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Amaltas resort closure sends wedding plans awry
Ludhiana, November 4 It is learnt that the directive to shut the resort with immediate effect was given by principal secretary Geetika Kalha after she found some irregularities in its functioning. The unexpected move has put at least six weddings in a limbo. According to information, they were scheduled to be held at the resort between November 15 to December 10. Parents who had booked the resort for their wards’ weddings said they had paid some amount in advance to book the ‘marriage palace’ there and had even sent out invitation cards. Though the ministry has asked resort officials to return the money, its sudden decision has left city residents fuming. They have blamed the government for “noncommitment” and have termed the decision as “autocratic”. "Before taking such decision ministry officials should have taken into consideration problems faced by the people. With the wedding season in full swing all ‘marriage palaces’ are booked and those who do agree to provide space there are charging a premium. The resort has been closed down because of internal problems but why should we be made to suffer. The ministry should at least honour its commitment. Where will we go now as only a few days are left for our wards’ weddings for which we have already sent out invitations to our relatives and friends, "said Satinder Sharma, a resident of Phillaur, whose close cousin is scheduled to marry on November 22. His family members said the tourism department should make some alternative arrangements so that people should not suffer. Another resident who has booked the resort for November 29 expressed his dismay at the decision to close down the resort. "It’s very easy to take a decision in a cozy room. The authorities would realise the problems we would face if they are in our shoes. The tourism authorities took their decision paying scant regard to the inconvenience it would cause the public," he said. While talking to The Tribune, VB Kumar (TFS), additional managing director of Punjab Tourism, said the decision to close down the resort has been taken by the Punjab government. "The resort would be functional till November 15," said Kumar.
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Rs 40 crore to be spent on rail
overbridge despite technical flaws
Jyotika Sood Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 4
Bringing their technical “thoughtlessness” to the fore again, the officials have made strategic changes in the old design without preparing a detailed project report, conducting any traffic survey or consulting any expert or organisation undertaking construction of bridges. The most significant design change is that the ROB would not be connected to the elevated road. This is despite the MC taking a firm stand earlier to integrate the Lakkar Bridge ROB with the elevated road. The comprehensive note prepared for the civic body’s F&CC meeting, available with The Tribune, clearly mentions construction of the ROB without connecting it to the elevated road would be a ”compromise”. The other drastic design change is omission of a rotary (road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island) on the convergence of the three arms just above rail tracks so that two-way traffic movement could be made. The earlier design provided for movement of traffic from the Civil Lines side towards the Jalandhar bypass as well as towards the Old City using the arm on the Reikhy Cinema side. Traffic from the Old City, i.e. Reikhy Cinema side, could travel through the rotary both towards Civil Lines side as well as towards Jalandhar bypass. Further, traffic on the elevated road from the Jagraon bridge side could travel to Civil Lines using the down ramp on the Bhadaur House side as well as towards Jalandhar the bypass. While these two omissions are the essence of the project, one fails to understand why they have been given a miss and the onus lies on whom. The new design provides for movement of traffic from Civil Lines to Mata Rani Chowk and from Reikhy Cinema to Civil Lines only. This at an astounding cost of over Rs 40 crore. That’s not all - no footpaths have been provided on any of the legs of the upcoming Lakkar Bridge, making it beyond the reach of pedestrians. Investigations and discussions with technical experts reveal that the present ROB design would prove to be “useless” because it would just act as an alternative route to Damoria Bridge and would need to be demolished in the near future as it would become a huge traffic bottleneck. Talking to The Tribune, senior officials of the MC’s town planning wing revealed that a service lane of 12 feet that would be left beneath the bridge would not be of any use in the area near Bhadaur House. “It’s a purely commercial area and a service lane of just 12 feet means failure of the project. Since the road would be made one-way, it would just accommodate plying of one car that too putting life of pedestrians at risk. If you restrict plying of heavy vehicular movement in that area, the technical design would prove to be hindrance because of height, etc,” the officials said. They added the Lakkar Bridge ROB, according to the design now approved, would further aggravate traffic problems of the city if the down ramp is connected to the Old GT Road.
