 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Samrat Shankar fined for showing python in shows If both the persons fail to pay the fine they will have to undergo simple imprisonment. The court also said that as the python being exhibited by the magician was of young age and did not fall in the provisions of the Act but it was in the custody of the accused and they were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each. In default of payment of fine, they should undergo simple imprisonment for three months. Magician Samrat had fallen in the net of the local Wildlife department after the president of local chapter of PFA, Mr Sandeep Jain, who is also a member of Animal Welfare Board of India had complained against him. The district wild life officials had, on September 11, barred him from using the animal in his shows and had seized them. He was asked to produce the certificate till September 30. Interestingly, the magician had applied to the Haryana Wildlife Department for the ownership certificate after this
only. While the magician claimed that he had already a certificate from the local authorities, he had written such a letter to the wildlife warden only after he was booked for illegally possessing the animal. The issue was taken up with the Haryana government by the local chapter of PFA and he was not granted the certificate as the python was purchased after 1972 and was not registered before. Sources said that the age of python did not correspond to the age claimed by the applicant. Animal experts said that before granting the permission the wildlife authorities also found out the source of procurement and whether the seller had the permission from competent authority to keep, breed and sell the scheduled animal. If it had been caught from forests, did the applicant have permission to this effect? The experts said that the magician had purchased the python from Haryana and he had transported it to Punjab without any permission for transport of the wild animal. Samrat Shankar was booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, as he was exhibiting a python in his shows. The reptile was not registered with Animal Welfare Board for animal performance. He had failed to show the ownership of the python. The matter was reported to Divisional Forest Officer, Ludhiana and forest officials had seized the scheduled animal and a case was registered against him. The court had sent the python to Chhat Bir zoo. |
|
Narcotics smuggler held Ludhiana, November 28 He said the man was a new entrant into the illegal trade and had been supplying opium for the past three months only. He said the man had suffered a huge loss in business and his small-scale industry of manufacturing cycle parts was closed down. Talking to reporters, Davinder Singh said he had lost a lot of money and then fallen in bad company. He said one of his distant relatives used to consume opium and he knew some person in the business. The police said it was hopeful that more smugglers would be caught after further questioning of the accused. |
|
Autorickshaws a necessary evil Ludhiana, November 28 In the absence of an alternative and economically viable mode of transport, autorickshaws have virtually become a major mode of local transport, particularly for the working class as well as the lower and middle classes, who need to commute considerable distances on a routine basis. The city, in fact, never had a comprehensive local bus service and the fleet of buses, being operated on local routes by the municipal corporation, had gone non-functional more than a decade back. The increasing presence of autorickshaws in the city was towards fulfilling the huge gap in the local transport service and growing needs of a sizeable population for an economical and faster mode of local transport. While autorickshaws have now become an integral part of city life, they have also created a host of problems. Almost without exception, the thick black smoke-emitting vehicles with alarming level of emission of poisonous gases wreak havoc on the environment. Sources in the transport department maintain that no amount of tuning and adjustment can improve the level of emission in autorickshaws, most of which run on improvised engines and use kerosene as fuel. Apart from causing massive pollution, thousands of autorickshaws have also added to traffic congestion on roads. With encroachments all around and traffic regulation being the last of the priorities of the authorities, autorickshaw drivers flout traffic laws with impunity, perhaps due to lack of knowledge and adequate training or deliberately to protect their business interests. It is not uncommon to see an autorickshaw picking or dropping passengers in the middle of the road, right at an intersection, jumping traffic lights and changing lanes with total disregard to the inconvenience caused to other road users and holding up traffic. Though autorickshaw operators are not solely at fault since there are hardly any designated stands for them, but parking of three-wheelers indiscriminately on road sides, particularly in congested and thickly populated residential and commercial areas, also creates traffic chaos and adds to the woes of city residents. Not that the traffic department and the city police have not made any attempt to regulate the movement of autorickshaws and enforce relevant laws. But for varied reasons, the steps taken so far have not had the desired effect. According to traffic department officials, the problem is complex. “If we come down heavily on the defaulting operators, they raise a hue and cry and seek political support. If we take things easy and act with laxity, autorickshaw drivers flout every law.” A significant part of autorickshaws operating in the city do not possess valid documents and another large percentage of these are not roadworthy. The transport departments has launched yet another drive to issue stickers to autorickshaws after verification of documents. These stickers will save the operators from harassment due to frequent checking on city roads because possession of the sticker will be proof that the vehicle has all relevant documents. |
