Ludhiana, October 2
A 34-year-old man committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of Silver Arc Mall near Bhai Wala Chowk here today.

The victim, Sandeep Kumar, a native of Gurdaspur, was living in the Chander Nagar locality in the city. He was reportedly in depression after allegedly being duped by four persons -- a woman, Palwinder Kaur, her husband Davinder Singh, Terlok Singh and Dilbagh Singh, all residents of Gurdaspur.

The police has booked the four persons under Sections 306 and 420 of the IPC on a charge of abetment to suicide. According to the victim's wife, Sandeep had sold a piece of land in Kadian village to Davinder Singh and his associates. The deal was struck for Rs 28 lakh. The four got a registry done in their names and took possession of the land.

She told the police that the accused handed over cheques for Rs 16.92 lakh and assured Sandeep that they would soon make the rest of the payment. Sandeep received a shock when the cheques bounced.

When Sandeep demanded his money, Davinder Singh threatened him with dire consequences. Sandeep went into depression. He neither had land nor money.

Sandeep left the house this afternoon and reached the fourth floor of the mall and jumped from there.

Before jumping, he called up his brother-in-law and told him why he was taking the extreme step. Sandeep's relative tried to convince him, but in vain.

Before Sandeep's relatives could reach the shopping mall, he had jumped from the building.

Police sources said soon after he fell on the floor, security guards took Sandeep to the basement and mopped the area where he had fallen.

The investigating officer rued that the security guards had removed a crucial piece of evidence.

Despite repeated attempts, Nitin Kumar, manager of the mall, was not available for comments.

The police sources said the security guards removed the body as it could have spread panic among the visitors, particularly women.

The police has found a suicide note from the victim's pocket.

Ludhiana, October 2
Over a month after Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari accused a private road construction company for doing a shoddy job and demanded slashing of the toll charges, his concerns seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

The incident that took place yesterday in which a car got stuck in an open drain constructed alongside the National Highway No. 1 has yet again given credence to Tewari's statement that the Sirhind bus incident had taken place due to the "negligence" of the construction company.

Commuters look at the car that got stuck in an open drain on the NH-1 near the Jalandhar bypass. A file Photo

Tewari had met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Oscar Fernandes in September and had sought early completion of the work on six-laning of the Jalandhar-Panipat Expressway. He had stated that several accidents had been caused due to the poor condition of roads and the onus for these lay on the construction company.

Though the minister had assured Tewari that all his concerns would be addressed, nothing has been done so far. Tewari had criticises the road construction company and had stressed that no toll should be charged till the time the company provided safe journey to the commuters.

Commuters travelling by car towards Jalandhar have to pay Rs 110 for a one-way passage at the Ladhowal toll plaza against Rs 102 charged earlier. For multiple journeys, the commuters have to shell out Rs 165 against Rs 154 earlier.

Similarly, the toll rates have been revised at the Karnal and Shambhu toll plazas. The toll for trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles has also been revised.

The construction company has pocketed nearly Rs 1,100 crore as toll during the past four years. The company has done little despite the fact that roads are full of potholes and open drains pose threat to the commuters.

Ludhiana, October 2
The "mega training camp" organised for generating awareness among city residents regarding property tax proved to be a damp squib as only a few people turned up for the camp. More than half of the chairs at Guru Nanak Bhawan, where the camp was organised, remained empty.

Interestingly, the chairs that were occupied comprised mostly of MC employees, councillors and some city residents, mostly senior citizens.

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation started its recovery drive of property tax today.

Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria was the first one to file his property tax returns worth Rs 1,136 for four of his properties, including two vacant plots. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal also filed the property tax returns of Rs 4.36 lakh for government offices in the Mini-Secretariat. Senior Deputy Mayor Sunita Aggarwal and Deputy Mayor RD Sharma and around 20 other persons also filed their property tax returns on the first day.

The fact that only a few residents turned up for the camp did not go down well with senior MC officers. "It rained heavy in the city today. Maybe, that's why not many people attended the camp. Residents must understand that they'll have to file their property tax returns," said a senior MC officer.

MC Additional Commissioner Isha Kalia gave a detailed presentation about the tax, after which residents were asked to raise their queries. A senior citizen from Rishi Nagar said a 16-digit unique identification (UID) number was yet to be allotted for his property. "In the absence of the UID number, how can I file my property tax returns? Besides, no concession has been given to senior citizens, which is sad," he said.

