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Liquor flows, despite crackdown
Vend owners outsmart officials; orders also flouted in villages
Ludhiana, February 12
Even though the police initiated a crackdown on liquor vends opened against the ban orders promulgated by the District Election Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner S.K. Sandhu today, a large number of liquor vends continued to flout the order by selling bacchus through small holes or semi-closed shutters.

Police and excise officials monitor sealing of a liquor shop, and (right) a man peeps through an opening in a liquor vend which was sealed by the Excise Department. — Photos Rajesh Bhambi

It’s Hobson’s choice, say industrialists
Ludhiana, February 12
On the poll eve, most of the industrialists here are not enthusiastic due to a limited choice of the good candidates put up by political parties in these elections.

Tenders floated violating code, EC told
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 12
In blatant violation of the model code of conduct, the Municipal Council, Sirhind, has floated tenders worth Rs 79.26 lakh for various development projects in the town. The tender notice was published in a Jalandhar-based Punjabi daily on December 26, 2001.

Child’s murder leaves village in shock
Bonkar Dogran (Ludhiana), February 12
In a gruesome incident, a 12-year-old boy was strangulated to death after a suspected failed attempt to sodomise him in an agricultural field near this village, about 20 km from Ludhiana.

NRI kills man for helping sister elope
Ludhiana, February 12
Old rivalry between some villagers over a women's alleged elopement has led to the murder of a youth in Jawadi Kalan village near here. The youth was allegedly shot at point blank range by an NRI late last night.

LUDHIANA CALLING THOUGH campaigning for the assembly poll has come to an end, persons associated with poll campaigns of various candidates are yet to heave a sigh of relief as plenty of ground work still remains to be done before the polling day. They are to ensure that all of their promised votes are polled in their candidate’s favour. Some of these supporters, who have been reportedly assigned the job of getting some bogus votes polled as well, are all the more anxious and tense. Poll jams Shaguns for bahu Basanti Slushy sanitation Only one Valentine Astrologer’s opinion Karza Singh Sahib’s order scribes’ pain Creative canvassing

COMMUNITY

Direct or 3-cornered contest likely in Ludhiana segments
Ludhiana, February 12
With everything set for the final showdown tomorrow, the 12 Assembly segments in Ludhiana are likely to have a direct or three-cornered contest. While in six constituencies the contest is likely to be direct, in six others it may prove to be three or even four-cornered.

POLL ANALYSIS
Electioneering saw novel trends
Ludhiana, February 12
Punjab is all set to go to the polls tomorrow. The election campaign has been short and low-pitched. The current election campaign however, witnessed several new trends in electioneering.

Rallies, meetings give way to personal contact

Ludhiana, February 12 With the polling for Assembly elections barely a few hours away, rallies, processions and elections meetings and the blare of loudspeakers all over the city have given way to personal contact and door-to-door campaign by candidates in the fray and other political activists. Polling staff leave for duty in Ludhiana on Tuesday. — IV

• ‘Opinion surveys could be wrong’

FCI bid to cover up theft
Ahmedgarh, February 12
The theft of 200 rice bags weighing 95 kg each, roughly valued at Rs 1.80 lakh, from the FCI godown here in December last has become murkier. Instead of reporting the theft to the police and seeking a probe, senior FCI officials, who visited the town in the wake of a Ludhiana Tribune report in January, are reportedly trying to hush up the case in collusion with local officials.

MC employee missing
Ludhiana, February 12
Mr Satish Mohan, a junior assistant in the accounts department of the Municipal Corporation, has been missing since February 6 under mysterious circumstances. He left from his residence in Mohalla Sudan on the Daresi road in the morning on Wednesday for duty but did not reach the office.

Vegetarian sports quiz online
Ludhiana, February 12
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has teamed up with Harsha Bhogle, winner of the Best Sports Commentator Award by Indian Television Academy, to host an interactive vegetarian sports quiz on www.PETAIndia.com.

CRIME

Four get 7-yr RI
Ludhiana, February 12
Four persons involved in snatching a carbine from a policeman and attempting to murder the police personnel have been convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of seven years each. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 each on the guilty.

PTU students complain of out-of-syllabus papers
Ludhiana, February 12
After several complaints of out-of-syllabus question papers for BSc (IT) students last fortnight, now hundreds of students taking PGDCA course at study centres of the Punjab Technical University have also been complaining of similar problem in question papers.

GRD Academy students visit UK

Ludhiana, February 12 Students from GRD Academy who had gone to the UK on an invitation from South Yorkshire Police Force are back after spending three weeks. The team included eight girls between the age group 14 and 17 years alongwith Ms Ravina Gandhi, Headmistress, and Ms Manmeet Grewal, school counsellor. Students pose for a photograph at Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London.

PAUTA denies canvassing charge
Ludhiana, February 12
The Punjab Agricultural University Teachers Association today termed the “explanation sought for canvassing” as an infringement on their fundamental rights. Office bearers claimed that the teachers who were told to explain were actually attending rallies as part of audience.

CULTURE

Cultural troupe visits Mauritius
Ludhiana, February 12
A Punjab Police cultural troupe led by ASI Harvinder Singh Bajwa visited Mauritius to participate in cultural events organised to mark the arrival of Indian labourers at Mauritius 167 years ago.

DC issues holiday notice
Ludhiana, February 12
In accordance with the directions of Punjab Government, February 13, the day of polling for the Assembly elections, will be a public holiday for all government and semi-government departments, boards and corporations and educational institutions.

MC employee suspended
Ludhiana, February 12
Mr Raj Kumar Mehra, a clerk in the Municipal Corporation, has been placed under suspension for taking part in political activities in violation of the service rules. The suspended employee was found to have been actively canvassing for the Congress candidate from Ludhiana West, Mr Harnam Das Johar.