Ludhiana, April 22
The tenders of laying reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slab on Gunda Nullah starting from Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib to Shingar Cinema junction near the Samrala road were today floated by the MC.

Councillors and residents believe that with this move, not only will the traffic problem be eased, but pollutants would not go into Budda Nullah.

Money for the particular project, which is about Rs 14 crore, was sanctioned by the state government only last month after party MLAs and councillors pressured Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal that it was important since the nullah had become a major cause of pollution and diseases.

Councillor Gurdeep Singh Neetu said the tenders for the project had been floated through the Superintendent Engineer (Civil). The date for sealing the tenders was May 4. “On the entire stretch, people from all walks of life throw waste which causes pollution and diseases. The nullah is generally blocked due to solid waste. Budda Nullah can never really be cleaned until Gunda Nullah gets covered as it enters Budda Nullah,” he said.

The entire stretch of Gunda Nullah is about 2 km and it covers various residential colonies, including Field Ganj, Kidwai Nagar and parts of Islam Ganj. Residents are of the view that after covering, a road should also be made for the convenience of the public.

Sukhminder Singh, a resident, said the nullah had created health hazards. During monsoon, the situation worsened. “At times the nullah overflows and it becomes difficult during rains,” he added. 

Ludhiana, April 22
Tainted officials in the bitumen scam which rocked the MC recently will be chargesheeted. MC Commissioner AK Sinha said procedural lapses were committed by the officials and the MC would recommend the state government to take action against them.

He said he had gone through the probe report file and found lapses had been committed by a senior engineer, an executive engineer, two SDOs and a junior engineer.

The inquiry had indicted B and R officials for extra payments to contractors, who had used substandard material while repairing the Ferozpur road.

Due to the nexus between the contractors and officials, 60/70 grade of bitumen was used against 80/100 grade while payments were made as per the latter grade. The MC had made excessive payment of approximately Rs 23 lakh to the contractors.

The scam was highlighted by the Vigilant Citizens Forum. Kuldeep Singh Khaira, representing the forum, had alleged that officials of the B and R branch were involved in the scam and it was not just an error in calculation.

Ludhiana, April 22
Close on the heels of the vigilance wing of the local government department of the Punjab government launching a probe into the missing file of plot number 110-A in Rajguru Nagar Colony developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) here, the police has registered a case on the complaint lodged by LIT chairman Ashok Juneja regarding the theft of the file.

Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh today confirmed that the complaint in this respect had been received from the LIT and had been forwarded to the police for registration of a case.

In his complaint, Juneja maintained that the sale deed of the plot was registered in the office of the sub registrar (West) under Wasika No 12645 on March 29, 2010, without his approval, which was required under the rules.

“After it came to my notice that an irregularity had been committed in the registration of the sale deed, instructions were issued to present the original file and related documents, which the trust staff intimated, were not available in the office. It appears that the file relating to this property has been stolen and its recovery is required to ascertain the legality and validity of the deed,” the LIT chairman stated.

Juneja said after he learnt about the registration of the deed, he took up the matter with senior district and revenue officials for the cancellation of the deed and put the mutation on hold. The case was discussed with the minister for local bodies Manoranjan Kalia last week, who ordered an inquiry by the vigilance wing of the department.

“Some mischievous elements, who appear to be hand in glove with the land mafia, are making insinuations and distributing fabricated documents to create confusion. I have lodged a complaint with the police so that the guilty can be brought to book,” he added.

Ludhiana, April 22
"Theatre has always been my first love", smiled ravishing actor and theatre artiste Juhi Babbar. After her marriage she took a halt from films for sometime but now she is back and has few films in her kitty. She along with beauty expert Dr Blossom Kochhar was in the city to inaugurate Venus Blossom Kochhar Salonspa.

Theatre artiste can never earn the amount of money a film star can earn and it is only the financial angle that many prominent theatre artists are moving towards films. "Theatre in India is passing through a very sad state of affairs. Government support is needed for its uplift," she added.

Juhi loves coming to Punjab again and again. "I always wait for an opportunity to come to my land," she quips. Although Punjabis are ruling Bollywood, as there are actors from Punjab and any film is incomplete without a Punjabi foot-tapping number. "But the sad part is that nobody is doing anything for Punjabi. A lot needs to be done for Punjab and Punjabi," she says.

Missing her best friend she added Blossom Kochhar's daughter is my best friend. "You will amazed that both of us resemble each other so much that sometimes people mistake us to be twin sisters," she added.