|
Suspects in kidnap bid yet to be booked Ludhiana, November 28 The alleged incident took place in the house of Sital Singh, owner of a scooter agency and agricultural farms, yesterday morning when he was preparing to leave the house with his relatives to perform the engagement ceremony of his daughter in a nearby town. The girl’s marriage took place today even as some of the key relatives were shuttling between the offices of various police officers to get action on their complaint. Sital Singh had some monetary dispute with Sukhdev Singh of Dhurkot, who allegedly barged into his house with four persons, including a Sub-Inspector of the Punjab police, and attempted to rob the complainant of cash and jewellery at gun-point, the panchayat alleges. They had almost taken away Sital Singh in a car but alert relatives and villagers foiled the attempt. The accused were given a good thrashing and two pistols were recovered from their possession. They were handed over to the Mullanpur police. However, the suspects were yet to be booked. SHO Paramjit Singh, said the police had received complaints from both parties and had decided to first inquire into the matter. He confirmed
The SHO claimed that the police had visited the spot and found exaggeration in the account of the complainant. Former MLA Tarsem Jodhan, who has taken up the family’s cause with the police officers, said he was pained to learn about the sufferings of the family and would launch an agitation if justice was not done. Bhen Singh, brother of the victim, Sital Singh, said the accused, Sukhdev Singh, planned the timing of the attack on the ring-ceremony day of the victim’s daughter. He said Sukhdev Singh had hired those persons and pistols were in the possession of Sub-Inspector Gurmail Singh and his brother and Junior Engineer, Punjab State Electricity Board, Jasmail Singh. He said even though the men were caught red-handed, yet the police had neither lodged any FIR against them nor arrested them officially.
|
|
Students asked to deposit more fees Ludhiana, November 28 Vice-President Dr Amritpal Singh and secretary Roshan Lal Arya of the Parents Teachers
Association (PTA) of Government College, Ludhiana, in a joint statement have said the government had hiked the fees and later withdrawn it. The students were to get the surplus fee money deposited back. But the order of the college to students to deposit more fees by December 2 is totally unjustified. So many students will be unable to pay high fees and have to withdraw from colleges. They have warned the government that if it does not withdraw the decision then the parents of the wards will protest against it. |
|
CM must quit, says Tohra Amloh, November 28 Captain Kanwaljeet Singh, former state Finance Minister, flayed Punjab Government for withdrawing the facilities provided to the people of the state by the Akali-BJP government, including shagan scheme, and power concession to Dalits. |
|
BKU ultimatum to govt on arrears Ludhiana, November 28 In a press note here today, the union president, Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, said the union would take control of the agitation being held outside the sugar mill at Morinda on December 2 if the management failed to pay last year’s arrears to farmers. He said the mill had asked sugarcane growers of Ropar to bring in fresh sugarcane as the mill was scheduled to begin crushing from November 22. However, since the management failed to assure the payment of the arrears, the Ropar unit of the union put up 24-hour nakas along roads leading to the mill. He stated that the state government should announce a new price of Rs 143 per quintal for surgarcane keeping in mind the current price index. He said a meeting of the union would be held at Gurdwara Shaheedan at Morinda on December 2 to plan further strategy. |
|
At the Crossroads
Sobha Singh was born at Sri Hargobindpur on November, 29, 1901, and when he died on August, 22, 1986, he had a galaxy of admirers. Among them Purdaman Singh Bedi holds a prominent place. He met the artist in 1952 at Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd, when he was a student at Government High School, Sidhwan Kalan. At that time Sobha Singh was wearing a turban, which he later discarded, and exhibited some of his paintings there, the legendary painting of Sohni Mahiwal among them. Later he went to Andretta, near Palampur, in 1955 with his classmates on a sponsored trip. The artist presented him a copy of the painting of Sohni Mahiwal when the boy told him of having seen that painting at Sidhwan Khurd. Purdaman Bedi had resolved in 1975, when he started his Punjabi monthly “Mir”, to bring out a special number of the journal with a view to highlighting the achievements of Sobha Singh. At one time 200 pages had been published but the plan fell through. Ultimately the birth centenary of Sobha Singh was celebrated all over Punjab in 2001. At that time Purdaman Bedi had started working on the commemorative volume of Sobha Singh. The volume, “Sardar Sobha Singh Simriti Granth”, finally saw the light of day. It comprises 320 pages and 80 photographs and is the outcome of a lifelong devotion of an admirer to his icon. N.S. Tasneem