Replying to his query, Isha Kalia said of the total around 3.8 lakh properties identified in the city, a survey of around 1.5 lakh properties had been completed so far. "If a person wants to file his returns, he can do so even if the UID number has not been allotted to him," she said.

Another senior citizen raised a point that his house was constructed more 30 years ago and at that time, the cost of construction was around Rs 100 per sq yard. "However, according to the formula being used to assess the property tax now, the cost of construction has been kept at Rs 500 per sq yard, which is totally unjustified," he said.

Some residents expressed the opinion that the penalty amount should be reduced.

What the Mayor says

Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said all residents should come forward and pay property tax. "Its sad that only a few people attended our camp today. They should understand that the money collected through this tax will ultimately be spent on the development of the city. We plan to collect around Rs 200 crore this year from property tax," he said.

Not an easy task

During the last financial year, the MC collected Rs 90 crore as house tax and some MC officials feel that collecting Rs 200 crore will not be an easy task. "The manpower is the same and we think revenue collection will be less than the total house tax collected last year. If we are able to collect Rs 90 crore, it will be an accomplishment," he said.

How much you will have to shell out

"If a city resident was earlier paying Rs 1 lakh as the annual house tax for a rented commercial property, now he will have to pay Rs 66,300 for the same property. The tax has been reduced from 15 per cent to 10 per cent of the annual rent.

"If a city resident was earlier paying Rs 1 lakh as the annual house tax for a rented residential property, now he will have to pay Rs 75,000 for the same property. The tax has been reduced from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent of the annual rent.

Cong to hold protest

The Congress has decided to hold a protest against the state government outside the Zone A office of the MC in Mata Rani Chowk on October 7 in protest against the levying of property tax. Pawan Dewan, president, District Congress Committee (Urban), said the decision was taken during a party meeting held on Wednesday. "Property tax is an additional burden on the urban population of the state and we will not allow it to be imposed," he said

Ludhiana, October 2
Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia has accused Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa of betraying the Punjab peasantry by mobilising them to the national Capital for seeking a special package but failing to get a single penny for the debt-ridden farming community.

In Ludhiana yesterday, he said the "plain refusal" of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to meet the farmers' delegation showed the "apathy" of the Congress towards this hardworking community.

Ludhiana, October 2
Thirteen fresh cases of dengue have been reported from different hospitals in the city. Among these, 10 cases are form Ludhiana district, two from other districts and one is from Delhi.

The District Epidemiologist, Dr Anil Verma, said, "We have received 10 cases of dengue from Ludhiana district during the past four days. Of these, one case each has been reported from Focal Point, Mandeep Nagar, Aggar Nagar, Indra Colony, Giaspura, Khanna, Lohara, Dhandari Kalan, Mundian and Malikpur. Two patients, one each from Sangrur and Hoshiarpur, have also tested positive. One case has been received from Delhi."

The number of dengue cases reported from hospitals in the city so far has reached 221, of which 114 are from Ludhiana district, 83 from other districts and 24 from other states.

Mandi Ahmedgarh/Payal, October 2
The police has initiated preventive measures to ensure security of farmers and commission agents carrying heavy cash during the ensuing paddy season.

Besides enhancing security near grain markets and branches of commercial banks, the police has advised commission agents to minimise the movement of heavy cash by transacting business through cheques and other modes of electronic transfer.

Managers of various banks have been asked to advise their guards to be extra vigilant during the season and check that CCTVs work properly in and outside their branches.

Addressing a meeting of commission agents of the Payal and Malaudh areas, Balwinder Singh Bhikhi, deputy superintendent of police, Payal, said extra alertness on part of all concerned would shatter sinister designs of miscreants who normally become active during the foodgrain procurement season.

“Though we have made enough security arrangements for the safety and security of all concerned, your cooperation is utmost required,” said Bhikhi, while taking to the commission agents.

Bhikhi said farmers should be asked to open accounts with banks of their choice so that proceeds could be transferred through cheques and other modes to their accounts.

Commission agents led by Jatinder Puri assured that the movement of cash would be minimised during the season.

Assistant Commission of Police Gill Gurpreet Singh Sikand said special teams supervised by SHO Dehlon Inderjit Singh Boparai and SHO Sadar Amandeep Singh Brar had been constituted to patrol roads and streets leading to grain markets and branches of commercial banks situated in the region.

Referring to information received from SHO Dehlon Inderjit Singh Boparia, Sikand said bank managers were asked to enhance preventive vigilance at their branches. Emergency alarms, CCTV cameras and weapons were checked for their functionality by the policemen.

