A damaged car parked in the institute in the Industrial Area.

Ludhiana, September 4
Around 30 transport and institute vehicles were damaged in a clash between students of the Central Tool Room (CTR) institute and transport drivers at Industrial Area-Phase V, Focal Point, here today.

The incident took place this morning when a vehicle of the CTR faculty met with an accident with a truck belonging to a transporter.

According to the transporters, around 40 students of the CTR, a government engineering institute situated in Industrial Area, broke windscreens of 15 transport vehicles belonging to five transport companies.

Varinder Mahindroo, owner of a transport company, alleged that the car of a teacher of the CTR met with an accident this morning. The matter was resolved and the transporter agreed to pay up the expenses. But later, some youths, carrying sticks and rods, allegedly attacked a vehicle parked outside transport office. The youth threw stones and smashed windowpanes of the vehicle.

The students also allegedly damaged the vehicles of Jai Durga Transport, New Kuldeep Transport, Panjrath Trnsport, Jyoti Transport and Navdeep Transporters.

While the transporters filed their complaint in the Dhandri police station, the drivers of transport companies allegedly entered the institute premises and damaged the vehicles in the parking lot.

The in charge, Dhandri police post, said a group 40 students and equal number of drivers had been booked for trespassing and causing damage to private property. He said the police was searching for the people responsible for the incident and said stern action would be taken against them.

The police confirmed that no one was injured in the incident.

It is learnt that both transporters and the institute authorities held a meeting this evening to reach a compromise.

Ludhiana, September 4
Clad in white kurta-pyjamas with starched blue/saffron turbans, farmers were in a leisure mood as they strolled from one stall to another on Chhapar Mela, the most-awaited annual event in the Malwa region.

People from all over the region, some out of the customary practice and others out of their firm faith, offered their prayers at Guga Mari.

Chabeels (stalls offering sweet mix of milk and water) have been inseparable parts of melas of Punjab held during the summers. Far from the apprehensions of falling sick with contaminated water used for the purpose, Shamsher Singh (a graduate farmer) referred to it as the "truly Punjabi beverage".

Chinese toys on the mela stalls were a new feature which had the kids pulling their parents to buy them dolls and guns.

However, Dhyan Chand, a native of Gill village, expressed concern over the changing trends in the mela, adding that, "First, it was the domination of political parties in the Chhapar Mela, and now it is the Chinese products that are killing the rustic flavour of the event."

To break the monotony of the lengthy speeches of politicians, the rural folk was drawn towards the irresistible whiff of pakoras, samosas and fresh barfi (favourite snacks of Punjabis), thereby making the day of the "traditional halwais" of the region.

The pure bred horses at the mela was another attraction for young boys, belonging to landlord families. Girls on the other hand were hooked to roadside kiosks, selling costume jewellery. "It is fun buying beaded danglers and glass bangles in the pastoral backdrop and a pleasant change from the dazzling city showrooms," chirped a Ludhiana girl on her maiden visit to the mela.

Amarjit Singh Ruby, the Jawaddi Block chairman, described the Chhapar Mela as a lifeline of Punjabi culture which should be preserved with its real essence.

Ludhiana, September 4
The road stretch from the Pakhowal entry point towards Ludhiana has been in a shambles, as the Municipal Corporation and the PWD have failed to re-carpet it over the months.

It is no less than a nightmare to drive along the stretch with big potholes, particularly at night and has become a highly accident-prone area.

The stretch was constructed by the PWD under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, there is confusion about whether it is under the jurisdiction of the MC or the PWD.

With three display boards on the stretch stating that the work has been done by the PWD and the contractor, AK Builders, has to maintain the road till September 25, 2014, one fails to understand why this stretch was being ignored.

The contractor, who had undertaken the work, didn’t construct the road stating it was under the MC limits. The loose earth is scattered over the road and one sees clouds of dust while driving along the stretch, posing health hazards to the daily commuters.

Things have gone from bad to worse as all the pleas to authorities concerned have fallen on deaf ears, said shopkeepers along the stretch.

Ludhiana, September 4
A team of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) enforcement wing had a tough time during a spot inspection of a palatial house and over 10 labour quarters in Asha Puri Colony on Thursday where power theft was being committed, allegedly through an underground cable.

Those living in the palatial house created ruckus and at one point, a youth present in the house reportedly drew a weapon and threatened the inspection team. However, the situation was controlled after the intervention of Director of Enforcement, PSEB, SS Kohli, who arrived at the spot along with the police from the anti-power theft police station.

Power board officials have lodged a complaint with the anti-power theft police station in this regard. The board has also imposed a penalty of Rs 2.78 lakh on the consumer for power theft.

