Not caring two hoots for deputy police commissioner Yurinder Singh Hayer’s order on February 6 prohibiting liquor stores to be open after midnight and before 7 am, many owners keep their vends open during these hours even as the cops continue to be ineffective in enforcing the regulation. A number of vends continue to sell booze well past midnight.

A random check after midnight yesterday in various areas by a Tribune team found all liquor vends near the city’s train station were open. While some had their shutters down partly and were supplying booze to customers from small windows, still others were fully open, cocking a snook at the prohibitory order.

A huge rush was seen at vends located next to and opposite the train station. Caring little for the law, they were making some fast bucks by selling liquor late at night.

A liquor vend near the Ajanta travel agency office, located in front of the station, was open at 12:30 am. Another vend on the right side of the station’s exit gate was also doing brisk sales at the same time. The business was not being conducted clandestinely but openly.

‘‘Who cares about the prohibitory order here?’’ remarked Aarti Sabharwal, who was coming from Delhi by train after midnight. “This city isn’t safe for women to arrive at the station late at night and travel home on their own. I usually reach here late into the night from Delhi and the liquor vends situated near the station are always open during the wee hours. It becomes difficult to even cross the street in front of the station as drunkards keep standing on the roadside and pass dirty comments," she said.

A liquor vend with its shutter half down and lights on, situated near the Clock Tower, was openly selling booze at 12:54 am. Interestingly, even though cops were patrolling the area at that time none of them bothered to order the vends to close.

Another vend situated on the arterial Ferozepur Road, next to the Lakshmi fuel station, was open with its shutters pulled down midway and the lights switched off at about 1:15 am. Though from far it appeared that vend was open but cars zooming near vend made it clear that vend of open with lights off.

To the Tribune team’s utter surprise some liquor vends remained open even some time before 7 am. Vends situated near the city’s main bus station and on the busy Ferozepur Road were found open early in the morning.

When contacted, DCP Hayer said: “We have issued an order prohibiting liquor stores to be open after midnight and before 7 am and if vends are flouting it we’ll issue the order once again.

Any one who comes across a store selling liquor during the prohibited hours can inform the police by calling up 100 or the nearest police station”.

Ludhiana, February 10
Tension prevailed at the LIG housing complex of the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) on Dhandra Road in Dugri, Phase II, here all through the day as a mob of over 100, mostly comprising victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, unlawfully occupied 85 LIG flats that were already allotted to riot-affected families through a draw of lots conducted in October, 2010.

Led by Surjit Singh, president, Danga Peerit Welfare Association, and an SAD supporter, the riot victims broke open the locks of the flats and started stacking their household articles inside.

Meanwhile, some bonafide allottees of these flats arrived at the scene and objected to the unlawful entry into their flats.

GLADA officials, who rushed to the scene, called in the police to prevent the situation from taking an ugly turn.

Surjit Singh, along with his supporters, refused to listen to the pleas made by the police as well as GLADA officials even as the mob chased the genuine allottees away while the police assumed the role of a mute spectator.

Some of those accompanying the leader of the riot victims openly dared the authorities to stop them as they had been given a go-ahead by the top functionaries of the SAD, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in the state.

Even as GLADA officials and the police pleaded with the occupants to vacate the flats, which had been duly allotted to their fellow riot victims by GLADA as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the soft attitude of the law enforcement machinery emboldened the mob, which turned towards another residential colony of GLADA in Dugri, Phase III, where over 600 LIG flats are lying vacant.

Going on a virtual rampage, the riot victims entered the flats and started putting their locks on the main doors.

While the police was in the process of booking Surjit Singh, Satnam Singh, Gurdeep Kaur and his unidentified supporters for making forced entry into 85 flats in Phase II, GLADA officials were trying to persuade the mob in Dugri, Phase III, to disperse and not take the law into their own hands till the filing of this report.

Ludhiana, February 10
Celebrations at the house of Ashok Kumar Bajpai of Railway Colony turned sour last night when thieves ransacked the place and decamped with jewellery, cash and clothes worth over Rs 18 lakh.

