Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 18
The possibility of violence between two groups of the SAD at war over taking control of Gurdwara Singh Sabha here, kept the police on its toes today.

Activists of both groups, including women, entered into scuffles every now and then. While supporters of Ajit Singh Walia, re-elected president on Friday, claimed control over the shrine, the faction led by Jagwant Jaggie and Kuldip Singh Karwal maintained that Jagdev Singh Boparai, elected president unanimously today, had taken over charge.

It was all quiet till the election meeting that concluded with the election of Boparai to the office of president unanimously. Various speakers termed the election process of the other group as undemocratic. The situation turned sensitive when Boparai and his supporters tried to take control of the office of the president and were opposed by supporters of the Bhullar group.

Blows were exchanged and turbans went flying off for more than two hours. for the first time three locks were put on the president's office.The Jaggie Karwal group chained the 'golak' too.

The administration had tightened security in the town last night. A team in plainclothes led by SHO Sukhdev Singh was deputed inside the gurdwara while three teams led by SHOs Maghar Singh, Swaran Singh and Parminder Singh were deployed outside.

The situation in the town remains tense.

Meanwhile, the local police has initiated action on complaints from leaders of both groups. The DSP of Malerkotla, Gurpreet Singh Sikand, action would be taken against the guilty.

Mandi Ahmedgarh May 18
The Sudhar police has arrested three persons for allegedly assaulting a block development project officer (BDPO) after forcibly entering into his house at his native village Waraich, near here and threatening to kill him yesterday. Four other suspects are absconding.

The accused have been identified as Balwinder Singh, Atma Singh and Amarjit Singh, alias Shingara Singh of the same village. Political rivalry was reported to be reason behind the attack.

The accused, during investigations denied the charges levelled against them and maintained that they were canvassing for their candidates when the incident took place. Though the complainant and the accused had entered into verbal dual, no manhandling took place, they claimed.

While the arrested accused had been remanded in judicial custody, supporters of both warring group were learnt to have reached a compromise. A few Congress leaders had been demanding his transfer, at least till panchayat elections. The BDPO was posted at his home subdivision Raikot.

FIR registered by Raghbir Singh Waraich states that at least seven armed persons had allegedly assaulted him and his brother Jaswant Singh Waraich, BDPO, Raikot, by forcibly entering into his house yesterday. The suspects even threatened to kill the complainant in case he did not withdraw his nomination for a panch of the civic body.

“The suspects were annoyed over villagers’ inclination to elect me as a sarpanch of the civic body,” Raghbir Singh Waraich said before investigating team led by Sukhbir Singh.

Being cornered by the suspects, Waraich had sought help from Raikot DSP who directed the Sudhar police to nab the suspects.

While Balwinder Singh, Atma Singh and Amarjit Singh, alias Shingara Singh, were arrested from the spot, Paramjit Singh, Bittu and two of their accomplices succeeded in fleeing from the village. The accused were presented in a court after being booked under Sections 452, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act. The police is yet to recover weapons used in the attack.

Ludhiana, May 18
Intense campaigning for the Senate elections of Panjab University, Chandigarh, has already started in the city, which has strong lobby of contenders. The contestants in fray, for the elections scheduled to be held in September, have started targeting the voters from their respective constituencies. The competition is tough in two main constituencies- the teacher and the graduate constituencies. All four contestants from Ludhiana represent these two constituencies.

The contestants from city are Mukesh Arora, Jagpal Singh, Harpreet Dua and Kuldeep Singh. Jagpal Singh represents the graduates’ constituency while remaining three represents the teachers’ constituency. All of them claim of getting “whole-hearted support” from their voters.

Out of total 90 Senators, including both nominated and elected, 15 are reserved for the graduate constituency while eight senators are elected from the lecturers constituency, eight from the principals’ constituency, three from professional technical college lecturers, three from professional technical college principals, one major faculty constituency and two from readers/professors’ constituency and people from political background. At least 25 to 30 senators are nominated by the Vice-President of India on the basis of merit and previous records.

The 15 members from the graduate constituency are elected by the graduates (who passed five years ago or before) or postgraduate (anytime) students the university or its affiliated college or the institution.

“The competition always remains tough in the graduate constituency as a large number of fresh voters attract the contestants. For getting support in the elections, the lobby contenders have started targeting the graduate and postgraduate students of the university by filling their forms for enrollment as the registered graduates”, informed Tarsem Bahia, former Senate member, PU, Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, at least 100 teachers of SCD Government College claim to have extended their support to Mukesh Arora and Jagpal Singh. On the behalf of the Government College Teachers’ Association (GCTA) unit of SCD Government College, president S.S.Bamb informed that a resolution was moved in this regard on the college premises.

