 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Chemist arrested for selling spurious medicines
Ludhiana, November 23 The police has booked the owners of Indian Medical Store here, Haryana Medical Store, New Delhi and Arora Medical Store Jalandhar under various section for selling fake medicines of Sainik Herbal brand. DSP Mohan Lal said the police had recovered huge quantity of spurious medicines from the accused. He said the police would continue its duty despite the protest by chemists. He said no one was being falsely implicated in the case. However, Mr Dalip Singh, President of the Chemists Association Ludhiana threatened to launch a state-wide agitation if the police did not withdraw the charges and release the chemist.
|
|
Shops of chemists raided, 7 samples taken
Samrala, November 23
|
||
|
LIC development officers protest
Ludhiana, November 23 The employees were protesting against the withdrawal of functional expenses and reduction in incentive bonus scheme by 60 per cent to 80 per cent at different levels. These benefits were part of the salary and were being paid for the past three years. They also alleged that the management had changed their service conditions that would render many
jobless. Terming management policies as “anti-marketing”, they said these would only help private players. |
|
Unscheduled power cuts hit industry
Ludhiana, November 23 According to the department officials, a problem in generation has led to the current crisis which is likely to deepen if the demand increases further and power is not purchased from outside. “We had not even got used to this routine of a regular power supply when unscheduled cuts have begun again. Every day a cut of one to three hours is being imposed which is proving very harmful for the industry,” said Mr Inderjit Singh Navyug, vice-president, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU). He said for units that required constant processing, the work came to a halt whenever a cut was imposed, and it was particularly troublesome when such a cut was unscheduled as one had to restart the process. Mr Vinod Thapar, president, Knitwear Club, said the industry was suffering badly due to unscheduled cuts as the number of working hours were limited. “Now that even the Labour Department does not allow us to work for more than 10 and a half hours, we have to complete our orders within this timeframe only. In the event of unscheduled cuts, the entire process gets disturbed.” While a section of the industrialists have lodged complaints with the department and others are yet to follow suit, the situation is likely to worsen in the coming days. “The problem has arisen due to reduction in generation. If the demand increases further and if power is not bought from outside, the situation is only likely to worsen,” an official of the Punjab state Electricity Board said. However, the official said, no cuts were being imposed on the industry and it was only urban areas that were facing unscheduled cuts.
|
|
PUDA tells developer to provide amenities
Ludhiana, November 23 The officials stated this in a specially convened meeting of the residents, a coloniser and local officials at PUDA office in SAS Nagar today. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune over the phone, the residents of the area claimed that Ms Rajji P. Shrivastava, Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA chaired the meeting and Ms Alakh Nanda, A.C.A., Ludhiana was also present at the meeting Ayush Bhalla of Vikas Housing Building Company was also summoned in this regard. He denied all allegations against the company and claimed that a handfull of residents had some personal
grievances against him so they were trying to settle scores with him. Some residents expressed their happiness over the meeting held in the head office. They alleged that in a similar meeting held at the office here some months ago, the real victims were not allowed to meet the higher officials as some employees were allegedly hand in glove with the accused colonisers and they did not want the residents to register their protest. The PUDA had ordered an inquiry against the VHBC for allegedly selling off 500 acres of land though it had only been authorised to develop 150 acres in South City, in March, last year. But no headway had been made into the case. Frequent denials by the company notwithstanding, some plot owners in the South City had been alleging that the firm had also duped several persons of crores of rupees. The owners alleged that the company sold off 500-acre land while claiming to be PUDA-approved colonisers and PUDA officials had been saying that the colonisers had obtained a license for developing 150 acres only. On the complaints which alleged that Vikas Housing Building Company Private Limited had sold off around 350 acres of undeveloped land without obtaining any license from PUDA. PUDA authorities had decided to convene this meeting following the complaints.
|
|
PUDA authorities remove encroachment in BRS Nagar Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 23 The two encroachers were refusing to remove these of their own thus causing a lot of inconvenience to the people. The residents of the area expressed gratitude to the media and the PUDA for taking prompt action against the encroachments. There was no resistance to PUDA officials when they went to demolish the illegally raised walls.
