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TOP STORIES

MC all set to recover taxes
Mounting arrears mount pressure
Ludhiana, March 22
Notwithstanding the fact that the municipal elections were just at hand and the new Congress government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh appeared to be in no mood to take any major policy decision to antagonise the electorate, which has given a massive mandate in favour of the party in the Assembly polls, the civic administration has gone in overdrive mode to recover civic taxes and mounting arrears in the wake of approaching end of the current financial year.

Go slow on paddy sowing: Aulakh

Ludhiana, March 22 The two-day Kisan Mela organised by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) concluded here today with the distribution of prizes to farmers and farm women in farm produce and home craft competitions.

Seeds of prosperity: Farmers leave with seeds purchased at the PAU Kisan Mela, in Ludhiana, on Friday. —RB

British police recruiting more Asians

Phillaur (Ludhiana), March 22 With an aim to reduce the incidents of domestic violence, child abuse and forced marriages among the Asian communities living in England and to form a coordination between the British and the Punjab police to nab persons committing crime in England and hiding in Punjab or vice-versa, a delegation of about 50 police officers of the British police attended a conference at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, here today.

Police officers of India and Britain pose for a group photograph at a conference in Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, on Friday. —Photo Inderjit Verma

Sukhdev memorial remains a distant dream
Ludhiana, March 22
“Shaheedon ki chitaon par har bars lagange mele, watan par mitne walon ka yahi baki nishan hoga”  This old saying seems to be untrue as after 72 years of martyrdom and 54 years of Independence yet there is no memorial of Sukhdev who was hanged to death along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru on this day in 1931.

IG asked to be peacemaker
Ludhiana, March 22
The state government has asked the Inspector General of the Jalandhar Range, Mr S.K. Sharma, to resolve the “differences” between the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police in Ludhiana. “I have asked Mr Sharma to sort out the matter,” the Director General of the Punjab police, Mr M.S. Bhullar, told reporters at Punjab Police Training Academy at Phillaur today.

COMMUNITY

Cong to score massive victory in civic poll: Bawa

Ludhiana, March 22 “The Congress will continue its victory march in the forthcoming civic elections in the city and the opposition parties, including the SAD-BJP combine, would be routed.” This was claimed by Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, president, District Congress Committee (Urban), while addressing a meeting of sitting councillors and unsuccessful party candidates in the previous municipal elections, convened at Congress Bhavan here yesterday.

The DCC (Urban) meets to discuss the coming municipal elections in Ludhiana, on Thursday. —IV

Lok Janshakti Party unit reorganised
Ludhiana, March 22
The state president of the Lok Janshakti Party, Mr Amar Singh Mehmi, has reorganised the state and district units of the party with the appointment of a secretary general, two vice-presidents, seven general secretaries, six secretaries, nine district presidents and three party spokespersons.

Baba Bedi assails Badal for supporting POTO
Ludhiana, March 22
Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi, convener, Panthic Morcha, today criticised Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, for issuing the whip to the party MPs to vote for POTO. 

All democratic parties should oppose POTO: MCPI
Ludhiana, March 22
The Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has hailed the rejection of POTO in the Rajya Sabha and has exhorted all democratic forces to oppose the draconian and undemocratic Bill in a decisive and determined manner.

Residents form consumer body
Ludhiana, March 22
Local residents formed a new body’ National Forum for, Consumer Rights, for making consumers aware and vigilant about their rights here on Wednesday. According to a press note issued by the president of the forum, Mr Surjit Singh, it was decided to set up this forum in a meeting of a group of city residents at Malhotra Mehal, Dugri, on Tuesday.

Dalit woman still untraced
Khanna, March 22
The Payal police has not been able to trace a missing Dalit woman for the past one month. The woman’s relatives had alleged that her employer’s family was responsible for her disappearance, but the police had denied the charge.

AGRICULTURE

‘Grow only recommended varieties’
Ludhiana, March 22
Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, has cautioned farmers against purchasing seed of Bt cotton being sold in Punjab by certain unscrupulous elements after bringing these from Gujarat. He further advised them to grow only those varieties of the crop, which were recommenced by the PAU experts.

PAU for imposing cess on farmers
Ludhiana, March 22
The Punjab Agricultural University authorities have urged the Punjab Government to impose a cess of one per cent on the total value of agricultural produce brought for sale in the state markets by the farmers and sellers.

PAU weaves case for Bt-cotton
Ludhiana, March 22
Though the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests is yet to clear commercial cultivation of India’s first genetically modified crop, Bt-cotton, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gave it a green signal here today.

Two progressive farmers awarded

Ludhiana, March 22 Hard work coupled with innovation helped these two progressive farmers of the state to pull themselves out of the wheat-paddy cycle and bring laurels to their villages. Mr Nek Singh of Agol village in Patiala district and Mr Aman Behl of Gurdaspur were given the “Dalip Singh Dhaliwal memorial award for innovative farmer” in the Kisan Mela that concluded on the PAU campus today. They were awarded a cash prize of Rs 2,500 each and a citation.

Mr Nek Singh and Mr Aman Behl, progressive farmers, who were given the Dalip Singh Dhaliwal memorial awards at the Kisan Mela in Ludhiana. —RB

• Kisan Mela competition results

PCTE students shine in MBA exams
Ludhiana, March 22
Students from the Punjab College of Technical Education (PCTE) have won top positions in MBA first and second year examinations conducted by Punjab Technical University this year.

COURTS

PSEB told to refund sum
Ludhiana, March 22
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has stopped the Punjab State Electricity Board from recovering Rs 7,200 from a man, Mr Prahlad Yadav, who lives in Sherpur Kalan. The charge was for drawing an excess load, but the PSEB was told to refund the amount that Mr Yadav had deposited against the bill.

Implementation of PNDT Act — whose responsibility?
Ludhiana, March 22
Doubts are being raised over the seriousness of the Punjab Government about the implementation of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Test (PNDT) Act as the implementing agencies have failed to ensure that the supporting staff attends meeting that periodically review and plan strategies for the proper implementation of the Act.

Great need for palliative care
Ludhiana, March 22
What is palliative care ? Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose diseases are not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social, and spiritual problems is paramount. 

Procurement arrangements ‘completed’
Ludhiana, March 22
A meeting to review the procurement arrangements for the coming wheat season was held under the chairmanship of Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, here yesterday. 

DC assures accessibility
Ludhiana, March 22
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Aggarwal, held a meeting with local media persons to establish a smooth working relationship here today. After discussions, he said that it would be his serious endeavour to clear any misgivings that might have crept in about the functioning of the administration.