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Auction of Liquor Vends Excise dept fetches Rs 254 crore Shveta Pathak Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, March 12 The department earned a revenue of more than Rs 254 crore from the allotments. The group was allotted 28 out of the 41 units of vends falling within the municipal limits. As they formed a sub-group, they claimed a share of 78 per cent. No other group could emerge as a single large player. The trend in case of Ludhiana rural 2, from where the department got the highest number of applications, 2,663, was opposite as more than 80 per cent of the vends went to various applicants with no single group appearing in majority. A draw of lots was conducted for the third consecutive year and a peaceful atmosphere prevailed at the venue. Applicants could be seen checking allotment details on computer screens put up inside the hall by the department. While 5 per cent license fee was deposited by the allottees today, another 5 per cent would be submitted by them within the next 48 hours. The Chadhha group was allotted over 50 per cent vends in the Machhiwara, Samrala and Maloudh divisions while it got only one unit in the Khanna, Doraha, Sahnewal and Payal divisions. In Jagraon, Raikot and Dakha divisions, the Singla group got three units. One unit went to the Garchas. The Chaddha group was followed by the Singla, Garcha, Shiv Hare and Malhotra groups. The department had received 8,607 applications for 194 vends in the district. As many as 849 applications were received for vends falling within the municipal limits, 404 for vends in Khanna, Doraha, Sahnewal and Payal, 2,586 for Ludhiana Rural 1, 114 for Jagraon, Raikot and Dakha, 2,663 for Ludhiana Rural II, 300 for Samrala, Machiwara and Maloudh; and 1,691 for vends in Ludhiana Rural 3. The draw of lots was attended by a large number of officials, including commissioner A. Venuprasad and DETC Param Pal Singh.
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Violations: 3 MC officials suspended
Ludhiana, March 12 Town planner Kamaljit Kaur, area town planner Tejpreet Singh and building inspector Zohra Singh were suspended after an inquiry by the chief vigilance officer, local bodies vigilance. Senior town planner Balkar Singh Brar said he was not sure of the charges against them as the letter from the department was faxed to his seniors in the evening only, but they had been suspended. Sources said the complaint pertained to a mall on the Humbran road. A resident had alleged that his building had suffered damage due to digging by the mall owner. He had alleged that the building was coming up fast even though the site plan had not been approved by the MC and no action was being taken against the violator. The case was taken up at a higher level and the officials were suspended for not checking violations.
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Fear sets in among officials
Ludhiana, March 12 Soon after the orders were received last evening, an ATP applied for three years leave just to “while away a difficult phase”. Her plea was, however, turned down today. After the suspension of the master town planner, the city has been left with no MTP. “It is like terror has been unleashed on us. How will we work under these circumstances? We should have been heard at least,” an official of the building branch said. They said their six counterparts were suspended in Jalandhar eight months ago. They have not been reinstated so far.
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Session on, but where are the books?
Ludhiana, March 12 Students are trying hard to get hold of books as the new session has already begun in some schools. It is being said that the shortage was due to the change in syllabus of Classes V and VIII. However, the books of Class X are also not available even though the syllabus was changed last year. Sources in the CBSE said not a single book of social studies (Class X) was available in the market. Books of Classes V and VIII had not arrived in the market yet. A book seller, on the condition of anonymity, said books were being provided by agency holders who were not able to meet the demands of the market. Kailash Sharma, president of the Punjab Book Seller Association, said: “If the board is unable to meet the demand for books, why is it giving affiliation to every third school in the city? Right now the NCERT has not issued a single book of the new syllabus to agency holders. Due to the shortage of books we are suffering heavy losses.” Harish Jain, a student of Class X, said: “The new session has already started and teachers have told us to arrange for the course material, but not a single book is available in the market. The old books are of no use as the syllabus has changed.” Another Class X student said: “I have been visiting the market for the past five days to purchase Hindi books, and today I was told that both books will be available after June.” Anirudh, another student, said a similar situation arose last year and they received the course material only after July.
