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Tension over demolitions Ludhiana, January 15 Meanwhile, improvement trust officials have complained to the SSP, Mr Narinderpal Singh, to take action against the accused. The officials stated in the complaint that earlier it was believed that the corporation had demolished the toilets but later they came to know that it was the handiwork of a shopkeeper. Sources in the improvement trust said the Chairman of the trust had written a letter to the corporation authorities, asking them whether they had demolished the complex or not. But the trust had not received any reply till date. A senior official of the improvement trust said after investigations it was found that the toilets were demolished by the shopkeeper only. In the complaint even the name of the shopkeeper was mentioned. The official said it was up to the police to find out the accused and book him. Shopkeepers said the toilets were demolished at night and they came to know in the morning. They said they had met the shopkeeper concerned, who promised them to get the toilets constructed in the area. They said visitors as well as shopkeepers were facing problems after the demolition. The accused shopkeeper, however, denied all charges. He said the toilets were using by anti-social elements. The residents of nearby areas did not like it and they complained about it to the corporation. He, however, could not produce a copy of the residents’ complaint. |
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No clue to missing businessman His wife Pratima, who is a teacher in BCM Senior School, Chandigarh Road, said her husband was an iron broker and most of his dealings were around
Ludhiana, including Gobindgarh and nearby areas. Rarely he used to go to Delhi for business. On January 5 in the evening, Ravinder Kumar told her that he was going to Ambala for work and would return the next day. "I kept on waiting for him till January 6 evening but when I did not get any information from him I got worried. I tried to contact him on his mobile number 98142-01297, but it was switched off. On January 7, around 4 PM, I got two missed calls from his number. Since I was busy doing some work, I could not answer the calls. I immediately called him back, once I came to know of those missed calls, but at that time also, the mobile was switched off. It's been 10 days now and we have no clue about him”, said Pratima, while talking to Ludhiana Tribune here today. The couple has two sons aged 15 years and 12 years, respectively. Pratima said they never had any family problem and were leading a normal and comfortable life. “Neither we faced any financial problem. Since we both are working, we never had any problem. But Ravinder never shared anything about his business with me. The day, he left the house, he parked his scooter at home and said he was going with someone in his (the accompanying person’s) car. I am not sure whether someone came to pick him up or not. To the best of my knowledge, my husband had no personal rivalry", claimed Pratima. The family of 40 year old Ravinder Kumar, basically hails from Delhi and his wife belongs to Naya Nangal. The worried parents and in-laws of Ravinder Kumar have camped here to know his whereabouts. An FIR was lodged by the family at Focal Point Police Station on January 12. “Yesterday, the police had come to investigate. A policeman has been sent to the Spice Telecom office to know the details of outgoing and incoming calls made from my husband’s mobile number. I hope he is fine and returns soon”, said Pratima while tears rolled down her cheeks. |
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Mander sees govt hand in Gujarat riots Ludhiana, January 15 Mr Mander was here to deliver a lecture on ‘Challenges of Securing Social Justice and Secularism in Indian State’ organised by the Media Artists. He maintained that there was a sustained campaign going on against various minorities. “We are creating minorities and manufacturing hatred against them”, he regretted. Commenting upon the communal situation in the country, the former bureaucrat refused to agree that the incidents like the Gujarat violence, the 1984 Delhi riots or the 1992 Mumbai riots were aberrations. “We will be deceiving ourselves if we believe that these were aberrations,” he asserted, while holding that the communalism had infected “the very soul of the society”. He recalled from his experience in Gujarat that the participation of Dalits, tribesmen and women in the riots was very disturbing. He stated that he was more pained to see that “everything seemed to be going on in an absolutely normal way” after violence in Gujarat. “There were no regrets seen anywhere, while nearly one lakh people were still living in the relief camps”, he said. Holding on to his contention that the Gujarat riots had the clear approval of the government, he said, “I believe from my experience that no riots, howsoever serious these may be, cannot continue for more than a few hours if these have not the approval and support of the government”. Calling for a thorough introspection, Mr Mander said: “We need to think whether we are going to create a ‘Hindu Pakistan’ in India or to realise the ideals visualised by the founding fathers of our Constitution who dreamt of a welfare and secular state with the theme of social justice and equality for all”. He said the nation was at the crossroads and it was necessary for the people to make a careful choice. |