Adding Blossom Kochhar said she picked Ludhiana for opening her Salonspa as the women of this city are very beautiful and stylish and they will surely love the facilities provided by us here.

The Salonspa provides treatments for de-stressing, detoxification, re-mineralising, body wraps, massages, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, color therapy and a host of treatments that revive, rejuvenate and relax the body, mind and soul," she said.

Spa will have a striking menu of massages, scrubs, warps and packs, including signature chocolate wraps, coffee scrubs, shiatsu massages and exclusive pre-wedding packages for the bride and groom.

Ludhiana, April 22
To observe "Earth Day", the students and teachers of GMT Public School had an interactive session with lectures on the theme "go green, save the earth". They took a pledge to keep their surroundings clean and green. Poster Making and face painting was organised on this occasion. Students of V to XII class depicted the pathetic condition of the Earth in their paintings.

Mullanpur Dakha, April 22
About 22 shanties belonging to daily wagers were destroyed in a fire that broke out due to the negligence on the part of a man who had fallen asleep after lighting a candle in his shanty.

The incident took place at the national highway on the outskirts of Mullanpur Dakha towards Jagraon in the wee hours today. The fire rendered 22 families comprising 150 persons, including women and children, homeless. Most of the families were from Bihar. The victims have been identified as Ram Sunder Paswan, Ram Asra, Ram Kishan, Naveen Paswan and others.

Ram Sunder, a rickshaw puller, suffered the most. He lost Rs 12, 000, in cash, a CTC, clothes worth 6,000 and other things. He had kept all these things for his daughter’s marriage.

Ludhiana, April 22
SAD councillor Simarjit Singh Bains, who was named prime accused in the Tehsildar assault case, today took out a thanksgiving procession in his ward.Flanked by his aide, Kamaljit Singh Karwal, who was also released from the jail on bail yesterday, Bains walked down from the Gill Road to Gurdwara Khuhisar Sahib, Kot Mangal Singh Nagar here this evening and thanked people.

His supporters garlanded and showered flowers on him. Bains looked hale and hearty despite spending 10 months in the local Central jail.

Meanwhile, the police had not allowed him to enter the city after he was released from the Central jail yesterday.

His supporters had planned to accord him a heroic welcome. His cavalcade was diverted from the Tajpur road to the Jalandhar bypass.

Judicial Magistrate Lukhwinder Kaur had directed the jail authorities to release the accused if he was not required in any other case. Earlier, the court had ordered them to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000 each.

Another accused Ravi Sharma was also released from the jail after furnishing bail bonds with the local court.

Bains’ brother Balwinder Bains, his aide Kamaljit Singh Karwal (councillor), MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik, Jagbir Singh Sokhi. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda, Deputy Speaker Sat Pal Gosain, formers MP Sharanjit Singh Dhillon were also present on the occasion.

Pramod Ban, DCP, said their duty was to manage the flow of the traffic in the city. He refused to comment on the issue. Bains was booked for the assault and stripping of Tehsildar Maj GS Benipal in June 2009. He was remanded in judicial custody and since then was lodged in the local Central jail.

He served it from 1963 to 1987 and commanded the Northern Command. Bains was also granted bail by the High Court on April 19. 

Ludhiana, April 22
A family of anti-Sikh riot victims here is in trouble for claiming the amount of compensation announced by the government twice. After conducting a probe and the charges, prima facie, having been established, the district authorities have now lodged a complaint with the police against the accused and a criminal case is likely to be registered in a day or so.

According to district authorities, before the expiry of deadline (March 31) for preparation of “red cards” of the riot victims to enable them to file their claims for compensation, family members of a riot victims had produced required documents saying none of their family members had earlier lodged a claim for compensation.

The three-member committee, set up by the district administration to scrutinise the application, also cleared the application and recommended preparation of the red card in the name of Sukhdarshan Kaur, a resident of LIG Colony in Dugri.

However, before the claim of the applicant could be processed and amount of compensation disbursed to her, the authorities received a complaint that husband of the applicant - Kanwaljit Singh, alias Amarjit Singh, has already received Rs 2 lakh in 2006 for being a victim of the anti-Sikh riots.

“The applicant (Sukhdarshan Kaur) has submitted false affidavits and made wrong claims with intent of committing a fraud and receiving the compensation twice from the government,” confirmed a senior government official dealing with the process of award of compensation to the riot victims.