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‘Missing’ ex-serviceman killed by wife
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 12 Later, cracking under the pressure of the investigating team, she confessed to her crime before a social leader and surrendered before the police yesterday. Bhupinder Singh of Upplan, her paramour and co-accused, is still at large. Earlier, a case had been registered after social and political organisations of the area started accusing the police of inaction in connection with a complaint lodged by the mother of the missing man. Though his mother and wife had lodged separate complaints, accusing each other of killing him, the police registered a case against the wife. Jagir Kaur, a widow, had alleged that her son had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Accusing Harpreet Kaur of concealing the sequence of events leading to his disappearance, she urged the police to take action. According to the Payal SHO, preliminary investigations revealed that Paritam Singh had retired from the Army last year and was not seen in the village after September 26. When Jagir Kaur asked Harpreet Kaur about his disappearance, she told her that he had gone to Chandigarh to take up a private job there. Investigations revealed that she and Bhupinder Singh had allegedly killed Paritam Singh by mixing poison in his liquor on September 26 and throwing the body into the canal near the Gurthali bridge.
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Pregnant woman commits suicide
Khanna, March 12 According to sources, the woman had recently undergone an ultrasound scan which revealed that she had got pregnant a few months before her marriage. This led to tension in the family and provoked her to commit suicide, the sources said. Paramjit Kaur did not have lunch and went to her room. Late in the night when she did not come out, her sister-in-law knocked on the door, but there was no response. She raised the alarm and the door was broken down. They found her hanging from the ceiling fan. The family members of the woman, who belonged to Khwajki village near Phillaur, were informed. They arrived here yesterday and lodged a formal complaint with the police. A case was registered against her husband Prithpal Singh, father-in-law Amir Singh and brother-in-law Sukhdev Singh. All of them have been arrested. The body of the deceased was sent to the civil hospital for a postmortem examination after which it was handed over to her parents.
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Mother of two dead; SSP orders probe
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 12 Sangrur SSP Arunpal Singh has ordered a probe into the events leading to the death of the woman and action against the suspects. Karamjit Singh (husband) and Bakhshish Singh are said to be the prime suspects. No arrest has been made so far. Swarnjit Kaur was married to Karamjit Singh seven years ago. All this time, she was constantly harassed for dowry. Parents of Swarnjit are reported to have spent thousands on valuables and jewellery which the in-laws would sell to run the family. Swarnjit had reporedly told her parents several times that she apprehended threat to her life. “Swarnjit told us on the phone last night that she feared for her life,” said her sister-in-law Jasbir Kaur. She alleged that her in-laws showed undue haste in cremating the body.
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Violent youth taken to asylum
Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 12 Sources said Ravinder Singh (30) had been behaving abnormally for the past few months. He would throw stones and bricks on passersby, including women and children. He had also damaged windowpanes of some buildings. Though the youth owns huge property in villages, no family member bothered either to get him admitted to hospital, or stop him from acting violent. The police was asked to present him before an ilaqa magistrate.
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Dharna against milk price hike
Ludhiana, March 12 The government needs to take measures for controlling rising prices, the members of the association said. Among others who participated in the protest were secretary Rana Pratap Singh Sodhi and adviser Ajay
Behl.
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Pilgrims return from Katasraj temple, felicitated
Ludhiana, March 12 Members of the jatha, comprising Krishan Kumar Bawa, chairman, Punjab Housefed, B.K. Gupta, joint commissioner, municipal corporation, Ramesh Joshi, chairman, Urban Development Cell, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Jeewan Dhawan and Meena Gupta were garlanded and offered “siropas” by functionaries of the temple managing committee. Besides Arun Gupta, president of the mandir committee, and Hari Das Bawa, president, Bairagi Mahan Mandal, Punjab, Madan Lal Chopra, chairman, Sanatan Dharam Mahotsav Committee, and Jagdev Singh Jassowal, chairman, Punjab Sabhiacharak Committee, were present on the occasion. Bawa said Katasraj, the historic holy known as third eye of Lord Shiva, finds mention in the Mahabharta for “Amarkund” which is located close to the holy shrine. He said the Pakistan Waqf Board had recently provided funds worth Rs 16 crore for renovating and beautifying the temple. Lauding arrangements made for the pilgrimage by Pakistan Waqf Board, Bawa said nearly 150 pilgrims from different parts of the country had reached Wagah border from Attari through train and proceeded to Dera Sahib Gurdwara in Lahore. From Lahore, the pilgrims had left for Katasraj by bus on March 4. The pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy shrine and took bath in “Amarkund” before returning to Lahore. A few jatha members had also visited Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev. Jassowal urged the union government to allow Hindu pilgrims visiting Katasraj entry to Wagah border through road instead of the hassles of visa and train journey.