Ludhiana, October 2
After seeing a low phase, jewellers are now betting on the coming festival and marriage season. All their hopes are pinned on the start of Navratras and then the marriage season. With the dwindling of rupee against the US dollar and slashing of gold prices, the jewellers have seen the worst phase and now have put their fingers crossed.

“We are expecting that the demand will be boosted in the ongoing marriage season. We are also expecting boost in the exports as the value of rupee has improved. We have put our fingers crossed and are hoping for a great time at the year-end,” said Ram Parkash, a jeweller from Ghumar Mandi.

"The demand remained low during the shradhs. Earlier, people kept on waiting for the prices to go down. But now, compulsory buying will take place in the coming marriage season. Since gold is knitted in our tradition, one cannot escape it during special ceremonies like marriage,” said Harish Verma, another jeweller from Civil Lines.

Manisha Dutta, a city resident, said her daughter was getting married next month and she would be buying gold after the shrads. “We bought some of the jewellery items when gold prices were going down. The remaining jewellery will be purchased this month as designs change within a few days. Be the price low or high, I will be buying gold this month,” she said.

Ludhiana, October 2
Though the Punjab Government has made several efforts to promote maize cultivation in the state to implement the crop diversification programme, weather and market prices do not favour maize cultivation in the district.

In the absence of procurement by government agencies, private traders have been paying Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,300 per quintal maize in the markets of the district. The traders pay according to the moisture level in the grains.

Moreover, the storm and the heavy rain that hit the city last month affected the crop badly. The yield of maize is recorded low as compared to the last year due to the unfavourable weather conditions. The Punjab Agriculture Department has provided 75 metric tonnes of maize seeds to the farmers on subsidy to promote maize cultivation in the district. According to the Chief Agriculture Office, Ludhiana, more than 4,400 acres area was under maize cultivation in the district.

Bakshish Singh, chief agriculture officer, said: “The area under maize has increased with the efforts of the department. The farmers also cultivate the maize for fodder, and they have been getting good prices of maize in the markets. Private traders are purchasing maize at the same rates suggested by the government as the minimum support price (MSP)".

Jaswinder Singh, Mandi Supervisor, Market Committee, Machhiwara, said: “The Agriculture Department has provided hybrid maize seeds to the farmers. So, we are expecting good yield. Private traders procured 42,000 quintals of maize till date. The yield is very less as compared to the last year”.

Doraha, October 2
The relatives of a deceased put his body on the national highway near Doraha to register their protest today. They alleged that the police was acting under political pressure as the role of a former councillor was suspected in the death of the man. They lifted the dharna after an hour when the police assured them of proper investigation into the matter. The commuters had to face inconvenience due to the blockade.

Surinder Singh, son of Mohinder Singh of Partap Singh Wala, was allegedly burnt alive by his in-laws on September 16 when he visited their house in Doraha village in order to strike a reconciliation with his wife. Their relations went sour within a few months of their marriage.

Surinder Singh had been struggling for life for the past 17 days at a city hospital till he succumbed to his injuries today.

Darshan Singh, brother of the deceased, alleged: “Since September 16, we have been trying hard to make the police arrest the accused, but to no avail. The police is not taking action in the case because of political pressure, as a former councillor is also involved in this crime”.

DSP (D) Ranvir Singh, DSP Payal Balwinder Singh and SHO of Doraha Amardeep Singh reached the spot. The dharna was lifted only after the police assured the protesters the accused would be nabbed soon. “Although a case under section 307 has earlier been registered against the deceased's wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, now section 309 of the IPC has been added to the case”.

Ludhiana, October 2
Though the market committees is all set to start procurement of paddy, the hovering clouds have had farmers worried.

Today, the city witnessed moderate rainfall. The Agro Meteorologist Department of the Punjab Agricultural University recorded 22.4 mm rainfall in an hour.

The rain has affected the paddy crop in the areas around the city.

According to the weather experts, the weather will remain partially cloudy in the next 24 hours. Farmers, who have been planning to harvest their paddy crop, are worried about the weather conditions.

Gurdev Singh, a farmer from Mullanpur, said: "Our paddy crop on five acres is ready for harvest but due to the uncertain weather conditions, we are avoiding harvesting".

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Oct 2
"We must pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi as he is the Father of the Nation. At the same time, we should not forget that Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, was also born on October 2, 1904," said office-bearers of various organisations of the area.

