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MBBS doctor held for stealing car Ludhiana, January 20 It was a befitting case of how a talented life can go awry because of drug addiction. Hooked to drugs, Dr Mehtab Singh (26), working in a Dehradun hospital, was nabbed with the stolen Maruti car (PB-10X-8087) last evening. He was nabbed by a police party and a case under Sections 379/411 IPC was registered against him. The police had got a tip off about the man. An alumnus of Faridkot Medical College, Dr Mehtab was in Ludhiana for some personal work. Police sources said that the car was stolen from Chandigarh some days ago and the complaint was recorded in Sector 11 police station. Talking to the Tribune at Sarabha Nagar police station, the accused doctor, however, said that the car belonged to his friend, who had lent it to him as he (doctor) wanted to finish his work in Ludhiana fast. The accused was suffering from body tremors in the morning today and police officials said that he was experiencing withdrawal symptoms as he could not his quota of drugs in the police custody. The doctor said that it was peer pressure that changed his life, he who had vowed to serve the ailing mankind with his skill. While studying he had started taking drugs after he was forced to do so by some of his classmates. He had finished his graduation in medicine three years ago and claimed that he had worked in Fortis Hospital in Mohali as a resident doctor for some time. He then shifted to Dehradun and got a job in Sanjivni hospital there. He said that he was drawing a salary of Rs 15,000 from the hospital and all of it was spent on buying drugs. His father, a retired District Education Officer, based at Kharar, had got him de-addicted thrice but he started taking drugs again every time he was rehabilitated. He added that he had been buying smack from some drug peddlers in Chandigarh. Dr Mehtab had been a brilliant student in school as well as college. He ranked 235th in the Punjab pre-medical entrance test and got admission in Faridkot Medical College. He used to score good marks for the initial two years till he came in contact with some students, who got him hooked to drugs. ‘‘Today I am remorseful for what I did to my life. My parents had high hopes from me. They got me educated only to see me successful in life. But it was the bad company which made my life a hell. I wish I had said no to the pressure the very first time. It is because of my bad habit that I am seeing these days and even my father is making rounds of police station
now, 'he said. |
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Harassment of PAU students, staff continues Ludhiana, January 20 The students and the employees are up in arms for the last three days against the university authorities and the district police for their harassment because of the strong security measures for the visit of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to the city to attend a function. Mr Advani was the chief guest at a function organised by a local newspaper at the auditorium hall on the campus. The university charges Rs 1.5 lakh for renting out the venue. The university is being commonly used for functions not associated with the university and the grounds near Parker House are always used by the administration as a helipad for the arrival of VIPs. This has always left students and employees living on the campus agitated. The police searched all hostels and some houses as security checking for Mr Advani’s visit and allegedly misbehaved with some inmates. The students threatened to launch an agitation, but their tempers cooled yesterday when Vice-Chancellor K.S. Aulakh reportedly assured them of taking up the matter with the district police. The police refused to oblige, arguing that the security concerns of VIPs were far more important than the minor problem of harassment of students and employees. The Sarabha Nagar DSP said there could not be any relaxation on this issue as the safety of VIPs and the peaceful culmination of the function was the prime duty of the police. He said the police and the university would earn a bad name if some untoward incident occurred. He rejected the argument that the university could not be used as a venue for functions not involving the educational institution. He said the district administration could use the university as a venue citing security reasons and the university authorities could not say no to this. Old-timers recalled that a similar controversy took place in 1967 when the authorities of the Government College for Boys refused permission to organise a state government function at the college. The PAU fraternity hoped that the university authorities would get some relief for them. |
