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TOP STORIES

Toll staff attacked by truck union supporters
Doraha, January 25
As many as 200 persons carrying bamboo sticks allegedly attacked the staff at Toll Plaza today, resulting in minor injuries to those posted there. Mr Abhinay Bansal, toll manager told this correspondent that nearly 150 to 200 persons, supposedly from the truck union and carrying bamboo sticks, attacked the toll plaza and thrashed him, guards, booth operators, office staff and officials, including the assistant toll manager.

Tiger Safari has new attractions

Ludhiana, January 25 The Tiger Safari, near the War Museum on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar road, beckons visitors with new attractions. Two Himalayan bears and six Royal Bengal tigers were brought to the safari last week. While the six tigers were sent here from the Chhat Bir zoo on January 18, the two bears, Kala (male) and Kanta (female), were brought yesterday. Kanta, a female bear, in her enclosure at the Tiger Safari on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar road. — Photo by Inderjeet Verma

Freedom fighter fails to get his due
Threatens to stage dharna outside CM’s residence

Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 25 A freedom fighter, who took part in Quit India Movement when he was just 18, is worried about the repayment of loans he had availed from his friends and relatives for his treatment more than two years ago as his medical bills had not been reimbursed by the state government. Disappointed over the attitude of the authorities, he has threatened to stage a dharna outside the residence of the Chief Minister if appropriate action was not taken on his application which he has sent fourth time.      Dr Niranjan Singh

High Court moved for quashing FIR
Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 25
Even after eight weeks of the registration of the case by the Malerkotla police against 24 persons, including two dead persons, no arrests have been made so far. A human rights activist and advocate of the princely town has filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get the FIR quashed that had allegedly been registered to settle scores with the accused.

2 killed, 7 injured in road mishap
Jagraon, January 25
Two occupants of a jeep were killed on the spot and seven others were injured when their vehicle hit a stationary canter near Begupura Gurdwara, 6 km from here, this morning. The canter (PAR 5286) was parked on the Moga - Jagraon GT Road near the gurdwara since night as it had developed some fault.

Improvement Trust to launch housing projects
Ludhiana, January 25
The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) will launch two housing projects under which multi-storeyed HIG and MIG flats will be offered to the city residents in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Maharishi Balmiki Nagar residential colonies, developed by the trust.

LUDHIANA CALLING Attempts to woo customers by private companies saw customer care executives who were sweet as saccharin. The initial phase, or shall one say euphoria over, executives of private companies do not hesitate to behave rudely with their customers. Maximum number of complaints of such cases come in case of private banks and mobile phone companies.

COMMUNITY

Mission team to probe demolition of temple in HP
Ludhiana, January 25
The Vishwa Guru Ravi Dass Mission has constituted a five-member panel to probe the demolition of a Ravi Dass temple at Santokh Garh in Himachal Pradesh. The panel will meet the affected people and the higher authorities concerned to ascertain whether the demolition was the result of a conspiracy hatched by higher caste people against the Dalits in the Himachal village.

BJP flays govt for power crisis
Ludhiana, January 25
The Trade and Industrial Cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party, while flaying the Punjab Government for its failure to deal with the acute scarcity of power in the state, has decided to hold a demonstration near Preet Palace cinema here on January 28.

PSEB employee unions to hold agitation
Amloh, January 25
A joint meeting of various Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) employees unions held here today decided to organise an agitation in two phases. In the first stage, a dharna in front of the office of Chief Engineer, Ludhiana, would be organised on February 3 and in the second stage, a dharna would be held at Chandigarh on February 7.

Pensioners seek commutation after 12 years
Ludhiana, January 25
The Northern Railway Pensioners Welfare Association in its communication to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently have urged him to accept their pending demands as recommended by the fifth Pay Commission, which includes commutation of pension after 12 years, 1 per cent increase in pension after 33 years of service and 60 per cent family pension for those retired before 1996.

Pensioners to meet on Jan 30
Ludhiana, January 25
To prepare a memorandum containing major demands to be submitted to the Punjab Government for consideration and inclusion in the Budget of 2005-2006, the Government Pensioners Association has convened a meeting of its activists on January 30 at 10.45 a.m. in Arya College for Women, Ludhiana.

CRIME

2 extortionists held
Khanna, January 25
The Khanna police arrested two extortionists here on Sunday. The accused had allegedly threatened two leading doctors of dire consequences using the letter head of “Manav Commando Force.” 

• Accused flees from police custody

Traders observe ‘black day’ against VAT
Ludhiana, January 25
In response to a call given by the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM), traders and shopkeepers observed a ‘black day’ against the proposed introduction of value added tax (VAT) from April, 2005.

• Biz Clips

Teachers demand restoration of pension scheme

Ludhiana, January 25 Demanding the restoration of pension scheme, thousands of employees of Punjab state aided schools held a protest rally here today under the banner of the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union. Teachers of government-aided schools from different districts hold a protest against the withdrawal of the pension scheme, at the Chattar Singh park in Ludhiana on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Sacred Heart girl gets best cadet award
Ludhiana, January 25
Inayat Dhanda, a ninth standard student of Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, has been declared as the best cadet in the NCC. She will be presented with a silver medal at a function to be held in New Delhi on January 27.

Old students’ meet at Govt College for Women

Ludhiana, January 25 The Old Students Association of the Government College for Women had a get-together of old students and faculty of the college in the college auditorium here today. It was an opportunity to rekindle the old association with the alma mater and establish new contacts for teachers and old students. Students perform a dance number at the old students’ get-together at the Government College for Women in Ludhiana on Tuesday.

COURTS

Arrest warrant against transporter
Ludhiana, January 25
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has issued arrest warrant against Harminder Singh, alias Tinku, of 96 Transport Nagar, Ludhiana, for not complying with the orders of the forum.

SPORTS

Geetinder, Rahul hog limelight
Ludhiana, January 25
Geetinder Kaur, a student of Class IX, in the girls section and Rahul, also of Class IX, in the boys section, were named the best athletes in the annual athletics meet of St Thomas School Senior Secondary School, Brown road, which concluded here today. Students took part in the six events.