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Striking students lock up varsity offices
PAU employees back agitation
Ludhiana, August 17
Intensifying their agitation further, students of College of Argiculture (COA), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), surprised the university authorities here today by locking all offices of Thapar Hall and the administrative branch of the university which houses the office of the Vice-Chancellor.

The Deans and Directors of Punjab Agricultural University intervene to pacify the agitating students who locked up the VC office on Friday.

PAU for CBI probe into land scam
Ludhiana, August 17
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has decided to recommend to the state government to order a CBI inquiry into the decade-old land scandal allegedly involving a former Vice-Chancellor and a leading industrialist.

A scene of breach in Budda Nullah and (right) water accumulation in a residential area of Ludhiana.  — Photos Inderjeet Verma

Flooded colonies make residents take to the streets
Ludhiana, August 17
A large number of residents of several colonies along side the Budda Nullah today blocked traffic near the Central Jail and staged a dharna in front of Tajpur Road here today for about two hours in protest against the failure of the police, district administration and Municipal Corporation to fill a breach in the nullah that had led to flooding of the colonies. In some colonies the water level was rising due to the breach.

1000 phones out of order
Ludhiana, August 17
Over 1000 city telephones, falling under the Dholewal and Jugiana exchange, have been out of order since August 15 due to theft of telephone cables.

Milkha Singh’s decision backed
Ludhiana, August 17
There has been widespread and unanimous support from sportspersons as well as the common man for Milkha Singh’s refusal to accept the Arjuna award. They feel that by not accepting the award, Milkha Singh has shown the guts and courage that a great sportsperson like him cannot be taken for granted.

2 murder cases solved
Ludhiana, August 17
The Ludhiana police today claimed to have solved two of the three murders that took place on Janmashtami night in the city. According to the police, while illicit relationship had led to the murder of Harmesh Kumar in Salem Tabri, robbery was the motive behind the killing of a Nepalese watchman, Man Bahadur. The police has, however, not succeeded in solving the third murder of Gurinder Singh of Mandi Duabia village the same night.

Talwandi leaves for UK
Ludhiana, August 17
Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, President, SGPC, today left for the UK to participate in the bicentenary celebrations of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in London.

COMMUNITY

Roadways employees hold protest march
Ludhiana, August 17
The Joint Action Committee of the Punjab Roadways employees unions held a massive protest march here today and burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for not implementing the agreement signed between the workers’ representatives and the government on August 9, 2000.

Punjab Roadways employees burn an effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Ludhiana on Friday, protesting against the “anti-worker” policies of the government.

Beware! this shortcut may prove fatal
Ludhiana, August 17
The railway track running parallel to Dukh Nivaran Gurdwara under the Jagraon Bridge has become a virtual death trap for the people visiting the gurdwara and the residents of Railway Colony. The double track for trains to and from Delhi and another line for Ferozepur has claimed many victims over the years.

People cross the railway track near Dukhnivaran Gurdwara, risking their lives.
— Photo Rajesh Bhambi

Begging menace on the rise in city
Ludhiana, August 17
A local bus, bound for Ghanta Gahr halts at Samrala Chowk. A lean young man, clad in an old and dirty white pyjama and shirt, enters the bus. He carries an old and faded photograph pasted on a wooden board. He stands for a while and then kneels down.


Surviving on alms: Beggars outside Dandi Swami temple in Ludhiana

Police fails to trace missing girl
Ludhiana, August 17
Mr Gurcharan Singh, a retired employee, now working as a librarian with the District Bar Association, and his wife are waiting for their daughter, Ms Gurpreet Kaur, alias Rittu, for the past over three months. She had gone to her college, Khalsa College on May 7 to enquire about the date of examination after taking Rs 15 from them, but she never returned home.

Mediapersons resent frisking
Ludhiana, August 17
Mediapersons of Ludhiana have condemned the act of the city police to frisk them before attending a press conference. The security staff of the SSP, Ludhiana, Mr Harpreet Singh Sidhu, sought to frisk mediapersons here today afternoon outside the SSP office where the police had called a press conference.

