Ludhiana, November 11
A woman was crushed to death, while another woman and a 10-year-old boy were injured under a train near the railway station here today. The deceased has been identified as Somia (26), while the injured woman is Nazia Parveen (27). All three were residents of Hinaitpura village near Malerkotla and were relatives.

The incident took place when the three were crossing the rail track number 1 near the "rolling hut", from where the platform starts. They had bought tickets for a journey from Ludhiana to Malerkotla. The women, along with the boy, had come from their village to purchase wool in the city. After purchasing the wool, they were to board the Ludhiana-Hisar passenger train, which departs at 2 pm.

They had a heavy luggage and were in a hurry to catch the train to Malerkotla. Instead of crossing the tracks using the bridge, they preferred to walk on the tracks. While they were crossing the tracks, the Malwa Express, which arrives at the railway platform at 1.50 pm, came from the Jalandhar side and Somia was crushed to death under it.

Nazia and her son escaped with injuries as the train did not hit them directly.

Ludhiana, November 11
In a bid to recover its outstanding dues from city residents, officials of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation today disconnected four water and sewer connections in Block One of Zone D. During the recovery drive, the MC plans to recover Rs 300 crore, pending as dues with the defaulters.

MC staff snap the water connection of a defaulter near the Domoria bridge in Ludhiana on Monday. Photo: Inderjeet Verma

The decision to recover the pending dues on priority was taken keeping in mind the poor financial condition of the MC, which is finding it hard to meet its expenses.

"We need to recover all pending dues. Development can take place only if we are able to generate income. It's surprising that the defaulters owe more than Rs 300 crore to the civic body. We are aiming at recovering every single penny," said MC Additional Commissioner Isha Kalia.

According to estimates, the defaulters owe more than Rs 300 crore as pending water, sewer and other bills to the MC. Violators often go scot-free due to alleged political interference.

MC officials snapped the water and sewer connections at four places, where violators owed thousands of rupees to the civic body for the past several years. "We plan to make it a routine exercise and if any person fails to clear his dues, we will snap his water and sewer connections. I urge the residents to clear their dues if they don't want to face any kind of harassment," said Kalia.

Ludhiana, November 11
Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said he had asked the Director General, Secondary Education, India, Jagmohan Raju, to allow states to decide the fate of students from Classes VI to VIII on merit and the Centre must not enforce its decision that the students of these classes have to be passed even if they are not up to the mark.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, the minister, who was in the city in connection with trials for the Kabaddi Cup, said he had a detailed meeting with Raju in Chandigarh today.

The DGSE told the minister that a majority of the states had objected to the Centre's decision that students of these classes should not be failed. "We have asked the DGSE to leave the decision on the issue to the states. In Class IX, students weak in studies face a lot of problems and are not able to cope with the pressure. It's important that students are promoted on merit in Classes VI to VIII also," said Maluka.

Ludhiana, November 11
Chinese hosiery goods arriving in India through illegal channels are giving a hard time to the local industry as the goods are eating into its profits. Smuggled Chinese garments are cheaper as they come without paying the customs and excise duty. Similarly, shawls brought from Nepal to India via the land route are usually sold at half the price of locally manufactured shawls.

According to an industrial estimate, Chinese apparel and hosiery control nearly 60 per cent of the local retail market. "The illegal inflow of goods from China is adversely affecting the local knitwear industry, which manufactures around 90 per cent of the woollens in the country. It is estimated that the Ludhiana hosiery industry has an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore, which is being hit by the Dragon," said Kirpal Singh, a hosiery manufacturer.

Ludhiana, November 11
Despite the much-hyped claims of the state government about the e-governance and IT-enabled services, getting a death certificate remains a Herculean task for common people.

As an NRI recounts, her efforts to get the death certificate of her mother-in-law have been an unending run from one office to the other. From the Civil Surgeon Office where she got details of the form for additional copies of the death certificate, she was directed to the MC Zone D Office. From the MC Zone D Office, she was told to go to the office near the Fountain Chowk from where she was directed to the MC office near the Leisure Valley. This shuttling from one office to another took her two days as both the offices would close by the time she reached there or she failed to meet the right person. Finally, at the MC office near the Leisure Valley, she was told that she had reached the 'right' office. But she required to get the form (she had got from the cremation ground) attested by the Municipal Councillor of her area. When she went to the councillor's office, she was told that the councillor attends to the official matters in her office from 9 am to 11 am only.