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PAU gets
Rs 5 crore arrears Ludhiana, January 15 Dr Aulakh said here yesterday that the university had handed over its sugarcane farmland (61 acres) in Jalandhar to the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences and 104 acres to PUDA. The university was promised Rs 15 crore as compensation in lieu of the land and for development of experimental farm at the Central State Seed Farm, Ladowal. The government had paid Rs 10 crore and the remaining amount was not paid for more than two years. On December 2002, Mr Y.S. Ratra, the then Chief Secretary, had ordered the release of Rs 5 crore to PAU with interest. But the payment was delayed. Dr Aulakh said he had also requested the government to allocate more funds to the university to meet the salary of 179 employees of the seed farm at Ladowal. The annual salary bill of the employees is Rs 1.5 crore. Dr Aulakh has also urged the government to transfer the entire land of the seed farm to PAU for experimentation and multiplication of seeds of various crops. The government has so far given 1,250 acres to PAU out of the 2,750 acres. The Vice-Chancellor said the university would take up the construction of laboratories
and staff quarters at the Ladowal farm. |
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Man found dead Doraha, January 15 According to the brother of the deceased,
“Last night, I served him food in his room in the fields and came
back. In the morning today, I found him murdered in the
room.” According to sources, Jeet Singh had been struck on the head
with a sharp-edged weapon. Personal enmity may have led to the murder
since he had no valuables in his possession. A case has been
registered under Sections 302/34 of the IPC at Payal police station
and the body recovered by the police for further investigation. |
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MC Commissioner on World Bank panel Ludhiana, January 15 The World Bank and the DFID, on the request of the Government of India, had undertaken the preparation of a policy note on strategic options for increased and sustainable private financing of infrastructure projects for urban and rural poor communities. The preparatory study was based on discussions with senior functionaries of the Union Government, the state governments, financial institutions and micro-finance institutions. Selected case studies of private financing in community infrastructure projects were also carried out. According to a note received here by Mr Michael F. Carter, Community Director, India, of the World Bank, the workshop in which the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation would also be collaborating, would discuss in details the strategic options suggested by the study before the policy document was forwarded to the Government of India. Among several key issues to be discussed during the two-day meeting are land and slum improvement, state plans and perspectives, scaling up of slum improvement, the proposed approach to sustainable private financing of community infrastructure in India, emerging India Experiences in this field and the way forward. The honour has been bestowed upon the MC chief. Ludhiana as the city has the distinction of having been selected for a major slum improvement programme through improved access to basic services with the active assistance of Indo-USAID and Cities Alliance and a significant work has already been done to achieve the desired objective. Giving details of the project, Mr Sharma told Ludhiana Tribune that initially 209 low income settlements, providing shelter to a population of 3.5 lakh people, were identified and almost all of these settlements did not have access to basic civic amenities. Under an integrated project, the Indo-USAID and the Cities Alliance, in partnership with the National Institute of Urban Affairs had launched a programme to provide support to the MC to improve access of services to these low income settlements. The first phase of the project, that of preparing a database of the settlements, accompanied with ward, zone and city level maps, availability of infrastructure and other facilities, was completed in January 2002, followed by phase II in May 2003 under which establishment of sustainable framework for provision of urban services in these localities was facilitated. After the project was formally launched in May 2002 and there was intensive interaction with stake holders, NGOs, community organizers and civic experts, a programme for community mobilisation was initiated to bring out the potential of the people in dealing with their own problems. He said the central feature of the project was preparation of community action plans for upgrading the low income settlements in the city. The plans were prepared for 20 settlements in the first phase and development works worth an estimated sum of Rs 2 crore were carried out in these settlement, benefitting about 10 per cent of the urban poor in the city. Besides, about 350 women and 60 men from these colonies had been organised into strong groups who meet twice in a month to discuss local issues and formulate strategies to overcome them. |