|
||
|
Residents wary as crime graph soars
Brickbats and bouquets for the police Brickbats Nov 22 -Rs 3.5 lakh looted from a money exchanger in Ghumar Mandi; one suffers gunshot injury. Nov 21 - Armed robbery at karyana merchant’s house in Simranjit Colony; three injured Nov 20 - Gold worth Rs 80,000 stolen from a woman jeweller near Fountain Chowk in late evening. Nov 19 - Robbers loot a family in Aman Nagar; stay in the house for nearly 2 hours. Nov 18 - Gangs clash despite police presence in district courts. Nov 18 - Four cars stolen within 12 hours from the city. Bouquets 1 The police solves the Rishi Nagar robbery case within 36 hours. 2 Robbery-cum-murder of a scrap dealer solved, two accused arrested within two hours of the crime.
Ludhiana, November 23 Four persons have been injured, including two with gunshots, while cash and valuables worth over Rs 20 lakh have been lost in these crime incidents. Police investigations have found that not one but three different gangs of criminals were involved in these cases. This has made the task of arresting criminals more difficult. One of the gangs strikes during the night, the other commits robberies during the daytime while the third indulges in snatching incidents. The residents are feeling more concerned after yesterday’s daylight robbery in Ghumar Mandi at a money mxchanger’s office. Earlier, the robbers had, barring one incident in Rishi Nagar, struck after sunset only. But the daylight robbery in Ghumar Mandi, one of the most crowded markets in the city, has spread panic among people. On the criminals vs the police score card, the men in khaki can claim just two successes against the over two dozen strikes by the criminals. The police has so far been able to solve a robbery-cum-murder case in SalemTabri and a the daylight robbery of Rs 3.5 lakh from two employees of a construction company in Rishi Nagar. The scales, so far, are tilted in the favour of the criminals. (see box) The police, on its part has claimed that the criminals responsible for a sudden rise in crime will be arrested soon. This assertion is based on the identification of the three gangs involved in the recent incidents. The police has also circulated portraits of some of the suspects. SP-Detective Gurpreet Singh told Ludhiana Tribune that the public need not panic as the criminals would be caught soon. “We have identified three gangs and some of the members who were having different modus operandi and indulging in different crimes.” The police has also organised a special meeting of all ranks and briefed them about the necessary do’s and dont’s to prevent more crimes and win back the confidence of the people. Some of the measures that can be disclosed were briefing the PCR about more vigil at sensitive spots like banks, post offices and markets, toning up the night patrolling parties and random checking of suspicious persons. The CIA wing has been specially directed to put cops in mufti on duty in the city to identify the gangsters with the help of informers.
|
|
Dual steel pricing criticised
Ludhiana, November 23 Mr Sharma said the steel producers had been allowed to charge Rs 1,000 per tonne extra for 70 per cent of steel supply to the consumers on the plea that the finished product of such steel would be exported. Only 20 per cent of steel supplied to the consumers would be given at the normal price. He pointed out that TISCO had announced a cut of Rs 2,000 in steel prices on august 8, 2004, in response to a call given by the Prime Minister. The Steel Authority of India played a trick and announced a cut of Rs 1,000 per tonne. As a matter of fact the cut was only Rs 200 per tonne as in the rate list for September, the SAIL had withdrawn the discount of Rs 800 per tonne. Essar Steel Ispat industries and Jindal Vijay steel devised a unique way of dual price system. By this they raised the price by Rs 550 per tonne while announcing a cut of Rs 500 per tonne. SAIL and the private sector steel plants except the TISCO, have been raising the prices of steel. Mr Sharma pointed out that there was no export of cold-rolled steel as the international prices of cold rolled steel were much less. He said the Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had allegedly rebuked SAIL for lowering productivity and declining techno-economic performance of most of its plants. SAIL’s first quarter profit was Rs 1,112 crore against Rs 225 crore during the corresponding period of the last year. SAIL profit was for six months of the year had jumped to Rs 3,200 crore which was unheard of, he said.
