Ludhiana, November 4
In what may raise a question mark on the working of enforcement agencies, certain shopkeepers who have taken shops on rent for meagre sums in busy markets are subletting the front of their shops to kiosks for thousands of rupees, thereby leading to chaos on city roads.

While rehri-mafia is having a field day, commuters are having a nightmare on roads due to congestion. All this is happening while the municipal corporation prefers to sleep over the issue.

Investigations by The Tribune revealed that in all busy markets where every inch of land is worth lakhs, the shopkeepers were paying anything between Rs 100 and 500 to their landlords and were themselves subletting roadsides in front of their shops for whopping amounts.

This was leading to encroachment and traffic chaos even when the tehbazaari department was busy removing encroachments every now and then.

Though they were also accused of adopting a half-hearted approach to deal with encroachers, the latter were paying thousands to the mafia for staying put.

The practice was prevalent in Chaura Bazar, Partap Bazar, Ghanta Ghar chowk, Ghumar Mandi, Dandi Swami chowk, books market and other old and new bazaars.

The roads were dotted with kiosks selling knick-knacks. At several places, open restaurants were being run after setting up their paraphernalia by the roadsides.

“Since shopkeepers have taken shops on rent for over five decades, the rentals have not increased. But realising the value of space, they have sublet the space of the MC to earn money,” said Parminder Mehta, a Congress councillor, who has raised the issue on the floor of general house several times.

He added that the MC should rather accept money from encroachers and allow them to stay put.

“Instead of these shopkeepers subletting the space, why cannot we legalise these encroachments at some identified places and earn revenue?” he said.

Sources said in the Ghumar Mandi area said kiosk owners were paying Rs 100 every day. In other area, residents were subletting the front of their houses to vegetable vendors, eatable sellers and even washermen.

Ludhiana, November 4
There is resentment among the medical fraternity with Dr A.P.S. Gambhir, accused of violating the Medical Termination of Pregnancy and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Test Act, getting bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Dr Gambhir was arrested in July while intending to abort a female foetus here. He was remanded in police custody. The district family welfare officer, Dr Reena Sandhu, said she had written to the SSP to give the health department details of the interrogation of Dr Gambhir. “It would help us work for the strict implementation of the PNDT Act which is widely violated despite the efforts of the health department,” she said.

She added that the department had sent the details of the case to the state health minister.

A four-member team of the health department had conducted a raid on a hospital to find a woman from Rurka Khurd, near Goraya, being readied for termination of pregnancy in the labour room.

The woman and her family told health officials that she had two daughters and had willingly come to the hospital for abortion after an ultrasound scan of the third pregnancy revealed that she was carrying a female foetus.

Dr A.P.S. Gambhir and Dr Jatinder Gambhir were not available for comments and the hospital staff stated that both were out of station.

Ludhiana, with a sex ratio of 878:1,000, has the worst male-female ratio. Raids conduced by the health department are of little consequence in the face of the guilty going scot free, she said.

Jagraon, November 4
The police party that had gone to arrest the accused in a dowry case felt the heat when the entire village stood in the support of the accused.

Paramjit Kaur, wife of Gurpreet Singh of Chakar village, now staying with her parents at Sowaddi Kalan village, had accused her in-laws of harassing and beating her up to get a car as dowry from her parents.

The DSP (H), Mukhtair Singh, after inquiring into the matter recommended an FIR against her in-laws. Subsequently, her husband Gurpreet Singh, father-in-law Karam Singh mother-in-law Charanjit Kaur, brother-in-law and sisters-in-law were booked.

When the police went to the village to arrest the accused, villagers stood by the accused and surrounded the police. They accused the police of favouring the complainant and alleged that the inquiry was biased.

When the situation became tense, more force had to be rushed in from Hathur, Sidhwan Bet and Jagraon Sadar to rescue the “captive” policemen.

The SSP (Ludhiana rural), Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, summoned the police and villagers and asked the SP(D) to probe the case again.

