When loanees vanish without a trace
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19
Most of the city banks, along with the state government, are suffering losses worth crores of rupees annually in a scandal in which industrialists, that include some leading names are duping these agencies by taking loans worth Rs 50 crore annually by fraudulent means and not returning the same. The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), the police and the Department of Industries has been at a loss to recover any significant embezzled amount all these years, as the pledges made for the loan have been found to be false and the property non-existent.

In what can be termed as white collar crime occuring in the city, the Ludhiana Tribune investigation has revealed that hundreds of cases are registered every year with the local police and the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) for recovery of loans taken by industrialists on forged documents from different banks and the industries department.

Strangely, not even a single big industrialist has been penalised by the police or any other agency in recent years even as they all use the same modus operandi and the amount of debt against their name continues to rise. Inquiries reveal that money power saves the industrialists as it influences the action of the police, industrial officers or any other agency. Sources in banks reveal that in the end it is the common man on the street who is made to pay more taxes or higher prices for essential commodities.

Documents with the Ludhiana Tribune of different cases reveal that Industrialists, including prominent ones, have been adopting different ways to commit frauds but the favourite methods were taking loans on units which existed on paper only, fake title deeds or making a duplicate title deed legally after getting a false FIR registered about the missing of the original one. All these are done with an aim of taking loans from the banks, Industries department or utilise benefits from special schemes like Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojna.

Investigations reveal that every year, a whopping 20 crore is lost in the yojna scheme only. The loans given with the approval of the District Industries Department are given for financial help in setting up units but the clever well-established industrialists have been availing themselves of the loans showing non-existent units. Later, when the time of recovery comes, the industrialists either disappear or show the units as 'sick'.

Another favourite method is that some businessmen make duplicate title deeds of one property with different banks. The banks learn about the fraud only when some evaluator by chance comes across the pledge documents in different banks or when the bank searches the man for recovery of the loan. An evaluator, Mr Navin Tayal, who unearthed one such fraud told Ludhiana Tribune that in this case, a bank manager was also allegedly involved. The industrialist owning Krishna Spilling Mills, had pledged a title deed of a property with four banks. One of the bank managers interestingly passed the loan at two different branches after his transfer. His role is also being looked into. The money swindled by the key accused in the case is estimated at Rs 10 crore.

Another Industrialist took a loan from a bank in Focal Point on the name of Sachdeva Textiles and then got a false FIR registered that the deed copy had been lost. He got a duplicate copy and pledged it to other banks. He repeated the act at least and duped other banks.

Sources disclose that legal action against the defaulters is tardy. With involvement of several agencies, greasing palms ensures escape. Even the Debt Recovery Tribunal finds it hard to act, as it has to take the help of several local agencies hence action is continuously delayed. The Ludhiana Tribune has also learnt that for the last one month the DRT is trying hard to get a local commissioner appointed in a recovery case but due to the non-availability of the officers of the district administration, the commissioner has not been appointed.

Mr Manish Joshi, another evaluator coming across similar cases of fraud said it was a pity that while non-preforming assets were increasing gradually and had crossed Rs 75,000 crore, the government had not been able to deal effectively with the defaulters.

External examiners remain absent on second day, too
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 19
With external examiners remaining absent on the second day of practical examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board, chaos continued to prevail in majority of the schools even today.

While the Class XII students appeared for chemistry and physics practicals, students of Class X took practical examination of science, vocal and instrumental music and agriculture. Class VIII students appeared for written test of Punjabi or Hindi.

The worst hit were the students of Class X appearing for practical test of agriculture. Many students who went to their centres to take examination could not even appear because of non-availability of external examiners for the subject. Since most of such centres did not have agriculture as a subject and were without any teachers of agriculture, the students had to be sent back home.

Mr O.P. Arora, Principal, Nauhria Mal Jain Senior Secondary School, said nearly 25 students from private schools of the city who came to appear for practical examination of agriculture had to be sent back as he did not have any teacher for the subject. The board neither sent any question paper for the examination nor any syllabus from which the paper could be given to the students, he added.