|
|
Whither camp offices? It is common for bureaucrats to spend more time in camp offices, opened in their residences, instead of their offices in the name of more accessibility to the public, even on holidays and odd hours. However, last week a senior official of the local municipal corporation refused to accept the correspondence sent by an official of the district administration regarding an urgent piece of work. The corporation official, who was anticipating the letter, refused to accept it on the pretext that he takes the official correspondence at his office only. The next three days were government holidays due to which the important work was unnecessarily delayed. Government officials use all official machinery in the camp offices in the name of the government work but still refuse to accept an official letter claiming that they don't receive such correspondence at their residence! Kareena embarrassed Photographers especially press photographers are mostly seen in action behind the camera. But when it comes to covering a function of a celebrity like Kareena Kapoor, many of the tribe like to pose for the camera too while standing near her. So a photojournalist of a vernacular daily, who was floored by the charms of the popular star, urged a fellow lensman to click his photograph with her. Though he too was one of those chosen for a special award and a photo with the actress. She posed smilingly as cameras clicked. When his job was done the photographer turned his back without taking the gift. Kareena stopped him only to see everybody laughing when the man waved off saying, ‘‘eh ki karna hai. Tussi rakho.’’Revamp PCR The increasing incidents of crime in the city has once again pressed the need for revamping the PCR motor-cycle squad. There is general feeling among residents that the PCR squad should not only be encouraged but the number of motor-cycles should also increased. The presence of two cops riding a bike acts as a deterrent to the criminals and infuse a sense of security among the masses. But the city police officials seems to be less interested in the PCR squad for reasons better known to them. Curfew Ever heard of a name ‘‘Curfew?’’ A 21- year- old man named "Curfew" was born when the city was under curfew after the death of Indira Gandhi. His father had to request the policemen on duty to let him and his wife reach a maternity home. They were finally allowed and the boy was named "Curfew". Arizona's greatest mom An NRI sister of a colleague was gifted her a T-shirt with a logo on it- Arizona's Greatest Mom. As she found the T-shirt to be too big for her she decided to give it somebody. As a dhobi happened to visit her first she gave it to him little realising that it was meant for woman. Poor dhobi could not read the logo so he wore it the other day only to become a laughing stock. The residents of B. Block of B.R.S Nagar who saw him wearing the T-shirt could not help smiling at him. Finally a resident told him the meaning of logo and the embarrassed man took off the T-shirt at once. "Peti mafia" Thousands of hosiery workers are working overtime these days to meet the demand of buyers in the city as well as in other parts of the country. Though hosiery units have come up almost everywhere in the country of late, the produce from Ludhiana is preferred by people living in southern states, West Bengal and Maharashtra. May be for the quality or just because the city is known as the oldest hosiery hub of the country. A visit to the parcel office of the local railway station proves the point. Hundreds of big gunny bags as also crates which are packed with a variety of winter wear with labels of
different destination on them are lined for despatch. But the traders, who book these parcels from here, are a harassed lot because of what they term as 'excessive' checking by the Taxation Department. But some of traders have found an easy way out. They have started hiring the services of the 'peti mafia' which seems to rule the roost at the parcel booking office. The job of this special mafia is to bring the consignments to the railway station by special routes. Once the consignment reaches the booking office, the taxation people are helpless as under regulations they have no authority to check the goods on the premises of the railway station. Mr SSP please wake up For past few days the crime graph seems to be rising in the city. One wonders as what has happened to the law enforcement agencies in the city. The criminals are having a field day. They have proved that they can strike anywhere and at anytime they want. The police is hardly any deterrent for them. This is not to mean that there is any complicity on part of the police, but there is definitely laxity. The district police will come in a press conference claim that they have arrested such and such gang. By picking up a handful of persons, may be with criminal records, the police would make us believe that all is well in the city, which in reality is not. —Sentinel
|
|
Criminal tag still haunts Sansi tribe
Talwandi Kallan (Ludhiana), November 23 According to Rana Singh Sansi, the president of the All-Indian Tribal Dal, there are about five lakh Sansis living in Punjab and about 35 thousand in Ludhiana. Some villages like Talwandi Kallan and Ladowal are predominantly inhabited by them. They no longer move as nomads and have their settlements. Most of the Sansi youth living in these villages are educated but are unemployed. “The unemployed youth are most vulnerable to criminal baits”, Mr Rana, pointed out. He allegedly said some of the youth of the community were being lured into crime and all this happened with due patronage of the police. He further added, there was no option before them (the youth)...despite of being educated they did not get any jobs did became targets of the crime cartels which used them”. Mr Rana has been fighting for long time to get the orders of the National Human Rights Commission which provides reservation to Sansis. He disclosed that after the Sansis were declared as a scheduled tribe, the members of the community were eligible for the reservation in jobs and other benefits. The orders are being not implemented in Punjab. There was a genuine grievance among the members of the community that they were not being given their rights. Due to which the youths had fallen prey to the inducements by criminals elements. Mr Rana, said some of them were into liquor and poppy husk smuggling. Spread across the north India, the Sansis are the descendants of Raja Sanswal Sansi, who died fighting with the Mughals along with Maharana Pratap. Earlier they lived a nomadic life, but after partition, they have tried to settle down with the help of the government.