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Resumption of Samjhauta Express to help ease tension Ahmedgarh, January 15 Mr Nusrat Akram Khan Bagga, SAD leader and former sports minister, said the resumption would ease the long-prevailing tension among the residents of the two countries, particularly in the border states. He said, “besides boosting the peace move, this would also give a heeling touch to the Indian Muslims, he added. Mr Happy Verma, general secretary of the All-India Sikh Students Federation, termed the resumption as the completion of the air, road and rail link. He said while the proposed talks between India and Pakistan were expected to bring heads together, the resumption of the train would certainly bring bodies closer. According to Mr Munir Mohammed, president of the Muslim Youth Front, the Samjhauta Express was the only means for the common people to keep social ties alive. He said though bus and air links had been restored, people preferred to travel by train due to its nominal fares and better facilities. Elderly and sick persons also felt more comfortable while travelling by train. Moreover, travelling by train also increased chances of interaction, he claimed. Mr Hamid Mohammad Bughar, however, was not much enthusiastic over the resumption of the train. He said, “Though I have many friends and relatives in Lahore and Karachi, I will like to paddle down to my friends, and that also only when no visa is required.” |
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Narrow escape for trader Ludhiana, January 15 He said when he reached the bridge across the Sidhwan canal near South City, he saw a tempo parked there. Some persons were standing beside it. When he stopped, they directed him to take another route as the road ahead was blocked. Mr Chadha alleged that when he took a turn, he was tailed by the tempo. After driving for a short distance, his car was hit by the tempo in an alleged attempt to push him into the canal. When he realised that his car was sliding into the canal, he opened its doors and jumped out. By that time the driver of the tempo had fled. He said since it was early morning and the visibility was not good, he could not see the faces of the persons nor note the number of the tempo. Mr Chadha alleged that this attempt on his life had been made by his business partners, with whom he is fighting a legal battle. He said a few days ago he was assaulted by his rivals and beaten up. “They left me thinking that I was dead,” he said, adding that one of his friends had seen him and rescued him. He said the previous day he had been called to Delhi by his lawyer as his rivals had offered a compromise. But when he reached there, nobody turned up. Mr Chadha alleged that he was threatened with dire consequences. |
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‘Crorepati’ remains down to earth Ludhiana, January 15 But Mr Vijay Kumar acts as ordinarily as he used to before he became a crorepati. He did not miss his work even today. While he was talking to this reporter, his mind appeared to be preoccupied with his usual work of cutting patterns for T-shirts. He, however, regrets that his mother, who expired on December 25 last, did not see the fortune coming to him. His employer, Mr Bhushan Maini, said Vijay had been with him for about 20 years. “He has always been loyal and sincere,” he added. Thirtyfour-year-old Vijay Kumar belongs to Gurdaspur district. His family moved here in search of work about 20 years ago. He has five brothers and all of them live together. He has five daughters and two sons. Mr Vijay Kumar does not know what to do with this huge amount. He said he would ensure that his children have good education. He has not decided as yet what to do with the remaining money. “Whatever Babuji (employer) tells me, I will do that”, a modest Vijay says, adding that he would continue to work to earn his livelihood. |
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Regularisation of colonies sought Ludhiana, January 15 Addressing a meeting of the association here last evening, its president, Mr Kultar Singh Jogi, said the residents of such unauthorised colonies in urban areas were in possession of all documents regarding their properties and title deeds, besides holding power connections for years. The matter for the regularisation of these colonies had been hanging fire since 1995. He further maintained that in its election manifesto, the ruling state government had assured that it would regularise all such colonies and extend civic amenities to these colonies. However, no effective steps had been taken in this direction so far since the Congress assumed power in the state. Mr Jogi pointed out that there would be no financial burden on the government if the proposal was put into effect. On the contrary, the government would be able to earn crores of rupees from the residents of unauthorised colonies by way of development charges. The association urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to take up the matter on top priority. Among others who attended the meeting were Mr T.R.Tak, Mr Gurmukh Singh, Mr Surinder Singh, Mr Rajinder Singh, Mr Bhag Singh and Mr Sukhdev Singh. |
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Blankets distributed among lepers Ludhiana, January 15 Mr Singh pointed out that lepers were one of the most ignored sections of the society. He said, although the government had taken several measures for ameliorating their lot, yet others should also provide relief and assistance to them. He maintained that the bank had always stood by the downtrodden and weaker sections of the society. He assured that the bank would always come to the aid of such people.
