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Swine Flu
Ludhiana, October 5 Health officials said all five persons had symptoms of common cold and not swine flu. They all were present at a wedding on September 30, which was attended by an NRI who has tested positive for swine flu. The NRI had come from Canada to attend a cousin’s wedding and had stayed with the family at Sarabha Nagar for four days. The reports of the swab samples of the persons who came in contact with the swine flu patient are still awaited. District epidemiologist GP Mangla said: “We are keeping a vigil on all family members and the rapid response team is administering preventive medicine to each one of them.” Speaking about the five persons examined at the Civil Hospital today, he said they were suffering from common cold. However, the team would keep monitor their condition and necessary measures would be taken in case of any indication of swine flu symptoms,” he said. He urged people not to panic, adding that it was essential to watch the symptoms before jumping to any conclusion. He said in case of fever and flu, the patients must approach their family physician who, after examining them, could refer them to the district health department.
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VAT evasion worth Rs 200 cr
Ludhiana, October 5 The department had detected alleged bogus billing worth Rs 240 crore by Abhishek Concast, New Mahadev (Rs 356 crore), Gupta traders (Rs 70 crore), Chetna Ispat (Rs 16 crore), Dwarka Dhish (Rs 170 crore), Rakesh Traders (Rs 170 crore), Jai iron (Rs 60 crore), BJS (Rs 16 crore), Kingsway (Rs 26 crore), NB steel (Rs 10) crore and DS International (Rs 50 crore). Rishipal, AETC, said the number of bogus firms was increasing and they were investigating the racket. He said the modus operandi of the person involved in the scandal was simple -- create a bogus firm in the name of an employee like a driver and issue bogus bills showing the sales of steel. He said a youth employed with a firm told him that he was getting only Rs 3,000 per month and billing in the firm’s name was worth Rs 50 crore. These were mere paper transactions, he added. The scrutiny of the records of the firm was in progress and more disclosures were expected.
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City Concern
Though there is cheer all around ahead of Diwali, it leaves a trail of poisonous gases and high decibels of sound after people burst crackers.
Though the apex court has taken note of pollution caused by crackers and asked the respective district administrations to check it, nothing has changed. Several NGOs and schools initiate a campaign every year, asking residents to celebrate Diwali without crackers. This, too, has failed to evoke much response. What should be done to sensitise people against crackers? How can the authorities act, and also preserve the spirit of the festival? Readers can send in their views on the issue and the possible solutions. Responses, in not more than 200 words, can be e-mailed to ludhianaconcerns@tribunemail.com or sent to our city office at Bhadaur House, Ludhiana. |
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Second theft at computer shop in fortnight
Ludhiana, October 5 According to its owner, Manu, the incident came to light when he arrived at the shop this morning. “Though the shutters were intact, the shop had been ransacked. The laptops and computer accessories were missing,” he said. Earlier on September 16, the thieves had decamped with 25 laptops and computer accessory by gagging a security guard at the store. It is learnt that the night watchman did not come for duty last night. Manu said: “I am afraid to open my shop. I cannot afford so many losses.” The police was informed about the incident and a fingerprint expert, along with the dog squad, reached the spot and inspected the site. The police was trying to solve the previous theft incident and last night’s incident has only left it baffled. The police suspects that the theft could be the handiwork of an insider as the thieves conveniently opened the shutter of the shop and locked it after committing the theft. Even Manu expressed astonishment over the method of the theft. “I don’t know how the thieves managed to open the shop without breaking the locks,” he said. The SHO Division No. 5 was patrolling the area when the theft took place. Police sources said the sniffer dog did not give any clue. An insider said the shop owner had insured all items in the shop after the theft on September 16. The police has registered a case and questioned employees of the shop. Meanwhile, Gurpreet Singh, president of the Association of Computer Entrepreneurs, expressed concern over the rising incidents of theft at computer accessory shops. He said a delegation would soon meet the Chief Minister and would apprise him of the growing trend. “If action is not taken, we would be forced to leave the state,” he claimed.
