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Ephedrine worth 4.6 cr seized from two NRIs
Ludhiana, March 11 While drugs like heroin or smack were seized off and on, it is for the first time that ephedrine, popularly known as the ecstasy drug in Canada, the USA and the UK, has been seized. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ludhiana, nabbed a Canadian NRI and a UK-based NRI on the charges of trying to smuggle ephedrine to Canada. Officials seized 230 kg of ephedrine from the accused, besides Rs 13 lakh cash. Each kg of ephedrine is pegged at Rs 2 lakh in the international market. The local DRI chief, D.C. Rastogi, told reporters that Harjinder Singh from Canada was arrested from a hotel near Patiala where he was waiting for the consignment. The DRI officials raided the hotel after nabbing Amandeep Singh, a UK-based NRI, who was taking the consignment to Harjinder Singh. The officials said they were on the look out for their third accomplice. Sources said the recovery of ephedrine showed drugs reaching here from across the border were being refined nearby. In early 2007, the Delhi Police had arrested four industrialists from the city for refining the drugs in local factories. They were smuggling it to Canada. Since then several NRIs and African nationals have been caught smuggling various drugs, but ephedrine had never been seized.
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Rising temp damages wheat crop
Ludhiana, March 11 Surinder Singh Dhatt, a farmer of Dhatt village, near here, said: “The weather has changed in the recent days and due to rise in temperature, the wheat grain will mature early. There will be less yield because of premature grain. The quality will also be affected.” The president of the BKU (Rajewal), Balbir Singh Rajewal, said the weather had already damaged 2 quintal of wheat grain per acre in the state. “The crop was earlier damaged because of intense cold and now the sudden rise in temperature has aggravated the problem,” he said, adding that similar weather had damaged wheat crop in Punjab in 1982. The wheat crop has been damaged in Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur. Dr G.S. Dhindsa, in charge of the wheat programme in the department of plant breeding, genetics and biotechnology, PA, said moderate to high incidence of aphids had been noticed on wheat in many districts. The head of the agro-meteorology department of the PAU, Dr G.S. Bains, said temperature had increased above normal level in the past few days. Because of the increase in night temperature, there was a respiration loss to the crops.
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Residents ignore order on marriage processions
Ludhiana, March 11 The DM had banned marriage processions on main roads to ease out traffic during the marriage season. The ban was announced during a meeting of marriage palace owners when the SSP, R.K. Jaiswal, had said anybody found blocking traffic would be booked for violating orders. He had asked marriage palace owners to inform the police if marriage parties did not comply with the orders otherwise they themselves would be booked for violation. Marriage palace owners said initially the ban was successful but now no one was bothered. Residents were also flouting Supreme Court's directive on playing loud music after 11 pm. Despite the violations, not a single person has been booked so far.
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2 months gone, but no sewers
Ludhiana, March 11 According to the officials, pipes for lying sewerage system have not been supplied to them till date. Few days ago a cow fell into the trench during night hours and died. The residents complain that they too are at risk of falling into the trench at night as there was no street light. They added that they had to literally hold their children captive as allowing them to play on roads exposed them to the risk of falling into the trenches. ‘‘It has become a problem for us. If they couldn’t lay the line they had no right to dig the road. How can they hold us to ransom like that? They should have ensured that there were pipes in the store and then gone ahead with the work. But, there is no accountability. They can do anything they want,” Malkit Singh, a resident of the area, said. He added that they met the executive engineer on numerous occasions and had even lodged complaints with him. Executive engineer Arvind Mahajan said the work had to be stopped as sewer pipes were not in store. They were waiting for the pipes for the past two months. ‘‘The pipes have arrived and today we deputed labourers for carrying out the work. The momentum of work will pick from tomorrow onwards,” Mahajan said.
