Ludhiana, June 21
People visiting commercial establishments along Ferozepur Road can park their vehicle without the fear of being challaned.

Abiding by the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has invited bids for auction of paid parking sites on both sides of the national highway from Bharat Nagar Chowk to Sidhwan Canal. The contract for the parking lots will be given for a year. The auction will be held on June 26.

MC Additional Commissioner Isha Kalia said an area of 1,38,777 square feet on both sides of the road would be provided for parking. The parking lots will have a capacity to accommodate 1,860 vehicles, including cars, bicycles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and public transport vehicles.

“The MC has selected 13 sites along Ferozepur Road and paid parking will be provided in 29 blocks. The contractor will be allowed to charge Rs 5 for a bicycle, Rs 10 for a two-wheeler and Rs 10 for a four-wheeler for an hour.

The contractor will charge Rs 20 for a bicycle and Rs 30 each for a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler for up to two hours. Any vehicle parked beyond a period of two hours will be towed away by the traffic police,” said Kalia.

The terms and conditions for auction of parking sites stipulate that the contractor will have to display parking rates. Besides, no temporary or permanent structure will be allowed at the parking sites. The parking lots will not be used for the sale or purchase of vehicles, no push cart or vender will be allowed to operate at these sites and payment of service tax on parking fee will be the liability of the contractor.

Ludhiana June 21
The city police claimed to have arrested two serial snatchers today. The accused have been identified as Sarabjit Singh and Tarsem Singh, alias Judge.

The police has recovered eight pairs of gold earrings from their possession. Police officials said the accused were involved in 10 incidents of snatching. The accused used to target elderly women. Mukhtiar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Atam Nagar, said: “The accused were nabbed at a checkpoint near Sidhwan Canal set up by the Shimlapuri police.”

One of the complainants, whose gold earrings were snatched, identified the accused at the checkpoint.

The police said the accused were hooked to drugs and used to commit crime after consuming heroin. The police also recovered 25 packets of drugs from their possession.

The accused had allegedly snatched earrings from a Chandigarh resident, Charanjeet Kaur, on Thursday. She was in the city to meet her relatives in New janta Nagar.

The police said the accused snatched earrings from an elderly woman in the Daba area. The accused also confessed to have snatched earrings from an elderly woman in the New Janta Nagar area.

Ludhiana, June 21
Fire broke out in a garment showroom in Lalu Mal Street at Chaura Bazar, the busy commercial hub in the old city area. Stocks, electrical appliances and fixtures were damaged in the shop. The total loss is estimated to be Rs 7 lakh. Owner of the showroom Vivek Kumar said a grocery store owner saw the smoke coming out of the showroom and informed him.

It took over one hour for the firemen to douse the flames. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Ludhiana, June 21
Ritish Goyal of Sacred Heart School, BRS Nagar, has again done proud to his parents, school and the entire city achieving all India 59th rank in IIT. Though majority of the students did not expect the declaration of IIT results today, as soon as they got to know the news, the students, parents and their teachers got stuck to the laptops to know the details.

An elated Ritish told The Tribune said that it was his long cherished dream to crack IIT and he was thankful to the almighty that he secured a good rank.

“It is due to the blessings of god, my parents and my teachers that I got 59th rank. I am very happy ”, he said. It may be mentioned that Ritish had also scored highest in JEE main exams in Punjab.

His father Dr Anil Kumar Goyal and mother Renu Goyal said that Ritish had put in a lot of hard work to achieve the position.

It may be mentioned that the elder brother of Ritish, Aatish had also done well in IIT and is presently studying in IIT, Mumbai.

Ritish said that he would like to go to IIT Mumbai only in computer Science branch. One of the batch mates of Ritish said that latter was so confident that he had already told his elder brother to keep a seat for him as he would join him soon in Mumbai.

Besides, another student from Sacred Heart Schoool, BRS Nagar, Sidakpal Singh has secured 652nd rank. Apart from these two, Sachin Aggarwal from Springdale School here also got 684th rank in IIT this year.