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MC squad fails to install grills in market
Ludhiana, November 4 Talking to The Tribune, association president SS Ghuman said, "We have filed a contempt petition against the city’s deputy commissioner, municipal commissioner and SSP as they have failed miserably to act on this front. Since the matter is sub-judice, we won't say much”. Traders in the Feroze Gandhi market, other than those in the Car Bazaar, were of the opinion that no one has the right to encroach on public land for engaging in commercial activity. “This is what we are fighting for”, they said. Association secretary KS Monga, who was a victim of a tussle in the market in November 2008, said, "Despite submitting CCTV footage of several people attacking me for fighting against the car dealers, the police failed to act upon my complaint. You can very well guess how government officials had been functioning here”. |
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‘Dera’ chief on the run after duping woman
Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 4 The dera chief, identified as ‘Baba’ Bhupinder Singh, his father Balwinder Singh and security guard Paramjit Singh are on the run, while his brother Daljit Singh Sony has been arrested. The police has recovered the woman’s belongings besides two weapons from the dera. According to an FIR filed following a statement by Sarabjit Kaur of Khera village, who resides in South City, Ludhiana, Bhupinder and his accomplices had allegedly duped her of lakhs of rupees by abducting her from Dharamkot about two months ago. Sarabjit, along with her minor children Vikram and Dolly, was living separately in Ludhiana due to incompatibility with her husband, Baldev Singh. She purchased a Tata Indica car on finance by furnishing ID documents of one Sukhdev Singh, who came in her contact during her visit to a public school in Partap Nagar. When she failed to repay the loan according to the laid down norms, Sukhdev helped financiers take away her car. Meanwhile Sarabjit had begun cultivating a rented piece of land in Dharam Kot with the help of one Gurnam Singh of Chaudhary Wala village. Bhupinder somehow contacted her and threatened her with dire consequences as, according to him, she had committed fraud by purchasing the car in the name of Sukhdev Singh. Posing as the president of the Sant Samaj and claiming he had close relations with top bureaucrats and political leaders, Bhupinder managed to persuade Sarabjit into shifting to his dera. His men shifted all her belongings, including household goods and agricultural implements, to the dera. Though things were seemingly normal for a few days, However, after some time she was shocked to learn Bhupinder and his goons had been taking her son, Vikram, to various places on different days. It was later learnt Vikram was made to sign some blank stamp papers in Ahmedgarh. He was made to sign a transfer deed in connection with his share of land, measuring 7 acres and located in Moga district. Bhupinder allegedly took Rs 11 lakh from the purchaser. The police came to know about the incident when Sarabjit and her daughter slipped from the dera a few days ago. Receiving her complaint, the Ludhiana (rural) SSP directed Gurmit Singh to register a case and nab the accused. A SIT led by Chaman Parkash and supervised by Gurmit arrested Daljit Singh Sony and freed Vikram from his illegal detention. Investigations revealed Bhupinder had swindled many other people of lakhs of rupees by posing as head of the Sant Samaj. He used to move in vehicles bearing a red beacon and had installed a metal detector at his dera. Even VIPs had to pass through the detector when they visited his dera.
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Grandson nabbed for Rs 40 lakh house theft
Ludhiana, November 4 Vikramjit Singh, who was arrested on charges of decamping with jewellery and cash from the house of his octogenarian grandparents in Model Town Extension on October 23, was nabbed when the police traced the location of his mobile phone which proved he was in the house when the theft took place. Vikramjit Singh, grandson of Gurdev Singh, 80, was produced in court and later sent to police remand. According to the police, Vikram entered the house during the afternoon when Gurdev and his wife, Shanti Devi, had gone to Sarabha village. Vikram then stole125 tolas of gold and cash worth Rs 20 lakh from his grandparents’ house after ransacking the house and breaking open the door locks to make it look like a burglarly. The police said he entered the house by scaling the boundary wall of the house after which he broke open the locks of all rooms, almirahs and lockers. He remained in the house and knew when his grandparents, who were completely in the dark about his activities, would return. It is learnt that while committing the theft he talked to them on his cellphone. A police official said from the very beginning the theft looked like the handiwork of an insider who knew everything about the almirahs and lockers in the house. The cops said Vikram knew his grandfather had recently sold a plot of land and had kept Rs 20 lakh in cash in the house. |
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9 more dengue cases come
to light
Ludhiana, November 4 Two more cases of dengue from outer districts have been reported at CMCH. District health officer Dr US Sooch stated that the nine cases were admitted to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) beween October 20-29, adding that the cases were confirmed today. The district health authorities have termed the situation "under control" as last year, more than 3,000 cases of dengue were registered followed by more than 12 deaths were reported from the city. Another senior official from the department stated that there could be more cases of dengue in small nursing homes and hospitals on the city peripheries but they were reluctant to come forward due to non-cooperation of the district health authorities. |
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PAU employees’ union elections Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 4 As per schedule, the nominations will be filed tomorrow with candidates representing three major groups. These main groups include PAU Employees Forum, PAU Employees United Front and PAU Employees Welfare Front and Democratic Manch. The groups are being represented by experienced employees, including DP Maur, Harbans Mundi, Avinash Sharma, Kewal Sachdeva and Jaswant Jirath. The scrutiny of the nominations will also be held tomorrow while on November 6, there will be withdrawals. The counting and results will be declared on November 20. As the date of elections is coming close, candidates from all groups have started levelling allegations/counter allegations. Sukhminder Singh, one of the employees at PAU, said: “The elections are always an interesting affair here. Groups arrange parties and free lunches to woo the employees on their side. But we will see which group can represent us well to the Board of Management/ Government.” He added that, “Keeping their interests aside, the union needs to work for the welfare of employees. Even employees have started meeting to decide which group should come into power for the next two years.”
