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TOP STORIES

Two Akali leaders among 18 booked in land scam
Ludhiana, January 1
More than three years after the Panchayat of Kasabad village started fight against the alleged illegal selling off of 12 acres of panchayat land, worth about 2.5 crore, to private persons, by some Akali leaders in connivance with some revenue department employees, the district police today booked 18 persons for the alleged scandal.

Shopkeepers up in arms against PUDA, MC
Ludhiana, January 1
More than 50 shopkeepers on Lakshmi Cinema Road and Old G.T. Road near Jagraon Bridge in the city are a harassed lot with nobody to turn towards to seek justice.

And life goes on...:Woman labourers brave dense fog and intense cold in Ludhiana on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Pradeep Tewari

MC officials accused of  demanding bribe
Work on road in Haibowal locality
Ludhiana, January 1
A contractor, enlisted with the Municipal Corporation here, has charged senior civic officials of demanding ‘commission’ at a higher rate and further expressing their inability to execute the awarded work on the ground that the heavy amount of bribe to be paid to officials at various levels, left him with no margin of profit.

When myriad feet tapped...
Ludhiana, January 1
A million feet might have tapped and a million hands raised in jubilation as the clock ticked 12 in the night and heralded the arrival of New Year. As the past year passed by and the new one started everyone had the reason to celebrate in hopes and expectations. And celebrations in Ludhiana are always unique, rampant, rapturous may be a little short of being mad.

Revellers in a jubilant mood on the New Year eve in Ludhiana. — Tribune photos

Kites dot city skyline 
Ludhiana, January 1
‘Happy New Year: welcome 2003’ say gigantic kites. These are proudly displayed in Kitab Bazaar, Daresi Ground and many more areas inside the walled city. So popular are these this year, that a dozen or two are being sold even at paan shops and every small and big market.

Greeting people SMS way
Ludhiana, January 1
Hundreds and thousands of SMS messages were sent on the eve of the New Year yesterday. Probably this was one of the most convenient, direct, instant and also cheap medium that people could use on the new year’s eve. This also saved lot of time and paper that would have been used for the greeting cards.

Defence officers celebrate New Year
Ludhiana, January 1
The Ludhiana Officers Institute of the defence services officers held its first function on the New Year eve. More than 200 serving and retired officers and their family members joined the fun and frolic at the function, which lasted well past midnight.

COMMUNITY

Traffic light blues on GT Road

Khanna, January 1 The improper maintenance of traffic lights on the GT Road is causing a lot of inconvenience to residents, commuters and the traffic police of this town. The traffic lights at four points of the total five points are not working properly. This is leading to accidents everyday. Despite the traffic lights having been installed at a national highway crossing in Khanna, policemen have to manage the traffic since lights usually remain out of order. — Photo by Pradeep Tewari

The role of cultural dialogues
In retrospect when I view the cultural festival organised by Spic-Macay for three days recently at GRD Academy (Ludhiana), I feel that the labour of love has been amply rewarded. Much scheming by state co-ordinator Manveen Kaur Sandhu and Convention Co-ordinator Navin Talwar had gone into the making of the Silver Jubilee National Convention, under the guidance of Dr Kiran Seth, the Founder of the society.

Garments disbursed among  deaf and dumb kids

Ludhiana, January 1 To mark the New Year, the District Red Cross Society organised a function at Bal Bhavan in Sarabha Nagar here today. Ms Sunil Agarwal, Chairperson District Red Cross Society, disburses sweets and garments among deaf and dumb children at Bal Bhavan in Ludhiana on Wednesday.

Kelkar report condemned
Ludhiana, January 1
The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Punjab, has condemned Dr Vijay Kelkar’s recommendations for abolishing various exemptions under the Income Tax Act.

CITY SCAN
Greeting card hollow ritual
A celebration holds promise and carries value. Most of the present-day events end as hollow rituals. Often an important event repeats itself as a mere drum-beating and carries more noise than message. Cards make the mail heavy and postmen are overburdened. Urgent messages are unduly delayed. 

CRIME

2940 kg of poppy husk seized
Ludhiana, January 1
A police team headed by Mr Mohinder Kumar Ghai, SHO of Police Station Raikot has seized 140 bags containing 2,940 kg of poppy husk from a truck. According to a press note issued by Mr Jaspal Singh Dhanoa, SP(D), Jagraon, the team was on a special patrol duty when it found a truck overturned near Littran village.

BUSINESS

Hero Honda to rev up export target
Ludhiana: Hero Honda has set a target of exporting 23,000 motor cycles during this fiscal year. At present 16,000 motor cycles are being exported. The company is also planning to sell spare-parts abroad.

‘Ensure credibility  of immigration agencies’
Ludhiana, January 1
There has been a steady increase in the number of applicants seeking immigration to countries like Canada, New Zealand and Australia. People belonging to varied age groups are seeking immigration for better prospects. Immigration is neither difficult and nor impossible, provided you get proper counselling and guidance.

AGRICULTURE

Krishak Shiromani Samman for 2 Punjab farmers
Ludhiana, January 1
Two Punjab farmers Mr Mohinder Singh Grewal of Kanganwal village of this district and Mr Sukhpal Singh Bhullar of Ghuman Kalan village near Bathinda have been awarded Chaudhry Charan Singh Krishak Shiromani Samman for the year 2002 for their outstanding achievement in agriculture and allied sector.

Teachers discuss a point with the Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Paaathak, on the concluding day of an orientation camp in Ludhiana on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Prof gets national award
Ludhiana, January 1
Dr Major Singh Randhawa, a lecturer in physics at the Government Polytechnic for Women, has brought laurels to the city in the field of technical education by winning the Rajarambapu Patil National Award for promising teacher for creative work done in technical education for the year 2002 among polytechnics.

MTSC to organise competitions
Ludhiana, January 1
Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, here will organise various events on the college campus from January 2 to 4 to mark the new year. Declamation, poetical recitation and on the spot poster making competitions will be held tomorrow. Mr Ashwani Sekhri, Minister for State of Industries Tourism and Cultural Affairs, will be the chief guest for the morning session.

• School honours students

N-warfare fallout ‘unmanageable’
Ludhiana, December 30
The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), an organisation of health professionals campaigning for complete elimination of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, has termed the statement of Army Medical Corps to manage disastrous effects of these weapons as not scientifically viable.

MP visits hospital
Mandi Gobindgarh, January 1
Government-run institutions have failed to provide the desired results as doctors are not available in rural dispensaries and teachers not present in rural schools, said Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, MP, who was the chief guest on the annual function of Parbhat Puri Charitable Hospital, here recently.

SPORTS

Mukandpur, Dango win titles
Ludhiana, January 1
Mukandpur prevailed over Rannia 1-0 while Dango outplayed Khanna 3-1 to win the title in hockey and football, respectively at the annual sports festival organised by the Boparai Sports and Cultural Club at Ghudani Kalan village, about 20 km from here yesterday.