The matter has been reported to the Commissioner of Police for registration of a criminal case and initiate further necessary action under the law, added the official.

Ludhiana, April 22
Non-availability of adequate and timely credit to the micro-sector is giving them sleepless nights. Although the task force has recommended that 60 per cent of the credit to the micro and small enterprises should go to the micro-sector but yet it apprehends that the share of credit is garnered by higher and small enterprises.

Joginder Kumar, president, Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India, said the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) had recommended setting up of a national fund for the non-farm enterprises with less than 5 lakhs investment/un-organised sector to meet with the requirement of micro enterprises but no representative of the micro-sector had been included in the advisory group.

“It is suggested that a special cell in the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) may be set up, wherein, representatives of micro enterprises should be included in the special cell,” he added.

The micro sector is the second largest employment generator next to the agriculture. The NCEUS has submitted its report on credit to the Prime Minister wherein it has recommended that loans to the micro enterprises be provided at par with the agriculture, he added.

“In view of the enormous contribution of the micro sector, credit to micro enterprises should be given at par with agriculture and it is fit case for interest subvention. On the contrary, the government is spending hefty amount under its flagship scheme NREGA to provide employment,” he added.

The federation has also submitted a memorandum to R Gopalan, secretary, financial sector, and demanded that at present 15 directors are on the SIDBI’s board out of which 14 directors are officials. “At least two-three directors should be nominated from micro/small enterprises representatives,” they added. 

Ludhiana, April 22
The civil department of the municipal corporation has started repairing the sunshades at major crossings of the city. Other civic bodies have also been asked to do the needful for protecting the traffic cops on duty from weather adversaries.

This step was taken after The Tribune carried a story on woes of hundred of cops who had been falling prey to weather adversaries due to alleged unconcern on the part of the authorities concerned.

Investigations by The Tribune revealed that workers of the civic construction wing of the municipal corporation had started repairing damaged canopies on some road intersections, including one at the local the Bharat Nagar Chowk yesterday afternoon.

Showing satisfaction over promptness of the authorities, cops said the gesture would boost their morale besides protecting them from scorching heat and the rains. Workers undertaking the repair work said they had been directed to complete the canopy as soon as possible. Then the work of repairing other damaged sunshades would start.

Hundreds of traffic cops, who have been suffering from the pollution-related problems due to the increasing number of vehicles on roads, had been made to stand in the scorching sun at crossings and intersections of the district. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 22
Not caring two hoots for directions of the State Transport Authority, owners and organisers of private buses continue to violate route permits.

Blinded in greed for extra collection, short route and link-road operators misguide passengers about their routes and make them board unsuitable buses.

Besides being forced to shell out extra fair, these passengers are subjected to unnecessary harassment that sometimes put their life and property at risk.

Though the alleged tendency has become an open secret among transporters and travellers, none of the violators was reportedly fined for the infringement.

Residents of the area have urged the authorities to probe the alleged scandalous attitude of the transporters and save passengers from avoidable harassment.

Investigations by the Ludhiana Tribune revealed that a large number of operators of buses plying between local bus stand and surrounding towns like Malerkotla, Malaudh, Payal, Khanna, Raekot, Sandaur, Dehlon, Sahnewal and Doraha had been violating route permits allotted to them.

While they were allowed to ferry passengers between stops mentioned on their route permits, passengers travelling between long-distance locations were also persuaded to board these buses. These passengers were later made to board other buses bound for their destination. The unnecessary shifting was learnt to have caused loss to life and property of travellers. Paying extra fare, forgetting to claim balance and leaving belongings behind are frequent sufferings besides occasional accidents during hurried shifting of buses. There were incidents wherein lives were lost due to alleged greed of these bus operators.

Accusing conductor of a private bus starting from counter number 10 at the local bus stand (Ludhiana), of misguiding about his route permit, Karnail Singh of Jandali Khurad village alleged he had suffered monetary loss and harassment due to his greed.

“I like, many others was told by the conductor that the bus would go to Patiala. But we were dazed when he dropped us at Bija chowk and asked us to wait for a particular bus that would take us to Patiala,” alleged Karnail Singh.

Karam Chand of Maholi village said his mother died in a similar incident a few years ago.

Ludhiana, April 22
Already burdened with the maintenance of records and reports, the technical and clerical employees working at the civil surgeon’s office here have been thrown off balance after being deputed on “Census 2010” duty.

The staff of 55 working in various branches, including deaths and birth, drugs, anti-larvae wing, accounts, cold chain and laboratory, have been put on census duty from May 1 to June 15.

