 |
|
| Wednesday,
July 2, 2003, Chandigarh, India
|
|
||||
|
Villagers fear flash floods
Dhulewal (Ludhiana), July 1 The state government’s has refusal to release any grant to the Drainage Department for carrying out repairs alongside Dhussi is causing the villagers all the more worry. The fear of the villagers of flash floods reminiscent of 1988 and 1993 is only increasing. While officials of the Drainage Department say that there is nothing to worry as no serious floods have occurred since 1993, the villagers living near the bundh claim that even a minor overflow of the water or seepage from cracks in the bundh is enough to inundate villages every year. Due to this, they suffer losses worth lakhs as their crop is lost almost every year and several heads of cattle perish. A survey by a Ludhiana Tribune team of various villages alongside the Dhussi bundh revealed that many villages situated on vulnerable sites, including Dhulewal, Sainsowal, Banhewal, Ghumana near Machhiwara, Bonker Dogran, Khaira Bet, Gor Sianh Hakam Rai, Bholewal, Kharak and Chaar near Laddowal, were existing at the mercy of weather gods only. The villagers of Dhulewal, which has been termed as a vulnerable site by the district administration, said even though after the flood in 1988, the government spent crores of rupees on erecting spurs and studs to stop the high-velocity water currents from affecting the villages, no satisfactory maintenance or repair work was carried out by the successive governments after that. They said while everybody celebrated the onset of the rains, they feared it as the monsoon meant shifting from the village and moving their household goods as well as cattle to far away places. ‘‘Almost every year we move our household items. The only compulsion for us to live in this village is our agricultural land. Otherwise, we would have shifted from here. Most of the villagers have not even constructed pucca houses as they fear that anytime the floods can damage their property,’’ said Mr Gurminder Singh, a villager. While official of the Drainage Department claimed that they had spent Rs 1 crore on strengthening the studs and spurs, the villagers of Dhulewal, claim that no repair work has been carried out at the site for the past four years. The villagers of Gor Siahn Hakam Rai, which is affected by river water almost every year, said if it rained heavily, they would start moving their families to their relatives’ houses in Ludhiana. Mr Harpal Singh, a villager, said the officials woke up only after the floods. ‘‘It’s only when the water floods our village that they come. Otherwise, nobody bothers for the whole of the year. Only a beldar is seen here on duty and a police post is set up when the rain starts. If they prepare for floods in advance, it will be much better.’’ He added that the bundh lining many villages was very vulnerable and could be washed away by a fast current of water. ‘‘But who cares? The bank is so sandy that a fast current of water can wash it off anytime.’’ While these villagers suffer on account of occasional floods, there are some villages alongside Dhussi which have to bear the brunt of the situation every year as their agricultural land is inundated every year. Mr Manjit Singh, a villager of Bonkar Dogran village, said, “Earlier a stud on this side used to measure more than 100 yards. It was washed away by the floods every two years and was reduced to 10 yards. It measures this much even today and nobody is bothered.’’ The district Flood Control Board has identified Dhulewal, Ghumana, Mattewara, Kasabad, Khaira Bet and Madhepur as the most vulnerable sites. While no measures have been taken for the flood control at many of these sites, the desilting of drains has also not started. Officials of the Drainage Department said on condition of anonymity that the department was not going to take up any construction work due to shortage of funds. They added that last year only Rs 1 crore was sanctioned for the work and only one-third of the grant was released. They said at least Rs 100 crore was required every year to maintain the bundh which measures around 100 km. Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Chairman of the district Flood Control Board, said he had made a representation to the state government to release some funds for the job as a lot of repair work needed to be done.  |
|
PANCHAYAT POLL Ludhiana, July 1 The polling staff this time was drawn from various departments, besides the block development and panchayat officers and the Education Department. While most of the staff was new and experienced difficulties in discharging their duties, but they were unanimous in claiming that they had been given a raw deal. Narrating the harrowing experience, many returning officers, on the condition of anonymity, said we had participated in the poll rehearsals where senior officers informed that there was no need to worry. Learning from past experiences, it was decided that the revenue officials of the respective area would ensure all lodging and boarding arrangements for the polling parties. They claimed that when they arrived at the villages, where they were to man the polling centres, no one was there to guide them to the stations — a majority of which were set up in government schools. “We had to secure a place for storing the poll material besides find a place to put up for the night on our own. While the subordinate staff left the place as soon as the material was stored, it was left