Mr Arora further said no cut list giving details of the appearing students privately was sent to him or else he would have arranged for the teacher in advance. He said that he had told the students to come again tomorrow for the examination. Similarly, 37 privately appearing students went to take examination of agriculture at Arya Senior Secondary School, Old Sabzi Mandi. Since the school authorities were without any prior information about any such students reaching the centre and no external examiner for the subject reached the centre, the examination was somewhat delayed. Besides, the subject was not being taught in the school and a teacher from nearby school had to be arranged for taking the examination.

At Chanan Devi Memorial High School, Salem Tabri, nearly 25 privately appearing students came to take practical examination of agriculture. In the absence of any external examiner, the cluster in charge of the school asked the staff to arrange for a teacher and finally the students took the examination.

Practical examination of science, vocal music and stitching for Class X was held at Government Senior Secondary School, Bharat Nagar. The centre was over-crowded as over 400 students had come to take the practical examination. While the uppermost limit of students per group is 20, over 60 students had to be accommodated in some groups to complete the examination in time because of shortage of space and time. With little raw material, few sewing machines, 80 students and no external examiner, the teachers found it very difficult to take the test for stitching.

Fatehgarh Sahib
The board examinations of Class VIII and practicals of classes X and XII have started smoothly in the district and no untoward incident has been reported from any examination centre in the district, claimed Mr H.S. Bhullar District Education Officer (S), while addressing mediapersons here today.

He said that adequate seating arrangements in all the 62 examination centres had been made and all the supervisory staff as well as the material had reached the centres. The district had been divided into 10 clusters and principals have been deputed as cluster in charge. He said that besides this, one principal has been asked to visit eight examination centres.

Viewers, be ready to pay even more
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, February 19
Beware cable TV subscribers, within six months, you may have to pay Rs 350 or more per month to operators. For some persons who live here, Rs 350 may not mean much, but it may come as a blow to most viewers in the old city, who pay Rs 100, Rs 50 or even Rs 30 per month as cable TV charges.

Not only viewers, but also cable operators are unhappy over the monopolistic attitude of pay channels that are taking a huge fee from operators. Some operators have been forced to shutdown their business.

Mr Sonu Sehgal, President of the Northern India Cable Operators Association, said the subscription fee had recently been increased in view of the demands of pay-channel companies that wanted to cash in on the popularity of several tele-serials. “Six months ago, we used to pay Rs 2 or Rs 3 per connection to the Star Network (Star News, Star Plus, Star Movies, Star World, National Geographic Channel and Channel [V]) and Rs 5 to the Zee Network, but Star has increased its rate to Rs 40 per connection per month and Zee to Rs 21 per connection per month,” said Mr Sehgal.

The sports channels have also increased their subscription fee. Earlier, the operators paid Rs 16 per connection per month to Star Sports and the ESPN, but now the company wanted Rs 24 per connection per month for these.

An operator, on the condition of anonymity, said operators had to pay an annual subscription fee to the sports channels, while only a few matches were telecast each year.

Sony Entertainment has also increased its subscription fee to Rs 10 per connection per month. Operators used to pay Rs 12 per connection per month to the company for broadcasting Sony, Set Max, the AXN and the CNBC, but now, they would get the company’s package at Rs 22 per connection per month. “We will lose many customers due to this hike,” said Mr Sonu Sehgal.

Mr Rocky of Win Cable, however, says: “These are satellite channels, so, viewers should bear with cable operators because, if we are taking Rs 200 per month per connection, we only get Rs 50 per month, which I think is not a big amount.”

Ms Mamta Sharma, who lives in Civil Lines here, said when viewers in old city were still paying Rs 100 or Rs 150 per connection per month, why should the others like her pay Rs 200 per month.

Regarding the variation in rates, a cable operator said many connections were “obligatory”, some other “concessional” and some had been given where the interests of broadcasting companies was involved.

Industrialist booked for cheating
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19
In an interesting case, sales tax evasion by showing an allegedly non-existent company tenant of a city resident, the district police has registered a case of cheating and making forged documents against the manager and other officials of Adinath Yarn Ltd. The accused had shown themselves as tenant of a resident, Mr Harbhagwan Passi, to evade tax but Mr Passi complained to the police that he had no such tenant.

