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‘Greed’ makes them occupy martyr’s house Ludhiana, March 23 As the work on the preservation of memorial started two months ago, the sister-in-law of the woman already staying in the house, joined her with her husband. The tenants, who had been living in the house for the past many years had been proving a stumbling block in the preservation of the house. They had been demanding an alternative place from the government before vacating the martyr’s house on the plea that they were very poor and had no place to go. Various proposals were mooted to rehabilitate the family, but no solution could be found. Before taking up the preservation work on the memorial, Dr Hardip Singh, convener of the Shaheed Sukhdev Yaadgar Committee, had stated that he would not displace the tenants until some arrangements were made for them. The two families are demanding an accommodation of 100-sq yd. Earlier, there was a proposal to provide a 50-yard plot to the first family with one room erected on it. When the plight of martyr’s house became public, a widow, Saroj, used to stay in the house with her daughter and son. She married off her daughter who joined her in-laws’ family in another area of the city. Later, her son, Raju, was also married with a girl from Amritsar. Meanwhile, Saroj passed away and house continued to be occupied by the young couple. Raju also died of a mysterious disease after few months of his marriage. Now his widow had been living in the house with her posthumous son for the past two years. Her father from Amritsar has also come here to live with her. As if this was not enough, Raju’s sister, who was married off years ago, came here and started living with her husband in the same house. Both women refused to tell their names to the Ludhiana Tribune team that visited them today. Raju’s sister said she had started living here as their house was demolished some days ago and she had no other option but to join her sister-in-law. Some residents of the area alleged that both women, thinking that they would get something for vacating the house, were continuing to stay here. “They had realised that the house was of special importance to the country and they would not be thrown out like this. Had they been staying in somebody else’s house, he would have got it vacated from them by now,” they said. Raju’s widow was also not interested in living in this house as she wanted to join her family in Amritsar, the only compulsion was their “greed” which was forcing her to stay back here, they said. Dr Hardip Singh said they would not get the house vacated forcibly, rather they would deal with the occupants sympathetically. |
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Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru remembered Ludhiana, March 23 Activists of the All- India Anti-Terrorists Front organised a scooter and motor- cycle rallies which started from the Old Sabzi Mandi Chowk and proceeded to Jagraon Bridge where floral tributes were paid to the martyrs. The district chief of the body, Mr Anil Sharma, and the state general secretary, Mr Yogesh Diwan, led the rally. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers, led by its district president, Mr Sanjay Kapoor, marched to the ancestral house of martyr Sukhdev, now converted into a memorial, in Naughara here and paid tributes to the martyrs. Among others, Mr Rajinder Bhandari, general secretary of state unit of BJP, Mr Subhash Bhatia, vice president of district BJP and Mr Parveen Bansal, councillor were present on the occasion. Congress activists, led by its district president, Mr Jagmohan Sharma, marched from Congress Bhavan to Jagraon Bridge where a prayer meeting was organised and statues of the three martyrs were garlanded. The SC/ST Cell of Punjab Youth Congress also observed martyrdom day as the functionaries of cell paid homage to the martyrs. The Shiv Sena (Hindustan) took out a peace march in memory of the martyrs and the party functionaries paid tributes by garlanding the statues of the three martyrs at Jagraon Bridge. The national general secretary of the party Mr Pawan Sharma, who led the slogan chanting Shiv Sainiks exhorted the people to remember the great sons of the soil, who were assets of the nation. Members of the Active Anti-Corruption Group organised a scooter rally from Mini Rose Garden
in Kidwai Nagar to Jagraon Bridge to observe the martyrdom day. More than 100 scooterists and motor- cyclists paid floral tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and took a pledge to safeguard unity and integrity of the country. The Punjab chief of the Bairagi Mahamandal, Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, while presiding over the function, held at Punjabi Bhavan rued that despite unparalleled sacrifices made by great martyrs,
the country had failed to provide justice to the minorities even after 56 years of freedom. In separate functions, organised by All- India Youth Federation, Rajiv Gandhi Youth Federation, Punjab Congress Seva Sangh, Crime Free India Bureau, Bharatiya Yuva Maitri Sangh, Divya Shakti Sena (Muslim wing) and Green Land Senior Secondary School, tributes were paid to the martyrs, whose sacrifices had made it possible for
