Ludhiana, February 11
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation seems to be waiting for a tragedy to happen. Shop-cum-offices (SCOs) in Feroze Gandhi Market and shop-cum-flats in the Sarabha Nagar main market do not have fire-safety certificates. These facts came to light when a city resident sought information in this regard under the RTI Act.

Thousands of people visit Feroze Gandhi Market everyday. The market is known as the financial hub of this industrial city with a large number of banks, financial institutions and hotels situated here. The Ludhiana Stock Exchange is also situated in the market. The Sarabha Nagar market is known as the Sector 17 of Ludhiana, with several multinational companies having their outlets here.

Fire brigade officials claim that shortage of staff in the department is the main reason why regular checks are not conducted in these markets.

"Staff shortage is to blame for failure to conduct checks. These days, most of the time our staff is busy controlling fires taking place in different parts of the city. Because of this, neither are we able to conduct regular checks, nor are we able to issue fire-safety certificates," said a senior official of the fire brigade on condition of anonymity.

For a city having a population of over 17 lakh people, there are only 65 employees in the fire brigade, which includes drivers.

City resident Arvind Sharma, who sought this information, claimed that both the fire brigade as well as owners of SCOs in Feroze Gandhi Market and SCFs in the Sarabha Nagar market are playing with the lives of city residents.

MC Assistant Commissioner Davinder Singh, who also heads the Fire Department, said the matter had come to his notice and he would ask his staff to carry out a fire audit of all commercial buildings in the city.

Jagraon, February 11
Tightening the noose around persons involved in illegal mining and smuggling of sand, the Sidhwan Bet police, accompanied by officials of the Mining Department, arrested six persons for alleged illegal mining of sand. The police also impounded six tractor-trailers used for the purpose.

The accused have been identified as Bhajan Singh of the Agwar Lopo area in Jagraon, Gurpreet Singh of Dhaner village near Mehal Kalan, Sawaran Singh of Ghuman village, Rachpal Singh, Gurjant Singh and Avtar Singh, all three residents of Sherpur Kalan village near Jagraon.

Jagraon Mining Officer Gurcharan Singh Deol said they received information that some persons were trying to illegally smuggle sand from the Sutlej in the Sidhwan Bet area. "We contacted the Sidhwan Bet police and conducted joint raids in the Sidhwan Bet area and arrested six persons involved in illegal sand mining," said Deol. Sidhwan Bet SHO Jangjit Singh said the police had impounded six tractor-trailers in which the accused were trying to smuggle the sand. "We have registered a case against the accused under the Mining Act. Raids would continue in the area to check illegal sand mining," said Jangjit Singh.

Ludhiana, February 11
Six women and a six-year-old child were allegedly "taken hostage" and robbed by five persons posing as policemen at Hussainwal here last evening.

The women were going in an auto-rickshaw to pay obeisance at a religious place when five car-borne men intercepted their vehicle. The men identified themselves as policemen. While two of them sat in the auto-rickshaw, the others followed them in another vehicle. Soon after sitting in the auto-rickshaw, the robbers pulled out pistols and told the auto-rickshaw driver to go to a "police station". When the auto-rickshaw driver asked for the reason, the robbers thrashed him.

As soon as the auto-rickshaw reached the Focal Point area, the women realised that something was wrong. They started opposing the men and started shouting. They threw the child out of the auto-rickshaw and the driver stopped the vehicle. Soon, commuters gathered at the spot. On seeing them, the robbers fled in the car. Before leaving, the men snatched cash, camera and mobile phones of the women. The women could not note down the registration number of the car.

"We have registered a case and started investigations. We have managed to trace the con men. The car belongs to a resident of the Mundian Kalan area. The accused will be arrested soon," said investigating officer Balvir Singh of the Ladowal police station.

Ludhiana, February 11
The city police has arrested two persons and seized a huge quantity of psychotropic drugs from their possession. The accused have been identified as Amit Sachdeva and his employee Rohit Kumar.

Amit owns a food supplement shop at Pindi Street. The duo were arrested from a police naka at Kesar Gunj Mandi.

According to the police, the accused were carrying a bag and on seeing the police, they tried to escape. They were soon intercepted and on search, the police found a huge quantity of psychotropic drugs, including cough syrups, injections and tablets worth Rs 2.5 lakh, from their possession.

The police has not ruled out the possibility of the accused supplying drugs to youngsters in gyms. ACP-North J Elanchezhian said the police was investigating the issue and trying to find out whether the contraband was to be delivered to youngsters.