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Colourful presentations dominate PAU youth fest
Ludhiana, November 4 Garg drew attention towards the need of dealing with the menace of drug addiction that was a cause of great social concern in rural areas adding that the PAU students could contribute in this as well. In his presidential remarks, PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang said youth festivals were necessary for developing overall personality of students as these inculcated spirit of healthy competition that helped them to scale greater heights through developing leadership quality. He said corruption was equally a serious problem as drug addiction and efforts should be made to curb these problems. He expressed that the time management skills were of great relevance as idle brain was considered to be devil’s workshop. The main attraction of the cultural procession involving troupes of the constituent colleges of the PAU was that it started from the Museum of Rural Life of Punjab that was the cultural hub of the university. A cultural procession was led by the PAU troupe constituted by representative students of all four colleges. Earlier, director (students’ welfare) Dr PPS Lubana welcomed the chief guest, guests of honour, officers of the PAU, faculty members, students and staff to the event and said the youth festival would conclude on November 6 with the prize distribution function.
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Role of top management in enterprises discussed
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 4 Dr Deol said the top management played a very strategic role in every organisation by setting up key objectives, policies and identifying factors essential for the development of the enterprise. He further said the managers and leaders that constituted top management could transform a declining organisation into a wealth producing institution through their creativity and administrative qualities. He told the students that the role of the top management was not just restricted to decision making, rather the top managers were required to work as a strong foundation socially, politically and administratively to build a successful organisation. He concluded the session by highlighting the fact that the Indian industries could reach far better positions if there was a revolution in the mental makeup of the workers and managers. He said if the managers respected the workers and gave them their rightful dues, the workers were bound to be more loyal to the organisation. The director of the institute, Kuldip Singh, and the co-ordinator, GS Dua, were also present on the occasion. Management track-2009
Shree Atam Vallabh Jain College
(SAVJC) organised “Management Track-2009” under the aegis of the Industry Institute Partnership Cell
(IIPC), sponsored by the Government of India, today. In the event, 18 teams of MBA students made presentations on various topics coming in the wide spectrum of principles and practices of management. The students deliberated upon the contributions of different management thinkers and consultants apart from role of business communication and fundamental functions of the management. Chandreet
Bindra, manager, Capability Management of Satguru Partap Singh Apollo Hospital, was the chief guest. Harpreet Singh, a senior faculty member of the college, while elaborating the purpose of the event told that the students of MBA would improve upon their conceptual as well presentation skills. In the first session, the students made presentations on diverse topics related to the fundamentals of management using audio-visual aids. Sachin Jain and Jyoti Sharma, both faculty members of the college, with a diverse experience of working in the industry, evaluated the students’ efforts along with the industry professionals. Punjab Day
celebrated
Colourful and jubilant scenes were witnessed at Ryan International School recently as the students celebrated Punjab Day. Various competitions and activities marked the event. The students of Classes I and II were dressed in Punjabi attires. Students of Classes III and IV displayed the rich Punjabi heritage and also participated in calligraphy. The students of Classes VI to VIII displayed their singing and dancing talents. They also participated in quiz based on Punjabi culture. Speaking on the occasion, principal Gurpreet Kaur Sandhu said it was important for the Indians to value their culture and its varied heritage. “Through these celebrations, we intend to inculcate values in our students so that they take pride in the rich culture,” she added. Inter-college debate
Nehru Siddhant Kender Trust organised the 14th inter-college debate at Khalsa College for Women today. As many as 11 colleges with a team of two speakers each participated in the debate. The topic was: The spectrum of global warming is a creation of western world. Dr Varinder Kaur
Thind, principal of the KCW, was the chief guest. Dr DS Sharma, organising secretary of the Trust, spoke inspirational words to boost the morale of the speakers. The panel of judges included eminent personalities in the field of education. The winners of the Nehru Trophy were Karminder Kaurand and Harpreet Kaur from the KCW while other winners were from Pratap College of Education and SDP College for Women.