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Railway men stage dharna against VRS Ludhiana, January 15 Mr Daljit Singh, assistant divisional secretary, NRMU, said several representations had been made to the authorities, but no action had been taken so far. He said the recently announced VRS was aimed at forcing the employees to quit. He alleged that the government was taking such steps without realising the ground realities and was blindly following liberalisation policy. |
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Factory worker killed Ludhiana, January 15 Jail inmates injured:
Murder bid alleged:
Girl kidnapped:
Man killed:
Cases of assault:
The Shimla Puri police yesterday registered a case under Sections 323,341,148 and 506 of the IPC on the statement of Mr. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Shimla Puri, against Jeevan Mani, Mohan, Bhinda, Deepi and about five other unknown persons accompanying them. The complainant had alleged that the accused intercepted him on the road, beat him up and injured him. the accused also threatened him before going away, added the complainant. Gamblers held:
Liquor seized:
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Pact with Thailand may
hit Punjab units Ludhiana, January 15 This move is being opposed by the All-India Auto Parts Manufacturing Association. Mr P.D. Sharma, the president of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the FTA might not prove to be so beneficial. He pointed out that India had FTA with Sri Lanka. Although Indian export to Sri Lanka rose by 46 per cent, the boom in export was mainly due to the export of transport equipment and other such items not included in the agreement. He said major producers of cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers would prefer to get components from Thailand rather than Punjab, as it would be cheaper. In India, auto parts industry is limited by government regulations. The limit for small scale is just Rs 1 crore and no manufacturer can compete with Thailand within this limit, Mr Sharma said. In the era of stiff competition modern but costly machinery is the only answer to meet the challenge. The limit of small scale on investment should be raised to at least Rs 5 crores, he added. Mr Sharma alleged that the Union Government had entered into the agreement at the behest of some industrial houses who had their base in Thailand. The Union Government had miscalculated that Indian industry would be able to have its foothold in China and South East Asian countries, he said, adding that FTAs should preferably be signed with rich countries. Mr Sharma has urged the government to rethink on the issue. If this agreement had to be made, major regulatory measures must be taken, he asserted. These include reducing custom duty on raw materials like steel to 5 per cent and updating the infrastructure. |
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Birla MF launches asset allocation fund Ludhiana, January 15 He said the fund had four plans to deal with various risk profiles. These include dynamic debt plan, conservative plan, moderate plan and aggressive plan. He said, the fund would allocate assets at strategic and tactical level. Briefing about the asset allocation, he said, it basically conducts risk profile to check the appetite for risk, constructs a portfolio that is suitable for the risk profile, continuously rebalances assets to keep the risk of the portfolio constant and carries out change in portfolio if the risk profile is altered. Mr Waqar maintained that the Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company Ltd was a joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group and Sun Life Financial Services of Canada. With total assets under management of around Rs 9500 crore including two offshore schemes and privileged account service spread across over 4.5 lakh investors, the company had consistently endeavourd to provide investors with superior risk adjusted return in a family of funds. |
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Malwa Industries
celebrates founder’s day Machhiwara, January
15 |
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Ludhiana
January 15
