Ludhiana, February 4
With the arrest three retired personnel, the Jagraon police claims to have blown the lid off from a racket in which a large number of youths were duped on the pretext of getting them recruited as constables in the police department.

The development has again highlighted the active presence of agents during the Punjab police recruitment drive currently being organised in various parts of the state.

They have duped at least 31 youths from Jagraon and Raikot areas alone, DIG Paramraj Umranangal said.

Those arrested have been identified as Balbir Singh, a resident of Prem Nagar, Majiha road, Amritsar; Harpal Singh, a resident of Natthowal village in Railkot and Jagroop Singh, a resident of Aligarh in Jagraon.

A special investigating team (SIT) head by Jagraon SSP, Gursharan Singh, DSP Pirthipal Singh and SHO Waryam Singh, nabbed Jagroop and Harpal from Nathowal and Aligarh village last night. Balbir Singh Bal was arrested from Amritsar today morning. They were following a complaint lodged by Balbir Singh of Natthowal village. He claimed that he had given Rs 70,000 to the agent, who in turn assured to get him selected as a constable. “I had taken the money on loan and still paying the installment,” Balbir Singh added.

Shamsher Singh and Virpal Singh, who were also duped by the trio, also accompanied Balbir to the DIG’s office.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had recently expressed concern over the presence of these agents who were duping innocent youths on the pretext of getting them selected in the Army, paramilitary forces and the police. Even intelligence officials had pointed towards their involvement.

Balwinder Singh Bal, who claims to be a close relative of a DIG-level officer, was the kingpin of the gang.

Bal, retired BSF personnel, along with Harpal and Jagroop, both retired soldiers, formed a gang nearly two years ago.

“Majority of the youths were duped by the trio between February and June last year,” said Gursharan Singh.

The police has so far recovered a computer and other documents, which accused used to issue to youths after receiving the payment. The DIG claimed that the trio had earned Rs 16. 59 lakh by duping the youths.

“The accused have just been arrested. We would able to provide more information during the course of investigation. The amount of Rs 16 lakh could be a tip of the ice burg. We have draw conclusion from a few youths who were duped by the trio in the Jagraon area. They might have duped large number of youths from other parts of the state,” the DIG added.

Gurjit Singh and his daughter, residents of Joshi Nagar, Haibowal; and (right) Meena, a resident of Kundan Puri, who have not been counted. Tribune photos: Inderjit Verma

Ludhiana, March 4
Officials in charge of the 2011 headcount in Ludhiana have failed to admit their role in for mismanaging census operations in the city in particular and the district at large. When residents approached the municipal corporation joint commissioners, who were given responsibility for various wards, the latter were at a loss for words and instead asked the complainants to go to their colleagues.

Rakesh Singal and his family members of street number 6, Joshi Nagar, were left out from the survey. Tribune photo: Inderjit Verma

After reading the information put out by the civic body in newspapers, Montu, a resident of ward no 34, went to the office of a joint commissioner to file his complaint on having been left out in the census. "Instead of dealing with my query the official said my ward didn’t come under his jurisdiction and asked me to visit his colleague. Interestingly, the other joint commissioner also came up with the same reply, and my grievance hasn’t yet been redressed,” he said.

Some important city localities inhabited by businessmen and professionals from various fields have also been ignored by census enumerators. On the other hand, a large number of tenants living on upper stories of apartments have been completely "expunged" in the counting.

No enumerator has visited over 50 households in street nos 6 and 7 in Joshi Nagar in the second phase of the headcount. Said Gurjit Singh, a resident of the area: "My family has only three members and we’ve rented out the accommodation on the upper story of our house to tenants, who are four in number. As at least one person is always present there’s no chance the enumerators found the house locked”.

Similarly, Rajesh Singal along with his three family members, who reside on street no 6 in Joshi Nagar, have also been waiting for the enumerators to come calling. “Out tenants (three members) even called upon the authorities concerned but nobody has turned up till date,” he said.

The residents had also taken up the matter their area councilor, Mukhtiar Kaur, who promised to get in touch with MC officials to ensure census enumeration in the locality, but to no avail. Karnail Singh Nagar and Urban Estate Dugri (phase I) are other areas where the enumerators have failed to check on those living in rented accommodation.While expressing his helplessness on the matter, a census supervisor said: “I’m new to the city and didn’t know anything about the locality that I had been assigned to supervise”. Meanwhile, destitute people in several city areas were not enumerated on February 28 and no mention about the counting has been made in the revised round.