to the presiding officers to look after the paraphernalia and scout for food and cots to spend the night,” he added. “Needless to add, the revenue officers were nowhere to be seen. We asked the villagers to provide us with some drinking water and cots for us to spend the night, but on account of their pre-occupation in campaigning, most of them were non-committal,” they pointed out. “The police party escorting them was given preferential treatment and was offered food and bedding by villagers. In places where there were more than one presiding officer, we took turns in looking after the material while the other went in search of the stuff needed. The subordinate staff left for the night and came back fresh in the morning since they knew that we would be held responsible for any eventuality, they alleged. They said the authorities should look into the matter and take action against the officers responsible for the serious lapse that resulted in a lot of
harassment for the polling staff in the district. |
|
Minister claims victory in panchayat poll Ludhiana, July 1 Mr Birmi in a press note issued here today said the Akalis should read the writing on the wall and must understand that the people had not forgotten their rule, during which they had amassed unaccounted wealth through corrupt practices. He said the overwhelming support to the Congress in the panchayat elections had proved that people in rural areas had deserted Akalis and opted for the all-round development of their villages through the Congress. He claimed that the people of Punjab supported the action of the Vigilance Bureau against Mr Badal, his family and other Akali leaders and warned that the Congress government was strong enough to deal with their hollow threats of agitation on the arrest of Mr Badal. He said nobody was above the law of the land and if Mr Badal and others were found guilty under the law, then no power could save them from the suitable punishment. |
|
|
LBP wins 500 panchayat seats Ludhiana, July 1 According to Mr Gurmel Gill, a spokesperson of the party, this is the first foray of the party into electoral politics and the response of the people has been very encouraging. The large number of seats won by them are an indication of the popularity of the policies of the party at the grassroot level. This mandate will further strengthen their rural base. He said that the party fought these elections on the plank of development and justice. It is pertinent to mention that no candidate resorted to unfair and corrupt methods like distribution of drugs, intoxicants, liquor or allurement of money to the voters. While admitting that the party has lost many seats, Mr Gill clarified that the margin of losses at places ranged from one to 50 votes only. He warned that the incidence of large-scale violence, use of corrupt, unfair means and money power by other political parties and their candidates during the panchayat elections tantamounted to abuse of a fair and just election process. |
|
|
Cynicism prevails on World Doctors’ Day Ludhiana, July 1 Today is World Doctor’s Day. A sad time to recall that dozens of medical practitioners have been arrested and booked by the state Vigilance Bureau in the recent past for indulging in unethical practices like running ultrasound clinics for performing abortions and conducting sex-determination tests, administering substandard and sometimes fake medicines, etc. Though regarded as a noble profession, almost every doctor in the city today receives commission for the medical tests he recommends and a cut from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing medicines. It is not strange, therefore, that most “Happy Doctors’ Day” calls local physicians have received since this morning have been from pharmaceutical companies. But for the ‘profit-sharing’ approach of most medical practitioners, the Rs 2,000 crore Indian pharmaceutical industry could not have allowed nearly 35 per cent of the market to be captured by fake or substandard drugs. In most city clinics and nursing homes, the doctor blatantly tells the patient from where to purchase his medicine with a warning that “this will not be available anywhere else”. The Oath of Hippocrates that is required to be taken at the time of passing out of a medical college says “I swear to fulfil, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant”. Besides other things, the covenant includes, as written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, UK, “I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick”. This modern oath was propounded as it was felt that while the spirit of the oath must be retained, the language should be changed to suit the modern times. Lasagna perhaps had his own country’s physicians in mind while the original oath written by Hippocrates reads, “I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my art”. The original oath further reads, “Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves”. Most people in the city are unanimous in their opinion that the Hippocratic Oath has become a meaningless relic. Some doctors themselves question the relevance of the oath on the ground that the world has seen “huge scientific, economic, political, and social changes, a world of legalised abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and pestilence unheard of in Hippocrates’ time” making the oath irrelevant today. When asked about their opinion, several city-based physicians were direct and blatant in saying that the oath had lost its relevance in today’s context. They said in a time of advanced medical specialisation, physicians were no longer obliged to treat patients as directed by the oath as some dreaded diseases such as AIDS or the Ebola virus threaten the physician himself. Not many are willing to go by the doctors’ opinion and say if this is the way doctors feel, then the government must declare medical services as a commercial activity and bring doctors under the purview of the laws that govern other commercial activity. That way neither the patients nor the doctors will have to live under any false pretence. |
