L U D H I A N A

Interest-free payment of water, sewerage arrears allowed
Ludhiana, March 7
The confusion prevailing over one- time amnesty drive for interest-free payment of arrears of house tax and other charges like water rate and sewerage, effective till March 31, 2001, was cleared with the state government approving the extension of facility to payment of arrears of water rate and sewerage bills also, provided all outstanding bills were cleared. Earlier, only the arrears of house tax were covered under the scheme

Celebration of the International Women’s Day might have made difference to the professional organisations engaged in holding seminars on this day. But it has not made any difference to the lot of women belonging to poor sections of society. — Photo by Rajesh Bhambi.

International Women’s Day — a big farce? Ludhiana, March 7 So, another Women’s Day is around. There would be functions and many tributes would be paid to women. Chief guests at such functions would quote dictums like “God could not be everywhere so he made mothers”. “Behind every successful man there is a woman” and so on. Indeed, these are lofty words! Do these words really have any relevance when one faces the realities of life? Do women enjoy that much respect which the above mentioned dictums express?

• College to celebrate Women’s Day

Row over land adjoining temple continues
Ludhiana, March 7
The row over the land adjoining the Jai Bajrang Bali temple in Purana Bazar, an old city locality, continues with a meeting between MC officials and members of the managing committee of the temple ending in a huff amidst trading of charges and exchange of hot words between the city Mayor, Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, and certain managing committee members in the MC office here today.

Class V maths paper cancelled
Machhiwara, March 7
The putting off of the Mathematics exam of Class V today, on the first day of the exams, caused major problems for the students, teachers and parents. The question paper was reportedly published in some leading newspapers, due to a leakage.

Groom robbed of shagun money
Machhiwara, March 7
A bridegroom was robbed of his shagun money at a marriage palace on the Ferozepore Road in Ludhiana.

BOTTOMLINE
City too busy to remember Sahir
Ludhiana, March 7
Masroof Zamana Mere Liye Kyoon Waqt Apna Barbad Kare — Unfortunately, these words of Sahir have turned true in Ludhiana, his native city. The man who immortalised Ludhiana by using the city’s name as his pen name seems to have been forgotten here.

• Sahir Ludhianvi poetry recitation contest
  

COMMUNITY

‘Budget will hit rural, organised sectors’
Ludhiana, March 7
The Central Committee of the Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has criticised the Union Budget as a budget of capitalists and for the foreign and big Indian companies. The Finance Minister has proposed to withdraw all surcharges in income and corporate taxes, said Mr Jagjit Singh Lyalpuri, General Secretary, MCPI.

Employees' rally against Budget on March 22
Ludhiana, March 7
The Government School Teachers Union, Punjab, will participate in the employees' rally to be held at Chandigarh on March 22 to protest against the Budget and the anti-people policies of the Central Government, according to Mr Charan Singh Sarabha, General Secretary of the union.

Pensioners seek better deal
Ludhiana, March 7
Pensioners have urged the Punjab government to implement the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission for the pensioners. A spokesman of the Pensioners Association said a number of benefits and concessions such as higher exemption limit in income tax, concession in rail and air fare, no registration fee for getting telephone connection and old age allowance are allowed to senior citizens.

Destruction of Buddha statues condemned
Ludhiana, March 7
Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, has condemned the destruction of unique centuries old statues of Buddha in Bamiyan by Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia.

BUSINESS

Cinema owners’ plea to CM
Ludhiana, March 7
The city cinema owners have urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to reduce the percentage of one-time tax on cinema halls.

EDUCATION

CBSE examinations begin Ludhiana, March 7 Thousands of students of Class XII appeared in the annual examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Examination which commenced here today. Students of Class XII discuss the question paper of the CBSE examination in Ludhiana on Wednesday.

Govt teachers demand revision of seniority list
Ludhiana, March 7
Pointing several anomalies in the seniority list of government school teachers prepared by the Education Department, the Government School Lecturers’ Union, Punjab, has demanded that the list be revised at the earliest.

COURTS

PSEB told to pay Rs 5,000
Ludhiana, March 7
The District Consumers Disputes and Redressal Forum has directed the Punjab State Electricity Board to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation on account of deficiency in services along with Rs 500 as cost of litigation to Mr Kishan Singh. The forum further quashed the disputed electricity bill and directed to refund the amount along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from the date of deposit till the date of refund.

CULTURE

Kulwant Jagraon: poet of the masses
Ludhiana, March 7
Given his simple but brilliant expression Kulwant Jagraon may rightly be called the poet of masses, as he articulates the voice of masses. He only reflects what he sees around him, no other pretensions are claims of sublimity. He believes in simplicity of expression and brilliance of ideas.

HEALTH

Dr Bassi elected NZOA president
Ludhiana, March 7
Dr J.L. Bassi, Professor of Orthopaedics of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital has been elected president of North Zone Orthopaedics Association at the 20th Annual Conference of North Zone Orthopaedics Association, which concluded at Rohtak recently. Dr Bassi is the inventor of a Bassi Jig, with the help of which distal locking has been made possible.

SPORT

Weightlifting championship
Ludhiana, March 7
Pardeep Sharma of the Ludhiana Weight Lifting Club clinched gold in the under-77 kg class in the 19th District Weightlifting Championship here today. He lifted total 255kg including 115kg snatch and 140kg clean and jerk.