Ludhiana, October 26
The city continues to be in grip of dengue but the residents are complaining that fogging operations have not been carried out in some areas.

They say that despite various requests to the authorities concerned, a number of areas had not fumigated.

Residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar said though the fogging operations were launched in the entire city some days ago, their area was left out for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

They claimed that they were panicky after a relative of area councillor Satvinder Singh Jwaddi had been admitted to a city hospital with dengue.

Area councillor Jwaddi said he had himself inspected the fogging operations in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar some days ago but he was busy for the past some days because his mother was admitted to the DMCH with dengue.

“I myself went from house to house to ensure that spraying is done in every house. Only a few houses were left. But I am quite disappointed with fogging operations as my mother fell prey to the fever although we were too cautious about spraying,” he said, adding that he would soon get the operations restarted within a day or two.

Meanwhile, residents of the area have also complained that there was no cleanliness operation launched there as the area belonged to the Improvement Trust.

“I went to a number of officials in the Trust but nobody listened. I requested the Sanitary Inspector of the MC who sent his team to clean the locality,” said Mr Arvind Sharma, a resident.

He added that a park next to his house was also in bad shape where slum dwellers were using it to answer the call of nature.

“Around Divali we sent repeated complaints to the authorities concerned, but nobody cared,”’ he added.

Ludhiana, October 26
The culture of making different animals, flowers, tribal paintings, religious symbols, etc. on the back and arms in the form of tattoos has gripped youngsters in the city these days. In the past few months, there has been a sudden boom in tattoo making with young girls and boys seeking appointments to get these made on their bodies.

Karan Kanwal of ''Boom Tattoos'', a tattoo-making shop, said this was the latest trend among youngsters. He said in ancient times, people used to get their names written on their arms to prove their identity. "But recently, body tattooing has become the latest trend. The younger generation wants to get butterflies, dolphins, snakes, flowers, religious symbols made on their backs and arms".

Kanwal further added that it was a special art which needed a lot of perfection. Not that anyone could master the art. "Since it is very painful for the one who is getting it made, we give anaesthesia in the form of gel to give relief. These are the permanent tattoos. It takes about two-three hours in case the tattoos are simple. If more colours and designing is added in the tattoos, then it even takes a day or two to get it finished".

The range of these tattoos start from Rs 3000 to Rs 40,000 or even more. "We have opened the shop a few days back but already 25 tattoos have been made on different people. Recently, we made an ''Ik Onkar'' on 46-year-old woman. She felt very happy to get it done on her arm", said Mr Kanwal.

Mr Minku, a youth, said he was very fond of tattoos. Having three tattoos on his body, he said he got all made from Goa and Malaysia. "A few years back, there was no tattoo culture in the city. But now every other person is getting made it here only. It has become a fashion statement", he said.

Ludhiana, October 26
The Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association (PSVOA) has taken a serious note of the slapping of Dr Balwinder Singh, a service provider, by a veterinary pharmacist in Mansa when he went to join his new place of posting.

In another incident, the Veterinary Pharmacist Union threatened a Veterinary Officer in Khanna who was monitoring the vaccination of animals by a team of veterinarians. According to Dr Ashok Sharma, president of the PSVOA, although these incidents were reported to the higher authorities of the department, no action had been taken against the erring employees. These delaying tactics would encourage insubordination in the department, he observed.

A press note of the PSVOA said an emergency meeting of the state executive of the association was held here today under the chairmanship of Dr Sharma. The association supported the demands of service provider veterinary doctors who were demanding that the Punjab Government should not advertise direct posts of veterinary pharmacist service provider.

Dr Sharma said as per the Indian Veterinary Council Act and as the state government had done in the Health Department, unemployed veterinary pharmacists should approach the nearest veterinary doctor service provider immediately for a job.

He suggested that the government could fix their pay and allowances which could be given to these pharmacists directly through the zila parishads.

He refuted the charges levied on him by the unemployed veterinary pharmacists that he was misguiding the government regarding the veterinary pharmacists’ appointment.