|
MURDER IN USA Ludhiana, July 1 Manav Virmani was murdered in the Mississipi state of the USA on July 2, 2001, while he was working at a grocery store of his friend. He was studying in the USA and had gone to spend his vacations with his friends in the Mississipi. His father, Mr Sunil Virmani, said two-year struggle has shattered his faith in the US system of justice. He pointed out, “I had heard so much about the transparent system of justice in the USA, but my expectations have been belied”. For the last two years, Mr Virmani has been moving from pillar to post to get justice. But it has been a bitter experience for him. Except for two communications, one from the Prime Minister’s Office and the another from the ‘Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’, an NGO working for the rights of citizens, no body has ever approached him. While the letter from PMO only referred to one of his representations saying that it had been forwarded to the External Affairs Ministry, that from the US organisation acknowledges the receipt of his representation adding that the representation was being processed. Today Mr Virmani and his wife have lost all hope. They had nourished great dreams about Manav’s future after managing to send him to the USA for higher studies. But as ill luck would have it, there was only tragedy in store for him. Manav Virmani had completed two-year computer course in Florida and was on a holiday in Mississipi, where one of the family friends owned a department store. He was shot dead by robbers, as he was looking after the store, in absence of his friend, who had come to India. The robbers had looted cash and goods from the store before shooting him to death. Manav had suffered three gun shots. He had died on the spot. Manav was an outstanding student and had been awarded merit scholarship for his studies. In a letter addressed to his father, one of Manav’s teachers had predicted a promising future for
Manav. |
|
FINALLY there is some good news after the disastrous spell of blistering heat that virtually baked us all. The monsoons have arrived. The downpour on Sunday and Monday quenched the thirst of a parched land to some extent and also provided a deep sigh of relief. No doubt people are looking forward to a busy rain schedule in the sawan-bhadon season. The popular anxiety over the likely behaviour of monsoon clouds this time is justified if we go by the scanty rainfall witnessed by the city during the past two to three years. Some weather observers are predicting more rains this time. They base their predictions on the record temperatures witnessed across the country. Anyway, less rains or more rains, one thing is certain. Humidity in the air would increase to give an irritating, sticky feeling under the clothes and that acrid sweat-smell typical of the rainy season. But a rainy season has a lot more to it than merely a itch now and then. It is known to have inspired many writers of fiction and songs. It has featured so many times in our Bollywood movies. Songs have been composed on the month of sawan. It is perhaps because of the peculiarity of the lilting cool winds that blow in this month that it has been named as the month of lovers as well. A good monsoon would not only cheer lovers but everyone. Bursting at seams The old city is literally bursting at the seams. Traffic congestion in its narrow, winding bazars is on the rise. It is nothing short of a nightmare for a pedestrian or a scooterist to wade through the maze of vehicles and men bustling in these bazars. Take for example the narrow Meena Bazaar which hosts a wide array of shops dealing in all kinds of things. Visit the bazaar at any given time of the day and one finds chaos that one would surely like to avoid. Hand-driven carts and cycle-rickshaws, loaded with merchandise of all sorts, dot the bazaar forcing traffic jams all over the bazaar. Goods are unloaded or loaded outside the shops much to the inconvenience of shoppers and passersby. Tempers also run high sometimes when minor but unavoidable ‘contacts’ take place. City residents, it seems, have learned to live with the problem. If the MC really wants to provide some relief to the shoppers, it would do well to bar the entry of hand-carts and cycle-rickshaws to the narrow, congested bazaar.
Fruit kitty parties The ladies of the city are becoming extremely health concious. Since they know that at ‘kitty parties’, heavy snacks or meals are served and heavy meals are not good for health, some ladies have come out with the idea of serving only fruits at kitty parties and have aptly titled them ‘Fruit kitty party’. As the name suggests, only fruits of different kinds are served at these kitties as they have discovered fruits provide a lot of fibre and are good for complexion. But now the competition is on as to who serves the best combination of fruits.
