Ludhiana, March 5
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation today demolished illegal shops and godowns constructed by the management of New High Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar.

Razed structures at New High Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, on Tuesday. Photos: Inderjeet Verma

The illegal structures were razed amid protest by the school authorities and shopkeepers. The school authorities had indulged in the illegal change of land use by constructing nine shops and godowns on its premises, which were leased to shopkeepers of the Sarabha Nagar market, commonly known as Kipps Market.

The Sarabha Nagar market and the school building are separated by an eight feet road and it is convenient for the traders to carry out their business from both these places.

The school authorities and shopkeepers tried to disrupt the drive, but the MC team managed to raze illegal structures. The drive was led by assistant town planner Rajinder Sharma.

The school is located in the posh Sarabha Nagar locality.

The land was allotted to the school under a parental scheme. The scheme was developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust, but later it was handed over to the municipal corporation.

ATP Rajinder Sharma said the land was allotted to a school and permission was not taken from the MC for the change of land use. “But the school authorities tried to carry out a commercial activity by constructing shops, which is illegal,” he said.

Sunil Maria, chairman of the school management committee, said: “It is a government unaided school. This is our property and we can use it in any way. We had constructed godowns on our own land and the MC has no authority over it. The officials didn’t send a notice before razing the shops. I will file a case against the MC officials and will claim for damages.” 

Ludhiana, March 5
Twenty-two samples of food items collected by the district health department in 2011-2012 failed the purity test. The authorities have imposed a fine ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000 on the shopkeepers from whom the samples were collected.

District health officer Dr Avinash Kumar said: “Many samples were substandard and adulterated.”

Food safety officer Ravinder Garg said: “Adjudicating officer-cum-Additional-Deputy Commissioner (General), Ludhiana, Neeru Katyal delivered the decision for seven cases on February 19, for 10 cases on February 26 and for six cases on March 4.

Calcutta Kiryana Store, Pakhowal, was fined 
Rs 20,000 for selling adulterated Gopal brand mustard oil.

Rakesh Kumar, shop owner at Booteshah Mandi, was fined Rs 25,000 for selling adulterated Kailash brand mustard oil.

Manoj Bansal, a trader from Vishwakarma Mandi, was fined Rs 50,000 for selling Arjun brand mustard oil.

Manish Tiwari, a milk vendor on Chooharpur Road, was fined Rs 5,000 for selling substandard milk.

Darshan lal and Company, Booteshah Mandi, was penalised Rs 50,000 for selling adulterated Natraj brand mustard oil.

Sandeep Kumar of Universal Corporation Limited, was fined Rs 10,000 for selling misbranded biscuits.

Romi Dairy was fined Rs 5,000 for selling substandard milk.

Kashmir Kiryana Store in Ishwar Nagar was fined Rs 10,000 for selling substandard moong dal.

Hotel Aaditya was fined Rs 50,000 for selling tanddori chicken with synthetic food colours.

Thousands Spices Restaurant, GT Road, Khanna, was fined Rs 50,000.

Juice sample of Walia Fruit Juice, Ghumar Mandi, was found substandard. Sagar Kumar was fined Rs 5,000

New Basant Ice-Cream, Model Town Extension, fined Rs 25,000.

Suraj chhap zarda from Shubham Trading Company, Railway Road, was found misbranded. Vipan Kumar, owner of the shop, was fined Rs 10,000.

Gaazi mustard oil collected from YK Enterprises, Jawahar Nagar, was found misbranded. Proprietor Sunny was fined Rs 50,000.

Palmoline oil collected form Rakesh and Company, Lakkar Bazaar, was found misbranded. Aneesh Kumarwas fined Rs 50,000.

Mustard oil collected from Varun Kiryana Store, Issaru, Khanna, was found misbranded. A fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed.

Patisa collected from Shri Sham Patisa Factory, Jagraon, was found substandard. Owner Narinder Kumar was fined Rs 20,000

Kahmira packaged drinking water collected from Prem Kumar near Jalandhar bypass, was found substandard. A fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed.

Khoya collected from Satii Sweetshop, Jagraon, was found substandard. Owner was fined Rs 10,000.

Khoya from Daleep Sweets was found substandard. Owner Vijay Kumar was fined Rs 10,000. 

Ludhiana, March 5
In a stepped-up drive against power thefts, the enforcement wing of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has caught the son of a former BJP legislator, who was stealing electricity in his factory at Janakpuri.

A penalty of Rs 19.50 lakh has been imposed on him.

During a surprise check, the enforcement officials found that in addition to connected load, the consumer was drawing power through "kundi" connection to run a part of the machinery installed at the unit.

The PSPCL officials said the consumer had preferred an appeal against the demand for penalty, and depending upon its outcome, a case might also be registered against the factory owner at the anti-power theft police station.

The officials said energy meters of more than 7,000 consumers in different parts of the city were checked and 113 cases of power theft were detected. These included power theft by tempering with energy meter, bypass or "kundi" connection. A total penalty of Rs 56.67 lakh was imposed on the consumers.