In another incident, the police has nabbed Parveen Kumar from the old city area and seized pharmaceutical drugs from his possession. The accused was arrested last evening while he was carrying the contraband and heading towards Clock Tower.

Ludhiana, February 11
Various kisan sabhas today organised a march from Chattar Singh Park to the Mini-Secretariat and held a rally under the banner of the Punjab Kisan Sabha to highlight their demand for suitable increase in the minimum support price of farm produce in the wake of a steep hike in the cost of inputs.

Activists of the farmers' bodies as well as the CPI and the CPM criticised the "anti-farmer policies" of the government at the Centre and the state and "persistent neglect of the farmers' demands".

Speakers at the rally said farmers had to face huge losses every year due to natural calamities that affected their farm production, and at times the crops were totally destroyed. The government did not have any policy to provide them adequate compensation.

Demanding immediate waiver of all loans given to small and medium farmers, they demanded that the MSP for wheat be fixed at Rs 1,800 per quintal and an additional bonus of Rs 150 be given to the farmers by the state government. "This has become essential due to an increase in the cost of inputs like diesel, electricity and fertilisers," they said.

Making a strong plea for an increase in the MSP of sugarcane, which is Rs 45 higher in Haryana as compared to Punjab, the farmers also demanded that milk be procured at the previous higher rate. The rally called for effective steps to curb inflation as price rise had made life tough for the farm community.

The farmer organisations warned against introduction of GM crops without safety audit while pointing out that such a move might lead to several problems for the food security and health of the nation in the future.

The rally was addressed by Kartar Singh Bowani, Sukhminder Singh Sekhon, Surinder Jalaldiwal, Baldev Singh, Avtar Singh, Mukhtiar Singh, Amarjeet Singh Sidhwan, Sikander Singh and Harbans Singh.

Ludhiana, February 11
Federation of Small Industries of India (FASII) has made a plea against any more hike in power tariff in the next financial year as the industrial sector was already facing a negative growth which had been precipitated by acute shortage of power all through the year. It was of the view that rather than imposing any fresh burden on consumers, including the industry, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) ought to put its house in order.

In a representation submitted to the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Authority in connection with the power tariff and annual revenue requirement (ARR) of the PSPCL for the financial year 2013-14, national president of FASII Badish K Jindal asserted that even after persistently jacking up the power tariff, the power utility was heading towards bankruptcy.

"In the past three years, the total borrowings have gone up from Rs 7,060 to Rs 8,485 crore while the accumulated losses have mounted to Rs 7,020 crore by the end of 2011-12. At the same time, the interest payment has also increased from Rs 1,674 crore (2010-11) to Rs 2,163 (2011-12) which is expected to further go up to Rs 2,600 crore by the end of this year," the representative body of the industry pointed out.

Pleading for rejection of the ARR, the FASII asked the PSERC to firmly tell the power utility for improving its financial health by cutting down wasteful expenditure, transmission and distribution losses, better manpower management, plugging pilferage and theft of equipment and material and cut down losses on power supply to farm sector.

Pointing an accusing finger towards the state government for the financial mess prevailing the PSPCL, Jindal said the government was not releasing funds for subsidy towards free power supply to agricultural sector. At the end of September 2012, subsidy worth Rs 1,596 crore was due which included Rs 229 crore for the power supply made during the last financial year. "The government be directed to pay interest on late payment of subsidy," the FASII emphasised.

Among other points raised by the FASII in the representation filed before the PSERC were maintenance of parity in supply of power to industry and farm sector, especially during a big gap between demand and supply, abolition of cross subsidies, abolition of minimum charges system which is irrational, rationalisation of service charges, octroi and other charges, supply of cheap power to industry at night, need for special enforcement for agricultural load, stagnating level of power generation and rejection of two part tariff.

Ludhiana, February 11
A three-day long 9th national conference for peace and development will be organised in the city from February 15. The theme of the conference is "Peace and Development: a Public Perspective."

During the conference, issues of public health, peaceful co-existence in South-Asia, violence against women, intolerance and violence and above all the abolition of nuclear weapons from earth etc will be discussed.

Disclosing this, president of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development, Dr LS Chawla, and general secretary Dr Arun Mitra, said, "It is unfortunate that the world spends over Rs 24,000 crores on arms race per day. On the other hand 14,700 children die of hunger everyday mainly in Africa and South Asia."

They said there was thus urgent need to divert expenditure from arms race to health, education and development. Our organisation as an affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)-(winner of Nobel Peace Prize 1985) has been campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons, check on the proliferation of small arms, confidence building measures among nations through people to people relations so that the wasteful expenditure on arms race is diverted to the welfare of mankind.