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Youth alleges torture
by CIA in charge
Ludhiana, October 5 Bharat Rai further alleged that the police failed to find his brother and took him into custody instead. He said the police ‘tortured’ him for three days and it was only after a warrant officer appointed by the High Court was sent to inspect the matter that he was let off by the police. He alleged that Dilpreet Singh tortured him so that his brother could surrender before the police. On the other hand Dilpreet slammed the allegation and said the youth was picked up by the police on October 3 to inquire details about his brother. |
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Shatabdi food unpalatable
Ludhiana, October 5 Frequent travellers say that complaints are ignored even by the supervisory staff and sometimes waiters misbehave with complainants, saying that they would serve whatever stuff was supplied to them from the pantry. A senior BJP leader and senior deputy mayor of Ludhiana, Parveen Bansal, also experienced substandard food and the indifference of the IRCTC staff on board the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi on October 2. In a complaint lodged with the railway authorities, a copy of which has also been sent to union railway minister Mamta Bannerji, he rued that the tall claims of the railway administration of making travel passenger-friendly and providing best services remained only on paper and the ground realities were entirely different. Bansal said the filling in the samosa was stale and sandwiches were foul smelling. The same went for the dinner. “Cheese curry and dal looked unhygienic and were packed in a shabby manner. From the smell of the food, it looked as if substandard oil had been used. The ice cream was far from conforming to the standards set by the railway ministry. Even the cutlery was insufficient as it contained only a spoon and no fork or knife which are generally provided,” he said. He said when the serving staff did not pay any heed to his complaint, he asked for the complaint book and wanted to talk to the manager, but it failed to evoke any response. The train had left Ludhiana for Amritsar, leaving him no choice but to lodge a formal complaint with railway officials at Ludhiana, which he did. Sources in the railway administration revealed that a senior railway official had travelled on Shatabdi from Ludhiana to Phagwara yesterday to check the quality of food being served to passengers. “The official found substance in the complaint of passengers. A detailed report has been submitted to the chief commercial manager (services) of Northern Railway in New Delhi, with copies to the senior divisional commercial manager at Ferozepur and the chief regional manager of the IRCTC at Chandigarh for action,” the sources maintained.
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Competition to develop nationalism
Jagraon, October 5 President of the parishad Raman Jain and project coordinator Dr Satinder Gupta managed the competition. Jain said the youth was under the influence of western culture and in order to boost the feeling of nationalism, these types of programmes were the need of the day. The group of Swami Roop Chand Jain won the trophy by securing the top position in the competition. The groups of Shivalik Model School and Sanmati Vimal Jain School secured second and third positions, respectively. The organisation issued each student a participation certificate along with a memento depicting the portrait of Mother India. A state-level patriotic group song competition will be held in Ludhiana on October 25 in which the winning teams at block level will be performing.
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Soybean reaps gold for him
Ludhiana, October 5 His endeavour has now inspired the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technologies (CIPHET), Ludhiana, to make a documentary on his success story under the National Agricultural Innovation Project entitled "Mobilising Mass Media Support for Sharing Agro-Information". Fortynine-year-old Garcha belongs to a remote village in Sangrur district, but his endeavour has been attracting national and international experts to his processing unit. So inspiring was his story that the then chairman of the Farmers' Commission of India, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, and chairperson of the Punjab Farmers' Commission G.S Kalkat personally visited his soybean processing unit at Deh Kalan village in 2004. On their recommendations, Bachittar Singh was allotted a shop at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for marketing his products. Today, he is directly selling his products at his own outlets in Polo Ground in Patiala, PAU, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) in and around Sangrur, besides supplying his products to retail outlets in various parts of the state. At least, 10 persons are getting direct employment through his soya venture. Garcha's soybean milk products under the name of Shaktiman and eatables under the brand of BK Agro Foods have become a household name. The journey for Bachittar Singh, who conceived the idea of starting business in food processing way back in 2000, was not so easy. Many times, he