Ludhiana, February 3
The town planning wing of the Municipal Corporation demolished around 200 kiosks under the flyover near Cheema Chowk here today, clearing decongestion of 37 spans.

Besides, the MC removed two religious structures, including a mosque and a temple. MC officials asked the encroachers to remove idols and religious belongings so that the rooms housing them could be razed.

MC officials said the people residing in these kiosks had taken ‘kundi’ connections from the streetlight poles of the civic body that were installed on the flyover. “Some of the connections were taken from the PSEB wires and much to our astonishment, the department concerned never bothered to keep a check on it,” remarked a senior official.

Garbage was also removed from flyover spans, showing the laxity of the health department officials, who failed to keep a check on unhygienic conditions prevailing on the MC land.

The action was supported by area residents and shopkeepers, too, who themselves came forward and apprised MC officials about the encroachments in their area.

MTP Hemant Batra said: “The message through the anti-encroachment drive is clear - no encroachments will be allowed in the city.”

Ludhiana, February 3
With the district administration’s failure to set up ‘ran baseras’ (night shelters) in the city, many inhabitants of slum areas have been rendered homeless after the municipal corporation demolished 200 shanties today as part of its drive. Over 100 families who were putting up there now have no place to go and will be forced to sleep in the open without any protection from the elements.

Talking to The Tribune, Binder, one of the slum dwellers who has been affected, stated, "I have three young girls, all of them above 16. My husband is no more. You tell me where I should go with them in this bad world. Here at least I had a feeling of security with the three tarpaulin sheets covering us, but now we have no option”.

She said the absence of a proper shelter was one of the reasons why young girls became victims of prostitution rackets.

Similarly, Asha Rani, who was found picking garbage along with her two kids, said: "My husband is a rickshaw puller and I work as a housemaid. With a shanty in this place we at least had satisfaction that there is some place for us to live, but now we are literally on the streets. If the government can’t help us by providing shelter it has no right to take it away from us."

Though the social security department is said to be responsible for building night shelters officials appear not to be bothered to allocate funds for them even though the state government has been providing monetary help to set up the shelters.

While the civic body continues with its demolition drive following the Punjab & Haryana High Court order, the social security department has been found careless in following the Supreme Court's directives on providing night shelters.

With such a "heartless" attitude displayed by the city’s bureaucrats towards the poor, one wonders when they will ever wake up to the plight of homeless people belonging to economically weaker sections of society.

Ludhiana, February 3
The consultancy firm appointed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India, to make Ludhiana a solar city met officials of different departments, including the Municipal Corporation, today.

According to information, officials from the firm had given performa to officials of the PSEB, the MC, the PWD, GLADA and others, asking them to reveal about the government buildings under their jurisdiction.

Giving details, officials said: “The Ministry of Renewable Sources, GoI, has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to develop Ludhiana and Amritsar as solar cities. The consultancy firm has been asked to prepare master plans for both the cities giving various details on how the project should be undertaken and what changes should be made.”

Interestingly, the meeting turned out to be a bitter pill for the consultancy firm as they failed to explain the officials that how the project would be undertaken and what difference it would make to the city.

A senior official said: "When Municipal Commissioner AK Sinha questioned the officials about the plan chalked out by them and their experience, the latter had no answer. The consultancy firm officials took the plea that they were taking up a similar project in Karnataka, too, and the work of preparing a master plan for the project was on.” He added that a 15-member committee formed for the surveillance the solar city project attended the meeting.

The consultancy firm didn't have answer to the question of the committee like which devices would be installed, government buildings to be covered in the first phase etc. He added that PEDA was helping the firm to undertake the project in the city.

Revealing about the meeting, Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Bansal said: "It's an ambitious project and once it starts, it would help Ludhiana in many ways. The power expenditure would be reduce and the plea of power cuts could be easily excused.”

Ludhiana, February 3
With the arrest of a local resident, the police claimed to have solved a case of a murder attempt on a hospital nurse by her husband who allegedly hired two contract killers to eliminate her. The suspect has been identified as Gurjinder Singh, a resident of the city’s Passi Nagar locality.