“It is a unanimous decision. The teachers feel that both members had performed exceptionally well in providing service to not only government teachers but to private ones as well, hence they deserve the support”, claimed Bamb.

Doraha, May 18
People commuting in private buses allege that there is literally no check on the speed limit of these buses. This, they say, should strictly be adhered to especially inside the octroi limits of the city. If stringent steps are not taken immediately, lives of a large number of people will be at risk.

While the speed limit inside the octroi limits for the light vehicles is 40 kms per hour, for heavy vehicles it is 50 kms per hour. But, most often it is the car owners’ who are frequently fined for exceeding the speed limit, whereas private bus drivers inspite of being the defaulters are seldom stopped and if at all they are, they are let off with a slight verbal warning.

Quoting the recent incident in which a teenaged girl was run over by a private bus driver, who first jumped the red lights and then crushed the girl at Ludhiana, one of the passenger views, “It seems that the private bus drivers and conductors are someone special who are bound by no traffic rules and can brake the speed limit at given time. Till date there have been numerous such incidents where the drivers and conductors, particularly of the private buses, have thrown all rules and regulations to winds and played with the lives of not only the pedestrians but also with those commuting in such vehicle.”

Members of Doraha youth forum allege, “As the private bus drivers are always engaged in mad competition with their fellow bus drivers, the hit-and-run has become a matter of routine for them. First they stop at bus stands in anticipation of more passengers, then in order to cover up that time they drive as if they have to extinguish the blaze somewhere”.

Jandeep Kaushal, chairman, All-India Federation of Democratic Youth, Doraha, complains, “To make matters worse not only I found that the driver of one of the private buses adjusting the TV channel meant for passengers’ viewing but was himself viewing it with the help of the rear mirror especially adjusted for this purpose. If this is the safety standard being provided by these buses, it is really awful. A driver engaged in a race with another driver and simultaneously watching T.V, I really wonder at the sorry state of affairs.”

Lakhwinder Singh Buani, district general secretary of the MCPI (U) opined, “As far as the checking at toll plaza is concerned it is most casual.

These people please the toll employees by taking them from one place to another for free. And again the manner in which they cross the toll plaza is so risky that the other vehicles pushed to the verge of the road.”

Refuting the charges levelled against the traffic police for not checking the over speeding buses, ASI Kulwant Singh Malhi, in charge, highway patrolling, near Kanganwal village said in the last month he had fined 407 buses for over speeding and blowing of pressure horn and that no such bus is allowed to go scot free in any case.

However, a police official revealed that since fleet of such buses are owned by bigwigs, the officials have to think twice before penalizing these drivers lest they should invite the owners’ wrath.

The people residing in this area have demanded strict action against such speed demons who are literally playing with the lives of the people.

“It is the sheer callousness on the part of the police and the administration which has failed to check the rowdyism of these drivers,” they resent. 

Ludhiana, May 18
The city police has busted a gang of car thieves who confessed to have committed 30 cars theft in the state. Seven cars have also been recovered from the accused, as they were planning to sell them in the market.

Besides, seven cars, sharp-edged weapons, the police has recovered two country made pistol and 12 cartridges from the accused.

With the recovery of jewellery worth Rs 1 lakh from the accused, the police claims that they were involved in robbery cases as well.

Kingpin of the gang Randeep, alias Vijay Topi of Thai Paei village near Amritsar, was active in Ambala, Amritsar and Mohali. The gang used to sell these cars in Amritsar, Kot Kupora and Sharinagar.

The police also arrested two of his accomplices Pushpinder Singh of Jandiala Guru and Ashwani Kumar of Dodha in Shrinagar.

According to the SP (Detective), the gang, equipped with latest equipment, could crack the security code of any car without much trouble. The gang’s favourite pick were Suzuki cars.

Gurpreet Singh further said the thieves used to sell 48 per cent of their stolen cars to the Shrinagar-based car dealers like Nishab Motors and Sabha Motors. He said more names were likely to surface during interrogation.

The accused have been booked under Sections 379, 411, 457, 438, 420, 467 and 488 for theft and forgery.

A Lancer, two Maruti Esteem, three Zen and an Alto car have been recovered from the accused.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 18
CPI leaders led by Kartar Singh Buani, district general secretary, Ludhiana, have sought the deferment of panchayat elections in various villages, including Buani village, near here, where the returning officer had allegedly rejected nomination papers of at least nine aspirants on “flimsy” grounds.

Accusing government officials of acting at the behest of SAD leaders, the leaders demanded registration of criminal cases against those who had allegedly gagged the voice of activists of social and political organisations.

