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Robbers kill postmaster, decamp with Rs 2,000
Ludhiana, July 5
A sub-postmaster of Jamalpur post office on the Chandigarh road here was murdered by three unidentified youths, after he refused to pay them cash he was counting in the afternoon here today.

The grieving wife and family members of Surjit Singh, who was killed by robbers, in Ludhiana on Saturday. — Photo Inderjit Verma

Petrol stations, gas agencies raided
Ludhiana, July 5
For the past three days, the officials of the Food and Supplies Department have been raiding petrol pumps and gas agencies in Bhatinda, Ferozepure, Moga, Mansa and Faridkot to check adulteration and overstocking.

Ex-minister Garcha booked
Ludhiana, July 5
The Dehlon police has booked around 10 Akali leaders, including former Technical Education Minister, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha and his brother, for burning an effigy of the Chief Minister for alleged interference of a Congress leader in the election process during the recent panchayat elections in the block.

City heralds monsoon Ludhiana, July 5 Providing the much needed respite from the blistering heat, the first showers of the monsoon in the district today cheered the local residents and easing pressure on the electricity as well as water supplies. The urbanites as well as ruralites heaved a sigh of relief as the mercury dipped to a considerable low after the rain. The weather remained pleasant throughout the day as the drizzle continued. For the past many days, there was no relief from the hot and humid weather prevailing in the city. The power cuts and erratic water supply had made the lives of people all the more miserable in some areas. Students open umbrellas as the rain hit Ludhiana on Saturday. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

Customers ransack Reliance phone office
Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 5
Agitated at not receiving mobile phone connections, customers ransacked the Reliance Web Store and manhandled the staff at Malerkotla, near here, today. A strong posse of police brought the situation under control after a mild struggle.

Stampede at Reliance showroom

Ludhiana, July 5 Some angry customers of the Reliance WLL phones today broke the windowpanes of the Reliance showroom on the Mall here after they were reportedly told that the company had run out of stock and the handsets would be available after sometime. However, company officials said there was no shortage of sets and these were being provided on the spot. Police personnel at the Reliance office which was attacked by a mob at Ludhiana on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

COMMUNITY

Minister promises powers to panchayats
Ludhiana, July 5
The state government will provide all the powers granted under the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution to the newly elected panchayats to ensure their full participation in the development process of the villages, says Minister for Jails, Housing and Urban Development Malkiat Singh Birmi.

Fed up of graft, residents head abroad
Ludhiana, July 5
'Nepotism, sycophancy and corruption can sum up the present scenario in the country. Corruption has seeped into every stream of life. Efficient and dedicated people are bypassed and sycophants rule the roost. Corruption has become so pervasive that one does not know what values can one impart to children,” says Dr Monisha Gupta.

• Directive on Canadian immigration

Hanspal regrets Advani’s remarks
Ludhiana, July 5
Pradesh Congress Committee president H.S. Hanspal has regretted the remarks made by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, against the anti-corruption drive of the Punjab Government. He said Mr Advani appears to be deliberately trying to influence the investigations going on into the corruption of Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Tikka meets Sonia Gandhi
Ludhiana, July 5
The senior vice-president of the Pradesh Youth Congress, Mr Amarjit Singh Tikka, met the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, in Delhi yesterday. He presented a statue of Rajiv Gandhi to her. The statue was especially sculpted in Rajasthan.

SAD(A) activists stage dharna
Amloh, July 5
Due to non-declaration of panchayat election result of Ghulu Majra near here, activists of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and village staged a dharna in front of the SDM office, Amloh, on Friday.

