Ludhiana, April 9
With the onset of summer, the lean period for milk production has started, and so has adulteration. If the recent seizure of synthetic milk products is an indication, adulteration of milk products is on the rise in the city.

However, it’s not only milk that is adulterated, even ‘ghee’ and mustard oil being sold in the city is not fit for consumption. Sources said duplicate ‘ghee’ and mustard oil, being manufactured in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is being sold in the city without any check.

District food inspector Kamalpreet Singh said sale of ghee brands, including Saarthi, Gwala, Kanhaiya, Anmol, Dairy Milk and Deep Classic is illegal in Punjab as the department of health and family welfare is fighting cases against these brands in the court following the registration of a case under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act. “The minimum Reichert Meissl (RM) value in ghee should be 28, whereas the banned brands in Punjab did not cross 1.5 in the laboratory tests conducted last year," added the food inspector.

In its recent study, Punjab Agricultural University revealed that 60 per cent of the coriander powder available in the city markets is adulterated with sand, 53 per cent of red chilly powder has brick powder and 56 per cent of black pepper is mixed with papaya seeds. Other heavily adulterated products include milk, ghee, mustard oil, jaggery, honey and turmeric powder.

Adulteration in the processed and ready-to-use food products is also on the rise as some manufacturers and processors are selling their products without the requisite licence. A reputed grocery chain in Ludhiana even went to the extent of selling expired cheese on discount. The authorities only managed to register a case against them and the store is still operational.

Ludhiana, April 9
The revised schedule of power cuts in the main cities and the mixed feeders in the urban areas announced by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) on Tuesday has gone haywire with the people in the mega city experiencing prolonged power cuts.

Officials of the systems operation and control of the PSEB had issued a revised schedule for power cuts on urban feeders on April 6 due to the Kabaddi World Cup being organised in the state from April 5 to 12. Though the duration of power cuts were retained at four hours daily, the timings were changed from 6.30 am to 7.30 am and 9 am to 12 noon). The officials had stated that no power cut would be imposed after 12 noon.

However, the PSEB failed to stick to its revised schedule and the city residents were made to face outage for anything from six to eight hours starting from 6.30 am. For the last three days, power supply has been going off with regular intervals even at noon, afternoon and in the evening. Power cuts are also being imposed during night in the city.

As a result of the scheduled and unscheduled power cuts, the water supply also gets disrupted, affecting the daily routine of the people, especially during morning hours.

“The water pressure is already low and the erratic power supply makes the matters worse. It has become difficult to fill up overhead water tanks due to frequent disruptions in power supply almost all through the day,” said Sunita Sharma, a resident of Daresi Road in old city.

Residents of several localities in Civil Lines area have also complained that water pressure was extremely low for the last three-four days and the storage tanks remained empty.

While the PSEB officials attributed the additional power cuts to spurt in demand due to high temperature prevailing in the region, the MC officials blamed the erratic power supply, which had a direct bearing on the water supply. They said some of the tubewells and submersible pumps in different localities had also been rendered non-functional due to electrical faults and steps had been initiated to rectify them and restore the water supply.

Ludhiana, April 9
Unidentified thieves decamped with a bag containing Rs 5 lakh lying in the boot of a car after breaking its rear windshield in the city’s busy Feroze Gandhi market today afternoon. Interestingly, no one noticed the culprits committing the crime.

The incident took place at about 12:45 pm when Chankaya Thapar, a businessman, parked his Skoda car (registration no: PB10 CT9129) in front of the Punjab National Bank branch and went inside to check his account status. In the meantime the thieves broke the car’s rear windshield and in no time picked up the bag containing the cash, fleeing the scene.

"It took me hardly ten minutes to return from the bank and in the meantime thieves stole the bag,” lamented Thapar, adding that he was carrying cash in a laptop bag to avoid suspicion. He said he had withdrawn the money from the HDFC Bank branch located near Manju Cinema this morning and put it in the boot of his car.

Thapar said he suspected the thieves might have seen him putting the cash in his vehicle and then following him.

According to sources close to the police, presumably two thieves on a motorbike were behind the theft. While one of them committed the theft the other kept of sitting on the bike.

The cops were surprised when commuters and men employed at the parking lot expressed their ignorance about the incident and told them they had not seen anyone committing the crime.