According to sources, the wedding of Ashok Kumar Bajpai’s daughter was scheduled for February 12 here. The entire family had gone to attend a “shagun” ceremony at Sham Nagar last evening when thieves struck at the house and took away jewellery, cash and expensive clothes.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Ashok Kumar said the thieves took away 881 gm of gold ornaments belonging to the relatives staying at the house, Rs 2 lakh in cash and clothes worth over Rs 40,000.

He added: “The wedding of my daughter is scheduled for February 12 and everything was lying at the house. We had all gone to Sham Nagar to attend the ‘shagun’ ceremony yesterday. The doors were properly locked. Around 12.15 am, we got a call from our neighbours that the doors of our house were open. We rushed back and found all valuables missing,” said Bajpai.On the reason for not leaving someone behind when jewellery and cash were lying in the house, he said: “We had planned to send someone back from there (Sham Nagar) but it slipped out of our mind as we got preoccupied with the ceremonies. I was shocked to learn from our neighbours that the doors of our house were open.”

Ludhiana, February 10
Declaring an open war against BJP leaders for blocking sewerage connections to villages of his constituency, Akali MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik from the Dakha constituency has clearly said that they would not allow sewerage lines to pass through villages if the connections were not given to them.

Shivalik who had been batting for facilities for these villages for a long time had earlier raised the matter of extending the municipal limits of the city so that these villages could get benefit of development works from the Municipal Corporation (MC). However, the issue was still lingering on and now he had raised the issue of getting sewerage connections for villages under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

But since Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Bansal had opposed the matter, Dakha had now opened a front against him. “Who is Bansal to raise this matter? It seems that he had gone mad that is why he is raising such issues” fumed Shivalik.

He also advised Bansal to concentrate on his ward because residents of his ward were lodging protests due to his poor performance. Shivalik also threatened that he would not hesitate to get the sewerage work stalled in the villages if connections were not given to them. He also said that if MC was not ready to give sewerage connections to them then they did not have any right to lay the sewerage pipes pass through these villages. Going a step beyond it he asserted that they would not even hesitate to resort to violent means for safe guarding the interest of the villagers adjoining the city. Shivalik also said that he would raise the matter with CM Parkash Singh Badal so that villagers were not deprived of this facility.

Ludhiana, February 10
Coming under growing political pressure, the municipal corporation has agreed to extend sewerage lines to unauthorized residential colonies and villages outside civic limits even though almost a third of the city’s residents do not have a proper drainage system.

The tall claims by MC officials of having provided basic civic amenities to all residents fall flat when one reads the report submitted by the Punjab Water Supply & Sewerage Board (PWSSB). In it the board’s superintendent engineer has admitted only 71% of the city’s population has been provided sewage facilities. The report had spurred the MC to begin laying sewer lines under the JNNURM project. However PWSSB officials refused to go along with the MC’s plan to provide sewage connections outside the municipal limits.

Even where sewer lines have been laid they have not been functioning properly due to which the civic body’s operations & maintenance branch is flooded with complaints.

The MC’s move to conduct a survey for providing sewage connections outside civic limits has raised many eyebrows. Though neither the authorities nor politicians had ever bothered to look into this fact for ensuring the sewerage facility to all but realizing well that it could be a major political issue the politicians of ruling alliance have made it a major issue.

Apparently with an eye on the city’s vote bank, BJP leader and senior deputy mayor Praveen Bansal has made opposition to the MC’s move a big issue. "I’m not against giving sewage connections to anybody but the interests of city residents must be kept in mind" he said.

Coming out in his support, district BJP president Rajiv Katna asserted: “The MC should first provide sewage facilities to all city residents. Moreover, the Punjab government has launched various schemes to provide proper sewage systems in rural areas”.

Despite repeated attempts to contact them officials of both the MC and PWSSB were not available for their comments on the matter.

Ludhiana, February 10
Officials of the engineering wing of the Northern Railway today razed more than 125 cemented structures, extensions of houses and other encroachments along the 1-kilometre long Ludhiana-Dhuri line.

