L U D H I A N A

Family alleges poor handling of case
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — The bereaved family of 9 year-old Mahesh Kumar of Nurpur Bedi, who was kidnapped and allegedly murdered by his abductors, is demanding an independent inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of the child. The family is alleging that poor handling of the case by the Ropar police led to the murder of the kidnapped child.

Two killed as gas tanker overturns
KHANNA, Sept 8 — After remaining blocked for more than 24 hours, traffic was restored on the GT Road near Khanna this evening after an overturned gas tanker was removed from the road by the police after experts from the Bharat Petroleum succeeded in plugging the gas leakage from the tanker.

Dancing girls at drab rallies
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Certain political parties in Punjab, galvanised into action by the announcement of the Sunam by-election, have roped in dancing girls to attract crowds at political rallies organised by them in a bid to woo voters. These girls have emerged as a major attraction at these rallies. The scene at a typical rally goes like

GNP School Trust takes over
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Following the court orders, Mr Ranjit Singh Bhail, an NRI and General Secretary of the Shri Guru Nanak Public School Trust, took over as honorary Principal of the school today. The takeover took place under strong police protection. Policemen were deployed in the school to ward off any resistance from the outgoing officials.

COMMUNITY

Ganpati Bappa Moriya!
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — About 108 years ago, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak started a festival, "Ganpati Bappa Moriya". The festival united most of the Indians and they jumped into India's freedom struggle. Since then this festival has been celebrated in Maharashtra with religious zeal and fervour.

Unruly scenes mark Fiza’s first show
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Never before has a cinema hall witnessed what the first day, first show of the much-awaited film Fiza saw today. It was a “housefull” and even to enter the hall was nearly impossible. The crowd outside was uncontrollable and the people who had the tickets for the show were finding it very difficult to enter the hall.

Greenery scarce, people throng roundabouts
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — It has been a long way from the age of bullock-carts to the age of mobile phones. The world is becoming smaller each day and technology is having a great impact, especially in cities.

Anomaly panel report criticised
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — The Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association has condemned the recommendations of the Anomaly Committee report at its meeting held yesterday.

Measures for paddy procurement
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — All arrangements for the procurement of the paddy crop in the district have been completed.

Anti-pollution drive from today
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — “From tomorrow our city, Ludhiana is going to look cleaner. We will be trying our best to reduce the pollution level in the city with the cooperation of the residents,” said Mr Varinder Datta, president of the Ludhiana Midtown Junior Chamber. The week-long drive will start from September 9.

Eye Donation Day at Niharika
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — A health talk was organised by the Niharika Ladies Club to mark Eye Donation Day at Hotel Baron here today.

DD programme on agriculture
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — At a joint meeting between Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, and Mr Ashok Jailkhani, Director, Doordarshan Kendra, Jalandhar, and other senior officers of the university and Doordarshan, it was decided that the Mera Pind Mere Khet programme of Doordarshan Kendra would be devoted purely to agriculture and repeated every morning on Doordarshan Punjabi channel also.

CM to open Kisan Mela on Sept 21
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — The Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will inaugurate the two-day Kisan Mela of Punjab Agricultural University here on September 21. This was disclosed by Dr J.S. Kolar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, here yesterday.

Last of the tongas on the way out
They are the last of a breed slowly on way to extinction. They are the tongawallahs of Patiala who are finding it difficult to ply their trade any longer in the former princely state which once bustled with their activity

CRIME

4 smugglers caught 
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Four smugglers were arrested today from near the Sidhwan Bet area in the Jagraon tehsil of this district after a joint raid by excise officials of the Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts.

BUSINESS

Paper products become costlier
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — In the past three months, the prices of paper and paper products have increased by about 40 per cent. The is attributed to a rise in the prices of pulp in the international market along with a 100 per cent increase in the excise duty in the previous Union Budget.

EDUCATION

Bhawna excels in stamp design contest
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Bhawna Sachdeva, a Class XI student of St Bawra Public High School, has stood second in India and first in Punjab in a stamp design competition at the junior level organised by the Department of Posts at the Ludhiana Philatelic Bureau. She has been awarded a cash prize of Rs 3,000 along with a letter of commendation.

Democratic Teachers’ Front clarification
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — The Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab, Ludhiana district, in a press release has clarified that none of its teachers was absent from the school when the BDO’s officer visited the school.

SPORT

Sacred Heart, KVM cricketers win
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Sacred Heart Convent School (SHCS) of Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar won the Inter-School Ludhiana Zone II (under-19) Cricket Tournament held here after defeating Sacred Heart Convent School of Sarabha Nagar by four wickets.

Jubilee Memorial Inter-Convent Tournament
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Sacred Heard Convent School, Sarabha Nagar, (SHCS-SN) reached the final of the Jubilee Memorial Inter-Convent Tournament held here, after defeating Sacred Heard Convent School, Khanna (SHCS-K).

SHCS win cricket tourney
BADDOWAL (LUDHIANA), Sept 8 — Sacred Heart Convent School (SHCS) of Sarabha Nagar, won the Inter-School Ludhiana Zone II (under-16) Cricket Tournament held at Baddowal after defeating R S Model (RSM) Senior Secondary School by eight wickets.

ADMINISTRATION

New OSD to Deputy Speaker
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — Dr Tejinder Pal Singh, a well-known homoeopathic doctor, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the newly-appointed Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Satpal Gosain.

Top cop ducks questions on transfers of officers
LUDHIANA, Sept 8 — “The proposal for the transfer of certain top police officials in the state, particularly those in the border range, has been sent to the state government. It is for the government to decide whether it is to be accepted as such or in a modified form.”