In the history of Ludhiana, Ritish is perhaps the only student who has secured such good rank in IIT.

Ludhiana, June 21
The monsoon is here and youngsters are all geared up to face the rains in style.

It is the time when girls brighten up their wardrobe with bold accessories. Umbrellas, rain coats and water proof bags are their new companions during the rains.

One should dress up carefully during rainy season. Opting for a churidaar instead of a salwar will be a wise option and one should avoid wearing heels and shoes.

Pick up sprinting or Indian designed umbrellas with butterflies, lady bugs, flowers or with other intricate designs on them. They define ethnic chic to the hilt.

"I saw a beautiful and brightly coloured hand embroidered umbrellas in the market. I was attracted to buy the same as I couldn't think of a more perfect summer accessory. Apart from carrying these umbrellas as a fashion statement I can also get respite from the sun," said Prateeksha, a college student.

The ultimate bags to own now are digitally printed waterproof bags that are perfect for daily use. Rexine in Indian motifs and Indian digital art bags are in trend across the globe. They are rain-friendly, fashionable and ethnic. For office use, there are waterproof laptop bags with Indian prints that are trendy yet perfect to combat the weather.

No-make up look is always in during monsoon.

"The trick is to keep it light. Use water-proof makeup (mascara, liners, foundation) when required. For the cheeks, stick to pastel shades with rosy undertones. Add some drama to the eyes using pencil eye-liners in fresh colours like green and blue. Use matt lip colours or lightly tinted lip balms. Always carry a good face-wash and a pack of tissues or face wipes while going outdoors," said Heena, a beauty expert.

Jagraon, June 21
The family members of a group of youths, hailing from various villages surrounding Jagraon, heaved a sigh of relief when their wards returned home safely from Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib, in the flood hit state of Uttarakhand. The family members of these youths faced many anxious moments during the couple of days, before the arrival of their wards, as they were unable to contact youths.

These youths had gone to pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib on June 14. The group of young pilgrimages included seven youths and a driver of a Jagraon-based tour and travel company. While returning home, the youths remained struck at Srinagar for three days as the roads were blocked due to landslides. However, all the youths managed to return safely when the road was cleared.

After returning to their respective homes safely, the youths described the horrific tales of the destruction caused by the heavy rains and flash floods. "We started our journey on June 14 and we reached Gobind Ghat on June 15. We paid obeisance at Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib on June 16 and were ready to return the very next day. It was raining heavily and we were forced to stop at Srinagar as the roads were blocked. There we learnt about the disastrous situation. There was a lot of panic among the pilgrims, staying at Srinagar", recalled Gurdeep, alias Gora, a youth of Kaunke village after returning home.

"We were at Srinagar on June 18 when we came to know that several people were killed when dozens of vehicles parked in the parking lot at the Govind Ghat were washed away by the flash flood. It was very shocking, our car was also parked in the same parking lot, just a day earlier. We feel ourselves very fortunate to survive this natural calamity", said the car driver Harmandeep Singh.

He further said that still thousands of people had been stranded those areas due to rain. The locals have been exploiting the visitors, who are struck over there.Besides, two other persons from Jagraon are learnt to be stranded in Uttarakhand.

Khanna, June 21
A khanna-based family is still clueless about the well being of their four members. These four had gone to Kedarnath on June 16. As per information, Tejinder Kumar of Nai Abadi, Khanna, along with his wife Durga Rani, his son Promin, his daughter Komal, younger son and his son-in-law Naman Kumar, a resident of Sirhand had left for Kedarnath on June 16 in their car. These members had stayed in a hotel near the Kedarnath temple. Father and mother of the missing Tejinder Kumar said that their family members came out of hotel when they heard an announcement of administration about the heavy floods.

There were about 10 persons in the hotel along with others. After hearing the announcement, Tejinder and his family members came out of hotel and ran to save their lives but they could not be spotted thereafter.

