Ludhiana, April 29
Nearly 100 families were rendered homeless when the shanties they were living in were reduced to ashes after a major fire broke out in Hussainpura village near here this evening.

The jhuggis that were put up on a private piece of land caught fire and within a few minutes, all temporary houses caught fire. By the time the Fire Brigade reached the spot, everything was ruined. Three fire-tenders worked for nearly an hour to put off the fire. The dwellers tried to douse the fire by bringing in water in buckets but the magnitude of the fire was so great that nothing could be saved. The fast-blowing winds helped the flames to spread. They lost their life’s savings in the form of cash, jewellery and household goods within a few moments.

The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. Though sabotage has not been ruled out, the dwellers believed that the fire was caused by one of them while cooking. As fast wind was blowing, splinters reached a shanty that caught fire and within a few minutes, it engulfed the complete area.

They said they were paying Rs 200 per month to the land owner, Kukoo, who had given his land for erecting shanties. Sarpanch of the village, Parshotam Lal said he reached the spot as soon as he got the news of the fire. "These people who have been living here for the past six-seven years have been rendered homeless in just few minutes. The panchayat will try to help financially," he added.

Ludhiana, April 29
Despite tall claims made by the municipal corporation to move stray cows and bulls to gaushalas, the situation remains the same. Herds of stray cattle are seen roaming around in the city.

Municipal Commissioner A K Sinha made an announcement three days ago that private gaushalas had been roped in to accommodate stray cattle.

But a visit by The Tribune team to various areas of the city revealed the same unpleasant picture. Stray cattle were found roaming in areas like Hambran Road, Kitchlu Nagar, Old Courts Road, Domoria Bridge, Jalandhar bypass, Shivpuri, Haibowal,etc.

Manjeet Singh, a resident of Shivpuri, said only a few days ago a boy lost his life when he was hit by a stray cattle. "Since stray cattle move freely in our area it has become dangerous for the children to play outside. The municipal corporation should make efforts to remove these from the streets and shelter them in gaushalas," he said.

S.D. Dhamija, chairman of Govind Gaudham, said as per our discussion with the Municipal Commissioner, work on removing stray cattle into the gaushalas would start as soon as they agree to our terms and conditions. "There are nearly 500 stray cattle in the city and we will build extra sheds to accommodate these in our gaushala," he added.

Ludhiana, April 29
A dispute over land in Tarf Kara Bara on Bahadur K. Road here turned ugly today afternoon when some area residents allegedly assaulted several members of a family over a vacant plot of 500 square yards. Several people including women were injured in the incident that occurred in Baazigar colony. Allegations and counterallegations flowed between the two sides involved, blaming each other for the violence.

Talking to the Ludhiana Tribune, residents of the locality claimed about 60-70 men, armed with swords, ‘kirpans’ (daggers), baseball bats, hockey sticks, bricks, ‘lathis’ (sticks) and stones entered the house of a resident, Ambu Ram.

"The assailants barged into the house and beat up Ram's daughter-in-law, Manjeet, and his wife badly with sticks and bricks. They tied Manjeet's hands and tried to strangulate her with a rope. When the area residents rushed to her help the assailants engaged in a clash with them. They vandalized and ransacked the entire house and broke the furniture," said Varinder Singh, an eyewitness. He alleged the intruders also molested Manjeet and tore off her clothes.

Other eyewitnesses added the assailants then moved to the house next door, which belongs to Ram's brother, Chhinda, and thrashed the latter’s family members in his absence.

"After tying me and my mother Chhindo and two sisters with a rope the assailants beat us up badly. They then ransacked and vandalized the entire house. They took away gold weighing 200 grams, Rs 2 lakh in cash, 3 mobile phones, one camera and two buffaloes before fleeing," alleged Meena Kumari, Chhinda's daughter.

Chhinda stated the land belonged to his brother, Ambu Ram, and claimed the assailants wanted to usurp it. “The plot was registered in my family's name”, he added.

In addition to groups and communities for their respective schools, various other groups have been formed on these sites. Some of the interesting ones include ‘Fed up of attending boring lectures’, ‘When teacher asks me to get out of the class’, ‘Reading magazines and novels in class’, ‘Don’t want to attend the math class’ and ‘Last year in school’

Ludhiana, April 29
When people of the region are getting brickbats for preferring male child, an elderly woman, who passed away recently, wanted her daughter to light her pyre.

Her son allegedly tried to snatch her body, but she was cremated peacefully. Now her family apprehends that her bhog ceremony would be taken over by her son.

When her two daughters and sons-in-law prepare to organise her bhog ceremony at her native place Gobindgarh tomorrow, they have lodged a complaint with the police to provide them security.