Dharna against increasing thefts in Raikot
Ludhiana, August 17
Angry residents of Raikot town, about 32 km from here, staged a dharna at Hari Singh Nalwa Chowk late last evening to express their anguish at a number of theft incidents in the town. A number of political leaders cutting across party lines have demanded the transfer of the SHO of the city. A partial bandh was also observed in the city.

PET-TALK
Regular health checks: paws and nails
There is no faith that has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog. The day you get a pet to your home you invariably make a commitment to the pet that you will take care of all his needs and give him love. You may be expecting protection or company in return but the dog will give you unconditional love and more than you could ever prognosticate.

Barsi mela tomorrow
Ludhiana, August 17
The barsi mela of Baba Gajju ji Thapar will be organised on August 19 at Gurdev Nagar. A general body meeting of the executive committee and elections will also be held the same day.

Mandip Grewal gets Sena Medal
Ludhiana, August 17
Lt Col Mandip Grewal has been awarded Sena Medal for the second time. Lt Col Grewal is currently posted at NCC Group Headquarters, Ludhiana. He was decorated with Bar to Sena Medal on the eve of Independence Day, for his gallant services against the militants in Assam.

CRIME

SI’s servant dead
Ludhiana, August 17
Mystery shrouds the death of a 13-year-old boy, employed as a servant with a Punjab Police Sub-Inspector, whose body was found hanging from a ceiling fan, at the house of the police official in the police lines here today afternoon.

Theft case registered
Jagraon, August 17
The Raikot police has registered a case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Rajesh Kumar, owner of a shop.

Blind girl raped
Jagraon, August 17
A blind girl of Ranwal village was allegedly raped by Balbir Singh of the same village. The police has registered a case on the complaint of Mr Gurbax Singh, sarpanch of the village.

BUSINESS

Fall in steel prices
Ludhiana, August 17
Steel prices have been falling in this industrial capital of Punjab for the past few days as there is slump in the market. The prices of iron scrap used in the manufacture of steel have also witnessed fall due to the availability of the same in abundance as huge quantity of scrap has been imported in the recent past.

PCCTU members to court arrest
Ludhiana, August 17
The Punjab and Chandigarh Teachers’ Union has decided to hold a protest march and to court arrest on August 22 in protest against the non-implementation of the pension gratuity scheme of the Punjab Government.

Primary teachers to hold rally
Ludhiana, August 17
Teachers of government primary schools will hold a rally at Phagwara on August 26 in protest against the decision of the Punjab Government to replace the Primary Directorate with the Elementary Directorate.

Vice-Principal suspended
Jagraon, August 17
Prof K.C. Aggarwal, Vice-Principal, L.R. DAV College, has been suspended by the DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi, for his alleged indecent behaviour with a girl student of BA Part II.

Rotaract Club team installed
Ludhiana, August 17
The new team for 2001-2002 of Rotaract Club, Government College for Women, was installed under the leadership of its president Rajatdeep Kaur at a function held at the college auditorium here yesterday.

Scalpel of hope
Ludhiana, August 17
“About 90 per cent of the total burn patients in India are women and children. Over 70 -72 per cent burn cases are reported from homes due to negligence and lack of safety devices. The remaining 28 per cent cases are of industrial and chemical burns.” This was disclosed by Dr Ashok Gupta, a renowned plastic surgeon from Mumbai who is also the president of the India chapter of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, US-based non-government organisation.

Police sets up ‘Cold Cases Squad’
Ludhiana, August 17
In a novel move, the Ludhiana police has set up a “Cold Cases Squad” to re-start investigation into unsolved crime cases of the past 5 years. In the beginning the police will concentrate on murder cases and subsequently cases relating to robbery, snatching and kidnapping would be taken up.

CM urged not to abolish octroi
Ludhiana, August 17
Employees of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Punjab, demanding that octroi duties should not be abolished.