They further said that our country is one among those with poor health indicators. But because of continued arms race in South Asia we have to spend huge amount of our budget on defense. This is causing adverse effect on the expenditure on health and education. Out public health expenditure is less than 2 per cent of the GDP. We need to spend a minimum of 6 per cent to meet the basic bare minimum health needs of our people.

Jagraon, February 11
GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar, organised a national seminar on the theme "Excellence in Teacher Education-Perspectives and Challenges" in the college auditorium today.

Dr Satish Sharma, Director (colleges) DAV College managing committee, New Delhi, was the chief guest. He inaugurated the seminar by lightening the ceremonial lamp. A large number of students and faculty members also attended the seminar sponsored
by CDC Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Fellow and Syndic Panjab University Chandigarh, Dr Kulwinder Singh, and Dr Kuldeep Puri, Associate Professor, USOL, Panjab University, Chandigarh, were the key resource persons during the occasion. Nearly 100 delegates from various colleges of Punjab and other states of the country deliberated upon this crucial theme of Teacher Education during the seminar.

In his keynote address, Dr Sharma said excellence in any field is dependent upon education and education in the contemporary world has transformed completely. "We need to be abreast with latest developments which is a major challenge before the system of education in India. A composite and flourishing system of education needs to be adopted which will teach to its takers tolerance, ability of self expression and help in their harmonious growth," stated Dr Sharma.

Dr Kulwinder Singh expressed his concern about Quality Education, which is the major contributor to Human Development Index. He focused upon the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) where Indian educational system is lagging behind and many efforts are required to raise the level of educational system of India to match Global Standards.

Dr Kuldeep Puri talked about the challenges put forth in Yashpal Committee report, provisions of NCF-2005, constructivist approach to education and to reconstruct Indian Educational System according to global demands keeping in view the needs of Indian society.

Ludhiana, February 11
To give a thrust to the Ludhiana bicycle industry, Bicycle Research and Development Organisation (BRADO) has been set up at United Cycle Parts and Manufacturers Association's complex.

The new organisation will have Manjinder Singh as president, who is a Ludhiana-based industrialist. Gurmeet Singh Kular is general secretary, Harjit Singh Sondh is finance secretary.

The organisation has been formed with a strong objective to lead the bicycle and bicycle parts industry into global era where it has been facing a tough competition from body will also act as standardisation agency, which will draft quality standards for the cycle industry and provide certification to its members who adopt and qualify these standards are emerging economies for quite some time."With the help of the government, it will assist in providing a better infrastructure to this industry and also act to safeguard its interests in the changing political and socio-economical scenario.

Ludhiana, February 11
Though the Central Government has initiated several schemes to provide monetary benefits to the students from SC/BC category so that poor, meritorious students could continue with their higher education yet the State Government, on contrary "fails" to release these grants on time to colleges and by the time these grants reach the colleges, the beneficiaries (students) already pass-out from their respective colleges.

According to information gathered, in both the government colleges in city Government College for Girls and SCD Government College, the scholarships after the year 2010-11, have not reached the colleges.

The scholarship grants are pending for the years 2011-12 and 2012-13 it becomes a Herculean task for the college authorities to find the old beneficiaries (students) as majority of them have already left the colleges (after graduation etc).

Principal GCG Gurminder Kaur, who is also the officiating principal of SCD Government College, said almost 25 per cent of the total students in both the government colleges were the beneficiaries. "For getting the scholarships, forms are sent by the college authorities to the department. The Central Government sends the grants to state government and then the finance department releases the grants. But most of the times, these scholarship grants are sent late by the government and by the time they reach to us, majority of students leave the institutes. For the past two to three years, we have been sending these grants back to government as majority of the students are not located. The monetary benefits must reach to the needy on time," said Dr Gurminder Kaur.

Prof Kuldeep Singh, a senior professor, however, said these benefits should be provided directly to the beneficiaries instead of sending it through the departments/colleges etc. "In three districts of Punjab- Fatehgarh Sahib, Nawansher and Gurdaspur, for school students, the benefits (scholarships) are directly transferred to the students. On similar lines, system should be made so that college students too are able to get the benefits, directly in their accounts," said Prof Kuldeep Singh.

Doraha, February 11
The teachers of private-aided colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh have once again decided to come on roads to pressurise the Punjab Government to implementation of their long pending demands.

Dr Kuldip Singh, general secretary of Panjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union shared, “We have been constantly fighting for our rights as well as trying our level best for lobbying with bureaucrats and with political leaders to achieve our genuine demands. The Joint Action Committee consisting of the employees, working in aided-colleges, like teachers, principals, non-teaching employees and retired employees decided to intensify their agitation in the near future.”