In a communique, addressed to higher authorities, including chairman of the National Election Commission, CPI leaders led by Buani have alleged that the returning officer at Doraha had allegedly rejected nomination papers of a large number of aspirants owing allegiance to parties other than the SAD on flimsy grounds.

Surinder Singh, Baldev Singh, Amarjit Singh, Jang Singh, Sarabjit Kaur, Balvir Kaur, Baljit Kaur, Amrik Singh and Basant Singh (all residents of Buani village) were among those whose nomination papers for election to panchayat members were either nor accepted or rejected.

Accusing district authorities of showing unconcern towards complaints received from leaders of various parties barring the SAD, Buani rued that the democratic system was on the verge of collapse there.

“Senior officers, instead of taking cognizance of reports of violation of rules, have tried to justify their role by saying that officials have to work according to the wishes of SAD leaders of respective areas. Though the situation in other villages is no better, it is ridiculous that nomination papers of all our candidates have been rejected without assigning any reason,” said Buani.

Buani threatened to launch an agitation in case no action was taken in the case.

Ludhiana, May 18
After having left the Budda Nullah polluted by discharging toxic effluents in the water body, the Ludhiana dyeing industry is now turning the forest area around the city into a dump for fly ash threatening the many trees.

Heaps of fly ash can be seen on the forest land on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar road. The trees are waiting for the slow death as the chemical in the fly ash would percolate into their roots after getting washed with rain water.

Enquiries revealed that the dyeing industry, after turning the Focal Point roads into a desert were finally eyeing the forest cover on the roadsides and dumping fly ash on it. The ash, produced by burning rice husk as fuel in dyeing industry, was dumped on the low-lying areas and was finally covered with a thin layer of earth so that it could not be spotted.

Besides threatening trees, the fly ash was causing inconvenience to the residents of nearby areas and commuters. Residents say the ash has made their lives miserable as everyday fine particles gets carried by winds and deposited in their houses.

The residents were complaining of eye and respiratory allergies. ‘‘This is their latest style of dumping the fly ash. They just dump it on roadsides and forget. Residents have to bear the brunt. Whenever I drive a scooter on the road, I get eye irritation. The eyes burn as if some strong chemical has been put into these, ’’ said Mandeep Kumar, a resident of area.

He added that he witnessed a heap every other day. On the first day it was wet as it was soaked while transporting. Then it got dried and a fine powder was carried by winds.

There seems to be no solution to this problem except for the fact that the dyeing unit owners come to know about the ill-effects of its dumping.

Heaps of fly ash can be seen on the forest land on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar road. The trees are waiting for the slow death as the chemical in the fly ash would percolate into their roots after getting soaked in the rain water. 

Ludhiana, May 18
Preliminary work for a dedicated freight corridor between Ludhiana and Kolkata, proposed in this years Railway budget has been taken in hand and an additional rail track on this route was being laid from the Kolkata side.

This was stated by Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ferozepur division, Satish Kumar, after a meeting with railway officials at the Dhandari railway station near Ludhiana on Saturday. He said a team of senior railway officials would soon arrive here so that the work on the third railway track between Ludhiana and Kolkata side could commence.

The DRM discussed in detail some other extension and development projects to be carried out in the Ludhiana railway station and other stations in the Ferozepur division by the Northern Railways.

Satish Kumar, accompanied by other railway officials, inspected the Ludhiana, Phillaur and Dhandari railway stations for strengthening safety measures. In the wake of a few incidents of derailment at Ludhiana and Ambala cantonment railway stations, he visited the diesel shed and discussed the condition of the railway tracks.

The DRM also inspected railway operations at Ludhiana and Phillaur railway stations on Friday and Saturday and instructed officials concerned to streamline the administrative and operational working on these stations. He said development projects to make Ludhiana a model railway station were in different stages of execution and once these were completed, Railways would be in a position to offer better services to the passengers both in terms of infrastructure and efficient operations.

Later, he conducted a safety exercise at the Phillaur railway station. He, however, emphasized on the need for alertness as far as operational activities and regular inspection of the rail tracks were concerned.

Ludhiana, May 18
NSS volunteers of Government College for Women today held a march in the city against social evils. The rally was flagged off by principal R.K. Aulakh.

Addressing the volunteers and other participants, Aulakh said there should be a collective effort to curb the menace of social evils like dowry, casteism and female foeticide.

The volunteers displayed placards and posters against social evils.

The rally started from the college and went past Guru Nanak Stadium, Fountain chowk, Ghumar Mandi, Bhai Bala chowk and Bharat Nagar chowk.

