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| Saturday,
June 22, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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DC: remove encroachments Ludhiana, June 21 The order comes close on the heels of the Municipal Commissioner Ludhiana, Mr S K Sharma having already announced a drive against such encroachments and declaring to clear all the roads within the city in a specific period of time. The order issued by the Deputy Commissioner today said that six roads had been identified for clearance. These include Ferozepur Road-Jagraon bridge to cantonment, Old G T Road Sherpur Chowk to Ambedkar Chowk, National Highway-I from Octroi Post Ambala side to Jalandhar side, state highway-Samrala Chowk to Chandigarh side octroi post, Gill Road from Vishwakarma Chowk to Gill Village and southern bypass along the Sidhwan branch canal from Sunet bridge to Gill bridge (GNE Campus) up to Sangowal village. The order said that since marriage palaces, hotels and other establishments on these roads had converted their parking space into lawns and commercial areas, there was too much congestion, posing risk to the public. While within the municipal limits of the city, it will be the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation that will take care of removing the encroachments, outside the municipal limits it will be the Public Works Department. |
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Power panel to submit report in Aug Ludhiana, June 21 This was stated by Mr R.S. Mann, Chairman of the commission, while interacting with mediapersons after presiding over the first public meeting of the commission held at Bachat Bhavan here today. He along with other members of the commission namely Mr L.S. Deol and Mr S.K. Sharma, besides the Member Secretary, Ms Anjana Dayalan, listened to the issues raised by consumers, entrepreneurs and the public. Refusing to comment on the percentage of hike to be recommended by the commission, he said this would be decided only after giving all categories an opportunity to put forth their views. “The commission will hold two meetings, one on June 26 at Bathinda and second on July 1 in Chandigarh, to listen to a cross section of consumers”, he said. Commenting on the losses in the PSEB, he said the board had projected that it would suffer annual operating losses of Rs 2,618 crore. The revenue generated would be Rs 5,239 crore, while the operating costs were Rs 7,857 crore. This was a huge gap and the board needed to make changes in its functioning, he added. The board has proposed hikes between 25 per cent and 47 per cent for various categories of consumers. This has panicked consumers across the state. Besides 62 objections received till June 18, the last date of filing objections, the board today received 50 representations from various social organisations, industrialists and traders urging it not to hike power tariffs. On the nature of objections, Mr Mann said most pertained to the functioning of the board and the huge transmission and distribution costs. The issue of free supply to the agriculture sector had come in for a lot of criticism. |
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Sewermen’s kin to get relief Ludhiana, June 21 Giving this information, the MC Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma, said the MC had already forwarded a proposal to this effect to the state government for approval. Further, the two other sewermen namely Mahesh Pal and Bunty, who were hospitalised after the incident would also receive Rs 50,000 each as compensation. While the civic administration has ordered an inquiry into the mishap with particular reference to safety measures, which ought to have been taken by the private contractor engaged for maintenance and operations of sewerage and water supply in the area. An SDO and a Junior Engineer deployed in the locality has been shifted. Members of the joint action committee of safai workers held a day-long dharna at the main office of the civic body here to press the demand for adequate compensation to the families of deceased sewermen and providing jobs to their next of kin. Protesters were carrying the bodies of their colleagues and wanted a firm commitment on their main demands before going ahead with cremating the bodies. The dharna was called off late in the evening after a meeting of the representatives of the protesting safai workers with senior MC officials. |
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Budha Nullah desilting on Ludhiana, June 21 The MC Commissioner, Mr
S.K. Sharma, said five draglines had been deployed at Walipur, Jaunpur, Chander Nagar, Old Shivpuri and the Tajpur road along the Budha Nullah for cleaning and desilting and seven tippers were in operation to shift the silt at dumping sites. The work had been entrusted to the Nangal division of the Irrigation Department at a cost of Rs 26 lakh and the executing agency had been directed to complete the work till June 30 positively. Mr Sharma informed that on an average about four feet of silt and weeds would be removed from the Budha Nullah.