Kohli said the team had gone to the area following a tip-off that a “kundi” was being used to steal power by a couple of residents in the locality. During inspection, the officials found that the main cable from the transformer had been connected to another cable along a wall, which was than laid underground up to the labour quarters and subsequently to the house of one Satwant Singh.

As the officials traced the underground cable to the residential premises and labour quarters, a youth present in the house started threatening the PSEB officials. Attempts were also made to obstruct the process of inspection of the premises. The unfazed enforcement officials, however, continued with their task.

Senior officials of the operations wing of the PSEB said that initially it was proposed to lodge a complaint with the police as well against a family member of the consumer, who had threatened the inspection team with a weapon, but later the idea was dropped when the consumer pleaded that the family members were taken aback following sudden entry of several unknown persons into the house.

Ludhiana, September 4
Despite being the industrial hub of the state, Ludhiana continues to suffer as far as basic civic amenities are concerned. Instead of witnessing any improvement, things here have gone from bad to worse.

The sanitary conditions are bad with garbage dumps all over the city. The roads are also in bad shape. A light rain is enough to damage the road, which exposes use of sub-standard material as well as poor workmanship.

The Municipal Corporation recently recarpeted the Ferozepur road from the Westend Mall to the octroi post after sewerage pipes were laid. The relaid stretch was again in deplorable condition in just two months. So was the case with many other relaid roads that were damaged in the past two months, although the city had deficient rainfall.

Moreover, encroachments go unchecked in spite of the MC anti-encroachment drives on the road-berms and government land. The reason behind the failure of these anti-encroachment drives is that politicians of all hues come to the rescue of the encroachers. In most cases, officials of the MC also connive with the encroachers.

If sincere efforts are made to remove the encroachments, things can improve. Thereby the problem of traffic jams can also be solved. The other problem is traffic jams due to increase in the number of vehicles over the past two decades. Although there has been a phenomenal increase in their number, the roads have not been widened accordingly.

The traffic police faces staff crunch which is also the major cause for the traffic bottlenecks on roads. Also, most traffic policemen are happy in challaning the offenders than regulating the traffic flow.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 4
Tall claims made by the Punjab government about promotion of cultural heritage in the state fell flat at Mela Chhapar where traditional artistes could find no place to organise akharas at the site.

Only a few listeners appreciated the efforts of about 12 folk singers, who made a futile attempt to keep the tradition alive at the historic mela.

The art lovers have urged the higher authorities, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Minister for Jails, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Hira Singh Gabria to earmark a particular space for them at the mela at least during future events.

Investigations by Ludhiana Tribune revealed that the number of the traditional folk singers, who once used to entertain the visitors at Mela Chhapar, had diminished significantly during past years. So is the number of listeners, who would sit through the nights to listen to them only a decade ago. The harmonious voice of the folk singers seems to have been lost in the commotion of conferences and high-pitched loudspeakers at the mela.

The mela is considered to be one of the important socio-cultural festivals of Punjab. Octogenarians Bhag Singh of Maherna Kalan and Baldev Singh of Pott Majra recall that the mela would spread to hundreds of acres about three decades ago. There was abundant land available then and people would sit over to listen to traditional folk singers.

Dozens of folk singers, surrounded by a big audience, used to be the prime attraction at the mela.

Commercialisation and politicalisation of the fair resulted in a situation when almost all space is auctioned on rent that runs in thousands. Owners of land, including individuals and civic body of the village, prefer to rent it out instead of allowing artists organise akharas.

Tek Singh of Tepar and Roop Chand of Sangrur, who had organised their akhara under a tree away from the main mela site, regretted that cool atmosphere needed for the show of their art had vanished.

As they do not use any loudspeaker, their voice would be lost in hullabaloo of political conferences.

“Though very few enthusiasts gather here, we are satisfied that there are still few people who respect the folk art,” said the singers, regretting that successive governments had failed to keep the folk art alive at cultural fairs.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 4
Cattle lovers of the area are frustrated over the alleged pathetic role of the state government that paid no attention to maintain importance of the Chhapar cattle market, once known as one of the biggest cattle markets of the North India. Even the local town was then known as Mandi Chhapar. Instead of promoting the trade, the state government has left the cattle lovers on the mercy of private contractors, who failed to provide facilities to them.

An employee of the contractor, on the other hand, maintained that they had been providing all facilities to cattle and traders. “Rather we suffered losses due to poor turnover at the mandis in the district,” said the person, collection fee from the owners of cattle brought at the mela.

Sikandar Singh of Chamkaur Sahib, who manages his own stable, told Ludhiana Tribune that the site, which used to be left for stay, display and demonstration of horses, had since been occupied for other commercial purposes. The dealers and horse lovers now had been shifted to a remote area at the mela site.