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SAD-BJP promises fall short of expectations
K.S. Chawla
Ludhiana, March 12 Rather the situation has worsened during the past one year thanks to the government’s apathy. The city suffered maximum during the Captain Amarinder Singh’s five year’s rule. The former Chief Minister had appointed his favourite officer as the municipal commissioner. He did not even bother to develop the city but looked after the interests of a few political big wigs. Mayor, who was from the Congress, played a second fiddle to the commissioner and then local bodies minister Jagjit Singh. The Ludhianvis heaved a sigh of relief when the arrogant municipal commissioner was transferred at the fag end of the Congress rule. With the change in the political setup municipal corporation’s elections were held in August 2007. The SAD-BJP got the majority during the election. The residents of this town were of the hope that things would change for the better with the changes in the corporation’s setup. The SAD-BJP government also made tall promises of making Ludhiana a model city and promised to spend more than Rs 3,000 crore on its development. But their hopes got shattered and things are going beyond redemption. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that he would be the minister in charge of the city and would preside over the district planning board and district redressal grievances committee meetings every month. What of holding meetings of the district planning board, the state government has failed to setup these up even after one year of its rule. Officers were not taking seriously the sangat darshan that was started at the district. The aggrieved persons keep moving from one office to another to get their grievances resolved.
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NGOs rise against gender bias
Mahesh Sharma
Mandi Ahmedgarh/Khanna, March 12 According to chairman of the Global Punjab Foundation, Harjinder Pal Singh, office-bearers of a few social organisations have come forward to make people aware deleterious affects of sex determination followed by termination of pregnancies. “In light of apprehension shown by Chief Justice Vijender Jain that the sex ratio will deteriorate to 1:5 after a few years, we can imagine a society where people will have to fight for getting their sons married. Besides creating social chaos, the situation will give rise to law and order problems as well,” said Walia claiming that the foundation had received good response during its earlier projects like gender adaptation. Executive officer of the Khanna municipal council Jagjit Singh Jajj claimed that office-bearers of a few social organisations of the town and surrounding villages had sought information about girls born in the area this year. These organizations had decided to recognise families which do not discriminate between boys and girls. “The gesture shown by these organizations shows that the Chief Justice’s appeal during a seminar organised by the Punjab State Legal Services Authority at grain market has left desired impression on minds of social leaders,” said Jajj. Bimal Kumar Sharma, manager Shri Ram Mandi and Tarsem Lal Garg, chairman Social Welfare Society informed that their organizations would adopt deserted female children of the area besides undertaking responsibility of education and marriages of poor girls.
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Residents want MC to maintain LIT parks
Ludhiana, March 12 Residents of areas developed by LIT have complained that the privilege of green parks should also be extended to them. They said that if they did not live in an area falling under the municipal jurisdiction, it did not mean that they had no right to greenery. Most of the parks in the LIT areas are poorly maintained. A few days ago, the corporation had constituted committees and agreed to pay Re 1 per square yard to them for maintenance. ‘‘While corporation parks would now be well maintained, nothing would be done for LIT parks. They are not ready to pay us anything,” said Dr Satish Thaman,
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Physicians converge at ayurvedic college
Khanna, March 12 This is the first Ayurvedic college of Punjab where such delegates have come to exchange their views with the students of this college. Vice-President of the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development Dr N.S. Bawa was also present on the occasion. Delegates’ representative Dr Ankita briefed about that peace march which would start from the Wagha border and culminate at Rajghat in New Delhi. Dr Zora Singh welcomed the delegates and lauded the efforts to being about peace in the world. College principal Dr Loveleen Kaur Ahuja expressed concern over the deteriorating environmental conditions. She stressed on the need to end the arms race and laid emphasis on diverting the funds to health and education sectors.