lost a lot of money due to glut of potato crop. "Many of my colleague farmers committed suicides and I did not have enough money even to pay for cold storage charges," he said, adding that he had to sell his fertile piece of land to pay back loans. "I had a firm belief that soybean products, rich in vitamins and proteins, would have a big market one day. My ideas got further strengthened when I saw a number of soybean products displayed at the stall of ICAR at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. On returning home, I bought a second-hand soybean processing plant at a cost of Rs 35,000 from a farmer, who had failed in his business," says Garcha. "Initially, it was a period of immense struggle and people of Dhuri and the surrounding area were not aware of soybean and its benefits. To support my family, I opened a vegetable shop in Dhuri and I even offered soybean milk and cheese to visitors at my shop free of cost for more than one-and-a-half year. But things changed when I got a shop on the PAU campus in 2004," he said, adding that it was because the people in Ludhiana were aware about the benefits of soybean products. Since then Bachittar Singh has never looked back. He helped five to six farmers establishing similar plants. His plant is open to all public and experts, who may want to visit him to get information or check quality of products. It is also interesting to note that for the same purpose, no gate has been put up in his plant. "No chemicals or preservatives are used in my products," he says with confidence. Revealing his future plans, Bachittar Singh says he wants to spread his dairy milk products under a new brand name and is planning to soon launch soybean based kheer. "I would not have been successful without the help from the ICAR, CIPHET and the PAU," he added. CIPHET director Dr R.T Patil and head of CIPHET TOT Dr D.R. Rai said the story of Bachittar Singh was an inspiration for many and that CIPHET offered full technical support to any farmer wanting to make similar endeavour in food processing and increase profitability through value addition.
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From Schools
Ludhiana, October 5 MLA Harish Rai Dhanda was the chief guest and Madan Lal Bagga, state minister and vice-president of the Traders' Board, was the guest of honour. A large number of items were on display, showcasing the knowledge and aptitude of students. They made models from the origin of English, various problems and their solutions in the English department while the Hindi department showed various landmarks in the city from the past to the advanced technology in science. Fete
The festive fervour was at its peak during Gala Fete on the campus of Radha Vatika Senior Secondary School, Khanna. Swamiji 108 inaugrated the function at 10 a.m. The main purpose of the fete was to inculcate the values of festivity, discipline and spirit of participation among students. On-the-spot painting competition was also held. Participants of solo dance won attractive gifts. The exciting game of tambola drew crowds. Hot air ballooning was the star attraction of the day. The function came to a close with the announcement of the lucky draw by Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, chief parliamentary secretary, Punjab. Chairman Nirmal Parkash Sofat declared that a part of the collected amount would be donated to needy children and cancer patients. Swamiji 108 gave a cheque for Rs 51,000 to SOS village, Rajpura. World
Animal Day
BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh Road, celebrated World Animal Day. A poster making competition was held for the co-club and art club members. Himanshu of Class IX-A stood first, Sheenam of Class IX-A stood second and Arshia of Class IX-A and Sukhpreet of X-D bagged the third prize.
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Honour for vet varsity scientist
Ludhiana, October 5 It is a biannual publication that entertains original communications on all aspects of biomedical research and teaching in laboratory procedures contributing to the advancement of knowledge in all sub-specialties of diagnostic medicine. The journal allows publications of original research papers, reviews in newer areas of biomedical sciences. Earlier, Dr Juyal had been on the editorial boards of veterinary journals i.e. Journal of Parasitic Diseases (New Delhi) and Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Lahore).
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3,344 examined at eye camp
Mullanpur Dakha, October 5 The camp was sponsored by Dr Manjit Singh Bhogal and Sucha Singh of the UK. Patients from far-off places got their eyes examined by a team of doctors led by Dr Jacob Parbhakar of Nelson Memorial Hospital, Jalandhar. Teams of the hospital had visited schools and remote villages to examine children and patients for eye ailments. Students were given spectacles and students with squint were called invited to attend today’s camp. These will be sent to Jalandhar for free treatment. In today’s camp, 2,500 students from 23 schools were examined. At least 260 of them will be given spectacles on October 7. At least 844 adult patients also visited the camp for check-up out of whom 264 were selected for operation.