The Inqulabi Kendra, observed the martyrs’ day in the new Grain market in which many organisations participated. Mr Baldev Singh Rasulpur, president, Pendu Mazdoor Union, Mr Parivar Singh Galib of the BKU and other leaders of the union offered floral tributes to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. Tiny tots of Kiddies Paradise, Kochhar Market, here observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. With folded hands and patriotic feelings, the children paid homage to the gerat heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the nation. On the occasion, many students came dressed like Bhagat Singh and sang ‘Mera rang de basanti chola’. They were told about the role of the trio in freedom struggle. They were shown clippings from the movie, ‘The legend of Bhagat Singh’. MANDI GOBINDGARH: People of Punjab have played a significant role in the freedom struggle of India and have made numerous sacrifices, said Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, former Member, Lok Sabha, and a Congress candidate from Ropar (reserved) constituency. He was addressing a cultural mela organised in memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh by Shaheed Bhagat Singh Social Welfare and the Sports Club Khanpur in Khanpur village, near here. “Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’, a choreography directed by Master Harkesh from Mullanpur Dakha, and two plays written by Ajmer Singh Aulakh — “Sukki Bhukh” and “Mithi Rudan Karay” — were presented besides magic tricks. |
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Cops in the dock in fraud case Ludhiana, March 23 The inquiry was conducted by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prem Chand on the orders of the District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Anurag Verma. The SDM has also sought an explanation from the Central Jail officials on how the accused managed to be hospitalised in violation of the rules. The District Magistrate had ordered the inquiry after the alleged irregularity was highlighted in newspapers. The inquiry officer has recommended strong action against the cops concerned. The police was examining the report and the likely action, sources said. The SDM has confirmed the contents of his inquiry report to Ludhiana Tribune. The accused had hogged limelight last year when he was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Delhi for allegedly duping the government of over Rs 20 crore by availing export incentive using ‘fraudulent’ means. Vinod Garg, promoter of Garg Forging and Casting Limited, Ludhiana, was booked under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act (COFEPOSA) Act. He was lodged in the Tihar Jail in Delhi and his brother, N.D. Garg, arrested in Ludhiana under the same act, was incarcerated in a Ludhiana jail. According to news reports, Vinod Garg was scheduled to appear before the CJM in Amritsar on February 20 in connection with another case registered by the DRI in Amritsar in 2001. When DRI officials went to take the accused on production warrant from the Tihar Jail, they were told that he had been shifted to the Central Jail, Ludhiana. Later, they found him in a city hospital. The DRI is separately investigating the alleged irregularities in the accused’s shifting from the Tihar Jail to the Central Jail. According to the inquiry report, the doctors attending on the accused have stated that no cop was accompanying Vinod Garg when he came to the hospital. “He just came like any other patient and no one knew he was an undertrial brought from the Central Jail,” they have said. The main allegation in the case registered by the DRI states that the accused claimed to export steel forgings costing between Rs 175 to Rs 200 per kg. But actually, they used to export cheap iron scrap that costs about Rs 5 per kg only. Moreover, the scrap was not even exported to the destinations claimed in the documents. They claimed to have exported 540 containers of steel forgings in the past three years. Each container would weigh 21,000 kg. The incentive, according to sources, is 20 per cent of the cost of the consignment. Since the prices were inflated by about 40 times, they claimed huge export incentives running into crores. The Gargs used to claim that they had been exporting consignments to England, where they named several companies as their buyers. Even those companies existed on papers only. They had printed the letterheads of these companies themselves. They would send the orders of their own and do all communication on behalf of the buyers themselves. |
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Woman pushes man to death Ludhiana, March 23 The Basti Jodhewal police said the man was taken to a hospital by some residents of the area where he was declared ‘brought dead’. The woman has been missing but the police has rounded up some of her relatives. In the morning, the woman had lodged a complaint against the man and his son in the Basti Jodhewal police station accusing them of abusing and beating her up. The police came to arrest the two. However, on intervention of the area residents, who alleged that the woman was a habitual complainant and was fighting with all residents, the police did not arrest the two persons. However, later in the afternoon, the woman caught hold of the man in a street and after abusing him allegedly pushed him from his bicycle.
