 |
|
| Sunday,
April 1, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
|
|||
|
HC directive on tractor-trailers flouted Ludhiana, March 31 In November 2000, Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice
K. C. Gupta had observed, while disposing of a petition in this regard, “We are quite hopeful that the authorities concerned would see to it that the tractor-trailers are not used for commercial purposes in violation of law and such persons who had violated the law would be dealt with in accordance with the law.” They further added, “It will be appreciated if more vigil is kept on such violations by the drivers of tractor-trailers for commercial purposes. It will be further appreciated if the authorities concerned monitor this aspect and review the situation every month”. The petition had been filed by the Mazda Mini-Truck Operators Society. The Joint State Transport Commissioner has stated that instruction had been issued to the District Transport Officers and the Secretary, Regional Transport authorities, working under the control of the State Transport Commissioner to take strict action against the owners of the trailers who were illegally using the vehicles commercially. Despite the instructions from the court and the assurances by the Transport Department hundreds of trailers continue to move on the roads. Most of them are used for carrying goods, especially sand and bricks. While no exact figures about the accidents caused by the trailers are available, rough estimates by the traffic official indicate that more than 50 per cent of the total accidents are caused by the trailers. The official listed several reasons. Primarily most of these are driven by the people who do not possess driving licences. The trailers neither have indicators nor reflectors which make it difficult for the vehicles coming from behind to see them during the night. Moreover, due to the extra noise the drivers of the trailers seldom hear the horns of the vehicles coming from behind. |
|
Ram Navami celebrations
begin Ludhiana, March 31 With nearly 150 tableaux , hundreds of school children carrying banners , and bands playing ‘Ram dhun’ dotting the more than 1-km-long procession, the shobha yatra was indeed a spectacle to behold. Starting from the Daresi grounds the procession passed through Partap Bazar, Mata Rani Chowk, Ghanta Ghar, Girjaghar Chowk and Division number 3 before culminating at the Haridev Mandir where an aarti was performed to mark the end of the shobha yatra. The main attraction of the procession which was led by horses and a pair of elephants were three 40 feet long and 15 feet high tableaux depicting various mythological themes like “Narmedh Yagya” Yain, Pushpak Viman, ‘Taraka Vadh”. “Vanar sena” which had been sent by Durgiana Temple, Amritsar, was special attraction of the shobha yatra. Shankracharya Madhavashram and Balaji also graced the occasion with their presence. Among others who were present were Mr Madan Lal Chopra , Mr Om Parkash Vij, Mr S.S.Sandhu, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Mr
S. K. Sandhu, the Deputy Commissioner and Mr Kuldip Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana. Earlier, before the start of the shobha yatra, a havan was performed at Sita Mata Mandir in Daresi Ground which was attended by representatives of all temples in the town. Various temple and traders’ associations had organised refreshments for the shobha yatris on the way. Shri Ram Utsav Committee, Miller Ganj, also took out its 14th shobha yatra in the afternoon here today as a prelude to Ram Navami falling on Monday. The impressive shobha yatra which was led by Shri Ashwini Bedi ji of Ram Sharnam started from Shiv Mandir opposite Manju Cinema and passed through Industrial Estate, Partap Chowk, Basant Park, Bhagwan Chowk, Jaimal Singh Road, Janta Nagar Chowk, Campa Cola Chowk, cycle market and Vishwakarma Chowk before returning to the starting point later in the evening when an aarti was performed. |
|
Dr Kalkat given a warm
send-off Ludhiana, March 31 Dr Kalkat was presented a memento on the occasion and he thanked the university employees and students for their cooperation. He said after his retirement he would actively help the farmers in the country. He said he would stay in the state for eight months in a year and the rest of the time he would spend in the USA. Dr Kalkat also said he was well acquainted with the problems of the farming community as he was living very close to them and added that an understanding of the problems of the farmers was a need of the hour as after the implementation of WTO treaty the problems of farmers, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh would aggravate as their production was quite high and the government agencies would buy the produce not at the minimum support price but at the market price. He said as per the market price the wheat produced by these farmers was worth Rs 450 per quintal only. Also present on the occasion were Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Dr K.S. Aulakh, Registrar, Mr Alok Shekhar, Director Research, Dr M.S. Bajwa, Dean Agriculture College, Dr Pal Singh Sidhu, Director, Extension Education, Dr
J. S. Kollar besides many other office bearers of PAU, employees, teachers and students of the university. |
|
Man falls over fence, injured Ludhiana, March 31 On Sunday night, Mr Deepak Dua, a young