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12-member Pak team to attend alumni meet Ludhiana, January 20 Dr Malwinder Singh Tiwana, Dean, College of Agriculture, said the visit of the Pakistani delegation would renew the of affection with the alma mater. The focus would be on reinforcing bilateral cooperation and exchange of expertise and technology between Indian and Pakistani Punjab to strengthen agriculture. Dr Tiwana said the college was set up as the Punjab Agriculture College and Research Institute in 1906 in Lyallpur (now Faislabad). After Partition, it was shifted to the campus of Khalsa College, Amritsar, in 1947, then to the building of Malwa High School here in 1949 and after that to Government Agriculture College in 1957. Then it found its permanent home in the College of Agriculture. Mr Tiwana said a technical symposium would be held on ‘Global agricultural scenario vis-a-vis national and Punjab agriculture’. Delegations from different chapters of the association in the USA, Canada and Australia were also expected to participate in the alumni meet. He said a renowned retired scientist would be honoured with the Bishen Singh Samundri Medal for his contribution to the development of agriculture in Punjab. Scientists of the university who had received awards and honours at international and national levels would be honoured. Three extension workers of Punjab Government’s Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry would be given Best Extension Worker Awards for service in the uplift of Punjab’s farming community. Alumni who retired last year after putting in distinguished service in the university would be honoured. It was proposed to honour the students of the College of Agriculture who distinguished themselves in sports and academics. A poetic symposium and a cultural programme would be held in the afternoon of February 24. A business meeting and a group photograph session would be held on February 25. |
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Misappropriation of gurdwara funds alleged Ludhiana, January 20 In an affidavit on behalf of the gram sabha and the sport club, a resident, Mr Nirbhai Singh, said that the gurdwara, built in an area of around 150 bighas of land, had an estimated annual income of Rs 3 lakh. However, the gurdwara complex was lying in a dilapidated condition with hardly any money having been spent on repair and maintenance for quite some time. Mr Singh and other functionaries of the gram sabha told Ludhiana Tribune that the matter had been brought to the notice of the SGPC authorities more than once. The SGPC authorities had sent inspectors three times on different occasions to check the gurdwara accounts. However, despite a large number of village residents being present at these occasions, the president of the gurdwara management committee, Mr Harbans Singh, had failed to join the proceedings and the gurdwara accounts could not been inspected. The functionaries of the two bodies urged the SGPC authorities to order a high-level inquiry into the financial affairs of the gurdwara to bring out the extent of misappropriation of funds and to punish the guilty. Mr Nirbahi Singh claimed that the residents of the village were upset over the gross misuse of gurdwara funds and they might launch an agitation if the SGPC authorities failed to take action and check the financial irregularities. |
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One held for minor’s rape Ludhiana, January 20 The SSP, Mr Narinderpal Singh, Phool Kumar was held last evening and bottles of liquor were recovered from him. But it was found during investigation that he had raped a minor girl in June last year.
TNS |
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Nobody likes to enter the walled city these days, thanks to the inordinate delay in the completion of the flyover between Jagraon bridge and Chand cinema. In modern days the flyovers are considered to be the manifestation of growth and progress of a city. The rapid pace at which flyovers were constructed and completed in Delhi is believed to have won the Delhi Chief Minister her second term. Given the complexities involved in a big metro like Delhi, the pace of progress is never expected to be so fast and rapid but still it is. Compared to that the relatively smaller city Ludhiana should have been faster. Moreover, the elevated road project which is more or less straight should not have taken so much time. One wonders when this elevated road project would be complete so that people are not afraid of driving into the city. It must be a record breaking delay in completing a project. It simply seems sloth stricken. Friends and foes, all in a single row Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishen Advani was in the town to launch the local edition of a vernacular daily. The nature of the function was absolutely apolitical when the leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal, their archrivals in the Congress and also the Bharatiya Janata Party were sitting in a row to cheer the DPM. Although such occasions are not too rare, but in a rivalry-ridden state, where political rivalries are extended to personal enmity, the scene was certainly heartening and welcome. However, there was a cryptic remark with a lot of political connotations made by a senior BJP leader, “The occasion has not only brought together inter party rivals, but even intra party rivals as well”. He was referring to Mr Harnam Dass Johar and Mr HS Hanspal, who were placed quite opposite to each other during recently concluded turbulent times of the party.