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Cricket fever takes its toll on other activities. Everyone sits glued before the TV screen and the general life comes to a halt. The city wears a deserted look and there is huge loss of business. But the surprising point is that no one seems to be seriously minding it. The cinema halls lose the viewers. Movies are not released. Shopkeepers don’t get customers. Even the busy audio-video CDs sellers in Bhadaur House and Ghumar Mandi do not get much business. Still, there are no hard feelings. Cricket provides us wholesome entertainment. The business will return next as the people have merely postponed it, not cancelled, said an ardent cricket fan to Sentinel while expressing the feeling of euphoria at the country’s historic victory over Pakistan in Lahore. Police and criminals The British police recently wished to set up a police station in India. It would have helped them in tracing some wanted NRI criminals who had fled back to their home country. One appreciates the focus of the British police in nailing criminals. Alas! That can’t be said about the Punjab Police. Though every one admits that labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are responsible for the more than 70 per cent of crime taking place here, no one has made any persistent effort to deal with the problem. Police teams from Punjab, especially Ludhiana have to repeatedly tour the other states in search of wanted criminals but no one has thought on British lines about setting up some kind of wing or police station there to keep a better eye on the criminals. Too busy to protest The various protests and dharnas by farmer organisations, which are in full swing in many parts of the country, are soon going to be a thing of the past for quite sometime now. As April approaches the farmers would be busy in harvesting their ripe crop which has started turning golden in the fields. They would be too busy to register their protest in any way. Going mobile A maid working in various households in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar area has bought a mobile. As she is much sought after by some women of the area for her massaging skills, she has preferred to buy a cell phone so that she can be easily contacted. As one calls her up on her phone, she quickly picks it up with a hello followed by ‘‘Shanti maalish waali’’. But when she is asked about the number of her phone, she says, ‘‘mujhe number yaad nahin rehta, aap doosri bibi se pooch lena,’’ (I cannot remember the phone number. You please take it down from other madam.) No respect for martyrs Nations who forget the sacrifice of their martyrs are doomed, it is said. This old adage was reminded during the inauguration ceremony of martyr Sukhdev Thapar Memorial. When it was on in the city, suddenly there was a power failure. As the organisers were put in a quandary over the electricity failure, a resident of the area suggested to take the supply from a house in neighbourhood as it had a gen-set. When the organisers went to the resident asking for his services for some time, he flatly refused to oblige, stating that it had developed a snag. A neighbour, however, told the organisers that only few hours ago he had seen it working. Beauty contests
Getting hot The weather has warmed up so suddenly that many people have been caught unawares. Earlier it was the chill, but now it is the heat. Many city residents have had to discard their quilts and woollens overnight, while some have had to clean up fans and airconditioners on priority. The sudden spurt in the sale of room coolers and fans during the past few days is only an indication of the heat to come. Political battlefield Ludhiana is turning into a political battlefield for all the political parties. May it be the Congress or the Akali Dal or even the smaller parties like the Lok Bhalai Party, each one tries to show its strength in the city or its vicinity for two reasons. The first being that there are 35 lakh-odd voters in this parliamentary constituency whom all politicians want to influence and the second is that most parties popular or otherwise do find a large gathering of people who have nothing better to do than to come and spend time at the political gathering. The politicians may be happy but the residents are fed up as every time there is a political rally, the already chaotic traffic in the city gets worse. With the elections around the corner, most people are beginning to reconcile to this. Spying on others With the elections for the 14th Parliament already having been announced, politicians are more interested on information about the activities or their political rivals rather than their own supporters. Every time there is a press conference or a rally by a political party, scribes are flooded with phone calls from rival politicians wanting to know about the activities of their political foes. Media persons who are already under pressure with the increased political activity have no choice but to oblige as they are themselves dependent upon the politicians for information many a times. Tailpiece Two farmers overheard talking to each other at PAU kisan mela: ‘‘Why does the Rashtrapati of our country have no rights?” ‘‘Because no pati (husband) can ever have any right’’ replied the other. Sentinel |
