A road chocked with traffic outside the shop which hindered the fire fighting operation in Ludhiana on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Ludhiana, December 22
Fire brigade personnel faced hardship in controlling the fire that broke out near a bus stand due to the lack of proper infrastructure. Furniture worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed in the fire.

At around 1.30 pm officials of the fire brigade received a message that a fire had broke out at a leading furniture shop near the bus stand. By the time fire officials reached the spot the fire had already spread to the ground floor and the second floor of the shop.

Fire fighters faced numerous problems though they tried hard to reach the top floor of the shop. Moreover, as they did not have the hydraulic ladder, promise regarding which was made by Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia more then an year ago, so it took a lot of time for them to control the fire at both floors due to which the goods worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed.

To add to their woe the heavy flow of traffic on the road hindered their work. It took more then an hour for them to control the fire during which water from six fire extinguishing machine was utilised.

However, neither the owner of the shop nor the fire fighters were aware of the reason behind the fire. Shop owner Harpreet Singh alleged that the fire spread from one floor to another due to the late arrival of the fire brigade.

Additional Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO) Amarjeet Sharma said they had reached the spot on time and were able to douse the fire within half an hour.

However, he said, the shop didn’t have the proper arrangement for controlling the fire which is otherwise mandatory. To this, Sharma added, requisite infrastructure in place helped in controlling the fire.

Ludhiana, December 22
In order to provide two more entry and exit points to and from the city on National Highway 1, the municipal corporation will have to acquire pieces of private land measuring of six acres along the roadside.

After conducting a survey of the entire length of the highway, civic officials have identified two spots of land of 3 acres each for the exit and entry points. The MC has now written to deputy commissioner Rahul Tiwari for acquisition of the required land.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had proposed two entry and exit points at Doraha and Phillaur on the highway passing through the city once the work of widening the highway was completed. However, MC officials had filed their objections on the plan saying it would create a big problem for area residents as they would not have road access to enter the city.

The civic officials had asked for three more entry and exit points at the Jalandhar bypass, Samrala chowk and Apollo Hospital chowk. Later, NHAI

approved only two points - at the Jalandhar bypass and Apollo Hospital chowk.

NHAI had asked the MC to provide two sites measuring 270 by 50 metres for these entry and exit points but as land was not available at both the civic body had suggested they should be constructed at Transport Nagar and New Grain market. However, MC officials again said both the proposed points would create traffic bottlenecks.

The officials then asked the DEC to acquire some land near the Apollo Hospital and Jalandhar bypass to construct the entry and exit points.

MC commissioner AK Sinha said: “We have written to the DC for acquiring 3 acres of land for the proposed entry and exit points at these sites”.

Ludhiana, December 22
According to the third edition of the eBay India Census 2010, Ludhiana has emerged as the country’s 15th largest e-commerce hub with Punjab ranked at the ninth spot among the states. eBay India is one of India's leading online marketplaces.

Ambareesh Murty, country manager of eBay India, unveiled the eBay census guide that documents the key findings and trends in online buying and selling across Indians in the top 20 e-commerce hubs in 28 states and seven union territories. The census also revealed export trends to 189 countries as well as import trends from 114 countries.

India's top five e-commerce hubs are Delhi, closely followed by Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai and Bangalore. The IT hubs of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka, being the country’s most wired states, have the most cities where e-commerce originates.

According to the census, Ludhiana's top five products bought are Indian postage stamps, pen drives, mobile phone handsets, diamond rings and headphones, while the top five products sold are USB flash (pen) drives, microSD flash memory cards, cellphone pouches, mobile phone accessories and audio headphones.

The city’s top five imported products, according to the eBay census, are cellphone accessories, FM transmitters, smart phones, African coins and British India postage stamps while its top five exported products are books, tattoo supplies, women's scarves, Indian currency bills and car accessories.

Ludhiana, December 22
Thick blanket of fog that engulfed the city and its peripheries today morning added to the winter quivers which the city residents are experiencing with the mercury dipping further to 3.8 °C.

Hundred percent relative humidity in the morning has thrown the life out of gear, as commuting has become a problem for the schoolchildren and the office goers.

People working in the public as well as the private sectors have opted for their pending leave so as to avoid working in the extreme climatic conditions.

Due to the poor visibility, there have been reports of minor accidents on the roads in the periphery of Ludhiana.

Also, the thick mist in the city has slackened the pace of traffic in various areas of the city during early morning hours.

The prolonged dry spell has amplified the winter woes as people are suffering from various types of allergies and respiratory disorders.

Ludhiana, December 22
A major tragedy was averted when quick thinking and action by a machine operator saved the life of a 20-year-old girl, who is pursuing BSc agricultural sciences in Punjab Agricultural University.