According to information, Gurjinder had secured a housing loan of Rs 8 lakh from a bank in the name of his wife, Harbans Kaur.

The latter, a mother of an eight-year-old, is working as staff nurse in the Civil Hospital here. Since Gurjinder failed to pay the monthly installments of the loan for a long time he feared action from the bank.

In the meantime he came to know if the person on whose name a loan has been obtained dies, the amount payable is waived. Since Gurjinder was unemployed he thought of doing away with his wife so that he did not need to pay back the loan and could yet own the house.

With this idea in mind, he hired two contract killers, later identified as Rocky and Sunny. The deal was stuck for Rs 50,000.

DSP (rural) Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu said: “On December 25, 2009, the duo went to Harban's home in Passi Nagar at night at around 11 o’clock and entered the house. Both had knives with which they attacked Harbans, inflicting wounds on her that led to loss of a lot of blood. When she fell unconscious the attackers thought her to be dead and fled”.

The victim was rushed to a hospital and has recovered after being treated for the knife injuries. "Following the attack Harbans filed an FIR at the Sadar Police station on December 29, 2009 and since then the police has been investigating the case”, said Sidhu.

The police cracked the case after finding out the hired killers were able to enter the house easily, as the main gate had not been locked that night. Since the attackers had not taken anything from the house robbery was ruled out.

The cops then rounded up Gurjinder for questioning, who broke under interrogation and confessed. The police is now looking for his accomplices, Sunny and Rocky.

Ludhiana, February 3
Rattled by the steep hike in yarn and thread prices, the city’s powerloom factories have decided not to buy any yarn till February 15. They have also called upon both the central and Punjab governments to check illegal hoarding of yarn and thread by dealers in the state, particularly in the city, to save the textile industry from collapsing

Ludhiana Textile Association president Shakti Jaggi told The Tribune the ever-rising thread prices had caused a lot of problems to textile units. “Certain dealers have been making bulk purchases of yarn from manufacturers for hoarding it illegally. The government must conduct a probe to find out why prices of yarn and thread were suddenly increased. Dealers have stocked yarn worth several crores of rupees in their godowns and are waiting for an opportunity to sell it at much higher prices. This has affected our businesses", rued Jaggi.

Gurtej Singh, owner of a powerloom unit, accused textile fibre manufacturers of creating an artificial scarcity of yarns and threads. “They have put pressure on the government to levy an antidumping duty on fibres. This has created panic among those in the trade, with the result that yarns are being sold at much higher prices in the domestic market. The anti-dumping duty should immediately be scrapped for the welfare of the textile industry", he added.

"Threads and yarns should be made available at controlled prices as the city’s hosiery and textile units depend on these materials. Secondly, exports of fibres should be immediately stopped to save powerloom units in the region. These are genuine demands that the government should address at the earliest", said Jaggi.

Meanwhile, dealers maintain they have been forced to purchase yarn in bulk quantities. "Every day there is fluctuation in prices of yarns and threads. Being dealers we have to stock threads ", said Arvind Kumar, a yarn dealer.

It may be mentioned here during the past two to three months prices of yarns (cotton, polyester, etc) have gone up to Rs 30 per kilogram, causing significant losses to textile exporters in particular.

Ludhiana, February 3
Amply proving true the proverb ‘Fortune favours the bold’, Laxmi, 10, smiled triumphantly as she came out of the operation theatre of Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital after overcoming her first battle with cerebral palsy. The girl, who was unable to walk because of a deformity in her feet and knees, had been successfully operated upon.

Having been mercilessly abandoned soon after her birth by her biological mother in a jungle in West Bengal, Laxmi was adopted by two daily wage labourers, Pramila Devi and Radhey Sham, who nurtured her with love and affection.

Residents of the city’s Bazigar Mohalla locality and hailing from West Bengal’s Kathihar district, Pramila and Radhey came across Laxmi when visiting their native village. Despite having a daughter of their own they did not give a second thought to adopt the abandoned girl.

As she grew up the couple noticed she was unable to stand, let alone walk. They then took her for a medical examination wherein she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Determined to help her to stand on her feet, Pramila and Radhey consulted the best doctors. They took Laxmi to the Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital to consult Dr RS Sodhi, who later conducted surgery on the girl.