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Slums to get amenities in phased manner Ludhiana, March 23 This was disclosed by the MC Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma, after an interaction with a team of experts from Cities Alliance (World Bank), the INDO-US Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE) Project and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) here yesterday. The visiting team comprised Ms Alison Barrett, Regional Adviser, Cities Alliance, Mr Chetan Vaidya, Principal Urban Management Adviser, Indo-US FIRE Project, and Ms Usha P. Raghupathi, Professor, NIUA. Mr Sharma said out of total 209 slums identified under an urban slum development programme through improved access to basic services, with the active assistance of Indo-USAID and Cities Alliance, 57 colonies had already been developed and provided basic amenities at an expenditure of around Rs 5 crore and the government had been asked to de-notify these localities. Another 105 settlements had been partly developed while the work was being taken up in a phased manner in the rest of the slums. On completion of the project by the end of the next year, more than 3.5 lakh residents of these localities would get all basic amenities on a par with their counterparts in other colonies. He said only those urban settlements, which did not involve any unlawful occupation of government and private land, were being taken up for development at the moment. However, the MC had evolved a conceptual plan for resettlement of inhabitants of slums, which were set up on government or municipal land. “Though the plan has yet to take a final shape, the MC might seek private participation to create a fund with the help of corporate sector for the purpose.” Ms Barrett, Regional Adviser of The Cities Alliance, said an integrated project had been launched in the city to provide support to the MC for improving amenities in these settlements. The first phase of the project involved the preparation of a database of the settlements, including maps, details of infrastructure and other facilities available. This work was completed in January, 2002. It was followed by the second phase, undertaken 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 organisers and civic experts, a programme for community mobilisation was initiated to bring out the potential of the people in dealing with their own problems,” she said. She observed that the aim of the project was to mobilise members of the community to organise themselves and focus on steps which needed to be taken up to improve access to basic amenities. |
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Bid to encroach upon park Ludhiana, March 23 The construction of a boundary wall and an enclosure in the park was stopped. Members of the industrial community and area residents
demanded proper maintenance of the park. Steps should be taken to check recurrence of such attempts in future, they said. Mr Raghbir Singh Khalsa, president of the Industrial Area-B Welfare Association, along with some other members of the body, was instrumental in scuttling the encroachment bid. The connivance of certain employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board in the act was also suspected, he said. Employees of the PSEB had shifted an electricity pole from near the boundary of the park, before the start of work. “Lack of proper maintenance and persistent neglect of parks on the part of the civic body has also emboldened anti-social elements and other vested interests to encroach upon parks and greenbelts”, he added. Several other members of the association, including Mr Bhupinder Singh Milap, Mr Jang Bahadur Singh Deep, Mr Mohinder Singh Panesar, Mr Avtar Singh Narang, Mr Baljeet Singh GK, Mr Balwinder Singh Gharial, Mr Rakesh Kumar, Mr Amar Singh Bhambar, Mr Ajaib Singh Bhutta and Mr Harwinder Singh Sohal, were also present on the spot. They urged the Municipal Corporation to pay attention to the maintenance of parks. |
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Rahul’s candidature hailed Ludhiana, March 23 He said Rahul was the most deserving candidate as he was the son of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who had lowered the voting age to rope in the youth of the country. |
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Workshop on soya products Ludhiana, March 23 Dr G.S. Padda, Head of the department, said the experts from New Delhi would demonstrate the preparation of various bakery and snack food products incorporating soya ingredients. Mr S.C. Dubey, bakery consultant with the ASA, would speak on the ‘Use of soya flour and soya products in bakery and food products’. Mr Sanjay Deigh, exports manager, from the Sonic Biochem Extractions, would speak on the dietary value of various soya products. Dr Faqir Chand Shukla, Professor of Food Technology, PAU, said the programme was being organised keeping in view increasing health consciousness among the general people regarding consumption of soyabean and its acceptance in the form of nuggets, soya-fortified wheat flour, soya biscuits, soya milk and soya paneer. Dr Shukla said participants would be made aware of the nutritional value of soya products. Soya milk was a boon for lactose-intolerant persons, who usually suffered from diarrhoea after consuming milk. Low in fat and rich in protein, vitamins and mineral contents, soya milk was economical, lactose-free and easily digestible, he said. “Soya nuts can be used as an alternative to peanuts,” said Dr Shukla. For preparing these, soyabean is first soaked in water and then roasted till it turned brown. Soya flour could be used for preparing noodles, vermicelli and pasta, he added. He said the participants would also be made aware of the health benefits of soyabean. He said these helped in lowering blood cholesterol. The compound present in the soyabean helped in reducing risk of osteoporosis and a number of cancers, including those of breast, lung, colon, rectum, stomach and prostrate. |
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2 killed in accident
Amloh, March 23 A case has been registered in this regard on the statement of Mohammad Sehjad, son of Rizaak Mohammad, a resident of ward number 9, under the Amloh police station. The complainant said that he along with Jasbir Singh, son of Surjit Singh, a resident of Ward number 2 Amloh were coming from Mandi Gobindgarh to Amloh on scooter (PB-48A-2639) when their scooter collided with a motor cycle having temporary number. Jasbir Singh and motor cyclist Hardeep Singh, son of Jaswant Singh, resident of Shanti Nagar, Mandi Gobindgarh, died on the spot. Mohammad Sehjad, who was seriously wounded, was admitted to Civil Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh, from where he was referred to the DMC, Ludhiana.
