Ludhiana, August 21
A day after The Tribune highlighted the activities of a gang of swindlers on the prowl, blackmailing residents after luring them, the Haibowal police busted a five-member gang, including women, for blackmailing a resident of Walipur village.

According to Randhir Singh, Haibowal SHO, the gang allegedly blackmailed individuals after making their sex tapes. While four members were arrested following a raid, the woman who managed to give the police the slip was arrested.

The gang comprised Swarn Singh, Avtar Singh, Sewa Singh, Ramesh Kumar and Neena (45). They had made the MMS of Kulwant Singh, a resident of Walipur village. The woman was being used to lure men while the male members made sex tapes of the victim in a compromising position with her.

The victim was blackmailed thereafter. Avtar Singh was blackmailed of Rs 5 lakh and made to sign blank stamp papers. He had filed a complaint at the Haibowal police station. Police officials laid a trap and arrested the accused. The SHO said Neena played an important role in the gang as she was the one who used to tempt residents. “We are at a preliminary stage of the investigation. It will not apt to comment on how many residents are being blackmailed. I hope that more skeletons will tumble out of the closet during the course of the probe,” he said.

Ludhiana, August 21
Parents of city kids are well aware of the importance of oral hygiene but are careless about primary teeth, i.e., milk teeth, of their wards. The reason is they are of the view that milk teeth are temporary teeth, so it hardly matters even if these get infected.

This has been revealed by a research conducted by Dr Reejo C George, a resident doctor in the department of paediatric and preventive dentistry of Christian Dental College Medical.

College principal, Dr Abi M Thomas under whose guidance this study has been conducted said, “The data collected from 521 parents showed that most of the parents have knowledge about oral hygiene as almost all said brushing teeth is important, however, 83.3 per cent encouraged brushing twice daily.”

He further said, “82.8 per cent parents said primary milk teeth are important, but only 46.3 per cent said saving milk teeth was important. 55.4 per cent believed that the first visit of a child to a dentist should be when the tooth starts aching. This reflects enough awareness among parents regarding maintenance of good oral hygiene.”

Ludhiana, August 21
Though it is common knowledge most cops have a penchant for khaki, it appears this infatuation has grown to such an extent that many are not willing to wear a uniform of any other colour. Though over a year has gone by after the police department issued a notification instructing traffic cops to don white uniforms, the latter are still reluctant to do so.

A traffic police official said on condition of anonymity” “They (cops) hesitate to wear a white uniform as they feel they’d look clumsy in it”. The officials also believe a khaki uniform exudes "awe” and commuters would not take them seriously if they wore a white uniform.

Another excuse that is making the rounds is that a white uniform attracts more dirt. As the state’s industrial hub tops the chart of polluted cities, a white uniform would get soiled more quickly and would give traffic cops a “bad impression” as they have to stay put in the field for the whole day.

"Just stand at any busy intersection in the city wearing a white shirt and within no time it will be stained due to air pollution. If the city had been as clean as Chandigarh then perhaps we wouldn’t have any problem in wearing the white uniform," said a group of traffic police officials.

Subinspectors and inspectors posted with the traffic police continue to wear khakis but sport a white belt to indicate they are in the traffic wing and the new white uniform for traffic cops has irked made of them. They feel the move is “discriminatory” as senior police officers have been exempted from wearing it.

It is learnt the uniform was changed to differentiate the constabulary from senior police officers. "If our uniform was changed then their uniform also needs to be changed. It is constables up to the inspector-level personnel who do the policing. The uniform was changed just to add grace and distinct identity to the senior officers," said a traffic cop.

Ludhiana, August 21
The Karkhana Mazdoor Union has accused the Civil Hospital of negligence in a case of patient’s death on August 17.

According to Lakhwinder, convener of the union, “We handed over a memorandum to the Chief Medical Officer, Ludhiana, yesterday pointing out Aakasho Devi’s death on August 17 due to negligence on part of a laboratory technician after he refused to give her platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Later when Dr Subhash Batta, Senior Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, said the PRP was available, the attendant agreed to give the plasma. However, the technician compelled the patient to come to the laboratory for the blood test. For a dengue patient, whose platelet count was already 17000, it was quite difficult to even move from the bed. The patient later died due to negligence on part of the hospital.”