According to the complaint lodged by Kuldeep Chand of ward number 14 in Mandi Ahmedgarh and Madan Gopal of Ghaloti, their mother-in-law Sita Devi was deserted by her son after the death of her husband about five years ago.

Disappointed over the alleged inhuman behaviour of her son, Sita Devi had virtually disowned him during her lifetime. Though she wanted that her body should be cremated at Gobindgarh, native place of her in-laws, she wished that her son should not be allowed to participate in any of the ceremonies after her death.

Sita Devi died at Ghaloti on April 19 and in-laws of both her daughters ( Raj Rani wife of Madan Lal ) and Kuldeep’s wife took her body to Gobindgarh for cremation.

Her son and his accomplice attempted to snatch her body. A police party, led by Harpal Singh, intervened in the matter and got the cremation done.‘‘Even after the cremation, we had to keep a watch on the cremation ground so that her ashes were not stolen. This is really sad that when she was alive, she was treated badly and after that also her son did not want her soul to rest in peace,’’ said Kuldeep.

He added that they were concerned that the bhog would be tomorrow and her son would try all possible means to interfere in the ceremony to be organised.

Mullanpur Dakha, April 29
The police booked some unidentified persons last evening for stealing a truck carrying 400 bags of wheat procured by Punsup.

Harbhajan Singh, the owner and the driver of the truck (PB 05 G 9897), had stated in his complaint to the police that he had loaded the bags of wheat from commission agent Vijay Trading Company of Humbran on April 27 and transported it to Bhonahar village godowns of Punsup near Mullanpur Dakha.

The Punsup had taken the open plinths of Jugrag Singh on rent to stack the procured wheat. Due to the shortage of labour, the downloading of wheat is slow and the trucks have to wait for their 
turn, sometimes for more than a couple of days.

Harbhajan Singh fell asleep while waiting for his turn opposite to Raja Dharam Kanda on the Ludhiana road. Around 3 am, when he woke up he found his truck missing along with the wheat.

The sources, however, revealed that the truck operators often parked their vehicles in a line for their turn. But this truck was not parked in the line and was rather parked in the opposite direction at a closed petrol pump.

The eyewitnesses saw the truck till 9 pm. Sources also revealed that earlier Harbhajan Singh had stated that the thieves had kidnapped him and after thrashing him they tied him up and left him at a tubewell room near Ghuman village.

Some truck drivers, near the site of the incident, revealed that there were some unidentified youths accompanying Harbhajan Singh and had stayed with him till 9 pm.

They expressed their apprehensions that the youths accompanying Harbhajan Singh double crossed and tied him up before decamping with the truck.

Sources also revealed that a couple of days ago, Harbhajan Singh had stolen 13 bags of wheat from the truck. When his theft was detected he tried to borrow the wheat from grain market and promised to return the same in a day or two, but no one obliged him.

Jagtar Singh, inspector, Punsup, Humbran grain market, expressed his ignorance over the matter. He said information of missing truck had not come to his notice as trucks dispatched on April 27 were not unloaded yet.

He added that only after unloading of the trucks he could ascertain if any truck was missing or not. He, however, ascertained that if any truck was found to be missing he would initiate departmental inquiry in the case.

Ludhiana, April 29
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Legal Cell chairman Dharmjit Singh Khera has sought the resignation of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda, whose report had virtually ensured the expulsion of former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh from the assembly.

Dhanda has, however, defended his report on the multi-crore land scam in Amritsar that indicted Amarinder Singh. Dhanda was reacting on the demand of his resignation by the Legal Cell Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee following the Supreme Court’s decision in Capt Amarinder’s favour.

He argued that Capt Amarinder had challenged the decision of the Vidhan Sabha for expelling him and not the fact-finding committee report on the basis of which he was expelled.

“The report had just indicted him for exempting 32.10 acres from acquisition in Amritsar against rules. He did not challenge that in the Supreme Court at all,” he said.

The Congress leader was removed from the 13th state assembly in September 2008 for breach of privilege over the alleged multi-crore land scam. His appeal against the decision of the state legislature filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court was transferred to the Supreme Court of India on his request.

“It is Dhanda’s moral duty to put in the papers now. He was the one who prepared the report that finally led to former CM’s expulsion. He should accept his wrongdoing. Since he has been a senior lawyer and has been the chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, he should have known the powers of legislature. Still he prepared such a report,” said Khera.

Replying to his demand, Dhanda said Khera belonged to his fraternity only and yet he could not understand the writ petition of the former CM. “I am amazed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal Legal Cell’s working president Iqbal Singh Gill, Ramjit Singh Ratol, Jagdev Singh Virk, Kuldeep Singh Arora, SP Singh, Waheguru Pal Singh and Randip Singh Gill backed Dhanda.

