Govt scraps bylaws amendment
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 28
The state government has stayed the implementation of a May 2000 amendment in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Building Bylaws of 1997, withdrawing several relaxations that were given for regularising commercial buildings here. Following a decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government has decided to withdraw the notification.

The bylaws were amended vide the MC General House resolution 282 on May 11, 2000, and modifications were notified vide another notification on May 25, 2000. A letter issued by the Joint Secretary of the Punjab Department of Local Government on July 13 said implementation of the second notification had been stayed and the government was thinking of dropping the notification.

With the scrapping of the amendment, owners of a large number of commercial complexes that are under construction or yet to come up here will be affected. The norms of site coverage, floor-area ratio, compulsory space for parking and the height of the building will become harsher along with the composition norms for various violations of the building bylaws.

The MC would no longer be able to exercise its powers to compound the additional coverage beyond a permissible limit and converting parking spaces into sites for residential areas.

The maximum permissible height of commercial buildings would revert to between 38.6 feet and 70.6 feet, depending on the road width. Earlier, this limit was between 50 feet and 130 feet, depending on the plot area. A maximum site coverage for building plots on over 500 square yards will be 50 per cent, with the floor-area ratio of 1:3. Earlier, this limit was upto 65 per cent, with the floor-area ratio ranging from 1:3 to 1:6. This was for plots bigger than 1,000 square yards and 3,000 square yards, respectively.

For the mandatary space for parking, commercial buildings will have to keep a 20 per cent of the total covered area for a plot of upto 50 square yards, 25 per cent for a plots upto 125 square yards, 35 per cent for a plot upto 250 square yards, 40 per cent for a plot upto 500 square yards and 50 per cent for plots of more than 500 square yards.

For smaller plots upto 50 square yards, 100 per cent ground coverage in core city areas and 80 per cent ground coverage in the other localities, with a floor-area ratio of 1:1.5, would be permissible, according to the new building bylaws.

Education official sacrificed in ‘public’ interest
Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 28
Just imagine where is the merit list for the selection of teachers in the category of ETT (Elementary Teachers Training) and the JBT (Junior Basic Training) being finalised. Not in any of the offices of the Education Department, but at the residence of a senior minister in the Badal government.

Sources in the Education Department revealed that the list of 4,000 candidates who had applied in the ETT and JBT category had been sent to the District Education Officer (Primary) by the Director, State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) some time back. Surprisingly the duplicate copy of the list found its way into the residence of the minister.

The sources disclosed that 6,240 candidates had applied for 800 posts in Ludhiana district. Although there was no mention in the advertisement that the candidates would be short-listed on the basis of their merit, only 4,000 applicants have been called for the interviews, while 2,240 were left out. The interviews started from July 25.

It was learnt that the selection process was being supervised by the minister and his family members. It would be the minister who would have the final say in the selection of the candidates. The MLAs from the ruling alliance had also been allotted specific quota according to their requirements for obliging their supporters.

It was not just the political recommendation that came in use, even the money was doing as well.

The sources said that the rates quoted for each post of an STT/JBT teacher ranged between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. And even the money did not guarantee the selection as there was competition among the people who were ready to offer this much money.

It was also learnt that a superintendent in the office of the DEO (primary) had also been moved out as he reportedly refused to oblige his seniors for specific appointments against the merit order. The superintendent, Mr Anil Sandhir, was reportedly transferred on July 19 and relieved with immediate effect as he reportedly refused to tow the line of his seniors.

Interestingly, Mr Sandhir had been made in charge of the selection process vide order number E-1/2001-P3062 dated June 26, 2001 by the DEO (primary). And within a period of less than a month he was transferred to Government Senior Secondary School, Rara Sahib, near Doraha ‘in the public interest’. The officials seemed to be too hasty in seeing him replaced that he was transferred on the basis of a photostat copy of the original order. Interestingly his relieving order did not mention any number or date.

The department sources, while questioning the motive behind his transfer pointed out that no person could be transferred in the public interest unless there was an inquiry or any charge pending against him. There was no such charge or inquiry pending against Mr Sandhir. Rather in May he had got any appreciation letter from the Director School Education vide order number 8/28-98BP(2) dated May 9, 2001, in which his performance had been lauded and appreciated.