Ludhiana, March 4
Whether the city would benefit from Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura’s visit to Leicester (UK) as part of a five-member delegation of elected representatives remains a moot question. The other members are Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Bansal, MC’s Finance & Contract Committee member, Pal Singh Grewal, Executive Engineer of the Building & Roads Branch HC Salaria and Executive Engineer of the Operations & Maintenance Branch Kamlesh Bansal.

The ostensible aim of the visit, sponsored by the civic body of Leicester and scheduled from March 6 to 15, is to learn skills in urban development.

However, there is another person who will be part of the delegation. He is Suresh Kumar, a “private employee” of the mayor, who would accompany the latter as his “personal attendant” during the trip.

Though Suresh has nothing to do with neither solid waste management nor with skills of construction of good roads by recycling the material for which team is going to abroad but then also his proximity with Mayor has earned him a foreign trip during which he would be entitled for daily allowance of 50 pounds sterling. Due to this only Congress party councillors are terming as an attempt by Mayor to benefit his near ones. When asked to comment on matter Congress councillor Sanjay Talwar expressed surprise as to why a “private person” was being taken in an official visit. “Suresh doesn’t have any business in being part of the delegation. If the funds are provided by anybody then some councillor or other official must have accompanied delegation so that city could have been benefited from it”.

Another Congress councilor, Sushil Kumar Raju Thapar, asserted: “The move is aimed at benefiting people close to the mayor. If funds were available then why didn’t the MC include a councillor belonging to every party in the delegation?”

Though neither Giaspura nor Bansal were available for comments a senior Akali councillor, Pal Singh Grewal, said: The funding for the visit was provided by the Leicester’s civic body and if it doesn’t have any problem then no one else should have any problem”.

Ludhiana, March 4
Three days after a local councillor and an accused in the tehsildar stripping and assault case, Kamaljit Karwal, was seen hobnobbing with Mayor, Hakam Singh Gyaspura, an arch rival of his closest aide and district president of the Youth Akali Dal, Simarjit Singh Bains, he took a U-turn today and said he was latter's bosom pal and would never desert him.

Karwal, who had met the Mayor three days ago, was given a siropa by him. Karwal had announced that he would soon join the SAD. The Mayor had claimed he would meet the party’s president in this regard and arrange for his return.

Karwal said, ‘‘I don’t want to say anything except that I went to meet the Mayor for getting the public works done in my ward. I and Bains are best of buddies. We can’t leave each other in a lurch. I want to return to the SAD. Whosoever takes me back is no issue,” he added.

Bains, who reached the city yesterday after staying away from active politics for a few days, organised a public greivances redressal forum at Karwal's office late last night. They sat and got themselves photographed together.

‘‘Karwal is not a politician. He don’t understand dirty games. He is my childhood friend. Since I was not in the city, he was tricked into getting a picture clicked by my opponents. We are together and would remain together till we are alive, ’’ Bains added.

While making a point about his friendship with Karwal, Bains recalled childhood days and said, ‘‘We used to go to school on the same bicycle. We used to take turns riding it. Then we went to the same college.

He is grown into a very decent man and is in politics because of me. ’’ Cautioning his rivals, Bains warned them not to play dirty games with him. ‘‘They think they can take my closest aides away and weaken me. This will not happen. We are now going to hold sangat darshans in the wards of all councillors, who are supporting me,” he added.

Ludhiana, March 4
Regular and daily wagers, too, joined the industrialists in the protest against the proposal to levy 10 per cent central excise duty on readymade garments. The daily wagers went on hunger strike today in the larger interest of the industry.

Complete bandh was observed today by the city’s textile, knitting, readymade garments, shawls, hosiery and blanket industry against the proposal of the central excise duty to be imposed on them.

Representatives of nearly 35 associations today gathered near Sita Mata Mandir, Daresi Ground, and protested against the government’s proposal. After Daresi Ground the protesting industrialists, along with the workers, went to the Central Excise Office and protested against the excise duty.

Akhilesh, one of the daily wagers working in a readymade unit, said he was here to support the industrialists. “If the industry will be burdened with taxes it will fail to flourish and in turn unemployment will increase,” he said.

The industry was already reeling under the high yarn and cotton prices and if addition duty was levied it would only increase problems for the industry. “If our employers are under cost pressure it will obviously affect our salaries as well. It will also lead to unemployment as cost cutting measures will be adopted by the employers,” said Yogesh, another worker from a knitting unit.