Techno savvy grocer The residents of Dugri area in Ludhiana are happy that a mobile phone has changed their lives. A grocer of the area has bought a mobile phone and has started delivering vegetables at the doorstep of residents after receiving an SMS. He has given his number to his clients, who prefer to send him a message and the vegetables are delivered within a few minutes. The grocer is also happy that he has started getting more business after he bought the mobile.
Weather Scooter cart Punjab farmers are known to be innovative. They have invented many machines that have helped them in their fields for doing the work at a fast pace. The other day a colleague saw a farmer carrying his paraphernalia on a small cart. Interestingly, the cart was attached to a scooter which was driven by the farmer himself. As he was moving on the Ludhiana roads it was quite a sight for the Ludhianvis who could not resist smiling.
Exemplary driving skills Motorcycle show organised by police cops has become a common thing for quite some time now. Police cops show their exemplary driving skills when they drive a motorbike by standing on it, driving it backwards and in groups. But a Ludhiana boy, who works for a cooperative society in a nearby village, has shown exemplary driving skills. He reaches his workplace by driving his motorbike while standing on it. He is exhibiting his skill on the Ferozepore Road on every working day. Even traffic cops posted on the road let him pass without stopping him. He claimed that his father had also stopped him several times but when he showed him how comfortable he was while driving he allowed him to drive like this. But he has been told to be extra careful.
Lady’s finger The availability of pre-season and post-season fruits and vegetables have become quite a routine in the city. But the buyers have to be wary before relishing these. Not only does these come at a high price but are even made up to look fresh. The vegetables kept in cold storage are even painted green or any colour that was of the natural product. Recently, a consumer was thrilled to buy fresh looking lady fingers having an odd light green colour. When she washed it at home she was shocked to find that the colour had disappeared and pale green took its place.
Vigilance office The Ludhiana Vigilance Bureau office opposite Zila Parishad office sports a new look these days. The height of the boundary wall has been raised and whitewashed. Similarly, the building has been painted afresh and the cleanliness of the floor, including the drive way and the parking lot is being maintained regularly. The place presents a pleasing picture as flower pots dot the corners. Even the shabby looking office interiors have given way to neat walls, windows and freshly painted doors.
Park Plaza or Bhaiwala Chowk It is high time that the district administration decides the name of the road crossing connecting Feroze Gandhi Market-Pakhowal Road-Ghumar Mandi and Ferozepore road. While the old name of the crossing is Bhaiwala Chowk, the name Park Plaza Chowk is getting popular. While the original residents of the city refer to it as the Bhaiwala Chowk, the younger generation and especially the migrants to the city, which includes both labourers and white collar employees, call it as the Park Plaza Chowk. This causes quite a confusion when the different section of people talk about the road crossings. — Sentinel |
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PSEB employees block traffic Ludhiana, January 20 In Khanna also, traffic was blocked on the GT Road. The police was kept on the tenterhooks to control the situation. Activists of united forum of the PSEB braved the coldwave by staging a dharna on the
Ferozepore road and blocked traffic from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The various speakers at the dharna stated that they would oppose the privatisation move of the government tooth and nail and stated that this was an anti-employee policy of the government. Mr Kewal Singh Banwait, convener, united forum, while addressing the agitators, said that if the state government privatised the call centre, meter reading, bill distribution, collection of bills and substation branches, they would protest against the decision. They opposed the changes made by the government in the Industrial Disputes Act. Stating that the government was adopting the ‘‘deadly’’ policies, the speakers said that the employees had to bear the brunt of the situation. They said that they would intensify their protests if the government did not roll back its proposal on privatisation. As the traffic was blocked for more than two hours, the traffic had to be diverted. A heavy police force was deployed by the administration. Senior police and administration officials were present on the spot to take stock of the situation. The agitators said that they would fight for the cause and would not allow the government to play with their futures at any cost. |