Cong leader’s murder: ‘personal enmity
suspected motive’
Jupinderjit Singh and Ravi Inder Singh Makkar

Machhiwara (Ludhiana), July 28
It appears that Sukhdev Singh Manewal, a Congress leader whose body was found on the bank of a canal near here yesterday, was killed because of a personal enmity.

Though the police has not ruled out the other possibilities, including political rivalry, evidence shows that Manewal’s troubled relationship with some of his relatives might have possibly led to the murder.

The police suspects that two youths, one turbaned and other clean-shaven, committed the murder. Manewal had reportedly left his house in Samrala with these two unidentified youths yesterday after they had arrived there in a blue Maruti car. The police says that Manewal’s relatives have said that the youths took away the leader on the pretext that the Deputy Superintendent of the Ludhiana police had called him to discuss his application for seeking police protection. Manewal’s security had been withdrawn about two years ago.

Manewal’s relationship with a woman is also being investigated. The leader had been living with a woman in Samrala for the past several years, while his wife stayed with her family in Machhiwara. Police parties were sent to Ubhewal near Machhiwara yesterday to question some of Manewal’s relatives, including a Punjab police constable posted at Patiala. A police party was also sent to Chandigarh today because this is where the constable was said to be on duty presently.

The post-mortem examination has shown that Manewal was shot at a point blank range under the left ear.

The case was registered on the complaint of Surjit Kaur, the woman who had been living with the leader. The woman said she did not know the youths, but could recognise them if she saw them again.

The case was registered after a long argument between the Samrala police and the Machhiwara police as both claimed that the body had been found in the other’s area. The Samrala police agreed to register the case only after some senior police officials intervened.

Manewal was also a member of the Ludhiana Zila Parishad. He was cremated today at his native village Manewal that is on the Machhiwara-Rahon road. His elder son, Jasbir Singh, lit the pyre. Manewal is survived by his two brothers, wife, two sons and two daughters.

The Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal; a former minister of Punjab, Mr Isher Singh Meharban; another former minister, Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi; the district Congress chief, Mr Gurdev Singh Lapran; and the MLA of Samrala, Mr Amrik Singh; besides representatives of various political parties, were present at Manewal’s funeral.

Various local leaders who were present there included Mr Surinder Kundra, block head of the Congress; Mr Anil Sood, chief of the Machhiwara Nagar Panchayat; Mr Kastoori Lal Mintoo, Vice-President of the Punjab Youth Congress; Mr Gurcharan Singh Mithewal, Chairman of the Market Committee of Machhiwara; Mr Harjit Singh Sherian, circle Jathedar of the Shiromani Akali Dal (B); Mr Sushil Luthra, acting chief of the local unit of the BJP; Mr Narinder Pal Singh Bajwa, a Senior Vice-President of the Sarb Hind Youth Akali Dal.

Manewal’s body was found on the bank of Sirhind canal yesterday. Enquiries show that Manewal had received a telephone call early on Friday by someone who claimed to be the DSP of Ludhiana. The leader was told that he was being provided with police protection. The youths picked Manewal from his residence at about 8 am the same day. There has been no trace of the youths since then.

At about 3.45 pm on Friday, some pilgrims who were returning from Naina Devi found a body on the bank of the canal, barely 3 km from the police post of Garhi Tarkhana. After they alerted the policemen at the checkpost, Mr Ashok Kumar, an ASI of Machhiwara reached the spot and identified the body.

When the town learnt about the murder, it became sad. An FIR under Sections 302 and 34 of IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against the unidentified persons at the Samrala police station. The DSP of Samrala, Mr Sushil Kumar, said the two unidentified car-borne youths were the prime suspects and they might have made that fake call, pretending to be the DSP of Ludhiana.

SHO sent to police lines
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 28
The alleged case of forcible collection of funds from an employee of an octroi contractor by the Samrala police for the organisation of a football tournament took a new turn today when Inspector Arvind Puri, SHO, Samrala, who allegedly took Rs 10,000 from the complainant, was sent to the Police Lines in Ropar district.

According to highly placed sources, the DIG, Ludhiana, Mr Suresh Arora, today ordered to send him to the lines following the completion of an inquiry into the allegations by the DSP, Samrala, Mr Sushil Kumar. Interestingly, the orders have been made on administrative grounds. Sources informed the inquiry delved in detail about several complaints against the police official. It establishes the complainant was wronged but could not prove the allegation of forcible collection of funds in the name of a football tournament.