“Cerebral palsy is a result of certain neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, but don't worsen over time. In this case the disability could be a result of a mistake during the child’s delivery or injuries caused during and after her birth”, observed Sodhi.

Passionate about studying, Laxmi wants to become a doctor. "I’ve been told I will be able to stand and walk, which means I’d be able to go to school. All this will be possible because of the operation that was performed on me yesterday. I want to help thousands of children like me by becoming a doctor so that they too can walk and go to school," she said.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 3
With the viscera report of a jail inmate, who died at the Central Jail in Ludhiana seven months ago, confirming his death due to poisoning, his widow Daljit Beghum of Bhaddal Buha village, Fatehgarh district, has demanded an independent probe into the matter.

Daljit has demanded a probe into the sequence of events leading to the mysterious death of Darshan Khan during detention at the Central Jail in Ludhiana.

According to the chemical examination report, the deceased had consumed some poisonous substance. The widow alleged that he was tortured and cited negligence of the jail authorities as the reason behind her husband’s death.

Daljit Beghum said the doctors, who examined Darshan ignored the poisoning symptoms shown by the deceased.

“Though my husband had started vomiting blood before and during examination on June 27, 2009, the authorities did not bother to provide him medical assistance. Instead, he was sent to the jail, where he died after two days. The viscera report has now substantiated that my husband had vomited blood due to presence of some poisonous substance in his food. Thus his death is not a normal one, but he has been murdered,” read communication demanding stern action against the erring officials.

When details of the medical treatment given to the deceased was sought under the RTI Act, the jail authorities and the Ludhiana (rural) police failed to provide any detail.

Denying allegations of torturing any of the arrested accused, Swaran Singh, the then investigation officer of the case, maintained that Darshan Khan, along with other co-accused, was sent to the jail after getting medically examined by the civil hospital doctors.

Seeking justice for the widow and children of the deceased, the Democratic Forum of Lawyers and Democratic Human Rights Sabha, NGOs led by Rajiv Lohatbaddi, have urged the authorities to initiate action against the erring officials.

In a communiqué addressed to the higher authorities, including the Punjab Chief Minister, Director-General of Police, Punjab, and chairman of the Punjab State Women Commission, Daljit has demanded justice and stern action against those, who were responsible for killing her husband during detention at the Central Jail, Ludhiana, on June 29, 2009.

Darshan Khan, along with nine other persons, was arrested by the Dehlon police in connection with a case registered under Sections 447, 511, 148 and 149 of the IPC and 25, 54 of the Arms Act on the statement of one Bhag Singh of Ghungrana village. A property dispute was pending between the complainant and the main accused.

Ludhiana, February 3
Cracking a whip against school buses, which have been flouting norms while ferrying children to and from school, the District Transport Office today impounded 12 vehicles, including buses and vans.

The impounded vehicles include 10 buses and vans from Ludhiana, while two from Khanna.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, DTO Ashwani Kumar said, “We conducted the drive in two phases, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. A naka was laid on the Dugri Road here this afternoon and we inspected 10 vehicles belonging to the top schools in Ludhiana like DAV Public School and BCM Arya Model School.”

“Not even a single vehicle possessed complete documents, thus we impounded them,” he said.

Out of 10 vehicles, one belongs to a nursing institute and the defaulters were also trying to evade Rs 20,000 fee that they are supposed to pay per year to the Transport Office.

In the morning, the officials checked 40 buses on the Ludhiana-Khanna road and 38 buses were challaned for the non-payment of taxes.

The DTO said, “The office has been issuing regular warnings to schools and transporters to maintain their records, but they paid no heed to it.”

He added that such checks would be done on a regular basis from now onwards to ensure safety of schoolchildren.

Officials from the transport department stressed that the school authorities needed to be careful in the coming days.

A traffic cop requesting anonymity said, “The DTO office did a great job. You can yourself see how kids are packed in autos and rickshaws. At least fearing a stick, schools would stop flouting rules.”

Ludhiana, February 3
With the Parikh Committee expected to submit its report on fuel pricing by the end of this week, petrol dealers fear an increase in the prices of petrol by Rs 3 per litre.

