Sharanjit Dhillon to be an asset, says ex-Mayor
MLA opens poll office
7 file papers

A bad day for commuters

Ludhiana, April 21 It was a bad day for commuters today. With the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and a former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, coming to the city to accompany their respective party candidates to file the nomination papers, the local administration had taken more than adequate measures to ensure that the VVIP movement remained smooth. Traffic chaos at the Bharat Nagar chowk in Ludhiana on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Commercial complex flouts building norms

Ludhiana, April 21 In blatant violation of building bylaws, a commercial complex is being constructed in a thickly populated residential area of Gandhi Colony, near Cheema Park, in the Model Gram locality. Residents, who have asked the civic administration to check the unlawful building activity, apprehend that if the complex is allowed to come up, traffic congestion in the colony will assume alarming proportions. A commercial complex coming up at Gandhi Colony in the Model Gram locality in Ludhiana. Photo by Inderjit Verma

Three FIRs registered for defacement
Ludhiana, April 21
Coming down heavily on the vehement defacement of property by supporters of different political parties, the district police today initiated action against the violators by registering three FIRs at Sadar police station. Interestingly, none of the FIRs involved defacement done by pasting of posters of Congress candidate Manish Tiwari in the district.

COMMUNITY

Adoption of baby no child’s play
Ludhiana, April 21
Shashi ( name changed) has spent Rs 2 lakh on getting a baby by the in-vitro fertilisation method, but failed to become a mother. Depressed, she wants to adopt a baby. Even her psychatrist has told her family that without a child, she may even try to take her life. The family is desperately wanting to adopt a baby, but from where and how is a million dollar question.

Rally by daily paid workers Ludhiana, April 21 Protesting against the retrenchment of eight employees by Punjab Agricultural University, members of the Daily Paid Labour Union organised a rally on the second day of their fast here today. Members of the Daily Paid Labour Union, Punjab Agricultural University, at a rally organised outside Thapar Hall on the campus, on Wednesday. — Photo by Inderjeet Verma

Reinstate workers, says union
Ludhiana, April 21
The Moulder and Steel Workers’ Union held a demonstration on Sunday in protest against the alleged high-handedness of certain companies towards the workers. The union is also planning massive demonstration during the May Day celebrations to press for their demand of reinstating their dismissed colleagues.

Needy widows get free ration
Ludhiana, April 21
The Ludhiana City Boys, a club, distributed free rations among needy and destitute widows at a function organised at Hargobind Marg here yesterday. The boys provided rations to 70 hapless widows for the second time.

‘Beyond Waters’ released

Ludhiana, April 21 A book, “Beyond Waters”, a collection of poems edited by Dr Davinder Kaur and Varinder Parihar, was released at a literary programme organised by Samvad at Dayal Palace here on Monday. Prof N.S. Tasneem presided over the function, while Dr Surjit Patar released the book. A collection of poems, “Beyond Waters”, that was released in Ludhiana. — A Tribune photograph

CRIME

Bid to rob petrol station, 1 hurt
Doraha, April 21
Two armed miscreants, in a bid to rob a petrol pump near Mahipur village on the G. T. Road, Doraha, opened fire at an employee at the pump, thereby injuring him late last night.

30 injured in road accident
Khanna, April 21
Thirty persons were injured in a road accident between a bus and a truck near Jarg village on the Malerkotla road this morning.

26 cartons of liquor seized
Ludhiana, April 21
A joint party of the police and the Excise and Taxation Department has arrested two persons and seized 312 bottles of liquor from their car.

Five booked for threatening ETO
Ludhiana, April 21
The Kotwali police has registered a case under Sections 353, 186 and 506 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Sukhpreet Singh Grewal, Excise and Taxation Officer (Mobile), against Davinder Singh, who lives on the Sikandar road, Jaswinder Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Lakhi and Gaggu.

BUSINESS

Industry feels left out in poll
Ludhiana, April 21
The industry of Ludhiana is concerned over the fact that the city has never got a representative who could take up its cause in the Lok Sabha. This industrial hub of Punjab has been facing many problems, but there is no one to raise a voice in this regard.

Unchanged power tariff brings cheer to hoteliers
Ludhiana, April 21
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Punjab, congratulated and thanked Mr Y S Ratra, Chairman of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), for not enhancing the power tariff for the time being. The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission has also agreed to give more time to the board to file its annual tariff petition in this regard.

Panel members for lowering tax rates
Ludhiana, April 21
“The members of trade and industry, as well as other assessees should pay their taxes honestly. They should not fear harassment from the Income Tax Department. The city being a progressive industrial town of hardworking and talented persons with an appreciably high living standard, the number of assessees and tax revenue must increase if the returns are filed scrupulously on the basis of actual income”.

PNB exceeds target in farm lending
Ludhiana, April 21
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has exceeded the national goal of lending 18 per cent of Net Bank Credit (NBC) to the agriculture sector. The bank has attained the unique distinction of consistently achieving the growth rate of 32 to 35 per cent in outstanding agriculture credit during past three years, with the agriculture credit shooting up from Rs 3,870 crore in March, 2001 to Rs 9,347 crore in March, 2004.

Woollen export orders from West Asia
Ludhiana, April 21
The Wool and Woolens Export Promotion Council has procured orders for woollen exports to the tune of $ 20 million from the West Asia. A seven-member study-cum-sales team of the council, an apex body under the Ministry of Textiles engaged in promotion of export of wool and wool-blended products, has returned after visiting Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

• ‘Win 4 sure’ is here
  

ICAR NET from June 23
Ludhiana, April 21
There is good news for postgraduate students of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has decided to conduct its National Eligibility Test (NET) from June 23 to 25, after a gap of almost three years.

UK teachers visit Wylie School
Ludhiana, April 21
As part of a teachers’ exchange programme, two teachers from Aylesbury High School, UK, stayed at Wylie Memorial High School, Brown Road, during a week-long interaction that concluded here today.

Two get 10-yr RI
Ludhiana, April 21
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr D.R. Arora, has sentenced two persons — Jaffar and Indervesh of Muzaffarnagar (UP) to undergo 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for possessing poppy husk. They were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

Bronchoscopy — right treatment for choking in windpipe
Ludhiana, April 21
One-and-a-half-year-old Kulwinder Kaur was blue, slightly unconscious and gasping for breath when brought at Christian Medical College and Hospital on April 19, 2004. She was in a lot of respiratory distress and choking. Immediately she was rushed to the operation theatre, where bronchoscopy was performed and a brinjal stem was found lying in her windpipe.

SPORTS

Ludhiana lose amid controversial decisions
Ludhiana, April 21
Poor umpiring by one of the umpires in the crucial league match between Ludhiana and Minor Districts Zone-B of the Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament (u-15 years), held here yesterday at the Satish Chander Dhawan Government College for Boys, cost to the hosts dearly as they lost the match by 60 runs.

400 driving licences issued
Mandi Gobindgarh, April 21
“There is need to change traffic rules to check accidents”, said Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, here yesterday.