Sources said one of the several complaints proved in the inquiry included that the SHO was found guilty of detaining four persons illegally at the police station, Samrala, on July 11, which also included the complainant. The police official was also found ‘guilty’ of challaning their vehicles despite all papers in order.

The inquiry report said it could not find conclusive evidence about the allegation of forcible collection of funds for the football tournament. However, the DIG, Ludhiana, is learnt to have sought further details about this specific allegation, as the inquiry report also could not deny the allegation outright. Sources said if the allegation was wrong then the complainant should have been booked under the relevant law for submitting a forged document.

Rinku Sharma, an employee with an octroi contractor, Samrala, had in complaint to the SSP, Khanna, Mr R N Dhoke accused the police official of illegal detaining , challaning as well as forcible extracting money in the name of a football tournament to release him and three other persons. The complainant had submitted a receipt of Fourth Ludhiana Cup Football Tournament in the memory of Late Nachattar Singh Gill, father of Mr R S Gill, IG Patiala. He said the police official had taken Rs 10,000 from him. Interestingly, the receipt said the venue of the tournament was Police Lines, Ludhiana. No date was given but the year 2000 was mentioned on it.

The accused, Inspector Arvind Puri, had denied the allegation and termed it as baseless and motivated. He said the octroi contractors were implicating him in a false case.

When contacted, Mr Suresh Arora confirmed the orders. He said he had told the SSP, Khanna, to look further into the allegation of forcible collection of funds. He declined to give further details.

No irregularity in Dean’s appointment: VC
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
Refuting all allegations of misuse of norms while appointing Ms Manjit Sodhia, former Principal, Government College for Women, Ludhiana, as the Dean, College Development Council, Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the Guru Nanak Dev University, said that he had committed no violation of rules in the process.

Dr S.P. Singh, who was in the city today to attend the inaugural session of the new academic batch at GGN Khalsa College, Civil Lines, said that at a meeting held on July 20, the Syndicate had decided to authorise the VC to make the appointment.

He said that the university had never advertised for the post.

There was no selection committee made for the purpose.

‘‘The Syndicate made the appointment and this time its member authorised me to do so,” he said.

‘‘Our problems basically come from government colleges and other private college or rural areas. Since Ms Sodhia has enough experience as Principal of a government college, we thought she should be the best person for the post, he added.”

“We had considered other retired principals of Guru Nanak Dev University also for the post, but most of them were above 60 years of age, and thus un-eligible for the post,’’ said Dr S.P. Singh.

Regarding the opening of courses of Punjab Technical University in college of Panjab University, he said that it was good that resources and infrastructure were being used to their full capacity. He said that once they were found successfully, they could be made independent and repatriated from the main college. He said that such courses were self-financial, which was the need of the hour.

Dr S.P. Singh said that he always made it a point that quality of education should not suffer in the race of conducting various courses.

He said that he would make strategies to create a balance between the IT courses and other traditional courses of humanities and science.

He said that he also insisted that no relaxation should be made in setting eligibility criteria while taking admissions and entrance tests should be held where the members of candidates was very high.

Addl SHO shifted after dharna
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 28
Mr Desraj Singh, Additional SHO, Division No. 5 police station, has been shifted to the Police Lines in the wake of allegations of favouring an accused.

The orders were announced by the DSP, P.S. Parmar, here today afternoon while addressing a group of protesters who had staged an over three-hour long dharna outside the police station against the police for registering a cross-case against the complainant. The DSP also announced that a case registered under Section 452 against the complainant would also be cancelled. The dharna was lifted soon there after.

A shopkeeper, Mr Sohan Lal Chauhan, had filed a complaint accusing a neighbouring shopkeeper Jaspreet Singh alias Sonu, his two employees and some unidentified persons of damaging his shop and injuring his two employees on July 23. The police had registered a case but yesterday a cross case was registered against the complainant. This infuriated the complainant and other shopkeepers who staged a dharna outside the police station today morning.

Mr Parmar said the police had booked the complainant Sohan Lal Chauhan on the basis of complaint filed in this regard by the accused party. Though the DSP claimed that the additional SHO was shifted because of administrative reasons, sources said the staging of dharna against the case was the main reason.