Some of the local dealers said chances of hike in diesel prices were less, but speculations were rife that the VAT on diesel could increase.

One of the members of the Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association, on condition of anonymity disclosed that the senior officials from the Indian Oil Company (IOC) had visited the city last week and held a meeting with the local dealers.

The officials had given an indication that the state government was planning to increase the VAT on diesel which, presently, was 8 per cent. He said if the VAT was increased, prices would automatically surge.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association, Ashok Sachdeva, said it was expected that the prices of petrol would be increased by Rs 3 per litre after the submission of the Parikh Committee’s report.

“By the end of this week, the committee will submit the report and there are possibilities of an upsurge in prices of petrol,” said Sachdeva.

When asked about the hike in diesel prices, Sachdeva said he had no idea about it.

A consumer Sanjay Bhardwaj said the rates of essential commodities should not increase anymore. “The increase in the prices of pulses, sugar and edible oils has already burnt a hole in our pockets and now with the hike in cooking gas, diesel and petrol prices, how will the common man survive.”

“Our salaries are limited and the inflation rate is on the rise with each passing day. Ultimately, consumers become the lone sufferer.

The government should make policies which are for the welfare of people,” rued Bhardwaj.

Ludhiana, February 3
Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India (FOTSII) president Joginder Kumar has said rather than putting an extra burden on industry by raising VAT by 1 per cent the Punjab government should have curtailed its “wasteful expenditure”. “The state’s industry, particularly small and tiny units, which are already reeling under the recession cannot absorb such additional tax hike”, he added.

Kumar said another big jolt suffered by industry was the chief minister’s decision to stop subsidy to units that had shut down. "This ill conceived move by the government needs to be condemned. Though a cash subsidy to industry amounting to Rs 600 crore has been pending since July 1996 the government isn’t in a mood to release it”, he said.

He appealed to the government to release pending subsidy to those industrial units that had been operational for over five years.

“Besides, though the government had claimed the state would have a surplus of electricity within 3-4 years both industrial and domestic users had to suffer long power cuts during the entire winter season”, Kumar added.

Urging the government to accord top priority to accord industry top priority, he said: “What is required is proper infrastructure including well-carpeted roads and proper sewerage systems for the growth of this industrial ”.

Ludhiana, February 3
Stylish moms are the perfect blend of style, beauty, fashion, health and news. They are also like the neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride. Most of the city children, be it tiny tots, pre-teens or teens, boast of having a “yummy mummy”, though with varying style quotients.

With changing times, urban Indian women have also changed.

Like every mother, besides being a role model for their children, city’s stylish mothers are fast earning the image of fashion divas.

Their high style quotient not only makes heads turn wherever they go, but also leaves a lasting impression on the minds of their children.

Alighting from a posh car, elegantly dressed in a neat-cut skirt, or a pair of chic leggings paired with a figure hugging top, a pair of skinny jeans with spaghetti tops, tunics or western outfits in varied hues and latest cuts; the city’s young as well as not-so-young mothers can be spotted escorting their little ones to and from school in their best, donning elegant hair dos and make up.

Gucci boots, Hidesign handbag, Chanel perfume, Swatch watch, Tommy Hilfiger accessories “from abroad” only add to their oomph factor.

Yummy mummies seem to have become more of a status symbol for their children. Flaunting a “beautiful, elegant and tastefully dressed” mom at the parent-teacher's meeting is slowly becoming a prestigious issue among children, especially teenagers.

Children can often be heard discussing their friends’ mothers.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 3
In recognition of his valuable contribution to the field of sports, leaders of various sports organizations, educational institutes and constitutional bodies will honour noted physical educationist Ajmer Singh Aulakh from Kup Kalan village posthumously. The decision was taken at a meeting of office bearers of these organizations before leaving for Chandigarh to pay last tribute to the Arjuna awardee, who died on January 26.

Dr Maghar Singh Kalia, former circle education officer, said it had also been decided to install a statue of Aulakh at a suitable location in the area. Besides this, an ‘Ajmer Singh Aulakh Running Gold Trophy’ would be instituted.