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Youth fest ends amid bhangra beats
Mandi Gobindgarh, October 5 Desh Bhagat Group chairman Dr Zora Singh, vice-chairperson Tajinder Kaur and director-general Prof Shalni Gupta were present.TV personality Bobby Sandhu was among the judges for the skit and mime competition. The event was supervised by the director, youth welfare, Punjabi University, Satish Verma.Member Parliament Sukhdev Singh Libra appreciated the management for organising the festival. Punjabi singer Sardool Sikander said such events reminded him of his younger years when his friends used to encourage him to perform on the stage.The youth festival of Fatehgarh Sahib zone was inaugurated by singer Labh Singh Janjua. The second day function was inaugurated by dean, college development, Punjabi University, Prof Manjit Singh.As many as 23 teams of colleges affiliated with Punjabi University, Patiala, participated in the competition. Results: Classical dance: Patel Memorial National College, Rajpura (first), Desh Bhagat college of Management & Computer Science (second). Gidha: Baba Zoravar Singh Fateh Singh Khalsa Girls College Morinda (first), Cordia College for Co-Education, Sanghol (second). Creative dance: Mata Gujari College FGS (first), PMN College, Rajpura (second). Bhangra: PMN College, Rajpura (first), MG College FGS (second).
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World Teacher’s Day celebrated
Khanna, October 5 Professor Dev Raj Vij, president of the council of teachers’ education (CTV-India), addressed the teachers and other faculty members of the college. He made the teachers aware of their rights and responsibilities. He said teachers must give impetus for overall development of students for their bright future.
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Ludhiana Calling Day in and day out, residents of the industrial city blame the civic administration for poor maintenance and upkeep of roads. In the wake of pathetic condition of majority of main and inner roads even in posh areas, this is understandable too. But people are no less to blame when it comes to causing damage to roads and streets. In spite of repeated appeals by the authorities, washing of cars on roads and streets goes unabated, which over a period causes damage to the top layer of the premix laid on the roads. Also, iron poles are fixed right in the middle of the road or street to put up arcs, banners and signboards for functions or shobha yatras. Causing damage to roads or obstructing traffic is an offence under the provisions of the municipal laws, but those responsible for this nuisance do not give two hoots while the administration also looks the other way to avoid the allegations of “hurting the religious sentiments” of people. Male vanity
With changing trends, men have become more conscious about their looks than the fairer sex. Though Karva Chauth is associated with women, it is surprising to see men lined up in beauty salon these days. At one such salon, two married men were overheard discussing facial and manicure. “You should take facial message regularly as it helps keep skin stretched,” one said. The two kept discussing creams, oils, et al. Finally, when they bade one another farewell, it was revealed that they were getting ready for Karva Chauth party at a club scheduled for Wednesday. Pampering wives
Karva Chauth falls on October 7 and women in the city are all geared up to observe fast for the long life and well-being of their better-halves. And, to say the least, they are pampered by their husbands, especially at the time of applying of mehndi on hands. Men are often seen offering soft drinks, chips, popcorn or ice-cream to their wives as they sit comfortably receiving mehndi. While there are others who look for the “best mehndiwala” for their wives. And, some go to the extent of arguing with mehndiwalas for not applying decent mehndi on the hands of their wives. Defying death
To earn their bread and butter, people do not mind taking up even the most hazardous of jobs. One such group of people are linemen of the Punjab State Electricity Board, who are often seen perched atop electricity poles to rectify snag. Though it is a thankless jobs, they do not mind climbing up a power pole even on a rainy day, when it can prove fatal for them. So the next time you find a worker perched atop a pole, spare a thought for him. (see pic) Boxed in
Traffic sense of Ludhianvis never fails to shock and amuse outsiders. Recently, a Chandigarh resident, on his maiden trip to the city in his brand new Audi, was shocked beyond belief when he was insisted by the parking lot staff of a local mall to park his car in a space big enough to accommodate only a small car. When the driver refused to risk scratching his car, a parking lot attendant retorted: “The way one parks their car is a proof of their residency status, for had you been from the city, you would not have thought twice even before parking a truck in this space.” The remark left the young man wondering if it was a compliment on city residents’ driving skills or an insult on the cautious attitude of outsiders like him. Typing blues
Typing and journalists go hand in hand as in spite of their years of practice on keyboard, very few actually achieve perfection. For old-school journalists, computer keyboards can never match the smooth flowing “fountain pens”. For those who have grown up with computers, the over-familiarity with machines is apparent from their loud tapping on the keyboards. Troubled by the “noise” made by journalists on their keyboards, a seasoned typist working in an English daily offered free typing lessons. “Please don’t say no as it will give relief to your fingers and curtail the irritating noise apart from decreasing the expenses incurred over repair of keyboards,” said the anguished typist. Contributed by Kuldip Bhatia, Jyotika Sood, Shivani Bhakoo, Kanchan Vasdev, Charu Chhibber, Anshu Seth
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Labourer dies of snakebite
Khamano, October 5 He was sleeping in the verandah of his house with his relatives when a snake bit him.He was taken to a private hospital where he was given first aid but after his health deteriorated, the patient was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. He died on the way. Relatives of the victim alleged negligence on part of the private hospital, as there was no proper arrangement for to handle such cases. Hospital authorities said they did their best to save the life of the patient and also referred him but the relatives wasted a lot of time in taking him to Chandigarh, which resulted in patient’s death.