Ludhiana, March 5
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation received an overwhelming response on the first day of the launch of LMC CRAMAT Android application. More than 400 residents registered themselves with the application and the MC received 40 complaints related to potholed roads, overflowing sewage, besides others.

The Android application — LMC CRAMAT (Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Citizens Reporting and Mapping Tool) — was launched by Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria yesterday. Using this application, residents can file their complaints from phone.

The 10 categories under which the complaints can be filed include streetlights, water supply and sewerage, roads, sanitation, tehbazaari, encroachments, horticulture, unauthorised construction, illegal advertisements or boards or hoardings and the city bus service.

Officiating MC Commissioner Isha Kalia said the complaints would be analysed and would be forwarded to the departments concerned.

MC sources said most of the complaints were related to roads full of potholes, overflowing sewage and garbage strewn on streets. “The MC did not expect such a response on the first day. The complaints are saved on the server, but the developer is in the process of formulating a programme through which the complaints in the form of SMSes as well as emails will be forwarded to the official concerned,” said an official. 

Ludhiana, March 5
Earlier, the police used to lay a naka outside the Khalsa College for Girls to keep roadside Romeos and traffic violators at bay, but today it was the turn of girls to face the ire of the police.

Eight newly recruited policewomen laid a naka outside the college following complaints that girl students, too, indulged in traffic violations.

The girls, who were riding scooters with their faces covered, were stopped by the police officers.

It was learnt that policemen did not challan girls for traffic violations.

But the newly recruited policewomen are keeping a tab on such violators.

"Driving without a helmet and taking a call while riding a scooter were some of the common offences committed by girls. Some parked vehicles haphazardly. Traffic violations will not be tolerated," said traffic Inspector Buland Singh.

Boys roaming outside the college were also challened.

"A majority of policewomen did not have the exposure of laying a naka and carrying out a challan drive. Such drives will instill confidence among them," quipped an officer who was leading the police team during the naka. 

Ludhiana, March 5
Panic gripped the Old Session Chowk area when residents spotted an unattended briefcase outside Nav Bharti School.

Deepak Kumar, a railway employee who called the police control number, said the police took 21 minutes to reach the spot.

Upon the reaching spot around 7.30 pm, the police cordoned off the area. On opening the briefcase, some cloths were found in it.

Bystanders said the police personnel neither used a metal detector nor wore protective gear before opening the briefcase.

"They were using a pen to open the bag. They did not use any safety equipment," said Akshay Oswal, 
who was accompanying Deepak Kumar.

Residences of Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh and other police officers are located a few meters away from the spot.

Ludhiana, March 5
Politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Brinda Karat today criticised the Punjab government for failing to ensure minimum wages 
to workers.

Karat was addressing a rally after leading the "sangharsh sandesh jatha" of the party to Chatar Singh Park in the city.

"The government ought to scrupulously implement the Minimum Wages Act, and at the same time take effective steps to improve the lot of Punjab farmers who are being crushed under the burden of ever increasing debt, or else the party will launch a mass agitation," she said.

Karat also made a scathing attack on the Congress and the BJP, accusing both the parties of looting the masses.

She also reiterated her party's demand for an early enactment of the Food Security Bill.

Ludhiana, March 5
Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari, who is also the chairman of the Unit Value Committee (for property tax), has asked the civic body officials to work on the unit price of the revised zones.

He said he did not want the common man to bear the brunt of "exorbitant" market value of the land.

After studying the areas that fall in various zones and the rates that have been "proposed" to be fixed by him, the DC felt that the proposed rates were high and even the zoning of many areas was incomplete.

He sent back the files to the MC officials.

To streamline everything, Tiwari has asked both the MC and Deputy Director, Local Bodies, to re-fix another meeting on March 11 at his office and all the committee members, including political representatives, should be recalled to discuss and fix the unit prices, keeping in mind the interest of the common man.

"I had deliberately not announced the rates as I wanted to go through the files sent to me by the Municipal Corporation/Committees. On February 28, the proposed rates were discussed. We expect that the unit prices, in view of the new exercise based on the weighted market price, are expected to fall at least up to Rs 30,000 for the higher zones and at least up to Rs 10, 000 for the lower zones in corporation area and proportionately in a similar manner in the 10 municipal committees of the district," said Tiwari.

The unit value fixation meeting of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation as well as for the 10 municipal committees of Ludhiana district was held on February 28. However, political representatives of the unit value fixation committee did not attend the meeting with the argument that zoning was not proper and till zoning was done properly, the unit value should not be fixed.

Congress councillor Parminder Mehta said the municipal corporation did not take the task seriously. They did not make the necessary corrections. "Now that the chairman of the committee has called another meeting, we hope that things will be streamlined and genuine rates will be implemented for the zones," said Mehta.

Ludhiana, March 5
As many as 10,000 youngsters vied for 74 posts during a recruitment rally conducted on the Army compound near Jagroan Bridge here today.