“The industry is under cost pressure since the past one year due to rise in raw material prices. It has already resulted in price increases ranging from 15 to 20 per cent in this period. The ever-increasing cotton and yarn prices have proved to be a setback for the industry and now the excise duty will prove a death knell for the industry,” said a representative of the Gandhi Nagar Hosiery Association.

Ludhiana, March 4
Ludhiana MP and the national spokesperson of the Indian National Congress Manish Tewari had demanded that the excise duty regime be made optional as it existed prior to the 2011-12 Budget.

Responding to the demand of various hosiery and garment associations, Tewari, in a letter to the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said all associations of the garment and hosiery industry had represented to him that status quo may be restored and readymade garment and hosiery products should be retained under the optional excise duty regime.

Making a strong case for restoration of optional regime, Tewari said given the hardship, this decision would cause harassment to lakhs of small entrepreneurs. Thus, it was important to restore this industry to its pre-budget position by making the excise duty regime optional.

Substantiating his argument, Tewari also referred to the Budget speech of the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2004 wherein the mandatory Cenvat duty had been withdrawn.

Quoting the 2004 budget speech, Tewari said Chidambaram had made it clear that, “There is a universal demand to free the handloom and power loom sectors from the Cenvat regime. After giving my anxious consideration to the complex issues, I propose to withdraw the mandatory Cenvat duty. Instead, I propose to introduce a new tax regime for the textile sector and, in this exercise, I am happy to say that I have the full support of the Minister of Textiles.”

The Congress MP pointed out that lakhs of people depended upon this industry for their bread and butter. However, he added, the industry was of a very fragmented nature whereby it was impossible to really complete the Cenvat chain.

Ludhiana, March 4
Suyash Gupta, a Class X student of Alpine International School, Barewal, has added another feather in the city’s cap by bagging an international award at the Adobe’s Annual Asia Pacific School Innovation Awards in the “web” and “regional” category. He designed a website “Incredible India” that contains full-fledged information on renowned places of the country.

According to information, award winners in each category have won copies of education versions of Adobe Creative Suite-5 Master Collection Software, a Hewlett Packard Elite-book 8440w Mobile Workstation and a certificate of commendation.

Influenced by his father’s profession, Suyash tried his hands in designing HTMLs and websites. But his passion brought recognition for him when he succeeded in designing a website giving detailed information about the nation’s major areas. The website was nominated in two categories and was chosen best amongst the list.

According to Suyash, he used flash software in designing the website. “I have included pictures and videos depicting the Indian culture, places and national symbols. There is a gallery of pictures, including famous places like Taj Mehal, Red Fort and Gateway of India, various places of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country,” said Suyash.

Suyash’s father Anoop Gupta, who is a website designer, said, “I am glad for my son’s achievement. This is his passion. He used to sit besides me while I am working. I wish he achieve more in the future.”

Ludhiana, March 4
In the wake of the acute financial crunch being faced by the Municipal Corporation, the civic body authorities are now banking upon the upcoming state Budget for regularising 3,000 odd sanitary workers of disbanded Mohalla Sanitation Committees (MSC).

MC officials had convened a meeting with the Sangarsh Committee today to find out some way for regularising sanitary workers. However, the adamant stand of Hans Raj Gagat and Lovely Pal Dishavar, leaders of the union, put the MC officials in a tricky situation.

Commissioner AK Sinha and MC Additional Commissioner Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar, who were conducting the meeting with the union, assured the leaders that the civic body was trying to meet their demand of regularising them, but it could be only fulfilled in phases as the MC had limited sources of income.

However, as the leaders were adamant for getting all the workers regularised, MC officials told them that they had already sent a request in this regard to the state government, asking it to put the matter in its Budget.

The officials assured the agitating employees that as soon as they would get sanction from the state government, their demand would be accepted by the civic body. The officials told the sanitary workers that regularisation would be done completely on merit once they got nod of the state government.

Leaders of the Sangrash Committee also expressed satisfaction on reply of MC officials and expressed hope that soon the regularisation of workers would take place.

Ludhiana, March 4
Lack of proper planning of the Municipal Corporation in executing an ambitious project of covering of a drain from gurdwara Dukh Niwaran sahib to Shingar Cinema has come to fore as the heavy flow of water in the drain has halted the ongoing work.

In order to cover the drain, the work for which was started by the MC authorities a few days back, MC officials and the contractor undertaking the work had constructed a temporary embankment in the drain near the Civil Hospital.