Dr T.P. Saini, senior vice-president, and Dr Nirmaljit Singh, general secretary of the PSVOA, said in Punjab there were 1,362 civil veterinary hospitals and 1,478 civil veterinary dispensaries, covering 85 lakh animals. As per norms, there should be one veterinary hospital for 5,000 to 6,250 animals. Out of 1,478 veterinary dispensaries, the government should wind up 1,100 and upgrade 378 dispensaries to hospitals. 

Ludhiana, October 26
An all-party religious conference is being organised by the Folklore Research Academy, Amritsar, at Jagaron on October 30. The conference will be attended by leaders of different religions, political and social organisations.

Disclosing this here today, Mr Ramesh Yadav, president of the academy, said it will address various issues. He said, the religion came into existence when the society was formed. It has changed down the ages and different sections of people have adopted its theories differently, according to their suitability. Basically, religion was the code of conduct for society, but as the time passed, it gave birth to conflicts among different strata of society. People tried to derive their respective interests form it.

The conference will deliberate on what role religion has played for the betterment of mankind and what it has done for the development of society. The role of religion has remained controversial since its formation. All religions show concern with mankind.

On the one hand, science and technology is touching new heights and on the other, mankind is delving in superstitious beliefs.

This complex issue will be discussed at length at the conference. “The role of religions in establishing peace in world” will be the subject on which the leaders of all religions will share their views. What is the face of its present and what type of role it should play in future will be the core issue to be discussed.

Along with Indian scholars, political, religious, Pakistani delegates who include prominent political and religious leaders will also participate in it. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Chowdhry Mansoor Ahemad, Member, National Assembly, Kasoor, Pakistan, Nirmala Desh Pandey, MP, Rajya Sabha, A.R. Saheen, MP, Baramulla, ex-minister, Kanwaljeet Singh, (SAD) Badal, Jagmeet Singh Brar, ex-MP, will be among some leading political personalities who will share their views on the subject.

Besides, Maulana Yasmeen Ali Usmani, Mahant Pharai Baba Ayodhya, Lamba Lob Zang, Mahant Kailash Nath, Acharya Maha Pragya, Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti, and some other religious personalities will also participate.

Fatehgarh Sahib, October 26
The huge turnout of SAD(B) workers, known as Tohra loyalists, at a meeting called by the so-called Tohra faction at Sirhind town on Tuesday, is a clear indication that all is not well in the SAD(B). There was resentment, unrest and disappointment among them and they were highly critical of the SAD(B) leadership.

The SAD(B) workers, belonging to the Tohra faction, came in large numbers to attend the meeting and the organisers were over enthusiastic by the response. Speaker after speaker lashed out at the SAD(B) leadership and said they were being treated as second-rank workers. They said they were not assigned any important work, given a party post or called to important functions and meetings. Rather they were fully ignored and seen with doubtful eyes. They warned SAD (B) president Parkash Singh Badal and other leadership that if their grievances were not redressed and they were not adjusted in the party rank and file and given due respect, it could cost dearly to the party in the coming elections.

While talking to The Tribune, advocate Narinder Singh Tiwana, convener of the meeting, said that Panth Rattan Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, throughout his life, always stood and guarded the principles of Sikhism. He taught honesty, dedication, faithfulness and loyalty towards Sikhism to all his workers. Unfortunately, the SAD (B) leadership had denigrated the principles of Sikhism and deserted Tohra’s principles.

Moreover, the party workers and leaders, who believed in his philosophy, were being ignored and targeted only because they were known as Tohra loyalists in the party.

He said one by one all “Taksali Akali” leaders and workers had been shown the door and expelled from the party.

He also lashed out at those leaders, who used to call themselves the sons of Jathedar Tohra, but immediately after his death transferred their loyalties and started weakening Tohra faction.

Ludhiana, October 26
In a bid to counter the impact of the October 16 SAD rally in Chandigarh, the Congress has planned a show of strength for November 14. The party will be organising a public rally which would be the first in a series of big rallies being planned till the elections.

The Minister for Power, Panchayats and Rural Development, Mr Lal Singh, presided over a meeting of party leaders and workers to finalise the arrangements.

The rally will be organised on the Chandigarh road. Among those present at the meeting included the DCC president, Mr Jagmohan Sharma, Parliamentary Secretary Surinder Dawer, and the Mayor.

