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Exam day spent on roads...
...looking for a centre with computers

Ludhiana, February 21 Hundreds of Class X private candidates for the Punjab School Education Board computer-education practicals were a harassed lot today as teachers at their allotted centres refused to take their test.

The front portion of a house in Tagore Nagar, Ludhiana, that was demolished by the Municipal Corporation.  — Photo Rajesh Bhambi

Class V examinations begin
Ludhiana, February 21
Thousands of students of Class V appeared for examinations conducted by the primary wing of the District Education Department that began here today. The two-hour examination which was to start at 10 am was delayed at some of the centres as the superintendents failed to reach on time.

MC charged with selective demolition
Ludhiana, February 21
A resident of Tagore Nagar, Mr K. C. Mahendru, has alleged harassment at the hands of the Municipal Corporation officials who demolished the front portion of his house, which was constructed without passing the building plan but with the consent of the official concerned. Mr Mahendru alleged that despite the fact that there were many other illegal construction works without the approved building plan in the locality, no such action had ever been taken against these.

All arrangements in place for counting of votes
Ludhiana, February 21
Elaborate security and other arrangements for smooth counting of votes of all the 12 assembly constituencies have been completed at different counting centres for each constituency where the Electronic Voting Machines have been kept after polling on February 13. The required counting staff has been deputed for this purpose.

The cop who cares for ‘colleagues’! Ludhiana, February 21 Mr D. P. Singh, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, has set an example for IPS officers in the state by deciding to live in the barracks meant for constables during his six-month training period. Being the first-ever IPS officer to take such a step, he stole the limelight at today’s function regarding the inauguration of a new police control room, at the police lines when the DGP Punjab, Sarbjit Singh, went to the barracks to meet him and see for himself where he was putting up.                                                          D. P. Singh

COMMUNITY

Conditional interest-free payment of arrears approved
Ludhiana, February 21 The recently-held assembly elections in the state and the expected ouster of ruling SAD-BJP combine cast its shadow on the stormy General House meeting of the Municipal Corporation, with the BJP councillors, led by Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly, Mr Sat Pal Gosain and Group Leader Mr Pran Bhatia staging a dharna in the well of the house to press for interest-free payment of arrears pertaining to water supply, sewerage and house tax. The BJP councillors and Mr Gosain threatened to disrupt the proceedings till their demand was accepted.	BJP councillors stand in the well of the House during MC General House meeting to press for interest-free payment of arrears, in Ludhiana on Thursday.  — Photo Inderjit Verma

AITUC to hold rally against Indo-Nepal Treaty today
Ludhiana, February 21
The All-India Trade Union Congress is holding a massive rally against the misuse of Indo-Nepal Treaty on February 22 at Sherpur Kalan near here. It has alleged that misuse of the treaty, under which acrylic yarn and edible oil produced in that country could be freely imported without paying any duty, has created unemployment for at least 50,000 workers in the spinning industry here.

McDonalds opens first outlet in Ludhiana
Ludhiana, February 21
Ludhiana is all set to have the first McDonald’s in Punjab that will provide a drive through a restaurant-cum-entertainment center of international standards. To be located on the GT Road, McDonalds India Limited is currently busy finalising the set-up that would be inaugurated by none other than Ms Sonali Bendre towards the end of next month, according to senior executives of the company who are in town to oversea the completion of the work on the project.

26 complaints settled in weekly sangat darshan
Ludhiana, February 21
Out of the 42 complaints, 26 were settled at the weekly sangat darshan held at Bachat Bhavan here today. The sangat darshan was presided over by Mr A.K. Sinha, ADC (Development).

Boy killed in mishap
Jagraon, February 21
Sagar, an 11-year-old sewadar of Baba Ghala Singh, was killed when the carbine of SPO Kuldip Singh, gunman of Baba Ghala Singh, went off accidentally and a bullet hit him.

Cops injured
Jagraon, February 21
Constable Balraj Singh, driver of an Esteem car (HR-20G 0754), and Jasvir Singh, PHG, were seriously injured when a tempo (HR-37-7175) hit their car in the on Tuesday night.

• Id-ul-Zuha on Feb 23

Saving on power, losing on cost
Ludhiana, February 21
The austerity drive launched by Punjab Agricultural University last April has finally started paying dividends as the power consumption bill has come down reduced considerably, but the university is still struggling to find ways of utilising the air-conditioners, removed under the drive.

COURTS

HC stay on parking lots vacated
Ludhiana, February 21
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has vacated the interim order issued on October 9, 2001, restraining the Municipal Corporation and all others from using the vacant areas along Ferozepore Road as parking sites.

CULTURE

The angst of Partition relived
Ludhiana, February 21
‘Ammi, when we can live so peacefully with a Hindu lady in our house in Pakistan, why could we not live amicably with Hindus in Lucknow? Why can’t Hindus and Muslims live peacefully? Why did we have to have a partition?’ asks Tanno, of her mother. These lines were the theme of the play by Habib Tanveer (recipient of Padam Bhushan) ‘Jis Lahore Nahi Vekhya Oh Jammyia Hi Nahi’ staged by SPIC MACAY in association with Ludhiana Sahitya Sabha.

Two stars on the horizon
Ludhiana, February 21
The play “Jis Lahore Nahi Vekhya Wo Jammyai Hi Nahin”, directed and scripted by Habeeb Tanveer, was staged here yesterday. The main protagonist of the play, a determined old Hindu woman (affectionately called “mai”), had refused to leave Lahore and had people hating her, but later has people eating out of her hands. She is haughty, at the same time tender, caring and has diverse shades to her character This role of 65-year-old woman was played beautifully and with conviction by a young man in his twenties, Balwinder Singh.

Alleviating pain in the neck
NECK pain (Cervical Spondylitis) has become widely prevalent in recent years. It is the product of a fast, mechanical life. The most common complaints by the patient are pain and stiffness in the neck. The patient is not able to turn his neck and look behind. This pain may radiate to the posterior part of the head or upper back between the two shoulder blades and to both shoulders. Patients specially women, often have swelling in the lower part of the neck. There may be numbness, tingling and a feeling of pins and needles in the hand. There is a tenderness of the muscles of the neck. Sometimes movement may be quite free. Occasionally creaking sounds can be heard while moving the neck. In an inflammatory condition movement in all directions is painful.

Polio-afflicted child dies
Ludhiana, February 21
The polio-afflicted 13-month-old child Mukesh died here on the intervening night of February 19-20. Despite the fact that the child had administered all the dosages against the disease from the Shimlapuri dispensary, he got inflicted by the disease about two months back.

City gets new PCR
Ludhiana, February 21
A new hi-tech police control room, the first of its kind in the North Region excluding New Delhi, was inaugurated by the Punjab DGP, Mr Sarbjit Singh, today. The city residents can hope of more facilities from the police as the state government has sanctioned Rs 4 lakh for providing more infrastructure to the force. Disclosing this to mediapersons, the DGP announced that this model of the PCR would be adopted by all the police districts in the state gradually.