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Experts focus on water conservation, environment
Ludhiana, November 4 The chief guest, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, additional director of communication at the PAU, while addressing a huge gathering of students, teachers and prominent citizens, said water was vital for life and that it had provided grandeur to Earth. He added that in the industrial city like Ludhiana, where harmful effluents have polluted the budha nullah, the awareness about saving water and protecting it from getting more polluted was a must. Talking about the need of saving water for agriculture, Dhiman said there were around 12.5 lakh tubewells in Punjab, 70 per cent of which were located in central districts of the state where problem of depleting underground water was rampant. He said the PAU was developing technology for efficient water use, diversification in agriculture and developing crop varieties requiring less water. In his keynote address, Dr Gurdev Singh Hira, former additional director of research, PAU, said the awareness about water saving and environment protection was needed among farmers as well as the common man residing in cities. He emphasised that environment protection was not the responsibility of any particular sect or organisation, but of every individual. “If water depletion keeps on progressing unabated, Punjab will turn out to be a barren land by 2025,” he pointed out. Gurbhajan Gill, an eminent poet and editor (Punjabi) at the
PAU, highlighted the need to save water for the welfare of humanity and plantation. He said Punjab, which was named after rivers, was having a serious problem of water shortage. He suggested that students from schools should be made to visit the PAU campus to learn how clean and green environment looked like and that everyone should have gardening as a pastime as it provided one with a unique delight. Chairman of the Ludhiana Citizen Council Darshan Arora in his welcome address said the lurching Third World War, if happened, will be based on water issues. He appreciated the initiative of the society for creating awareness among the youth and students about the need for conservation of water and environment. An exhibition on saving water and environment was put up by the school students at this occasion.
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40 days on, no clue on acid attackers
Ludhiana, November 4 The incident has not only left scars on their skin, but also on their minds, as the very thought of the incident sends a shiver down their spine. Though, Sumit Tandon and his wife Shveta fortunately survived the acid attack, but their life has changed forever. There is pain writ large on their faces. "We have cried a lot on our fate, we are angry also but what can we do. We tried to find out the reason behind the acid attack that ruined our life," said Shveta. The family has spent over Rs 3 lakh on the treatment of Sumit. Though, he has shown some sign of recovery but still he could not speak and cannot take oral diet. "He complains of pain in his throat whenever he speaks and according to doctors it will take another 15 days for recovery," said Nitin Tandon, bother of Sumit. In the meantime, the police is pinning hope on Sumit. It is learnt that Sumit has identified some of the attackers, but as he was unable to speak, he could not record his statement. Sumit, who is currently undergoing treatment at DMC and suffered 40 per cent burn injuries, was attacked by three motorists at Churpur Road on September 23. According to the police, the miscreants came from behind and threw acid upon Sumit and his wife Shveta while they were returning home after undergoing a routine medical check-up at a private hospital in Haibowal. According to the police, in the absence of any eyewitness, it is only the victim, who can identify the accused. SHO Haibowal Gurpreet Singh said the police had gone to the hospital to record the victim's statement but the doctors sighting the health condition of the patient refused the police to meet with patient. According to police sources, it was a planned attack, as Churpur Road remains crowded and has many escape routes. The September 23 attack was not the first on Sumit. He was thrashed by some miscreants eight months ago as well. On the other hand the panic-stricken Shveta could not identify any of the accused. "It happened so quickly that I could not recognize their faces," said Shveta, showing the acid marks on her face and hands. Nitin, who was trying to gather some information about the attackers, expressed disappointment over the police investigation. He said, "It has been over 40 days still there is no clue of the attackers. Acid has been thrown on a couple in the busy market and the attackers are roaming as freely, it is beyond my comprehension." In the meantime, the suspected attackers have been detained for questioning by the police but nobody has been arrested. While, the police could not solve the mystery behind the previous attack on Sumit, the latest acid attack has brought to fore the incapability of the cops in cracking cases, which encouraged the morale of the attackers.