Dr Aulakh was the country’s only physical educationist as well as an Olympian and Asian Games gold medallist. His dedication and commitment to sports earned him an enviable place in the field of sports and fetched laurels for organisations he represented from time to time. A research scholar at Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, he later joined the physical education department at Panjab University, Chandigarh as PE lecturer.

He also served as principal education officer, Federal Government of Nigeria, sports director at Panjab University and dean and, later, vice chancellor of the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education.

Aulakh won a number of medals during his active sports life including a gold and two silver medals in athletics at the 1966 Asian Games held in Bangkok.

He was also chef de mission of the Indian universities contingent attending the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, New York as well as a member of the governing body of the Sports Authority of India for a long time.

Besides being a member of the Chandigarh Sports Council, Aulakh served as senior vice-president of the National Association of Physical Education & Sports and as a member the UGC panel for physical education. His body was donated to the anatomy department of PGI, Chandigarh.

Doraha, February 3
Punjab Chief Minster Parkash Singh Badal inaugurated the Heavenly Palace, a senior citizen care centre, on the Rampur road here today.

Badal while inaugurating the old age home said it was a wonderful initiative by the Dream and Beauty Charitable Trust.

“The trust is doing a tremendous job by providing food to poor and needy children and medical aid to the under-privileged section of society,” said the CM added.

“If the NRI’s feel like setting up such centres in Punjab, the government will contribute a share of 70 per cent,” he further said.

In order to check unemployment in the state, he urged the NRI’s to set up various skill development centres in the state for which a free land would be provided by the government.

The old age home is the brain child of Anil Kumar Monga, chairman of the Dream and Beauty Charitable Trust.

He said the Heavenly Palace encompasses 70,000 square yards and is sub-divided into three blocks. Each block comprises two elevators, ramps and 200 double occupancy rooms. There are 600 rooms, each with an attached bathroom.

A single block comprising 60 rooms has been completed. “The main purpose of the old age home is to provide health and happiness to the ones, who are deprived of it, especially at the stage, where one yearns for someone’s company, help and moral support,” expressed the philanthropist.

“I have taken no aid from the government. My friends have helped me achieve my goal,” he claimed.

“Once this project is completed, another project will be started in the name of “Divine Dreams-A home for Abandoned Children. The main aim of setting up this home will be to help the under-privileged children lead a dignified life,” the chairman added.

Harish Rai Dhanda, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Chairman, Punjab Agro Industries, Mayor Hakam Singh, Giaspura, Santa Singh Umaidpuri, Chairman, SS Board, Iqbal Singh, President Municipal Council, Khanna, Raghbir Singh Saharanmajra, member, SGPC, and Gurmail Singh Sangowal, member, SGPC, were present on the occasion

Ludhiana, February 3
Attracting street children to join school after school hours for a teacher of Government Primary School, Dhnannsu, has apparently not gone down well with the authorities of the education department, who have allegedly started threatening the teacher with dire consequences.

Jagjit Singh Mann, a known social worker and teacher, who has been roping in street children under the Padho Punjab scheme of the state government, yesterday alleged that he was being threatened to stop working in the evenings.

"I have been told I will face the music if I do not listen to their diktats, as they want me to toe their line. They are unhappy with my activities. Perhaps my popularity with these children is not liked by them," said Mann. Taking strict note of the threats being given to Mann, the Democratic Employees Front, Punjab, held an emergency meeting here yesterday and criticised the authorities responsible for the same. They said Mann has been threatened with suspension or termination.

Ludhiana, February 3
In a campaign against global warming, a local club has taken upon itself the task of sensitising masses about the threat to earth posed by the phenomenon.

The Lions Club, Greater Ludhiana, is doing its bit for the environment by making aware its members and the public about the damage already done and what can be done to save it from further degradation. ‘‘Following the Copenhagen Summit, we thought that global warming was a major threat to the mankind. But we are not taking it seriously, at least at the individual level. So we decided to sensitise the masses about it and hence the campaign,’’ said Lalit Gupta, an office-bearer of the club.

He said the club was already involved in several social works, but it was decided that they should do something for helping the mother earth also. So the initiative. As part of campaign, the club has got printed pamphlets regarding warning of environment degradation and some steps that can be taken to help it.

