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Civic body clears projects worth
Rs 15 crore
Ludhiana, August 1
The Municipal Corporation has approved various development projects worth more than Rs 15 crore for the city. The Finance and Contracts Committee of the civic body, which met under the chairmanship of Mayor Apinder Singh Grewal, gave its nod to new estimates for building of roads, pavement of streets, laying of water and sewerage pipes, maintenance of parks and providing streetlights, involving an expenditure of Rs 7.93 crore.

Victims of calamities or...: Girls from far-off places request a bystander for monetary aid in a market in Ludhiana. Scenes like this are a common sight in several other markets.

Principal’s transfer irks villagers
Lalton (Ludhiana), August 1
The patronage by a minister to a particular group in this village has fanned the fires of rivalry between the two warring groups. Although an FIR stands registered against one of the main accused Kulwant Singh, an ex-sarpanch, he continues to be at large. The villagers told Ludhiana Tribune team here today that Kulwant Singh was very much in the village and he was not being arrested.

Tribune Impact
Probe ordered into sale of books
Ludhiana, August 1
The Director, State Welfare Department, today ordered an inquiry into the alleged scandal, involving the sale of books meant for supply to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children free of cost by a number of shopkeepers in Pakhowal belt of this district.

Working couples shunning parenthood? Ludhiana, August 1 Double income no kids syndrome, which has rocked big metros, is infecting young couples in Ludhiana, too. It has hit working couples in the high income group in the city, holding responsible jobs, which, besides being stressful, entail a lot of responsibility.

Nabbed robbers are notorious criminals
Ludhiana, August 1
The arrest of two robbers from Kheri village by a team of the Sadar police and villagers has turned out to be a major success as the two persons who were nabbed were infact notorious criminals wanted in as many as 28 cases in several police stations of the state. Police investigation has found that the two were involved in hundreds of robbery and snatching incidents in the past few years.

State of Parties
Congress is a house divided
New alignments taking place
Ludhiana, August 1
Both the urban and rural units of the District Congress Committee Ludhiana, are divided and new alignments are taking place in view of the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections in March, 2002. The Congress leaders are divided in to different groups and are always on the lookout to settle scores with one another.

Daresi massacre accused acquitted
Ludhiana, August 1
Daljit Singh “Bittu” and Gursharan Singh, alias Gamma, alleged militants, accused of infamous Daresi Ground massacre in March 1986, have been acquitted by the Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, Mr S.S. Arora, as the prosecution failed to prove the allegations levelled against them.

COMMUNITY

How journalists lost credibility
Ahmedgarh, August 1
Visualise the following scene, a grocery merchant in the local Chaura Bazaar is attending to customers, suddenly a cop on a scooter screeches to halt outside his shop, “Thanedaar saab ne bulaya hai”, he says. The merchant disposes of the job in hand handing over the shop to his manager and scurries past the waiting customers to take pillion on the cop’s bike.

Panthic morcha to contest poll
Amloh, August 1
The Panthic Morcha will contest the coming Assembly election in the state, mainly on the issues of education, health, corruption and unemployment, as the Congress and the SAD-BJP governments have failed on all these fronts. This was stated by Mr Dhian Singh Mand, the vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), at a press conference held here on Wednesday.

Reptile found in tap water
Ludhiana, August 1
Mr Sudir Syal, owners of a shop in Mata Rani Chowk area, has complained that he found a reptile in tap water today. He said he was filling a water cooler water he saw a reptile crawling in the water. He immediately turned the tap off and called other shopkeepers.

Farm labour to gherao DCs
Ludhiana, August 1
Rural and farm labourers would gherao Deputy Commissioners all over the state on August 7 in support of their demands, according to Mr Gulzar Goria, general secretary, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sabha, said in a press statement here today.

Solar heating system must for new buildings
Khanna, August 1
A meeting of the Municipal Council was held here under the chairmanship of Mr Onkar Rai Mehta. The meeting passed a resolution stating that all the new hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, lodges, rest houses, schools, colleges, hostels, banquet halls, community centres, etc built on an area of more than 150 sq m, would be required to install solar heating system, failing which their building plans would not be approved.

Free power to vridh ashrams demanded
Ludhiana, August 1
A general body meeting of the Punjab State Federation of Associations of Senior Citizens Homes was held on Sunday under the chairmanship of Mr Sarwan Kumar at Nishkam, Ludhiana.

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CRIME

105 kg poppy husk seized
Ludhiana, August 1
The Focal Point police of the city arrested two migrants living in Gobindgarh Colony yesterday and seized 105 kg of poppy husk from them. The suspects — Munna and Piara Lal — belong to Sikandarpur in UP. The police has registered a case under sections 15,61 and 85 of the NDPS Act.

SDO caught taking bribe
Ludhiana, August 1
A Sub-divisional Officer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) was nabbed red-handed by the vigilance officials today while accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000. He was identified as Ajitpal Singh Sahani, working as the SDO, Jeet Nagar. He has been arrested, while his other accomplice Ashok Dutt, a junior engineer, is absconding.

240 bottles of whisky seized
Ludhiana, August 1
In a joint raid conducted by the Excise and Taxation Department and the local police, two persons were reportedly caught red-handed with 240 bottles of whisky. According to an Excise Department press note, the team raided a house in Phase III, Urban Estate, Dugri, after receiving a secret information. Jagdish Kumar and Gagandeep Singh, were arrested by the police.

Five-year RI for wrestler
Ludhiana, August 1
A wrestler of Bulara village, Mr Joga Singh, 48, has been sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment by a city court for causing grievous injuries with a knife to Jagwinder Kaur of the same village after trespassing into her house on May 6, 1999. Co-accused Shinder Singh (19) has also been awarded four years’ imprisonment.

BUSINESS

Soda traders flay hike in sales tax
Ludhiana, August 1
The government’s decision to impose 8.8 per cent sales tax at the first stage on caustic and baking soda has evoked widespread criticism from the traders here. The Ludhiana Dyes and Chemical Dealers Association has condemned the imposition of sales tax with effect from July 10, 2001, as they claimed, these were intermediate goods, mostly used by soap, paper, electroplating, dyeing and textile industries.

AGRICULTURE

Paddy crop attacked by leaf folder
Ludhiana, August 1
Leaf folder, one of the most hazardous pests of paddy, has started damaging the crop with the onset of rainy weather in the region. Experts of Punjab Agricultural University say the disease has wider sweep and scale this time.

EDUCATION

College teachers on mass casual leave
Ludhiana, August 1
On a call of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union, hundreds of private college teachers took mass casual leave today to protest against the non-implementation of the pension and gratuity scheme of the Punjab Government.

Students boycott registration process
Ludhiana, August 1
Students of College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University boycotted the registration process for the new semester here today to protest against the delay in advertising the posts of agricultural teacher in schools. A spokesman of the Punjab Agricultural Students Union, Mr Harcharan Singh, said that it was the first step towards resuming the massive protest that was launched by students during the last semester.

Teachers demand payment of salaries
Ludhiana, August 1
The Democratic Teachers Front has demanded that 10, 320 confirmed teachers who have not been paid their salaries for the past two months be given their dues immediately.