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Diarrhoea patient seeks aid
Ludhiana, October 5 He was immediately shifted to ICU and was given multiple blood transfusions. The boy has recovered but requires money to settle the bills of the CMCH. His family has appealed to the NGOs and philanthropists to contribute generously for the same. The family needs regular financial assistance to continue the boy’s treatment. People interested in helping can send the donations at medical superintendent’s office, the CMCH, Ludhiana, with “Treatment for Bhola” written on the covering letter.
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Ward No. 58 gets new roads
Ludhiana, October 5 Dhillon was addressing a function at ward No. 58 after inaugurating newly constructed roads of Panchsheel Colony. Santa Singh Umedpuri, SAD district president, MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik and councillor Paramjit Kaur Shivalik were also present. Blaming the previous Congress government for power crisis, Dhillon said they failed to produce even a single unit of electricity but the SAD-BJP government had planned four power projects of 6,600 MW capacity. Out of these, work on two projects, including Talwandi Sabo of 1980 MW and Goindwal Sahib of 500 MW capacity, had already been started. He said work on other two power project, including Rajpura and Gidherbaha, would be started shortly. He claimed that on the completion of these projects, the state would be surplus in power. Darshan Singh Shivalik said ward No. 58 would be made a model ward by providing basic amenities like roads, sewerage, water, streetlights to its people. He said Rs 24.55 crore was being spent on overall development of ward No. 58. At least 17 new electricity transformers would be installed in the ward, he added. He said to make the city pollution-free, 7,000 trees would be planted in all colonies, out of which 4,000 had already been planted. Paramjit Kaur said a development committee had been constituted in the ward and at least two representatives of every colony had been included in it. She added that committee meeting was convened on first Friday of every month to solve the problems of people of colonies.
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Scuffle
Machhiwara, October 5 The deceased, Madan Lal, was injured in a scuffle at his village a few days ago. In his complaint to the police, Om Kumar, son of the victim, alleged that some unidentified men had come to their village and enquired about their missing motorbike. They started arguing with him and later assaulted his brother Ram. Hearing the commotion, his father came to the rescue of his sons but received head injuries in the process. He was taken to the local Civil Hospital from where he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he succumbed to his injuries late last night. The body of the victim was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem examination. Efforts were on to identify and arrest the accused.
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Awareness camp on breast cancer
Ludhiana, October 5 The camp, “Together we can fight cancer”, was inaugurated by Isha Bhandari, national head, Roko Cancer. She spoke on the awareness of breast cancer and said: “Breast cancer is curable if detected early.” Isha added that women tended to understate their health issues but it was high time for them to change their attitude, especially towards self-examination and regular checkup.