Besides the Chief Minister, some senior leaders from Delhi would also be attending the rally.

Leaders said the rally would set the tone for the campaigning. 

Mandi Gobindgarh, October 26
A former clerk of Indian Bank, Mr Anil Kumar Bhalla, has not been paid pension since July 24, 2002.

Talking to this correspondent here today, he said he was posted as a clerk at the Mohali branch of the bank. His services were terminated and the order was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The bank failed to implement the decision of the court regarding payment of pension.

Acopy of the order and fresh representation to the assistant general manager, Chandigarh, was handed over to this correspondent.

It was alleged that in the charge sheet served upon him it was stated that he had failed to deposit Rs 2,600 in the saving account of a customer. Consequently, on the basis of the inquiry, a penalty of removal from service was imposed.

The appeal of petitioner against the punishment was rejected by the appellate authority on February 19, 2003.

Mr Bhalla challenged the order on the ground that he was entitled to the superannuation benefits as per order, whereby the penalty of “removal from service with superannuation benefits”, had been imposed.

The plea of the respondents (bank) that the petitioner has been removed from service, which entails forfeiture of his entire service and also forfeiture of pension in terms of regulations 21 and 31 is not tenable. The court did not accept the reference of a Supreme Court case.

It was held by the high court that resignation was an act of voluntarily severance of relationship of an employee and his employer for all purposes. The present case was not a case of resignation, it added.

Mr Bhalla has been virtually running from pillar to post for the release of pension as directed by the high court.

Meanwhile, assistant general manager in Chandigarh Gagan stated that she had no information about the disciplinary proceedings against Mr Bhalla.

Fatehgarh Sahib, October 26
The votes of the youth will be a deciding factor in the coming Assembly elections. This was stated by Mr Jasjit Singh, general secretary of the All-India Youth Akali Dal and son of Capt Kanwaljit Singh, former Finance Minister, at a press conference here on Monday.

Mr Jasjit Singh said the SAD, under the leadership of Mr Sukhbir Badal, had chalked out a plan to involve the youth in the formation of the SAD government. Besides, the party had decided to start various plans for the welfare of the youth and create avenues for them.

The youth Akali Dal leader had come to the district to inaugurate a sports tournament at Suhagheri village. He said in the changed scenario, the politics of the SAD had also changed and its leadership had now realised the power of the youth, who would be given due share in the allotment of party ticket.

The youth Akali Dal would demand at least 25 per cent ticket to contest the Assembly elections, he said, adding that the present Congress regime had failed to provide even a single job to any youth.

He lauded the role of Mr Sukhbir Badal in bringing the youth to one platform, which was crucial in organising a massive rally of the SAD at Chandigarh recently. He urged the youth to join the party for their bright future.

Later, addressing the rural folk after inaugurating the tournament, he lashed out at the Congress and urged the voters to strengthen the hands of Mr Badal. He urged the youth to come forward in waging a war against social evils like drug abuse, dowry and female feticide. OC

Jagraon, October 26
The Dehlon police has registered a case under Sections 364 and 34 of the IPC against Tejinder Singh of Ghungrana and Gurdip Singh of Ramgarh Sardaran on the charge of kidnapping Inderjit Singh in a Scorpio on last Wednesday.

Ludhiana, October 26
Submission of Form C is a matter of worry for the industry which has now written to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to take immediate steps to resolving the issue.

They said submitting these form had become cumbersome and the government must to do away with this requirement.

“These form is required to be submitted by November this year. However, the industry has been, time and again, bringing it to the notice of the government the problems it is facing on this account.

The issue has become a constant source of irritation,” said Mr V.K.Thapar, president, Knitwear Club.

In a memorandum to the government, the club pointed out the problems like unavailability of C forms. “Our sales are mostly inter-state and customers express inability to give Form C as a consequence of which we are not able to submit them,”he said.

Industrialists also said asking for Form C was nothing but duplicacy of information that was submitted through Exim forms earlier.

They said the government had already agreed to phase out the Central Sales Tax by 2007 and the entire exercise of furnishing C forms was cumbersome and it dampened the spirit of the VAT Act.

“Further, discontinuation of C forms will not result in any loss to the exchequer,” they added.