According to Mr Passi, the accused evaded tax but he complained to the police because the accused on the basis of the alleged forged documents can lay claim to the property. Mr Passi in his complaint to the police said when he learnt about the fraud, he lodged a complaint and, thus, after investigation a case of sales tax evasion was registered.

According to the FIR, Raman Marwaha and his son, Sohan Lal, have been booked under Sections 420, 467, 468 471, 149 and 34, IPC.

Servant decamps with Rs 2.6 lakh, jewellery
Our Correspondent

Khanna, February 19
A sum of Rs 2.60 lakh and 500 gm of gold were stolen by an employee of Raikhy Finance Company at their residence on Sunday.

According to the owner of the house situated at the G.T,. Road, Mr Ranbir Raikhy, that alleged accused Santosh, a migrant labourer, had been employed as domestic help at the resident for the past six months. The family members had gone to Moga to attend a function on that day. When they came back the almirah was opened and the cash and jewellery were missing.

The police has registered a case under Section 381, IPC, at Sadar police station. No arrest has been made yet.

Scooter stolen: According to another information, a Bajaj Chetak scooter was stolen from near King Hotel here last evening. The owner of the scooter, Anurinder Singh, informed the police.

LUDHIANA CALLING

CULTURE and nationalism go together. And culture forms the basis of a nation. But a culture defies its definition if it is hostile to change and external influences. It is a debatable issue whether external influences are for good or bad. But the way some of our self-appointed guardians of nationalism try to resort to unruly acts to show their presence defies our very own culture.

The rowdyism resorted to on the Valentine’s Day by some people hardly does any good to nationalism they seek to safeguard. The chauvinistic mindset that seeks to resist everything that is Western, needs to be shunned. India is a great civilisation which has welcomed every influence and probably that is what has kept it alive as Iqbal put it in a best manner: “Kuchh bat hai ki hasti mit ti nahin hamari, sadiyoon raha hai dushman, dore zaman hamara,... Unann, Misr, Roma, sab mit gaye jahan se, ab tak magar hai baki nam-o-nishan hamara”. So let us not confine that great civilisation within a narrow mindset.

Beating the heat

However, there are many ice-cream parlours in the city, but ice-candies have always remained favourite of people of every age group. Though people have no dearth of money to afford expensive ice creams of various popular brands, but perhaps beating the heat with ice-candies appeals them more.

VC scare

More than plague what seems to scare the scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is the Vice-Chancellor’s orders that are being (mis)interpreted by the scientist community. Although some of the PAU scientists are working on various projects on rats, they declined to provide any inputs about their research on rodents as according to them they were not supposed to do so. They said the VC had issued written instructions especially to the Veterinary College after the spread of the FMD that no veterinarian should give inputs as the media blew up the disease. But the authorities of the PAU think that the scientists are doing research to be kept on papers and not to be passed on to the people. Was the universities, the seats of education and research established for this purpose? Perhaps the PAU authorities can answer.

Challans return

As the election fever is over, the traffic police is back in action. The violators had a sigh of relief during the election days as these policemen were not seen issuing challans. The political bosses in power had given such directions to the senior police officials and no challans were issued. As the elections are over, the police has resumed its work.

Valentine’s fever

If a place in Ludhiana was gripped with Valentine fever, it was Sarabha Nagar market. It seemed as if all the knights and damsels of the city had descended here. The shops in this market also did a brisk business. Many stalls selling flowers, hearts cut-outs and other knick-knacks were put up outside the shops. The police had to step up the security and put up barricades at the entrance and exit of the market. Despite heavy security there was a lot of traffic. The crowd there would have come as a shock for the leaders of certain religious outfits who think that the lover’s day was a phirangi idea and should be discouraged. Around 90 per cent of the visitors were youngsters and were a testimony to the fact that the new generation is all for conveying the message of love even if its roots are phoren’.

Thankless job

Mr Harbans Singh, General Manager, District Industry Centre ( DIC), here, is among those few government officials, who are engaged in providing value-added service to their customers, despite usual obstacles created by their colleagues. The industrialists may blame that the DIC is not rendering any special service to them, but he has taken an initiative to publish a booklet, highlighting the success stories of young entrepreneurs, who have succeeded with the help of the DIC. Not a penny from the government account has been used, he says proudly.