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Paddy procurement formally inaugurated
Mullanpur Dakha, October 5 On Saturday, Pungrain had purchased 67 tonne paddy, while Pungrain purchased 17 tonne and Punjab Agro 108 tonne paddy. However, not a single bag had been lifted till the filing of the report. While Punsup, Pungrain and Punjab Agro purchased 262 tonne paddy, Warehouse, Markfed and the FCI were yet to open their account. While other agencies found 262 tonne paddy up to the mark, inspectors and DMs of Warehouse, Markfed and the FCI rejected the produce present in the grain market. Currently, 1,400 tonne paddy is lying in the market that is yet to be purchased by procurement agencies. DMs and inspectors of procurement agencies, including Pungrain, Markfed, FCI, Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agro, and Punsup, along with district food controller Rakesh Bhashkar were present today. Earlier, the ADC held a meeting with rice sheller owners and commission agents of the grain market and heard their grievances. He told sheller owners that vehicles once loaded would not be sent back. The transporters were directed to arrange for labour to ensure smooth lifting of paddy. The ADC also instructed sheller owners to receive the procured paddy. He warned market committee secretary Jaswinder Singh to get encroachments removed from the shed meant for farmers and their produce. The shed at the market was currently occupied by transporters as they were using it to park their vehicles. The labour contractors also met with the ADC and Ayali over the low payment of stitching charges. They requested an enhancement of stitching charges to 50 paisa from the prevailing 25 paisa as the input costs had increased manifold.
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LSE to dump pact with MCX-SX
Ludhiana, October 5 Kansal today said in the present scenario, the LSE board had plans to hold talks with more national exchanges. Many other exchanges, including the United Stock Exchange, Kotak, India Bull, Reliance, had plans to enter the business, which could certainly provide better opportunities, said Kansal. "The newly elected team feels happy to have wider choice of exchanges, which will help improving the LSE", said Kansal, adding that members of the exchange did not want to go ahead with MCX-SX for several reasons. He further said any major decision regarding the LSE would be made after taking into confidence the members of the exchange. "We do not want the LSE to be the loser at any front", he said. On asking that talks with MCX-SX were initiated by Kansal himself, he said the decision to sign an MoU with company was of the previous board and he was just a mediator to negotiate the talks. "We had discussed all proposals with AGM, but they did not approve to work with MCX-SX as certain conditions were not acceptable to them. The new executive has also decided to further strengthen the general house. "Whichever proposal will be finalised, final say would be that of general house to decide on it", said Kansal. While, Joginder Kumar, the newly elected vice-chairman of the LSE, said from now, sitting fees of Rs 2,500 would not be given either to the broker directors or the share-holder directors. New directors would work for the improvement of exchange without taking any sitting fees. The LSE is a subsidiary that works through LSE Securities. The LSE has been acting as a company after de-mutualisation of stock exchanges in the country. The LSE had been working for setting up a trading platform aimed at reviving the stock exchange for quite some time now.
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Dog-bitten men create panic
Khanna, October 5 The villagers came to know that these two men were bitten by dogs suffering from rabies. Though their identities could not be established, the villagers said they seemed to be in their thirties and were wearing white and blue clothes. They got scared of water and ran from one place to other. No complaints were lodged by the villagers in this regard as the duo went missing the next day.
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Mother machines to be made soon
Ludhiana, October 5 The event, which was inaugurated by Development Commissioner of India Madhav Lal on October 1, had witnessed about 100 exhibitors from various countries
with their latest machineries. Business inquiries worth Rs 50 crore were made during the exhibition. The Development Commissioner said problems of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would be sorted out in a smooth manner as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had planned to constitute a special task force for dealing with the sector. He also said the cluster system introduced by the government was a step in the direction of development of the
industry. It was made clear to the MSMEs that under the cluster development programme, industrialists and the state government would add 10 per cent and 15 per cent share. The rest 75 per cent share would be burdened by the Central Government for the upgradation of the industry in the
country. The MSMEs were also asked to hire consultants for delivering seminars on the industry's development by the government. On the request of the Machine Tools Industry, Madhav Lal said they would promote the common machinery facility. Under this system, expensive machines would be installed by clusters (industrialists with the help of the government) and everyone could make use of the expensive machinery. Foreign exhibitors from countries like America, Taiwan, China, Germany and Japan attracted a lot of visitors during the exhibition. Manjinder Singh, a visitor, said he was running an auto-parts industry in the city and maximum machinery was bought from Japan and Taiwan in his unit. "India has to make lots of improvement to compete with its foreign counterparts. About 20-25 per cent units prefer to buy mother machines from India but the rest of the industry goes for imported machinery for better quality and production", he said.