These leaders claimed that Dhanda has done nothing wrong. The criminal case initiated on the report of Dhanda was being tried by a court. The Supreme Court has nowhere held that the case against Captain Amrinder was false.

Ludhiana, April 29
“Punjab has the potential to be a leader state. What needs to be done is to re-jig its agriculture, invite investments in industry and re-skill itself,” said SC Agrawal, chief secretary, Government of Punjab, at Confederation of Indian Industry members meet organised at Ludhiana. The meet was followed by interactions with SC Agrawal, SS Channy, principal secretary, industries and commerce, and Ishwar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana.

Agrawal further stated that a tangible perception of business-friendly environment needs to be created. In his address to the members, he stated that there was an immediate need for Punjab to move to service sector as he pointed out that while service sector was the largest contributor to India’s GDP, the primary sector contributed less.

However, it was entirely opposite in Punjab, wherein the primary sector contributed maximum to the GDP and the contribution of the service sector to the GDP of the state was meagre, he added. Therefore, for Punjab to consolidate its fiscal position in coming times, it was necessary for the state’s economy to start moving towards service sector.

He also expressed the need for Punjab to harness the potential of agro-based and food processing industry.

Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries, Akshay Bector, chairman, CII, Punjab, highlighted the stellar role performed by the CII in its service to industry and society. Dr SS Channy highlighted various initiatives taken by the Government of Punjab on improving the industrial climate in the state.

He also lauded the initiatives taken by the CII with regard to improving the competitiveness of the MSME sector in Punjab and assured his department’s full cooperation with regard to attracting big industry into the state.

Earlier, an interaction with Ishwar Singh was held on issues pertaining to industrial security, wherein he informed the members on various initiatives taken by the police to verify the antecedents and background of labour workforce joining the industry.

Ludhiana, April 28
The district health department is carrying out a campaign against seasonal diseases by spreading awareness among people on preventive measures.

A team of officials from the mass media wing of department of health and family welfare today visited Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Government Senior Secondary School for Girls.

The students were briefed about the water-borne and vector borne diseases.

The health officials are organising mass contact programmes to make people aware about the causes, symptoms and preventive measures against typhoid, jaundice, cholera, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, malaria and dengue.

District mass media and information officer Satish Sachdeva, while addressing the students said water should be boiled or should be treated with chlorine tablets before consumption.

He also stated that people should eat fresh cooked food and avoid eating stale and uncovered food items. "People should refrain from consuming fruit juices, cut fruits, including papaya, water melon, ice-creams, etc from roadside vendors," the health officials advised.

Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Satwant Bhalla said in order to ensure that people living in slums get information on causes and prevention of seasonal disease, the pamphlets in Punjabi as well as in Hindi are being distributed.

Ludhiana, April 29
The District Congress Committee (U) today burnt an effigy of the state government at a protest staged against the electricity price hike.

DCC president Jagmohan Sharma and Somnath Grover led the Congress activists through markets near Clock Tower raising slogans against the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.

The activists stated that Badal haD failed to fulfill his promises made to thE people of Punjab wherein he had promised to provide electricity for 24 hours within a year and a half of the making of their government. Also, the CM had promised that Punjab would have surplus electricity within two years of the SAD-BJP regime which has been reverted as people would now have to pay for the "generators" also.

The Congress activists demanded a rollback in the power rate hike and called upon the Punjab chief minister to give 18 hours power supply to the industry.

Pradesh Veopar Mandal president Darshan Dawar, while pointing towards the plight of industrialists, said that 70 hours weekly power cut haD damaged the small industrial units as many are on the verge of closure. "Ludhiana is famous for its hosiery worldover but in the prevailing circumstances, the hosiery will be a lost cause," Dawar said.

Amarjit Singh Oberoi alleged that the power cuts had hit the hospitality business also as the number of people comming for business in Ludhiana from overseas has drastically gone down.

The Congress activists present during today's protest included Sameer Sharma, Gurcharan SWingh, Harpal Singh Bedi, Krishan Kharbanda, VK Arora , Madan Lal Sharma , Kumar Surjit , Vijay Layalpuri, Gurcharan Saini , Ranjit Saini, Jagdish Gill, Surinder Kalia, Kuldip Singh and Jatinder Sood.

Ludhiana, April 29
Delay in justice today led the kin of a gang rape victim to come out on streets and lodge a protest outside the Police Commissioner’s office.

The victim, who went into acute depression and is bed-ridden since the incident, too, was brought along by her family on a couch.

The victim’s father, Sher Singh, a resident of New Ashok Nagar, revealed that his daughter was married to Amandeep, a resident of New Shivpuri, in June last year.