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Cleaning of Budda Nullah a dream?
Ludhiana, November 4 Since neither of the two successive governments, the present one and earlier, seems to be serious about solving the problem of pollution in the Budha Nullah, higher sources closely associated with the cleaning project reveal there is no hope. As the condition of the nullah has not changed on the ground, the sources reveal they are left to wonder where did the money released for the project go. It is learnt that there is not a single specialised environmental expert on numerous "expert committees", constituted to suggest ways and means to clean the nullah. Talking to The Tribune, one of the environmental experts associated with the project in an indirect manner disclosed that neither the industry was taking up the matter in technical way nor the state government had arranged any professional to take the project to a logical conclusion. Except for meetings, nothing was coming out in reality for an early installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in the city. "There is not any agreeing point. Though the high level committee constituted by the Punjab Chief Minister has been asked to submit its report by November 10, but daily new problems arise on this project. Now, when both industry and officials have agreed on the levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), it is the level of total dissolved solid (TDS) which has started creating hurdle. The industry offering to install effluent treatment plants can not provide the levels of TDS demanded by the government. We simply cannot apply the TDS factor on the dyeing industry. For getting the decreased levels of TDS, reverse osmosis (ROs) is the only viable solution", said the expert, further adding that in such circumstances, it was impossible to install the CETPs. The expert further added that the government had involved officials from various departments but none of them was technically fit (As per Environment Laws) to handle the problem. "Do you think, the problem of pollution in the Budda Nullah can be tackled so easily? If not international, at least national-level environmental experts are needed for taking the project to a logical end. Without technical support, it is simply wild goose.
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World Organ Donation Day
Ludhiana, November 4 Amongst those who took lead in pledging their organs were BFUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr SS Gill, DGP RS Gill, DIG (Ludhiana range) SS Chauhan, SSP (Ludhiana) Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, Deputy Commissioner Vikas Garg. Organs like eyes, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, heart, intestinal organs of a dead donor and kidney, part of liver, lung, intestine, or pancreas of a living donor can give a new lease of life to recipients. Donated tissues like skin, bone and heart valves from people who have previously committed to donation can improve the quality of life of recipients and even save lives. NGO named GLODAS (Gift of Life-Organ Donation Awareness Society) in association with the DMCH and Kundan Vidya Mandir celebrated “World Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation” at the auditorium of KVM School today. Dr SS Gill said it was important to raise awareness about donating organs before it was too late. However, when asked about making “brain death” certification mandatory in hospitals to give impetus to the cause of cadaver donation, Dr Gill said: “It is the need of the hour but it is a sensitive issue, which has to be dealt with precision. However, the matter will be taken up at the state level to promote the cause.” Sensitisation of masses for voluntary organ donation was the need of the hour, observed Dr Gill. Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, professor of urology and head, transplant unit, DMCH, who is also GLODAS president, said an organ or a tissue transplant could significantly improve the quality of life of the recipient and sometimes it was the only hope of survival for the patient. Davinder Kaur (36) from Ludhiana who suffered from renal failure got a new lease of life after her sister Sarabjit donated kidney. “I was in acute pain and had lost all hope to lead a normal life but kidney transplant at the DMCH has put my life back on track,” said Davinder. Similarly, Jaswinder Kaur from Sangrur became a “better half” of her husband Amarjeet Singh in every sense of the word as she too donated her kidney to save the life of her ailing husband. Students of 50 schools and 20 nursing colleges in their capacity of “enlightened citizens” participated in various competitions, including poster making, dance, song and quiz.