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Uncle ‘kidnaps’ niece for land
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 11 She was allegedly kidnapped by her maternal uncle and his accomplice when she was returning home in a school bus on February 12. She was rescued by Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, president of the Lok Bhalai Party. “Had my aunt Bhinder Pal Kaur not reported the matter to Ramoowalia uncle, they would have thrown me into a canal. My uncle changed his mind to kill me after he received a call on his mobile,” she says. Though the Malout police handed over Ripandeep to her father and aunt, it has not initiated action against the accused. According to information, Ripandeep had inherited 8 acres worth Rs 1 crore from her mother who died about six years ago. Her uncle was cultivating the land and would not give her share in the income. Though her father remarried, Bhinder Pal Kaur decided not to marry to bring her up. Bhinder Pal Kaur alleged that Ripandeep’s maternal relatives had tried to take her to Dhaula village on one pretext or the other. “When she refused to go with them, they took her from the school bus after allegedly beating up the conductor on February 12,” she said. Contradicting the claim by senior police officers that no complaint was lodged by the Alamwala family, she claimed that she had filed a complaint with Surjit Singh at the Malaut police station. Terming the incident as a blot on society, Ramoowalia claimed that he had sought the intervention of the DIG (police) to rescue Ripandeep. “Ripandeep and her aunt will be at Alamwala today and if anything goes wrong, the authorities will be responsible,” he added.
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Draw for liquor vends today
Ludhiana, March 11 The excise department, that has already earned Rs 6.67 crore by way of applications, against Rs 4.58 crore last year, is expecting to rake in a revenue of over Rs 254 crore this year. Allotments in Ludhiana, the highest per capita liquor consuming state, evoke high interest and heavy stakes are involved. The process would begin in the morning and continue in phases, during which the allottees would be announced. “The allotment process is expected to continue till late evening tomorrow,” said H.P.S. Ghotra, additional excise and taxation commissioner. The department has received 8,605 applications for 919 vends. While it received 6,930 applications for vends in rural areas, the number of applications received from semi-urban areas was 817. As many as 849 applications were received from areas falling within the municipal limits. The applicants have deposited 5 per cent of the fee along with the applications.
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Pensioners hold protest rally
Ludhiana, March 11 PAUTA president Dr M.S. Mahal said they were hopeful to get the pension released in a few days. He said pensioners were so fed up with mere assurances by the state government that they
had decided to continue dharna till they got the pension. One of the retired employees of PAU K.K. Pir said there were enough of assurances by political leaders and bureaucrats, now they wanted the solution. "The government should understand our plight. Thousands of us are dependent on the pension and it must be released without further delay,” said Pir.
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Edible oil samples sent for test
Ludhiana, March 11 Civil surgeon Dr Sat Pal Sharma said the officials took samples of
Geminy, Nature Fresh and Ishwar brands. These included two samples each of sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, seven of soybean oil and three of
vanaspati. The samples were sent to a government laboratory for chemical analysis. Action would be taken against those whose samples were found to be sub-standard or adulterated.
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Fresh cases of gastro reported
Ludhiana, March 11 More than 100 persons were examined at the OPDs and no fresh case of jaundice has been reported, the district health officer, Dr S.S. Dhir, said. He said the field staff had made door-to-door visits covering about 400 houses to detect fresh cases of jaundice and gastroenteritis. Health officials claimed that the situation was under control.
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SAD to protest against steel price hike
Ludhiana, March 11 Ram Vilas Paswan had on February 14 assured industrialists that steel prices would not be hiked and the budgetary support for reducing the prices would also be incorporated. All India cycle manufacturers association president Satish Dhanda said, “small and medium manufacturers which use steel for manufacturing bicycle, hand tools and agricultural implements will loose the export market. The government had betrayed the small and medium producers of steel products”. Dhanda said the Central government was only helping big industrial lobbies like the TATA, SAIL, Essar and Jindals to market huge profits. He said “while China had a bigger stock of iron per head, yet, the country was importing to save its reserves for the future. India on the other hand was exporting iron. 
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False Complaint
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 11 Though Manpreet Kaur, blinded by love for her paramour, had left her house and deserted her infant son on her own, her mother Surinder Kaur had accused four members of her in-laws family of allegedly harassing her for bringing meagre dowry and causing her death. Activists of a few social and political organisations, being misguided by the parents of Manpreet, had even protested against the alleged ‘inaction’ of the Raekot police in arresting the suspects. Manpreet was recovered from Rinku’s house at Luxmi Nagar Haibowal yesterday. Though Manpreet and Rinku were not arrested by the police, it initiated the process to book parents of the woman under Section 182 of the CrPC. “As the complainant and her associates have misguided the police and the public about disappearance of Manpreet and had lodged a false complaint, I have directed Raekot DSP to register a case against them. Fortunately, we did not arrest suspects, named by the complainant in a hurry, otherwise they could have suffered irreparable loss,” said Ludhiana SSP (rural) Gurpreet Singh
Bhullar.