Ludhiana, December 22
Physical disabilities do not make a person “handicapped” unless one surrenders to the situation. For Vidur Khosla, physical disability is hardly any hindrance.

Committed to a social cause, Vidur is pursuing bachelor’s degree in social work and rural development from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

Unable to walk properly or speak clearly, Vidur is committed to his cause.

During his visit to the Juvenile Jail at Shimlapuri, where he is doing some research on the betterment of jail inmates, Vidur spent some time with young children who are behind bars for committing crimes of different nature. The inmates, too, opened up to their guest and extended their cooperation.

Vidur said: “I am doing a research on their behaviour. It is my third visit and I have gathered some information about their behaviour, habits, needs, vocabulary, etc. They need special attention. These inmates are full of energy and vigour. This energy needs to be channeled in the right direction.”

Vidur wants to start his own business. He said: “At times, I feel bad for being disabled. But I have been brought up in such a way that there is no place for negativity.”

Kumud Khosla, Vidur’s mother lost her two children, a son and a daughter, in fatal accidents, leaving Vidur their only hope.

“I encourage him to follow his dreams. I take him wherever he wants to go for studies. It gives me pleasure to see the way Vidur interacts with these children. An inmate, Rahul Kumar, a matriculate undergoing imprisonment for drug peddling, wants to study further. Vidur is in touch with jail authorities to sponsor Rahul’s studies. He gave him books, notebooks and stationery so that Rahul could continue with studies,” said Kumud.

Ludhiana, December 22
Deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari today directed officials of the PWD (building & roads) to construct safety railings on both sides of the bridge over the Sidhwan canal connecting BRS Nagar with Sarabha Nagar and cut the iron grills protruding out of the drains laid on the side of the road.

The move comes after the pathetic state of the express highway project, which is posing a danger to the lives of commuters travelling from BRS Nagar, was recently highlighted. Tewari had earlier detected various shortcomings in the project.

"I travelled on the road where work on the expressway project was in progress. I have spotted some discrepancies and directed the PWD officials look into the matter," said the DC.

Sources told The Tribune Tewari was shocked to see safety norms were being blatantly flouted and reprimanded the people involved in the project. “Keeping in mind the foggy weather I’ve told them to install delineators and blinkers on the side of the road and places where construction was under way. For us safety of the commuters is of paramount importance and necessary measures would be taken to avert such incidents”."

However, it appears the PWD officials were trying to evade responsibility by going in for makeshift arrangements. Instead of constructing safety railings they put up a huge boulder to cover the missing railings.

"Something is better than nothing. At last the district administration has woken up from slumber and done something to cover the space. Earlier the missing safety railing was posing a big risk for commuters," said Gobindpreet Singh Sodhi, a manager of a multinational firm.

Ludhiana, December 22
Demanding a complete remission of electricity bills of farm labour, more than 200 farmers from 17 kisan organisations today staged a protest outside the DC’s office.

Activists of the kisan organisations while addressing farmers stated that the government had remitted electricity bills of farmers, but had failed to give the same benefit to farm labour.

Darshan Singh Koohli of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) criticised the government for having adopted the divide and rule policy. He said, “Farmers cannot survive without the labour, therefore the government should look into their grievances at the earliest.”

The leaders alleged that the government had adopted anti-worker policies which they said would go against it in the coming elections.

The activists said the government should exempt farmers from electricity bills in domestic sector. “The state government should do away with the existing system of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and should reinstate the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB),” demanded a protesting farmer.

Mahinder Singh Seelon of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha, Malkit Singh of the Mazdoor Union, Khanna and Pawan Kumar of the Krantikari Dehati Mazdoor Union were present.

Jagraon, December 22
Indo-Canadian MLA from the Fleetwood constituency in Surrey of British Colombia state in Canada, Jagrup Singh Brar has urged the state government to form an NRI commission headed by a retired judge in the state to deal with various issues related to NRIs.

According to Brar, the formation of NRI commission will not only help to sort out the problems faced by NRIs but will also encourage them for investing money in the state.

Brar also stressed to set up a single-window system for NRIs to simplify the process of completing official formalities. He also advised the government to prepare a handbook of facilities available for NRIs to create awareness among NRIs about their rights.

Brar also regretted that the state government has failed to create trust among the NRIs, as a result of which the NRIs are now hesitant for investing money in the state.

According to Brar, though the NRIs have played a significant role in the development of Punjab, the inappropriate policies of the state government have created a fear among the NRIs.

Ruing that the government is not serious about the problems faced by the NRIs, the Indo-Canadian MLA said NRIs were still keen to invest money in Punjab but the problems at bureaucratic level were a major obstacle in their way.