CITY SCAN
From plough to tanpura
M.S. Cheema

Ludhiana, July 28
Once Akbar asked Tansen how he had become Tansen. The master musician replied: “Your Majesty, I was initiated into listening by an inner force. Good music made my ear more and more sensitive. It took me long to become a ‘Kaansen’ before reaching the stage of Tansen!” Nearer home, and closer to our time, we have the story of a peasant boy who discovered the muse and mastered the art of classical singing to be recognised with the award of Padma Shree. Sohan Singh a star of the Agra Gharana, was born on September 11, 1923 in Kila Raipur. His father, Phuman Singh, was a simple peasant and his mother, Bibi Partap Kaur, was a hardworking housewife. As a child, Sohan Singh would accompany his mother to the village gurdwara. Simple instruments and sweet voices attracted him. His father would take him to the nearby historic gurudwaras where the boy was impressed by Kirtan. There was no tradition of music in his family. But he discovered his inner ear and responded to it by singing to himself.

From the plough to the tanpura was a rare journey, if not transformation. His seeking mind led Sohan Singh to Bhai Lal in Amritsar who was a disciple of Pandit Bhaskar Rao, and then to Lahore to sit at the feet of Dalip Chandra Vedi. He went to Gwalior to learn music from Ustad Umrao Khan Sahib. The urge led him to Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and after knocking at many more doors, he got the blessings of Ustad Fayyaz Khan Sahib at Baroda. Sohan Singh spent seven years learning the intricacies of classical music. At an audition, the judges confused Sohan Singh’s rendition with that of Ustad Fayyaz Khan, his ideal.

Sohan Singh sang from I.A.R. stations at Lahore, Jalandhar, Jammu, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur, Gwalior, Indore, Bombay, Bhopal, Baroda, Ahmedabad, etc and gave performances at prestigious Sangeet Sammelans at premier music centres of India. At the Mian Tansen Memorial Musical Festival in Calcutta his singing was highly appreciated. In Punjab’s prestigious Harballabh Sangit Sammelan, he sang for many years with distinction. His most memorable musical legacy consists of records of shabads in nirdharit Ragas. He served AIR, Jalandhar, as music supervisor from 1951 to 1967. He also taught music at Government College for Women, Patiala. Punjabi University published two of his books on music.

Many unsought prizes and honours came his way: Shri Ram Bharti Kala Kendra, Delhi (1976), Dilgir Award, Chandigarh (1977), Sangeet Natak Akademy Award, Delhi (1980), Punjab Arts Council (1981), Sangeet Kala Manch, Jalandhar (1982), Pracheen Kala Kendra (1983), besides the Padma Shree in 1983. He breathed his last on February 3, 1987.

COMMUNITY

AT THE CROSS ROADS
At the receiving end

IT is the third generation that makes the scene. The old man has retired, the young man is in the thick of the battle and the grandson is coming into his own. With the passage of time, the roles undergo a change even further. The old man recedes into the basement of his loneliness, the young man is in his forties and wants to make hay while the sun shines and the stripling starts asserting his likes and dislikes.

There is no overlapping of the roles if the three generations do not impinge on the rights of one another. At times, there is some tension due to the slow or fast movement of the gyre of relationships. But, on the whole, things move on smoothly if nothing untoward happens to put a spoke in the wheel.

There is some sort of an adjustment with each other but not at the level of sacrifice. In case, there is deep concern for each other, the blue sky seldom becomes cloudy. The occasional showers, however, give a natural touch to the human situation.

Likewise in the field of literature Established writers drift progressively to the past and find repose in the valley of nostalgia. As they advance in age, they ramble along the lanes of bygone days. When they take pen in their hands, they do not look around but look back. Gradually, they lose contact with reality and seek pleasure in the flight of their imagination.

The situation is different in the case of writers who have ascended considerably the flight of stairs. They burn with passion to move on further so as to ensure for themselves a higher perch. They are engrossed in the presentation of the things around with a view to perpetuating the fleeting moments. Their effort is to catch the butterfly while it is still on its wings. On the other hand, the writers that belong to the third generation want to move unhindered towards the ever-receding horizon of their experiences. They look forward to the future of their achievements.