Another resident of Sunet, while sharing his woes, said he too had to face harassment as he was asked by the Suvidha Centre employees to get the form (he had obtained from the cremation ground) attested by the councillor of his area. "For a person, who has lost his family member, getting the death certificate is an emotionally-wrenching task. When you have to run from pillar to post to get it, it becomes all the more painful," said the 50-year-old resident.

Interestingly, one of the employees of the Suvidha Centre near the Leisure Valley, when contacted, said the verification by the councillor was not a norm per se, but in some cases like Swarg Ashram (Sunet cremation ground) it's necessitated by the fact that the person handling the affairs is illiterate. As he is unable to fill the details on the form, he gives a blank form to the deceased's family. "I agree that this does pose a problem. We have tried talking to the employee concerned. Maybe, he can enlist the help of someone who's literate; the latter can be paid Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month for his services," added the Suvidha Centre employee.

When contacted, the MC Commissioner, Rahul Tewari, assured that the department would make the procedure simple. "We will make nodal offices so that the residents don't face any problem," said the MC Commissioner.

The District Health Officer (DHO), Ludhiana, Dr Abnash Kumar, said the Health Department tries its best to redress the people's grievances. “If anyone has any particular problem, they can meet me," he added.

Ludhiana, November 11
The postal department has issued a postage stamp to commemorate golden jubilee of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP). The academy was formed after amalgamation of Association of Pediatricians, Bombay, and Indian Paediatric Society, Calcutta, during its joint meeting in Hyderabad in 1963.

Its Secretariat is situated in Mumbai. There are about 20,000 members with 140 branches which work and work independently as per IAP's constitution.

Dr Rajinder Gulati, pediatrician at the Civil Hospital and fellow member of the IAP, said completion of 50 years of the IAP was a big achievement. This was the second largest association of paediatrics in the world after the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The academy has been instrumental in the evolution of the paediatrics in the country and advancement in the field through international level training workshops, recent modalities, various protocols, he said.

There are about 150 members of the IAP in the city and Ludhiana Chapter of the academy is run under the name of the Ludhiana Academy of Paediatrics.

A very important programme called Resuscitation Programme, First Golden Minute is being run by the academy, as the first minute of a newborn's life is the most important, said Dr Gulati.

For the newborn, it is of utmost important to breathe properly and training of all the doctors and staff is provided under this programme, he said. There are various other programmes being run by the academy. IAP trainers provide training to the government officials under the Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram. Other specialist branches of pediatrics work under the IAP in the country.

Doraha, November 11
The Kirti Kisan Sabha organised its meeting at the K Kaushal Memorial Bhawan in Doraha today. The sabha demanded special bonus and compensation for farmers of Punjab, who have suffered huge losses on account of untimely rain and storm.

The meeting was presided over by Sukhdev Singh of Kila Raipur. Lakhwinder Singh Bowani, state general secretary, Kirti Kisan Sabha, said the farming community was on the verge of literal collapse. “If at this moment, the government refuses to come to its aid, it shall never be able to stand on its own again,” he added. He also reported on the preparations being done for the district level conference of Kirti Kisan Sabha on November 24 at Bagli Khurd in Samrala in which nearly 100 delegates will take participate.

The office-bearers of the district committee would be elected at the conference, besides discussing the problems related to the farmers and agriculture sector. Kuldip Singh, a member of the state committee of the Kirti Kisan Sabha, also addressed the meeting and called upon the members to be prepared for the All-India Conference of the All-India Kisan Federation (AIKF) to be held from March 28 to 30, 2014, at the Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh.

Raian, November 11
The state govermnet has fixed a target of Rs 110 crore for strengthening the economic condition of cattle owners and fish farmers. This was stated by PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon while inaugurating a district-level cattle milking mela at Raian village.

Dhillon said the animal husbandry department of the state is on top in infrastructure and milk production. He said, "Punjab is the first state in the country to import 3.25 lakh seamons from abroad to improve breed of cattle." He said the state government had supplied 18,300 quintals of better quality seeds on subsidy to the cattle owners.

Ludhiana, November 11
Students were all wide-eyed as they were not in their classroom but at a police station on the first day of Visitors’ Week.

About 22 students from St Bawra School and 30 students from the INIFD visited the Division No 5 police station to know about the working of the police and learn about different services offered at Sanjh Kendras and the police stations as part of the Visitors’Week being organised at the police stations to make people aware about their rights and services they can avail at the centres.