Maintaining that Mahatma Gandhi is remembered mainly due to the public holiday declared as Gandhi Jayanti, residents said even the members of organisations running in the name of Lal Bahadur Shastri knew little about him.

Sikandar Singh Jartoli and Baldev Singh Latala, office-bearers of the Punjab Kissan Sabha, lamented that none of the government or non-government organisations had come forward to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who, besides leading the nation during the 1955 War with Pakistan, had took stand for the rights of farmers of the border state, Punjab. Even the idea of migrating farmers from Punjab to Gujarat's Kutch district after the Indo-Pak War was also mooted by Shastri. They said the cultivators of all the states should feel indebted to Shastri for the farmer-friendly policies framed during his tenure as the Prime Minister.

Vikas Tandon, a Congress leader, and Bimal Sharma, a former councillor, said a resolution had been passed to demand the withdrawal of eviction cases against Punjabi farmers who had transformed barren land of Gujarat to cultivable. "It will be a real tribute to Shastri in case we succeed in helping the farmers who had adopted Kutch according to the proposal mooted by him (Shastri)," they said.

Acknowledging the tendency, Pardeep Sharda, principal of Mahatma Gandhi National Memorial Senior Secondary School, said informative talks were organised for students of his school, along with sister organisation Lal Bahadur Shastri Public School. Besides garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, staff led by Sharda distributed literature on both leaders among the students.

Ludhiana, October 2
Rich tributes were paid to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his birthday. Leaders of political parties, including the Congress, its front organisations and several other social and cultural outfits, organised functions, peace march and prayer meetings to remember Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

District presidents of the Congress Pawan Diwan (Urban) and Malkiat Singh Dakha (Rural) placed on record the unparalleled contribution made by Mahatma Gandhi to attain freedom of India from the British rule in a peaceful manner.

Congress leaders, including Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar, both MLAs, Gurmel Singh Pehalwan, Ashok Parashar Pappi and president of the Mahila Congress Leena Taparia, stressed the need to follow the path of peace and secularism shown by the Father of the Nation during the independence movement.

Led by district president Leena Taparia, activists of the Mahila Congress offered garlands to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Mata Rani Chowk here and recited “amrit vani” at a prayer meeting to pay tributes to the Father of the Nation. Volunteers of the Congress Sewa Dal organised a peace march from the Jagraon Bridge to the Mata Rani Chowk in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Floral tributes were paid to both the leaders on the occasion.

Desh Bhagat Yadgari Society held a prayer meeting in the Atam Nagar area to remember Mahatma Gandhi. President of District Congress Committee (Rural) Malkiat Singh Dakha and Krishan Kumar Bawa, along with several party workers, recalled the pivotal role played by Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle.

Functions and prayer meetings were organised in different parts of the city by the Bhagwan Valmiki Guru Ravidas Ekta Samaj, Punjab, district unit of the Nationalist Congress Party, minorities cell of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Rashtriya Vikas Manch and the Youth Congress (Urban) to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Speakers at these functions emphasised the need to follow the path of truth and peaceful coexistence shown by Mahatma Gandhi, which was even more relevant in the present times when certain communal forces were trying to create division among the people and weaken the country.

Phillaur: The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Mission today celebrated Gandhi Jayanti at Bapu's memorial on the banks of the Sutlej, Gandhi Dham, Phillaur, with fervour. The mission organisers this time started the day by paying homage to the Father of Nation by "spinning charkhas” at the feet of this historic monument. The homage was paid by Gurbinder Singh Atwal, president of the mission. The children of Sri Krishna Pingalwara Charitable Trust, Phillaur, sang bhajans and "Ram dhun" often sung by Mahatma Gandhi. This time, the members of the Sutlej Khadi Mandal also actively participated. Brij Goyal, organising secretary, spoke about the global importance of the day.

Ludhiana, October 2
Earlier khadi was a symbol of resistance to the British rule, now it has become a fashion statement. From being the fabric of the revolutionaries, khadi is now favourite with designers running chic boutiques.

The khadi emporium located at Chaura Bazar was visited by fashion-conscious residents on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary today. Nowadays, khadi is one of the most sought-after materials among the youth and elderly.

The manager of the store was happy to see the rush of visitors at the government-run khadi emporium. Today, almost every designer of repute seemed interested in turning Gandhi's khadi to a modern and ultra chic fantasy, representing the future of Indian fashion.

Sangeeta Singh, a customer at the khadi emporium, said: "Khadi is the next linen in textiles. It is the only fabric that can boast of being spun and woven solely by human hands. It falls well and becomes second skin after two washes. It breathes and has self-texture. It symbolises the soul of India, but we can also have fun with khadi."

