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No affidavit needed for lodging complaints
Ludhiana, March 12 Mr Hitender Jain, general secretary of the organisation, said the exercise was nothing short of harassment. The NGO found out that in cases of theft/loss of personal belongings like driving licence, mobile phone and purse, the police demanded an affidavit duly attested by an Executive Magistrate from the victim before registering a complaint. The Punjab Police Rules, 1934, provide even for an oral complaint. Further, the insistence of the police to get the affidavit attested only from an Executive Magistrate and not from Notary Public or Oath Commissioner, too, was not in accordance with law. The cost of an affidavit and attestation ranges between Rs 100 and Rs 150. When asked, police officials could not produce any order. The only reason that they gave was that these were the orders from the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Jain said. Resurgence India has also sought information under the Right to Information Act, 2005, from the SSP and the Deputy Commissioner. Mr Jain said: ‘‘Our application to the SSP and the IG, Patiala Zone, failed to elicit any response. In response to our second appeal before the Punjab State Information Commission, the Public Information officer (PIO) of the SSP's office stated that it was not necessary under law to obtain affidavit for the registration of a complaint of theft/loss.’’ Similarly, in response to the NGO's appeal to the Divisional Commissioner, Patiala, the PIO of the Deputy Commissioner's office, said: "No orders have been issued by the office of the Deputy Commissioner, which require that affidavits filed in the police station/District Transport office and in the office of the district administration should be attested only by the Executive Magistrate and not by Notary Public or Oath Commissioner." The attestation of affidavits by the Executive Magistrate only is also being imposed by the District Transport Office, Small Savings Branch and other offices of the district administration in Ludhiana district.
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PETA “dishoom” scheme to check animal abuse
Ludhiana, March 12 According to a PETA spokesperson, the programme operates through a website, which in its launch version includes contests in which people can sign up for a chance to win a poster autographed by (vegetarian) Pamela Anderson. There is a CD by the band Swami for those who forward a video featuring DJ Swami advocating "go veg." There is a poster of John Abraham, too, who doesn't want to see birds in cages. Through the website, people will routinely be offered prizes such as celebrity-autographed items, iPods, mobile phones, T-shirts, wallets, caps, wristbands etc. The site will also regularly feature new actions which people who sign up for petaDishoom’s “Street Team” can take to help animals and get rewards. “Campus” section of the site includes tips on what students can do to help animals and has information on bands such as Jal, Pentagram, Indian Ocean, Parikrama and others which have supported PETA at college festivals throughout the country. The site has its own version of Page 3 called “Page 3 ½”, which includes a feature on rescues and other victories for animals over the past 25 years as celebrated by people such as Tony Kanal, Moby, Dennis Rodman and Anoushka Shankar. “Most young people respect animals and petaDishoom rewards youth for its compassion," says petaDishoom’s youth project specialist, Puja Joshi.
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Use organic colours this Holi
Ludhiana, March 12 Dr R. Vatsyayan, an ayurveda scholar, says that with the passage of time, the spirit and essence of many festivals, including Holi, has changed. Most of the colours sold in the market have remnants of oxidised metals or industrial dyes, mixed with other chemicals. The green colour is derived from copper sulphate, purple from chromium iodide, silver from aluminium bromide and black from lead oxide. Shiny colours are obtained by mixing powdered glass and peels of mica in these chemicals. "There are reports that some of the chemicals, are highly toxic and can even cause cancer. More and more people who handle colours or play Holi with chemical-based colours, complain of conjunctivitis, visual impairment, chest problems like asthma and pneumonia, skin reactions and dermatitis," he says. More serious problems are also attributed to the systemic absorption of these chemicals. Apart from the danger of chemical colours, even the way many people play Holi is becoming dangerous. Throwing water balloons with force can cause injury to eyes and ears. Rowdyism also results in spoiling this great festival. "We should opt for organic colours. Ayurveda, the most eco-friendly medical system of the world, suggests the use of various herbs and flowers to prepare natural colours. "Flowers of tesu, palash tree or simbal can be soaked in hot water to get red or yellow colours. Khadir or kaththa when mixed in water, gives a beautiful brown colour, he says. Herbs like turmeric, besides besan, are known for their beneficial effect on skin. Dissolving a little haldi in water gives a bright yellow colour. Powder of red sandal, dried and pounded marigold, harsingar and chrysanthemum and crushed leaves of mehndi also give attractive, natural and scented colours. He urged people to celebrate Holi in a healthy way.