Expressing concern over the future of youth in Punjab, Brar said lack of professional education had been depriving the Punjab youth of job opportunities available in the developed world. Stressing upon the need of revamping education system in the state, Brar appealed to the Punjab government to take up immediate measures to provide professional education to the youth of Punjab.

Besides this, Brar also appealed to the government to make a strict law against fraud travel agents to stop exploitation of Punjab youth.

Ludhiana, December 22
“Face to Face”, an art exhibition by artist Harimohan, opened to an overwhelming response at Randhawa Art Gallery, Punjab Agricultural University, here today.

The exhibition is being organised by the Centre for Communication and International Linkages (CCIL), PAU.

Harimohan, founder artist of the Kalpna Fine Art Society, has beautifully brought alive faces of various well-known personalities on canvas.

He has painted former Vice-Chancellors of the PAU, along with many known faces, who spent their lives on the campus working dedicatedly for the university.

Harimohan’s portraits of legendary artist Sobha Singh, former Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon, former PAU VC Dr MS Randhawa and present VC Dr MS Kang were the major attractions at the exhibition for their life-like qualities and effort-less strokes.

Harimohan said he had been working as an artist in the PAU workshop since 1970 and has observed every person very minutely. “Each of my paintings took months to finish,” he remarked.

“I have displayed 28 portraits at the exhibition, which happens to be my first solo-exhibition. Earlier, I have been a part of many exhibitions, but this one is very special and will be the most memorable one,” said the award winner artist.

He added, “I am happy that the exhibition has opened to a great response and am eagerly looking forward to more such exhibitions in future.”

Meanwhile, PAU VC Dr Kang inaugurated the three-day exhibition this morning and appreciated the artist generously.

“His paintings are life-like. He has a special talent of depicting real life and people,” said Dr Kang.

Congratulating Harimohan, Dr Kang said he was happy to note that the artist was a PAU employee and wished him success in his artistic endeavours.

Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, additional director for communication, CCIL, said the portraits depicted the dedication and attachment of the artist with his subject and medium. He added that it was the ninth exhibition organised by the CCIL to encourage artists and promote their art work.

Those present on the occasion included Dr SS Gosal, director of research, Dr PPS Lubana, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr Neelam Grewal, Dean, College of Home Science, Dr RS Sidhu, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities (COBS and H), Dr Yadvendra Singh, Dean, College of Agriculture, Dr PK Khanna, coordinator of research (COBS and H), Dr Gurkirpal Singh, PAU estate officer, and faculty members of the university. The exhibition will remain open to visitors from December 22 to 24 from 9.30 am to 5 pm.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 22
At least 500 activists of various wings of the Congress led by their respective leaders left for Sangrur on Wednesday to participate in the “maha rally” being organised by the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee.

While addressing gatherings at the local grain market, Nathumjra and Dulman villages, the leaders alleged that the SAD-BJP had ignored interests of all sections of society.

Showing faith in the leadership of Capt Amrinder Singh, the speakers said economy of the state had rejuvenated during the Congress regime.

Ludhiana, December 22
Irked over the lax attitude of authorities of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation towards illegal buildings mushrooming in the city, a city-based NGO led by a member of the Encroachment Monitoring Committee of the civic body has in a complaint with the Punjab Vigilance Bureau’s chief demanded an enquiry into the matter.

In a letter written to Rohit Sabharwal, chief, Vigilance Bureau, committee member and president of the Council of RTI Activists, has alleged that the authorities of the Municipal Corporation’s building branch were earning in crores by misappropriating the funds. He alleged that more than 70 per cent of the industrial as well as commercial buildings in the city were not constructed as per the rules laid down in the Building Bylaws 1997. The parking space, especially the basements of the buildings, is being used for other commercial activities, he alleged.

Unfortunately all this is happening under right under the nose of the officials of the building branch, who take huge amount of cash as protection money for allowing these violations, he alleged. In connivance with the officials of the civic body, influential builders don’t get their maps passed. For example, for the past few numerous buildings, which have violated Non-Compoundable Building Bylaws, had been built but the civic body has taken no action so far. He also alleged that in some buildings shops were constructed in the parking space for selling them further due to which the vehicles were being parked on the roads resulting in traffic chaos. He added that if the situation remained unattended things would worsen in the years to come. He said due to the lax attitude of the civic officials not only the common man but the state exchequer had suffered huge losses.

He urged the Vigilance Bureau to check the movable and immovable properties/assets of all officials, including inspectors, assistant town planners and the municipal town planners working in the building branch for the past six to seven years. Similarly, he demanded that the differences between their properties/ assets at the time of their joining and the actual property they were holding at present must also be verified.

Amidst dharnas and protests staged outside the DC office, the district administration was in the thick of controversies this year. Two major scams, including a fraud in Indra Aawas Yojna Scheme and Total Literacy Mission, rocked the administrative offices for months.