Accompanied by posse of the Railway Protection Force, the men and machines of the Railways started the encroachment clearance drive at around 10.30 am from the Millerganj area and proceeded towards Atam Park side along the railway track. All cemented structures and other encroachments within five metres of the track were razed by the bulldozer and a strong work force got on with the work of clearing the debris. The operation lasted till late in the evening.

Officials leading the anti-encroachment drive said quite a few houses were also constructed on parts of the railway land along the track while many residents and shopkeepers had also extended their houses on the railway land in an unlawful manner. "All such offenders have been served with notices in writing to clear the encroachments at their own level failing which the railways will demolish all extensions and structures standing on the railway line in the next phase of the drive."

Barring a few instances where the railway officials prevailed upon the people not to come in the way, there was not much resistance to the clearance of encroachments.

Ludhiana, February 10
From hypertension, anxiety, permanent deafness to retarded growth of the foetus, noise pollution is the main cause behind multiple minor and major ailments in human beings as well as animals.

The city has become a victim of industrial and non-industrial noise pollution that has added to the stress of the people working in environs with high decibel level of noise.

Pressure horns used in big and small vehicles, loud music at weddings and religious ceremonies, machinery used in industry and generators without silencers are some of the common factors that have contributed to the noise pollution in the city.

The Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BJGVJ), which is actively campaigning for the promotion of healthy environment and creating awareness among the public about the level of noise in the city and its harmful effects on health, conducted a study.

Dr Amritpal Singh, secretary, and Gunwant Singh, executive member, BJGVJ, carried out the study on the sources of noise pollution in various parts of the city.

Dr Kulwant Singh, president, IMA, Ludhiana, said they would soon start a campaign against noise pollution wherein representations would be given to administrative heads.

Dr PS Jassal, executive member of the BJGVJ, while listing the harmful effects of noise pollution said it decreased efficiency of a person and also affected the concentration. “Fatigue is another outcome of this pollution which adds to the "inability" of people who work in deafening decibel levels, be it in factories or offices located on busy roads,” he added.

“Constant exposure to loud sound can affect the foetal development adversely and result in retarded growth. It can cause effect on the hearing mechanism of the foetus and many a times sudden noise can also cause abortion,” said Dr Jassal.

The effect of noise on audition is well recognised, as mechanics, locomotive drivers and telephone operators develop hearing impairment. Continued exposure to noise level above 80 to 100 db is unsafe and causes temporary or permanent deafness.

Measurement of sound A decibel is the standard for noise measurement. The zero on a decibel scale is at the threshold of hearing, the lowest sound pressure that can be heard on the scale accordingly. To smith, 20 db is whisper, 40 db is a noise in a quiet office, 60 db is normal conversation while 80 db is the level at which sound becomes physically painful.

Plants prone to danger Plants are like human beings. A peaceful environment is needed for their growth. Noise pollution damages crops and thenervous system of animals. Noise is dangerous to buildings, bridges and monuments and weakens building walls.

DCP’s orders Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner of Police Yurinder Singh has banned the use of crackers from 10 pm to 6 am. Loud speakers exceeding 10 db are not allowed. Strict action will be taken against people using pressure horns and sirens.

Ludhiana, February 10
Rising to fame in a short span of time may be good for the recognition of young talent coming forward in reality shows but it is detrimental for the growth of the singers, opines Dr Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, the noted vocalist of Jaipur Atrauli gharana.

Bhide, a name reckoned with in Indian classical singing having completed her "Sangeet Visharad" from "Gandharva Mahavidyalaya" at a young age of 16 won the President's Gold Medal at the All-India Radio Music Competition in 1977.

The singer today performed and interacted with the students at DD Jain College and Master Tara Singh Memorial College under the aegis of Society for promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY).

Speaking to The Tribune, the maestro of Hindustani classical music emphasised upon conventional learning of Indian classical music and singing adding that "Guru" is an ideal who should be followed in word and in spirit.