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Lab technicians to intensify stir
Ludhiana, March 12 A meeting of the state executive of the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association, Punjab, held at the ESI Hospital here today under the presidentship of Mr Sikander Singh, resolved to intensify the agitation. Mr Amarjit Singh Ghariala, general secretary of the association, said the technicians would accept nothing less than the earnest implementation of the court order. Prominent among others present at the meeting were Mr Surinder Kumar, Mr Ajit Singh, Mr Sohan Lal Bawa, Mr Malkiat Singh, Mr Kuldip Singh, Mr Sukhwinder Singh, Mr Bharpur Singh, Mr Vijay Kumar and Mr Harpinder Singh.
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Sikhs have glimpse of Gurus’ articles
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 12 Sikh devotees thronged these places to have a glimpse of various articles of historical importance, including a Hukamnama purportedly written by Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Master. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Zahur Ahmed Khan claimed that the blood scripted Hukamnama had been presented by Guru Gobind Singh to his ancestors. On the controversy raised by some historians regarding He said the document found reference in “Afgan Rai Hoshiarpuria”, a book authored by Muhamad Ayub. Supplementing his claim about the authenticity of the document, Mr Khan claimed that the then British Deputy Commissioner, Mr Peter, had recognised the document in 1925. The SGPC, vide its resolution number 3044-16 had approved the document on April 13, 1928. Mr Khan claimed that Mr Harcharanjit Singh, a renowned historian of that time, had made a reference of the Hukamnama in the Akali Patrika on June 30, 1953. Sain Chann Pir Kadri exhibited another set of articles of historical importance, including a “simrana” (prayer rosary) and a necklace. He claimed that those were presented by the fifth Guru and Mata Ganga Ji to his ancestors. The Pakistani delegates were pained that certain historians and people with vested interests had been projecting Sikhs and Muslims as enemies. “Ignoring a number of instances of presentation of valuables and vital gifts from Sikh Gurus to Muslim families and vice versa, the historians had been distorting the facts and spreading venom among otherwise friendly groups of people,” they pointed out.
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People do not want to miss a single opportunity to get into the limelight. The problem arises when such people lack awareness. On two important events, particularly for the industry, that is the Budget for the country as well as Punjab's Budget, several industrialists had to cut a sorry figure. The reason: when asked for a reaction on the Budget, many said they did not hear it. Some even went to the extent of asking reporters to publish their names and write their views on their own! It would be better if such people did a little homework. No game this Playway schools have become as important as regular schools these days. Though these schools claim to use playway methods, the fact is that in most such schools, kids younger than three years of age are made to study and prepared for admission to the nursery class in good schools. The preparation includes "not conversing in languages other than English and Hindi and also mugging the alphabet, numbers, identifying colours and a lot more". Wish our education system was a little better where at least childhood was full of fun. MC vs violators The demolition squad of the local Municipal Corporation can become a good subject of the famous fable, The Shepherd and the Lion, with a little variation. In its case, the lion is the team which actually comes on the scene to take on the goats, that is, the violators. But the lion goes back because the shepherd (read politicians) orders it to go back. Interestingly, Sentinel overheard an official of the demolition team ruing to his colleague that the politicians first call them and then make them go. The drama is enacted to garner votes by making the violators realise how much the men in whites care for them. Civic sense The MC always gets the flak for the heaps of litter and garbage strewn around in the city. But the residents have to partake the blame. The civic sense is missing so much that people do not even put the polythene bags full of household waste in the big garbage bins kept in all colonies by the MC. As a result, the garbage bags pile up around the bin. Stray animals search the bags and scatter them further. No space to walk The move to the civic administration to earn more revenue by installing billboards on the footpath has incurred the wrath of the pedestrians. The heavy traffic on the road had left the footpaths the only safe place for them to walk on. But due to the broad pedestals or iron pillars supporting them, there is no space left for them to walk on. Earning revenue is fine, but care should be taken of the residents too. Beggars are back Beggars in the city are back with a bang. Two years ago, the city police had launched a massive drive to make the city free of the menace. More than 300 persons seeking