Dharam Paul, SHO Division No 5, quelled away their fears saying that there were many misconceptions among people in general the police is feared of. He told them that they must report to the police in case of any problem fearlessly. The students were taken around the police station and were shown the record room, in which all the FIR's are kept. The SHO and officials told the students that if a complaint is been filed against any individual, they are all available with the police and records as old as the times before Independence are maintained by them. Showing them the control room, he said that any call dialled at 100 and is connected is heard at all the police stations and to all the police officials carrying wireless sets across the district.

In the computer section, he said that the police stations across the country were being connected with CCTNS system, so an FIR and record filed at one police station is available at all the police stations across the country. The system is replacing the CIPA, through which the police stations only in Punjab were connected, and would take about a year to complete, he said. The students were also showed 'maalkhana' where the recovered stolen, accidental or those confiscated are kept and the lockups in which those accused are kept.

Visitors Week is being organised till November 16 at the police stations and Sanjh Kendras as different sections of the society, including students, advocates and doctors, migrants labourers and slum-dwellers, business and shop-owners, sarpanches and councillors would visit the police stations and the outreach centres. The six-day week stared off today.

Ludhiana, November 11
Panic gripped the city after a hoax call regarding a bomb at the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) was received at the police control room today.

A person called up the police control room stating that someone had planted a bomb at the hospital. After receiving the call, a heavy police force was deputed at the CMCH and the surrounding areas.

A search operation, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramneesh Chaudhary, was conducted at the hospital. A team of the bomb disposal squad reached the spot and conducted a search using anti-bomb equipment for more than one and a half hours. No explosive was found from the hospital. The call turned out to be a hoax. 

Ludhiana, November 11
The Excise and Taxation Department's promise to make C forms online has yet not been fulfilled. Traders have to struggle a lot to procure C forms as these are in short supply with the department. Many times, the traders procure these forms from the neighbouring states, while some time they keep on making rounds of the department.

It is necessary for the traders engaged in interstate transactions to fill C forms with their quarterly VAT returns. It has been more than a year that the department had promised to make the forms online, but it has not been materialised yet.

Rajinder Singh, one of the traders, said it had been long due to make C forms online. “It will be easy for the traders to download C forms and send it to their business counterparts instead of waiting to get them from the department,” he said.

Girish Khanna, another interstate trader, said getting C forms from the department was a difficult task in itself. “Sometimes, we get these forms printed for our lawyers. Traders are always in a lurch over C forms. We hope the forms are made online from the coming year,” Girish said.

Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner Dr Rishipal Singh said the forms had yet not been made online, but it would be done soon.

Ludhiana, November 11
The last date for filing VAT 20 annual returns is November 20 and traders will be filing their returns online. The acknowledgement receipt of the online filing has to be submitted with the department within five days of online filing. Traders are asking for more time as they are finding it difficult to submit the receipt within the stipulated time.

After filing the annual VAT return online, a trader needs to submit the online acknowledgement slip, along with the profit/loss accounts, balance sheets, C forms, H forms and F forms.

“I have not received C forms yet and was unable to submit the acknowledgement slip after filing my returns online. Now, I will have to pay additional tax as penalty. The time for submitting the forms and receipt should be extended,” said Ramesh Kumar, a trader.

Jatinder Khurana, a taxation lawyer, said traders should be given more time for submitting the forms and slips.

“Return is filed online on time, but sometimes it takes time to collect and fill other forms. Last year, the time was extended from five to 15 days and it should also be done at present,” he said.

Kulwinder Singh, a trader, said after filing the return online, he went to the department but he failed to submit his forms. Then, there were holidays due to which he failed to submit the required forms. “The department should give more time for submitting the receipts and forms,” he said.

DETC Rishipal Singh said the time for submitting acknowledgement receipt had not been extended so far.

“Traders have to submit the online acknowledgement receipts within five days of online filing,” he said. 

Ludhiana, November 11
With the last date for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies and plots/properties in these colonies being over on November 5, 2013, and now compounding to be allowed till November 15, 2013, with a 10 per cent penalty for plots and property owners and 25 per cent for developers, the Punjab Government is understood to be under immense pressure from its coalition partner, the BJP, to grant more relief to both the developers of unlicensed colonies and the plot holders.

