The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, April 8, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

L U D H I A N A

The importance of being Sukhbir Badal

Three policemen (one in mufti) stand guard and divert traffic in Model Town area where Mr Sukhbir Badal was to inaugurate a diagnostic centre on Friday.
Ludhiana, April 7
What is so special about Mr Sukhbir Badal that the administration comes to a standstill whenever he happens to be in the town? And who keeps the record of his itinerary?

Three policemen (one in mufti) stand guard and divert traffic in Model Town area where Mr Sukhbir Badal was to inaugurate a diagnostic centre on Friday. — Photo Inderjeet Verma

Another child kidnapped in city
Ludhiana, April 7
In another incident of child kidnapping in the city, eight-year-old Laxman has been reported to be kidnapped from near his house in Prem Nagar Islam Gunj by some unidentified persons on the evening of March 5.

2 persons beaten up by mob led by councillor
Ludhiana, April 7
Two persons were beaten up by an angry mob led allegedly by a MC councillor at Dugri here today following a dispute between representatives of a local gurdwara and a newly constructed school over the ownership of plot of land.

EARLIER STORIES

	Aged couple commits suicide April 7, 2001
	Hooch claims six lives April 6, 2001
	Corruption mars Budha Nullah project April 5, 2001
	Kidnapped child recovered April 4, 2001
	MC to face contempt, damages suit for demolition? April 3, 2001
	3 hurt in clash over house; 5 arrested April 2, 2001
	HC directive on tractor-trailers flouted April 1, 2001
	Rain discolours farmers’ hopes March 31, 2001
	Rs 137.79 crore PAU budget passed March 30, 2001
	Liquor auction venue shifted to Patiala March 29, 2001

Intoxicating influence of liquor mafia
Ludhiana, April 7
Place: Ghanta Ghar Chowk; Time: 11.30 am: A well-dressed man, a visitor to the city who has checked into a hotel in Bhadaur House here on the previous night, stops by a cigarette shop, buys a pack and casually enquires from passersby the way to the nearest ‘English theka’.

Sahil case: residents refute police claim
Ludhiana, April 7
Residents of Roop Nagar Colony here refute the claim of the police that it had solved the Sahil kidnapping case. They said residents of the colony had played a major role in the recovery of the child from a manhole.

Probe ordered into suicide case
Ludhiana, April 7
The district police chief, Mr Kuldip Singh, has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident of suicide by an old couple, Devinder Sharma and Pushpa Sharma, at Chotti Haibowal. The Focal Point police and the Economic Offences Wing of the police blame each other for the incident.

Rs 230 crore for projects
Ludhiana, April 7
The work for augmentation of water supply and sewerage in the state has received a big boost with a Rs 230 crore project, being implemented with financial assistance from HUDCO.

World Health Day celebrations
Ludhiana, April 7
The World Health Day was celebrated in the city to spread awareness about the importance of health to the masses. The hospitals organised talks by the eminent psychiatrists and psychologists as the theme was related to the mental health.

CITY SCAN

Churches of Ludhiana
LUDHIANA is mini India. No other country has given birth to as many religions and religious orders as India has done. No other region on this globe has provided the necessary spiritual climate to other religions for growth as this subcontinent did in the past and is doing at present.

COMMUNITY

Foundation stone of leisure valley laid
Ludhiana, April 7
Former Union Minister and Member of Rajya Sabha, Mr Sukhbir Badal, today laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1.5 Crore leisure valley project in the city. The project, to be developed in an open area of 22 acre along Sidhwan Canal from Ferozepor Road to Pakhowal Road and further from Pakhowal Road to Dhuri Railway Line, was being planned by a professional landscapist.

Sukhbir denies role in liquor row
Ludhiana, April 7
Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Sukhbir Badal today denied any role in the ongoing liquor controversy that has led to continued stalemate over the auctioning of vends in Ludhiana.

Phone services disrupted
Ludhiana, April 7
Residents of Daba Road, particularly the business community, have been put to great inconvenience on account of theft of underground telephone cables almost a week ago, resulting in breakdown of the communication network in the area.

CM urged to clear pension benefits
Ludhiana, April 7
Mr Sunder Lal Mehta , Vice-President, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Punjab, and Dr Shiv Gupta, General Secretary, INTUC, in a joint press note issued here today appealed to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to clear the pending matter of granting pension benefits to all the retirees of municipal committees and municipal corporations who had retired before 1990.

CRIME

Bid to loot jewellery shop
Ludhiana, April 7
Shopkeepers of a market in Shastri Nagar thwarted an attempt to loot a jeweller's shop by two youths armed with sharpedged weapons at about 2 p.m. here today. One of the alleged robbers, Jeewan Jyoti, was overpowered by the shopkeepers while the second, unidentified one, escaped.

25 bottles of illicit liquor seized
Ludhiana, April 7
As many as 25 bottles of illicit liquor has been seized from Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Jodhewal. The accused has been arrested and a case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

Opium seized

Knife seized

Amplifier recovered

BUSINESS

Mandi Board and arhtias wait for wheat
Ludhiana, April 7
The wheat procurement operations have already started officially but the officials of the state procurement agencies and arhtias are still waiting for the farmers. The arhtias in the Ludhiana grain market maintain that rain during the past few days and changes in the weather have delayed the harvesting of the crop.

EDUCATION

Corporal punishment parents’ dilemma
Ludhiana, April 7
Corporal punishment in schools by teachers seem to be on the rise with more and more cases of beating being reported in the past few months. Such incidents have sparked off a debate on whether the issue of beating up of children should be taken up with school authorities or should children be made to continue to suffer at the hands of the teachers out of a fear of a backlash.

Inter-school contests
Ludhiana, April 7
Nearly 150 students participated in an inter-school painting and dance contests organised by Pankhudi, a social organisation, at the municipal park of Model Town Extension this evening.

CULTURE

Punjabi writers honoured
Ludhiana, April 7
Kartar Singh Dhaliwal (Memorial) Awards have been announced by the Punjabi Sahit Akademi. Awards will be presented for two years (98-99, 99-2000) to persons of high literary merit and creative qualities.

From left: Pritam Singh, A. A. Randhawa, D.K. Tiwana, D.P. Bansal, S.K. Mann