alms on roads were arrested. But all that drive seems to have been forgotten now. The beggar population is swelling. Besides causing problems in the movement of vehicles, the menace leads to several accidents also. But the city police does not seem to be bothered. Be punctual In the case of ministers, lack of punctuality is a norm people seem to have grown used to. However, not all want to be victims of their unpunctuality. On the International Women's Day function, one of the women who was to be honoured opted to leave the venue of the function after one-and-a-half hour of waiting. Though it was a fact the minister, who was the chief guest on the occasion and had arrived three hours late, would not even have been bothered , it is a shame that those contributing their bit to the society too are not treated well. Network problem Even as the communication sector is in the limelight for its advances across the globe, our mobile phone companies are still grappling with networking problems. The problem has increased these days as not only do customers have to suffer on account of the high call-dropping rate, calls rarely get through due to network congestion and even SMSs arrive late and at times do not arrive at all. One only keeps wondering as to whether the customer is the king or still a victim. Pollution meter The pollution measuring meter called Ambient Air Pollution Monitoring Unit installed near Vishvakarma Chowk here has been a non-starter. While the city is giving a challenge to metropolitan cities in terms of high pollution, the seriousness of the government in checking the problem is too evident in this case. One cannot hope of respite from pollution if the government does not even ensure a regular measurement by keeping the monitoring unit functional. It has been lying closed for months now. Lonely senior citizens
Overcharging While the government continues announcing its "efforts" towards bringing more people under tax net, little is being done to check those who indulge in practices like non-issuing of bills and charging more than the maximum retail price. Recently, a resident was in for a shock when he was charged 50 paise extra for buying a half-a-litre packet of milk. When he pointed out, the shopkeeper was rude and asked the customer to return the packet "as there would be many more willing to pay a little extra money". Holi The festival of colours is here again. But for parents washing off the colour from children's faces and bodies have proved to be more harassing this time. The reason: a number of schools have celebrated the festival in advance for getting coverage in the media. The children were made to play riotous Holi in the school and the parents had to do all the washing. They would have to do it again a couple of days later . —Sentinel
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Direct contest in Kendriya Punjabi Sabha poll
Ludhiana, March 12 The writers of the two blocks are either being supported by the CPI or the CPM. Returning officer of the elections is former Principal Prem Singh Bajaj. Mr Kulwant Jagraon, holding life membership of the sabha said: “There is a direct contest between two groups and probably the writers are voting for individuals and not the entire group.” In the one group Prof Ajmer Auluck, a playwright, is contesting for the post of president while Dr Saranjit Singh is running for general secretary. Mitter Sein Meet is candidate for the post of senior vice-president . From the other group, Prof Anup Singh Virk is running for president while Hameet Vidyarthi is the candidate for general secretary. Karnail Singh Nijjar is contesting the election for the post of senior vice-president. While the contestants of the Auluck group are being supported by the CPI, the other group has the backing of the CPM. One of the vice-presidents has to be a woman. For this post, there is a keen contest between Gurcharan Kaur from the Auluck group and Rajinder Kaur Sahoka from the other group. Dr Davinder Dilrup, Associate Professor of the PAU, has been elected secretary from the Virk group unopposed.
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SAD flays Cong policies
Amloh, March 12 This was stated by Mr Dalip Singh Pandhi, former minister and member of the SAD advisory committee, while addressing a meeting of SAD activists of the Amloh circle at the Canal Rest House here yesterday. He said the government had not taken up any development works during it four-year rule and now keeping in view the coming elections, it had made announcements of development works to misguide the electorate. Mr Pandhi said while the government on the one hand was talking of empowering the Panchayati Raj institutions, on the other hand, it was privatising health and education in the state. He further pointed out that the significance of Amloh town had been lowered during the Congress rule with the shifting of the employment exchange to Sirhind. He demanded that the office should be shifted to the mini-secretariat at Fatehgarh Sahib. Mr Brij Lal Sharma, Akali leader, Mr Paramjeet Singh Khanian, Mr Kahla Singh Beni, Dr Raghvir Shukla, social workers, Mr Kuldeep Singh Machhrai, Mr Shamashpur and others also spoke on the occasion.