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Cyprus eyes Punjabi tourists
Ludhiana, November 4 The strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between the peoples of Cyprus and India and is expected after the President’s visit. The Cyprus Tourism targets Indian tourists by launching a series of promotions. Cyprus, a year-round Mediterranean island destination with a population of close to 8,00,000, is eyeing the lucrative Indian market. Vassilis Theocharides, director, Middle East and Gulf, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, said, “Cyprus is the closest European destination for Indian travellers. Though a modern island nation, it retains an essentially Mediterranean character.” He further adds, “English is widely spoken in Cyprus as it was a former British colony and it has more than 19 Indian restaurants, which makes it even more comfortable for the Indian traveller.’’ Cyprus is part of the European Union and Indians need a visa to visit Cyprus. They can also visit on a Schengan visa provided they have entered a Schengan country preceding a visit to Cyprus. According to Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president, Cox and Kings India Ltd (CKIL), “Punjab is a very important market for us and we have noticed that people from this state like to experiment with new destinations. Cyprus is one such destination that they would love for its clean beaches, great cuisine-19 Indian restaurants serving authentic Indian cuisine and it is the closest European destination from India.’’ He further adds, “We believe that Cyprus will be well-received in Punjab and north Indian markets and demand will exceed expectations.’’ Karan Anand, head-Relationships and Supplier Management, Cox and Kings India, said, “We are launching a slew of marketing initiatives with Cyprus using our vast network of offices, agents and our franchisee stores across India and we believe that this would provide a platform in promoting Cyprus in the Indian market.’’ CKIL is launching a free holiday offer for 100 people through a print and television campaign. The television campaign will provide highlights of the destination and viewers will have to answer questions on the destination via an SMS. The winners will be selected on the basis of this contest. The aim is to generate interest in Cyprus as a destination among Indians. This campaign will be launched shortly.
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Admn initiative to tackle disasters
Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 4 Addressing a seminar on “Disaster risk management” organised at Government Senior Secondary School at Dehlon village, near here, for officials and volunteers of social organisations, Manpreet Singh Chhatwal, SDM Ludhiana (East) said prompt and coordinated rescue operations could minimise losses caused by disasters. Teams of experts from the revenue and rehabilitation department have been constituted to educate officials and volunteers and activists from social organisations about rescue operations in case of disasters. As many as 169 districts in 17 states had been identified as disaster-prone areas and certain regions in Punjab were also among these. Joginder Singh, executive magistrate, Dehlon, said the administration had already identified flood-prone and other areas vulnerable to natural and manmade calamities and in case of forecast of a disaster, the administration would immediately evacuate people to emergency centres at religious and educational places. The administration had also tied up with organisers of private and government transport to ferry affected people to safe places. Speakers said the Disaster Management Act was passed in 2005 following which national, state and district-level disaster management commissions had been constituted to take preventive measures. The objectives of the commissions were to sensitise people in vulnerable areas, to shift them to safer places and take relief measures in an organised manner. They said any disaster left behind a trail of havoc, causing heavy loss to human lives and property. Therefore, preventive measures acquired great significance in disaster management. In this venture, non-governmental organisations, elected representatives of local bodies, government officials and social activists were involved, speakers said.
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Resumed power cuts hit water supply
Ludhiana, November 4 While power cuts during the day are somewhat manageable because of the drop in the temperature, the one-hour cut early in the morning from 5 am, 6 am and 7 am in city I, II and III areas, respectively, throws the normal life out of gear as it affects the water supply. “As the tubewells feeding the city have been networked in clusters in each part of the city, disruption of power supply in any of the area fed by group of tubewells leads to drop in water pressure in the main lines with the result that supply fails to reach most of the localities,” say officials in the water supply wing of the municipal corporation. Residents of several city localities complained that with the resumption of power cuts in the morning, the water supply during the past two days had been affected. “There was no water supply from 7 to 8 am due to the power cut and when the water had just started trickling in after the cut, power went off in some other part of the locality,” said Parminder Singh, a resident of Civil Lines area. Senior officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) said they were making some adjustments in the timing of morning power cut to ensure that it did not clash with the time of water supply. A revised schedule of power cut had also been enforced from today as a step towards this direction. Meanwhile, top officials of the PSEB at Patiala said the power cut had been necessitated due to management of demand and supply. The gap between availability and demand of power in the state was hovering between 100 to 125 lakh units. But sudden tripping of one or more power generating units led to increased gap and longer power cuts. As of now, unit No. II (110 MW) of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant at Bathinda had been rendered inoperative, but unit No. I at Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant, shut down for maintenance, had resumed generation. “At times, load shedding has to be done due to low frequency at the northern grid,” the officials added.