The reality shows should be taken as a bonanza but it cannot be a substitute for the everyday "riyaaz" (practice), a must in Indian classical singing.

"Learning is a constant process for the artistes that keeps them going for years. It is good to learn from the stalwarts but sometimes we get to learn a lot of things from the new genre artistes," observed Bhide.

A disciple of Pt. Narayanrao Datar, Ashwini learnt the first lessons of music from her mother-cum-mentor Manik Bhide.

Well versed with the devoutness of the "chaste ragas", the artiste is equally at ease with the lighter varieties like Thumri-Dadra and Bhajans/Abhangs as was evident from her redemption today at the city colleges.

Having completed her doctorate at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Ashwini chose music over her career in biochemistry to which she says, "Life is not all being ambitious and career oriented as steering your life towards the right direction in concurrence with the joyous spirit is what that matters in life."

Music and singing should be inhaled and imbibed to nurture ones soul, the rest follows, the vocalist went on to add.

Ludhiana, February 10
Committed to protect the rights of its members and providing them a good working environment to work with dignity, the Punjab Medical Representative Association (PMRA) today pledged to fight against the managements violating the labour laws of the country.

The general body meeting was attended by the PMRA members last evening at Punjabi Bhavan, Ludhiana. The meeting was addressed by GS Chadha -founder of PMRA; Rajesh Kaul - president; Anurag Singh- unit secretary; Sandeep Sohi- joint secretary.

Rajesh Kaul, the association president, stated that the unethical approach, inhumane attitude of the managements towards their own employee i.e. medical representative would be taken up strictly with the respective companies. He deliberated that PMRA would fight against those managements who were violating the labour laws of the country.

Anurag, another office-bearer of the PMRA while elaborating upon the various activities carried out by the general house stated that a dispute between a company and its employees had been sucessfully resolved. "The members of PMRA who are the employees of the company were reinstated at the same headquarters, along with financial compensation," the office-bearer said.

The PMRA Ludhiana units also launched its social wing to work for various social causes and to help the community by organising medical camps for the poor.

Ludhiana, February 10
The 16th National Congress of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine (Androcin-2011) will be organised at DMCH from February 18 to 20.

Chairperson of the conference Dr Sandeep Sharma and Dr BS Aulakh said the delegates from South East Asia, the USA, will participate in the three-day conference.

The conference is going to be a premier event in the education of those who are dealing with male infertility, male sexual dysfunction, cancer of male genitourinary system and assisted reproductive technologies. Organising secretaries Dr BS Shah and Dr Parminder Singh stated that male infertility was rising at an alarming rate in Punjab where people living in rural areas were severely addicted to drugs.

Ludhiana, February 10
The flight timings of Air India Ludhiana-New Delhi have been rescheduled.

Air India station manager Amrik Singh said on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the flight (IC 7803) would leave New Delhi at 1.45 pm and reach the city at 3 pm. On its return journey, the aircraft would take off at 3.20 pm to reach Delhi at 4.35 pm.

He said On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the flight (IC 7813) would depart from New Delhi at 11.30 am, reach Ludhiana at 12.45 pm, leave Ludhiana at 1.05 pm to reach Pathankot at 1.50 pm from where it would depart at 2.10 pm, arrive in Ludhiana at 2.55 pm and take off at 3.20 pm to reach New Delhi at 4.35 pm.

On Sundays, the flight (IC 7803) would leave New Delhi at 3.15 pm, reach here at 4.15 pm, leave Ludhiana at 4.30 and arrive in New Delhi at 5.35 pm, he added.

Ludhiana, February 10
A student of Kamla Lohtia SD College was injured during a scuffle between two groups outside the college campus this afternoon. The injured student, Avi Malhotra, has been admitted to the CMCH.

According to sources, two students, Avi Malhotra and Sidharth Aggarwal, of BCom-II had engaged in a fight two days ago.

“Sidharth brought around five friends to the campus today and called Avi out. They assaulted Avi, hitting him on the head with rods. They fled the scene after the attack. Avi was taken to the CMCH,” said a student of BCom-III pleading anonymity.