Dr Singh said, “The teachers of Panjab University area will observe a two-hour strike tomorrow from 11am to 1pm. Our main demands include amendment in Service Security Act to provide service security to teachers working against unaided posts, release of in-time 95 per cent grant in aid, additionally early release of total arrears up to March 31, relaxation of Refresher/Orientation courses up to June 30, 2010 on par with our counterpart, extension the benefits of pay revision to teachers working against unaided posts, creation of posts of professors in affiliated aided colleges, lifting of ban on recruitments, implementation of pension and gratuity scheme for employees of aided-colleges, arrears of pay revision of 1/1/96 of DPEs and Librarians etc.”

“The teachers of Panjab University area will observe a two-hour on February 16 and those of Guru Nanak Dev University on February 18. Further, a state-level protest rally will be held in Chandigarh. The teachers will avail mass casual leave and assemble in front of DPI Colleges Punjab Sector 17,” he added.

Dr PS Gill, co-president of the PCCTU said, “We are the only category of employees who have not been paid arrears of grade revision payable W.E.F. 01.01.06. The other state government employees have been paid arrears in installments. The protest is mainly due to the dilly-dallying of the government in this regard. We wish to entreat upon the government for the release of arrears at the earliest.”

District president, Manjit Komal, too asserted that the government has always over looked the cause of the teaching community. “If teachers are considered to be the nation builders, their genuine demands should not be over looked at any cost,” he added.

Ludhiana, February 11
A five-day training programme on ‘post harvest technologies for rural catchments’ for farmers from Osmanabad, Maharashtra, was inaugurated here today at the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology. A total of 23 participants are participating in the training programme, which is sponsored by the Maharashtra Agriculture Competitive Project (MACP).

The training programme would consist of agro-processing technologies from All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Post Harvest Technology, soyabean processing technology, marketing of agricultural produce, vegetable puree production, production of green chilli powder and puree, evaporative cold room, application of plastics, modified atmosphere packaging of fruits and vegetables, cooling technology for food crops, value added products from root crop, dehydration technology, preparation of cattle feed pellets from potato waste etc.

Speaking on the occasion, head of Technology Division, Dr Deepak Raj Rai, said the farmers are best suited for agro-processing industry. “The raw material is already available with them in form of crop produce and with help of technology could get higher returns by selling different agro based products,” he said, adding that number of products could be made from soyabean and pearl millet, which is widely grown in Maharashtra. “We have also technology to for separation of arils from pomegranate with machine as well as hand tool,” he said, adding that presently most of profits of farmers is taken away by middle man which could minimized when farmers themselves took occupation of entrepreneurs.

Dr Sangeeta Chopra, senior scientist, informed the participants about various package of technologies included in training programme. She added that with adoption of these technologies farmers could multiply their profits manifolds.

Director Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and TechnologyDr US Shivhare said that the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology had developed number of products and standardised various processes. “Farmers should get benefit of these training programme by contacting at the institute,” he added.

Senior Scientist Dr Aleksha Kudos and Technical Officer OP Moondan were also present on the occasion.

Ludhiana, February 11
A Legal Aid Clinic was today set up in the Community Policing Resource Centre (CPRC), opposite to the office of Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, for providing free legal services to the needy section of the society.

The Sessions Judge-cum-chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, GS Matharoo, inaugurated the clinic.

Speaking on this occasion, GS Matharoo said earlier, around 18 legal aid clinics stands already opened in different villages and city. It was felt to open a clinic here as a large number of aggrieved persons were seen approaching to CPRC everyday.

Commissioner of Police, Ishwar Singh, was also present on the occasion along with CJM-cum-secretary district legal services authority KK Singla.

Later, the Sessions Judge also presided over a seminar in the conference room in which all the officers manning different Sanjh Kendras outside police stations especially attended the seminar. The Sessions Judge asked them to work with "commitment" as they were important part of the justice delivery system. Nobody should be condemned unheard and all are equal before Law.

Addressing the gathering, Commissioner of Police said, "I hope that a number of problems would now be solved on the spot if proper legal advice will be available to the people. Moreover, this would enhance the credibility of system and faith of people in system."

This legal aid clinic would be manned by one retainer lawyer of authority and one para Legal Volunteer, added KK Singla.

Ludhiana, February 11
The Punjab government has asked the local authorities to prepare a list of beneficiaries under 34 schemes, including scholarships to the students belonging to the SC/BC categories, on the basis of their Aadhar cards and bank accounts so that funds could be transferred under Direct Cash Transfer from April 1.