Ludhiana, November 4
The non-teaching employees union of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here is adamant on their stand of holding a rally against the authorities tomorrow. Though the office of the vice-chancellor had asked the eligible and interested candidates to fill the forms for the post of secretary to the VC, employees feel that the exercise was an eyewash to prevent the employees from holding protest tomorrow.

The proposed rally will be organised by employees to protest against the appointment of a teacher to the post of secretary to the VC and the letters issued by the latter to employees, refraining them from issuing statements or holding rallies on the campus.

According to sources, the employees interested for the post were asked to fill a form for the same. To assess their writing ability, they were asked to appear for a written test today at 11 am at VC’s committee room in Thapar Hall. Almost 18 candidates had filled the forms yesterday, but none of them appeared for the test. A candidate said, “We are experienced employees and are working here for the past 2-3 decades. Do we still need to prove our abilities? The test has never been conducted in previous times, why should we sit for the same?”

An office-bearer of the non-teaching employees union, on the condition of anonymity, said it was clearly mentioned in the form that “the position will remain open until a suitable candidate has been found”, which means the authorities were not interested to replace the present secretary for the time being. “They are trying to maintain peace, but we are against the move and will hold the protest tomorrow,” added the employee.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 4
The local police has initiated process to identify those persons who had facilitated a local family kill the paramour of their daughter after setting him afire three weeks ago.

The suspects include some political leaders, including those owing allegiance to the SAD.

The police has also sought the help of higher authorities in preventing the accused from fleeing out of country.

The police has started the process of identifying those who had been called by Kuldip Singh and his accomplices before setting afire Karan Sharma of local Jandali Road who had sneaked into his daughter’s room on the night of October 12.

The police has inferred that the suspects, besides hatching a conspiracy to kill the youth, had facilitated the accused by providing them shelter to evade arrest.

Kuldip Singh, his brother-in-law Jagdev Singh and nephew Karamjit Singh had allegedly absconded after assaulting and setting afire Karan Sharma on the fateful night.

The victim had entered their house to meet his minor beloved. He succumbed to his injuries two days after being assaulted.

Karan and the minor girl, who had an affair since their school days, had been warned against seeing one another. Karan was caught in the wee hours by her father Kuldip Singh.

Kuldip had called his relatives from Ludhiana and hit the youth with a sharp-edged weapon. When the youth resisted the attack, they sprinkled petrol on him and set him on fire.

While the victim, before dying had named Kuldip Singh, Jagdev Singh and Karamjit Singh for the fatal assault, the police has learned that the accused had called some persons to their house before setting the victim afire.

These persons, including some political leaders, had later facilitated the accused in fleeing the area.

The police has also obtained arrest warrants for the three accused.

Ludhiana, November 4
Illegal and haphazard parking of buses outside the general bus stand has become a big irritant. The parking of buses on the main road opposite the bus stand not only poses a traffic hazard but also results in frequent accidents.

The buses generally belong to private operators who enjoy a political clout. The buses avoid going inside the bus stand and collect passengers from the main road before speeding away.

For any bus to enter the bus stand, it has to pay Rs 40 as parking fee. According to the rules, every bus is required to enter the bus stand and park in front of the designated points.

An official of the private company that has constructed the new bus stand, which has been leased out to for 10 years, on condition of anonymity alleged that private buses never entered the bus stand to evade the fee, causing financial loss to the company handling the bus stand.

Private buses are also seen parked in residential areas opposite the bus stand. Bus drivers and conductors sleep on rooftops of the buses, causing inconvenience to local people.

Officials of Punjab Roadways allege that the traffic police had connived with private bus operators and seldom checked unauthorised parking of buses.

The officials revealed that the district transport officer had challaned buses violating traffic rules many a time but to no avail.

Besides, bus drivers not only violate traffic rules opposite the bus stand but also fail to stop buses at fixed bus stops on main highways like Ferozepur road, Chandigarh road, Ambala road and Jalandhar road.