|
|
Seminar on book on Guru Garib Dass held Ludhiana, November 28 The chief guest, Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, said the compositions of Guru Garib Dass Ji were in tune with the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib. He said that had this “bani been available prior to the 17th century, it would have been included in Guru Granth Sahib like the bani of other devotees and saints. The teachings of our great gurus and saints can indeed take us out of the morass of tension and egocentricity prevailing in the modern times.” Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, former Dean, Languages, Panjab University, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, said Dr Grewal’s book on the life and philosophy of Guru Garib Dass Ji was the need of the hour as in the present times of growing influence of Western culture, saints could show the way. Dr Jagtar Dhiman, Senior vice-president of the SBLSI, welcomed the chief guest and other dignitaries and conducted the seminar. Dr Jatinderpal Singh Jolly, Dr Kulwinder Kaur Minhas and Prof Balwinder Pal Singh presented their papers on the book. In unanimous terms, they highlighted that the philosophy of Guru Garb Dass Ji spread a distinct message of better living. They appreciated the efforts made by Dr Grewal in digging out information and details about the Guru Garib Dass Ji’s life and philosophy from different sources and bringing these to the fore in the form of a book. The book would serve as a useful resource material for other researchers, they said. In his address, Swami Shankranand Ji Bhuriwale gave a call for keeping the innerself pure as we do our environment and nature. On this occasion, various literary figures, including Dr K.S. Aulakh, Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, Prof Satish Sharma, Karamjit Aujla, Dr S Tarsem, Gurbhajan Gill, Ms Manu Sharma Sohal and Dr Jagtar Dhiman (Punjabi Culture Study Circle) were honoured with mementoes and shawls. Various literary figures, including Kulwant Jagraon, K.S. Aujla, Prof M.S. Cheema, Dr S. Tarsem, Gurbhajan Gill, Telu Ram Kohara, Gurcharan Singh Sake, Prof Satish Sharma, Senator, PU, deliberated on various aspects of the book. A literary magazine, “Prapti, brought out by the SBLSI, carrying writings of more than 30 writers and a literary CD of songs were presented to those sitting on the dais. The function concluded with the presentation of a vote of thanks by Mr S. Davinder Sethi. A langar was also served after the seminar. |
|
STs demand
benefits Ludhiana, November 28 In a press statement issued here, Rana Bawa Singh Sansi, chairman of the dal, Ladowal, said the people of Scheduled Tribes, i.e. Khana Badosh, Vimukat, Jaties, Kabile including Sansi, Borria, Barrer, Bajigar, Gihara, Nutt, Sirkiband, etc were still waiting to get their rights regarding vacancies and appointments and other benefits at the rate of 7.5 per cent. Rana Sansi said the chief ministers of different states had also demanded benefits and facilities to the Scheduled Tribes earlier but nothing could be done for
them. Even the National Human Rights Commission had made a similar demand but to no avail. He said the Scheduled Tribes should be given their due rights. |
|
Plea to restore recruitment Ludhiana, November 28 A union deputation, led by Mr Mohan Lal Nahar and Mr Ajved Kumar, called upon the Secretary Local Bodies, Chandigarh, yesterday and expressed its resentment about the failure of the government in issuing clear instructions to the local bodies in this regard. As a result, a large number of such cases had been hanging fire for the past two to three years and the eligible family members of deceased workers were left in the lurch. Mr Nahar pointed out that several meetings held with senior officers of the municipal corporations in Ludhiana and elsewhere had turned out to be futile and the officials had refused to see reason in the absence of clear-cut directions from the government. The deputation later met the Punjab Transport Minister, Mr Tej Parkash Singh, and the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister to impress upon them the immediate need to remove all hurdles in the way of recruitment on compassionate ground. Other members of the delegation included Mr Ram Nath Sandhu, Mr V.P. Chanda, Mr Diwan Chand Sahota, Mr Sat Pal Bhatti, Ms Chandra Wati, Mr Mahi Pal Sahota and Mr Jagdish Bhatti. |
|
21 akhand paths at
Gurmat Samagam Ludhiana, November 28 A medical and a dental camp was also organised today at the samagam. It was inaugurated by the chairman of Baba Jaswant Singh Dental College. Doctors of the college, including the Principal, Dr O.P. Naar, Dr P.S. Kapur, Dr Vikram Prabhakar, Dr Gagan Dogra , Dr Anuj Chabbra, Dr Pankaj Sharma and Dr Nitin Sood will conduct dental surgeries and check-ups. Besides free operations, the patients will also be given medicines free of cost.