In actual life it is possible for the three generations to remain within the bounds of their territories. But in the world of literature, the three generations continue to rub their shoulders with one another. The established writer seeks assurances, with the each passing day, of his having been established.

The easy course that is open to him is to go on writing even with half a mind. The middle-rung writers sometimes challenge his authority and the house of cards comes rumbling. This device is use by them to come into the limelight.

These writers try to strengthen their position by forming a coterie. Mostly mediocrity rules the roost, They hold functions, mostly book-releases, as these come handy to boost their sagging morale. In such function, the photo session is given the utmost importance.

This ensures their re-appearance in newspapers the next day. The disturbing thing is that this coterie adopts patronising attitude towards the upcoming writers of the third generation.

Such a stance many a time snuffs out the spark of talent in them. They find themselves at the receiving end.

— N.S. Tasneem

Approval of road project a step towards
development: RJD
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Yuva Rashtriya Janata Dal (YRJD) have described the approval of elevated road project by the MC General House as a big step towards development of the mega city and a victory for the party.

Mr Rakesh Verma, chairman of the state unit of the party and the YRJD president, Mr Vijay Mahajan, said while addressing a meeting of party activists here that the party had staged a counter dharna against the BJP at the MC headquarters to show their total support for the project and to expose the ‘real face’ of of the BJP.

They also alleged that some of the RJD functionaries were also beaten up by senior BJP leaders.

The RJD and the YRJD activists also criticised the role of Deputy Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Sat Pal Gosain, who had also participated in the dharna against the elevated road project and later led a walkout by his party from the House meeting, when the project was approved by an overwhelming majority.

They said being part of the government, which claimed to be committed to development and was observing the year 2001 as ‘development year’, it was quite surprising for Mr Gosain to stand in the way of such an important project, which was need of the hour to cope with ever increasing traffic congestion in the city.

Mr Verma, Mr Mahajan and several others, who spoke at the occasion, vowed to extend their complete support to the City Mayor, Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, as far as development works in the city were concerned.

Mr Bishan Singh Dhiman, vice-chairman and Mr Manoj Bhandari, senior vice-president of the RJD Beopar Cell charged the BJP with betraying the larger interests of the city population by obstructing a major project, which would, in a way, change the entire picture of the city.

‘‘With the elevated road, the proposed flyover in place of Railway Foot Bridge (Lakkar Pul) and the road along Budha Nullah in place, most of the traffic-related problems of the industrial hub of Punjab would be done away with’’, they added.

Prominent among those present at the occasion were Baba Daud Shah, state vice-president, Mr Nand Lal Mehra, state general secretary, Mr Hira Jha, district president, Mr Munish Verma, Mr Jagdish Verma, Mr Rajesh Arora, Mr Rajinder Singh, Mr Jaswinder Singh Monty, Mr Prince Malik, Mr Niyaz Alam, Mr Kalamuddin and Mr Kamal Kanaujia.

Alcoholic Anonymous — kindles hope for alcoholics
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, July 28
Not many may know it, but there is a forum that provides men and women a platform where they share their experiences, strengths and hopes to overcome alcoholism. Hundreds of men and women who could hardly walk two straight steps due to excessive drinking have not only given up their drinking habits but are leading a normal life — all thanks to Alcoholic Anonymous, a voluntary rehabilitation programme which is encouraging several alcoholics to regain full control of their lives.

Alcoholic Anonymous, a non- profit voluntary organisation, has already spread its wings all over the world with an encouraging response. The organisation with its origin in the USA was brought to India in the late fifties. There are estimated to be about 350 voluntary groups in India in which over 6,500 workers encourage people to stop drinking. These groups do not belong to any sect, denomination, political, parties organisations or institutions. Nor do they engage in any controversy. The prime objective of its members is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Gurdeep Singh, who was an alcoholic a few years back, is today away from the first fatal drink. Gurdeep was born to his parents after 14 years of their marriage. “I was a pampered child. During these 14 years, my parents visited various temples, mosques and tied threads. I was put in the best school of the city, my father expired when I was in the ninth standard”, he said.

During his university days, Gurdeep never went to any shop or bar to have a drink. His life was changed when he went to Mumbai for his job training. According to Gurdeep, real life began in Mumbai. No relatives, no well-wishers. He could do whatever he wanted. He became very popular amongst friends. Time passed with lots of hard work and drinking and dancing. His alcoholic intake progressed and capacity increased tremendously. “Slowly and slowly, my breakfast, lunch and dinner turned out to be neat pegs. I felt myself on the top of the world”, he said.