Highly placed sources in the BJP said the state leadership of the party was aiming at consolidation of its predominantly urban vote bank in the wake of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as lakhs of plot/property owners all over the state as well as the highly resourceful lobby of property developers stood to gain in case some more relief was provided by the government in compounding the illegal colonies.

According to a senior functionary of the BJP, the party had moved a strong case with its senior alliance partner for further extension in the date for the regularisation of colonies and plots in unauthorised colonies, reduction in compounding fee, waiver of penalty and another suggestion that regularisation fee be collected from plot/property owners at the time of registration of sale deed.

Refusing to comment on the possibility of any further amendment in the revised policy for the regularisation of unlicensed colonies, officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Punjab, said it was the prerogative of the state government. However, a senior official of the department said the three-time relaxation in the last date earlier allowed by the government had an adverse impact on the process of regularisation.

“Till November 5, 2013, PUDA and other regulatory bodies in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda and other towns had received some 1.60 lakh applications for compounding of plots/properties, which is just a fraction of the total estimated number of plots and built-up properties in unlicensed colonies across the state. Similarly, the total revenue collection of around Rs 325 crore has also fallen way short of the targeted income of Rs 1,000 crore,” the official commented.

Officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department as well those of the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority made it clear that as of now the last date for compounding of unlicensed colonies and plots/properties in such colonies with prescribed penalty is November 15, 2013.

"After this date, the regularisation will not be allowed and penal action, including registration of criminal cases and demolition of structures as laid down in the policy, will be carried out,” they said.

Ludhiana, November 11
Sixteen more patients tested positive for dengue at various hospitals in the city today. Of them, 10 are from the city and six from rural areas. Five cases are from other districts - two each from Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar and one from Patiala.

The total number of cases diagnosed in Ludhiana hospitals so far this season is 1,314 , of which 810 are from the district, 378 from other districts and 126 from other states.

Ludhiana, November 11
A general body meeting of the PAU Employees Union was organised to decide on the election date of the union. It was decided that the election of the union will be conducted in January instead of December.

"Members of the union said that the members will be busy next month as the cricket team will be going for the VC Cup. So they decided to postpone the elections," said Dr Gulzar Singh Pandher from the union.

Protest rally of the union members also entered fifth day today as they demanded salaries and pending arrears. They protested on the campus and Ferozepur road. 

Ludhiana, November 11
The cooks, preparing the mid-day meals for the students of government schools in Punjab, are being paid Rs 1,200 per month and on the days, when the respective schools fail to make arrangement for the ration or the department fails to provide the ration to the schools, the wages of the mid-day meal cooks are cut even though they remain on duty from 8:30 am to 2 pm on the school premises. Sore over the treatment being meted-out to them, the cooks (majority of them are the females) in government schools feel that they were being "exploited" by the state government.

To register their protest against the state government, the cooks went to Patiala on November 9 to take part in a rally organised by the cooks from all over Punjab. The district president of the Democratic Mid-Day Cook Front, Punjab, Praveen Kumari Bhaura, said: "At centres, including Meharbaan, Mangat and Mattewara, the cooks have not received the salaries for over three months."

"First of all we are never paid the full salary of Rs 1,200. They cut the wages when ration is not available in the schools or when meals are not being cooked due to the fault of the department or the state government in providing the ration. We are asked to stay on the school premises from 8:30am to 2pm. It is not that we have to prepare the meals alone, we have to wash the utensils of hundreds of students too," said the district president.

Harjinder Kaur, another office-bearer of the association, said: "At least DC rates should be provided to the cooks in the schools as they have to wash hundreds of utensils each day, in addition to cooking meals. We met the Education Minister too and he provided an assurance but nothing has been done to increase our wages. We have no faith in the system until they meet our genuine demands."

Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka said, "No wages were cut by the government and they were being paid as per the norms. Rs 1,000 are being provided by the Central Government to which Rs 200 are being added by the state government. The state government may increase the wages from Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400 in near future."

Ludhiana, November 11
A block-level quiz competition was held for students of classes 9th and 10th (Punjab School Education Board) at different blocks today. The quiz competition was conducted by the RMSA. The quiz competition was organised in four subjects, including maths, science, social studies and English.

