Jalandhar, December 26
In a major success, the Phagwara police seized 50 kg heroin worth over Rs 50 crore in the international market and arrested two smugglers here.

Addressing mediapersons here today, DIG Narinderpal Singh said a gang was transporting a big haul of narcotics to Amritsar, when acting on a tip, a team of officers led by DSP Harkamaljit Singh Khakh, laid a naka on the main road and stopped a Qualis SUV (PB-10-AS-6955) coming from Ludhiana.

Upon seeing the naka, the occupants stopped their vehicle about 200 yards away and tried to flee from the spot but were overpowered by the cops.

The contraband was recovered from the vehicle.

The accused have been identified as Harpal Singh, alias Billa, resident of Amritsar, and Lakhwinder Kaur of Jagatpur Jattan, Phagwara. Another accused Surinderpal Singh, alias Pappu, resident of Rohini, Delhi, gave the cops the slip.

Harpal and Lakhwinder are brother and sister and had settled at Amritsar with their brother-in-law with whom they had been in the business of spare parts.

Jalandhar, December 26
Admitting that the worldwide meltdown was hitting Punjab too, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Centre to announce a special economic package for the state.

Though the state has asked for enhancing the share from the central tax revenue to 50 per cent from the existing 30 per cent, the demand for a special package is separate from it.

He said the official procedure could be simplified and delivery service in government offices could be speeded up by forming an administrative reforms commission.

While addressing a vikas rally organised by Akali MLA Jagbir Singh Brar at Jalandhar cantonment today, Badal reiterated that development and performance would be the only poll planks during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections because the unprecedented overall development witnessed in the state in 21 months of the SAD-BJP regime had put the Congress in a tight spot.

Badal declared that the SAD-BJP alliance would capture all the 13 parliamentary seats in the state because the response it had received from people during his development tour across the state was overwhelming.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stones of the bus stand at a cost of Rs 1.05 crore and the sub-tehsil complex at Bhogpur. He disbursed a grant of Rs 1 crore each for the municipal committees of Adampur, Bhogpur and Alawalpur and Rs 2.43 crore for the development of 140 villages in the Adampur constituency.

Badal disbursed cheques worth Rs 2.28 crore for the development of Jalandhar cantonment assembly constituency and presented a cheque for Rs 1 crore to Brar for the Jalandhar Cantonment Board.

Speaking on the occasion, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said whenever the SAD-BJP government came to power, it brought many prestigious projects like Rs 18,000-crore Bathinda refinery, international airport at Amritsar and now another international airport at Mohali.

Local government and industries minister Manoranjan Kalia said the SAD-BJP government during its 21-month tenure had disbursed Rs 2,000 crore for urban development, while the Congress merely distributed Rs 1,250 crore during its entire five-year regime.

He said the government was committed to overall development and progress of the state.

Brar said the SAD-BJP government had fulfilled most of the promises made with the people of the cantonment assembly constituency during the last elections.

“Never earlier had this constituency received such a heavy dose of funds which had been provided to it by Parkash Singh Badal,” he asserted.

Prominent among others who also spoke on the occasion were revenue minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Swarn Singh Phillaur and Avinash Chander (both chief parliamentary secretaries) and Sarbjit Singh Makkar, MLA.

Jalandhar, December 26
For lovers of Hindustani classical music, the 133rd Baba Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan here presented some truly touching performances. The perfect combinations of “sur”, “taal”, “alaap” and “sargam” left the audience spellbound. With fine cascading intonations, the performers virtually added charm to the musical bonanza.

The cold night and the serene ambience of the Devi Talaab Mandir created an apt musical environment on Thursday. The festival started with an enchanting performance by shehnai player Pramod Prabhashankar Gaekwad in the “Banarasi Bhaj” style.

His melodious bandish in raag Madhuwanti mesmerised the audience. He introduced “sundri”, an age-old, pristine woodwind instrument along with shehnai.

It was the intermittent and continuous round of applause from the audience, including the youth, elderly and the classical exponents that made the musical night delightful. Renowned artiste Faiyaz Wassifuddin Dagar presented “dhrupad raag bihaag”. On the demand of the audience he also sang a bhajan “Jai Ma Bhawani”.

The musical evening was all the more special as it was for the first time in the history of the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan that saxophone was played in the congregation. With a fine “jugalbandi” between ace flutist Pandit Ronu Majumdar from Mehar Gharana and Kadri Gopal Nath playing the saxophone, the event moved further. The duo later presented the famous bhajan “Vaishnav jan to taine kahiye jay peerh paraaye janney ray”.

Then came the hour-long performance of vocalist Kavalya Kumar Gurav, a disciple of Sangameshwar Gurav from Kirana Gharana, whose unending flow of classical music notes pulled the crowds to the pandal. His mellifluous voice left the audience spellbound asking for more.

Jalandhar, December 26
Representing the legacy of Banaras Gharana, Pandit Pooran Maharaj, the fifth generation tabla maestro, believes in transcending the original form of tabla.

Born in the family of great classical musicians, Pooran Maharaj inherited tabla vaadan from his father Pandit Kishan Maharaj, a living legend in the history of Indian classical music. A disciple of Pandit Kanthe Maharaj (his grandfather) from the famous Banaras Gharana, the artist has illustrious concerts to his credit.

Talking about the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan the ace tabla player said this was one platform where the audience followed a devout and classical taste. “As this is the foundation of great tradition of sangeet, it will be an honour for me to present the original form of tabla that I learnt from my father and grandfather,” he said. With a rich heritage of nearly 400 years, Pandit Pooran Maharaj, apart from being an ace tabla player, is also an excellent teacher, a thinker and a composer.

He was asked by the government of India to promote and teach tabla abroad through the ICCR at the Indian embassies in South American countries and also in the USA, the UK and Canada.

He has been working as the principal teacher of tabla and pakhawaj in India’s most reputed Saptak School of Music for the past 20 years. “It gives immense satisfaction when budding tabla players come ahead to learn the original style of tabla in the Benaras gharana,” added the ace artist.

Jalandhar, December 26
Some things in life are predestined like the tryst of vocalist Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay with classical music. And she considers her journey with classical music as a devout part of her life. “For me classical music is my passion and service to this pious field,” she said.

A rare blend of mellifluous combinations, the vocalist has received her training from the three illustrious gharanas of India from great maestros. The vocalist started her training under the tutelage of her father, internationally renowned tabla exponent Pandit Sankar Chatterjee.

Sangeeta learnt the finer nuances of the three gharanas, Lucknow, Patiala and Indore. The vocalist is a disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali Khan from Patiala gharana and Pandit Kamal Bandyopadhyay from Indore gharana.

Talking about the interest of youth in classical music, the vocalist said, “It is indeed good that the budding artists these days are getting a wonderful platform through reality TV shows but the youth need to follow the basic roots of classical music. Disciples who virtually worship classical music can sustain in the longer run.”

She has also performed at a number of Indo-Jazz fusion with several reputed Jazz musicians of Europe and released some successful fusion CDs with contemporary European musicians. Her notable international CDs include “shtuti, bhakti, prarthana and parampara” to name a few.