With khadi sported by models on the ramp at the international level, the material is here to stay. Designs in khadi are not restricted to the traditional churidaar-kurtas, lehnga-cholis, sarees and salwaar-kameez any longer. A whole range of western wear and fusion options in khadi are available these days.

"The possibilities are many and varied. But, the most significant trend emerging is that western styles will occupy centre stage in all experiments with khadi. And for those who want to uphold the sanctity of Gandhi's favourite cloth, there are always designers to fall back on," said Misha, the owner of a boutique.

But, designers feel khadi is yet to evoke the kind of response in the domestic market that it is has generated abroad. "It is unfortunate that we are able to sell more khadi abroad than within the country. Here it is still considered an inexpensive, rough cloth. People are ready to spend money on denims but not on khadi," said a city-bases fashion designer.

A salesman at the khadi emporium said: "Khadi is so versatile that you can get amazing colours and textures and weaves if you combine it with cotton, muslin or silk. Even the plain khadi by itself is a great material to work with, both for winter and summer collections".

Khanna, October 2
The star cast of “Ronde Sare Viah Pichhon” (RSVP) - a con comedy of errors with sultry Neeru Bajwa, suave Harish Verma and dashing Guggu Gill in the lead - today visited Khanna for the promotion of their movie.

Interacting with the media here today, producer Himmat Singh said the movie is all set to release on October 11. It is a presentation of Himmat Ventures and Matchstix Productions, which is directed by Vijay Kumar Arora.

“It’s the most romantic, exciting and exhilarating scam of 2013 wherein a con woman ends up loving one of her victims. What ensues later is a hilarious comedy that the Punjabi cinema will ever see,” said the leading actor Neeru Bajwa.

Harish Verma said he plays the role of Ranvir, a handsome, sophisticated and rich young man, who weds a beautiful girl of his grandmother’s choice. “Ranvir is a man of principles. The movie will reinforce the value of relationships,” he said.

The baritone voiced Guggu Gill was sure that the people will easily connect their lives to the characters presented. The movie also has actors Rajpal Yadav, Jaswinder Bhalla, Navneet Nishaan and Rana Ranbir.

Ved Prakash has written the story and also helped Vijay Kumar Arora in the screenplay. The cinematography is by Karan B. Rawat. Gurmeet Singh, Daljit Singh, G-Deep and GJ Singh have lent music to the project.

Kumaar, G-Deep of DJ Wale Veera and Kudi on Fire and Yakoob of Channa Ve Fame have penned lyrics for the songs in the movie. Singers Lambhar Hussainpuri, Tarranum Malik, G-Deep, Jaspreet Jasz, Nikita, Sandeep Bankeshwar and Navraj Hans will be heard in the foot-tapping numbers. Jayesh Pradhan and Jot Sohal have choreographed the sequences, while Pradyumna Kumar is the action director for RSVP.

Sanjay Sankla has edited the movie, which has been shot in and around Amritsar. 

Ludhiana, October 2
In a recent direction to all the district education officers in all the districts, the Principal Secretary-cum-State Project Director, National Secondary Education Mission Authority, Punjab, Anjali Bhawra, has asked the former to inspect the civil works being carried out in schools whenever they go for departmental inspections.

The directions were issued yesterday via a letter. The letter said the work of upgradation of schools (from middle to high) was under way at several schools in Punjab. Besides, the construction of science labs, libraries and art and craft rooms were also under way in many schools under the National Secondary Education Mission Authority.

Though the works were being monitored by the JEs and SDOs of the respective agencies, still the Principal Secretary has instructed the DEOs that during their inspections at respective schools, the civil work being done by the agencies should also be inspected and the report must be provided to the department about the pace of work. Besides, principals have also been asked to take support from the JEs (SSA) at block-levels and inspect the civil work being done at their schools. The letter says in case any discrepancies were found by the principals, the District Education Officers should be contacted at the earliest. The DEOs should send their comments on website: civil works.punjab@gmail.com and a copy should be sent to the agency doing the work.

One of the principal of a government school said that it was a right step taken by the authorities as the agencies took everything lightly and the civil works were often lingered-on in schools. “Due to slow pace of work, the students also suffer alot. With the fresh instructions, the agencies will become accountable and try to finish the works within stipulated time,” said the principal. 

Ludhiana, October 2
The Young Writers Association (YWA) at Punjab Agricultural University celebrated its 47th foundation day at the Student's Home today.