District Science Supervisor Varinder Kaur said winners (first, second and third) were awarded with Rs 600, Rs 400 and Rs 300. The block-level winners would participate in district-level quiz competition. “Such competitions provide a platform to the students to put-in their best and prepare well for the contest. Besides, the teachers in respective schools also put-in their hard work so that their students shine at district-level competition. Good number of students will take part in the competition,” said the DSS.

Ludhiana, November 11
The farm scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) will dwell on the changing role of Punjab in national food security during a week-long course on "Safe Storage of Foodgrains and Quality Standards" which started at the PAU today.

The officers of category II and III of the Food Corporation of India are participating in the course, organised under the aegis of the Directorate of Extension Education, PAU.

Dr HS Dhaliwal, Additional Director of Extension Education, said: "The university experts will impart knowledge to the trainees on quality assurance of cereal and coarse grains, Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, operation and management of grain moisture meters, quality control equipments and procedures and handling of equipments used in modern grain storage and milling system."

"Besides, focus will be on the effect of various factors on storage of food grains; quality assurance to the consumers and cleaning, grading, drying, aeration and air tight storage,” he said. 

Ludhiana, November 11
A 20-year-old youth committed suicide by hanging himself from the pipe of a water tank at his friend's house in Preetam Vihar, Bahamian, here yesterday. The deceased has been identified as Sunil.

According to an official of the Mundian police post, Sunil was "psychologically upset" and had been residing at his friend's home from the past few days.

When no one was at home, Sunil hanged himself from the pipe using a piece of cloth. When his friend learnt about the incident, he informed the police.

Sanjiv Kumar, in charge of the Bahamian police post, said, "A case has been registered. We have handed over the youth's body to his family members after a postmortem. 

Ludhiana, November 11
A factory owner allegedly thrashed a worker to death at his factory on Chandigarh Road late last night. The deceased has been identified as Sonu Kumar (20), a native of Gaggari village in Bihar.

Sonu had been working in a nickel factory near a tributary at Nichi Mangli village for the past six months. Sikander Kumar, Sonu's relative, alleged that the factory owner, Sanjay Kumar, had not paid salary to Sonu for the past three months. A heated argument had taken between them over the issue before Diwali.

Sikander said last evening, when Sonu went to the factory to demand his salary, Sanjay refused to give him money. Sikander alleged that Sanjay tied the victim in the factory and thrashed him.

"When Sonu did not return from the factory till late in the night. I went to the factory to search for him. There I learnt that seeing Sonu's serious condition, the factory owner took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Sanjay had migrated from UP and runs a nickel diluting factory at Nichi Mangali. The police has registered a case against Sanjay under Section 302 of the IPC. The accused is at large.

Relatives and some migrant workers today staged a protest outside the factory demanding the arrest of the accused.

Ludhiana, November 11
Hosts Ludhiana district garnered 26 points to emerge as overall champions in the three-day Swami Vivekanand Punjab State Rural Games (Boys-16) that concluded at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

Boys from Patiala district accumulated 19 points to secure second position, while those from Amritsar district collected 17 points to finish at the third place.

In athletics, Patiala scored 22 points to annex the overall trophy, while Gurdaspur (18) and Sangrur (17) followed them at the second and third places, respectively.

On the concluding day of this state sports extravaganza in which around 2,000 participants drawn from all parts of the state competed in various sports disciplines, matches were played in kabaddi, basketball, hockey, judo, volleyball, boxing, football and weightlifting.

In kabaddi, Muktsar lads got the better of Amritsar (5-0) to lay their hands on the winners' trophy, while Gurdaspur and Patiala secured the second and third positions, respectively.

In basketball final, Ludhiana warded off stiff resistance from Patiala whom they overpowered (62-47) to clinch the gold medal and in the match to decide the third position, Muktsar cagers outnumbered Sangrur (38-22).

In hockey, final played between Tarn Taran and Sports Centre, Jalandhar, turned out to be a mismatch as the former came out triumphant (4-0), while Bathinda prevailed over Ferozepur (7-6) in a tiebreaker to content with a bronze medal.

Gurdaspur boys earned 24 points to grab top honours in judo, followed by Ludhiana judokas who scored 17 points to secure second position and Jalandhar who got 10 points for bronze medal.

The final played in volleyball between Ludhiana and Kapurthala was a cliffhanger and eventually, Ludhiana spikers romped home victorious (3-2). Jalandhar pipped Bathinda (3-0) to secure third position.