Ludhiana, November 4
Hundreds of students of Guru Nanak Girls College here protested against the management for the sudden increase in the fee structure in the form of various allowances while paying the second instalment.

The students alleged that the management not only increased the existing allowances, but added financial burden on them. Protesting against the “forced” fee structure, the students said they would not bow to the pressure tactics of the authorities.

At the time of protest when students gathered near the principal’s office, the guards bolted the main gates. The students were neither allowed to go out nor the outsiders were allowed the entry on the campus. Alka (name changed), a student of BA final year, said students were not bonded labourers. “There is a problem and we have every right to call our parents. They have locked the gates so that we cannot go out,” she said.

The guards misbehaved with a female journalist of a regional daily when she tried to enter the campus at the time of protest.

According to students, the management was asking them to pay extra allowances. The two-wheeler fee was increased from Rs 350-Rs 540 all of a sudden. A note was given to the medical and non-medical students in which they were asked to pay Rs 100, Rs 420 and Rs 630 extra, in addition to fee, giving no explanation for the increase.

The students of Home Science, Physical Education etc were asked to pay extra fees of Rs 460 per practical. Several other charges have also been levied on students of BA and BSc.

Ramanpreet Kaur, another student, said the college was constructing an auditorium. In order to get maximum share from students, the management had imposed these allowances. “But why should we bear their expenses? Some of us come from lower middle class families. Our parents cannot afford to pay the actual fees, paying extra is impossible,” she said.

Meanwhile, president of managing society Gurbir Sarna said they never locked the gates for students. And whatever they were charging was as per Panjab University guidelines, he said.

Ludhiana, November 4
A one-day UGC-sponsored national seminar on “Indian women writers: A feminine perspective” was organised by the English department of Khalsa College for women here today. Dr M.S. Kang, vice-chancellor of PAU, inaugurated the seminar by lighting the lamp along with Pritpal Singh Grewal, Dr S.S. Grewal, Dr N.K. Ghosh, Sarbrinder Kaur, Gurdish Singh and principal Varinder K. Thind.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kang said the status of women had been undergoing a sea change all over the world in recent decades, particularly in India. He named some feminine novelists/ socialists who carved a niche for themselves like Arundhati Roy and Anita Desai. The seminar focussed on the feminine concerns of Indian women writers. The emphasis was on the change that had occurred in the interests of women writers due to the encounter between the South-Asian society and the West.

The keynote speaker, Dr N.K. Ghosh from Agra, said Indian women writers had made a significant contribution with their depiction of social realities and portrayal of feminine sensibilities.

Ludhiana, November 4
The two-day science exhibition that kicked off at Ramgarhia Girls Senior Secondary School, Miller Ganj, concluded here today.

Results of various competitions were also declared today. Joseph School, Dhandra Road, lifted the quiz title whereas BCM Senior Secondary School was adjudged the best in chart making. As far as debate contest for teachers was concerned, SDP Senior Secondary School won the first prize.

Among those present were district science supervisor Pradeep Kapoor, Ashok Tandon, Sandeep Kumar, Paramjeet Singh and Manjit Singh.

Ludhiana, November 4
Eminent Punjabi poet and editor of PAU farm magazine, Changi Kheti, Gurbhajan Gill has been selected for literary honour “Baba Bulle Shah Poetry Award” by Copenhagen-based Asian Writers Association.

Gill has authored nine anthologies of Punjabi poetry — “Sheesha Jhooth Bolda Hai”, “Har Dhukhda Pind Mera Hai”, “Bol Mitti Diya Bawia”, “Agan Katha”, “Do Harf Rasidi”, “Dharti Naad”, “Man De Buhe Barian”, “Khair Panjan Panian Dee” and “Surakh Samundar” and an illustrated book “Camere Di Akh Boldi” on civic life highlighting social issues.

He has written on contemporary social vices especially the menace of female foeticide and drug abuse.

His poem “Lori” (quest for a lullaby) has been declared as a national poem by All India Radio, New Delhi, and has been translated into 22 Indian languages.