The drive was conducted to fill 70 posts of soldier, three of clerk and one of cook.

Colonel RN Sharma, commanding officer of the recruitment rally, said aspirants from Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Delhi and Haryana took part on the first day.

"The physical fitness test of aspirants from Punjab will be conducted tomorrow," he said.

Ludhiana, March 5
A 26-year-old newlywed woman, who was allegedly being harassed for dowry by her sister-in-law, committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her husband's house in Green Avenue at Daad village.

The deceased was identified as Puja, a resident of Patti village in Tarn Taran district.

She had tied the knot with Maninder Singh four months ago.

Puja left a suicide note stating that she was being harassed by her sister-in-law Surinder Kaur for dowry.

While the police has apprehended Puja's husband Maninder Singh, her sister-in-law is yet to be arrested.

The incident took place this afternoon when Puja called up her sister Geeta and told her that she was committing suicide as her sister-in-law was torturing her.

After speaking to Geeta, Puja switched off the phone and reportedly committed suicide, said victim's relative.

The victim's mother, Sukhwinder Kaur, said, "When we went there, Maninder told us that our daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan."

It was learnt that the victim's sister-in-law had recently manhandled Puja's mother who visited the house to resolve the issue.

Surinder Kaur (35) is a divorcee and Maninder Singh works at the DTO office.

Sadar SHO Amandeep Brar said the police had sent the body to the Civil Hospital for an autopsy.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 5
After the acquisition of cultivated land for the construction of a new grain market on Jagera Road, the affected landowners have locked horns with the administration.

They refused to accept cheques for Rs 20,78,03,153 and announced the launch of a struggle to get their due.

Led by former chairman of the market committee Amrik Singh Jandali, over 100 landowners, mostly farmers, accused the officials of keeping them in the dark during the evaluation of the land earmarked for the grain market.

"Though we were made to understand that we will be paid the market value of our prime land along with the compensation and interest there of, the government is trying to grab our bread and butter at a meager price of Rs 53 lakh per acre," said the farmers.

Justifying the action, controller, land acquisition, Punjab Mandi Board, Daljit Singh, who headed the high-power committee that took possession of the land, said the price and compensation had been calculated in consultation with representatives of various social and political organisations.

Singh said as a goodwill gesture farmers would be allowed to harvest the standing crop.

The administration had started the process of selecting and acquiring land for the grain market for which the foundation stone was laid by the then mandi board chairman, Sukhwinder Singh Sarkaria, along with former parliamentary secretary Razia Sultana on December 26, 2006.

As the move initiated during the Congress regime had proved futile, SAD legislator Iqbal Singh Jhoondan impressed upon the Chief Minister to appoint a new committee for the purpose.

Delay in the construction has emerged as a major issue among commission agents and farmers of the area.

The commission agents have been forced to hire plots to procure paddy during every season. Besides hitting their profits due to the rent, they suffered owing to the low quality of produce.

Farmers also suffered loss due to the deduction in prices owing to a quality degradation and higher moisture content.

Ludhiana, March 5
A 35-year-old woman, who suffered serious burn injuries on February 20, and was undergoing treatment at the CMC Hospital, succumbed to her injuries today.

Minakshi (35) suffered the burns after a fire broke out at her residence in Kot Mangal Singh. 
Her husband and daughter had a providential escape.
The cause of the fire is still not known. Minakshi was rushed to a hospital with 80 per cent burns.

Her neighbour rushed her to the hospital. 

Ludhiana, March 5
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s tehbazaari wing today carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the Sarabha Nagar market, known as Kipps market. Considered one of the posh markets of the city, the area is full of encroachments, with a large number of shopkeepers illegally encroaching upon land in front of their shops.

Though the MC officials have been "successfully" carrying out anti-encroachment drives in different parts of the city, it seems that when it comes to the Sarabha Nagar market, the MC officials are either helpless or close their eyes for reasons best known to them.

The situation is such that the passageways in the posh market have been encroached upon, an adjoining park is being used for commercial purpose and several illegal rehris and farhis are a common sight in the market.

In the evening, the situation goes from bad to worse when stalls selling eatables come up on the passage. Not only this, but even two illegal shops have come up opposite the main market.

MC officials admit that the violations have been prevailing in the market for several years, but they are not able to take any action against the violators due to alleged political interference.

The market is one of the most happening paces in the city and it is often termed as the "Sector 17" of Ludhiana. Apart from illegal commercial activity, even parking in the area is a major problem for the residents living in adjoining blocks. Most of the shopkeepers in the market have allowed either a rehri, farhi or some other illegal commercial activity in front of their shops and even the electricity connection is provided by the shopkeepers.

An MC team led by tehbazaari superintendent Naveen Malhotra removed the encroachments today. “Tables, boards and chairs were confiscated. We will continue the drive till all the encroachments are removed,” he claimed.

The officials also removed encroachments from near Mall Road and Domoria Bridge.