• Shweta all praise for Punjabis

• Christmas celebrated with fervour

Police unearths case of contract killing
KHANNA, Dec 25 — The Khanna police claims to have unearthed a case, first of its kind in the area, in which a professional criminal was being hired to murder a local resident. The case was detected after the arrest of four persons recently.

SBI staff strike from today
Ludhiana, Dec 25 — The banking business in the commercial capital of the state is expected to be disrupted for two days on December 26 and 27 in the wake of a State Bank of India Staff Association decision to observe strike in Ludhiana module which covered Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Moga, Faridkot, Bathinda, and Mansa districts also.

‘Chinese interested in Indian literature’
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — “My visit to China has given me a totally new perspective about China as a communist country. I think that there is a big shift in China’s policies today, especially on the economic front. Though it is still predominantly a communist country, the communism of the present-day China is a watered down version of the earlier days,” says Surjit Pattar, an eminent Punjabi poet and winner of Sahitya Akademi Award.

COMMUNITY

Lok Bhalai Party units dissolved
KHAMANO, Dec 25 — All units and wings of the Lok Bhalai Party of Khamano, Machhiwara and Ropar have been dissolved and will be reorganised after the Fatehgarh Sahib Jor Mela.

Reinstatement hailed
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — The scientific and teaching community has hailed the reinstatement of Dr R.S. Paroda as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Research & Education, Government of India.

Cars stuck up at PAU gate
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — Hundreds of cars were stuck up before gate number four of Punjab Agricultural University here yesterday after the gateman refused to open the gates.

CRIME

Dowry cases registered
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — Two cases of dowry were registered in the city here today. No arrests has been made so far.

Abducted girl returns home
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — The Haibowal police today booked a man for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor girl of Mohalla Kundan Puri. The case was registered after the medical examination of the girl at the local Civil Hospital here.

EDUCATION

Nursery schools’ fee prohibitive
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — Running a nursery school is probably the best lucrative proposition given the limited inputs and the huge outputs. The admission fee in the nursery schools of Ludhiana ranges between Rs 2,000 to Rs 12,000, depending on the self-proclaimed standard of the school. It hardly takes anything to start a nursery school. Neither any prior permission from the government is required nor any specifications and norms are to be observed. A couple of extra rooms in the house provide sufficient space for a nursery school.

Fancy dress contests
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — The Oyster Pearl Cultural Club organised dance and fancy dress contests for school going children at the Lions Bhavan here today.

HEALTH

Management of heart diseases
Ludhiana, Dec 25 — Cigarette smoking, lack of exercise, sedentary habits, hypertension and raised cholesterol are some of the common risk factors that cause coronary artery disease and heart attack.

SPORT

Fans want Ramandeep back in squad
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — The recent sacking of skipper Ramandeep Singh from the Indian hockey team by the IHF has provoked sharp reactions from sport lovers. Mr Deepak Bhalla, a sport lover, said the sacking of Ramandeep showed the pathetic state of hockey in India today. Instead of encouraging the players, the IHF was playing musical chairs with them. “This game began with the expulsion of Dhanraj Pillay and four others from the squad after they won the gold medal in the Asiad. Though it is good that Cedric D’ Souza will coach the team once again, dropping a player like Ramandeep will send wrong signals to hockey fans,” he said.

Sargodha School score easy victory
LUDHIANA, Dec 25 — A strokeful 56 by Gagandeep Singh and a fiery innings of 32 n.o by Charandeep Singh steered Sargodha National Public School to score a comfortable win by seven wickets against K V M Senior Secondary School in the third match of the Parle -G PCA Inter-School Cricket Tournament being organised by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association at the Government Model Senior Secondary School ground of Punjab Agricultural University here today.

PAU NSS to hold special camp
ludhiana, Dec 25 — The National Service Scheme wing of Punjab Agricultural University comprising the NSS units of the college of Agriculture, the College of Agricultural Engineering and the College of Home Science will jointly hold a 10-day special camp at Pamal and Pamali villages of Ludhiana block from December 28 to January 6, 2001. The camp will be inaugurated by Dr K.S. Sekhon, Director, Students welfare, PAU.