Annoyed by the unsystematic way of assigning duties, a senior official stated that officials, while making the list, should ensure that “public dealing” at the civil surgeon’s office was not affected.

However, with over 95 per cent of the staff on census duty, people coming to the office will be in for disappointment, as their respective works will be delayed in the absence of staff, the official said.

The staff of the anti-larvae wing, too, has been assigned the census duty, whereas at this time of the year they are busy tracking “malaria” and “dengue” cases in the city.

A clerk working at the civil surgeon’s office said: “The staff at deaths and births branch are already struggling to reconstitute the records of the rural populace that were destroyed in a fire in 1994 and such duties add to the problems that ultimately effects people at large.”

The sources added that the civil surgeon had already written to the higher officials apprising them of the problems, which the officials would face in the absence of technical and clerical staff at the civil surgeon office.

A request had been sent to the Deputy Commissioner for the same so as to give relaxation to some staff members, so that public dealing could be carried out smoothly.

Ludhiana, April 22
In spite of filing several complaints to the municipal corporation against the blocking of road by vehicles belonging to an industrial unit in street No. 7, New Janta Nagar, Gill Road, no action has been taken against the defaulter.

MC authorities had cancelled the licence of the unit for 2009-10 and challaned it over 20 times. However, it renewed the licence of the unit for 2010-11 for reasons best known to the MC. The renewal has added to the problems of the area residents.

Sher Singh, chairman and former president, Northern Railways Pensioners’ Welfare Association, and a resident of New Janta Nagar, complained that the unit, dealing in steel, had been a source of nuisance for residents.

Rehris, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles belonging to the owner, load and unload iron throughout the day, blocking the entire street.

“I have approached the MC Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner on the issue but they seem to be least bothered about our plight,” rued Sher Singh.

In spite of it being a residential area since 1985-86, with even the Master Plan, 2008 validating this, units and small industries have openly been operating from there. To add to the problems of residents, scrap dealers crush the scrap with hammers in the street, causing noise pollution. Sher Singh alleged that while the municipal corporation had been claiming to be adhering to the High Court orders on the removal of encroachment, the area had been being “spared” due to certain vested interest.

Assistant Commissioner AS Sekhon said the unit had been storing iron leftovers in a godown in street No. 7. “We keep challaning the unit. The unit has been challaned over 20 times,” he said.

Jagraon, April 22
Former in-charge of the Latala police post under the Ludhiana rural police was suspended by SSP Harinder Singh Chahal today for allegedly taking bribe from a suspect accused of smuggling poppy husk.

Addressing mediapersons here, Chahal said SI Jaspal Singh was the in-charge of the police post in April 10 when he arrested Sukhwinder Singh, alias Kala, and Sukhwinder Singh of Chappar village along with 140 kg poppy husk.

He had registered a case against the accused under Sections 15, 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act.

In the same case, Islam, another suspect, was to be interrogated after his arrest.

Instead of arresting him, the SI demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from Darbara Singh and Buta Khan of Mandi Ahmedgarh, both aides of Islam, and after negotiations settled for Rs 1.25 lakh.

He received the amount from Darbara Singh and Buta Khan on Islam’s behalf at the police post and assured them that the police would not bother Islam.

However, even after the payment was made to Jaspal Singh, the police continued to raid the place of Islam.

Darbara Singh and Buta Khan felt cheated and complained the matter to Dakha DSP Jasdev Singh under which the Latala police post fell.

In the inquiry, it was proved that Jaspal Singh had taken Rs 1.25 lakh from Islam through Darbara Singh and Buta Khan.

Chahal, on the basis of the inquiry report, ordered the registration of an FIR at the Jodhan police post and suspended him.

Ludhiana, April 22
Changing the direction of a pedestal fan by a factory worker claimed his life when his co-worker allegedly pushed him in a fit of rage, killing him of brain haemorrhage here last night.

The victim, Mansoor Alam (20), was a resident of Baba Deep Singh Nagar.

He and his co-worker Tinku were working in a clothes factory in Samrala Chowk when the incident happened, said the police.

Mansoor had changed the direction of the fan towards himself. This angered Tinku so much that he pushed Mansoor, as a result of which the former’s head hit against a wall. He started bleeding profusely on the spot.

Seeing his condition, Tinku fled the scene. Other co-workers took Mansoor to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police has registered a case of murder against Tinku. The suspect is yet to be arrested.