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Demand for rail link
chugs on
Raekot, October 5 The NGOs, under the banner of “Save Raekot”, said the people, particularly the citizens of the historic town, felt let down for being ignored in the recent Railway Budget. They said even after six decades of the Independence, the town has no rail connectivity with even the state capital. Dr Paramjit Singh Ranu, a social activist and president of the Sehazdhari Sikh Federation, pointed out that citizens of the town had to face hardships in commuting to other towns and cities and have to rely on buses. He said there had been a pending demand of the people for the rail link with Dhuri and Ludhiana from there they could go to other cities of Punjab and the neghbouring states. In a communiqué addressed to the higher authorities, including the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister, office-bearers of various social, educational and trade organisations have accused the successive governments of ignoring the demands of the residents of the area. “Dependence on buses and private vehicles has resulted in a situation where outside people hesitate in dealing with residents of the town surrounded by 50 villages. Travelling by bus and car, besides being more expensive, is also inconvenient too,” argued signatories to the communiqué. Responding to the appeal made by the residents, Sukhdev Singh Libra, MP from Fatehgarh Sahib, promised that he would take up the matter in the next session of Parliament.
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Amenities elude farmers at
procurement centres
Mandi Ahmedgarh, October 5 Heaps of garbage and stacks of cow-dung cakes welcome farmers to these procurement centres. Basic amenities like drinking water, lights and toilets were inadequate if not lacking at procurement centres at Halwara, Kalsiana, Gopalpur, Khatra, Kup, Ghabaddi, Latala, Jodhan, Pakhowal, Kalakh, Gujjarwal and Maherna villages. The yards at a majority of
centres have not even been cleaned as yet. The farmers alleged that the situation had arisen due to lack of coordination between the secretaries and the office-bearers of the committees. "Though we had been impressing on the authorities to comply with the directions received from senior functionaries in the department, nothing has been done to make farmers feel at home once they reach the procurement centres," alleged Mohinder Singh Seelon and Kirtan Singh Ghungrana, president and senior vice-president, respectively, of the Zamhoori Kissan Sabha. Referring to information collected through office-bearers and activists of the union Mohinder Seelon alleged that the authorities had failed to make proper arrangements for smooth procurement of the produce. While workers deployed by contractors had started cleaning yards at some purchase centres, they were yet to arrive at others. A few yards, including one at Halwara village, were yet to be cleared of cow-dung cakes and other garbage. The secretaries and the administrators of various market committees said they had directed their staff to make adequate arrangements for proper handling
of paddy and comfort of farmers brining their produce to the mandis. "Stern action will be taken against the officials in case they failed to comply with the government orders," said Krishan Lal, senior vice-president of the Raikot market
committee
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Executive officers transferred
Ludhiana, October 5 As per orders issued by the Principal Secretary, local government, Punjab, EO GS Sodhi goes from Ludhiana to Patiala and Jatinder Singh from Amritsar will replace him. The new incumbent will also hold additional charge of Improvement Trust, Khanna, and Avtar Singh Azad, posted at Khanna, will move to Ropar. He will replace Raj Kumar, who will go to Amritsar. Lal Singh Tiwana goes from Patiala to Nabha, Jawahar Lal at Nabha will take over at Nangal, Jeewan Bansal will shift from Sangrur to Bathinda and Gora Lal will move from Bathinda to Phagwara. Surinder Kumari and Krishan Kumar, posted at Hoshiarpur and Moga, respectively, will swap places. —
OC
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3 shops razed at Punjab Mata Nagar
Ludhiana, October 5 According to information, the team went to the site here this afternoon and started action without giving time to encroachers to make rescue arrangements. The officers on duty revealed that out of these three shops, two were completely encroached upon, while the third one had more than 50 per cent of its construction as illegal. It was a 24 feet wide road, and these shops were constructed on 13 feet part of the road. "We didn't give chance to shopkeepers to remove their materials etc and were very swift in our movement," claimed a senior officer, adding that residents and the shopkeepers tried to oppose the move. They revealed that the shop owners had tried to take stay from the courts but were denied. There were nine encroachments on the road and six minor encroachments were earlier demolished by ATP Ramesh Chabbra. However, since August 24, the MC had been trying to raze these three shops but to no avail.