After finding a sponsor, he has published the booklet which would be distributed to the new entrepreneurs free of cost to interested persons. He has also taken an initiative to launch a web-site www.dicludhiana.org to provide information about the department’s policies and addresses of the major industrial groups of the city. ‘‘This is a thankless job, in which industrialists as well as some of the employees in the office are not ready to contribute,’’ he says.

Child labour

Lack of proper cleaning of railway compartments by the railway staff has interestingly created employment opportunities for hundreds of children in the region. One can find these small labourers on almost all trains including Malwa Express, Shan- e- Punjab and others, cleaning the floors and toilets in the railway compartments with their shirts and other clothes. The passengers also do not mind paying them Rs one or two for this valuable service. In fact, it is almost impossible to sit in the stinking compartments, filled with trash and garbage. One of the daily passengers has suggested to Railways to engage these child labourers in place of its thousands of cleaners who are reluctant to perform their duties. He adds the railways should offer VRS or simply terminate the services of its inefficient workers. In case the service of these children are at least ‘ officially recognised,’ they would be saved from harassment meted to them by the railway employees and policemen as well.

Romance in Basant

There is always something in the air every time. And when it is Basant, it must be the romance. The romance of excitement and imagination. Romance of the heart and mind. With mild warm sunny days having started warming up the atmosphere, there is bright resplendent look everywhere. With temperature hovering around 20 to 22 degrees, it is probably the best season people can enjoy. Because, there is neither the spine biting cold nor the scorching heat. And in Ludhiana, where people are so fond of enjoying the life, there could not be a better time.

Valentine’s gifts

On Valentine’s Day, after red roses, cuddly teddy bears were in great demand specially the ones that on pressing a button said sweetly ‘kaho na pyaar hai’. In some cases mothers of daughters who received these gifts were more thrilled to hear the teddy beer call out ‘kaho na pyar hai’. The boys whose supposedly girl friend refused to accept any gifts, left thorny cactus at her gates in desperation making their meaning loud and clear as to what he thought of her.

Tailpiece

Mr Sanjiv Puri, a Model Town resident, has pointed out an interesting combination read on the 24-hour clock on two minutes past 8 p.m. on February 20. When the clock strikes this time, the clock would read 20.02 hours on 20.02.2002, that is February 20, 2002; 20.02 hours. Mr Puri claims that this is an occurrence , which has not come in past 1001 years and will never happen again.

Sentinel

Corruption issues choke working of horticulture wing
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, February 19
The horticulture wing of the Municipal Corporation, which is already facing departmental inquiries and a vigilance probe, has come under fire from several functionaries of the District Congress Committee, as well as the Municipal Workers Union, who have charged the Executive Engineer (Horticulture) with corrupt practices, fabricating a bogus record and irregularities in appointments and promotions, among other acts of omission and commission.

In a memorandum submitted to the Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, Mr Sarbjit Singh Bunty, General Secretary and Mr G.S. Arora, Secretary, DCC (Urban) have alleged that Mr J.S. Bilga, Executive Engineer, in charge of the horticulture wing remains at the helm of affairs in this city, despite facing several charges of misutilisation of civic body funds and bungling in the process of appointments and promotions.

It was further pointed out that a number of inquiries, at various levels, initiated against the officer, had failed to reach the logical conclusion, for the simple reason that certain senior MC officials were unduly protecting the erring horticulture wing official. To corroborate the charge, the DCC office-bearers maintained that Mr Bilga was ordered to be transferred elsewhere many times, but he managed to pull strings and the transfer orders were not carried out.

According to the memorandum, way back in 1999, the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh had levelled charges against the official that he had caused a loss of Rs 5 lakh to the civic body in a period of three months. The MC had ordered an inquiry into the matter, which was yet to see the light of the day. Similarly, in November last year, the employees of horticulture wing brought to the notice of senior MC officials that the said officer had given effect to appointments and promotions on the basis of bogus diplomas and further that money had been a motivating factor in these appointments.