|
|
Minister hears people’s grievances
Ludhiana, November 23 On a complaint of deeper water supply lines and inadequate sewerage in Dashmesh Nagar, Mr. Johar directed the officers of the MC to take remedial measures at the earliest. He also directed them to provide urinals outside all schools and at other public places. Mr Johar said that such grievances redressal would be organised once in a month in different areas, where all problems relating to MC and Traffic would be redressed on the spot. The Mayor and officers of the MC would remain present at these meetings. He said that redressal would be organised in Janj Ghar, Dashmesh Nagar, Street No. 6/1/2 on December 5 from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Addressing the function, Mr Johar said that the government was committed to provide excellent basic amenities i.e. sewerage, water supply, street lights, roads and cleanliness to the whole urban population and asserted that the civic body has sufficient funds for the purpose. The minister also asked the authorities to speed up the work on the on going flyovers in the city, so that, the traffic problem could be substantially eased. On a complaint of traffic jams on the roads due to encroachments by the scooters and car bazaars at Gill road, Gian Singh Rarewale Market and Feroze Gandhi Market, Mr Johar directed SP (T) to take action and clear the traffic at these points. He also asked Municipal Corporation officers to remove scooters, motor cycles parked on the Gill road for sale purpose, as the people of these areas were facing a serious problem of traffic jam. Mr Nahar Singh Gill, Mayor, assured that the problems in these functions would be redressed on priority. He said that the Municipal Corporation had become the first local body in country to provide water supply 100 per cent population in declared areas by commissioning 70 tube wells. He informed that all roads in declared areas were being laid with premix by the end of this year and so far 300 km of roads had been covered.
|
|
NRI’s 400-mile walkathon to raise funds
Narangwal (Ludhiana), November 2 Mr Grewal was accorded a rousing reception at his native village here last evening. As a goodwill gesture, the villagers contributed Rs 10,000 towards his mission. “People have been contributing thousands of rupees for the cause, but this money (donated by the people of Narangwal) has given me confidence”, he said. He had migrated to England in 1958. Pained at the plight of people in India, particularly those afflicted by deadly diseases like cancer and AIDS, he made up his mind to do something. It was a chance look at the picture of Fiona Campbell, a 26-year-old girl who walked her way from South Africa to Morocco on a peace mission, that prompted him to embark upon this odyssey. Professionally a real estate dealer in England, Mr Grewal has been fond of running. He would always participate in the 26-mile-long London marathon, where funds were raised for on diseases research. He thought to do something similar for the country he originally belonged to. Ultimately he decided to walk his way from Amritsar to Kanyakumari. He does not count the cash that is offered to him. He hands it over to some of his confidantes as it is difficult to carry it along. But he has been told that people have been donating generously for his noble mission. He has not yet decided as to which institute the £1 million he plans to raise would be donated. But it would be decided later after he completes his march, about six months from now. Mr Grewal admitted that at times it was difficult to walk it alone. “But I am determined to complete my mission. I have the great satisfaction that I am not doing it for myself but for others and I am trying to maintain a low profile”, he said, while hoping to raise enough money for cancer and AIDS research. In Ludhiana today he was accorded a reception by senior Congress leader Jagpal Singh Khangura. Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Milkiat Birmi, Amarjit Singh Tikka, K.K. Bawa and several other leaders.