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Murder Case
Amloh, November 4 The protesters also blocked traffic from for over four hours at the Nabha Chowk. The blockade was lifted after a memorandum was presented to the executive magistrate. It was alleged that the police was trying to protect the prime accused responsible for the murder of the CPO. SHO Jagdev Singh said one of the accused, Raj Kumar, alias Raju, had been arrested and was presented in a local court here today. He was remanded in judicial custody by the court. He said the other accused named in the memorandum would be dealt with after investigation. Victim’s father Gurdev Singh, a resident of ward No. 7, stated that that Kala had been missing since October 17 while he was on duty. His in-charge CPO Amrik Singh was informed accordingly. In the meantime, a wounded Kala was found near Guru Nanak Dhaba, Sardar Nagar, Mandi Gobindgarh, and the police was informed. The family could only establish contact on Kala’s cell phone on October 20. They were told that Kala had been admitted to the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, on October 18 and further been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Kala died on October 25. It was alleged that the police was trying to shield the perpetrator of the crime under political clout. The committee threatened to intensify the stir if the police failed to initiate action against the accused. The dharna was addressed by action committee chief Rakesh Shahi, Class IV Municipal Employees’ Union Som Nath, Punjab Pardesh Balmik Sabha cashier Darpal Bains, Municipal Council vice-president Jewan Kumar Puri, Youth Congress Block chief Sanjay Salani, councillors Dr Harpreet Singh, Budh Raj Bains, Happy Sedha, Shiv Sena district general secretary Guru Dutt Sharma, FCI Workers’ Union chief Pamma Singh, Zabar Zulum Virodhi Front district chief Pal Singh and Sukh Jhalla
Majri.
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Youth for keeping culture alive
Ludhiana, November 4 Students were dressed in traditional attires and danced and sang Punjabi bolis and tappe. Accompanied with dholis, the boys performed bhangra while the girls presented giddha. Sukhwinder Kaur, a student of Home Science College, said in each youth festival of the university one message or another was conveyed to the students. This time, the focus was on curbing the drug menace and respecting the Punjabi culture. “Lives of hundreds, or maybe more, are ruined due to drug addiction in the state. Hooked on to drugs, the youth was going far from their moral values and duties. It is time to show them the right path. If we try to create awareness things would definitely improve,” she said. Gurbhajan Gill, editor of Changi Kheti — a publication of the PAU — told The Tribune that the PAU always tried to attach to its roots and culture. He said western countries had influenced the younger generation so much that they had lost interest in their own culture. “We need to tell them to keep alive their values and culture, which is the best in the world,” he said.
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Man killed as tractor overturns
Khanna, November 4 The deceased has
been identified as Bharat, who was on his way back towards his village after selling cauliflower in the Khanna market in the wee hours today. The tractor lost balance and hit a transformer. The driver was crushed under the tractor as it overturned. The body of the deceased was sent for a post-mortem in Khanna Civil Hospital. The police has registered a case in this connection.
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Raids on 3 soy milk units
Ludhiana, November 4 Samples of soy milk were taken from the manufacturing units located on the Ferozepur road, Ayali Khurd village and Sunet village. Dr Sooch said the team had taken samples of packed soy milk alone and not of the byproducts as they were not packed. The samples would be sent for laborartory test in Chandigarh. “These units belong to major local brands that sell soy milk and its byproducts in the city and its adjoining villages,” added Dr
Sooch. The district health officer refused to give the names of the brands but said the products of the three brands were sold at small and big kiosks in every nook and cranny of the city.
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Vigilance Awareness Week by PNB
Ludhiana, November 4 GS
Chauhan, circle head and deputy general manager, Ludhiana circle, pledged to provide quick and better services to customers and ensure effective, transparent and customer friendly functioning at various levels for accelerating growth of the bank. He said the week was observed in the memory of Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel. The aim was to have a successful, systematic and focussed campaign against corruption. He said all bank employees had the moral obligation to provide transparent services to customers and to act towards achieving the goal of corporate
excellence. He also advised employees to remain vigilant.
