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TOP STORIES

Missing file: 6 officials booked
Bid to hide building bylaws violation
Ludhiana, February 14
Six officials of the municipal corporation, including an Assistant Town Planner, a head draftsman, a building superintendent and an inspector have been booked by the police for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of a file concerning building bylaws violation in the construction of a restaurant in Model Town.

Chaotic start to board examinations
Private candidates find names missing
Ludhiana, February 14
Overcrowding, lack of invigilators and incomplete candidate lists at the class VIII examination centres caused much inconvenience to the school authorities and candidates who had come for the first written test here today.

Students of class VIII take examination in Ludhiana on Friday. — Photo Inderjit Verma

TRIBUNE FOLLOW-UP
Minor argument cost woman her life
Ludhiana, February 14
A minor argument over a ‘wife’s duty’ cost a woman her life in Kalyan Nagar. She was allegedly murdered by her husband. Claiming to have solved the murder case of a middle-aged woman, Poonam, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the bathroom of her house in the colony, the Basti Jodhewal police today arrested her husband, Jagdish Kumar, on the charges of killing his wife. The couple had four children.

Lovebirds trapped by police
Ludhiana, February 14
Sellers of flowers and greeting cards did rousing business on the occasion of Valentine’s Day here today even as the police was on a challaning spree. Lovebirds came out on the streets early today but fell into the traps laid by the traffic police at strategic places. According to sources, over a hundred persons were challaned. The number of women challaned was also high.

A city youth hides his face while being taken away by the police for violating traffic rules and (right) a group of boys chase schoolgirls on Valentine’s Day in Ludhiana. — Photos Pradeep Tewari

Dr Sofat released on Rs 20,000 bail bond
Ludhiana, February 14
Mr J.S. Chauhan, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ludhiana, today granted bail to Dr Sumit Sofat in a case of extortion, trespass and illegal confinement. He was arrested yesterday. The court has ordered his release following the furnishing of bail bonds of Rs 20,000.

COMMUNITY

Stop politicising Akal Takht, SSF to Vedanti
Ludhiana February 14
The Sehajdhari Sikh Federation (SSF) has appealed to the Jathedar of Akal Takht to stop politicising the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs and work towards ensuring justice for the widows of the 1984 riots.

‘Link all sectors for healthy economy’
Ludhiana, February 14
Dr S.S. Johal, vice-chairman of the Punjab State Planning Board, said all sectors of the economy were interlinked and needed to grow simultaneously for overall growth of economy. He said, however, relative share of different sectors varied on the overall-growth path.

Shifting of cremation ground sought
Ludhiana, February 14
Residents of the local Urban Estate, Phase I, have demanded the shifting of cremation ground from their area on the plea that being located in residential area it caused a lot of problems for them.

Sena rally on February 25
Amloh, February 14
The performance of the Punjab Government has been a failure on all fronts. Farmers, traders, industrialists, students and employees have been forced to come on the roads, said Mr Pawan Gupta, state President, Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) at a meeting of workers of Fatehgarh Sahib and Khanna districts held here last evening.

Rs 400 cr to be spent on poor: minister
Ludhiana, February 14
The Transport Minister of Punjab, Mr Tej Parkash Singh, said here today that the state government had chalked out a special plan to spend Rs 400 crore on the Maharashtra pattern on the uplift of the poor.

CRIME

Couple injured in attack
Sahnewal, February 14
A couple was injured in an attempt to save their handicapped relative from attack by three persons of the same village on Thursday. Sikander Kumar of Umaidpur village has complained to the Sahnewal police that Jeeta Akali, his father Bhinder Singh and his brother Charanjit Singh attacked his handicapped brother and when he along with his wife, Pinky, tried to save him, the three hit him with sharp weapons.

BUSINESS

ACCI disputes minister’s claim
Ludhiana, February 14
The Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has disputed the claim of the Finance Minister, Mr Lal Singh, that it was only traders who were opposed to the introduction of the Exim form and not the industry. In a statement today, the president of the chamber, Mr P.D. Sharma, said it only showed the ignorance of the minister.

AGRICULTURE

BT not zero-spray cotton: PAU
Ludhiana, February 14
The BT cotton trials conducted by Punjab Agricultural University have shown that the use of sprays to check the attack of bollworm (American Sundi) on cotton can be reduced, but not given up permanently.

New company for procurement
Ludhiana, February 14
The Punjab Government has decided to set up a corporation or a company to ensure smooth procurement of paddy and wheat in the state. The new organisation will work under the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department.

EDUCATION

IIM comes to Ludhiana
Ludhiana, February 14
Management courses from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode, XLRI Jamshedpur, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and the Western International University, USA, will now be available to residents of Ludhiana through an interactive classroom set up in the city, the first of its kind in Punjab, using a satellite broadband technology.

PCTE's Ehsaas-2003 on February 21
Ludhiana, February 14
The Punjab College of Technology Education will organise its fourth annual one-day inter college literary-cum-cultural festival "Ehsaas-2003" on February 21. The function will be inaugurated by Dr Y.S. Rajan, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, and Adviser, Government of Punjab, at 9 a.m.

UN award for Montessori School
Ludhiana, February 14
When I started a Montessori School three decades ago, I had to advertise for students to enroll but no one came. My wife and I prayed for when everything fails, only they help. She went to a neighbour’s house and narrated my tale of woes. She was told that they had five small children in their house and they would send them, Mr Jagdish Gandhi said.

COURTS

Two accused of attack on  cops acquitted
Ludhiana, February 14
The Additional Sessions Judge-Mr S.M.S Mahal has acquitted Mal Singh(55) of Malerkotla from charges of launching a murderous attack on a police party in June, 1994. He has also been acquitted in an Arms Act case. Co-accused Anil Kumar of Shivpuri had already been acquitted by the court.

SPORTS

Athlete alleges partiality
Ahmedgarh, February 14
A cross-country race winner of the National School Games has accused the in charge of the state girls’ team of manipulating the final list of participants of the 50,00m race in the games held recently at Bangalore. The school authorities and panchayat of Nathumajra village have demanded a probe from the state sports authorities and Punjab Chief Minister.

Vishal is best athlete

Ludhiana, February 14 Vishal, a student of K G, made a clean sweep, winning 100 m race, spoon potato race and sack race to be declared the best athlete at the annual athletics meet of the Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Shishu Vatika, at its Kitchlu Nagar branch ground here today. Students of the Shishu Vatika branch of BVM School take part in a sack race during the annual athletics meet at Kitchlu Nagar Ground on Friday. — Photo Inderjit Verma.

Sports and cultural meet concludes
Mandi Gobindgarh, Feb 14
The state government will spend Rs 120 crore up to March 31 this year on buildings, toilets, dress for girl students, books, seminars, and other infrastructure for the improvement of school education in the state said Mr K.K. Bhatnagar, Principal Secretary School Education, Punjab, while interacting with mediapersons here today.

ADMINISTRATION

No fireworks in marriage palaces
Ludhiana, February 14
The district administration has banned the bursting of firecrackers in marriage palaces within 1,000 yards of the Baddowal Ammunition Depot from today. In an order issued by the SDM, Mr Ajoy Sharma, the owners of marriage palaces, including Fifth Mile Stone, Four Aces, Garden Palace, Megha Resorts, Spring Fields, Turning Point and White Rock, have been prohibited from lighting crackers during parties.