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He needs good Samaritans Ludhiana, January 20 His father Jai Singh took him to a leading hospital of the city, where supera-pubic cystosmy was performed and an artificial passage to pass urine was created. The treatment could not be done further due to financial constraints. For one year, he took him to various clinics, but the child got no relief. He then brought him to the charity clinic at the CMCH, where he was admitted immediately. “Shobhit has a blockage of urinary passage post-trauma and he has developed other complications due to extended and ongoing infection. The blockage of the urinary passage is deep-rooted and lies in between the pubic bone. We have to perform trans-pubic urethroplasty, which is a major operation,” said Dr V.P. Singh. “God has been unfair to me all my life. Shobhit is our only hope as our younger son is blind since birth. I work with a building constructor on a daily wage of Rs 70. Since I have to take care of Shobhit, I am not able to go to work regularly. I have managed to get him treated by support of donations. I collected money from shopkeepers and neighbours. The Red Cross Society has supported us, but now I feel helpless,” admits Mr Jai Singh. Those who wish to help Shobhit can contact Medical Superintendent’s office or the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the CMCH. All payments should be made in favour of Christian Medical College and Hospital with ‘treatment of Shobhit’ written on the reverse. |
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Ludhiana, January 20 Mr B.D. Arora, legal adviser of Nova Cycles, said that the terms of reference of the inquiry committee would be set within a couple of days. TNS
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Murder mystery solved Ludhiana, January 20 The police stated in a press conference that the victim was killed by two former employees of the factory, one of whom had lost his job to the deceased. One of the accused, Satinder Kumar Verma, has been arrested, while the other, Dasrath Verma, is at large. Mr Narinderpal Singh, SSP, stated that the police investigation had revealed that Satinder Kumar Verma and Dasrath Verma had murdered Onkar Singh, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, in order to avenge the loss of job of Dasrath Verma. The deceased had been working in a factory near Gill village for the past six years and had gone on leave of few months last year. When he returned early this month, he got the job again and Dasrath Verma who filled in for a few months at the post was fired. The police investigation, led by DSP Manjit Singh Dhesi, has stated that Satinder Kumar Verma was a nephew of Dasrath Verma and both conspired to kill Onkar Singh so that they could get the job again. The police was conducting raids to arrest Dasrath Verma. |
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Steel consumers protest against rising prices Ludhiana, January 20 The convener of the forum, Mr Ajit Singh Kular, said that the policies of the Central Government were against the industry and the government did not appear to be keen to listen to their grievances. He said there were three main problems which included high prices of steel and pig iron, rates of interest charged by the banks from the small-scale industrial sector and the low investment limit for the SSI. Mr Kular reiterated the charges of the steel consumers against the government. He said surprisingly while the Government of India had gone out of way to bail out the big steel manufacturers by providing them with massive subsidies, it had failed to take care of the SSI sector. He pointed out the government had provided protection to these big producers by imposing heavy duties on imports, incentives for steel exports, particularly when steel production was less in the country than needed and similar other favours. He demanded that the government should stop giving export incentives for the export of steel, sponge iron and other intermediates, reduce import duty on steel to 10 per cent from 20 per cent and make import of iron and steel scrap duty free. Addressing the dharna, Mr Dawer assured that the Punjab Government was committed to provide all aid and assistance to the industry in the state. He said the Chief Minister had also raised the issue with the Prime Minister and hoped that he would soon be able to meet him in next few days. Among those present at today’s demonstration were Mr GL Pahwa, Mr Pardeep Wadhawan, Mr KK Seth, Mr MS Bhogal and others. |
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The last fortnight had happiness as well as despair in store for the hosiery industrialists of the city. While the week prior to Lohri festival saw hot sun, hosiery manufacturers had lost all hope to sell their products this season. But soon, after the foggy days and nights made them regain hope. When most of them were thinking of announcing mega sales, the western disturbances came as their saviours. The sales have been postponed for some time now. The cold weather, however, becomes a problem for schoolgoing children, who have to brave the cold to reach school.