College principal Shiv Mohan Sharma, who took charge recently, said: “The incident took place outside the campus, near the gate. Both students have been suspended and an inquiry will be conducted into the incident. Strict action will be taken against the erring students for creating indiscipline in the smooth functioning of the college.”

The principal said he had gone to meet the student at the hospital and was recovering well. The student was discharged later, he added.

The sources in the college added that indiscipline was “intentionally” being created on the campus to oppose the appointment of the new principal.

A similar incident had taken place yesterday in which a student was attacked by another student, Deepak Singh Bhandari. “The college management though hushed-up the matter, it rusticated Bhandari from the college,” said an employee.

College management vice-president Sandeep Aggarwal, however, said he was not aware of any such incident as he was out of station.

Ludhiana, February 10
On the 15th day of their agitation, students of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) pulled rickshaws in protest and raised slogans against the state government.

Students articulated that it was disheartening for them, as being M.Sc. and PhDs they had to pull riskhaws to address their concerns and get the state government to act. The agitated students said either the government should face the students or simply face action, if such "bizarre" treatment against students was to be adopted.

"It is a sad story for the budding technocrats of the university, who in spite of the will to serve the state are constantly being let down by the policies of the state", said the students sitting on hunger strike.

PAUSA president Randeep Randhawa said, "A large number of graduates are serving abroad and if the trend continues, there will be substandard work force left to look after the needs of the state. The state should come up with policies that attract the bright and the best, if it wanted Punjab to prosper and flourish. The existing work force in the agricultural department is clearly overburdened, with one officer handling four districts at a time".

The students were visited by president of the Universal Human Rights Commission, Satnam Singh Dhaliwal, who asked for a copy of the memorandum for a better understanding of students’ needs and assured to take up the matter with the authorities concerned. He said that the students had a right to job, especially when there were vacant posts and filing these posts was the prerogative of the government. Continuing with the day 15th of the strike, Kamaldeep Singh Sekhon, Gurvinder Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Kamaljeet Singh and Vivekpal Singh sat on the hunger strike at gate No. 2, PAU.

Dr Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, Director, Students Welfare, PAU, today informed that a meeting of the agitating students of the Punjab Agricultural University was arranged, on Monday with the Financial Commissioner (Development), Punjab, Navreet Singh Kang and Director of Agriculture, Punjab Dr BS Sidhu with the efforts of the university authorities.

Ludhiana, February 10
The court of Sessions Judge SP Bangarh has convicted Kuldeep Singh of Ambedkar Nagar, Giaspura, of killing his wife Anuradha and his mother-in-law Soma Devi of Mohalla Kabir Nagar, Daba Road, Ludhiana. The accused has been sentenced to undergo rigorous life imprisonment.

Delivering the verdict, the court held that the prosecution had proven beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt that the accused killed the two. Declining the plea of leniency, the court also ordered the accused to pay a fine of Rs 3,000.

A case under Section 302 of the IPC had been registered against the accused at the Focal Point police station on July 8, 2007 on the statement of Anuradha’s father.

He had told the police that his daughter had married the accused four years ago. She had two daughters out of the wedlock. Her husband was, however, unhappy with her as she could not deliver a male child.

They used to often quarrel over the issue. The two had patched up several times following the invention of the elderly.

Anuradha’s father claimed that every Sunday, he along with his wife Soma Devi used to go to attend a congregation. Thereafter, his wife used to visit the house of her daughter to enquire about her well-being.

On July 8, 2007 he could not accompany his wife to the congregation due to some urgent work. Soma Devi later went to her daughter’s house. When he returned home around 2 pm, he could not find his wife there.

He went to his daughter’s house, where he saw the bodies of his daughter and wife. The two were killed by the accused by inflicting injuries on the head, he added.

Kishan Kant, an eyewitness, corroborated the facts in the court.

The accused pleaded innocence but after appreciating the evidence on record, the court found the accused guilty and handed out the sentence.