However, as no proper survey for the flow of water was conducted, the recent rain showers destroyed the embankment, which resulted in stoppage of the work. BJP councillor Gurdeep Singh Neetu, who claims to be supervising the work, visited the spot after getting the information.

Neetu asked MC officials to ensure that the embankment was constructed in a proper manner. He also directed the officials to ensure that the work was conducted properly or he would ask higher authorities to take action against them.

However, when asked whether there was laxity on the part of MC officials or the contractor undertaking the project, Neetu said the work was being conducted efficiently.

Congress councillor Sanjay Talwar, on the other hand, said the work was being conducted in an unplanned manner. He added that it would benefit just some people having their commercial establishments in the area.

Pertinently, the officials of operation and maintenance (O&M) branch of the civic body, which undertakes work of de-silting of drains and sewerage lines, had already raised their objection.

Ludhiana, March 4
Justice MM Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court exhorted women lawyers to work harder and carve out a niche for themselves in the legal profession.

Interacting with women lawyers on Wednesday, Justice Kumar appealed to them to put in more effort for a bright future. He said around 50 per cent of judicial officers were from the female fraternity. Women lawyers submitted a memorandum seeking reservation in allotment of chambers in Lawyers’ Chamber Complex Part-II.

Justice Kumar was in the city to inspect the working of district courts.

He was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival this morning and was given a guard of honour by a contingent of the Punjab police.

District & Sessions Judge SP Bangarh, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari, Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh, Municipal Commissioner AK Sinha, District Bar Association president Naval Kishore Chhibber presented bouquets to Justice Kumar.

Samrala Bar Association president Jaspreet Singh, Khanna Bar Association president Shamsher Singh Gill, Khanna SSP DP Singh, and ex-DBA president Parupkar Singh Ghumman also interacted with Justice Kumar, who is the administrative judge of Ludhiana district. — OC

Ludhiana, March 4
Government Institute of Textile Chemistry and Knitting Technology (GITC&KT) held its annual prize distribution function and alumni meet here today.

Rakesh Goyal (CMD), Yogeshwar Chemicals, Mumbai, and Ajay Kak (MD), JP Knit Fab, Faridabad, were chief guest and guest of honour, respectively.

The chief guest lauded the contribution of GITC and KT in providing trained manpower in the field of textile industry, which has not only helped in improving productivity, but also helped it grow and develop in systematic manner.

A vibrant cultural programme was presented. The function got enthusiastic response.

Old students motivated the present students to work hard and excel in their fields and pledged all possible help regarding training and placement.

Principal Kirpal Singh Bhullar read out the annual report of the institute. Medals and certificates were given to the meritorious students.

Ludhiana, March 4
Get rid of your daily food like “daal makhni” and “shahi paneer”, try something more traditional but in a unique manner.

In order to make traditional but rare dishes of various states popular among people, students of various hotel management colleges of the state participated in a food festival “Daawat-e-khas” organised by the PCTE Institute of Hotel Management.

The cuisines prepared by the students included rare Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Gujarati and Bengali dishes. Jaswant Singh Grewal, who wants to start his own hotel after completing his study, informed that he was preparing kheer, rabdi and Kashmiri apple kheer. “Kheer and rabdi are common among people. It’s the apple kheer, which makes my menu unique. Chopped apples are mixed in hot milk. Sugar and dry fruits are mixed according to the taste. I wish people would like it,” hopes Grewal.

His teammate, Rahuldeep was preparing Surati Salad, a Gujarati dish. Rahul explained, “I cut cucumber in dices and fried them in refined oil before mixing channa daal and peanuts, boiled separately, in it. Chilly, sugar and grinded coconut are added to make it more nutritious and tasty.”

Sukhwinder Singh, a student from City College, Jalandhar, informed that he was preparing “gatte” that he further mixed in “curry” and “pulao”. “Mint, coriander, garlic and ginger need to be mixed in hot flour, while preparing ‘gatte'. Then he carefully made small pieces and deep fried them before mixing it in curry and pulao,” concludes Sukhwinder, further adding that he was taking more care in the presentation of the food.

Vikas Gautam of the same college was cooking “laal maas”, a non-vegetarian dish of mutton. He informed that it was a Rajasthani cuisine that lost its charm in front of other mutton dishes being popular these days. Boiled mutton and curd are mixed to make a tasty dish. He was also preparing moong daal halwa.

Razal Batra, a participant from the Chandigarh College of Hospitality, Landran, informed that he was preparing “desi moong daal rasapali”, “maach bhapa” (fish) and Maharashtrian salad “Koshumbin salad”.

