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TOP STORIES

Probe ordered into illegal confinement
Ludhiana, May 19
The district police has ordered an inquiry into the alleged illegal confinement and ill-treatment for about 17 hours of a city resident by Sunder Nagar police post officials. Sources said SP City-II Pritam Singh had marked the inquiry in the case to DSP Manjit Singh Dhesi on an official complaint made by the victim, Mr Sushil Kumar.

Fire in factory, major tragedy averted

Ludhiana, May 19 A fire broke out in a dyeing unit near Bhamian Kalan village late last night. Prompt measures by the Fire Brigade, however, averted a major tragedy.

A Fire Brigade man tries to put out the flames at a dyeing unit at Bhamian Kalan village in Ludhiana on Sunday night. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

PANCHAYAT POLL
Reserved seats to be finalised by May 25
Ludhiana, May 19
The process of finalising reserved seats for the posts of sarpanch and panch under a new system for the panchayat poll to be held on June 30 is likely to be completed by May 25.

Protest against hike in sewerage charges

Ludhiana, May 19 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal today criticised the Congress government in the state for its decision to jack up water-supply and sewerage charges and bring manifold increase in fee structure for higher education. Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal try to break the police cordon to enter the Mini-Secretariat, Ludhiana, in protest against the hike in water and sewerage charges and fee structure for higher education on Monday. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

Miss India Asia-Pacific floors NIFD students

Ludhiana, May 19 The tall and slim, winner of the Miss India Asia Pacific 2003 title, Parmita Katkar, was in the city. She is a popular model, who got inspired to participate in the Miss India Contest by her seniors in Mount Caramel College of Bangalore. Lara Dutta, Sandya and many others from that college have won several Miss India Contests over the years. Parmita will participate in the Miss Asia Pacific Contest to be held in Manila in October. Presently, she is the brand ambassador of the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD). Parmita Katkar visited the NIFD, Ludhiana, today to launch an industry-relevant course in garment manufacturing, management and technology as well as the new admission session at the institute. Femina Miss India Asia-Pacific 2003, Parmita Katkar, who was in Ludhiana on Monday to inaugurate new courses at NIFD. — A Tribune photograph

New DC takes over
Ludhiana, May 19
Mr Anurag Verma, took over as the Deputy Commissioner, here today. He succeeded Mr Anurag Agarwal, who swapped places with Mr Verma, former Deputy Commissioner of Bhatinda.

Agarwal given farewell

COMMUNITY

Cong leaders hail DC's transfer
Ludhiana, May 19
Transfer of the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal, has come as a shot in the arm for the local Congress leaders including some MLAs and the district presidents of urban and rural units of the party. For quite some time they had been demanding his transfer.

125 cr to be spent on roads’ upgradation
Amloh, May 19
The financial condition of Punjab farmers has been deteriorating to the extent that farmers especially in Mansa and Bathinda districts have committed suicides, said Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Minister of Sttae for Public Health yesterday.

Changing trends at weddings
Ludhiana, May 19
Melodious sounds of bells of temple, conch shells and chanting of Vedic mantras greet the guests at the weddings in the city. People get bored with the songs that were played at the arrival of the bridegroom like ‘Baharon phul barsaon, mera mehboob aaya hai’, etc.

Casablanca blast condemned
Ludhiana, May 19
The local unit of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front has condemned the terrorist incident in Casablanca, Morocco’s economic centre, in which about 40 people lost their lives.

Street vendors hold rally
Ludhiana, May 19
At a massive public meeting, street vendors were addressed by their national and city leaders in the Field Ganj here two days ago. “Can one imagine a city in India without vendors selling fruits and vegetables on streets? Have the vendors ever told the government to generate employment for them?” The coordinator of NASVI north India, Mr Vighnesh Jha, said at the gathering.

CRIME

Flesh trade racket busted
Sahnewal, May 19
The CIA staff, Ludhiana, on a tip-off raided Zimindara Hotel at Pawa Khagat village yesterday and arrested six persons for their alleged involvement in flesh trade. A case under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Act, 1956, has been registered at Sahnewal police station.

BUSINESS

Industry resents furnace oil price hike
Ludhiana, May 19
Widespread resentment prevails among members of industry over hike in prices of furnace oil and indications of yet another increase in power tariff. A meeting of the Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India along with representatives of other affiliated associations, held here yesterday with Mr Joginder Kumar in the chair, discussed the situation arising out of skyrocketing prices of inputs like power and furnace oil.

Industry rues hike in raw material prices
Ludhiana, May 19
Ludhiana Motor Parts Manufacturers Association has expressed grave concern about the ever-increasing prices of essential products being consumed by the industrial sector.

Govt to spend 50 cr on medical education
Ludhiana, May 19
Medical education and research is all set to get a much-needed boost with the Punjab government deciding to spend Rs 50 crore on it this year. The money would be spent to create essential infrastructure, procuring state-of-the-art equipment, besides filling the vacant posts in all medical colleges of the state.

‘Conserve’ water to sustain farming
Ludhiana, May 19
The local chapter of the Institution of Engineers of India (IEI) observed World Telecommunication Day and ‘Water Resources Day’ in association with the Ludhiana Colleges of Engineering and Technology yesterday.

Teachers to hold chain fast
Ludhiana, May 19
To protest against changes made in the new education policy, the Save Primary Education Front, formed by eight different unions of primary teachers has decided to start a chain fast in front of the office of the DPI at Chandigarh from June 9 to 14.

1,094 students attend summer school
Ludhiana, May 19
As many as 1,094 students from Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Kitchlu Nagar, are taking part in 13 different workshops in the summer school started on the school campus. The various activities for students include photography, craft and embossing, drawing and painting, embroidery and handicraft, soft toys, music and tabla, pot painting, dance, bhangra, computer, environment education and yoga classes.

COURTS

Hearing on Garcha’s anticipatory bail plea on May 21
Ludhiana, May 19
The anticipatory bail application of former Technical Education Minister, Jagdish Singh Garcha, accused of cheating, land grabbing and amassing property disproportionate to his known sources of income, will come up for hearing on May 21.

Revision plea of Improvement Trust rejected
Ludhiana, May 19
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has disposed of a revision petition field by the Improvement Trust, Ludhiana, against the injunction order of the Additional District Judge, Ludhiana, in a case of dispute regarding the change of user of the site reserved for a community centre in Model Town Extension (Part-II Scheme) here.

CULTURE

Fashion show on May 29
Ludhiana, May 19
The Punjabi Sur Sangam Kala Manch will organise a cultural programme-cum-fashion show on May 29 at Nehru Sidhant Kendra. Channel V anchor Madhukar Malhotra will host the show, the president of the manch, Raju Malik, said at a press conference here today.

HEALTH

• IMA panel gives docs clean chit

• 8 train fire victims discharged

SPORTS

Riat XI, Friends Club enter q-finals
Ludhiana, May 19
Riat XI and the Friends Club won their matches here yesterday to enter the quarter-finals of the 8th Invitation Cricket Cup Tournament being organised by the College of Agriculture Club of the Punjab Agricultural University at the PAU grounds. Riat XI defeated Sports Centre by three wickets, while Friends Club beat Scorpio XI by 30 runs.

Rajeev wins chess title
Ludhiana, May 19
Rajeev Verma won the title in the Ludhiana District Chess Championship which concluded at the RS Model Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar here yesterday. At the end of the five-round meet, Rajeev and G.R. Loomba were tied at five points each and the winner was decided with the spin of coin.