‘‘We have urged Ludhianvis to use a well-maintained car, pool it and if possible, use public transport. We have also asked them to think twice about the mileage so that it uses less fossil fuels,’’ he said. He said people are not very bothered about emissions when it comes to using a car or a cooling device. ‘‘We are going to make them aware about the dangerous emissions. We have to use everything with restraint.’’

It also lists the benefits of organic farming, use of solar energy, minimum use of paper and stopping wastage of electricity. ‘‘We hope it is a good wake-up call.’’ After its effort for the sake of environment, the club would concentrate on eliminating evils like female foeticide and drug abuse. It would also get pamphlets printed and organise lectures and sensitisation programmes in the club.

Ludhiana, February 3
The newly elected district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajiv Katna was felicitated at a function organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Circuit House here today.

Sandeep Kapur, president of the BJYM, assured the party chief that ranks of the youth wing of party would make efforts to propagate policies and programmes of the party among the people.

In his address, Katna said each and every worker would be given a due recognition and adjusted accordingly in the organisational set up. However, indiscipline and factionalism of any kind will not be tolerated in the party, he cautioned.

Katna said the party was looking forward to the election of state president of the party, scheduled to take place at Chandigarh tomorrow.

Ludhiana, February 3
Every fashion designer has a dream of seeing his couture on top models while walking the ramp. While everybody dreams of making it big in the fashion industry, it’s only a few who are able to realise their dreams.

Aastha Sharma and Sukhwant Singh, both students of Inter National Institute of Fashion Designing (INIFD) are excited and anxious as they both have been selected for the Lakme Fashion Week GenNext Category-2010. This is for the first time that budding designers of the state will present their collection on a coveted platform.

Belonging to a family with agriculture background, it was a dream come true for Sukhwant. “I had always dreamt about making it big in the fashion world and my joys knew no bounds when I was selected for the Lakme Fashion Week.”

With their mark of creativity, the duo outclassed a huge competition where many of the INIFD centres all over India had contested for participation in the Lakme Fashion Week. Both first cleared the preliminary round of selection, following which their portfolio and garments were sent to the management team of the Lakme Fashion Week.

“The moment the announcements for the fashion week were made in our classes, we were focused to be a part of this mega event. We worked hard to meet the deadlines,” the duo said.

“The best reward for us is that we will be mentored by Narendra Kumar - the well known fashion designer. This will give us an opportunity to imbibe the essence of this field in the shortest time,” they added.

“We have achieved much more than most of the designers do in a period of 10-15 years of their professional lives. How many designers get an opportunity to witness the Lakme Fashion Week, what to talk of participating in one. We consider ourselves lucky and thank God and our faculty members for this," they added.

Sukhwant and Aastha could not stop smiling at their newfound success. The glow on the faces reflected the sign of victory for the young designer duo, who have made their city proud.

Ludhiana, February 3
A total of Rs 3 crore was surrendered during the income tax surveys held on three rice shellers at Sanhewal.

Surveys were conducted under the supervision of Income Tax commissioner, Range V, Rajeev Harit.

Surveys were conducted on Kiran Rice and General Mill Pvt Limited, Jagdamba Rice and General Mills and its sister concern Shree Neelkanth Agro Mill and Shree Durga Rice Mills.

Ludhiana, February 3
The PAU Kisan Club will organise its 44th annual function at Kairon Kisan Ghar, PAU, tomorrow.

Club president Pavittar Pal Singh Pangli said farm women from various parts of the state would be attending the meet. Minister of Agriculture, Punjab, Sucha Singh Langah would be the chief guest, while PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang would preside over the function.

Farmers would be honoured at the function, said Pangli. He said the club’s achievements would be enlisted at the function.

Mandi Gobindgarh, February 3
Desh Bhagat Institute of Management and Computer Sciences, Mandi Gobindgarh, today organised a

National-Level Inter-College Festival “Techminds-2010”. Students from about 35 reputed institutions of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh took part in the event.

Various activities like business quiz, essay writing, paper presentation, sell it and IT quiz were held.