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Centralised
admissions
at SDP College Ludhiana, June 21 While the college authorities had earlier decided to hold admissions to the courses between July 2 and 10, there are chances that the schedule may be postponed due to delay in declaration of result of Class XI (humanities group) examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. The exact schedule would be prepared at a meeting of the coordinators of admission, comprising principals and senior staff members from participating colleges, to be held at the SDP College for Women on June 24. For MSc (IT), there would be four participating colleges — Ramgarhia Girls’ College, Khalsa College for Women, Arya College and Kamla Lohtia Sanatan Dharam College. Five colleges, which include SCD Government College, Khalsa College for Women, GGN Khalsa College, Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women and Kamla Lohtia SD College, would conducting admission to MCom course. Similarly, 12 colleges would carry admission to BCom and six colleges to BCA courses. All colleges falling outside the city, including those at Doraha, Dakha, Gurusar Sadhar, Sidhwan Khurd, Khanna and Jagraon, would conduct independent admissions While last year, admission to BBA was also conducted in a centralised manner, this year the colleges have been told to hold independent admissions as there are not many takers for it. With the number of aspirants for the course dwindling down each year, the colleges also seem to be losing interest in carrying out admission to the course. Six students had got admitted to Ramgarhia Girls’ College in BBA against the provision of 30 seats last year. The authorities later found it financially not viable and the students were shifted to the Khalsa College for Women. For similar reasons, Arya College had also scrapped the course last year. The course, however, would now be confined to SDP College, Khalsa College for Women and Kamla Lohtia SD College. It may be recalled that the process of centralised admissions was resumed last year after a gap of six years and admissions were held through this process to BBA, BCA and BCom courses in the Khalsa College for Women. But this year, postgraduate courses of MCom and MSc (IT) have been introduced for the first time and BBA admissions have been made independent. However, the recent decision of the Punjab Government to hand over all technical courses to Punjab Technical University is likely to cast a shadow on the process of admission to BCA and MSc (IT) courses in PU colleges. |
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BUDGET REACTION Ludhiana, June 21 Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, president, All India Youth Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), in a statement here today said the employees were considered to be the back bone of the government and the Congress government had virtually tried to break its own back bone by denial of LTC, medical allowance and freezing of DA for the employees. He observed that the budget proposals would adversely affect the administrative set up and ban on new recruitment could even create law and order problem. The government, he added, had failed to address the burning problems of farmers and no relief had been granted to debt-ridden farmers. Similarly, members of trade and industry would be made to suffer numerous problems as a result of the withdrawal of various concessions in Sales Tax and imposition of new duties, levies and toll tax. The Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha has described the Punjab budget as anti-people, anti-traders, anti-employees and anti-farmers. The district president of the morcha, Mr Kamal Chatley, charged the government with betraying the masses and going back on its poll promises. “The Budget will give rise to inflation and overall rise in prices which in turn will put additional financial burden on the common man and make his life miserable.” The government has not only failed to provide any relief to all sections of the people but the facilities and concessions already being enjoyed by traders and employees have been withdrawn in the name of ‘empty coffers’, Mr Chatley remarked. He said the Congress government had become a topic of ridicule on the issue of hike in petrol prices. “The Congress activists, all over the country, had agitated against the increase in petrol and diesel prices by the Union Government in the wake of rise in global prices of oil but now the Congress government in Punjab has imposed a cess on petrol to further add to the woes of the people.” The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), has strongly reacted to anti-employee Budget proposals. In a joint statement here today, Mr Subhash Sharma, president and Mr Piara Singh Dhillon, general secretary of the district unit of PSSF, lambasted the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, for a volte face on commitments made to the employees in the party election manifesto. He said before the Assembly elections, the leadership of the Congress party, including Capt Amarinder Singh had assured the employees that they would be granted a time scale of 4, 9, 14 years in place of 8, 16, 24, 32 years and enhanced medical allowance. “However, the Budget proposals made by the Finance Minister are nothing but a shock to the entire working class. The freezing of dearness allowance alone will result as a net loss of around Rs 500 crore to the government employees.” The PSSF activists threatened that if the anti-people Budget proposals were not withdrawn by the government by June 30, the employees, in association with unemployed youth, traders and farmers, would resort to an agitation at various levels. |
