The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, May 5, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

L U D H I A N A

DCs get stinker over arms licence extension
Ludhiana, May 4
The state government has taken a serious note of the rising number of recommendations sent to it for extending the jurisdiction of existing arms’ licence to the All-India level by the deputy commissioners of all districts in the state.

Death in custody: ‘price of silence’ paid
Ludhiana, May 4
There was no untoward incident in Haibowal here today during the cremation of Karnail Singh who had died in police custody on Wednesday. Karnail’s family and an action committee decided to drop objections after a Rs 3 lakh “compensation deal” was struck with the family.

Deteriorating law and order criticised

Farmers resort to stubble burning

Ludhiana, May 4
Posing a threat to environment and health of soil, farmers continue to burn the stubble of wheat despite being told not to indulge in this practice. The Agriculture Department and the scientists of Punjab Agricultural University have a number of times issued directions to the farmers to avoid the burning of the stubble.
Wheat straw set on fire in a field against the directions of the Agriculture Department and PAU. — Photo Inderjit Verma

EARLIER STORIES

	Protests against custodial death May 4 , 2001
	MC proposal for free water supply, sewerage runs into trouble May 3 , 2001
	Illegal structures around Baddowal ammunition depot to be razed May 2 , 2001
	Dumping of explosives: DC seeks govt help May 1 , 2001
	Robbers strike in village; kill one, injure 4 April 30, 2001
	CAG recommends action against ‘errant’ PAU officials April 29, 2001
	FCI loses Rs 2,600 crore April 28, 2001
	Board to probe case of missing NSCs April 27, 2001
	Power cuts irk residents April 26, 2001
	Farmers block traffic for non-payment April 25, 2001
	Bank robbery at Ludhiana April 24, 2001

Exporters seek abolition of octroi
Ludhiana, May 4
The Engineers Exporters Association of India has submitted a memorandum to the state Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, demanding abolition of octroi on export material, power restrictions during peak hours and decrease in transport costs.

DEO's Gypsy attached for ignoring court order
Ludhiana, May 4
A district court today ordered the attachment of a Gypsy of the District Education Officer here due to the Education Department’s failure to execute an earlier court order directing it to pay over Rs 2 lakh to a former employee.

Siti Cable interfering with satellite TV signals
Ludhiana, May 4
The Siti Cable, the local cable channel, is at it again and thousands of subscribers to the cable network in the city are at the receiving end. Much to the irritation of the TV viewers, an advertisement of “Face-N-Figure — The Grooming Workshop” is being indiscriminately beamed in between various popular programmes of Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony and other satellite channels for the last three days.

Two burn alive friend’s wife
Ludhiana, May 4
In a gruesome incident, two persons burnt alive a woman and severely injured her husband in the Industrial Area of the city late last night. Tappan, the injured man, hailing from Darjeeling, who was employed in a factory here, is under treatment at the civil hospital.

COMMUNITY

Surcharge on power supply opposed
Ludhiana, May 4
Industrial and domestic consumers here have strongly condemned the Punjab State Electricity Board’s decision to impose 10 per cent additional surcharge on commercial and domestic consumers whose bills are above Rs 2000 on actual power consumption.

Kiran Bedi to attend camp in jail on May 7
Ludhiana, May 4
Dr Kiran Bedi will participate in a de-addiction camp and an awareness campaign of Dental Research Institute of Versatile Education (DRIVE) on May 7 in Central Jail here.

Noise pollution by pulverizer
Ludhiana, May 4
The walls are crumbling. The water in the bucket is spilling over. The land under your feet seems to be moving and the noise is so high that you can not hear your own voice.

35 cases of octroi evasion detected

CRIME

Robbers strike twice in one night
Ludhiana, May 4
About five persons robbed two families near Johlan Rajgarh village near Raikot yesterday and decamped with about Rs 60,000 and some other valuable items. The Raikot police visited the spot, but no case was registered. The robbers struck at the house of a person called Uttam Chand and a nearby ‘dera’.

3 booked for assault
Ludhiana, May 4
The Focal Point has booked three persons for assaulting and locking employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board who had gone to check the electric meter of a factory, Sikri Steel Ltd., in Dhandari Kalan.

Minor girl abducted
Amloh, May 4
Ms Mohinder Kaur, a widow residing in Bhadson village, in a complaint along with an affidavit to the Chief Minister of Punjab has alleged that her relative, Jasbir Kaur (16), and a resident of Dandrala village, near here, under Bhadson police station, was abducted by a person of the same village nearly two months ago.

AGRICULTURE

Harrowing time for cotton growers
Ludhiana, May 4
The cultivation of cotton crop in the state is facing a crisis this year due to acute shortage of irrigation water. While the weather god has played a spoilsport, the non-availability of water in Gobind Sagar, which is supplied to canals all over the state, is adding to the woes of cotton growers.

EDUCATION

Spare a thought for school kids
THAT the mercury has already crossed 41° Celsius and paralysed life is well known. But spare a thought for school students. Little students are the worst sufferers. First of all the uniforms provided to them are impractical.

Surprise visit to school bears fruit
Mandi Gobindgarh, May 4
The Education Department here has implemented the orders passed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, at the time of his surprise visit to Government High School, Kotla Bajwara, on April 27.

Declamation contest at Sidhant Kendra
Ludhiana, May 4
A declamation contest to commemorate the 37th death anniversary of Jahawarlal Nehru was organised by the Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust for school children today. Seventeen schools participated in the contest. Each team was represented by two members.

CULTURE

Artist who draws attention
Ludhiana, May 4
Kulwinder, a teenager of Pamal near here, has been creating cartoon strips since childhood, but no one has spotted his talent so far. This boy has exceptional drawing skills and can become a popular cartoonist. This hobby, which has now become his obsession, makes him draw cartoons while the other children of his age play. A free period in school and the shade of a tree are enough to fire his imagination.
Kulwinder Singh and one of his works.

HEALTH

Eyes: the best gift to offer mankind
Ludhiana, May 4
“There are 1.25 million blind people in India and out of these 25 lakh suffer from corneal blindness. In India 80 to 90 lakh people die of natural death. If people change their attitude and beliefs and donate their eyes after death, all the visually impaired persons can see and there would be no one suffering from corneal blindness,” said Dr Ramesh, an opthalmologist, at the Civil Hospital in Jodhan Maansooran village.

ADMINISTRATION

Register migrant labourers: DC
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 4
To curb the crime in the district, the district administration has launched a campaign to register the particulars of all the migrant labourers living in the district. Mr Vikas Partap, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, in an office order issued today, had directed all the factory owners, farmers and all those who had employed migrant labourers should immediately register their names and addresses in their respective police stations.