Prof Tahir Sufi, institute director, informed, “The Indian cultural dishes are being ignored. We have been trying to revive those cuisines that unfortunately are not in the limelight.”

Ludhiana, February 4
A 28-year-old NRI and father of three daughters was strangulated to death in mysterious circumstances at the Dhanra-Kheri road here today.

The man, identified as Kiranjit Singh, had recently come from Abu-Dhabi on a vacation and was staying at Guru Gyan Vihar.

The incident came to light when residents of Dhandra saw the body lying on the roadside and informed the police.

In the meantime, the victim’s wife had already alerted the police about the disappearance of her husband.

The cops reached the spot and informed the family about the tragedy. The victim was further rushed to the civil hospital.

Sadar SHO Paramjit Singh said the man was strangulated to death, as there were marks on the neck of the victim. The police had registered the case against unidentified assailants and started investigation.

Meanwhile, pal of gloom descended at Guru Gyan Vihar. The police is suspecting that personal enmity could be a motive behind the murder, as the victim was not carrying cash or wearing any gold ornament when he was killed.

Ludhiana, March 4
The Shaheed-é-Punjab games witnessed one of the rare sporting spectacles when 22 women athletes battled it out for the top slot and braved the rain during the 5-km race held at Guru Nanak Stadium last night.

The development took place when kabaddi matches were cancelled owing to heavy thundershowers.

A sports department official said nearly 2,000 spectators who had turned up to watch the kabaddi finals started returning. It was then the women athletes came forwards and expressed their intention to conduct their event.

The athletes received thunderous response when officials decided to conduct the most enduring athletic event of the games.

The spectators, who were cuddling under shelters to save themselves from the rain, started cheering the women athletes in utter excitement.

Even Jail and Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria and MLA Harish Rai Dhanda were seen involved in the event. Both of them were seen cheering up the athletes.

It was a real test for the players, as after every round the rain was getting heavier. OP Jaisha, a senior athlete who has over 40 national and international medals under her belt, registered a convincing win.

Jaisha, who originally hails from Karnataka and is married to a city-based athletics coach, said it was for the first time that she had run in such a heavy rain.

“This medal is special to me. I put all my experience, perseverance and determination into the play. I was telling myself that I have to win this race. It was for the first time I have seen a crowd getting involved in an athletic event and cheering every lap,” said Jaisha while sharing her excitement.

Ludhiana, March 4
Eight top teams of the country in men’s section and four in the women's section have confirmed their participation for the inaugural edition of the All-India Sahibzada Ajit Singh Prize Money Hockey Championship scheduled to be held at the Prithipal Singh Memorial AstroTurf Stadium on Punjab Agricultural University campus here from March 9 to 14.

This was informed by the Olympian, Rajinder Singh, chairman, Sports Council of Ludhiana, at a press conference here.

Matches will be played on league-cum-knock-out basis.

Teams from Air India, Mumbai, along with ONGC, Mumbai, Punjab National Bank, New Delhi, Chandigarh XI, Namdhari XI, Bhaini Sahib, Indian Air Force and Indian Army XI will be seen in action during this six-day tournament while Central Railways, Mumbai, Gwalior Academy, Chandigarh XI besides Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, will be vying for top honours in the women's section.

Winners of the men’s section will get a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh while the runner’s-up will get Rs 1 lakh.

Winners of the women’s section will get a cash prize of Rs 75,000 and the first runner’s-up will get a cash prize of Rs 50,000 in addition to the Prof Nirpjit Kaur Gill Memorial Trophy.

Besides, best player in each match will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 1,500.

DIG, Punjab Police, and Arjuna Awardee, Surinder Singh Sodhi will inaugurate the tournament on March 9 while Dr Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, Ludhiana, will preside over.

A book by Prof Balkar Singh Bajwa, principal (retd) on contribution in the field of hockey by players, coaches from Gurusar Sudhar, near Ludhiana, was also released.

Hockey Olympians, Balbir Singh and Hardeep Singh Grewal, along with Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, Prithipal Singh Batala, Prof Gubhajan Singh Gill, Jagbir Singh Grewal, Kulwant Singh, Pavittar Singh Grewal, Inder Mohan Singh Qadian, Gurinder Singh Sandhu, Ajaypal Singh Punia, Sukhwinder Singh, Tejdeep Singh Bhalla, Bhupinder Singh Dimple, Gupreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh Haibowal were all present.