His latest book “Khair Panjan Panian Dee” (wellbeing of the five rivers) touches the universal Punjabi identity, fraternity and a peace order in South Asia.

Baba Bulle Shah Award has earlier been bestowed upon eminent litterateur internationally to Ram Lal (Indian Urdu short story writer), Niranjan Singh Noor (UK), Ravinder Ravi (Canada), Harbhajan Halwarvi (India), Dr Kulwant Kaur (India), Fakhar Zaman and Afzal Tauseef (both Pakistan), Dr Sutinder Singh Noor, Dr Surjit Patar, Kulwant Jagraon, Prof Kartar Singh Kalra, etc.

Ludhiana, November 4
“Electricity is a precious and vital form of energy” was the bottom line of the inter-school paper reading contest on energy conservation held in Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Udham Singh Nagar, here today. The seminar was organised by the Punjab State Electricity Board.

The objective of the contest was to make both the students and people aware of different means in which electricity was used and the need of the hour to save it.

Chief guest Ramesh K. Khanna, assistant director of PSEB, stressed the need of saving electricity to increase the national productivity. The result of the contest is as follows:

1. Shivani, BVM, USN, 2. Parul, BVM, Kitchlu Nagar, 3. Bhavjot Kaur, BVM, Dugri.

Ludhiana, November 4
After a comfortable fortnight when the mercury had started to drop and drastic power cuts of six to seven hours all through the day were completely withdrawn, the power situation has again taken a turn for the worse.

In order to honour its commitment of returning power procured during paddy season from other states under the power banking agreement, with effect from November 1, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has reimposed power cuts ranging between two and half and three hours every day both on the urban and rural feeders in the state.

To make the matters worse, a 200 MW unit (No. 1) of Guru Gobind Singh Thermal power plant at Ropar tripped today due to boiler tube leakage.

The extent of damage was not known as yet and it might take anything from 36 hours to a couple of days to make the unit functional.

During the period the unit remains non-functional, the duration of power cut may have to be further increased, sources in the PSEB said.

While segregated power cuts during the day were in force for a day or two, an unannounced half-hour power cut imposed early in the morning today took the city residents by surprise.

With water supply also disrupted during the outage, scores of office-goers, school and college students and housewives had to face problems in carrying out their daily chores.

Pratibha Chawla, an officer with a private bank, like many other city residents, was sore at the imposition of an unscheduled power cuts in the morning. “The PSEB should give prior information about power cuts and exercise caution especially in the morning when students and employees have to get ready for their institutions or offices, and women have to cook breakfast and lunch tiffins, which becomes difficult if water supply is disrupted,” she said.

Ludhiana, November 4
One of the busiest railway junctions in the Ferozepur division of the Northern Railway, Ludhiana — with some 120 mail and passenger trains passing through it daily, creating a passenger flow of around 25,000 and generating an annual revenue in excess of Rs 100 crore — is in a state of poor maintenance and upkeep. Amenities as well as services available to passengers are pitiable.

Even though the tracks and the railway compound are occasionally given a clean look, it happens only when an inspection by senior officials is to be carried out or a VIP is travelling by train.

But most of the times, vacant places all around the railway station, including parking bays and compound in front of the main entrance, are littered with garbage with safai workers hardly in sight.

Public utilities available at the railway station are inadequate and grossly disproportionate to passenger traffic, drinking water supply is erratic, and, at times, it is completely cut off at the behest of venders who could sell more bottled mineral water, if regular railway travellers are to be believed.

The cleanliness of toilets and urinals leaves much to be desired and a block of “use and pay” toilets proposed to be constructed to enhance the facilities is still to materialise.

The situation is no better at the railway platforms. For the past several months, there are just a few licenced porters, as a majority of them have been absorbed as railway gang men under a new policy of the railway ministry. The railways had initiated the process of recruitment of fresh porters, which is yet to be finalised.

Due to shortage of porters, those travelling with heavy luggage are put to great difficulty and it is not uncommon to come across people travelling with heavy luggage frantically looking for porters, or else making several rounds of the platforms themselves pushing and lugging their suitcases.