Sources said the letter had been sent to the authorities in this regard in all 27 districts of the state. The beneficiaries include students from schools and colleges, old age pension holders, widow pensioners among others.

Earlier, Central grants were given by the state government to local authorities such as district education officer (DEO) (Primary), DEO (Secondary), district welfare officer and zila parishad members and then disbursed to respective beneficiaries.

“Since it was a tedious task, the government decided that the financial benefits should be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries on basis of their Aadhar cards. A meeting in this regard was held by the authorities recently. Another meeting will be held on February 26 as the government is keen to start the process as soon as possible,”€� said an official with the Education Department. 

Ludhiana, February 11
Kite flying habit has claimed many lives in the city in the past few years. A teenager was electrocuted recently after he suddenly fell on an electric wire while flying kite.

The victim was at the rooftop of his house when his kite caught stuck in an electric wire. While trying to retrieve his kite, he got caught in the wires and was badly burnt.

Dr Baldeep, Managing Director, Deep Hospital, who treated the boy said, “The boy is in the paediatric ICU of the hospital. He has received multiple burns along with head and chest injuries. He remained on ventilator for more than a week and is still critical. Now we have removed the ventilator and he is recovering.”€�

In November 2011, 8-year-old Badaami had sustained 98 per cent burns after he came in contact of a high tension wire passing over the rooftop of his house in New Kundan Puri.

Dr Sanjeev Uppal, head, plastic surgery department, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said, “We receive four to five such cases during every kite flying season where people get electrocuted.”

Award ceremony

As an initiative to foster the spirit of competition at young age, STEPS Conducted Regional Scholarship Test (STEPS-Regional Scholarship Exam-2013) for the students of Classes VI to IX at regional as well as state level. Total 4,500 students participated in the exam at regional level and 1,200 students participated from schools of Ludhiana. To further motivate as well as recognise the efforts of the students an award ceremony was conducted by STEPS at Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar. As many as 88 toppers of the exam at Ludhiana level. Topper from each class VI to IX were given a cash prize of Rs 5,000. Kamal Wadhera addressed the parents and gave them inputs that how STEPS programmes were innovative as well as a mark ahead in shaping the future of the students.

Athletics meet

The Annual Athletics Meet of Pre-Primary and Primary wing of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Udham Singh Nagar,  commenced with full zeal and vigour. Young sportsmen attired in prismatic track-suits, assembled in the play ground and took the oath to participate with true sportsmanship in the events. The manager/ caretaker of the school lighted the ceremonial lamp and declared the auspicious opening of the annual athletics meet and flew the tri-colored balloons carrying the school insignia. Enthusiastic little champs of Pre-Nursery to Class V bubbling with energy and excitement contended for the top positions in the events including 100m, 200m, 400m, short put, long jump, sack race, lemon race, frog race, biscuit race. Beating their competitors with every leap, the winners were awarded by secretary (BVM Trust) with gold, silver and bronze medals and declared the athletics meet closed. Mangat Ram Thakur was also present in the event. Meet was conducted under the supervision of Baljit Singh Gill. — TNS

Ludhiana, February 11
Two motorcycle-borne youths snatched a gold chain and earrings from an elderly woman at Sarabha Nagar here.

The incident took place when the victim, identified as Kiran, was going to pay obeisance at a gurdwara. An eyewitness said two youths who on a bike came from behind and snatched the gold chain and earrings from her. The woman raised alarm but the snatchers managed to flee. The police has started investigations. 

Ludhiana, February 11
The 47th Annual Athletic Meet of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) began here today. Dr DS Cheema, director, Students’ Welfare, said the students of the four constituent colleges participated in hammer throw, 110m hurdles (men), triple jump (men), javelin throw (women), and 5000 m race (men).

In hammer throw, Sukchain Singh stood first followed by Amandeep Singh and Devinder Singh who secured second and third positions respectively. In 5000m race, Sandeep Singh, Rasamdeep and Ramandeep S Sidhu got first, second and third positions respectively. In triple jump, Rajkamal Singh, Hardeep Singh and Manjinder Singh bagged first, second and third positions respectively. In 110m hurdle, Rajkamal Singh clinched first position followed by Manjinder Singh and Karandeep Singh.

In javelin throw (women), Hraveen Kaur, Jagdeep Kaur and Alisha Sharma bagged first, second and third positions respectively.

Dr Cheema said the formal inauguration of the athletic meet would be held tomorrow. Dr RK Mahey, PAU Registrar, will preside over the function. A prize-distribution ceremony will be held tomorrow evening. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, will be the chief guest while Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU Vice-Chancellor, will preside over the function.