|
|
Woman killed, one booked Ludhiana, November 28 Fraud cases:
The Civil Lines police registered a case under Sections 467,468,471 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Randhir Singh of Old Nabha in Patiala district, against Paramjit Singh of Urban Estate, Dugri, Satish Kumar and Harjinder Singh, hiring near Timber Market, Bharat Nagar chowk. The complainant had stated that he had rented out a shop to the accused, who did not pay him any rent. The complainant further alleged that the accused had prepared a forged chit with his signature, which purported to show that they had paid Rs 60,000 to him. No arrest was made so far. Woman assaulted:
Accident cases:
The Sahnewal police registered a case under sections 279,337,338 and 427 of the IPC yesterday on the statement of Mr Sunil Adalikha of Model Town, Gurgaon, against Amritpal Singh of Panglian village. The complainant had stated that the accused hit his Maruti van with a Tata Sumo, as a result of which the vehicle was damaged and he was injured yesterday. No arrest was made so far. Noise pollution:
Held for gambling:
Knife seized:
|
Extra
protection to top steel producers resented Ludhiana, November 28 In a letter to the Union Steel Secretary, Ms Binu Sen, the president of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr P.D. Sharma, alleged that the steel producers were misleading the government to seek extra protection. He pointed out that the steel producers had mistakenly taken the case of cars, where the impact of steel prices was nominal. He said this argument was not tenable as iron and steel users in the lower segment were on the verge of closure. He added that in case of cars, Honda had started importing steel from Thailand. Putting up a case for the cut in import duty on steel, Mr Sharma pointed out that steel producers in the country were mainly dependent on China for coal and coke. China had reportedly decided to stop export of these commodities he said, adding that under these circumstances, it was difficult to understand as to why the government was shirking from cutting duty on steel import. Mr Sharma observed that India had much to learn from other countries. He said, “We must protect our steel consumers to protect jobs and avoid upheaval in the economy”. He said even with protection, USA’s steel producers had raised prices nominally. |
|
Bank branch inaugurated Mandi Gobindgarh, November 28 The bank planned massive expansion in the near future with modern and technical banking facilities like ATMs, tele-banking and mobile touch screen. It also provided bank facilities to the industry which would provide 24-hour service, Mr Bassu added. He stressed for co-ordination between small-scale, medium scale and big industries and each should be complementary to the other. Speaking about the performance of the bank, Mr Bassu pointed out that the bank had established 67 branches in the region and 1,255 branches in the country. Mr B.K. Piparaiya, General Manager and Regional Head, in his welcome address, stated that this public sector bank would open three more branches in Punjab at Khanna, Moga and Ropar shortly. Mr Kapil Dev Chaddha, Branch Manager, said this full-fledged computerised air-conditioned branch with foreign exchange centre would serve the people of this industrial town efficiently. Mr P.S. Lamba, Bank Manager, Leela Bhavan, spoke about the development of the bank.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Ludhiana, November
28
During the last century, the figure that emerged unequivocally on the art scene in Punjab was that of Sobha Singh, who tried his hand at landscape painting and sculpture carving but earned international fame in portrait painting. He changed the concept of portrait painting by merging the personality on the canvas with the foreground or the background. There was a symphony that emanated from the strokes of his brush and the colours toned up the contours of the portrait to reveal the hidden charm. Mostly the impression was in the eyes (of the portrait) which served as a mirror wherein the mood of the personality had been reflected.