Their car was also said to be flown in the heavy water of the fury. However, the younger son of Tejinder was saved by a rescue party and he reached at his uncle's house at Sirhand but was still unable to share any thing about the miss happening. Several close relatives of the above said family are camping at Dehradoon but are still clueless about the whereabouts of the remaining four members of the missing family.

The aged parents of Tejinder are praying to God for the safe return of their son and other family members, but they had not received any information about them.

Payal, June 21
“Thank god, all the members of a family I took for pilgrimage to Uttarakhand have reached home safe,” said Kewal Singh, a taxi owner of the local town, who finished the toughest drive of his life last night. The survivors owe gratitude to the volunteers from Ferozepur, who had almost begged them to stop their journey at Pipal Kutia, 30 km behind their destination, Gobindghat.

“Our fate could have been different had they not insisted us to stop from proceeding further at Pipal Kutia, as it was only a few hours after that we embraced the hardest situation of our life,” said Kewal Singh, maintaining that watching cars and tempos floating in water during flash floods was a nightmare for him and nine passengers, including a child.

Ascertaining the reports regarding immeasurable loss of life and property Kewal Singh said, the family would have remained stranded there, had a native driver not suggested him an alternative route to reach Punjab. The group had to drive extra 200 km via Kotdwar to escape the vulnerable region.

Contrary to the claims being made by the administration Kewal Singh regretted that even policemen did not hesitate in misguiding the trapped devotees. Instead of giving priority to the safety of the stranded devotees, the officials on duty, including policemen preferred to persuade them to leave their area as soon as possible. “It was at about 4 am on Wednesday that policemen on duty at a post almost forced us to start journey immediately. When we wanted to enquire about the availability of eatables, the policemen told us that the administration had organised a community kitchen at a distance of 13 km on the road,” said Kewal regretting there was no eatery at least for 150 km distance. It was late at night that the group got eatables at a small village situated on the roadside.

Jaswinder Singh, a junior engineer from Ludhiana and other members of the group from Khanna and Aluna Palha village had high praise for Kewal Singh, who according to them had done wonderful job to enable them reach their homes safely.

Sahnewal, June 21
Due to easy availability of the habit forming drugs, more and more youth are allegedly getting hooked to drugs in Sahnewal and surrounding areas. The empty bottles, lying scattered at different places in and around the town, are a clear indication of the intensity with which the drug trade is being followed in the town and its crazy intake by those who already addicted to and those who follow addiction due to peer pressure and most prominently due to their open sale.

The authorities, it seems, have till date not shown any concern for the crude fact that many medical stores at Sahnewal are doing brisk business by selling death at cheaper rates.

“Life saving drugs as penicillin, histaglobulin etc are generally in short supply but there is no dearth of life shattering drugs cough-syrups, muscle-relaxants, other anti-depressant drugs, pain-killers etc", was a sarcastic remark by one of the renowned surgeons of the area. Many chemists too, it seems, give two hoots to the raids being carried out by the drug department and its staff from time to time,"much more is actually required to be done when a raid is conducted", viewed one of the chemists of the town. "These raids have now become a common affair for the chemists who are aware that it is nothing more than a routine activity for the anti-drug department, while they have to the carry on their work unperturbed without any fear or fret. Many the chemists and RMPs practising in these surrounding villages too are involved in free trade of these ‘restricted’ drugs, alleged a villager.

“All these drugs are a controlled item and supposed to be sold only at the written prescription of a qualified doctor. Moreover, the record of its sale and purchase has to be maintained at all costs,"commented a doctor.

"Not even a single village of entire Sahnewal belt has remained aloof from this menace, most of these youngsters have taken to easier ways of life, thus ruining their lives to the extent of destruction", commented a sarpanch of one such village. The entire responsibility now rests on the shoulders of the government, which otherwise poses to make Punjab drug free but is actually taking no concrete steps to nab such chemists, who earn money at the cost of youngsters health he viewed. Senior Medical Officer, Community Health Centre, Sahnewal when contacted said that it did not fall under his purview. "Either the people do not complain or if at all they file a written complaint, I forward it to the District Health Officer or Drug Inspector," he added. Drug Inspector Sukhvir Chand said, "We have already raided two shops at Jandiali and Ramnagar and eight shops at Dehlon today and collected samples as well. We shall be doing the same for Sahnewal in the coming days."

