L U D H I A N A

Top stories | Community | Business

Education | Courts | Health

TOP STORIES

30 kiosks gutted in midnight fire
Mullanpur Dakha (Ludhiana), May 29
At least 30 kiosks on an encroached piece of land of the PWD were gutted in a fire that broke out here last night even as the Ludhiana Fire Department scrambled for more than an hour to send help.

A scene of a fire incident in which at least 30 kiosks were gutted in Mullanpur Dakha on Wednesday night. — Photo Inderjit Verma

Youth gets himself “kidnapped”
Ludhiana, May 29
The details of mobile phone calls made by an allegedly kidnapped youth of Sudhar has helped the Jagraon police expose the stage-managed kidnapping case that was aimed at falsely implicating three old enemies and pocketing Rs 61,000 of kitty members by showing the kidnappers had taken the money.

TRIBUNE IMPACT
Hope for mentally ill villager
Ghwaddi (Ludhiana), May 29
The local Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTBH) has decided to adopt a mentally challenged youth of this village who is suffering from schizophrenia for the last 15 years.

Man gets life term for killing brother’s wife
Ludhiana, May 29
A fast-track court has sentenced Sukhwinder Singh of Ghungrana village to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him for killing his younger brother’s wife by setting her ablaze in April, 2001.

VCD expose: PSHRC orders security for 2
Ludhiana, May 29
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has directed the DGP, to provide security to Subash Katty and Bittu Chawla in connection with the VCD expose, in which more than 10 policemen were shown taking bribe.

COMMUNITY

ANTI-ENCROACHMENT DRIVE
Residents care two hoots for authorities
Ludhiana, May 29
The anti-encroachment drives by the Municipal Corporation, PUDA and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) in the city localities and commercial areas notwithstanding, the main roads, service lanes and bylanes in the city, including the plush colonies and shopping centres are dotted with encroachments, either by temporary structures, display of merchandise, permanent cemented ramps or extension of kitchen gardens. 

PSEB men sit in dharna Ludhiana, May 29 Employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board office in the Model Town area today continued their dharna demanding action against women of the riot victim colony, who had allegedly obstructed employees from performing their official duty on May 22. PSEB employees staged a dharna in Ludhiana on Thursday. — IV

Curse of poverty

Ludhiana, May 29 There are millions of unfortunate children who are deprived of the basic necessities of life and are forced by compelling circumstances to work as domestic servants. Child labour is defined as work of children under conditions that interfere with the physical development, education and recreational opportunities which they require. A little girl is forced to wash dishes in order to survive. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

Fire hazard dogs basement showrooms
Ludhiana, May 29
It is not just restaurants that operate from basements, a number of garment show rooms also do so. Most of these basement showrooms contain huge stocks of synthetic material, which is highly inflammable. And none of these showrooms has adopted any fire safety measure.

6 fire victims’ kin given relief

Ludhiana, May 29 The Punjab Government gave away Rs one lakh each as compensation to the next of kin of the six victims of the Khud Mohalla fire here today. Compensation to the seven victims belonging to Uttar Pradesh would be sent after getting their legal heirs verified, Deputy Commissioner Anurag Verma said. Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, gives away relief cheques to the next of kin of the Khud Mohalla fire victims in Ludhiana on Thursday.

‘Corruption rampant at Sub-Registrar’s office’
Ludhiana, May 29
The general secretary of the Pardesh Youth Congress, Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, has alleged that corruption was rampant at the office of the sub-registrar as people had to pay hefty amount as bribe for getting their properties registered with the Revenue Department.

• Body elects office-bearers

• Seven hurt

Falling dollar rate worries exporters
Ludhiana, May 29
The falling rate of the US dollar against the rupee is worrying exporters. During the past month, the rate of the dollar has fallen almost by one rupee. Only a month ago, one US dollar was priced at Rs 47.80. The rate came down to Rs 46.84 yesterday. However, today it recovered marginally to Rs 46.94.

Cheaper Net via cellphones
Ludhiana, May 29
Introducing a revolutionary Internet connectivity service through mobile phones, New Bakshi Computers announced a new economical system at the rate of 83 paise per hour.