The ` 82-lakh fraud involving embezzlement of Indira Awas Yojna funds was detected at former Additional Deputy Commissioner (development) Davinder Singh’s office. Laxman Singh, a former district administration accountant, who also worked as field officer of the National Child Labour Project siphoned off ` 82 lakh.

Interestingly, Laxman was successful in pulling wool over the eyes of his senior officials, as he allegedly successfully siphoned off ` 37 lakh out of a deposited amount of ` 48 lakh under the Total Literacy Mission Project.

Laxman Singh is reported to have bought two cars and a laptop and got a part of his house constructed after withdrawing money from funds of the Central government schemes, including the Indira Awas Yojna and Total Literacy Mission.

The district transport office and the sub-registrar’s office continued to be referred to as the dens of corruption, where people could not get their work done without bribing the staff.

Fake registrations of the agricultural lands is the most common problem faced by the people, especially the NRIs, who have to run from one office to the other to save their lands from the clutches of land mafia, which is functional with the support of the staff in registrar’s office.

The district transport office in Ludhiana, referred to as the den of corruption, was raided by Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal in April. Coming across the vehicle registration application at one of the counters in District Transport Office, the minister expressed indignation at being told that the person concerned had applied for the registration of his vehicle two years ago, but had been unsuccessful in getting the same. The reason being, he did not offer money to the “commission agents” working for the staff at the vehicle registration office.

Despite administrative officials’ tall claims, a large number of complaints fell on deaf ears. As a result, dharnas/protests staged outside the DC office, were a common sight throughout the year.

A faction of “Danga peedits” were among the dissatisfied lot, as they were unhappy over the allotment of flats. Thus, started another controversy, wherein the DC, along with other officials, was on toes so as to refrain them from taking “illegal possession” of the flats. The worst happened two days ago when a man immolated himself in front of the DC office and could not be saved.

Ludhiana, December 22
Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari today directed SDM (East) to coordinate with the local police and launch an awareness drive in slum areas of the city so as to avoid incidents like yesterday.

This was decided after the woman and her two children were burnt alive when a thatched jhuggi they were sleeping in caught fire at Rayyan village, on the intervening night December 20 and 21. “The department officials along with the cops would visit the slum areas across the city to spread awareness among the migrant labourers about the precautions taken for heating their rooms,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

A kerosene lamp placed inside the jhuggi caused the fire to spread. This led to the death of the three.

In a similar incident last year, a woman and three children got asphyxiated after inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide. They had burnt a coal hearth inside a small room located in Rishi Nagar.

In majority of the cases, it was woman who fell victim to such freak incidents. To avoid such happenings, the department would deploy women volunteers to sensitise them about the precaution to be taken before burning the hearth for warming their rooms. The migrants would be told about the alternative ways to warm their rooms, officials added.

The drive would be launched at Dhandari, Focal Point, Basti Jodhewal, Gyaspura, Sunder Nagar and other areas where the number of slums have mushroomed over the past years.

Khanna December 22
A person, identified as Darshan Singh (55) of nearby Rattanheri village, was murdered last night near Khanna under mysterious circumstances.

Darshan Singh had gone to give dinner to his son, Gurpreet Singh, who is working as a driver with a milk plant in Khanna.

In his statement to the police, Gurpreet stated that his father handed him his dinner at about 9 pm and returned on his bicycle.

When Gurpreet was returning home after performing his duty, he noticed a person lying in a pool of blood near the railway lines.

He stopped and identified the body as his father, who was murdered. He had multiple injuries of sharp-edged weapon on the neck, chest and other parts of the body. He reported the matter to the police. When contacted, SHO Gurbans Singh Bains, Sadar Khanna, said a case had been registered under Section 302 of the IPC and they were investigating the case.

Ludhiana, December 22
Keshav Rai Dhanda and Ramandeep Lakhanpal outplayed Harpreet Singh Garcha and Bhupinder Singh in straight sets to bag the doubles title in the inaugural edition of the Table Tennis Tournament organised by the District Bar Association, Ludhiana, at the local bar room, District Courts Complex, here today.

The meet concluded today.

In the men’s singles final, Aman Bhalla got the better of Bhavik Bhardwaj 11-8, 11-3 and 11-7 to clinch the title. In the lucky doubles section, Bhavik Bhardwaj and Jeewan Singh Rawat survived a scare before emerging winners against Keshav Rai Dhanda and Ravinder Singh whom they overpowered 11-8, 15-13 and 12-10 to lay their hands on the winners trophy.

District and Sessions Judge SP Bangarh presented trophies to the winners.

District Bar Association president Naval Kishore Chhibber, secretary Gurpreet Singh Virk, vice-president ND Chopra and Jaspreet Singh Jassowal welcomed guest of honour Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh. — OC