Rainbow “My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky,” said Wordsworth, but one wonders if even any child’s heart leaps up when he/she sees a rainbow in the sky. We seem to have drifted from nature and hardly anyone finds time to appreciate the innumerable beauties of nature. The nature offers a scene of magnificent canvas of colours at both sunrise and sunset which no artist can recapture. The songs of birds, the blossoms, myriad coloured flowers just do not seem to touch people busy in their altruistic pursuits.
Safety saves One elderly gentleman heard that a couple of his friends had slipped in the bathrooms while taking a bath. Not wanting similar fate of banging his head and landing in the hospital suffering from concussion, he started wearing helmet when he went to take a bath. After all safety saves, doesn’t?
Pub and kirtan For those who enjoy dancing with their drinks, there is good news. Las Vegas II dancing discotheque has started a new pub on the club premises, making it the most happening place in town. Started in 1997, Las Vegas, behind Punjab Agriculture University, has become the youngsters hangout joint. But what is most interesting is that to mark the opening of the new venture, the management organised a path and kirtan, thereby disappointing many who had gone there with some other hopes.
Drivers’ nightmare Driving through Ghumar Mandi, specially on the road that connects Civil Lines to Bhai Wala Chowk, is any driver’s nightmare. It is a very busy commercial centre. The people working in the shops park their vehicles on either side of the road. Then the shoppers park their vehicles haphazardly. To top the mess is obstruction caused by several telecom companies that keep digging the road frequently and narrowing it further by placing huge cement blocks. Driving through that congested road is truly difficult and to save your vehicle from getting knocked by another vehicle is even more difficult. There is no visible sign of any traffic policemen. Something ought to be done to reduce the bottleneck before some ugly incidents of ‘road rage’ appear.
Women power Women voters turned up in numbers to cast their vote in the panchayat elections held on June 29 in the state. In some villages they outnumbered men as long queues of women were witnessed outside the polling booths. The duststorm on the day could not kill the spirit of women. This was for the first time in the district that the women had gone out to spearhead the election campaign also. Earlier it was always taken over by menfolk.
Sentinel |
Road digging by telecom firms causes problems Ludhiana, July 1 In many localities, wide trenches, some four to six feet deep had been dug all along the roads or streets for laying cables. The digging operation by the telecom companies were so poorly planned and executed that in many localities, people were denied access to their houses or places of work for hours together, and in some areas residents or shopkeepers had to put wooden planks to cross over the wide ditches. What irked the people most was that after laying cables and filling up the dug up portion crudely with sand and bricks, the concerned companies were making undue delay in carrying out the repair of the roads. As a result, the depressions created on one side of the road or street continued to be a hazard for the motorists, two-wheeler drivers and pedestrians alike. Light showers in the city during the last few days had further compounded the problem on the roads which were yet to be repaired after cables had been laid. The rain water entered into deep trenches or filled up portions of the roads and the depressions were further deepened due to compression of sand. At some places, the entire stretch of dug up roads or streets had gone under accumulated rain water and the unsuspecting road users had fallen right into the deep ditches, sustaining injuries and damaging their vehicles. In particular, the telecom giant Reliance Infocom had defaulted in carrying out the repair of the dug-up roads within a stipulated period. The Municipal Corporation, which had to repair the roads damaged due to laying of cables by BSNL was also found wanting in timely restoration, putting the road users to a lot of inconvenience and exposing them to road accidents. Sources in the MC claimed that the process of restoration of roads to their original condition was in progress and repairs would be carried out in the next few days when the filled up portions of the roads and streets were duly compressed and the open ditches with exposed ends of cables were also properly filled up. |
|