The theft has raised many eyebrows as several multinational banks and financial institutions are located in the area, the Ludhiana Improvement Trust building only a few metres away. Security remains tight in this market, as it is located right next to the mini secretariat. The banks have hired private security personnel to guard their offices.

Meanwhile, investigating officer Harjinder Singh stated a police fingerprint expert had managed to lift some clues that he said would help the cops to nab the suspects.

Ludhiana, April 9
With the arrest of some members of an interstate gang of robbers, the Khanna police has managed to crack the daylight robbery that took place at the State Bank of India branch in Kohara on April 5. Though the cops have denied the development, senior police officials in the city confirmed their arrest.

The suspects, residents of Manku village near Samrala, were part of the gang that is said to be behind several cases of robbery in the last few months. Their arrests have come as a major shot in the arm for the police, who were at the receiving end following the Kohara incident.

Sources said the Khanna police was keeping the matter under wraps in order to make more arrests in this case.

Several teams that have been set up are searching various places to nab the rest of the gang members.

It may be recalled eight armed assailants decamped with Rs 2.8 lakh in cash from the SBI branch in Kohara after attacking three bank employees and injuring them.

When contacted police commissioner Ishwar Singh said "The Khanna police has made some arrests but I don't know the details yet”.

Ludhiana, April 9
Joining the ongoing campaign to save the 17 Indian youths in the UAE, Greenland School students showed solidarity to them by starting a signature campaign for them here today.

More than 3,000 students of various Green Land School branches across the city today signed a mecry petition on their school campuses, making an appeal to the UAE president to save the 17 men from gallows.

The banner: "Excuse death sentence of innocent Punjabis", was signed by the students from classes IX-XII and will be sent to UAE president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayahan, along with the mercy petition.

"We are sure that the student's appeal will not go unnoticed and the authorities will be forced to reconsider the decision," remarked Baldeep Pandher, principal, Greenland Senior Secondary Public School, Jalandhar bypass.

Students were concerned about the entire issue."In order to clear their doubts we thought of putting it across to the persons concerned. We are sure the effort and concern will bear fruit," Pandher added.

Chairman of Greenland Chain of Schools Rajesh Rudra added that some students of Class XI had come to him and expressed their desire to raise their voice against the injustice being meted out to the Indians in the UAE.

"The students' sentiment, coupled with school chairman Rajesh Rudra's visionary outlook, motivated us to start the campaign," Pandher said.

She revealed that prior to the start of the campaign a special assembly session was held in the school to make the students aware about the entire episode and seek their opinions. Meanwhile, students said they wished truth to prevail and justice be given to the innocent men trapped on foreign shores.

Ludhiana, April 9
The Ludhiana Management Association (LMA) will organise a lecture on "Challenges for managers of tomorrow" here tomorrow.

Dr Devi Singh, director, IIM, Lucknow, will be the speaker. He is a renowned professor in International finance and management and has been a visiting faculty at the International Centre for Public Enterprises, Slovenia.

He is also an alumnus fellow of the Institute of World Affairs, Connecticut.

Dr Singh has been on several committees of Government of India, All-India Council for Technical Education, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), and Standing Committee on Public Enterprises (SCOPE).

He had also received the Ishan National Award for Best Director of a Business School in 1999.

Dr KNS Kang, general secretary, Ludhiana Management Association, said such environment poses many challenges and opportunities for the young and budding managers of today. Requirement of business enterprises is such that they need tailor-made talents as per the requirements of the industry.

Thus, it is important for young managers to understand the challenges and develop themselves accordingly.

VK Goyal, president of the Ludhiana Management Association, said Dr Devi Singh has got vast experience in the field of business management and requirements of industry as far as young professionals are concerned.

Ludhiana, April 9
In response to a protest call given by the Punjab Students' Union, more than 150 students of ITI College, Gill road, today held a protest rally against the Punjab Government for injustice meted out to ITI students of Moga on March 30.

They also burnt an effigy of the government, demanding an immediate release of 10 students of ITI, Moga, along with the students' union president Gurmukh Singh Mann, who were arrested for protesting.

The union held state-level rallies at various districts across Punjab.