His life took a drastic turn. Gurdeep met with a number of accidents. While once he was drunk, he promised somebody to get married. He married the girl and promised not to touch alcohol again. He started losing his jobs one after the other. There were regular fights with wife and in-laws. Now, when he was in a tight grip of alcohol, even if he wanted to stop drinking, he could not. By this time, all the property, jobs, respect, health and self-respect was on the road. “I met one of my friends who suggested me to go to Alcoholic Anonymous which has changed my entire life. For me, not drinking for over 11 years is like a world record. I can eat, I love to sleep and I am contented and happy”, said Gurdeep Singh.

“The therapeutic value of one alcoholic helping another is unparalleled here”, said Ranjit (not his real name). On the eve of his commission into the Defence Force, he was kicked out of the academy because he bashed up his senior after a bout of drinking. Virtually on the roads after being disowned by his relatives, he became more chronic alcoholic till he found help from Alcoholic Anonymous. Its been three years now. Ranjit has not touched the bottle.

Sunil, under peer pressure of alcohol, left his wife, sold household goods, and committed a dacoity once to get a bottle of alcohol. He said, “on one lucky day, I came across some friends who had got over this problem. I also went into the programme, and I would complete three years of sobriety in January 2002”.

According to the preamble of this organisation, “the only requirement for the membership of the Alcoholic Anonymous is a desire to stop drinking. It has several centers that include Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Nangal, Sundernagar and Shimla”.

In Ludhiana twice a week these people meet in the compound of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jamalpur.

Serving the humanity
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
In a rare philanthropic gesture, a childless couple has sold their entire land to set up a charitable trust to ensure that their fortunes are not misused after their death. Today, Buta Singh and Gurdev Kaur are satisfied as they have been able to see their efforts bearing fruit during their lifetime.

The Guru Gobind Singh Charitable Trust set up by the couple has so far treated 6,52,409 patients and many have received financial aid from the trust.

Mr Buta Singh was a professor at PAU, and after retirement in 1973, the plot for his house was also given to the trust although he spent money on the construction. The only concession he asked was that the trust should allow him and his wife to live in the trust house without paying rent.

Mr Buta Singh said, “The land was sold for Rs 54 lakh and the amount was put in corpus fund, which yielded an interest of Rs 6.50 lakh. About Rs 4 lakh was given to the trust mainly by NRIs. Not very many people in India give money, nor do we ask anyone for money. We thought that the poor sick people were the ones who needed maximum help and so maximum number of needy sick people are helped by the trust. But the saddest part is that the governments of different political parties have been competing with each other to lower the bank interest rates. By doing this, they lend money to the rich industrialists and pay less and less interest to the depositors, who are poor or middle income people.”

The youth wings of different parties help in organising, advertising, making provision for food, serving of food to the patients whereas the trust arranges for the doctors and the medicines.

Mr Sodhi said the motto of the trust is “Don’t expect any appreciation.” So definitely trust is doing selfless service as they want to help the penniless patients without looking for rewards or kudos.

Lok Jan Shakti to stage dharnas in Punjab
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
The Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) would organise protest dharnas at all district headquarters in Punjab in protest against anti-people policies of the state government from August 1 to 7, according to its district president, Mr Kartar Singh Patna.

Presiding over a meeting of the LJP activists here, Mr Patna announced that the state-level 'jan chetna rally', scheduled to be held in Hoshiarpur on August 5, had been postponed for a week due to other engagements of the party president and Union Minister for Communications, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan. The meeting was attended among others by state president, Mr Amar Singh Mehmi, and state president of the youth wing, Mr Ramanjit Lally.

Mr Mehmi said a disciplinary committee had been set up, and Mr Jagdish Anand and Mr Kartar Singh Patna had been appointed chairman and secretary, respectively. The committee would have six more members, who would be nominated later.

The district president, Mr Patna, said Mr Balbir Singh Salem Tabri was nominated vice-president while Mr Gurdip Singh and Mr Harpreet Singh were appointed general secretary and secretary, respectively, of the district unit.