|
|
NGO comes to rescue of a jobless
Ludhiana, November 23 Plight of Mr Kulveer Singh was highlighted by the Tribune in these columns. The president of NGO, Rural Education and Development Mission, Mr Kulwant Singh, offered him the job of a helper for educating the children of rural areas after reading about his condition. He would join his work from tomorrow. A father of two children, Kulveer has lost his wife to a disease. All these years he had been working either as a labourer or an autorickshaw driver to eke out a living. He recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Punjab claiming that he was wronged by the Employment Exchange as it had kindled a hope in him that he would be finding a work through them. But the scenario was totally opposite. There was no employment for him. Son of a retired Railway official, Kulveer had studied up to standard VII. Some days ago he was told by the officials of department that he was no more eligible for a government job. Shattered Kulveer had then shot off letters to the higher authorities demanding a compensation for not being able to find employment during his lifetime. Meanwhile, the officials of District Employment Exchange denied all allegations of Mr Kulveer Singh. Ms Minakshi Sharma, Employment Officer, in a written statement said that he was registered with the Ferozepur Employment Exchange in 1988 and his name was transferred to Ludhiana on 1993. She also claimed that the exchange had dispatched two interview calls to him during the past 10 years. As per the record two call letters for the post of a peon at ITI Gujjarwal and for a servant in the office of the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana. She further claimed that he was not called for any other interview as he had become overage and as per the rules he was not entitled for a job after attaining the age of 40 years. ‘‘The employment exchange is not at fault in his case,’
she said adding that the employment scenario was same for all in the country.
|
|
Symposium on resource conservation
Ludhiana, November 23 He was speaking at a function which had been organised by the Indian Society of Agronomy, ICAR and Department of Agronomy and Agromet, PAU. He said, “In order to make the agricultural profession more viable, we will have to meet the challenges being faced by the farmers. No doubt our country has produced record food grains but still 26 per cent of the people in the country are economically unable to purchase the foodgrains required
by them. Dr Aulakh said the soil was deficient in micro nutrients which affects animals as well as human beings. There are 11 lakh tubewells and 5 lakh tractors in Punjab. This over mechanisation of agricultural machinery is responsible for putting the farmers of the state under heavy debt. Farmers here make excessive use of fertilisers pesticides/insecticides in their fields in order to produce more which was responsible for increasing the quantity of nitrates in the soil, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Panjab Singh, president, Indian Society of Agronomy and former director general, ICAR, said conserving natural resources was the biggest concern at the international level. He said people adopt agriculture not by choice but under compulsion. The agronomists play an important role in making this profession interesting and successful. He added that India had only four per cent of the total water available in the world. Therefore judicious use should be made of it. Dr R.C. Gautam, vice president of Indian Society of Agronomy, and Dr R.S. Narang also addressed the delegates attending the symposium.
|
|
Gurmat samagam at Nanaksar on Nov 26
Ludhiana, November 23 According to a spokesperson of the Trust, the samagam will be inaugurated on November 26 with the initiating of 21 Sri Akhand Path Sahib followed by
amrit sanchar on November 27. After the bhog of Sri Akhand Path in the morning of November 28 there will be overnight kirtan darbar and gurmat sanchar will continue till next morning. Prominent among those expected to attend the samagam are Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vendati, Giani Puran Singh, Head Granthi, Sri Darbar Sahib, Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar, Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Sant Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, Mansooran, Baba Thakur Singh, Damdami Taksal, Baba Teja Singh, Rara Sahib and Sant Hari Singh Randhawa. A free dental and medical check-up and treatment camp would be organised at Gurdwara Nanaksar from November 26 to 28 by a team of doctors from Baba Jaswant Singh Dental College and Hospital.
|
|
DC inspects office of Sub Registrar
Ludhiana, November 23 Angry residents had complained to the Deputy Commissioner, in the morning, when a computer developed a snag and work got delayed. Following the complaints, Mr Verma himself reached the office and started listening to the grievances of residents. Interestingly, none of the residents barring one lodged a complaint with him. One of them, however, complained that the deed writer had taken Rs 1,000 from him instead of Rs 100. Mr Verma summoned the record of the deed writer concerned and ordered an inquiry. He said if found guilty action would be taken against to deed writer. Mr Verma remained in the office of the Registrar for two hours and went through the pending files.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
A
bus stop constructed near the Bhaiwala Chowk has been encroached upon by those managing the parking lot in Feroze Gandhi market. Due to this Pakhowal and Jagraon-bound passengers halt either midway on the Ferozepore road or on the Pakhowal road. Not only does it hampers the smooth flow of traffic but has also caused several accidents.