The programme was inaugurated by managing director of Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation SS Rajput. Rajput appreciated the efforts of students.

Earlier, chairman, Desh Bhagat Institutes, Dr Zora Singh welcomed the chief guest. Director-general Prof Shalini Gupta proposed vote of thanks. Prizes were distributed to winners of various events.

The overall trophy was bagged by APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar.

Results:

Paper presentation (IT): Neha Sharma of APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar, 1 and Jeet Aggarwal of CIIS, Jalwehra, 2; paper presentation (management): Deep Shikha of RIMT Institutes, Mandi Gobindgarh, 1 and Paritosh Miglani of GGNIMT, Ludhiana, 2; IT quiz: Continental Institute of Engineering and Technology 1 and Continental Institute of International Studies 2; application development: APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar, 1 and AS College, Khanna, 2; debugging: Hitesh Dawar and Sanjeev Kumar of APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar, 1, Nishant Mahajan and Nitika of SSIMT, Dinanagar, 2; business quiz: Rohan, Chetan and Varun of APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar, 1, Abhinav, Munish and Anchal of ARYA College 2; test your skills in “C” (undergraduate): Bikram Jeet Singh and Deepak Bansal of AS College, Khanna, 1 and 2, respectively; test your skills in “C” (postgraduate): Deepak Aggarwal of MJK College, Khumeria, Ganganagar, 1 and Deepak Goyal of GNIMT, Ludhiana, 2; sell it: Guru Nank Girls College, Ludhiana, 1 and APJ Institute of Management, Jalandhar, 2; essay writing: Shagun Sharma of Dolphin PG College of Life Sciences 1 and Akriti of Government Bikram College, Patiala, 2.

Ludhiana, February 3
A seminar on exam-time stress management and overall personality development to build up the confidence and positive attitude was held for the students of classes XI and XII at Rajindra Model School.

Career counsellor Sonia helped students overcome anxiety and stress in view of the forthcoming examinations.

The purpose of the seminar was to overcome stress and strain during exams, to build up confidence level and positive attitude, time management, solution for psychological problems and spiritual healing. Sonia informed the students about effective time management techniques during exams. She advised them to identify the key areas of each one of their subjects and take the guidance of the teachers and practise tests, concentrate on the basics of the topic and not going in for cramming and most importantly, taking home made and nutritious food.

Phillaur, February 3
The 10th convocation of the Punjab Police Academy (PPA), Phillaur, was held here today in which two PhDs and 68 degrees of MA in police administration were conferred on police personnel.

Presiding over the function, academy director-cum-DGP RS Gill said excellence had been the tradition of this police training institution and efforts were being made for updating training methodology by adding latest techniques and other inputs.

He said special focus was on improving professional and behavioural effectiveness of the police personnel and to train them suitably during the training programmes.

Gill said the academy was holding international partnership projects with police forces of other countries and it was also organising trainers’ programmes for the staff regularly. He also congratulated all the degree recipients for their academic and intellectual achievements.

DJ Singh, dean and senior deputy director, Punjab Police Academy, presented the welcome address. He said the academy caters to the training needs of 11 states and Union Territories and also to the central police forces and police forces from other countries as well. Till date, seven PhDs, 10 MPhil and over 1,000 MA degrees in police administration have been awarded police personnel and a few civilians.

BK Garg, IGP-cum-joint director, Punjab Police Academy, proposed the vote of thanks.

Ram Lubhaya, IGP J&K, and Gaurav Yadav, DIG, (Counter Intelligence), Punjab, were awarded PhD. degrees. The Roll of Honour was awarded to Sushil Kumar, advocate, Jalandhar, for standing first in the university.

Ludhiana, February 3
Inmates of Ludhiana Central Jail yesterday learnt the process of making tomato puree at a training programme conducted by the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) on the jail premises.

The CIPHET has begun a series of training programmes for jail inmates. During the training, Dr HS Oberoi, senior scientist at CIPHET, explained the complete process of making tomato puree through practical demonstration on machinery. He said that from 100 kg of tomatoes, around 40 kg of puree could be made and used as a substitute for tomato in various food preparations. The puree prepared from tomatoes has a shelf life of over six months, he added.