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Parents need counselling, says expert
She was in the city to address a seminar on developing different aspects of personality as part of the exhibition, Woman 2006, organised by the Aagaaz and PR Excelsior. Coal and diamond have the same properties but when a diamond is cut into 52 facets, it starts sparkling. Similarly, people tend to associate personality with good appearance and clothes. A good personality is sum total of large number of factors, she added. She said: “For a good personality, a person should have clear thoughts and think good. It is important to be talking decently not only to your superiors but also to your subordinates. The culture of branded things has a harmful effect on the people as branded things are expensive and causing friction between parents and children.” She said for every profession one had to have training. So for being parents, too, one needed training. One out of five persons was suffering from depression. We have to motivate those people and counselling helped. Competition at every stage was causing stress. Even a four-year-old child suffered from stress. Positive talks help a lot and fun should be introduced into lives of everyone, she added.
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Ramgarhias honour Birmi
Ludhiana, March 12 He called upon various organisations of Ramgarhias to unite under the banner of the Vishawkarma Ramgarhia Council and get the pending demands of the community settled. He said the Chief Minister had assured to provide a suitable piece of land for the construction of Vishwakarma bhavan in Ludhiana. He said the state government had given special attention to the development of Ludhiana as a modern city and it had been selected under the Prime Minister's Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission under which 18 cities of the country were being developed in the first phase. He claimed that the Chief Minister had sanctioned a ring road project at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore around Ludhiana city. He presented a cheque for Rs 6,600 on behalf of the Steel Authority of India to Bharat Vir Singh, a basketball player of Everest Public School. Those present on the occasion included Mr Gurcharan Singh Rajjar, PPCC secretary, Mr Kulwinder Singh Birdi, Mr Manjit Singh, Mr Jagtar Singh Matharoo, Mr Komal Khanna, Mr Rajinder Sharma, Principal, Everest Public School, and Mr Deep Chand Rajasthani.
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Uttaranchalis meet Governor
Ludhiana, March 12
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Set up pay panel soon, demand pensioners
Ludhiana, March 12
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Kisan panchayat on March 21
Ludhiana, March 12
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62-year-old man dies
after being sexually assaulted
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 12 The Dehlon police has registered a case under Sections 302, 307, 377 and 34, IPC, against three unidentified persons in this regard. "It does not seem to be a case of revenge or hate crime,’’ the police said. According to an FIR lodged on the statement of Mr Sukhpal Singh, a resident of Rangoowal village, that his father Harbans Singh (62) had been "murdered" by three unidentified persons. The victim was working at a grocery shop. The victim was shifted to a hospital in Ludhiana where doctors operated upon him to remove the foreign body that had caused severe infection by then. He died yesterday at the hospital. As there were no external marks of injuries, doctors did not rule out the possibility of self attempt in this regard. The police has, however, initiated investigations. "Though a final decision will be taken after the postmortem report, we have initiated investigations," Mr Harjit Singh Brar, Dakha DSP, said.
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Five liquor smugglers held
Khanna, March 12 Head Constable Amrik Singh had arrested Darshan Singh, a resident of Jallah village, and seized six bottles of liquor from his possession. ASI Ranjit Singh had arrested Jaspal Singh, a resident of Jallah village, from the tee point of the village. Head Constable Harmail Singh had arrested Nirmal Singh, a resident of Kaddon village, and seized 4,500 ml of liquor from his possession. A case has been registered under the Excise Act against the accused.
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Five booked for assault
Jagraon, March 12 According to information, the five intercepted the victim, assaulted him, used abusive language and snatched Rs 25,000 in cash and a mobile phone at gunpoint. The injured has been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Mullanpur. Some old enmity is stated to be the cause of the attack. They have been booked under Sections 341, 325, 324, 379, 148 and 149, IPC, and Sections 25, 54 and 59, Arms Act.
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Senior citizens are an ignored lot these days. Over-ambitious youngsters, in their hectic schedules and entertainment, find little time to communicate with their parents and grandparents. At an age when one longs for company, it is painful to see many elderly persons sitting alone in parks and other public places. Do they, who have made us what we are today, not deserve a little more care and attention?
Ludhiana, March 12