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Resentment over delay in DA merger Ludhiana, March 23 These views were expressed by Mr Yash Paul Ghai, additional general secretary of the Punjab Government Pensioners Association, in a press statement, issued here today. The press note said the delay had caused resentment among more than 7 lakh government employees. The delay might hit the Congress prospects in the forthcoming poll. |
Man found murdered Ludhiana, March 23 Bhim Sen was lying in his bed with stab wounds on his hands, abdomen and chest. Police sources said the man could have been drugged before the murder as there were no signs of any struggle. He was murdered around 1.50 am. His broken watch was showing this time. The deceased was unmarried and was living alone. His partner, Sunil, lives in an upper floor of the same building with his wife and children. The police was suspecting some personal enmity behind the murder. Bhim Sen is survived by a middle-aged unmarried sister. DSP R.K. Bakshi said robbery did not seem to be the motive behind the murder as Rs 1,100 were found in a pocket of the deceased. A gold ring worn by him was also found intact. |
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Bid to loot petrol station attendant Ludhiana, March 23 The Civil Line police has registered a case under Sections 382, 511, 506 and 323 of the IPC on the complaint of Mr Umed Singh, who hails from Uttranchal and is employed at the filling station, against 10 motor-cycle borne persons. The complainant stated to the police that when miscreants tried to snatch his bag containing cash, he and Sher Singh, another colleague, raised an alarm following which the robbers escaped.The incident occurred at 9.15 pm. No arrest has been made. Man dies in mishap:
The Division No. 6 police has registered a case under Sections 406,420 and 506 of the IPC, on the statement of Mr Munish Kapur and Ms Suman Kapur, partners of Kay Classic Knitwear located in Industrial Area 'A' Extension, against Surinder Kumar and Sunil Kumar, who live near the Chaumukha Bridge at Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. The complainants had alleged that the accused used to buy goods from their hosiery and pay through cheques. But a few cheques got dishonoured by the bank concerned. When they tried to persuade the accused for an early payment, the accused threatened them. No arrest has been made so far. Dowry demand alleged:
The woman had alleged that the accused harassed and threatened her for bringing insufficient dowry. She further alleged that the accused forced her to undergo an abortion on March 20. No arrest has been made so far. Assault cases:
The complainant had alleged that the accused had waylaid him on the Humbran Road on the night of March 15, beaten him up and also threatened him. No arrest has been made so far. The Civil Lines police has registered a case under Sections 452,342,323,427,506,147 and 149 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Rajinder Singh, who lives on the Jassian Road in Salem Tabri against seven persons. The complainant had stated that he was serving as a security guard at a motor-cycle showroom. The accused came to the showroom on Saturday night, confined him in a room and broke the roof of the showroom before running away. No arrest has been made so far. The Model Town police has registered an assault case under Sections 452 and 323 of the IPC on the statement of Ms Jasvir Kaur of Guru Gian Vihar near Dugri against Jimmy. The woman had alleged that the accused forced his way into her house on Thursday evening and beat her up. No arrest has been made so far. The Division No. 4 police yesterday registered a case under Sections 324 and 341 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Sanjiv Kumar of Gandhi Nagar, against Neela and Kaka. The complainant had alleged that the accused intercepted him on the road in gandhi Nagar on Saturday night and beat him up. No arrest has been made so far. Man injured:
The woman had stated that the accused had hit her husband while he was riding a scooter in front of T- point on the Jassian Road on Sunday evening as a result of which he sustained injures and his scooter got damaged. No arrest has been made so far. Gamblers held:
The police said this morning that the accused were gambling in front of Arora Palace cinema on Monday and added that Rs 1,300 had been recovered from their possession. Booked:
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Travel agent dupes man Ludhiana, March 23 The complainant had alleged that he had given Rs one lakh to the accused one year ago on the understanding that he would send him abroad. But he neither sent him abroad, nor returned the money. |
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Hotels offering Navratra food Ludhiana, March 22 Shopkeepers selling coconuts and other fruits, flowers and red dupattas adorned with ‘gota’ are doing brisk business as people take these things as offerings to Goddess Durga. Since these items are in demand, their prices have shot up. Carts carrying special “kheel ke laddoos”, allowed to be eaten during fasts, can be seen in various parts of the city. Many hotels and restaurants in the city are offering special Navratra food.
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Seminar on banking ombudsman Ludhiana, March 23 Mr U.S. Bhargava stressed the need to improve customer service in the bank branches. He said the grievances of the customers should be redressed without delay. There should be customer-friendly atmosphere in banks. Mr S. Govindarajan called upon the bankers to remain conscious about customer service. He gave details of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 1995, and the modified scheme of 2002. He said some banks did not seem serious about redressing customers’ grievances. Mr Chand Singh, deputy zonal manager, explained the features of the scheme in regional languages. Later, the Ombudsman listened to the grievances of customers. |
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Bank branch opened Mandi Gobindgarh, March 23 |
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For them this is their world. For the students of various colleges who are adjudged Miss Fresher or Miss Farewell during the farewell and fresher’s parties, winning a title is like winning a beauty pageant. Colleges have started organising fashion shows with different rounds and who performs the best is crowned by the students. Whosoever wins the title reacts as though she has been crowned Miss Universe or Miss World.