To add to the woes of railway passengers, licenced vendors have recently jacked up prices of eatables, soft drinks and other items being sold at railway platforms.

Says Ranbir Singal, a frequent traveller: “The prices of snacks and many other eatables have been raised by 20 to 50 per cent by the vendors. When confronted, the vendors plead that the licenses change hands twice or even thrice, in some cases, and they have no choice but to increase the prices to break even.

Railway officials said the sanitation work at the railway station was carried out by regular safai workers while cleaning of tracks was entrusted to contractors.

“There might be a bit of a problem due to some safai workers being on leave, but it will be taken care of.”

Ludhiana, November 4
With the prices of wax and kerogated paper skyrocketing, candle manufacturers are in a fix as to how to sustain their trade. To add to their woes, authorised wax dealers indulge in black marketing, making things even more difficult for them.

With the sales dipping considerably over the past one year, many candle manufacturers in the district have been forced to shut their units and look for greener pastures. Says Ram Murti Mahendru, president, Punjab Candle Manufacturers Association, “Our sales have gone down by 50 per cent in the past one year due to the rise in the prices of wax. In addition to it, the rising costs of paper and cardboard used for packaging material and boxes has made things very difficult for us.”

A member of the association Jagdish Arora added, “Earlier the price of wax was Rs 57.25 per kg while now it costs somewhere around Rs 100. Within the past 3-4 month, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has increased the prices by Rs 42 per kg. Prices of fuel have gone down in the past month due to the global economic meltdown, but the IOC has not reduced the prices of wax. We had earlier given representations to the SAD government, during its previous regime, regarding the problems being faced by candle manufacturers in the state, but to no avail.”

He added that the cost of kerogated paper had gone up from Rs 18 per kg to Rs 30. This was an added burden on them and as a result, the cost of the end product had to be increased, leading to a remarkable dip in the demand.

Chitwan Loomba, a wax dealer, said, “There has been a 100 per cent rise in the prices of wax in the past one year resulting in the fall of sales by 30 per cent. Even though the economic crisis prevails, the rates have come down by 10 per cent. But the candle manufacturers are not buying wax with the view that the prices may fall further. Our business has been badly affected.”

Besides, the authorised wax dealers of the IOC indulge in black marketing and favouritism. Says Loomba, “There are only 2-3 wax dealers of the IOC in the region. Due to their monopoly, they harass the candle manufacturers who are dependent on them for their supply of wax. They often indulge in black marketing and sell wax at higher price when the demand is high.”

Loomba adds that numerous letters to the IOC regarding the same have fallen on deaf ears. “We have even requested the IOC to appoint more dealers in the region for the convenience of candle manufacturers and traders, but to no avail.”

Mullanpur Dakha, November 4
A badly decomposed body of a man was fished out of a tubewell at Chak Kalan village. The deceased is identified as Baljinder Singh, son of Sardara Singh of Chak Kalan village. Bhag Singh of Mullanpur, a cultivator, saw the body yesterday at around 8 am when he looked into the well as a stench was coming from there.

He informed about the body to Jagraj Singh, son of the deceased. Baljinder was missing since October 29 and after a thorough search the family informed the Dakha police. Hardev Singh, brother of the deceased, entered the well and identified the body of Baljinder. The well is on the backside of a liquor vend.

Jagraj suspected a foul play as the cycle of the deceased remained parked at the vend, however, nobody took notice of it for three days. Moreover, the “parna” -- a head covering cloth -- lay stacked on the iron stairs of the well. He said that though his father used to consume liquor, he never lost his consciousness.

Fingerprint experts squad left the place after clicking few photographs. The Dakha police initiated proceedings under Section 174 CrPC, even before the extraction of the body from the well. Hardev Singh stated that Baljinder had no enmity with anybody and might have fell in the well under the influence of liquor.

About 4 years back, a similar “accident” case turned into a murder case when the police reinvestigated on the complaint of the family members.