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| Sunday,
August 31, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Sewer cleaning, streetlight maintenance go Ludhiana, August 30 While the bids have already been invited from private contractors to maintain parks and approximately 55,000 streetlight points, the Finance and Contracts Committee okayed the proposal for handing over the work of sewer line cleaning to the contractors, in its meeting held on Thursday. It may be recalled that the work of operating and maintaining tubewells for the water supply network in the city is already in private hands. Giving details, the MC Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma, told Ludhiana Tribune that tenders had been invited from eligible landscapers, architects and other individuals or firms, having experience in horticulture for the maintenance of 470 parks in different parts of the city. Under a dual bid system, the bidders would submit separate technical and financial offers and only those qualifying in the technical bids would be considered for financial bidding. The contractors who will be awarded the work of maintenance of parks, would have the comprehensive responsibility of maintenance of the parks up to the required standards, including cutting and pruning of shrubs and plants, re-plantation, trimming, watering and rolling. They would also have to arrange tools and equipment for maintenance of parks on their own. While the permanent infrastructure like boundary wall, grills, gates, painting, repair and renovation, water supply, footpath, lights and fountains etc would be provided by the MC, the contractor would ensure that no construction or alteration was carried out in the parks and these were not used for any social, religious, commercial or domestic function. Similarly, the MC had issued a public notice, inviting tenders for the maintenance of 55,000 streetlight points in 11 groups in the four zones in the city for a period of two years. Mr Sharma said the work would be awarded to approved electrical contractors on the basis of lowest quotations and also keeping in view the capability, manpower and financial capacity of the bidder. For the past around one year, the streetlights were being maintained by the MC but it was being increasingly felt that the civic body did not have adequate manpower and the necessary technical expertise to cope with the volume of work involved. Although detailed modalities for privatisation of the work for cleaning of main sewer lines in the city, were yet to be worked out, Mr Sharma indicated that the job would be entrusted to experienced contractors, who could deploy their own ditch cleaning machines and trained manpower for cleaning main sewer lines in the city on a regular basis. |
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Custodial
death case all set to be shut Ludhiana, August 30 Mammon has allegedly played a big role in effecting a quiet burial of the case by the police. Sources revealed to the Ludhiana Tribune that a compromise deal had been struck with the relatives of the missing man and a ‘compensation’ of a couple of lakh had been paid. Officially, the missing man is now safe somewhere in the Himalayas. Sources reveal that the relatives of the missing man and other members of his dera in Sirhind have given sworn affidavits to the police stating that they had received a phone call from Bhalinder Nath, who had said he was safe and was somewhere in the Himalayas. The relatives have stated that the ‘missing’ man told them that he was disturbed by the police case and had gone to do ‘tapasya’ on the mountains for two years. He did not disclose the place from where he was calling. While no police official was willing to talk about the case and refused to be quoted in any manner whatsoever, sources disclosed that the relatives were demanding a compensation of Rs 7 lakh but the police was offering Rs 2 lakh only. It has been learnt that both the parties had agreed on some amount but the exact figure could not be ascertained. The immediate effect of the compromise was that the relatives of the missing person had become unavailable for mediapersons. While earlier, the victim’s maternal uncle, Jeet Nath, had openly alleged that his nephew was tortured to death in the custody of the CIA here, he was not available to comment on the compromise deal. He lives in Dhuri, where Bhalinder Nath originally belonged to. The TNS tried to contact him over the phone through a local journalist, who accompanied the relatives to the CIA and was part of a delegation that had approached the senior police officials regarding his disappearance. The journalist was available and sent the message to Jeet Nath, who refused to come on the phone. Five other persons who were allegedly picked up with the missing person and had claimed to be witness to the sequence of events after being released by the police have also become unavailable. All efforts to contact them at their dera in Sirhind proved futile. Bhalinder Nath was one of the 11 persons picked by the CIA police, Ludhiana, from Sirhind on August 4. After being kept in illegal confinement till August 12, five of them were booked and others barring Bhalinder Nath were released. The released persons later claimed to the dera persons and the mediapersons that Bhalinder Nath was beaten up severely and was whisked away in a police gypsy when his condition deteriorated on the night of August 11. One of the witnesses Tegar Nath said the police had picked them on August 4 from Sirhind when they were taking part in the marriage of a dera inmate’s daughter. They were kept in CIA custody and were beaten up several times. He said the police was forcing them to confess that they were involved in several cases of robbery but they did not confess anything. ‘We were shifted to various police stations and were told that the victim Bhalinder Nath had fled along with others. This was impossible as the victim could barely walk because of police beating when I had seen him in CIA on that day,’’ he claimed. Other released persons Chinder Nath, Bhagel Nath, Akbar Nath, Josna Nath and Gona Nath, who were present at the dera corroborated his statement to this correspondent. |
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Multi-crore satta business continues Ludhiana, August 30 Bittu Chawla and Subhash