Tough task ahead for Garcha Ludhiana, July 1 Mr Garcha, during his first interaction with the media, went on record to admit of rampant corruption in LIT and made known his determination to clean the mess. To achieve this objective, he sought the assistance of the government in setting up a system to make the employees accountable as well as reward and punish them on the basis of their performance. The new LIT chairman said the government should give the powers of transfers and posting of the employees and officials, till now the prerogative of the state government, to the Chairperson of the trust so that he could exert the right kind of pressure on the employees and make them work diligently. If a former chairman of LIT is to be believed, many of the middle-level employees and certain officials also are working as full-fledged property dealers, purchasing and selling properties of the trust during the office hours in the full knowledge of their superiors. Not only this, there have been instances when allottees of residential and commercial properties, faced with procedural difficulties in securing possession or transfer of ownership, have been made to sell off property or the rights of allotment at throwaway prices to the caucus of the trust employees and property dealers. “Employees of LIT are known to have made files relating to prime properties disappear from the records. Court cases are deliberately lost to cause huge losses to the institution for a ‘consideration’, files involving instances of default in payment by allottees of commercial sites are buried deep never to be retraced and allottees of residential and other properties are harassed by all possible means to make them transfer the property rights to nominees of the trust officials or employees,” the former Chairman said. Commenting on the dismal situation prevailing in LIT, a retired officer of the trust said on condition of anonymity that land was a precious commodity in the mega city and a prime piece of land a big temptation. Not only the employees and the officials, but the conduct of even some former chairpersons was not above board. To drive home the point, he mentioned about the various Vigilance inquiries and even criminal cases that some former chairmen, both politicians and bureaucrats, had to face for their acts of omission and commission during their respective tenures. “It will be nothing short of a miracle if the new Chairman, Mr Garcha, succeeds even fractionally in his objective and creates some semblance of order and transparency in the working of LIT,” added the retired official of the trust. |
|
‘Remove hassles in Amarnath yatra’ Ludhiana, July 1 The organisations are piqued by certain conditions mentioned in the guidelines like no free ration or accommodation could be provided to yatris. The organisations said such provisions were being deliberately incorporated with vested interests. One of the office-bearers of an organisation, which has been holding free langar for more than two decades, mentioned that in the absence of free langars, local shopkeepers hold yatris to ransom. He said that even a cup of tea is sold for Rs 20 and in case of inclement weather, they even charge up to Rs 50. He said that such provisions were arbitrary as nobody should be prevented from organising free langars. He said this provision betrayed the mindset of the people in administration in Kashmir and they seemed to be in connivance with the local traders, who wanted to exploit the yatris. There are several other provisions which are causing inconvenience to pilgrims. The local administration insists that the pilgrims and the langar personnel should carry only the original documents with them and no photostat or duplicate documents would be entertained. They pointed out that it was not possible to carry one original document to so many places at a time. Besides, there is other provision that the entire langar team should go to the site allotted, which was again not practicable. They said the yatra continued for about 45 days and it was not possible for the people to stay at a single place for so many days. Besides, there has been a limit of 25 sevadars for each langar. These organisations have sent memoranda to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir seeking their intervention to remove these hassles for smooth and comfortable yatra. |
|
Devise strict laws against rapists, says Samaj Ludhiana, July 1 Dr Krishankant, president of the Bhagwan Parshuram Brahmin Samaj, Ludhiana, lauded the suggestion given by the Civil Surgeon. Vice-president, Vinod Bhanot and secretary Sujata Sharma said in a press note that reports of rapes and foeticide were very common but neither the government nor any social and religious organisations were taking any steps or coming forward to condemn these crimes. They have appealed to every section of society to celebrate the birth of a girl child and not indulge in foeticide as the girl-boy ratio is alarmingly low in Punjab. Ms Sujata said on one hand, thousands of people go to pay obeisance at Vaishno Devi, Chintpurni and Jawalaji and on the other hand no one criticises acts of cruelty against women. All organisations should join hands to wake up the government so that it made strict laws to check crime against women. Dr Sharma said that the Brahmin Samaj would celebrate ‘Lohri’ on the birth of each girl in Ludhiana between January 2003 to January 2004. |
Domestic help drugs employer, decamps with cash Ludhiana, July 1 According to an FIR lodged by Ms Gita Devi, wife of Mr Balwinder Singh, who hails from a village in Jind district of Haryana, the domestic help, Sarita mixed some intoxicating substance in her food yesterday. After she fell unconscious, the servant took away four tolas of gold jewellery, silver and Rs 30,000 cash. The absconding servant is stated to be a migrant from Bihar. The police has registered a case under Section 328 of the IPC. No arrest has been made so far.
