L U D H I A N A

Hooch claims six lives
Ludhiana, April 5
The ever-increasing sale of spurious liquor, a direct outcome of non-auctioning of vends in Ludhiana district, claimed six lives in the first reported hooch tragedy in the district. According to reports reaching the district headquarters, six persons died and nearly an equal number were admitted to different private nursing homes after they consumed country made spirit late last night.

Impasse over liquor vends’ auction continues
Liquor in short supply in city
Ludhiana April 5
The ongoing battle between two Punjab ministers over the auction of liquor vends in this district has created a situation in which the government is facing massive loss of revenue, with each passing day and liquor has literally disappeared from the city, since barely 100 odd vends, both of country liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), out of a total of 562, operating till March 31, have opened so far.

PSEB privatisation sought 
Industry to launch agitation from April 19
Ludhiana, April 5
Upset over the erratic power supply and undeclared power cuts imposed by the Punjab State Electricity Board, coupled with “anti-industry” policies of the PSEB and the government, the local industry has demanded dissolution of the PSEB and handing over power generation and distribution to private hands. 

Moharram observed in city Ludhiana, April 5 Moharram, the day of mourning, was observed by a sect of the Muslims here today. A number of Tazia processions were taken out in the Focal Point, Sherpur, Giaspura and Basti Jodhewal localities of the town. Residents of Muslim Colony in Sherpur, comprising mostly Bihari Muslim migrants, took out a Tazia procession in the afternoon.

A view of the Moharram procession in Sherpur on Thursday.  — Photo Inderjeet Verma

CM urged to make advisory committee
Ludhiana, April 5
A number of industrial associations have urged the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to constitute a state-level advisory committee as laid down in the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 1998, at the earliest so that representatives of industry could be inducted as members to watch the interests of the industry.

COMMUNITY

Domestic violence on the rise
Ludhiana, April 5
Cases of domestic violence in the city have registered an increase of over 50 per cent this year as compared to the last year. The S. S. P., Mr Kuldip Singh revealed that the city topped in cases of domestic violence all over Punjab. Earlier the police never used to register the cases of domestic violence but since the past two years, the police has started registering such cases and with the result now even the cases of domestic violence which occurred 10 years ago are also being brought to the fore front.

City women welcome imported goods
Ludhiana, April 5
Though the opening up of imports has caused a furore in the local industry, women here are thrilled as imported stuff has already started arriving in the city. A local ladies club put up a sale of Chinese good, barely six days after the exim policy was announced.

Farmer alleges police excesses
Ludhiana, April 5
A farmer of Koom Kalan village has alleged high-handedness of officials of the police post in the village who ‘openly’ supported certain persons involved in a land dispute with him. The farmer has also claimed of having suffered a huge financial loss as due to his alleged harassment, he could not harvest ripe sugarcane crop.

YC mobilising ranks for rally
Ludhiana, April 5
The District Youth Congress (DYC) organised a series of meetings here to prepare for the April 11 rally, being organised by the Punjab Pradesh Congress in the city to focus on the constituent parties of the NDA government at the Centre, headed by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Vyas promises better amenities
Ludhiana, April 5
The Ludhiana Improvement Trust Chairman, Mr Madan Mohan Vyas, said the trust was committed to provide better amenities to the city residents through its various residential and commercial schemes.

Camp for child labour
Khanna, April 5
A camp for child labourers was organised at the local police station by Baba Sen Bhagat society in association with the Lions Club Vishal Khanna, here yesterday. The chief guest for the occasion, Mr Ram Singh, SP (OPR), while addressing the children attending the camp said that they should not have any fear of the police as the police was for their protection. He assured these children that if any employer harassed them , they could complaint to the police and immediate action would be taken.

CRIME

Man murders wife
Ludhiana, April 5
The division number 6 police has arrested Ajay Kumar, a resident of Nepal, on charges of murdering his young wife, yesterday morning. The accused, who lived in Janta Nagar and worked in a factory, was arrested on the spot. He was seen strangulating his wife, Mamta, about 17-year-old, by Mr Bikramjit Singh, owner of the factory.

Youth commits suicide by hanging
Samrala, April 5
Randhir Singh aged 24 years, of Khatran village, near here, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan today at his house.

BUSINESS

Tendering system led to massive saving : Mayor
Ludhiana, April 5
The Municipal Corporation has, of late adopted the new system of competitive bidding through open tenders, which in turn, has led to a massive saving of more than Rs 7 crore in the work relating to construction of two flyovers at Dhuri Line Crossing and Dhandari Focal Point in the city.

AGRICULTURE

All set for wheat purchase: DC
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 5
Special arrangements have been made for the purchase of wheat in all 34 purchase centres in the district, Mr B.S. Sudan, Deputy Commissioner, said while talking to mediapersons during an inspection tour of all purchase centres in the district today.

‘Farmers worried about environment’
Ludhiana, April 5
Farmers of the state are well aware of the degrading environment and they are all for conserving it, if a study at Punjab Agricultural University is to be believed. The study “Awareness about Degradation of Environment and Natural Resources among Punjab Farmers” suggests that the farmers of the state are concerned about the declining water table and were ready to act on the advice of experts.

EDUCATION

 

Beautiful articles prepared by mentally-challanged children of Nirdosh on display and (right) students reciting a prayer.

Celebration of annual day at Nirdosh Ludhiana , April 5 Twenty years ago, 20 women of the Inner-Wheel Club (a sister concern of Rotary Club ) started a school for mentally-challenged children in two rooms of Deepak Hospital.

School building — a victim of government indifference
Ludhiana, April 5
Call it indifference of the Punjab government or apathy of the District Education Department, the entire school building of the Government Primary School, Cinema Road, is in a dilapidated condition and there seems to be no plan to renovate it.

Free power sought for PAU farms
Ludhiana, April 5
The Punjab Government should provide free electricity supply to university farms. This demand was raised by agriculture scientists who attended a meeting here that was called by Dr K.S. Aulakh, new Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University.

Probe into malpractices at schools sought
Ludhiana, April 5
The Sikh Students’ Federation has demanded an inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, into the high fee structure of the public schools of the city.

COURTS

Forum fines TV dealer
Ludhiana, April 5
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Navrang Audio Vision to pay Rs 1,000 as compensation on account of deficiency in services along with Rs 500 as cost of litigation to Ms Trishla Rani Jain, a resident of Sherpur Kalan. The forum further directed the opposite party to pay Rs 1,800 along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum from May 15, 2000, till the date of actual payment.