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Bid to sodomise, seven booked
Jagraon, March 11 A case has been registered against the seven accused and the victim admitted to the local civil hospital. Meanwhile, Soni, son of Mohinder Singh of Sherpur Kalan, has been booked for sodomising a six-year-old boy of his
village. The victim’s father admitted his son to Sidhwanbet civil hospital. But, the doctor did not to his son. Galib Kalan police station ASI got the boy shifted to Jagraon civil hospital for medical
examination.
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Attempt to rape minor, migrant booked
Ludhiana, March 11 Accused Parvinder Kumar had allegedly tried to rape a five-year old girl, who lived in his neighbourhood in Sherpur Kalan, on the evening of March 9. The police booked him last night after the parents of the girl filed a formal complaint. The accused is absconding.
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Banks record 16 pc rise in deposits
Ludhiana, March 11 The meeting was presided over by ADC (development) Priyank Bharti. Giving details, he disclosed that against a deposit of Rs 14,650 crore at the end of March 2007, banks recorded Rs 16,973 crore of deposits, registering a 16 per cent rise. The increase in advances was 33 per cent. During this period, banks attained 109 per cent of the target set for agricultural advances, 11 per cent of target for SSIs and 87 per cent of the target for other priority sectors. As many as 3,337 self-help groups were linked with credit while 1,100 cases under the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojna were sanctioned by the banks. The lead district manger informed that all banks in the district were opening saving bank accounts with zero balance in order to attain the target of fill financial inclusion by March 31.
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Extra freight charges unwarranted, say rice shellers
Amloh, March 11 Later, talking to mediapersons, Gill said traditionally the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had been bearing the freight charges and even today a few depots were following the old system. But, former FCI area manager Amim Chhabra got rice-mill owners consent in writing whereas no such expenditure was recovered from other depots. Gill called it discriminatory attitude and urged the government against implementing recovery of freight charges. The shellers crush paddy procured from government agencies and the rice is stored in local FCI godowns, so the imposition of freight charges is unjustified. Moreover, the state government has issued no such orders to impose charges for transporting rice on the shellers. The consent taken without government policy from rice millers should be cancelled. The
association has in a letter written to the FCI general manager, Chandigarh, Panjab food and supplies director, Panjab Chief Minister, chairman-cum-MD, FCI, New Delhi, and has sought an end to the discriminatory attitude.
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DMCH Convocation
Ludhiana, March 11 This was stated by Dr Ravinder Singh, vice-chancellor, Baba Farid University of Medical Sciences, while addressing annual convocation of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital at Dumra auditorium here today. At least 54 medical graduates of 2002 batch were awarded degrees at the convocation. Dr Ravinder Singh had a word of caution for young doctors as well. “While at one end, this position is one of great envy and fulfillment, at the other end its makes you vulnerable to ridicule and infamy.” He further said, “due to public perception of what a doctor is and what he ought to be like, you will always be under scrutiny. You will always have to be gentle, understanding, soft spoken, compassionate healer, always available and ready to offer selflessly whatever help is needed, often even beyond your means. Any variation in your conduct as perceived by the public will bring you their anger and contempt.” Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr S.C. Chopra, dean, academics, welcomed the chief guest. Dr Daljit Singh, DMCH principal, read out the college’s annual report. DMCH managing society president Sunil Kant Munjal congratulated the graduates and asked them to fulfill their duties within medical ethics. For 2002 batch, a gold medal for the best graduate was given to Dr Anamika Garg and the silver to Dr Mukul Mahindra, who also won the best all-rounder award. Dr Aditi Gupta was adjudged the best intern.
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Bhoomica crowned Miss Farewell
Ludhiana, March 11 Students presented a cultural bonanza. A beauty pageant was the highlight of the day. More than 50 girls, attired in colourful dresses, stepped on the stage to vie for the top honours in the contest. Bhoomika of BA III was crowned Miss Farewell, Nidhi of BA III was adjudged the first runner-up while Gitika of BA III was declared the second runner-up. Other contests like Miss Cat Walk, Miss Charming, Miss Beautiful Hair style, Miss Beautiful Eyes and Miss Beautiful Smile were also held. The winners were Sapna, Shivani, Bindia, Poonam and Priya, respectively. Dr Bhandari congratulated the winners and acclaimed the endeavours of staff and students for making this send-off memorable. She further said the students must have clear vision and mission as they were now entering the other most important phase of their life. Balraj Bhasin, president of the college management committee, and S. Verma, director, offered their best wishes to the students.