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Train accident victim needs help
Ludhiana, March 12 Joginder's accident took place just 12 days after her husband’s accidental death. Since then, the woman was in a state of shock. She requires intensive life-saving treatment and medication which is very expensive. Her husband used to work as a tempo driver on daily wages. With the sole breadwinner of the family gone forever, Joginder is helpless. According to the doctors attending on her, many more days of hospitalisation may be required, which, along with medication and treatment, would entail huge expenditure. Joginder Kaur and her family needs financial help. People wishing to donate will be appreciated. All those good Samaritans interested in helping Joginder Kaur and her desperate family can contact the office of the medical superintendent at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. All donations should be made in favour of Christian Medical College and Hospital with "Treatment of Joginder Kaur " written on the back of the cheque/ DD or on the covering letter.
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Plays on women issues
Doraha, March 12 The programme was inaugurated by former judge Gurnam Singh Sewak. Dr Jaswant Singh Khera, president, Human Rights Munch, Punjab, presided over the function. Various speakers emphasised that today’s woman, in spite of her improved position, still had to go a long way before she acquired independent status. Stressing upon the need for women education, the seminarians commented that it was with education alone that the women of the day could fight the societal onslaughts with determination. Two plays produced and directed by Gursharan Singh were staged.
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Employees’ union holds function
Ludhiana, March 12 The flag of the union was unfurled on the newly allotted room of the union by Punjab cabinet minister Hira Singh Gabria. Thekedar Kamalinder Singh, Ajit Singh, Devinder Singh Ghuman and other dignitaries also attended the inaugural function.
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Bank defaulter arrested
Ludhiana, March 12 The police swang into action after a city judge had issued non-bailable warrants against the alleged defaulter in a cheque bounce case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The defaulter had taken small ticket personal loan worth Rs 50,000 from ICICI Bank Limited and issued cheque to the bank against the said loan. After the cheque bounced, the bank filed a case against the defaulter.
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Power situation improves Our Correspondent
Ludhiana, March 12 Sources at the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) headquarters told The Tribune that in the wake of better power scenario, the two-day compulsory weekly off for the industry was being cut down to one weekly off. The relief will come into effect from March 15 for category I industries. These units were getting power from mixed feeders while those falling in categories II and III will start benefiting from March 21. The gap between demand and availability of power, the sources added, though varies from day today, but it was around 150 to 200 lakh units as compared to nearly 300 lakh units when the demand from the agriculture sector as well as domestic consumers was at its peak till February. Information gathered from different quarters revealed that except for the border areas where wheat crop matured a bit early, the crop was still in the process of maturing at places like Sangrur, Patiala and Khanna and a minimum of 6 hour power supply had to be maintained for tube wells at least till March 20 or even a couple of days more till maturity of the grain. The move for replacing ordinary bulbs for lighting at tube wells with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) had also reported to have yielded encouraging results with power consumption for this purpose showing a downward trend. The PSEB sources said efforts would be made for motivating domestic consumers to opt for CFLs rather than ordinary bulbs and tube lights which consumed anything between three to eight times more energy. As things stand at present, there was no proposal to reduce power cut on domestic and mixed feeders in urban areas and the urban population will still have to go without power for three hours, on an average, every day till the power situation improves further. According to PSEB officials, negotiations, both on board and government level, were on for purchasing power from states like Himachal Pradesh, but in any case additional power will be available to Punjab only when these deals materialized, which would be sometimes around end of May or early June.
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Industry worried over power purchase at high rates
Ludhiana, March 12 “The board has now decided to procure power at Rs 11 per unit to tide over the power shortage in the coming months. This is on a very high side considering that in September 2007, power was available for only Rs 6 per unit,” said Inderjit Singh Pardhan, president, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU). Industry representatives expressed fear that due to the purchase at high rates power tariffs too may go up, which industry would not be able to bear. They said the industry was already reeling under pressure due to steep rise in steel rates. “If the PSEB purchase power at such high prices we fear tariffs to may rise soon. The burden would be too much for industry to bear. Industrial units are already on the verge of closure.” Pardhan also urged the Chief Minister to initiate enquiry against the officials in the department who are responsible for purchasing electricity at such high cost.
