The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Development of approved colonies
GLADA issues only 15 licences in 4 yrs
Ludhiana, November 10
While hundreds of illegal colonies come up in the industrial hub of the state with a population of 40 lakh plus every year and unscrupulous developers continue to fleece unsuspecting buyers of their hard-earned money in passing off residential plots with hordes of tall claims and false promises in unauthorised colonies, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has issued only 15 new licences for development of approved colonies in the mega city during the last four years.

District Courts Complex
PUDA finds no takers for prime property
Ludhiana, November 10
Elaborate seating arrangements for bidders made by PUDA for the auction of two commercial chunks of land, which was called off due to poor response in Ludhiana on Wednesday The real estate market has to go a long way before looking north. This was evident when two chunks of the prime commercial land of the erstwhile old district courts complex in Civil Lines, put on the block by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) did not find any takers today. The auction was eventually put off and fresh dates will be announced later.
Elaborate seating arrangements for bidders made by PUDA for the auction of two commercial chunks of land, which was called off due to poor response in Ludhiana on Wednesday

Registration of birth, death certificates
Health workers designated as Sub-Registrars
Ludhiana, November 10
To facilitate the residents in getting birth and death certificates in minimum time, the health workers employed at the health sub-centres of the Municipal Corporation (MC) have been now designated as Sub-Registrars to issue certificates up to one year of time.

Deaths in gastro, cardio units
Hospital under scanner
Ludhiana, November 10
The functioning of the city’s ESIC Model Hospital has been called into question following 69 deaths in its gastroenterology ward, 62 deaths in cardiology and one in the psychiatric ward in the absence of any cardiologist, gastroenterologist or psychiatrist since 2003.

Models Shreya Kusgire (left) and Priyanka Shah strikes a pose in Ludhiana on Wednesday Beauty queens descend on city
Ludhiana, November 10
Wednesday evening saw beauty queens from the fashion world descend on the city ahead of the Punjab International Fashion Week, slated to commence tomorrow. However, striking beauties Priyanka Shah and Shreya Kishore remained the centre of attraction through the star-studded evening. Winners of different titles of the coveted Miss India pageant, both Priyanka and Shreya have an impressive list of achievements to their names.

Models Shreya Kusgire (left) and Priyanka Shah strikes a pose in Ludhiana on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Disparity in Pay Scales
Guest faculty, a frustrated lot
Ludhiana, November 10
Huge disparity in pay scales of government college lecturers and guest faculty has not just brought frustration among the latter, but due to less qualified staff, the quality standards of education, too, have come down considerably.

COMMUNITY

Riot victims’ body blames authorities for person’s death
Ludhiana, November 10
Charging the state government with patronising a few self-styled leaders of the riot victims, who were unlawfully occupying government properties and passing them off to others for a consideration, the Ludhiana Sikh Migrants Welfare Board has blamed the district authorities and the police for an unfortunate incident in which a Sikh migrant was killed in a clash that took place between a group of riot-affected persons and government employees.

MC razes structures amidst protests, removes unipoles
Ludhiana, November 10
A green belt on the Jalandhar bypass from where unipole was uprooted by the municipal corporation Amidst protest and allegations of the political interference in the functioning of the municipal corporation, its building branch continued with its anti-encroachment drive in Zone D for the second day today. A team of the municipal staff led by assistant town planner SS Bindra razed encroachments outside the shops located at the Baadewaal Road. The drive started from Gurdev Hospital. From there, the staff moved towards the canal where the team removed structures that violated the building bylaws.
A green belt on the Jalandhar bypass from where unipole was uprooted by the municipal corporation. Photo: Inderjeet Verma

Missing Signboards
MC to lodge FIR
Ludhiana, November 10
Clueless about the missing direction boards on the overhead signboards installed by the Municipal Corporation (MC) in various parts of the city, the civic authorities have now decided to hand over the investigation regarding it to the Police Department by lodging an FIR against unknown persons.

MC fails to monitor spending on projects
Ludhiana, November 10
It’s strange but true that the Municipal Corporation (MC), which spends crores of rupees every year on developmental projects in the city, does not follow proper monitoring and evaluation system for these.

Powercom demand of Rs 35,099 quashed
Ludhiana, November 10
The Permanent Lok Adalat has quashed the demand of Rs 35,099 raised by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (Powercom) on account of the alleged low recording of consumption by the meter installed on the premises of a consumer.

‘Art of Living’ getting popular with rural people
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar adjusts his head cloth at a congregation in Jarkhar village near Ludhiana on Wednesday Ludhiana, November 10
Urban society following the “Art of Living” for a contented life is a known fact, but now the rural population has also started following their urban counterparts. While city people pursue Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s course for a stress-free life, rural folks are undertaking these workshops for shunning drugs from their lives.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar adjusts his head cloth at a congregation in Jarkhar village near Ludhiana on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Sri Sri unveils statues at Jarkhar
Ludhiana, November 10
It was a historic day and pride moment for sports lovers of the region when spiritual guru of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, unveiled statues of first Sikh Olympian, Udham Singh Sansarpur and that of sports promoter Amarjit Singh Grewal at Mata Sahib Kaur Sports Stadium of village Jarkhar, about 15 km from here, today.
Statue of Amarjeet Singh Grewal, which was unveiled by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Jarkhar Stadium in Ludhiana on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Ministerial union for 60 as retirement age
Ludhiana, November 10
The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Ministerial Union has demanded increase in the retirement age of the employees. Sukhbir Singh, president of the state unit of the union, today asked the state government to fulfill its poll promise by increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years. He said the retirement age in all Central government departments was 60 years, but in Punjab it was still 58 years.