Katty, the satta operators who dared to reveal the police-satta operators’ nexus through the CD expose, were booked and arrested on the charge of bribing policemen. The case was sprung upon the duo soon after they had got a breather from the cases of forgery registered against them about two months earlier. However, the expose, which led to the arrest of at least 10 police officers on corruption charges, has failed to change the established practice of the police, according to which policemen allow satta operators to operate freely in their area in lieu for a fixed retainer every month plus small sums from time to time. A satta shark operating from Cheema Chowk doles out about Rs 2000 every day to policemen who want money to buy cash cards for their cellphones or petrol for their scooters. Sources in the business confided that satta operators even contributed in a big way to the building of a room in the chowki concerned about two years ago. The CD expose has only made the policemen concerned more cautious about hidden cameras and all that. It is mainly because of this nexus that the business is flourishing owing to the increasing number of betters and lottery addicts. Apart from the satta sharks operating from Cheema Chowk, there are others operating from the Subhani Building Chowk, Daresi, Lakkar Bazar and the lottery market near Clock Tower. Bets worth lakhs are being booked and the money collected as usual by agents from residences of their wealthy clients who do not want to be seen near the “booking office”. The office is frequented only by the lower and middle-class satta players. On an average, a wealthy satta player bets between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh per day. Some rich clients place high bets even late at night on their
cellphones. Payments are delivered at or collected from the better’s residence the next morning. Heavy transactions take place on the basis of mutual trust. According to sources, Khanna is emerging as the second biggest satta centre in the district after the city. |
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Rain inundates low-lying
areas Ludhiana, August 30 The low lying areas on the periphery as well as quite a few residential colonies and commercial centres, both in the old city areas and posh areas, including Salem Tabri, Noorwala Road, Shivpuri, Hargobind Nagar, Kidwai Nagar, Industrial Estate, Gill Road, Pakhowal Road, Dholewal Chowk, Link Road, Model Town, Sarabha Nagar, Feroze Gandhi Market, New Kundan Puri and parts of Haibowal, remained submerged till afternoon and water receded only after the rain had stopped. There were complaints of overflowing sewer lines from some part of the city. Sullage was overflowing on roads and streets and in some other areas sewer lines were back flowing into houses and commercial establishments. Elsewhere, damaged roads with massive potholes added to the woes of the people. The Municipal Corporation authorities, however, claimed that the sewer lines and the storm water drainage system in the city were functioning to their full capacity because the entire sewerage, storm sewer lines and road gullies had been cleaned up thoroughly before the start of the rainy season. “Substantial parts of the city have the facility for storm water drainage and usually the accumulated rain water is drained out almost as soon as the rain stops. Occasionally, when the rainfall is heavy, like it was today, the time taken for the drainage of accumulated water is obviously more,” the sources maintained. |
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Tension
at DMC Ludhiana, August 30 Over 200 activists of the union, led by Chander Mohan Kalia laid seize to the office after the DMC management ordered the union to vacate the office with immediate effect. The union is , meanwhile, divided in two groups and the division has led to its own tension. One group considers Ms Rajwant Kaur as its leader while the other one is supporting Chander Mohan Kalia. The stand-off began in the afternoon when the union received the orders. The angry office-bearers and activists refused to comply with the orders and began gathering at the office. As per the latest reports secretary of the management Amrit Nagpal had invited the union leaders for talks on the issue. |
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Baba Daljit Singh honoured Ludhiana, August 30 The founder president of the Chicago headquartered mission and a member of the American chapter of the International Association of Religious Freedom (IARF) was in the City on an invitation of the organisations. His mission is also the nerve centre of the under-construction International Sikh Museum and the International Anti- Drug Sikh Mission. He was honoured at a function by Manch President Gurdeep Singh Leel and Baba Farid Foundation patron Pritam Singh Bharowal and others. Addressing the gathering, the Baba said a team has conducted an extensive survey of the state and has identified the areas with high percentage of drug abusers. We would hold camps in villages where succour would be provided to patients with the recitation of Gurbani, Simran, exercises and lectures, he added. Besides this, literature on the Sikh way of life would be distributed to the patients. His mission had benefitted 500 families in the USA. Many families have been baptised, he added. The Baba the Pope was also for inter-religious interactions. The Pope even wrote letters to all his missions. The results have been encouraging, he claimed. |
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Mann visits Raikot hospital Ludhiana, August 30 Mr Mann told The Tribune that he was shocked over the treatment being given to the injured, who were very poor. He alleged that there were no proper arrangements in the hospital to take care of them. He said their condition was pitiable as no doctors or other staff members was available in the hospital. Mr Mann also regretted the poor security arrangements at the hospital. He pointed out that since the family members had fought the robbers, they were in danger of being victimised again. He said there was only one policeman at the
hospital |
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Shankar
makes car disappear Ludhiana, August 30 Shankar also invited a girl from the audience and put her in deep sleep. The next moment she was floating in the air. For three hours, he amazed the audience with his magic acts. The proceeds of the show were given to the local Red Cross Society.