Mr Ramanjit Lally, state president of the Yuva Lok Jan Shakti Party, also released a list of new office-bearers of the party. Mr Sat Pal Badhan (Ludhiana), Mr Pinki Mann (Kapurthala), Mr Jagjit Singh Jolly (Bathinda), Mr Sudarshan Bhatia (Jalandhar) would be vice-presidents of the state unit. Dr Balwinder Singh Dhillon and Mr Balbir Singh Bangar (Jalandhar), along with Mr Gurdial Singh Ghalib (Ludhiana), were appointed general secretaries. The new secretaries were Mr Daulat Ram (Nawan Shahr), Mr Paramjit Pammi (Faridkot), Mr Bansi Lal (Gurdaspur), Mr Sukhwinder Singh Rana (Kapurthala) and Mr Kamal Kumar (Bathinda).

According to Mr Lally, the following have been nominated district presidents: Mr Bahadur Singh Kailey (Ludhiana rural), Mr Manohar Singh (Amritsar urban), Mr Baldev Singh (Amrtisar rural), Mr Kulwinder Singh (Ferozepore), Mr Harbalwinder Singh Boparai (Gurdaspur), Mr Shammi Harry (Hoshiarpur), Mr Ravtar Singh Rimpy (Faridkot), Mr Gurcharan Singh Bitta (Sangrur), Mr Jyoti Kumar (Ropar), Mr Ramesh Janjotra (Batala), Mr Chanchal Singh Bhatti (Moga), Mr Balbir Singh Sidhupur (Fatehgarh Sahib) and Mr Jaswinder Singh Thind (Kapurthala).

PET TALK
Feeding your dog

THE elementary reality: the dog is best described as an omnivore, just like man. So a whole meat diet could be as overstraining for the kidneys of dog as for man and kill the dog quickly. So once your pup has reached the stage where you know that it will be able to relish, you have to be very careful as to the diet you put it on.

Balancing the diet: the protein requirements for a dog are different at different stages of growth and even according to the breed, with larger breed pups requiring more. In general the lactating bitch requires 4 times the protein than in her usual ration, and fast growing pups of a large breed may require upto 36 % protein in ration.

An attempt has been made to formulate a general diet for an active 15 kg dog, but your vet’s advice must be considered before any change, and the change in the diet must be gradual.

A meatless diet: 5 ml vegetable oil, 25 gm cooked / boiled egg, 1 cup blended vegetables, ½ tablespoon of nutritional yeast, Bulk in form of bread and leftover cereals. Feed once daily according to appetite. For growing puppies add a breakfast of wholemeal bread and peanut butter.

A fresh meat complete diet: 350 gm cooked meat, 350 gm dried brown bread, 1½ table spoons of sterlised bone flour (calcium source), 1½ drop of fresh cod liver oil / vitamin preparation.

The dried bread should be soaked in warm water and freshly prepared for each meal.

FEEDING DO’s

• Cook all meat prior to consumption to reduce the risk of intestinal parasites.
• Ensure that feeding bowls are washed after meals.
• Remove all uneaten food straight way to avoid fly strike.
• Ensure that there is always plenty of fresh water available - keep water bowls clean.
• Keep salt and sugar intake to a minimum. Honey may be given if you suspect lack of glucose in the diet.
• Feed small regular meals as per diet sheet. Your dogs GIT is too short to digest a large meal and gain adequate nutrition from it. Also, feeding large infrequent meals can increase the risk of bloat.
• Warm all meals by heating the stew. Feeding dry meals will cause an osmotic pull on fluids from other body compartments causing dehydration and increase the risk of bloat.
• Keep feeding bowls at shoulder level of dog to avoid your dog having to bend down to eat as this adds additional strain to front joints.

Jaspreet Singh

BUSINESS

Relaxation in excise law sought
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
The Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs to exempt owners of industrial units from adding 15 per cent to the sale value of products if these are sold to relatives or related undertakings, including common partners or directors.

A delegation of the chamber led by Mr P.D. Sharma and Lala Lajpat Rai, a member of the Rajya Sabha, met the Chairman of the board in New Delhi yesterday to explain to him that the decision was “harsh”.