Among others Manju Sahni, Sukhwinder Kaur, Sharanjit Kaur and Prof Kuldip Singh also participated in the rally.

Ludhiana, May 18
While the DGP, Punjab, has directed all SSPs and bus operators to check over speeding of buses in the state for decreasing the accident rates, especially in the wake of burning of a bus in Ludhiana, the Small Scale Bus Operators Association Punjab has termed the contractual system adopted by the bus owners as the reason behind over speeding.

General secretary of the association Jasbinder Singh Grewal said major transporters had been giving bus routes on contract these days. “The contractors in order to make profit spend more time at bus stops, both legally and illegally, to get as many passengers as possible. In order to make up for the extra time spent for the purpose, the driver runs the vehicle on high speed.”

The association has in response to the DGP’s call sent detailed reasons for combating the issue. One of those, he said was the illegal stand outside the bus stand.

“Every other day, there is an accident here. Only two days ago, two women were run over when a bus tried to find its way from the choked road. We have brought this to the notice of the city traffic police a number of times.” he added.

In a recent communication, DGP N.P.S. Aulakh told SSPs and bus operators that a perusal of road accidents held over-speeding buses as the main cause of death on roads. He also called upon the bus operators to impose a check on themselves.

A majority of hotels or shopping complexes in the city are devoid of adequate parking space of their own. None of the complexes on the Mall road, College road, Cemetery road and Ghumar Mandi has provisions for parking.

The LMC should not give permission to new commercial complexes unless they have a layout plan for providing sufficient parking space.

One must learn from Delhi’s Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, where the authorities have constructed a three-storey underground parking for over 2,000 vehicles.

Owners of such complexes should be made to create either joint or individual parking space.

The LMC must fix the responsibility of providing adequate parking space to customers with the owners of such complexes and in case of violation, it must take action against them.

Also, to ease traffic, overpasses are needed in the city especially from Dugri phatak to Dholewal Chowk.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 18
The local police has arrested a woman, Mukhtiaro, a resident of Kanganwal village, for allegedly acting as a courier for drug and narcotics smugglers and seized 4 kg poppy husk from her possession.

According to Malerkotla DSP Gurpreet Singh Sikand, the suspect was arrested on the basis of information provided by an informer.

The police had been tipped off about exploitation of helpless women by some drug smugglers for transporting small quantities of banned substances to retailers of the area.

As these women usually travelled by public transport, the police did not suspect them.

Mukhtiaro was caught by a team of police led by ASI Avtar Singh as she was about to board a bus on the outskirts of Kanganwal village.

She has been booked under the NDPS Act and remanded in judicial custody.

Ludhiana, May 18
Punjab National Bank CMD Dr K.C. Chakrabarty inaugurated a pilot project on urban financial inclusion here today.

Out of nine lakh households, three lakh households did not have any kind of bank account and the bank aimed at including 50,000 households under its financial inclusion project 2008-09.

Under the aegis of the pilot project, it is proposed to encourage inclusive growth of poor and downtrodden in the city.

As many as 12,000 “no frills deposit accounts” were opened under financial inclusion programme during the launching ceremony.

The bank will also issue biometric smart cards to all depositors soon, which will allow them to access the banking system on their doorstep irrespective of their domicile.

A business correspondent/facilitator with the help of web camera and biometric scanner will open bank accounts and issue biometric smart cards.

POS machines will be used to read/write smart cards that will also enable account holders to carry out banking transactions.

Giving an account of PNB’s drive for financial inclusion, Dr Chakrabarty said its aim was to cover Indo-Gangetic plain, where the bank had more inherent strength, not only in terms of outreach but infrastructure availability also.

The process of including the financially excluded people was necessary so as to bring about “inclusive growth” so that all sections of the society got the benefits of economic development in the economy.

Since it was not possible to open branches in all unbanked areas, “we had to ‘reach the unreached’ with the help of technology”, he said.

Dr Chakrabarty said the bank saw financial inclusion as a distinct opportunity and business proposition for future growth.

“Our bank has declared 2008 as that of ‘financial inclusion’ with a vision for financially strengthening a majority of population by providing banking facility and financial services.”

Dr Chakrabarty said the PNB had completed the process of financial inclusion in all allocated villages (3,058) of Punjab by opening 57,676 “no frills deposit accounts” and providing credit assistance to 4,832 families under the GCC Scheme.

He said the PNB aimed at including 50,000 households in 2008-09 and provide them with credit assistance to push them on the path of economic prosperity.

He added that the bank had declared its financial results for March, 2008. The bank had achieved gross profit of Rs 4,006 crore (growth of 10.75 per cent), while net profit of the bank amounted to Rs 2,049 crore (growth of 33.03 per cent).