“However, soon after the marriage, the boy’s family started harassing her for dowry. Following this, my daughter came back and started living with us,” said Sher Singh.

He added that on February 23, Amandeep’s younger brother-in-law called up the girl and claimed to solve the marital discord between her and her in-laws. “But he directed the girl to come alone. When she went to his house on February 23, her brother-in-law, along with his friends, gang raped her,” said Sher Singh.

The distraught father added that his 27-year-old daughter went into acute depression and has been bed-ridden since then. “No case was registered against the accused in spite of a police complaint,” he said.

He said tired of running from pillar to post, he today decided to bring the plight of his daughter to the notice of the Police Commissioner.

“I am sure the top cops will take notice of our ordeal and get justice for my daughter,” Sher Singh hoped, with tears in his eyes.

Ritu Pandit, president of an NGO working for women rights, accompanied the victim and her family, along with the other members of the organisation, to the Police Commissioner’s office.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh ordered for a high-level probe into the matter and directed ADCP Harsh Bansal to take the case to a logical conclusion.

Ludhiana, April 29
The directorate of extension education, PAU, organised a two-day training camp on improved practices for kharif crops for agricultural officers, agricultural development officers, district extension specialists and faculty of krishi vigyan kendras. The training camp will conclude tomorrow.

Ludhiana, April 29
The Senior Humanities Forum of Kundan Vidya Mandir, city campus, organised a poem recitation competition here yesterday. Feelings of happiness, love and sense of duty were reflected in the poems selected by the students. The pronunciation, presentation and performance of each child were immaculate. Judges Reena Kapoor and Shashi Goyal had a tough time choosing the winners. Headmistress Namita Raj Singh lauded and appreciated the efforts of the students and the teachers and also felicitated and encouraged the students to participate actively in the future competitions.

Results: English - 1. Lamia Fatima; 2 Nakul Aggarwal; 3 Sumedha Sood; appreciation award: Nimish Goyal

Jagraon, April 29
The local police yesterday evening booked a town municipal councillor and another person in a case of cheating. Both have been accused of being involved in assisting the parents of a newborn child in getting the birth of their son recorded twice in the municipal council records in 2008.

Bhupesh Kumar, a town resident, became the father of a boy who was born in November 2008 at a local hospital. In the course of routine formalities the hospital sent the child’s birth details to the MC and the birth was registered under book no 40, serial no 2683 on November 20 last year.

Later, Bhupesh submitted another application to the civic body stating the child was born at his home on November 29, 2008. The application had the thumb impression of a local midwife, Manjit Kaur, and a “recommendation” by Vinod Kumar, the municipal councillor. The birth was eventually “reregistered” on the basis of the new application.

When the matter was brought to his notice, the civil surgeon, after conducting a departmental enquiry, recommended “suitable action” be taken against all those found guilty of infringing the regulations.

The MC then forwarded details of the case to the local bodies department in December 2008. The department also recommended that action was taken against the guilty and the EO of the Jagraon MC sent the records to the Ludhiana SSP (rural) for investigation and suitable action.

A case under sections 420, 511, 120B of the IPC was later registered.

When contacted, Vinod denied any forgery had been committed in this case. He, however, admitted he had “recommended” the new application for birth registration, saying, “Bhupesh belonged to my ward and I knew him personally”.

The councillor said his “recommendation” was only limited to the identification of the applicant. “I can still vouch for the applicant’s (Mahesh) identity. Moreover, I recommended the case only after verifying the doctor concerned had verified the birth of the child”, he stated.

Claiming he was “innocent”, Vinod said: “I’m being falsely implicated in this case as my (political) opponents want to harass me to avenge (their election defeat)”.

Ludhiana, April 29
Red House defeated Yellow House by 36 runs in the Inter-House Cricket Championship organised at Saraswati Modern Senior Secondary School here, yesterday.

Red House won the toss and elected to bat. In the stipulated 10 overs, they scored 110 runs after losing 6 wickets.

The main architects of their innings were their opening pair of Shubham and Sanchit, which added in with 48 runs in just 3.2 overs before being separated with the former contributing 26 runs. Another useful innings came through Raghav who chipped in with 25 runs that included two sixes.

Chasing the target, Yellow House could muster only 74 runs, losing 7 wickets. The main contributor was Gaurav who made 33 runs.

Earlier, Red House outplayed Blue House by 20 runs while Yellow House beat Green House by 7 wickets to settle for the title clash. Shubham of Red House was declared the man of the match while Raghav, also from Red House, was named the player of the tournament.

Vimal Jain, an educationist, was the chief guest at the prize distribution function. He, along with Kamla Jain, president of the school management committee, gave away prizes.