The Young Writers Association was established by some literary students in 1966. A number of well known literary persons have associated with the YWA in past 47 years. SN Sewak, Faqir Chand Shukla, Dalbir Sahpuri are from the founder members of the YWA.

Dr Mann Singh Toor, associated with Young Writers Association, said “The objective of this association is to promote the book culture in the students and encourage their artistic skills.”

Gurbhajan Singh Gill, president, Punjabi Sahit Akademi, said: “In the past 47 years the YWA has provided a platform to several literary personalities. The then students Gurdev Singh Jadika, Sukhchain Mistari, Janmeja Johl, Mann Singh Toor, Saranjeet Singh Manku were associated with the association and now have a good name in the field of literature.”

The Young Writers Association today organised a competition of poems and songs. In the competition, Gurpreet Singh from the College of Engineering won the first prize, Sarbjit Singh from the Department of Economics stood second and Kanchan from the College of Home Science got third prize. Jaspal Dhanju and Gurbharpur Singh of the College of Agriculture were also honoured for their good performance. Books of poetess Harleen Kaur were distributed on the occasion. 

Doraha, October 2
Cultural rehabilitation and preservation seems to be the top priority of universities and other educational institutes in Punjab these days. This is primarily revealed from the fact that at least one day is dedicated to the cultural preservation in various youth and heritage festivals organised by most of the universities these days.

Dr Nirmal jaura, Director, Youth Services, Panjab University, said “Modernity, which is overpowering and dominating almost every sphere of life needs to be strictly checked if we as Punjabis serious thinking of our lost cultural heritage and dances.It is mainly for this reason that a complete day is dedicated to cultural promotion. The students, who have never known the richness of our rich culture, get acquainted with it. Heritage items including orchestra (indian ),group folk orchestra, folk instruments , kavishari, var, kali along with traditional and ritualistic songs of Punjab, comprising of suhags, ghoris ,long heik (chant )songs, dholak/ghara song sithnies and Punjabi folk dances are depicted in which those forgotten songs, dance forms are presented which youngsters have neither heard nor seen in their lifetime. Also, competitions, including embroidery, pakhi designing, crochet work and knitting promotes the cause of cultural rejuvenation”.

SM Kant, Advisor, Youth and Cultural Affairs, Panjab Technical University, Jalandhar, said: “The basic motive of organising the heritage festivals is that it is an effort to revive the elapsed cultural heritage, especially in the youngsters who are regarded to be the befitting guardians of our prosperous cultural past.”

Harpratap Brar, General Secretary, College Management Committee, GNN College, Doraha, and Gurbhajan Gill, former president of the Punjabi Sahit Academy and an eminent Punjabi poet, also spoke.

Jagraon, October 2
A migrant labourer from Bihar was crushed to death by a truck on the Disposal road in Jagraon this morning. The deceased, identified as Rajesh Kumar, used to work as a daily wager. According to sources, Rajesh was going to work on his bicycle on the Disposal road.

“When he reached near Shani Mandir, a truck coming from the back side rammed into his bicycle. Following this, Rajesh fell on the road and was crushed under the vehicle,” said Panchu, a relative of Rajesh.

The victim was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, Jagraon, where adoctors declared him brought dead.

The police reached the spot and started investigations. It later arrested the truck driver and impounded his vehicle.

Later on, the body of the deceased was handed over to his relatives after conducting a post-mortem.aInvestigating officer ASI Kuldeep Singh said the police had registered a case of negligence driving against the truck driver. — OC

Ludhiana, October 2
The city police has booked 11 persons, including elementary teachers and Zila Parishad employees, for taking jobs on fake documents.

The accused, including women teachers and employees of the Zila Parishad identified as Sukhwinder Kaur, Kamaljit Kaur, Rekha, Balwinder Kaur, Surinder Kaur, Surjit Singh, Ranbir Singh, Baldev Singh, AS Verma and Gurinder Singh, have been booked under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC.

According to the preliminary investigation, the accused teachers, including Sukhwinder Kaur, Kamaljit Kaur, Rekha, Surjit Kaur and Ranbir Singh, had got the jobs on the basis of fake certificates.

The case was registered on a complaint of Gurbaksh Singh of Kitchlu Nagar.

Soon after receiving the complaint, the Commissioner of Police ordered for the registration of a case.

The crime investigation agency of the local police has been entrusted with the task of investigating the case. Inspector Ashok Kumar said investigation had been started.