Arun Kumat, state committee member, Punjab Students' Union, said: "We want that private buses should stop at bus stops for the convenience of students, who commute by pubic transport. “If the government does not accept our demand and the arrested students are not released soon, we will intensify our protests across Punjab."

He added that action must be initiated against the police officials, who lathi-charged the students.

Students of ITI, Moga, were protesting against the non-stoppage of private buses at bus stops, which caused a lot of inconvenience to the students who use public transport to reach college.

In order to control the protest, the SP arrested 10 students, along with president of students' union Gurmukh Singh Mann by levelling false allegations on them under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC and put them behind bars.

Mullanpur Dakha, April 9
A 24-year-old woman yesterday accused a former ex-municipal councillor and his friends of “taking advantage” of her dire circumstances and forcing her into the flesh trade.

Mona (name changed), mother of a four-year-old child and hailing from Jalandhar, was married to Kuldeep Singh of Theekriwal village near Barnala about five years ago. The latter later turned out to be a drug addict who frequently used to thrash her mercilessly and refused her money for daily expenses.

Whenever Mona found her husband’s behaviour unbearable she used to go to her parents’ home. Upset over her frequent visits her parents turned her out and disowned her about a year ago.

Mona stated in a similar incident about two months ago, when Kuldeep again beat her up badly, she again made up her mind to leave her husband's house and boarded a bus for Jalandhar along with her son. A youth, identified as Billa, later boarded the same bus and sat next to her along with his friend, Preet. The latter tried to talk to her and, showing sympathy over her sorrowful tale, asked her to accompany her back to Mullanpur. According to Mona, in Mullanpur she was kept at the house of Surinder Singh, a former municipal councillor located on Raikot Road. Later Billa, after promising to marry her, began exploiting her physically. He also promised her to take her to his home after getting married.

A few days later Mona’s tale of woes began when she was forced to satisfy the bodily lust of unidentified youths, sometimes thrice a day. Whenever she refused she was mercilessly beaten and forced to sell her body. Sometimes when she rejected the customers brought by the suspect, they raped her after tying her limbs.

Mona was also forced to sign divorce papers in the petition filed by her husband. On April 3, when finally Billa refused to marry her, she consumed some sedatives with a motive to end her hapless life. She was admitted to the local Pandori hospital, which intimated the Dakha police about the matter. However, before the police officer reached the hospital to take her statement, she was released from there on April 4.

On April 5 she filed a complaint with the police but on the excuse of conducting an inquiry, the police failed to take any action against the suspect. Mona, deserted by her husband, parents and paramour, has now no place to take shelter. ASI Amarjit Kaur, the inquiry officer of the case instead of investigating the case, suggested to Mona to withdraw the complaint and go to her husband's house as “there seemed to be no truth behind the complaint”. Surinder, however refuted all the allegations, asserting he was “nowhere in the picture”. “I came to know about the girl when she consumed sedatives. I along with other residents of the locality then took her to a hospital and thereafter handed her over to her parents who took her to Jalandhar. But in the evening she again was seen at Mullanpur”, he added.

Ludhiana, April 9
Timely intervention of the police prevented a clash between two gangs from getting ugly at the district courts complex here today.

The police arrested one of the youths in connection with the brawl.

The incident took place this afternoon when Lovely, alias Lamba, who has several criminal cases pending against him, was coming out of the courts premises along with his men after a hearing in a criminal case.

Certain members of a rival Mohni group were also present there in connection with some case.

According to an eyewitness, members of both groups exchanged heated words and later came to blows. The group members then attacked each other with sharp-edged weapons.

No one from either of the groups sustained serious injuries in the clash. While the police arrested a youth, the rest of the suspects fled the scene after the clash.

It was learned that no case was registered due to the intervention of a politician.

Ludhiana, April 9
The annual credit plan of Rs 9,989 crore of Ludhiana district for 2010-11 has been formulated. The plan for the last year was Rs 7,591 crore, an increase of 32 per cent from the last year.

This was stated by Additional Deputy Commissioner (D) Devinder Singh while launching the district annual credit plan at his office today.

Devinder Singh said out of total annual credit plan, Rs 7,240 crore had been earmarked for the priority sector, which was 73 per cent of the total plan.