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SCD college to start BCA, PGDCA courses
Ludhiana, March 12 Unfolding the plans, principal of the college Dr Malkiat Singh, at a press conference, today said the college was going to start a computer science department with BCA and PGDCA as new courses. Both these courses will have 40 seats. He said, "We have already got the permission to start these courses from the government of Punjab and a university inspection team is due to visit the college shortly to grant affiliation." Dr Singh added that the ministry of science and technology, Government of India, had chosen the college to consider for star science of the nation and detailed proposal for this had already been sent to the government of India through the government of Punjab. He said last year, as many as 40 students of the college were trained under the "Capability Enhancement Programme" and three of them got selected for the executive trainee programme of Vardhman while 12 were selected in other companies with the help of Vardhman Training and Development Centre. Students of the college have also been selected by Infosys, ICICI insurance and other services sector. Dr Singh said the college was constructing a new IT wing in the PTA Building that would be ready by June end and would be utilised from the next session.
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IGNOU to participate in kisan mela
Khanna, March 12 This is the first time when IGNOU is participating in the fair. The faculty from School of Agriculture and Regional Centre of IGNOU would be responding to the needs and queries of the farmers, students and other visitors. Dr Ashok Sharma, regional director of IGNOU, said the university was running several programmes in agriculture and allied sectors in Punjab and Chandigarh that were beneficial not only for farmers but also for students. Dr Sharma said IGNOU had been developing specialised programmes in collaboration with various national and international organisations like the ministry of agriculture, ministry of food processing industries, ministry of rural development, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Central Silk Board etc. Dr Sharma appealed to the farmers, students and other prospective visitors of the mela for visiting the IGNOU stall to acquaint themselves with IGNOU's agriculture-related programmes and quality materials for developing excellence, skill and entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture.
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Free books for students of backward classes
Ludhiana, March 12 The books will be given to the students of government, affiliated and aided schools. The course material from Classes VII to X will be available from the tehsil welfare office while the books from Classes I to V will be available from the block primary welfare officer. According to a press release issued by district welfare officer Pritam Singh, all schools have been directed to collect books and distribute them among students for the new session. He stated that the school authorities would be responsible for the delay in supply of books to the students.
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Workshop on teaching skills
Doraha, March 12 Eminent educationist Amrita Mangat, manager, Canadian University (Northern Region), who had been a teacher and principal for 26 years, shared her ideas with teachers. She began with how morning assembly could be made more interactive and used as a ground to improve student’s vocabulary and English. She talked about many techniques and skills of teaching to enhance interest of students in studies. For kindergarten, she suggested different activities ranging from making menu card, story maps,
dramatising, taking them to garden, market etc. She said teachers should be interactive, open to criticism and must have positive attitude. Principal of the school Suzie George proposed a vote of thanks.
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IndusInd Bank to pay Rs 10,000 for lost cheque
Ludhiana, March 12 President of the forum J.S.Chawla and its member Daljit Singh Bakshi held that there was clear-cut deficiency on the part of the bank officials. The forum asked the bank to compensate the consumer on account of the loss of cheque, mental tension and harassment and litigation expenses. The orders were pronounced by the forum while deciding on a complaint filed by city-based lawyer Surjit Singh Sidhu. The complainant had stated before the forum that he had deposited a cheque worth Rs 40,000 in his account in IndusInd Bank, Feroze Gandhi Market. The cheque was drawn on Punjab National Bank, Nabha. But the amount was never credited in his account. Though the bank officials claimed that they had sent the cheque to PNB for realization. Later, he served a legal notice on Punjab National Bank, Nabha. However, bank authorities declined to having received the cheque in dispute, added consumer. When the matter was taken up by the forum, the PNB bank officials maintained that they never received the cheque. After appreciating the evidence on record, the forum held that the IndusInd bank had failed to produce on record any documentary evidence to show that they ever sent the said cheque to PNB for realization. In the absence of any documentary proof, the deficiency reflects only of InduInd Bank. So, they should compensate the consumer, remarked the forum president.
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Jagroop Jarkhar nominated to sports council
Ludhiana, March 12 The new council was formed yesterday with former union minister and president of the Punjab Olympic Association Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa as its head. Other members of the council are Punjab DGP and president of the Basketball Federation of India Rajdeep Singh Gill, former Punjab DGP Mahal Singh Bhullar, Olympian Brig Labh Singh (athlete), Col Balbir Singh (hockey), Prabhjot Singh, chief of bureau, The Tribune, Kanwar Sandhu, chief editor, Hindustan Times, Arjuna Awardee (basketball) Sajjan Singh Cheema, international hockey star Rajbir Kaur and former cricketer and member of Lok Sabha from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu.
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