The Chairman of the board is reported to have told members of the delegation that the government could not force the seller to sell products with at least 15 per cent margin of profit. He said the department only needed to know the actual cost of production and the Central excise officials were not supposed go beyond this. Members of the delegation told the Chairman that the department would not get any additional revenue if both seller and buyer were covered under the excise laws. If a seller sold goods at 15 per cent more than the actual price, the buyer could claim corresponding modvat. Mr Sharma said the Chairman had agreed to exempt industrial units from following this clause.

Mr Sharma said, in Punjab, bicycle, sewing machine and hosiery were major items of manufacturing. No excise duty has been imposed on the sale of bicycles and sewing machines. In this case, if the seller was covered under the excise law, the buyer could not claim modvat and would have to buy goods at 15 per cent more than the actual price. He said, instead of recovering the cost of manufacturing from industrial units, the department should compare the cost with the prevalent market price. The chairman assured the delegation that a decision in this regard would be taken within a week.

Restructuring plan of knitwear industry
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
The Knitwear Club, KNIDGRO and UNIDO organised a two-day interaction between Licensing Plus (India), a company dealing in licensing of international brands and characters for marketing and manufacturing, and knitwear manufacturers catering to high-end domestic market here. The objective was to make members of knitwear industry aware of the opportunities in licensing international brands for manufacturing and marketing in India.

Convinced with the arguments put forward by consultants from Licensing Plus, four local entrepreneurs have decided to form a consortium to discuss business plans with consultants from Licensing Plus (India). These included manufacturers of women knitwear, men knitwear, children knitwear and a shawl manufacturer. Another two entrepreneurs were considering to have their own individual international brands and working with the consortium for distribution and retailing.

According to Mr Vinod Thapar, president, Knitwear Club, over the years it had been noticed by the manufacturers, catering to the high-end domestic market, that branding had become critical for customer loyalty like never before and it was essential to realise actual worth of the hard work being put out in creating new designs and products. It was also being noticed that with the mushrooming of department stores, malls and chain of stores, the sales were shifting from boutique-type stores to big-time retailers and very soon these malls would command customer loyalty for high-end market.

These stores, he further commented, were keen to give shelf space to international brands. Moreover, the store would have its own store brand instead of local brands.

The participating entrepreneurs strongly felt that they were better off in acquiring licence of an international brand instead of building their own brand because it was difficult to compete with the international image of these brands. The cost comparison was also in favour of acquiring a licence for an international brand.

During interaction with knitwear manufacturers, consultants from Licensing Plus suggested a business plan under which the entrepreneurs could join hands in their marketing effort and form a consortium for marketing.

The consortium should acquire license of an international brand for the apparel marker in India and it should not confine itself to knitwear but also expand its product mix to include summer wear and other garments. The entrepreneurs had to realise that they were not married to a specific product but to their company and its sustainability was more important.

Mr Thapar remarked small scale industry especially faced major threat because of its inherent limitations of finance, management and other resources and consortium approach was the panacea for survival. He was confident that the first marketing consortium in the city would prove to be a role model for the industry and its success would translate into many such initiatives taken by the industry.

‘15 pc more tax and traders will be spared’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 28
Mr Parampal Singh, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, convened a meeting of the District Sales Tax Advisory Committee here. Several members of the committee and the other officials attended the meeting. Participants said many of urgent notices of the Sales Tax Department reached the public after much delay.

Mr Ashok Juneja, advocate and a member of the committee, said the notifications should be advertised in all leading newspapers within a day of the issuing. He said the exercise of changing the rates of sales tax should be carried out once a year with effect from the first day of April.

Mr Juneja of the BJP Trade Cell and a Vice-President of the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Excise and Taxation Minister of the state had assured industry representatives that, if there was a 15 per cent increase in the sales tax revenue, the government would ensure that traders of the state were not harassed. He said the information collection centres (ICCs) were only data collection centres and not sales-tax barriers.

Mr Juneja said it was unjustified to make dealers deposit 25 per cent of the tax dues, penalty and interest before their appeals were heard. He said everyone had a right to appeal and a token fee should be sufficient for admitting such appeals. Representatives of public should also be on the tribunals, on the pattern of consumer courts, he said.

Mr Bal Krishan Gupta, an advocate, said there should be no delay in refunding the money, for which bottlenecks in the computer section of the department should be removed. Participants also sought that the delay in issuing of appellate and orders passed under Section 14-B be reduced and the payment of the cess through cheques should be allowed.