businessman, was on his way home with his wife on a scooter. There were no streetlights in the area. Scared by a ferocious street dog he lost control of the vehicle and fell over the steel fence. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune from his bed in Dayanand Hospital today, Mr Dua said since it was dark, his wife thought he had received only some minor injury. She managed to take him in a rickshaw to a doctor. The spikes had pierced his chest and the right arm. He had also suffered a fracture in the right leg. He required 79 stitches in all. Enquiries made by Ludhiana Tribune near the accident site revealed that the area, close to the home of the corporation Commissioner, Mr S.S.Sandhu, remained dark at night. Street dogs also chased passersby. Mr Dua being son of a local BJP leader, Mr Bodh Raj Dua, a number of party leaders demanded the removal of the fence around the fountain. They suggested that the height of the fence should be raised to avoid anyone falling on it by accident. |
|
Gang selling tiger hides
busted Ludhiana, March 31 The seizure has brought to light killing of tigers, lions and other animals in forests of Jammu and Kashmir. The non-enforcement of the Wild Life Act in Jammu and Kashmir is reportedly encouraging large scale hunting of wild life animals and their later smuggling into the other parts of the country. The police said the smugglers posed as sadhus. That the smuggling and hunting was common in the J and K can be gauged from the fact that the smugglers told the police they had bought the hides for about only Rs 500. The arrested man Avtar Singh said they sold the skins at prices between Rs 1000 and Rs 1500. Inspector Warryam Singh SHO Haibowal told Ludhiana Tribune that the police was on the look out for the gang. He said acting on a tip off, a police party accompanied by the officials of the District Wild Life Department raided a house in Gopal Nagar in Haibowal yesterday. While one person was arrested, seven hides of tigers and lions were seized. The police is now on the look out for Kuldip Singh involved in the racket. |
|
Bonded labourer
rescued Ludhiana, March 31 While talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Karamveer said he had borrowed Rs 12,000 from Kulbir Singh for the treatment of his wife. His master had paid him Rs 6,000 in advance and he was supposed to work day and night for him. For the past five years, he would work during the day and be chained at night. Karamveer said the rest of the amount of the borrowed money was paid to him in small instalments but he was not sure whether he was given the promised amount. He said the master used to provide him with food and clothes only and whenever he asked for money he was scolded. He approached the NGO recently when his relative, also a bonded labourer, was rescued by it. According to Ms Prabhjot Kaur, an activist of the NGO, his case was forwarded to the National Human Rights Commission on March 27 and he was rescued by two officials of the department. She said he would be living in the rehabilitation centre of the NGO for some time before leading a normal life. A case under Section 342 of the IPC and Section 17 of the Bonded Labour Act, has been registered against Kulbir Singh. |
|
Industry ready for
challenge Ludhiana, March 31 Interestingly, out of 715 items, 331 items are in the textile and textile articles category. The industry insiders say that a very sensitive category in the textile is knitted items of cotton, wool and man-made fibres which will face tough competition now. The knitted, woollen and other garment manufacturers of the city which produces material worth Rs 10,000 crore, have been preparing for the past one year for the D-day. Mr Vinod Thapar, President, Knitwear Club, an organisation of knitting and other related industries, says, “We are not worried at all from the competition from cheap imports. In the past one year we have succeeded in mobilising the industry to face the challenge by conducting seminars, workshops, and training programmes. Some of our members have already cut the cost of production by 7 per cent. Others are also trying to cut the costs.” He adds, “In the European market the share of knitted garments in the total garment sector is about 40 per cent as compared to 12 per cent share in the domestic market. The removal of QRs will also provide us an opportunity to penetrate in the foreign market. Though it is too early to predict the future but in the next six months, the position will become clear.” The cycle and cycle parts manufacturers have also taken several steps to prepare themselves for the competition. Mr Onkar Singh Pahwa, manufacturer of a leading brand of cycles, says, “We have already brought a cycle costing about Rs 800 in the market. It will not be too easy for the Chinese or any other manufacturer to provide cycle in the domestic market at that cost even after minimum import duty.” We are ready for the competition, he declares enthusiastically. In fact, after the pro-industry budget the industry is in an upbeat mood. A leading manufacturer said, “We are Punjabis who have faced courageously the Partition and the terrorism. It is not a competition, but a battle for our survival. We will soon come out victoriously from this battle too.” However, there are few sceptics also like Mr D.S. Chawla, President, United Cycle and Cycle Parts Manufacturers’ Association. He says, “The SSI sector will have to face competition not only from cheap exports but also from the big industrial houses who have vast financial and infrastructural resources”. |