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Man in chains for three years Machhiwara, August 30 Youngest of the five sons of late Kehar Singh, Ranbir lost his mental balance 15 years ago. His wife also left him. His father tried to get him cured, but in vain. Tormented by the condition of Ranbir his father died and his mother became bed-ridden. Now his brother Omkar Singh looks after him. According to family members, Ranbir’s behavior had become more violent during the past three years. They said as the number of complaints had increased in connection with Ranbir’s behaviour they had no option but to chain him.
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Demand
for Bharat Ratna to Beant Singh Ludhiana, August 30 Making the demand, local legislators said Capt Amarinder Singh had already made a case and submitted it to the Government of India. |
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Manjit
Bawa to head US Bairagi mandal Ludhiana, August 30 He announced that immediately after returning to the USA he would try to organise the community members. |
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Award for Tasneem Ludhiana, August 30 |
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One held for illegal sale of
LPG refills Ludhiana, August 30 A department team caught Umesh Kumar red-handed while filling small gas cylinders, weighing 3 to 5 kg, from the domestic gas cylinders, weighing 14.2 kg. A case under Section 7 of the EC Act has been registered against him at the Dhandari Kalan police post. He said the team raided the shop of Umesh Sharma near Surjit Cinema and seized two big cylinders, six small cylinders and gas filling equipment. He said the accused used to sell these at higher rates. |
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Three booked under Copy Right Act Machhiwara, August 30 Four music shops were raided from which pirated CDs, film wrappers, CD recording machines and CDs were seized. The shopkeepers have been booked under various sections of the Copy Right Act and IPC. |
It’s too little, too late, says engg industry Ludhiana, August 30 Mr P.D.Sharma, Chairman of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “Although the removal of the BIS provision on the import of steel is a welcome step, but it is too little and too late.” He pointed out that industry had already suffered massive losses and a number of industrial units in the state had already closed down. He hoped that the ministry would make the recommendation to the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade at the earliest in this regard. He said the duty structure also needed to be restructured and rationalised. Mr V.P.Chopra, president of the Federation of Tiny and Small Industries Association, said it remains to be seen as to what would be the impact of the removal of BIS specifications on import. Mr D.S.Chawla, president of the United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association, said the removal of the BIS specification for imports alone was not going to help the industry. He stated that during his meeting with the minister after he announced the removal of BIS specifications yesterday he had told the latter that the government needed to rationalise the duty structure. He said, the custom duty on the primary material was 25 per cent while on the secondary material (in terms of size) it was 40 per cent. He added that he made it clear to the minister that the duty on both materials should in no case exceed 10 per cent. However, Mr S.C.Ralhan, regional chairman of the engineering export promotion council, said he was satisfied with the government decision regarding the BIS provision. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), has welcomed the decision of the government. CICU president Inderjeet Singh Pradhan and general secretary Avtar Singh maintained that their main demand had been met. |
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Liberty
launches winter range Ludhiana, August 30 Mr Anup Bansal, one of the directors said the new collection having 200 new models and 500 variants highlights the new footwear trends for the winter season of 2003 and encompasses the latest trends in the international markets, customised especially to suit Indian conditions and
requirements.
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Withdraw
exim forms, say Tibetan traders Ludhiana, August 30 They maintain that since they do not have any fixed shops or offices it will not be possible for them to furnish all details required for filling the forms. Although they do not have any association, local manufacturers who mostly depend on the Tibetans, have formed the Indo-Tibetan Hosiery Association. It does not have many Tibetan members and is represented by those manufacturers who sell their products to the Tibetans only. The association has sought the support of local MLA, Surinder Dawer. Addressing a meeting of the association here last evening, Mr Dawer said he would put forth their point of view before the Chief Minister. Mr Naveen Sood, president of the association, said it would not only Tibetan traders alone who would be hit by the introduction of exim form, but also the local hosiery manufacturers. |
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