During a raid conducted by the Vigilance Department during December 2001, senior police officers had disclosed that a proper record of expenditure on different civil and landscaping works was not being maintained by the horticulture wing, which created an impression that funds were being misutilised or even misappropriated. The inquiry was still in progress and no formal charges framed, it was officially learnt.

The horticulture wing, entrusted with the responsibility of maintenance of parks in the city, was in the eye of a storm for quite some time when a girl child lost her life after her playway equipment gave in and crushed the child. While the MC did initiate action against some low rung employees and the contractor, the said official, who was the overall in charge of the project, went scot free solely due to his bureaucratic and political links.

Congress functionaries have also focussed on massive bungling in working of Park Management Committees, which they said were siphoning off funds, e.g. the misappropriation of money spent on development of Mini Rose Garden in Kidwai Nagar, irregularities in purchase of plants and other civil and landscaping works, related to city parks.

The memorandum has called for a high-level inquiry, both into the irregularities in the working of horticulture wing and the alleged disproportionate wealth and assets of the said official.

The Municipal Workers Union, meanwhile, has threatened to launch an agitation against the horticulture wing official, for what they termed as his indifferent and adamant attitude towards the employees. Mr Gajraj Prajapati, president of the union, said that there was widespread resentment over the injustice meted out to employees and pushing the case of seniority of mates, to the back burner. The union has warned of direct action if the decision on seniority of mates in the horticulture wing was not implemented within a fortnight.

Winter gone, woollens gone
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19
As the days have started warming up, residents are saying goodbye to woollens. With temperature hovering around 20°C to 22°C, the pleasant days are being welcomed by Ludhianvis.

As the days are bright and pleasant, the markets of the city are abuzz with activity. Groundnut and ‘reori’ sellers have switched over to ice-candies and ice-creams. Sugarcane juice vendors have also started making rounds of the city.

Roadside vendors have started putting up umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. Garment sellers have switched over to summer dresses. Some shopkeepers are offering up to 50 per cent off on woollens.

In various educational institutes, the grounds that used to remain occupied by students during winter have started wearing deserted look.

The minimum temperature recorded in the city during the past 24 hours was 9.8°C while the maximum was 26.4°C. During the last week, the maximum temperature was 20.9°C and the minimum was 6.2°C. According to Dr S.S. Bains, Head of Department of Meteorology, the rise in temperature during this season is normal.

Young Voice
Aspiring to be a dietician

In this age of globalisation and information technology when a large number of youngsters have great aspirations to become software engineers, management executive and other professionals, here is a girl, Neha Mehra, who wants to become a dietician. Neha is doing B Sc (medical) from the Government College for Girls. Soon after the completion of her graduation, she wants to get admission to the postgraduate degree course in dietetics.

She gave a simple reason for going in for this profession that one can grow professionally fast in those areas where the competition is very less. She says that a few students opt for this course and, therefore, the hard work bears fruit earlier as compared to other professions. Moreover, she thinks more socially as she is of the view that people are not very heath conscious from diet point of view. They can only improve their eating habit if they know what kind of food is appropriate for them, she added. She opines that, besides earning money, helping and educating people would definitely give her a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. OC

Body found
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 19
A body of a man was found in the fields of Bhattian bet village falling under the Salem Tabri police station , yesterday. The hands and legs of the deceased were tied and he had been brutally murdered. There were strangulation marks on the neck and the nose of the victim had been cut.

Bus conductor beaten up by romeos
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 19
Mr Manjit Singh, a young man in his early twenties, who works as a conductor in a mini local bus, was severely beaten by about half-a-dozen youths at Mundian this morning while he was travelling in a Kohara-bound local bus.

According to sources, the attackers belonged to Mundian village and they had an old score to settle with the conductor over some eve-teasing incident. The beaten conductor is said to have teased the girlfriend of one of the attackers some days ago while she was travelling in his bus on her way home from the Laxmi Cinema chowk.

However, at the time of reporting, no formal complaint had been lodged with the police by the victim.

Spate of burglaries: Goods worth lakhs were stolen from a number of business establishments in the city on Sunday night.