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Plan in place for effluent plant
Ludhiana, October 5 According to sources, the officials today met Municipal Commissioner A.K. Sinha and told him about the feasibility of sewerage flow from industries to the Common Effluent Treatment Plant. "The commissioner was apprised of various route plans for the CETP and the places where they could be set up. However, the final decision in this regard would be taken by Guru," added the sources. The officials revealed that they had not asked for an appointment with Guru yet, but were likely to meet him this week only. On the requests of the industrialists, the Punjab government has come to their rescue by helping them to set up CETPs as these dyeing units have been polluting the Budda Nullah. —
TNS
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Gang of extortionists busted; 2 held
Ludhiana, October 5 The accused — Amritpal Singh and Jasvir Singh alias Mangi, residents of Kherri village and railway colony No. 5, respectively — were arrested by the police from a checkpoint near Gill village here today. According to the police, the youths were riding a motor cycle without bearing a number plate. The police signalled the two to pull over but the accused tried to speed away. The police gave them a chase and arrested them near GNE College. The accused were allegedly equipped with arms and were planning a robbery. Terming the arrest a major breakthrough, SP (D) SK Kalia said Mangi was wanted in two murder cases along with several assault cases. Mangi was reportedly a member of Mikka gang and was involved in the murder of a GNE student that took place in August last year. During interrogation, Mangi also confessed to his involvement in the murder of Jeevan Matoo, owner of Hollywood Salon, who was shot in a gang war on April 23. He also admitted that he used to grab disputed property and extort money. The police has seized one .32 revolver and three live cartridges from Amritpal Singh, while four stolen motor cycles, one auto-rickshaw and weapons have been seized from Mangi. The police has booked the two for theft and possessing firearms illegally.
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Two nabbed with 1.2 kg smack
Ludhiana, October 5 Addressing a press conference, SP (city- III) Harjinder Singh said the police received a tip- off that the accused were heading towards Jodhewal Basti on a motorbike to sell the contraband. The police then laid a trap and nabbed them from Jodhewal Basti Chowk. The police found the contraband from a bag the accused were carrying. It is leant that Amarjit Kaur also spent a jail term in a fake currency case. The duo was produced in a court and further sent to police remand. The police has also seized mobile phones of the accused and is tracking the call details.
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One held with 1 kg opium
Jagraon, October 5 The accused was spotted during a routine patrolling. Gurdev, tried to flee but was nabbed. He was carrying the contraband in a bag. The police has registered a case against the accused under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. The accused was earlier arrested in 1994 along with 30 kg of opium from his possession. After serving a term of 10 years imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine, he was released from jail in November 2005. —
OC
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3 booked for duping residents of Rs 70 lakh
Khamano, October 5 According to Satjiwan Singh, a resident of Hargana, Satwinder Singh, who ran a sanitary shop at Kheri Naudh Singh, told him that he had some contacts in Mandi Gobindgarh who could double the money in four months. Satjiwan gave him Rs 19 lakh for investing in the scheme. After several months when he demanded his money back along with the dividend, Satwinder failed to give him a satisfactory answer and started threatening him with dire consequences. Later, some more persons came forward and told the police that they had been duped by the same person of several lakh rupees. A group of persons today approached the police alleging that they had been duped of lakhs of rupees by the accused. They included Satjiwan Singh (duped of Rs 19 lakh), Hoshiar Singh, resident of Hargana, (Rs 10 lakh), Baljinder Kumar (Rs 3 lakh), Jasvir Singh, resident of Barwali Khurd, (Rs 6 lakh), Gurpreet Singh and Harnek Singh, both brothers, (Rs 17 lakh), Bhagwant Singh, resident of Damheri (Rs 11 lakh) and Varinder Singh (duped of Rs 5 lakh). The police has registered a case under Sections 406 and 420, IPC, against Satwinder Singh, his wife Surinder Kaur and brother Gurwinder Singh. According to sources, the scam could run into crores of rupees as more victims were expected to come forward with similar complaints.
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Rs 8,000 robbed from petrol station
Machhiwara, October 5 He initially resisted but the robbers snatched the money bag containing Rs 8,000 and sped away.The police has registered a case against unidentified men.
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