Ducks awaiting adoption Ludhiana, July 5 More than three years after the Mini Zoo in Nehru Rose Garden here was closed, the fate of ducks left in the garden at that time, still hangs in balance as neither the Municipal Corporation nor the state wildlife department has taken the possession of these as the species does not come under the wild animal category. Ducks in a small enclosure at Nehru Rose Garden in Ludhiana on Saturday. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

Baba Maharaj Singh remembered

Rabbob Uchhi (Ludhiana), July 5 Tributes were paid to Baba Maharaj Singh on his 48th martyrdom here today. Cutting across the party lines, people from all sections of society thronged the place to pay tributes to one of the founders of the freedom movement. Mr H.S. Hanspal, president, PPCC, Mr Lal Singh, Finance Minister, and Mr Tej Parkash Singh pay floral tributes to Shaheed Baba Maharaj Singh, founder of the freedom movement, to commemorate his 48th martyrdom day at his native village, Rabbon Uchi, in Ludhiana district on Saturday. — IV

CITY SCAN
A tribute to Freud and Sher Singh
THEORETICALLY and democratically, all citizens are equal. Actually and practically, some persons are more equal than others. Genetically, all humans are different as individuals. Intelligence and imagination are rare personal assets of an individual. In the core of an individual lies the potential of curiosity.

Tickle taste buds with Mexican food

Ludhiana, July 5 Going by the content and taste, there seems to be too much similarity between the Mexican and Indian cuisines. But only if you are not a vegetarian. There are mutton, chicken and fish with exotic flavours, yet quite familiar in taste. With Love from Mexico: Mexican chefs in their traditional attire at the food festival in Park Plaza, Ludhiana. — A Tribune photograph

CRIME

Laptop, cash stolen from parked car
Doraha, July 5
Dinesh Raj Battu, Regional Receivable Manager of a company named Cholamandalam, was robbed of a bag containing valuables and important documents from his car that he had parked at McDonald's, a highway restaurant, near Doraha, last evening.

Three travel agents booked for fraud
Ludhiana, July 5
Three travel agents were booked in two cases for alleged fraud by the city police yesterday. The first case was registered at the Civil Lines police station under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Narinder Singh, a resident of Prem Nagar in Ghumar Mandi, against Rajinder Singh, a resident of Industrial Area-A, and Charanjit Singh, a resident of Urban Estate, Dugri.

274 POs held 
Ludhiana, July 5
The Ludhiana police has nabbed 274 proclaimed offenders in the past six months, according to Mr Narinderpal Singh, SSP. He said in a press release here today that the PO Wing of the police had arrested, 1041 proclaimed offenders last year and with the arrests in the past six months, the number of proclaimed offenders held so far had come to 1,315.

BUSINESS

Small-scale industry ‘lacks’ incentives
Ludhiana, July 5
Industry in the state, especially the small-scale industry, is passing through a crisis at present. The industrial environment as a whole is bleak due to several factors. On the one hand, the government admits that the SSI sector is the backbone of the country’s economy and claims to make efforts to provide it protection, but on the other no incentives are provided to this sector.

Mutual Fund opens centre in city
Ludhiana, July 5
Standard Chartered Mutual Fund, India's only exclusive debt fund house, today announced the launch of its operations in the city. With the opening up of its centre here, Standard Chartered Mutual Fund will offer investors in Ludhiana an entire range of eight innovative, well-researched debt schemes.

Schools clueless over new subjects
No guidelines from education board
Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 5
Though a quarter of the academic session has passed, heads of the schools affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board, SAS Nagar, are confused over the teaching of Municipal Solid Waste-Environment Awareness which has been introduced as a subject for the first time in the curriculum.

Probe demanded in admission fee racket 
Ludhiana, July 5
Vigilance sleuths had raided SDP Senior Secondary School, Hazoori Road, on Thursday as it was brought to the notice of Vigilance officials by Mr Suresh Gupta, president, Ludhiana Sewa Sangh, that the school management was charging more fee than fixed for admissions. It is a private aided school and gets 95 per cent aid from the government.

BBA, BCA  aspirants likely to get admission
Ludhiana, July 5
Admission to BBA and BCA courses in colleges will be a cakewalk this year. There are as many aspirants as the number of seats in almost all local colleges affiliated with Punjab Technical University.