In boxing, Patiala boys with 22 points finished well ahead of others and lifted the gold medal, while Ludhiana and Amritsar secured 12 points each and shared second position jointly. Tarn Taran scored 10 points to win the bronze medal.

Amritsar fought it tooth and nail against Muktsar and finally managed to squeeze past with a narrow margin of just one point (25-24) to fetch the gold medal in handball, while Ludhiana outwitted Ferozepur (25-22) to claim the bronze medal.

In kho-kho, Ludhiana defeated Patiala (14-12) to bag gold medal as Sangrur outplayed Ferozepur (6-5) to secure bronze medal.

Amritsar proved too good in wrestling as participants from the holy city scored 20 points to win gold medal. Jalandhar and Gurdaspur scored 14 and 11 points to finish at the second and third positions, respectively.

In weightlifting, Ludhiana proved its prowess, scoring 25 points to lift the winners' trophy, while Sangrur and Jalandhar lifters pocketed 18 and 11 points to finish at second and third positions, respectively.

In football, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar beat Amritsar (2-0) to emerge as champions, while Gurdaspur outclassed Mansa in a similar way (2-0) to secure the third position.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Sharanjeet Singh Dhillon gave away prizes to the winners. The star attraction of the concluding function was a cultural show by school students.

SL Lotey, Deputy Director Sports, Punjab, presided over the closing ceremony. Rupinder Singh Ravi, Assistant Director, Sports, and other officials of the department were also present on the occasion. 

Ludhiana, November 11
The names of 46 probables (men), including 26 raiders and 20 stoppers, were shortlisted to attend a coaching camp prior to their participation in the fourth edition of the World Kabaddi Cup Championship slated to be held at different venues across the state between November 30 and December 14.

Releasing the list of probables at PAU here today, Sikander Singh Maluka, Cabinet Minister, Punjab, and chairman, Selection Committee (men), said these probables would attend a preparatory camp to begin at Bathinda on November 13.

“During the course of this camp, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) will conduct tests on these probables, and those found positive will be debarred from taking part in the upcoming World Cup,” said Maluka.

The names of probables are - Gurmeet Singh, Navpreet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Gurpal Singh, Sultan Singh, Sukhvir Singh, Rupinder Singh, Sucha Singh, Lovpreet Singh, Balvir Singh, Lakhvinder Singh, Jashandeep Singh, Manminder Singh, Ranjit Singh, Abjinder Singh, Luvpreet Singh, Manjot Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Gursewak Singh, Jugraj Singh, Talwinder Singh, Daljeet Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Gurjeevan Singh, Gulzar Singh and Sheelu (all raiders).

The stoppers include Mangat Singh, Khushdeep Singh, Balvir Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Narinder Ram, Gurjeet Singh, Sohan Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Yadvinder Singh, Harpreet Singh, Yadwinder Singh, Hardev Singh, Nirbhay Singh, Balvinder Ram, Lakhwinder Singh, Lakhbir Singh, Kulbir Singh, Raj Singh and Hardeep Singh.

Shiv Dev Singh, Balwinder Singh Fidda, Harpreet Singh, GS Malhi and MS Tiyagi, all members of the selection committee, were present there when the chairman announced the names of the probables.

Meanwhile, 146 women aspirants turned up today to take part in the selection trials. They included 60 raiders and 86 stoppers.

Ludhiana, November 11
Navbharti Public School, Ludhiana, recorded victories in the junior as well as the senior sections (Boys) in the IMG Reliance Basketball League being held at Doraha Public School near here today.

In the junior category, Navbharti Public School survived some anxious moments against Spring Dale Public School, Amritsar, before wrapping it up (72-53), and in the senior section, Navbharti Public School boys scored an overwhelming (56-29) victory against Heritage Public School, Gidderbaha.

In other matches (Boys), DAV Public School, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana, defeated Guru Nanak International Public School, Ludhiana, (36-16) and Government Multipurpose School, Patiala, thrashed Green Land Public School, Ludhiana (95-28).

In the girls’ section, Government Senior Secondary School, Sardulgarh, toyed with Doraha Public School, Doraha, (43-16) and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Kapurthala, survived a scare before coming out victorious (42-31) against Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Hoshiarpur.

Sukhpal Singh, chairman, Doraha Group of Institutes, was the chief guest today.

Teja Singh Dhaliwal, secretary, Punjab Basketball Association, coaches Devinder Singh Dhindsa, Jaipal Singh, Harinder Singh and Buta Singh were among others present there.