L U D H I A N A

Jathedars ‘hijack’ Badal’s sangat darshan
KUMBHKALAN (LUDHIANA), Jan 2 — Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today sanctioned grants worth Rs 2 crore to the panchayats of about 50 villages for development works. This includes a grant of Rs 1.07 crore for the construction of a drain in the Bet area, parallel to the Budha Nallah for combating the problem of water logging and draining out flood water.

The Punjab Chief Minister distributes grants to panchayat members during a sangat darshan at Kumbhkalan village in Ludhiana district on Tuesday.

Hrithik heat in Nepal: Indian tourists a harrowed lot
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — Indian tourists who had gone to spend holidays in Nepal, had a nightmarish experience during the anti-India riots, triggered by the alleged remarks by the film star Hrithik Roshan.

History prevails over exigency
Move to disturb Lodhi Fort’s charm shelved
LUDHIANA, Jan 2—The dilapidated Lodhi Fort here, an over 400-year old monument of immense heritage value, will continue to be at the mercy of vagaries of weather. A proposal mooted by the district administration, the Knitwear Club and the National Institute of Fashion Technology, to open a research institute in its premises has been turned down by the Punjab Government.

Gurpurb celebrated
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — The birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh was celebrated with much religious fervour in all gurdwaras of the city here today.

Devotees prepare langar at the Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib, Field Ganj, Ludhiana, on Tuesday. 
— Photo by Inderjit Verma 

Udit Narayan, Shweta enthral
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — The postponed New Year’s Eve function of the Sutlej Club was held at Maharaja Palace here yesterday.

Night without power
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — The city was plunged into darkness during the first night of the new millennium as the power supply remained disrupted in almost all parts of the city.

40 parents attend workshop
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — Nearly 40 parents attended the lecture on “Good parenting” being organised at Lovely Lotus Nursery School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, here today.

LUDHIANA CALLING

PUNJAB Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is believed, and rightly so, to be one of the most reliable allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the National Democratic Alliance. He may be the lone exception he never tried to blackmail the BJP or insisted on making some bargain for his own personal or political ends. In fact he has stood by the BJP in its worst times, as recently as when Prime Minister Vajpayee made an unexpected statement on Ayodhya.

COMMUNITY

Ring road plan: residents to move court
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — With the state government not responding to the demands of the residents of Passey Nagar here, to keep their interests in view before constructing a ring road connecting Pakhowal Road to Doraha Canal Road, the residents have finally decided to knock the doors of judiciary.

Harmanjeet — a dancing sensation
GOING to discos and aping Malkit Singh or Karren Jasbir may be the hot rage with most of the youngsters these days, but there are still a few talents left in the city who prefer to stick to the good old traditional bhangra.

BUSINESS

Cold brings cheer to hosiery traders
LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — Winter is finally here. And that is good news for hosiery manufacturers and traders. Showers in the northern region have brought the mercury down to three to four degrees celsius and the hosiery industry now hopes for better sales.

Heart diseases up among North Indians: Study
HEART diseases are rising alarmingly among North Indians, particularly the Sikh community, concludes a study following a series of studies in the USA indicating highest coronary mortality rate among the Asians.