Ludhiana, June 21
Continuing with his protest against the police for not arresting PPCC secretary Almudin Saifi, president of the Minority Council, Punjab, Bablu Qureshi staged a dharna outside the Jodhewal police station today.

Almudin was booked by the city police following Mohammad Khurshid’s death due to cardiac arrest at Mayapuri on Tibba Road.

On Thursday, Qureshi staged a protest outside the Police Commissioner's office demanding Almudin’s arrest. Following the protest, the police constituted a special investigating team to probe the incident.

Bablu Qureshi, however, said the police should immediately arrest Almudin.

Qureshi, along with his supporters, gathered outside the Jodhewal police station and raised slogans against the police. Former minister Satpal Gosain also came in support of the protesters.

Qureshi alleged that the police had constituted the SIT to delay Almudin’s arrest.

Ludhiana, June 21
The State Information Commissioner has imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 (as interim compensation) on Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College for not providing information to Lt Col DS Dhillon.

Jaswinder Singh, associate professor-cum-public information officer of GNDEC, who was present on the hearing of the case on June 19, has been asked to pay Rs 5,000 by a demand draft or crossed cheque to the complainant and produce the copy of the same before the Information Commission on July 24, the next date of hearing.

As per information, Dhillon had sought information under the RTI Act. The college authorities received his application on January 19, 2013. On June 19, the public information officer, GNDEC, had stated that as per policy/guidelines of the administration, all relevant documents were stored in a soft copy format and other record had been disposed of.

Jaswinder Singh has been directed to file a fresh affidavit clarifying the fact that whether the office-record pertaining to the information sought for by the complainant was available with the public authority concerned on January 19, 2013, when the RTI application was received in the office of public authority/respondent or not.

Ludhiana, June 21
The row between a city resident and BJP councillor from ward number 29 Renu Sharma and her husband Rajesh Sharma over fabrication of documents for the civic elections took a new turn today, with complainant Charanjit Singh Gill making a plea with the civic administration to withdraw powers of a councillor from Renu Sharma who has been booked on the charges of fraud by the police.

In a memorandum submitted to MC Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma, the complainant produced a copy of the FIR registered against the said councillor under Sections 420 and 177 IPC while making a plea that having contested the MC elections of the basis of forged and fabricated documents, Renu Sharma was not competent to act as a representative of public.

He said salary and other allowances should be stopped and she should not be allowed to utilise public money on development works.

District president of the BJP Parveen Bansal and councillor Renu Sharma alleged that the allegations were politically motivated. They also charged the police with playing in the hands of a former Congress councillor who had lost the elections to Renu Sharma.

Sources said the MC Commissioner did not have the powers to take action against the councillor even if a criminal case had been registered in the particular case.

"It is the state government or precisely the state government which could disqualify a councillor under provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act and that too after following the due process laid down in the Act. The submission of memorandum by the complainant is a political gimmick which will hardly achieve anything or have a bearing on the FIR registered against the councillor," observed a Congress councillor.

Ludhiana, June 21
The pen-down strike by the clerical staff entered the third day today. Visitors, who were unaware of the strike, had it the toughest.

The work remained suspended. The staff issued certificates to the Scheduled Caste/Backward class candidates contesting the gram panchayat elections to be held on July 3.

Unaware of the strike, an applicant returns home disappointed. Photos: Inderjeet Verma

Baldev Singh, president of the DC Office Karamchari Union Ludhiana, said, "The Deputy Commissioner had directed us to issue the certificates."

The union will hold a meeting at Sangrur on Sunday.

Harbans Singh, who had come from Raikot, to get the registry of his land done, had to return empty-handed.

"I was not aware of the strike. I will have to come on Monday to get my work done. I will call up at the Mini-Secretariat before coming to the city."