|
Move on degrees generates
heat Ludhiana, March 31 Terming the move of the Council of Homoeopathic System of Medicine, Punjab, as illegal and in violation of the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973, the Secretary of the CCH, Dr Lalit Verma, has issued a caution notice that warns the general public from falling prey to the move of the state homoeopathic council. The CCH secretary clarified that the CCH had, at no stage, agreed to awarding honorary BHMS degree to diploma holders of Punjab. He said the rules and regulations did not permit the awarding of any such honorary degree. The notice has come as a big setback for the Council of Homoeopathic System of Medicine, Punjab (CHSM), which is facing rough weather at the hands of some homoeopathic physicians who have knocked at the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking cancellation of a notification issued by CHSM Punjab in this regard. A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising Mr Justice J L Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud, held that any step towards conferring such bachelor’s degrees would be subject to the final outcome of the writ. The petition had been filed by Dr Paramjit Singh Ranu, a member of the CCH and CHSM, submitting that the chairman of the CHSM, Punjab, had no authority to take any such decision without consulting the central council. Meanwhile, Dr Jasjit Singh, spokesperson, Homoeopathic Watchdog Association, Ludhiana, said they had faith in judicial system. He hoped to get ‘relief’ by the High Court’s final decision. Dr Bhupinder Singh, chairman, CHSM, Punjab, said they would not go against the court’s order and would wait for the final decision. He said the issue would be discussed at the meeting of board of studies on April 4 in Ludhiana. |
|
Maulana thanks political leaders Ludhiana, March 31 The Maulana thanked Mr Kulwant Singh, Amarjit Singh Bhatia, Parminder Mehta, Harbans Lal Sethi and Dr
D. P. Khosla for their show of solidarity with the Muslims. The Maulana said, certain vested interests from across the country were bent upon sabotaging the peace and brotherhood prevailing among the people of different faiths. He said, everyone needs to be vigilant, lest these divisive and disruptive forces may succeed in their nefarious designs. He pointed out the contribution of Muslims in the freedom struggle and welfare of the country was too wellknown. He said, it is not only now even before the independence there were attempts to create division between Hindus and Muslims. He appreciated the restraint exercised by the people belonging to different communities despite grave provocations and said, only this way the designs of divisive forces can be defeated.
1 lakh for school, village
development Amloh, March 31 Speaking at a sangat darshan programme in the village yesterday, the Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mr B.S. Soodan, also announced Rs 50,000 for the local school. He also said the grapes that had recently been exported were rejected and declared infit for human consumption due to excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides. Mr Soodan disclosed that instructions had been issued to purchase agencies in the district to procure wheat at the rate of Rs 610 per quintal. With delegations of powers to the subdivisional magistrates, a long-standing problem of old-age pensions had shown good results. As many as 17,522 applications were received in the district till March 7 and 15,201 persons were given pensions till January 31. The Deputy Commissioner added that copying in the examinations would be dealt with a heavy hand and the persons involved in assaulting the centre superintendent at Balari Kalan village for not allowing copying would not be spared. The common land should not be given at a throwaway price by the panchayats. Only recently, 117 acres were leased out at Rs 1330 only per acre in Suhagheri village in this district. Mr Soodan claimed to have earned Rs 74 lakh more in auction of common land this year. Mr Balwant Singh Shahpur, MLA, claimed that the government had fulfilled all promises in Amloh constituency. Two bridges on the choe at Bhari Panchan and Ghulu Majra villages would be completed soon, he added. Mr Dalip Singh Pandhi, a former minister, said Rs 20 lakh allotted by the Punjab Government two years back for a sewerage system had gone waste. Drainage water that entered houses, was pushed towards Government Senior Secondary School by breaking its boundary walls. He suggested the administration to look into the matter. Mr R.S. Jangu, SDM, Amloh, said 1260 applications were received in his office for old-age pensions. Out of them, 712 were given pensions and 503 cases were rejected, while those 39 received this week would be cleared next week. Mr Inderjit Singh Randhawa, SP (H), Jathedar Hari Singh, circle president, (SAD), Amloh, Mr Devinder Singh Bhambri, member, block samiti, Amloh, Mr Balwant Singh Mudhrian, chairman, PLMB, Amloh, and Mr Joginder Singh Salana, member, planning board, also spoke.
