the repression being perpetrated by Manju Verma, is Shameem Ahmed.

Authorship of Chritropakhyan disputable, Sikh scholar
Ludhiana, April 16
Pritpal Singh Bindra, a Canada based columnist and writer and a leading scholar on Sikhism, was of the opinion that the Chritropakhyan (triyachitr), a chapter of the Dasham Granth, could not have been written by Guru Gobind Singh. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune after attending function at Punjabi Bhavan here today, noted writer said, while it was being attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, the contents of the Chritopakhyan are such that it was difficult to accept that it would be Guru’s vani.

Left parties, INTUC protest
Ludhiana, April 16
Left parties, including All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of India Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and All India Council of Trade Unions, staged a dharna and held a demonstration to protest against the anti-labour and anti-employee policies of the government.

YC to hold rallies
Ludhiana, April 16
The District Youth Congress (DYC) will hold a series of rallies on ward level under its ‘Lok Shakti’ campaign to prepare the party ranks for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Addressing a meeting of party workers at the residence of Mr Sarbjit Singh Bunty, Vice-President, the DYC President, Mr Parminder Mehta, urged the senior party leaders to participate in these rallies to provide guidance and inspiration to the youth.

Aggar Nagar residents demand subway
Ludhiana, April 16
In the wake of heavy vehicular traffic on the Ferozepore road and difficulties faced by the residents, particularly the school going children, in crossing over from A Block to B Block of the locality, the residents have urged the Municipal Corporation to provide a subway.

Admn’s intervention sought
Ludhiana, April 16
The Moulder and Steel Workers Union has demanded the intervention of the district administration and the labour commissioner to force the management of Pearl Oswals to honour the agreement that was settled a few days ago. The union had held an emergency meeting today in which about 300 workers participated.

• BSNL employees hold rally

CRIME

Gangs selling fake watches active
Ludhiana, April 16
Three to four persons, including this correspondent, are having tea at a shop when a good-looking sari-clad woman with her two children arrives there. The woman has chiselled features with black dots tattooed on her face. She buys a couple of “matthis” and orders a cup of tea.

‘Ideal daughter’ shocks villagers
Mor Karima (Ludhiana), April 16
Only a week ago, residents of this village near Ludhiana used to consider Karamjit Kaur a role model for their daughters and daughters-in-law. Today, there is no worse role model than her.

One hurt in accident
Doraha, April 16
A man is reported to have been injured in a road accident when his car was hit by a speedy truck at Doraha. It is learnt that Amar Singh of Mannawal village in Karnal, was on his Esteem car (UP-ISD-8444) when a speedy truck hit his car.

• Man beaten

AGRICULTURE

550 cr for agriculture
Amloh, April 16
The Punjab Government will spend Rs 550 crore on the mandikaran and agriculture development in the state, this was stated by Capt Kamaljit Singh, Finance Minister, at Bhambri village in Amloh tehsil today while addressing the huge gathering on the barsi of Gurdev Singh. The minister inaugurated 24-hour electric supply to the village.

Fire breaks out in wheat fields
Ludhiana, April 16
Wheat worth thousands of rupees was destroyed when a fire broke out near Hambra in Bhatha Dhuan village, 17 km from here, today.

EDUCATION

Students’ protest rally on April 26
Ludhiana, April 16
Thousands of students from all parts of Punjab will gather at Chandigarh on April 26 to protest against the Punjab Government’s anti-student policies. They will gherao Director, Technical Education, to protest against his decision to close down 18 Industrial Technical Institutes and various trades from the ITIs, said Mr Birbal Bala, state representative of the Punjab Students’ Union.

COURTS

Forum fines telecom company
Ludhiana, April 16
The District Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Spice Telecom to pay Rs 2,000 as compensation on account of deficiency in services to Mr Harinder Pal Singh, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar. The forum further directed the company to pay Rs 500 as cost of litigation.

CULTURE

Rain “Mann” lifts spirits Ludhiana, April 16 Harbhajan Mann held the entire audience spellbound for over two hours as not even thundershowers could dampen the enthusiasm of Ludhianvis on the eve of Baisakhi celebrations at Sutlej Club here last night.

Harbhajan Maan and his troupe perform during the rain on Sunday night at Sutlej Club, Ludhiana. — Photo Rajesh Bhambi

Dr Barsal honoured
Ludhiana, April 16
The Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle honoured eminent poet, Dr Gurmeet Singh Barsal, with the title “Virse da Vanjara” for his latest release, “Virse di pehchaan”. Presiding over the function, Principal Ram Singh, Chief Organiser, said that Dr Barsal had expressed the message of Sikh gurus clearly in his book. On the occasion, Professor Paramjot Singh, Director, Bhai Samund Singh Gurmat Sangeet Academy, recited hymns from the Gurbani.

‘Ayurveda getting popular’
Ludhiana, April 16
"Out of the state's total health budget, 10 per cent will be spent on ayurveda with the ayurvedic dispensaries getting medicines worth at least Rs 50,000 every year," this was stated by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, while launching the first batch of ayurveda products here last evening.

Effective therapy for skin disease
Ludhiana, April 16
The Dermatology Department of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital has come up with an effective therapy for the treatment of air-borne contact dermatitis, a common allergic skin disease.

Tributes paid to Dr Hahnemann
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 16
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr B.S. Sudan, presided over the 246th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr Samual Hahnemann, the father of homoeopathy, at Chunni village today. The function was organised by the Post Graduate Homoeopathic Medical Education and Research Institution, Chunni.

Orthodontics conference
Ludhiana, April 16
The two-day conference on orthodontics and prosthodontics which was organised by the Indian Dental Association concluded here on Tuesday.