He said Rs 2,912 crore would be lent to agriculture and allied sectors, Rs 2,736 crore to small-scale industries and Rs 664 crore to other priority sectors.

Giving block-wise details, Devinder Singh said Rs 271 crore had been earmarked for Dehlon block, Rs 257 crore for Doraha block, Rs 451 crore for Jagraon block, Rs 4,469 crore for Ludhiana-I block, Rs 135 crore for Ludhiana-II, Rs 185 crore for Machhiwara block, Rs 189 crore for Pakhowal block, Rs 257 crore for Samrala block, Rs 227 crore for Sidhwan Bet, Rs 83 crore for Sudhar block, Rs 441 crore for Khanna and Rs 275 crore for Raikot.

He added that the district was playing an important role in the development of agriculture and industry of the nation and its annual credit was the highest in the country.

The credit plan had been prepared keeping in view the potential linked plan prepared by Nabard and the lead bank i.e. Punjab and Sind Bank as per government guidelines.

He asked bank officials to strive hard to maintain the top position of the district this year and directed officials of different government departments to extend cooperation to the bank to achieve the target.

Ludhiana, April 9
With the vacation of stay on the lifting of confiscated sugar stocks, which was sold through an auction on February 26 and 27 here, the commodity would hit the open market by April 15.

The district authorities had seized 1,09,500 quintals of sugar when its price had gone through the roof around Diwali last year.

One lakh bags of sugar were found in a godown at Seerha village while another 9,500 bags were seized from Jhabewal village.

After procedural hassles, the confiscated sugar was sold through an open auction. However, the firms that came forward to lay claim to the confiscated sugar obtained a stay from the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the lifting of stocks by successful bidders.

The DC, Rahul Tiwari, said the stay granted by the High Court had been vacated, and accordingly, the bidders had been asked to lift their stocks of sugar on the payment of the remaining amount by April 15. The administration would cancel the bid and forfeit the amount of earnest money and security if buyers failed to lift the stocks by the stipulated date, he added.

Jagraon, April 9
Nitten Kirrtane and Shweta Rana bagged doubles crown here at the HTA - AITA Men’s & Women’s Open Tennis Tournament which was played at Harvest Tennis Academy Jassowal.

Shweta Rana washed her opponent Ravnoor Kaur 6-0,6-0 in less than 60 minutes to win the Women’s Singles title.

Nitten took a little more than an hour to quell the opposition. He beat Punjab’s Gurinder Singh 6-3 and 6-2. This is fourth consecutive title after his comeback. Yesterday, Nitten took barely 50 minutes to defeat Ajay Yadav of Chandigarh 6-2 and 6-0.

For three times National Singles champion and 11times doubles national champion, it was a simple day in the office. Gurinder defeated Sandeep Choudhary 6-3,6-2. In Ladies Singles, top seed Shweta Rana was extended in the second set by Gujarat’s Eetee Mehta. Shweta won 6-2,7-6 (8-6). The other finalist is Ravnoor Kaur who defeated qualifier Supriya Mallaya of Maharashtra 6-1,1-6 and 6-4. The Men’s Doubles title was bagged by Nitten Kirrtane and Sandeep Choudhary, who defeated Vinod Gowda and Sidharth Sivakumar 6-3, 6-3. The Women’s Doubles title was lifted by Shweta Rana and Deepna Vazirani, who beat Asha Nandakumar and Akshitha Basavaraju 1-6, 6-2, 10-5.

Results: Men’s singles final: Nitten Kirrtane (Mah) (1) beat Gurinder Singh 6-3,6-2.

Women’s singles final: Shweta Rana (Del) (1) beat Ravnoor Kaur (WC) 6-0,6-0.

Men’s doubles semifinal: Vinod Gowda (Kar) and Sidharth Sivakumar (TN) beat Ajay Yadav (Har) and Bharat Bhardwaj (Har) 6-4,6-1.

Men’s doubles final: Nitten Kirrtane (Mah) and Sandeep Choudhary (Raj) (3) beat Vinod Gowda (Kar) and Sidharth Sivakumar (TN) 6-3,6-3.

Women’s doubles final: Shweta Rana (Del) and Deepana Vazirani (Mah) (1) beat Asha Nandakumar (Kar) and Akshitha Basavaraju (Kar) 1-6, 6-2, 10-5.