Total business of the bank stood at Rs 2.86 lakh crore at the end of March 2008 registering an annual growth of 20.9 per cent, he added.

Ludhiana, May 18
It was a unique experience for writer Prof Asghar Wajahat witness his own play staged before an awakened audience at Punjabi Bhawan yesterday. The noted writer was in the city to see the team of Rangmanch Rangnagri stage “Jine Lahore nai dekhya o janmya nai”. Dr Wajahat said the director had aptly expressed his ideas through the performance.

On theatre activity in places like Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and Chandigarh, the writer said: “It is good to see revival of theatre in the state and it can prove instrumental in motivating people and organisations of other Indian states also.”

Currently working as professor and head of the department of Hindi, Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI), New Delhi, Professor Wajahat is accredited with four novels, six plays, a collection of street plays and short stories.

He has been received globally through his short stories translated and published in English, Russian, Hugarian and Italian.

His peculiar style of writing has a personal touch with which readers equate their emotions.

Dr Wajahat, being a real thinker, sums up the problem of “border” between India and Pakistan as nothing but “dilemma of past” that the young and the old are sticking to.

“My next novel ‘Chahar Dar’ (four doors) reflects the inner feelings of young Indians and Pakistanis who are craving to become bona fide friends.”

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 18
Terming hepatitis “silent killer group of ailments”, physicians of the area have called upon office- bearers of various social, educational and other bodies to educate people about the causes and consequences of the dreaded disease.

The call came on the occasion of an awareness drive launched by the local branch of Rotary Club to observe the World Hepatitis Day that falls tomorrow.

Apprehending that residents of the Doaba and Malwa regions of the state were more susceptible to hepatitis C and B, Dr Harmeet Saluja, a gastroenterologist from SPS Apollo Hospital, cautioned that the disease would transform into an epidemic soon.

Claiming that around 40.9 million Indians were suffering from hepatitis B and C, Dr Saluja said the annual death toll due to the dreaded disease was over one lakh.

The virus was also responsible for around 68 per cent of liver cirrhosis and 80 per cent of hepatocellular carcinoma in the country.

Terming lack of public awareness a major factor for steep rise in incidence of dreaded disease, Dr K.C. Goyal, district health officer, and Dr K.S. Khurana, SMO, civil hospital, called upon office-bearers of social organisations to coordinate with authorities in the heath department and help educate masses about prevention of the disease.

Admitting that the spread of fatal viruses was a worldwide problem, Goyal and Khurana stated that the menace could be checked, if not controlled, with coordinated effort of all sections of society.

“Let alone common people, even members of the medical fraternity were not fully aware of the causes and consequences of easily communicable disease,” warned Dr Goyal, adding that the physicians and members of paramedical staff were among susceptible groups.

Dr Sunit Hind, Dr Jyoti Kapoor and Dr Gurtej Singh gave tips about the prevention of the disease.

Ludhiana, May 18
On the second day of the 7th Sub-Junior Ludhiana Softball Championship being held at Ramgarhia Educational Complex, Miller Ganj, today, Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School recorded an easy 9-1 victory over BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road branch, to secure a berth in the boy’s section final.

In the second semifinal, Guru Nanak International Public School prevailed over Teja Singh Swatantar English Medium School 9-6 to set up the title clash with Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School.

Earlier in the league encounters, hosts Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School, Miller Ganj, scored an overwhelming 10-0 victory over Jujhar Model Senior Secondary; while BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road, drubbed Teja Singh Swatantar School 11-3.

Also, Teja Singh Swatantar English Medium School survived anxious moments before romping home victorious 4-2 against Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School. Similarly, Guru Nanak International Public School quelled a strong challenge from RS Model Senior Secondary School before emerging winners 5-3.

The final matches in boy’s and girl’s sections are slated for tomorrow.

Ludhiana, May 18
Around 70 players attended trials conducted by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA) at Arya College, Civil Lines, here today. The trials were conducted to pick probables (senior) for the upcoming Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament for the Katoch Shield to be organised by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).

The trials were conducted under the supervision of the selection panel of the LDCA with members Chaman Lal Malhotra, Sham Lal, Pawan Pandey and Naresh Marwaha.

Meanwhile, in a communique received by the LDCA, the Punjab Cricket Association has postponed the Katoch Shield Tournament scheduled to begin in the second week of June.

According to information, the tournament has been rescheduled as a result of non-availability of senior players who are currently busy playing for their respective departments, while some are abroad for their engagements with county cricket championships.

The Katoch Shield Tournament will now be held from the third week of September.