The Kotwali police has registered a case under sections 457 and 380 of the IPC on the complaint of Mr Rakesh Dewan, owner of a clothes shop near the Ghanta Ghar who stated that when he reached the shop (Dewan Sons) on Monday morning , he found the shutter of the shop broken and seven recently arrived parcels containing embroidered silk worth about Rs. 2.5 lakh, missing from the shop. The burglars also decamped with Rs. 12,000 which were lying in the cash box.

In the Haibowal area, some burglars managed to break open the shutter of a karyana and dry fruit shop and decamped with goods worth about Rs one lakh. The Haibowal police has registered a case and started an investigation. A hair-cutting saloon was also burgled in the same area from where the thieves took away about Rs 2,000 from the cash box and some items. The burglars also managed to enter the premises of a company manufacturing ayurvedic medicines and decamped with ready stocks of medicine worth about Rs 1.5 lakh

Police role under question: After the death of Ms Piari Kaur, a sixty-year-old woman of Nangli Tanda village falling under the Koom Kalan police station, who had been beaten and injured by a farmer of the same village for cutting grass from his fields, the role of the Koom Kalan police has come under questioning.

Mr Narang Singh, a young man with both his legs paralysed, told newsmen that when his mother was cutting grass, the farmer, Bhupinder Singh, arrived on the scene and started abusing her for doing so. When the old woman protested against his abusing, the farmer allegedly attacked her with sharp-edged weapons. As a result of the injuries sustained by her, she was admitted to the CMC Hospital , Ludhiana, on February 5. But some influential persons , who wanted to hush up the case, got her discharged from the hospital on February 9. The aggrieved son further stated that her old mother died because of lack of medical attention. But the police had not converted the case to or added section 302 of the IPC so far and the accused was still roaming free. He also alleged that his family was being pressurised to hush up the case.

Chain snatched: Two motorcycle-borne boys snatched a 50-gm gold chain of a housewife in the area falling under the division number seven ( Samrala Road) police station while she was cleaning the floor of her residence yesterday morning. According to information, one of the boys snatched the chain while the other remained seated on the motorcycle and none of them could be recognised as they were wearing helmets. The police has registered a case on the complaint of the victim, Ms Sonam Mago, wife of Mr Kanti Mago.

Accident victim dies: Mr Pawan Kumar, 25, a resident of Basti Jodhewal, who had been injured in an accident at Kailash Nagar on February 13, succumbed to his injuries at the CMC Hospital here yesterday. He was riding a scooter when he was hit by a car coming from the opposite direction. A postmortem was conducted at the Civil Hospital and the body handed over to the family.

Man attacked in house
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 19
Mr Gulzar Singh, son of Mr Darshan Singh, a resident of Vardhman Colony falling under the Meharban police post, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons in his house by half-a-dozen men on Sunday afternoon. An injured Gulzar Singh has been admitted to the Civil Hospital. He alleged that the attackers were extortionists whom he used to pay Rs 10 to Rs 20 everyday for parking his rehra in their ‘area’. But since he refused to pay the money that day, the extortionists resorted to violence in order to maintain their influence in the area. Though a case has been registered, no arrest has been made so far.

Scooter thieves held: At a naka checking, the Shimla Puri police intercepted a scooter and arrested Jaswinder Singh and Jai Inder Singh, both residents of Maksudan village in Jalandhar district, who were riding it. On checking the documents of the vehicle , the police found that the scooter had been stolen. The interrogation of the accused is expected to reveal more such gangs and lead to the recovery of more stolen vehicles.

Gamblers held: The Haibowal police on Sunday arrested Ranjit Singh, a resident of Rishi Nagar, Hardip Singh and Ramesh Kumar while they were gambling in the locality and booked them under the Gambling Act.

Injured: The Shimla Puri police has registered a case under sections 279,337 and 338 of the IPC on the statement of Ms. Inderjit Kaur against an unknown scooterist. the complainant had alleged that while she was going on foot along with her son in street number six of mohalla Dashmesh Nagar on Sunday, the accused rammed his vehicle into his son as a result of which he was seriously injured.