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PSEB body holds protest meeting Ludhiana, June 21 Mr M.S. Bajwa, president of the PSEB Engineers Association, and Mr P.S Dhaliwal, regional joint secretary, said that a state-wide agitation would be launched by the engineers to register a protest against drastic cuts and reduction in generation incentive of thermal engineers by 35 to 65 per cent, abolition of posts of senior XEN non-filling of the posts of SEs, withdrawal of vehicles of senior engineers and also restrictions on the mobility of other officers by imposing
kilometre limit on travel. The engineers who participated in the protest meeting discussed the modalities to implement the agitation programme which included ‘immediate start of non-cooperation movement’, ‘non-thermal engineers to join work-to-rule from June 25’ and mass casual leave etc. Reacting to the decisions of the board management, the engineers condemned the policy of MMTs and DS wing i.e. productive and revenue-generating wings. The engineers demanded that austerity should begin at the top. Rest houses of Delhi and Chandigarh should be closed and all meetings of the board should take place at Patiala headquarter to reduce the expenditure. Engineers were of the unanimous view that the board management was not involving engineers including HODs, in its policy-making process which has caused demoralisation among middle and top-level hierarchy, affecting the performance and efficiency of the staff. |
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Dharna by BSNL employees Ludhiana, June 21 According to a press note issued here today, the BSNL management on April 26, 2002, had agreed to increase the pay scales of group C and D employees and pay the pension. The unionists warned the management that if the agreement between the nine unions and management was not implemented, the employees would go on a strike. The other demand of the union was to transfer, the General Manger, Amritsar, and registration of a case against him under Section 302, IPC, for allegedly abetting a junior telecom officer, Ashok Kumar, to commit suicide. The unionists further stated that the agitation would be intensified if the demands were not met. Meanwhile, the Telecom Engineering Officers Association (I) activists held a dharna as part of their indefinite strike which started on June 19 to take action against General Manager, Telecom, Amritsar. A rally was also held by the members and was addressed by Mr Balwinder Singh, district secretary, BSNL Employees Union; Mr A.P.S. Chawla — district organising secretary, Telecom Engineering Officers Association (I); Mr Ajaib Singh, Mr Nikka Singh, Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr Sarabjit Singh, Mr Sital Singh, Mr Deepak Kumar, Mr J.L. Aggarwal, Mr Paramjit Singh, Mr Gajinder Verma and Mr Kanwaljit Singh Shankar, president, Diploma Engineers Telecom Association.
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Free milk testing camp Ludhiana, June 21 After the conclusion of the camp, Mr Devi Dass, Deputy Director (Dairy), said only 60 per cent of the samples brought by the people were found to be containing fats and other contents as per standard while in the rest of the samples, fat contents were only 4.5 per cent. Those, whose samples were found to be substandard, were made aware of the actual rate of the milk being supplied to them. Among others who were present on the occasion were the sangh president, Mr Suresh Gupta, Mr Mangal Passi, Mr Deepak Gupta, Mr Ashwini Kohli, Mr Raju Dhiman, Mr Sanjay Sood, Baba Gian Chand, Mr Kuldeep Singh, Mr Daljit Singh, Mr Darshan Singh and Mr Davinder Singh. |
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Mayor felicitated Ludhiana, June 21 |
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Mewa Singh Gill dead Ludhiana, June 21 |
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Woman killed in mishap Ludhiana, June 21 Eve-teaser held:
Case registered:
Cases of theft:
The Shimla Puri police has registered a case under Section 381 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Rajinder Kumar, who resides on the Gill Road near Arora Palace, against Jaswinder, a resident of Vismail. The complainant had alleged that the accused had stolen one fax machine, one mobile phone and Rs 5,267 on the night of June 19. As a result, he had suffered a total loss of Rs 40,000. No arrest has been made so far. Gun seized:
Cases of beating:
The Model Town police on Thursday registered a case under sections 324, 341, 323 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr. Amit, son of Mr. Varinder, a resident of Model Town Extension against Amrish, a resident of Urban Estate, Phase-II, Dugri, and two other unknown persons. The complainant had alleged that the accused attacked him on June 19 with a knife and as a result he sustained injuries. No arrest has been made so far. |
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2 held
for raping minor Ludhiana, June 21 According to information, the girl had gone to the rail tracks-near the dhaba in the afternoon to ease herself when the dhaba owner and his servants lured the child to a nearby room and gang-raped her. The rapists were allegedly aided by a boy in his early teens. The rapists, who also allegedly tried to murder the victim , abandoned her in the room and went to resume their work at the dhaba. When the father of the victim, who works in a private firm in the Focal Point, went to the dhaba-owner to ask for an explanation. The dhaba -owner
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Bank to set up ATMs in city Ludhiana, June 21 Addressing a press conference, the Deputy General Manger, Mr Rajinder Singh Chhatwal said, “we are going to computerise all branches in the district.” |
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