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Traders seek abolition of sugar tax
Ludhiana, November 5 The main demand of the traders was the abolition of 4 per cent entry tax on sugar. They said local mills were taking all advantage whereas the small traders were asked to pay all the taxes. Secondly, the tax on pulses should be reduced to 1 per cent from the present 4 per cent. On chana dal, traders had to pay 4 per cent tax whereas there was no tax on gram flour. Several traders were misusing this anomaly, rued the traders demanding that there should be a uniformity
on tax. — TNS
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New LIT trustee felicitated
Ludhiana, November 4
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Four held for thefts
Machhiwara, November 4 Those arrested have been identified as Shiv Kumar, alias Mana, kingpin of the gang and resident of Machhiwara, Krishan Kumar of Basti Jodhewal, Dharminder Singh of Meharban area and Pradeep, alias Deepa, of Bhunga village, Hoshiarpur. One of the accused, Jaggi, a resident of Ludhiana, however, managed to flee. The police said a large number of cases had already been registered against the accused. Beside thefts, the accused were also involved in heinous crimes like looting. The gang had stolen idols from a temple in Ludhiana and committed a large number of thefts in gurdwaras, factories and shops in Machhiwara and adjoining areas. A large number of sharp-edged weapons, including knives an swords, had been seized from their possession. A case has been registered.
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Fake Currency Our Legal Correspondent
Ludhiana, November 4 The convicts — Rajinder Singh of Kila Raipur, Satnam Singh of Mandi Mullanpur, Gurdeep Singh of Dashmesh Nagar, Jagraon, Baljit Singh of Kila Raipur, Malwinder Singh of Bulari Kalan village, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Deep Inder Singh of Mehma Singhwala village, Ludhiana — were earlier booked under Sections 489 and 420 of the IPC at the Jagraon police station on April 17, 2005. Pronouncing the verdict, the court held that the guilt of the accused had been proved beyond doubt. The court turned down the plea of leniency raised by the accused stating that the circulation of such currency caused harm to the economic condition of the country. According to the prosecution, following a tip-off from a social worker that the accused were indulging in production of fake currency in the area, the police arrested the six accused while they were coming to Jagraon in an Indica car. The police had recovered fake currency of Rs 100 denomination worth Rs 3.7 lakh from them. The police also recovered the computer and scanner with the help of which the accused used to prepare the fake currency.
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Sacred Heart beat GGN School
Mullanpur Dakha, November 4 In the matches held today, (Boys) Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, defeated GGN Public School by 53:43 points, Sacred Soul's School, Mohali, defeated GMT Public School by 29:6 points, MGN Public School, Jalandhar, defeated Greenland School, Ludhiana, by 48:18, Springdale Sr. Sec. School, Nangli, Amritsar, defeated GTB Hazara, Jalandhar, by 70:4 points, St. Thomas School Suranassy, Jalandhar, defeated DAV School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana, by 28:15 points, Guru Nanak Public School, Mullanpur, defeated St. Joseph Convent School, Pathankot, by 40:3 points, RDK School, Batala, defeated DPS Ludhiana by 50:29 points, Police DAV Public School, Amritsar, defeated Air Force School, Pathankot, by 43:4 points, BCM Sr. Sec. School, Ludhiana, defeated KVM School, Ludhiana, by 59:26 points, RD Khosla DAV School, Batala, defeated Love Dale School, Amritsar, by 47:10 points, Sacred Soul School, Ghaduan, defeated GHG Public School, Jagraon, by walking over it and Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, defeated Shri Ram APJ School Amritsar y 33:31 Points. In girls section BCM Sr. Sec. School, Ludhiana, defeated KVM, Ludhiana, by 59:26 points, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, defeated St. Joseph Convent School, Pathankot, by 34:25 points, APJ School, Jalandhar, defeated GGN Public School by 40:33 and DPS, Jalandhar, Cantt defeated GRD Academy by
49:6 points.
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BVM girl wins bronze in Goa
Ludhiana, November 4 Principal of the school Sunil Arora and director of Sports Baljeet Singh Gill has praised Tamanna for her exemplary achievement. Tamanna was honoured for her outstanding performance by the principal of the school.
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BVM athletes grab 15 medals
Ludhiana, November 4 The athletes secured four gold, three silver and eight bronze in the athletics tourney organised by the district education
department. Results: Shotput- Under -14: (Girls) Malika, 3000M Walk: U-17, Girl: Anmol Puri, Shotput: U-19 (Girls) Priya.
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The reason: Overseeing serious technical flaws in the project design, officials of the civic body and the Public Works Department have given headway to the project which would turn out to be a misery for Ludhiana residents, defeating the very purpose of traffic management for which the Lakkar Bridge is coming up. 
The water supply is again affected during the second phase of two to three-hour cut, which commences from 9 or 10 am in different localities.