The new site was not accessible to public visiting the mela. There was no arrangement of drinking water or fodder for the animals. “Though we have to pay Rs 50 per horse as entry fee and 4 per cent on all transactions, we have to make our own arrangements for the stay of horses,” anguished Sikandar Singh.

Jagtar Singh of Mullanpur, who had brought his horse for display, said around 250 animals, including 60-70 horses, 60 mares and 30-35 colts and fillies had arrived this year for sale. But only a few transactions materialised. Like many other animal owners, he criticised the contractors for charging Rs 50 and Rs 100 as rent for tempos and trucks, carrying cattle to the mela site.

The animal lovers demanded that adequate arrangements should be made for the animals which were brought here for display and pay obeisance at Gugga Mari.

Ludhiana, September 4
The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India today launched a micro insurance product - Jeevan Mangal - aimed at lower income groups, as well as those living in rural areas.

The plan was launched to mark the completion of 53 years of LIC. The plan offers maximum risk cover by payment of small premium, as little as Rs 15 per week.

Announcing the new plan, SK Aggarwal, senior divisional manager, LIC, Ludhiana, said the premiums could be paid in monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, yearly and one time modes.

On the benefits of the product, he said the micro insurance plan would offer return of premium on maturity providing for sum assured (risk cover) ranging from minimum of Rs 10,000 to maximum of Rs 50,000 with an optional accident benefit rider on death due to accident.

To mark the 53rd anniversary of LIC, the Ludhiana division has chalked out a programme to reach out to its policy holders. During the entire week starting from September 1, special help desks have been installed in all the offices of the division. Drawing, painting, quiz and essay writing competitions have been held in various schools.

Cycle rallies have been arranged by the LIC at Bathinda and Rampura Phul. Dental check-up camps for children will also be organised to mark the celebrations.

Ludhiana, September 4
In wake of the deadline for proposed unbundling of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) being close at hand, the workers’ federation of PSEB, INTUC, has sounded a note of warning to the board management against any such move, or else be prepared to face the decisive battle by the employees.

Federation’s president Swarn Singh said in order to register their protest against unbundling and privatisation, the PSEB employees would stage a state-level dharna in Chandigarh on September 8, followed by a day-long strike on September 15. "In case the board is disbanded without any prior information, the employees will resort to two-day strike in accordance with the decision taken by joint forum of PSEB unions.”

Focusing on financial mess that the PSEB was facing, the federation president attributed the mounting losses to wrong and short-sighted policies of the state government. He said the interest portion on loans taken by the board alone, had reached a staggering sum of Rs 1,586 crore.

"If the PSEB is converted in to corporations for the purpose of power generation and distribution, the financial crunch will stand in their ways. The proposed corporation will neither be able to provide adequate power to the people, nor will these be able to pay salaries and pensions to employees and pensioners, respectively," he said.

Swarn Singh also attacked the policy of the PSEB management viz-a-viz new recruitment of employees, which remained under a blanket ban. He said the board had been releasing new power connections in an indiscriminate manner, whereas no fresh recruitment of employees was taking place to provide service to the existing and new consumers.

Ludhiana, September 4
Following the issuance of non-bailable warrants against the chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum on an execution appeal filed by a city resident Mohinder Singh, the officials of the trust have gone in to overdrive mode for compliance to the court orders.

Even though the orders of the forum have not been served till now, the trust chairman, Ashok Juneja, today claimed that the process for registration of conveyance deed of the plot, which had already been allotted to the complainant, had already been set in motion.

Juneja said the original file, pertaining to the allotment of plot to Mohinder Singh, a locally displaced person, had been sent to Chandigarh by his predecessor GS Ghumman, Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, who was holding the additional charge of the administrator of the trust, also at that time for seeking directions from the secretary of the local government.

"The fact that this particular file has not been received back from Chandigarh till now caused the delay in registration of conveyance deed, and the adverse orders of the district forum. The complainant was also intimated that efforts were on to trace the file, which could take a couple of days," he said.

Juneja further said the trust had held the judiciary in the highest esteem and there had no intentions to cause any delay in compliance of the orders. "The orders of the forum will be complied with in letter and spirit at the soonest and compliance report will be submitted to the court," he added.

Ludhiana, September 4
Stressing the need to establish court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge at Samrala sub-division, lawyers today moved a representation to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A deputation comprising Samrala Bar Association pre ident Jaspreet Singh, former president Uttam Chand and senior lawyer SS Guron handed over the representation to the District and Sessions Judge GK Rai for forwarding it to the Chief Justice. They said the litigants and lawyers face a lot of harassment when they come to attend their cases exclusively triable by the Sessions Court.

Ludhiana, September 4
The Punjab School Education Board will continue to conduct the annual examinations of Class VIII, X and XII and there will be no change in the system.

Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon, chairman of the board, said Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had not asked them to wind up the state education boards. Rather he had suggested that the state education board should continue to implement the regional aspirations.

Sibal, however, emphasised that he wanted that there should be uniformity on science subjects and one standard for the country as a whole. Sibal had convened a meeting of the regional education boards last week to discuss the education policy.

Dr Dhillon said in Punjab, they would continue to lay emphasis on social studies and Punjabi language to meet the regional aspirations of the state.

Regarding the annual examinations of Class VIII, Dr Dhillon said this would be continued till the COBSE, a central organisation of all regional boards of the school education, had taken the final decision. COBSE would study this proposal and if there would be any unanimity, only then it would be wound up.

Dr Dhilon said the semester system had been introduced in Classes IX and XI this year and the first semester examination would start on September 14. "All arrangements are complete and books are also available," he said.

He denied the allegation that certain books had not been available for the semester system and said some persons had been in the habit of unnecessary crying. Only computer book had been delayed and these would be under print and available within a week.

Regarding the Class V examination, Dr Dhillon said it had been for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) wing to decide. Last year, the SSA wing of the school education had conducted the examination of Class V.

Ludhiana, September 4
To celebrate the Teachers’ Day, the students, namely Manmeet Kaur Ahuja, Kingsten Maxim Paul, Lovish Bansal, Sameer Jhanji, Tanvi Verma, Geeshu Sikka and Flexion Paul of Sri Aurobindo College organised a talent hunt competition under the guidance of Meenu Goyal and other faculty members.

An extravaganza of events was organised, including a quiz contest, a debate and a poem recitation contest, creative writing and slogan writing competitions on sufi, folk and classical singing, the folk and classical dance competition and various fine arts and rangoli contests were organised.

Ludhiana, September 4
The surveys conducted by experts of Punjab Agricultural University have recorded incidents of leaf curl virus in cotton in certain areas of Muktsar, Fazilka, Abohar and those adjoining Sri Ganganagar in severe form.

Giving details, head of the department of plant pathology, Dr HS Rewal said the disease would be more severe in variety RCH-134 and some non-descript varieties. He said the disease had been

caused by white-fly transmitted virus.

The veins on the lower side of the leaves become thickened, giving a netted appearance. The leaves remained small, showing cupping and curling. The small leaflets might also develop on the under-side of the leave, said Dr Rewal, adding that such symptoms appeared after two months of the virus attack.

He advised the farmers not to spray unnecessary chemicals to control the disease as no chemical treatment had been effective against it.

However, Dr Rewal said the crop should be protected against white-fly vector to stop the spread of virus.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 4
Declaring holidays in government as well as private schools seems to be marriage of convenience for heads and teachers of these institutes.

A majority of educational institutes of the area falling under Sangrur and Ludhiana districts remained closed for one to three days on account of Chhapar Mela.

Though these schools used to remain closed during the mela every year, the issue surfaced after a team from the office of Circle Education Officer, Nabha, visited the area and found the schools closed.

Heads of these schools maintained that they had announced local holidays with prior permission of the authorities. However, Amarjit Kaur, District Education Officer, denied giving permission to the heads of schools to declare holidays during the mela.

Heads of some school were accused of befooling the authorities by closing the institutes at their will. As each school was authorised to declare two local holidays in an academic year, parents of the students and the administrative authorities could not come to know if the holiday was genuine or not. There were some instances when students and staff of certain school were asked to mark presence in back day.

Officials at Government Senior Secondary School, Dehlon, and Government High School, Pohir, maintained that they had declared local holiday with prior permission of the district authorities.

Admitting that a team of officials of his office had visited some schools of the area today, Ashok Bhalla, Circle Education Officer, Nabha, refused to disclose the schools that were found closed during the visit. “We are not supposed to disclose our findings. However, we will submit a report to the department,” said Bhalla.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 4
Two kg of opium that was suspected to be sold to vendors and their employees at Mela Chhapar was seized from three members of an interstate gang, who were arrested by the police at Dhaler village yesterday.

While the Lancer car used to smuggle drugs in Punjab has been seized, the investigating team has launched hunt for vehicles used for fetching the contrabands from other states, including Rajsthan, MP and Haryana, and weapons used during the crime.

Jagpal Singh Kaka of Jandali Kalan, Bahadur Singh Soni of Kanganwal and Maan Singh of Jhomri village in Bhiwani district were nabbed by a police party led by the SHO Sadar during a naka organised on the outskirts of Dhaler village near here last evening.

According to Gurpreet Singh Sikand, DSP, Malerkotla, the accused had been involved in illegal trade for many years but were not caught due to their conservative modus operandi. Besides keeping a distance from anti-social elements of local area, they used to change their cars frequently.