Explaining different stages of processing, he said tomato puree was becoming popular in cities and many major brands were into its manufacturing.

Dr Oberoi said the jail inmates could earn respectful livelihood by setting up a small plant on commercial scale with an initial investment of about Rs 10 lakh. He said the plant set up for tomato puree could be used for processing other vegetables and fruits as well. He informed the jail inmates that the CIPHET provides comprehensive training programme and interested inmates could get training after completion of their sentences.

Dr Nilesh Gaikwad, a scientist at the CIPHET, said they would provide all possible technical help to the interested inmates.

Mullanpur Dakha, February 3
The Humbran cops of Ludhiana Rural police nabbed a fake travel agent and recovered nine passports, stamps and fake immigration papers besides Rs 70,000 cash collected by him from his clients.

An identity card of the press (a monthly being published from Delhi - Bharat Mudran Samachar Patra Sandesh) was also recovered from him in which he was shown a honorary reporter. Parminder Singh, alias Netaji, of Ghamnewal village, nearby gave a tip regarding the operations of this travel agent, who was operating from a rented house where he used to visit occasionally only on appointment.

DSP Dakha Jasdev Singh Sidhu said Parminder Singh had informed the Humbran SHO Jaswinder Singh that Joginder Kumar, a tenant of Jarnail Singh of Humbran, used to visit the village and the surrounding area in search of innocent targets especially migrant labours and poor rural folks.

He used to sign an agreement on non-judicial stamp paper with them after taking a token amount ranging between Rs 3,000 to 25,000. Interestingly, the settlement to send abroad (UK) was at his discretion and he charged Rs. 1.5 to Rs. 6.5 lakh.

As per the agreement the balance amount of the deal was to be deducted from his salary (40 per cent per month) after reaching the UK.

He had made fake seals and issued a passport to his client wrapped in poly pack sealed by a fake-paper seal.

After getting the information, SHO Humbran laid a trap to nab accused Rajinder Kumar, who originally hailed from Ambedkar Colony of Khera Khurd in New Delhi. His victims, including women, were from far off places of UP, Bihar, Haryana and HP besides various districts of Punjab. The police registered a case against him under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 of the IPC.

Ludhiana, February 3
The Punjab Police, Jalandhar, began its campaign on a winning note with a 2-0 win over the Rail Coach Factory, Kaputhala, in the opening match of the 6th edition of the All-India Guru Gobind Singh Hockey Tournament.

The tournament is being organised by the Ludhiana Sportsmen Welfare Association under the aegis of the Punjab Rural Sports Promotion Council at the Prithipal Singh Memorial AstroTurf Stadium of Punjab Agricultural University.

The Punjab Police players dominated the proceedings from the beginning of the match. They swarmed the RCF's territory time and again but failed to hit the board.

The Punjab Police went into the lead in the 39th minute when Manjinder Singh scored a fine field goal. The Punjab Police went all out to increase the lead, however, they were kept at bay by the RCF goalkeeper. They continued to exert pressure on the RCF defence and eventually found the target.

In the 63rd minute, PP skipper Jugraj Singh converted a penalty corner into a goal to read it 2-0. The RCF boys tried hard to reduce the margin in the remaining period but failed.

The second match of the day was played between the Namdhari-XI of Bhaini Sahib and the Border Security Force, Jalandhar, which ended in a goalless draw.

Namdhari XI had an upper hand throughout the encounter and earned six penalty corners. However, the BSF custodian, Sunil, thwarted all the attempts.

Earlier, Dr Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, inaugurated the tournament in which six teams in the men's section and four teams in the women's section are taking part.

Baba Lakha Singh of Nanaksar and Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, SSP, Ludhiana, were the guests of honour.

Students of Bhai Dhan Singh Senior Secondary School presented a cultural show on this occasion. Dhadi Rachhpal Singh Pamaal sang 'vaar' of Guru Gobind Singh.

Tomorrow's fixtures: Punjab National Bank, Delhi, vs Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, at 12 noon.

Namdhari-XI, Bhaini Sahib, vs Indian Air Force-XI, Delhi, at 2 pm.