Drive-in ATM launched
Ludhiana, May 29
North India’s first drive-in ATM was launched in the city yesterday. Installed by Punjab National Bank, the ATM will allow the bank’s customers to conduct transactions while sitting in their vehicles. This is the third drive-in installed in the country by the bank. The other two are in Lucknow and Nagpur.

Rift in BVM management

Ludhiana, May 29 Fissures seem to have appeared in the managing committee of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir (BVM), with one of its senior members and former founder president, Mr M.M. Vyas, abstaining from a meeting organised by the management today to take stock of the situation following the resignation of Mr Ashok Setia, Director of the school.

Students of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir sit outside the Mini-Secretariat after submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in Ludhiana on Thursday. — IV

Summer camps in India and abroad

Ludhiana, May 29 “Beat the heat and cool off at a summer camp, is the latest trend,” says Rupinder Singh, who has been back after attending an activity-based programme and a trekking trip at Manali. He said the students were from different schools, but during their week-long trip they became friends and had a great time. He said the activities during the camp included nature walks, trekking, angling and bird watching. Students enjoy themselves at a summer camp in the UK.

3 city students for Olympiad camp
Ludhiana, May 29
Three plus two students from Ludhiana have been selected to attend the national level Olympiad camp to be held from June 4 to June 10. These include Brijesh Takkar, a student of Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School at Sarabha Nagar, Navneet Kaur and Mohit Gogia, both students of DAV Public School.

Feast for art students
Kala Seva Society to hold workshops
Ludhiana, May 29
In its bid to provide first-hand knowledge to students pursuing performing arts, the Kala Seva Society will hold a series of workshops, “Kala Sangam”, in which eminent artists will teach students in their respective art forms.

Bonfire, dances mark end of NSS camp

Ludhiana, May 29 Students of Master Tara Singh College lit a bonfire to celebrate the successful completion of the 10-day NSS camp that they attended at Government School, Ladhowal. Students of Master Tara Singh College perform gidda to mark the conclusion of their NSS camp in Ludhiana on Wednesday. — Photo Inderjit Verma

PAU entrance test schedule
Ludhiana, May 29
Punjab Agricultural University has announced the schedule for admission to various undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The Common Entrance Test (CET) for BSc (Agriculture) and BVSc and Animal Husbandry will be held on June 26.

PSU march against anti-student policy
Ludhiana, May 29
Activists of the Punjab Students Union today condemned the education policies adopted by the Congress regime. To protest against the anti- student policies of the government, the students held a protest rally from Punjabi Bhavan to secretariat. They submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anuraag Verma.

COURTS

Lawyers against shifting to incomplete complex
Ludhiana, May 29
Resentment prevails among lawyers against the proposal of shifting of courts from the old courts complex to the new judicial complex in the Mini-Secretariat here without the completion of lawyers’ chambers.

Authorities plan to rid dist of malaria
Ludhiana, May 29
To generate awareness among people regarding preventive measures against malaria, a month-long awareness campaign has been planned by the District Administration and Health Department starting June 1. The month would be observed as an “anti-malaria month” during which the people would be educated to check breeding of mosquitoes in their localities.

Govt owes money to CMC Hospital
Ludhiana, May 29
The Punjab Government owes nearly Rs 1 crore to Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, for rendering treatment to those injured in various accidents. The CMCH authorities are approaching the state administration for the early payment of the same.

CMC acts as saviour
Ludhiana, May 29
Ramesh Kumar and his wife were found sitting on the lawn of Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) with a grief stricken face, holding their child in their arms on March 31. On enquiry, they showed the lump on the lower back of their one-and-half-year old daughter Suman. The pain in their eyes was speaking of their woe of poverty which put them in a dilemma whether to get their daughter treated or leave her to fate.

HIV-positive woman, baby await treatment
Khanna, May 29
A 22-year-old woman with her eight-month-old baby girl, both AIDS patients, is virtually running from pillar to post for getting treatment. Usha Gomti, whose husband died due to aids on February 2 was sent to her father’s house forcibly by her in-laws.