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Sristhi crowned Ms Cherryfields
Ludhiana, March 11 The children walked down the ramp with great confidence. Later, a poetry competition was held to encourage the kids. Ranbir Singh was chosen Mr Cherryfields while Sristhi Angora was adjudged Ms Cherryfields. Jashandeep, Manveer Singh, Tamana Mehta, Jasveer Singh, Jaskamal Kaur were the stars of the day. All children were presented with gold medals and mementos.
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UK delegation visits PCTE
Ludhiana, March 11 Dr
K.N.S. Kang, director, PCTE institute, said the PCTE had already nine academic collaborations with leading institutions of the UK, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Sudan. The aim of such collaborations was to enhance the academic strength and expose the students and faculty to the world.
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Animal fair at GADVASU from tomorrow
Ludhiana, March 11 Farmers' Commission chairman Dr G.S. Kalkat will inaugurate the mela and vice-chancellor Dr
V.K. Taneja will be the guest of honour. Extension education director Dr
O.S. Parmar revealed that the main attraction of the mela would be the show in which university animals like murrah buffaloes, bulls, crossbred cows, goats, pigs, rabbit, poultry and fish would be
exhibited. Books on dairy farming, package of practices for animal husbandry, GADVASU farmers’ magazine, Vigyanak pashu
palan, university highlights’ folder depicting facilities for farmers and GADVASU diary will also be made available to the farmers. Mineral mixture and uromin lick prepared by the university will be sold at nominal rates to the farmers. Live demonstration on various aspects along with teat-dip practice and acaricide drug application will be also demonstrated. All departments of the university, including Punjab dairy development and fisheries,
Milkfed, Markfed, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, milk processing machinery will put up their stalls at the exhibition. University officers, heads of departments, faculty, students and staff will attend the
mela.
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Spare private college teachers from poll duties: Union
Ludhiana, March 11 According to Dr Komal, teachers of degree colleges were preoccupied with practical examinations. From April 1, they would get busy in invigilation and evaluation duties of Panjab University examinations. Dr Komal stressed that the government should depend on its own staff for such jobs. He said private teachers were denied their dues by the state government. "Government should understand the plight of the teachers of unaided colleges who are not paid their salaries and other allowances.”
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Workshop on interior designing
Ludhiana, March 11 Sukhdeep Dhillon explained various concepts related to interior designing to diploma and MSc students of the department who had chosen the subject as an
elective. Head of the department of human resource management Dr Manjit Kaur Virk informed that faculty members of the department also attended the workshop. Later, the students exhibited their
drawings.
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Plant saplings to save environment: Expert
Mandi Gobindgarh, March 11 Students were informed about the harmful effects of pollution on human beings. Prof Singh said the environment could be saved from pollution by growing more trees. The volunteers pledged to grow more trees.
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Man convicted of selling adulterated spices
Ludhiana, March 11 According to prosecution, on July 13, 2000 food inspector Manoj Khosla had taken a sample of garam masala from the accused’s shop, which was sent to the chemical examiner at Chandigarh. The report of the chemical examiner had mentioned that the sample had insects, which showed that the same was not fit for human consumption. On the basis of the said report, the department filed a case against the accused. However, during trial, the accused had pleaded not guilty. But after appreciating the evidence on record and convinced with the submissions made by the additional public prosecutor, the court found the accused guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
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Hotel staff donate blood
Ludhiana, March 11 A team from CMCH blood bank, under the guidance of Dr Rupinder Kaur, conducted the camp. She said though science had made countless discoveries and inventions, it was yet not able to find substitute for this magic potion. Requirement of safe blood was increasing and regular voluntary blood donations were vital for blood transfusion services. Stressing the need for safe blood, which could only come through voluntary donation, she said an overwhelming majority of the world's population still did not have access to safe blood. Hence, the need to increase the number of voluntary donors to ensure blood availability on regular basis was important all around the world. Spreading awareness on the subject, Dr Mani Anand, senior resident, department of transfusion medicine at the CMCH, said, "Our body has around 5.5 litres of blood, of which only 350 ml-450 ml is taken depending upon the weight of the donor. The withdrawn blood volume is restored within 24 hours. It is perfectly safe to donate blood every three months." Dr Rupinder delivered a lecture to create awareness about blood donation.
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