Bogus vote alleged The Sadar police has registered a case on the statement of Mr Sukhjit Singh, presiding officer, polling booth no. 58, Threeke village, Ludhiana, against Mukhwinder Singh, a resident of the same village. The complainant alleged that Mukhwinder Singh had impersonated his brother, Mr Gurwinder Singh, who had been living in Canada, and cast vote no. 205 on
Sunday. No arrest has been made so far.
Beaten up The Sadar police has registered a case under Sections 342,323 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Nachattar Singh, a resident of Ladowal village, against Pamma and Raju, residents of the same village. The complainant alleged that the duo had forcibly taken him to their house on Saturday evening and beaten him up there. No arrest has been made so far. The Koom Kalan police has registered a case under Sections 341,323,506 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Balwinder Singh, a resident of Ballipur village, against Sattu, Raju, and Dev Raj, residents of the same village. The complainant alleged that the accused had intercepted his car near the village on Monday evening, beaten him up and also threatened him. No arrest has been made so far. The Division Number 4 police has registered a case under Sections 323, 341 and 506 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Rinku Kumar, a resident of Qilla Mohalla, against Kaka, a resident of the same locality. The complainant alleged that Kaka had stopped him on the road on Monday evening and beaten him up. The accused had also threatened him, added the complainant. No arrest has been made so far.
KHANNA Man ends life A dalit youth (32) committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at Salana Jiwan Singh Wala village on Tuesday. According to information, the youth was a staunch supporter of a candidate of panchayat poll. Before election he was offered liquor regularly by the candidate. After the victory of the candidate, the youth again demanded liquor from him but he refused. Taking the denial seriously, he consumed Celphos tablets. He was rushed too Civil Hospital, Khanna. He was referred to a Ludhiana hospital but he died on the way. |
|
Akali leaders, workers booked Ludhiana, July 1 Led by SAD advisor Vijay Danav, SAD district chief Avtar Singh Makkar, youth national vice-president Chaudhary Yashpal, the protesters raised slogans against Capt Amarinder Singh and alleged that he was out to settle scores with his political opponents and was misusing the state machinery in this context. False cases were being slapped on the family members and even senior leaders and party workers were being targeted by the police. They also alleged that the anti- people policies of the government had demoralised the people of the state. They later burnt the effigy of the government and warned them that in case Mr Badal or his family members were arrested, the youth would launch a statewide agitation and take to the streets. The district police has booked three Akali leaders and 80 youth Akali activists for burning the effigy of the Congress government for indulging in a witch hunt against former CM and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and his family members at Clock Tower here today. SAD Adviser Vijay Danav, SAD district chief Avtar Singh Makkar, youth national vice-president Chaudhary Yashpal were booked by the Kotwali police for raising slogans against Capt Amarinder Singh. They were booked under Sections 283, 285, 268 and 290, IPC. No arrest has been made so far. |
|
Five injured in accident Chhandra (Ludhiana), July 1 While one of them was seriously injured and taken to DMC hospital in Ludhiana, the rest were admitted to different hospitals. The condition of seriously injured was said to be critical. The autorickshaw had stopped at Chhandra village to pick up some passengers when it was hit by a truck coming from the back. The impact of the collision was so much that the autorickshaw turned turtle and all the five travelling in it were injured. The truck driver was nabbed by the traffic cops posted on the spot and the passengers were rescued from under the
autorickshaw. They were rushed to various hospitals in Ludhiana. The driver of the autorickshaw escaped unhurt. Traffic cops present on the spot said that they had seen the truck coming at a very fast speed in the autorickshaw's direction. The driver could not apply the brakes when it saw the autorickshaw and banged into it. He tried to flee the spot but was nabbed by the traffic cops. Those injured have been identified as Surjit Kaur, Gurmeet Kaur, Santokh Kaur, Khushal Singh and Ranbir Singh. They had boarded the auto near Doraha and had to reach
Kohara. The police has booked the driver of the truck under sections 279/337338/427, IPC. The condition of the injured is said to be stable. |
