PSEB demand for Rs 3.13 lakh quashed
Ludhiana, March 21
The demand raised by the Punjab State Electricity Board for Rs 3,13,928 from Mr Rajesh Kumar Arora, a resident of Ganeshpuri, is probably the largest amount ever to have been quashed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum.

Begging their way to riches
Ludhiana, March 21
Begging is assuming alarming proportions in the city, with virtually no check on this ever-growing community which has become ubiquitous. Be it religious place, a market, traffic lights, office or even hospital premises, they are everywhere. 

College clerk found dead: note suggests suicide after rape
Ludhiana, March 21
Parminder Kaur, a young clerk who worked and lived in Government Women Polytechnical College in Rishi Nagar of Haibowal, allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance here yesterday.

Murderer of two arrested
Doraha, March 21
The alleged murderer of a seven-year-old girl was, put behind the bars by the police, yesterday. The Sahnewal police under the command of Mr Kawalpal Singh Bajwa, SHO, and the SI, Mr Shiv Dyal, arrested the alleged murderer Dharamdas alias Joker, of Uttar Pradesh, from the tubewell of the fields of Kanaich village where he was hiding after having committed the crime.

Cases against two for assault on Home Guards
Ludhiana, March 21
The Sarabha Nagar police has booked Mohan Khullar, son of Mr Joginder Khullar, resident of Kazian mohalla, and his friend Jaspal Singh alias Neeta, son of Mr Bachittar Singh, resident of Amar Nagar enclave, near Barewal village, for assaulting two patrolling home guards, Nirmal Singh and Ashok Kumar, on Monday at about 11.50 pm.

BUSINESS

SBI launches Project Uptech for hosiery industry
Ludhiana, March 21
Keeping in view the increasing needs of the textile industry, the State Bank of India has decided to launch Project Uptech in the city. It will provide techno-managerial consultancy services to the individual units to upgrade the technology in their units, said Mr M.A. Krishnan, Chief General Manager (Development Banking), SBI, National Banking Group, Mumbai.

BKU warns of ‘civil disobedience’

Mr Karnial Singh Chotian, national vice-president of the Bharitya Kisan Union, addresses a session of the farmers body in Ludhiana on Wednesday.  — Photo by Inderjit Verma.

Ludhiana, March 21 The Bhartiya Kisan Union, today served an ultimatum to the government to accept all outstanding demands of the farming community, including announcement of MSP of wheat, ensuring elaborate arrangements for purchase of forthcoming crop, writing off of all agricultural loans and taking a policy decision on grant of direct subsidies to the farmers on the pattern of those given by USA and other developed nations by April 14, failing which the farmers would resort to civil disobedience, which would include ‘direct action’.

Kisan cell opposes commercial use of PAU land
Ludhiana, March 21
The Nationalist Congress party has urged the Punjab Government to reconsider its decision to exploit the 165 acre land of Sugarcane Research Station, Jalandhar, belonging to the Punjab Agricultural University, for commercial and other purposes in the larger interests of the farmers and the economy of the state.

Seven wheat scientists honoured
Ludhiana, March 21
A team of seven wheat scientists comprising Dr. G.S. Nanda, Dr Karam Chand, Dr Hardial Singh Aulakh, Dr S.K. Sharma, Dr A.S. Randhawa , Dr Harjinder Singh and Dr V.S. Sohu, of Punjab Agricultural University were honoured at the annual convocation of the university held yesterday.

EDUCATION

Adopt new teaching techniques: Gujral
Ludhiana, March 21
“With revolutionary advances in medical sciences, we have to adopt new teaching methods and develop new materials for teaching,” said Dr G.S. Gujral, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, while delivering the convocation address of Christian Medical College here today.

PAU students to get university colour
Ludhiana, March 21
The Punjab Agriculture University will give the university colour to five players and an artist. Giving this information, Mr J.S. Toor, Joint Director for Sports and Culture, PAU, said that the awards will be given at a prize distribution function to be held on April 9 in the Prithipal Singh Memorial Gymnasium Hall. 

CULTURE

The poetry of leaves, stones and flowers in a picture Ludhiana, March 21 When a small boy of eight looked at the sky dotted with kites, he had desire, not of buying a kite from the market like others, but to make one of his own. He took a piece of coloured paper, some twigs and made his own kite

Mr A.P. Singh with one of his award-winning photographs.