About 60 applications concerning various departments were presented by the people of the area regarding their grievances. These were marked to the departments concerned for early decision. |
|
Police interacts with drivers Ludhiana, March 31 Addressing the meeting, convened by the Local Truck Operators Union, he urged the drivers to drive within the speed limit and to take necessary steps to avoid accidents. He said traffic police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic and to book offenders and the purpose was not to harass the public and drivers of public vehicles. The SP said the traffic police were directed to carefully check the documents of vehicles and to be sure about the violations before issuing challans. Truck operators drew the attention of the officials towards tractor-trailers plying in the city without permits. They also wanted deployment of constables and officials at Samrala Chowk, which had become a big bottleneck. Mr Devinder Singh Gill, president, Truck Operators Union, focussed on various other problems of drivers. He said frequent meetings of the police officials with drivers could permanently solve several problems and lead to improvement in the traffic conditions. Prominent among those present at the meeting were Mr Chaman Lal, Mr Kirpal Singh, Mr Narinder Singh, Mr Sardara Singh, Mr Maghar Singh, Mr Nazar Singh, Mr Harjinder Singh, Mr Kamaldeep Singh, Mr Sadhu Singh, Mr Gurnam Singh, Mr Baldev Singh, Mr Harnek Singh, Mr Harchand Singh and Mr Ram Singh. Mr Arun Pal Singh and Mr Gurinder Singh, Inspector (Traffic), were honoured. |
|
AT THE CROSS ROADS IT is life that matters but it is death that counts. To be alive is a fact but to be dead is a reality. Life has myriad forms but death has only one form. Life is a series of events, whereas death is the deadend. Life is like looking into a mirror, death is like facing the reverse side of the mirror. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare says — “After life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well”. I recalled this line when I saw the face of my uncle, Mohinder Singh Kauser, in Delhi last Wednesday. He appeared to be having a peaceful sleep on his last day in this world. He had suffered a lot during the past two or three years on account of his ill health. He was in fact baffled to find himself in the blind alley of agony and anguish after having led a very energetic life. He loved life in all forms and was an ardent seeker of joy and happiness. During his college days he took keen interest in Urdu poetry. Prof Mohan Singh appointed him the student editor of the Urdu section of Darbar in 1939. He edited the college magazine for two years and published his ‘ghazals’ in it. ‘Kauser’ took his master’s degree in English in 1942 from Khalsa College, Amritsar, and then joined central service in New Delhi. Later he became a globetrotter for 30 years as an Indian Foreign Service Officer. Starting with Turkey in 1948, he went to Canada, Russia, New Zealand, Philippines and Afghanistan. In between he came back to the South Block in New Delhi and built his house in Greater Kailash. He retired in 1977 and lived there till the end of his life on March 27,2001. He was my friend, philosopher and guide in the true sense of the term. In our joint family, my tayaji Puran Singh Hunar had already earned praise as an Urdu poet, when my chachaji Mohinder Singh ‘Kauser’ was preparing himself for M.A. in English in the early 40s. I was in class VIII at that time and had started scribbling in Urdu. Once a friend of my uncle asked me about my pen-name but I expressed my ignorance about it. He suggested, — “Your uncle is ‘Kauser’, so you should be ‘Tasneem.’ Later I came to know that these are names of two streams in heaven according to the Muslim theology. Expressing his sympathy on the death of Kauser Prof Surinder Singh Narula, who had been his class-fellow in the postgraduate department, said — “Kauser sahib was a dear friend of mine. He did not confine himself to text-books but went in for a vast erudite study of different disciplines. This paid him well both in life and in service. During his assignments abroad, his all round knowledge of English Literature and Urdu poetry stood him in good stead”. |
Case of forgery
registered Ludhiana, March 31 Mr Kehar Singh, son of Mr Puran Singh, a resident of Dhuri Line, New Kartar Nagar, had lodged a complaint with the police that the accused had played a fraud on him by preparing forged papers and getting his land registered in their names. The case has been handed over to the economic wing of the city police. None of the accused has been arrested so far.
Shop burgled The Model Town police has registered a case of burglary under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC after Mr Vinay Arora, a resident of Kitchlu Nagar, reported to the police that someone had broken the lock of his shop in Jai Singh complex and decamped with goods worth Rs 18,000. No arrest has been made so far.
Dowry case The Jodhewal police registered a case yesterday under sections 498 A and 506 of the IPC for demanding more dowry against Gulshan Kumar, Sardari Lal, Kunti, Nathi, Shibu, Somber, and some other persons, all residents of New Shivaji Nagar. Rano, daughter of Mr Amarjit, resident of Anand Pura mohalla near chowk Basti Jodhewal, had complained to the police that the accused here threatened her and demanded more dowry. No arrest has been made so far.
Two held The Sadar police yesterday arrested two persons Gurnam Singh, and Malwinder Singh, residents of Jamalpur, while they were distilling illicit liquor. The police seized a working still and 20 bottles of liquor alongwith raw material for making liquor from their possession. The accused have been booked under Sections 61/1/14 of the Excise Act. |
|
Computer centre inaugurated Doraha, March 31 Mr Garcha said in his inaugural address, “Being a rural area, such type of facilities cannot be easily had. The centre will not only cater to the local needs but also be an asset to the surrounding villages.” Mr Baljit Singh Gill, centre director, told newspersons that there were 30 Webcom education centres in India. “The courses being offered are Web-Tech, E-Tech, Wap-Pro, Java-XI and Java-Oracle,” he added. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