PNB launches housing finance model Ludhiana, July 1 Dr Aulakh commended the role of the PNB in the Indian economy and appreciated the efforts of the bank initiated for the purpose of contract farming, saying that contract farming was the only solution to the problems of storage and stagnant production of crops. He said that during his recent visit to Bangladesh, he found that a large number of area was under moong cultivation and the farmers were getting good price and he stressed that there should be a minimum support price for other crops also as in the case of wheat and paddy. He explained that contract farming in collaboration with banks could assure the farmers minimum support price for their produce. Mr U.S. Bhargava, general manager, Punjab National Bank, Punjab Zone explained that the concept of “hub and spoke” for housing finance was to cut delays and ensure disposal of loans within 24 hours after completion of formalities for which checklists are available at all the branches. Under this concept, the Sarabha Nagar branch will work as hub and other 10 branches of the area will work as spokes of this hub. This concept has already been implemented successfully by the bank in Mumbai and Bhopal. Mr A.K. Loomba, senior regional manager, Ludhiana, said that a dedicated team had been posted at the hub to reap the advantage of centralised control and effective pre-sanction scrutiny of housing finance. He told that implementation of the hub and spoke model was aimed at better credit quality of asset portfolio, besides providing a single point for housing finance. Later Mr Bhargava also inaugurated a branch of the PNB at Urban Estate, Dugri. He stated that with the opening of this branch, the number of branches of the PNB in Ludhiana city increased to 42, making the PNB number one in the city. |
|
Another hike in steel prices shocks industry Ludhiana, July 1 Steel companies, which include SAIL, Tata Steel, Essar Steel, Jindal Steel and Ispat Industries, mooted a proposal last week to increase the prices of steel by Rs 500 to Rs 600 per tonne. As the decision was implemented today, the bicycle, bicycle parts manufacturing industry and motor parts manufacturing industry, besides other engineering industries, have expressed shock over the hike. Leading industrial associations, including the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings and the Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India have expressed resentment at the decision and urged the government to intervene and save the industry from bankruptcy. These associations observed that the industry would be crippled as it was already passing through acute recession. Mr Joginder Kumar, Mr M.S. Bhogal, Mr Ajit Singh Kular, Mr Harminder Singh and Mr Manmohan Singh Ubhi representing various industrial associations condemned the hike in the hot rolled and cold rolled coils. They alleged that the five major steel producing companies were holding the entire industry to ransom by forming a close cartel. The leaders said they had met the Union Steel Minister, Mr B.K. Tripathi, secretary steel, Mr Jai Singh Gill and Secretary, Ministry of Small Scale Industry, Mr S.K. Tuteja, and apprised them of the price manipulations done these five companies. They said, while the prices of the raw materials were going up along with the prices of electricity and furnace oil, there were no buyers for the finished products. The industrial associations have demanded the withdrawal of the hike which, they said, was arbitrary and exploitative. They reiterated their demand of monitoring and regulating the steel prices in the country as it formed the basic raw material for most of the industry. |
|
City sets record in
loan advances Ludhiana, July 1 This was disclosed by Mr. Sumer Singh Gurjer, Additional Deputy Commissioner (D), while presiding over a meeting of the DLRC held at the Bachat Bhavan here today to review the progress under the Annual Credit Plan 2002-2003 for the last quarter i.e. up to March 31, 2003. Mr Gurjer informed that loans of Rs 2,253 crore under different schemes had been disbursed last year. Giving scheme wise details, the ADC informed that the loan amounting to Rs 826 crore had been disbursed to small scale industrial units against the fixed target of Rs 609 crore recording 136 per cent achievement. In the Agriculture sector, loans amounting to Rs 638 crore i.e. 102 per cent of the target and crop loans amounting to Rs 608 crore against the target of Rs 571 crores, registering 106 per cent progress had been advanced. He said that under the other priorities sector schemes, loans amounting to Rs 479 crore against the fixed target of Rs 390 crore, achieving 120 per cent of target has been released. He claimed that the credit debt ratio as on March 31 has been registered at 63 per cent as against the norms of the Reserve Bank of India of 60 per cent. He informed that the targets under PMRY of 1000 cases is fully achieved as well as under the SGSY schemes is also fully achieved. The Additional Deputy
Commissioner(D) had asked the officers of different banks and departments concerned to strive hard to achieve the fixed targets under different schemes of the Annual Credit Plan during this year also. Mr R. S. Chhatwal, DGM, Punjab and Sind
Bank, assured the house to make all efforts for the achievement of next years plan. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
