Plot for park in Haibowal encroached on
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 1
Residents of Mandir Wali Gali in Durga Puri are up in arms against a local builder who is allegedly encroaching upon a plot, meant for developing a green park by constructing a house in the area. Surprisingly, the residents claimed that the builder even had registered the plot in his name although in revenue records, the plot was a public land.

The residents claimed that they had been living in the vicinity of this open space for the past many years and it was earmarked for a park, installing a tubewell or opening a complaint office. But one morning they saw workers constructing a house on the plot measuring around 250 square yards.

They claimed that while they had made various representations to the local civic body, no action was taken against the builder as yet. The construction was going on unabated. In a signed statement, office-bearers of the Mandir Wali Gali Welfare Committee had written to the authorities of the Municipal Corporation in August but their representation were not paid any heed.

A visit by a Tribune team to the spot today revealed that construction was still going on unabated. The ground floor of the house was near completion. The residents said they were contacting ATP of the area, Meharban Singh also and he had promised immediate action against the alleged encroachment.

Mr Meharban Singh said he had not received any complaint recently but he said he would get the work on the plot stopped today only. ‘‘I will get the records checked on Monday and if this comes out to be an encroacher, we will not allow him to usurp the land,’’ he said.

The residents said they wanted that a park should be developed in the area for the children. As there were no such places in Haibowal, and as per the town planning schemes, this plot was earmarked for it.

Gambling galore as festival season approaches
D.B. Chopra

Ludhiana, October 1
In a busy residential locality close to Ghanta Ghar, nearly a dozen men are huddled together at the far end of a narrow lane. A closer look reveals that while four men are playing rummy, others are peering over their shoulders out of sheer curiosity.

Since this is no ordinary card game meant for fun only but a hard gambling session involving cash, there is a degree of tautness in the air.

Here you are welcome to watch the game so long as you do not speak out anything revealing as far as the game is concerned.

Money exchanges hands quickly. Suddenly, one of the players, having lost his last rupee, calls it quits. His place is soon taken by another and the show goes on.

Only a little farther, in a garbage-lined street behind the Bhadaur House, a group of street urchins are staking currency notes in full public view calling for a particular card. Here money changes hands even more quickly.

In a parking lot, opposite the old General Post Office building, a group of rickshaw-pullers are trying their luck by throwing a pair of white-coloured dice alternately unmindful of the law prohibiting the gambling.

The city police raids a gambling den only when a loser approaches it in order to make good his loss.

Every day, gamblers of various shades start thronging a PUDA-developed park in the Jamalpur area since morning.Sometimes, taking advantage of the street light, they continue till late evenings.

The park has become a sort of ‘mecca’ for gamblers living in other parts of the city.

They visit the park knowing fully well that their itch to gamble would surely be satisfied here for there is no dearth of gamblers hanging around all the time.

Diwali may be a month or so away but for all intent and purposes the annual gambling season has already got off to a brisk start.

At almost every nook and corner of the city one can already witness gambling activity of one kind or the other.

The Ludhiana Tribune learns from reliable sources that apart from the roadside gambling, gambling activity has also started in hotels and residences.

These organised gambling dens are being operated in various posh localities of the city where big time gambling running into several lakhs takes place every day.

However, a gambler interviewed by the Ludhiana Tribune said the ‘business’ this season was not so promising as people did not have enough money due to the onslaught of the daily lotteries.

Destiny failed him
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 1
He was not destined to receive a reward for thwarting a robbery at a nationalised bank. Paramjit Singh, a constable with PCR (48), who along with head constable Makhan Singh had caught three persons while they were trying to break into a nationalised bank on Ferozepore Road a few months ago, died on Thursday night after he suffered a massive heart attack while on duty.

After completing patrolling of their beat on Thursday evening, Paramjit and Makhan Singh reached the Sarabha Nagar police station. Paramjit Singh collapsed while he was sitting on a chair there. He was taken to Raghunath Hospital where doctors referred him to DMC Hero Heart Centre. But he could not be saved.

Mr Narinderpal Singh, SSP, had wrote to the DGP for a reward for the two policemen. The recommendation was accepted and Paramjit was to be promoted as head constable the next day (Friday).

The SSP has expressed his condolences on the sudden death of Paramjit. He has said that the state police would help the bereaved family.

The dead body of Paramjit was sent to his native village in Hoshiarpur district.

The duo of Paramjit and Makhan was known to almost everyone in Rajguru Nagar and other residential colonies of their beat. 

Arora takes charge as PSEB Chief Engineer
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 1
Mr D.B. Arora, who took over as the Chief Engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), Central zone, today, plans to focus on providing regular supply to urban and rural consumers for which the emphasis would be on deloading overloaded feeders.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Arora said, “The electricity board will erect more new feeders so that this load can be reduced and power supply be more regular.”

On the huge losses that the board had to incur on account of thefts, he said the PSEB would intensify its drive to identify problem areas. “There will be more checkings so that thefts are curbed,” he said.

On free power to farmers, he said the first bill would be issued this month and so far there has been no problem.

“We are expecting things to work smoothly,” he added.

Mr Arora, who was the Deputy Chief Engineer, west circle, took over from Mr P.K. Aggarwal, who has been transferred.

Passing Thru

Pheruman’s biography released
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 1
A book release function of the biography of Darshan Singh Pheruman written by Karamjit Singh Aujla was held at the Punjabi Bhavan here today where the audience turned sentimental remembering the circumstances under which Pheruman had to lay down his life for the cause of Punjab.

According to a paper presented by Prof Inderpal Singh Pheruman, the book is well-written and narrates facts about the martyrdom of Darshan Singh. The seminar was presided over by Mr Harinder Singh Khalsa, former ambassador to Norway who resigned in protest against Operation Blue Star, along with Dr Kulwant Kaur, Kartinder Singh and Avtar Singh Makkar.

Dr Ranjit Singh said the cause of death of Pheruman was a sensitive issue. This book was the first ever book on this great son of Punjab. Prof Kartar Singh Kalra, Mr Jaswant Jaffar and Dr Swarnjit Grewal also spoke.