Neha Verma City girl tops UGC exam in physics
Ludhiana, November 10
Twentyfive-year-old Neha Verma’s happiness knew no bounds when she came to know that after two unsuccessful attempts, she had topped in physics UGC NET examination, which was held in June.

Neha Verma

Delivery of still-born baby in jail toilet
Health dept told to submit report
Ludhiana, November 10
Taking a notice of the complaint forwarded by a social activist against a government doctor for "negligence" while dealing with a expecting jail inmate, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has asked the department of health and family welfare, Punjab, to submit a detailed report.

Medical representatives elect new office-bearers
Ludhiana, November 10
The Punjab Medical Representatives Association (PMRA) expressed concerns over the spurious medicines and misuse of narcotic drugs in the general body meeting held today at Punjabi Bhawan.

Chief Justice to open judicial complex
Samrala, November 10
Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Mukul Mudgal will inaugurate a new judicial courts complex here tomorrow. Justice MM Kumar, administrative judge, Ludhiana Sessions Division, will preside over the function.

Twin buffalo calves born at GADVASU
Ludhiana, November 10
A Murrah buffalo, in its third lactation delivered a male and a female calf here at the dairy farm of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). The incidence of multiple births in buffaloes is rare as one of 1,000 buffaloes deliver twin calves.

‘Brain-dead patients should donate organs’
Ludhiana, November 10
GLODAS (the Gift of Life and Organ Donation Awareness Society) will celebrate World Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation on November 20 at KVM School, Civil Lines.

Greek cultural performances mesmerise audience
Ludhiana, November 10
The Punjab multicultural festival organised by the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council (PCPC) at GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, created an international platform for cultural exchange and international friendship when an 11-member delegation from Greece and Punjab students presented mesmerising cultural performances based on their respective cultural traditions, therefore strengthening international cooperation.

Literature highlights socio-cultural problems of NRIs
Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 10
Stressing on the need of comprehending items of literature created by NRI Punjabis, laureates claimed that these creations have projected socio-cultural and economic problems of those suffering detachment from culture of their native land.

Refresher course in environmental studies
Doraha, November 10
A total of 41 teachers participated in the refresher course in environmental studies (inter-disciplinary), which began at Punjabi University, Patiala, from today. Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, while inaugurating the course congratulated Academic Staff College director, Dr Narinder Kumar Dogra, and staff, who even in the first year of the initiation of the college have been able to fulfill the norms required by the University Grants Commission (UGC) by working efficiently.

AT THE CROSSROADS
Where have the leftovers gone?
There was a time when leftovers at the dining table had an importance of their own. In the large families or the joint families of the days of yore, children needed something as a breakfast grub before going to school. Mothers had no time, particularly during the summer season, to prepare food for their children early in the morning. At that time, the leftovers came to the rescue of the bewildered mothers. The children, too, relished that food as they knew that the leftovers were better than a rumbling stomach till noon.

Diamond jewellery showcased
Ludhiana, November 10
UK-based Zaira Diamond yesterday showcased precious jewellery at a pre-launch programme held in the city. Manoj Jain, manager, Zaira Diamond (India) Pvt Ltd, said: “We are proud to be associated with Zaira Diamond as it has introduced to Indian market an international brand of jewellery which speaks for itself for its unique designs, international certification, exclusive range, as the entire collection has been beautifully designed and crafted by the world's best jewellery designers and craftsmen.”

From Schools
Declamation
A Vedic declamation contest was organised in DRV DAV Centenary Senior Secondary Public School, Phillaur, by Ved Prachar Mandal, Ludhiana. Ravinder Sidhu of Class VI got the first prize, Jasmine Kaur of Class X stood second and the third prize was given to Ishan Goel. — TNS

CRIME

Murder case solved, all accused held
The murder accused in police custody at Ludhiana Ludhiana, November 10
Old enmity claimed the life of a 28-year-old salesman, who had gone to pick up a fight with the salesmen of another shop on Sunday. The Ludhiana police today claimed to have cracked the murder case with the arrest of the accused. Three youths, namely Saurabh Verma, Gaurav and Sumit Kumar alias Sunny, have been arrested by the police in the murder case of Joginderpal alias Sonu, on Sunday at Pindi Street, Chaura Bazar.

The murder accused in police custody at Ludhiana on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

SPORTS

PAU Inter-College Cricket
Pushpinder excels with bat and ball
Ludhiana, November 10
Pushpinder excelled with the bat and ball (103 runs and 4 for 22) as the College of Agriculture inflicted a 81-run crushing defeat over the College of Agriculture and Engineering in the final of the Punjab Agricultural University Inter-College Cricket Tournament held on PAU campus ground, here today.

Alpine International paddlers register victory
Players in action during the CBSE Cluster Table Tennis Tournament in Ludhiana on Wednesday Ludhiana, November 10
Paddlers from Alpine International School, Ludhiana, gave fine performance and recorded victories to secure berths in the final in the four groups on the penultimate day of the 16th CBSE Cluster Table Tennis Tournament being held at MGM Public School, Dugri, here today.

Players in action during the CBSE Cluster Table Tennis Tournament in Ludhiana on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Asian Games
Raj Kumar to lead volleyball delegation
Ludhiana, November 10
Raj Kumar, general secretary, Punjab Volleyball Association, has been nominated by the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) to accompany the Indian volleyball squads (men and women) as leader of the delegation.