Another visitor said the announcement of the strike should have been made well in advance through media so that the general public was not made to suffer. "It is not easy to wait under the scorching sun," said Gurbachan Singh, a senior citizen.

Ludhiana, June 21
The commodities transaction tax (CTT) will be levied from July 1. A notification in this regard has been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

The commodities transaction tax will be applicable on non-agricultural commodities at the rate of 0.01 per cent.

The tax will not be applicable on almond, barley, cardamom, castor seed, channa, copra, coriander, cottonseed and cotton.

The other agricultural commodities that will not come under the commodities transaction tax net are guar seed, isabgol seed, jeera, kapas, maize feed, pepper, potato, mustard seed, raw jute, red chilli, soybean, soya meal, turmeric and wheat.

Processed agricultural items, including sugar, soya oil and guar gum, will attract the commodities transaction tax .

The commodities transaction tax to be levied from July 1 will have to be borne by the seller of the derivative contract.

Ludhiana, June 21
After a gap of two months, once again the district health department has started collecting samples of eatables from rural areas. On the instructions of Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, Dr Subhash Batta, a team of health department including District Health Officer Dr Avinash Kumar, food safety official Harpreet Kaur and Manoj Khosla collected as many as 11 samples of the eatables from the different peripheral areas of the district. The team collected samples of samosa and curd from a canteen in hospital at Mullanpur, wheat flour from a flour mill, juice samples from a sweetshop and milk from a dairy at Sudhar. Besides, two samples of ice-ceams and juice were also collected from a shop at Ludhiana. Samples of salt,laddu and cold drink were also collected from different shops in Ludhiana. Earlier on April 26, 2013, the same team of health department had a confrontation with shopkeepers at Jagraon.

Meanwhile, a drug inspector of health department collected four samples of medicines from different medical shops in rural areas yesterday. He conducted the checking of as many as eight shops in Dehlon block of Sahnewal area.

The drug inspector, Sukhbeer Chand said,"I checked medicine shops in Dehlon, Gopalpur, Chhapar, Poheer and Gujjarwal. The samples of four medicines were also collected. None of the shopkeepers had habit forming drugs." He further said that central government has banned the sale of dextropropoxyphene salt.

Ludhiana, June 21
The police yesterday arrested a 23-year-old youth and recovered 1 kg of opium and weapons from him. The accused has been identified as Ekamjot Singh, alias Aric, a resident Maniwala Malout (Muktsar).

Ludhiana, June 21
Raman Mann (78), Nimit Malhan (72) and Parul Mehndiratta (68) helped Mahajan Club defeat Ludhiana Club by 27 runs in the opening match of the annual Hot Weather Cricket Tournament (U-18) being organised by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association under the aegis of the Punjab Cricket Association at SCD Government College today.

Mahajan Club made 271 runs losing six wickets in 45 overs in which main contributions came through Raman, Nimit and Parul, besides Rahul who scored 16 runs.

For Ludhiana Club, the most successful bowler was Deepin Chitkara who secured three wickets for 40 runs, Other notable wicket takers were Simar, Anmol and Vaibhav Kalra who captured one wicket each.

In reply, despite fine innings from Harnoor Mand (37), Jaskaran Bhangu (57), Jaish Jain (33) and Deepin Chitkara (21), Ludhiana Club could make 244 runs for the loss of four wickets as they completed their quota of 45 overs.

Ludhiana, June 21
The three-week long camp held for the students of Baba Ishar Singh, Nanaksar, concluded on Thursday.

Sixty students drawn from different sports disciplines namely cricket, hockey, volleyball and athletics attended the clinic.

Amrik Singh Nagra, chief coordinator of the clinic, said the campers were also taught the importance of proper stance, positioning of head, directions of hands, proper weight transfer while throwing a ball from long distance and close in.

Olympian Hardeep Singh Grewal was the chief guest on the concluding day. Harkaranveer Singh Khangura and Amitoz Singh were declared best campers (cricket) while Prabhsimran Singh was named the best hockey player (senior) and Gurluv Singh was adjudged the best junior player.