Ludhiana, August 21
Candle-lit marches, processions and foot marches continue in the city in support of Anna Hazare. People from different walks of life are chanting slogans for setting up the institution of Jan Lokpal to effectively deal with the demon of corruption.

The district unit of Bharat Swabhiman Trust (BST), Patanjali Yog Samiti (PYS) and Yuva Bharat, outfits headed by yoga guru Swami Ramdev, organised a candlelight march from Pizza Hutt on the Ferozepur road to Gate No 2 of Punjab Agricultural University here late last evening.

Led by Vijay Kapoor, Darshan Singh, Ashwani Kumar and Parmod Sharma, a large number of people carrying candles and firelights (mashals) marched through Aarti Chowk, Ansal Plaza, Malhar Road Chowk while raising slogans in favour of the Jan Lokpal Bill of Team Anna.

The Anti-Corruption Council of India while extending its full support to the movement asked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to either accept the draft bill or else quit his post. Body secretary general Shiv K Gupta said the Jan Lokpal Bill ought to be adopted as being demanded by Anna Hazare in the larger interest of the nation and deal with mammoth corruption. He also advocated the inclusion of the office of Prime Minister and judiciary under the purview of Jan Lokpal, the institution, which he asserted should be adequately armed with powers to investigate, prosecute and punish corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and members of judiciary.

The city residents, especially youngsters have taken upon themselves to hold demonstrations and processions to express their solidarity with Anna Hazare and his supporters observing hunger strike in New Delhi. Candlelight processions, foot marches and processions were organised at Jagraon Bridge, Clock Tower Chowk, Ghumar Mandi, Mall Road, Old Sabzi Mandi Chowk, Old GT Road, Mini Rose Garden and elsewhere in the city calling for early legislative measures to deal with corruption.

While there is a virtual scramble to stand up and be counted as a supporter of Anna Hazare’s tirade against corruption, there are voices of dissent, too. A body, “Shaheed-Azam Bhagat Singh International Krantikari Party”, has made an appeal to Anna Hazare to call off his fast while asserting that strikes and fasts are no remedies for the menace of corruption.

The body has suggested that the President of India and Prime Minister should convene a meeting of all state chief ministers and leaders of other political parties to evolve a consensus on legislative measures to effectively deal with corruption.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 21
With activists and leaders of various political parties losing no chance to get political mileage from the Anna Hazare ‘kranti’, a section of social activists have dared protesters to ask their conscience if they are honest.

Apprehending that the hijacking of the crusade by politicians with vested interests will deteriorate the situation in the state, social activists have cautioned residents against adverse affects of the politicisation of the movement.

The third version of the Lokpal Bill, put forward by National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) activist Aruna Roy, has disappointed activists genuinely interested in curbing the menace of corruption.

Former district ayurvedic officer Bhupinder Singh Bedi said the scenario showed that every person had the right to amend the Constitution according to his whims and fancies, but this was not the way to reform the system.

“Before we set on to stage protests and marches, let us ask ourselves whether we are corrupt in our daily lives or not. If the answer is ‘yes’, we should mend ourselves and stop blaming others,” he argued.

Regretting that controversy over different versions of the Bill had complicated the issue, social activist Ripudaman Singh ridiculed that the number of versions would rise to that of the total population of the country.

Ludhiana, August 21
The increasing public support from various quarters in favour of Team Anna with each passing day is taking its toll on the city roads where smooth flow of traffic has become the first casualty.

People taking to the streets in support of Anna Hazare choose busy commercial hubs and congested roads in different parts of the city to hold a candle light procession or a foot march. Carrying candles and chanting slogans in favour of adopting the draft for Jan Lokpal Bill, people obstruct smooth flow of traffic, block intersections and at times even resort to holding impromptu rallies on roadside with scant regard to smooth flow of vehicular traffic and movement of other road users.

Obstruction in vehicular traffic for extended periods was reported from Ghunar Mandi Chowk, Mall Road, Kailash Cinema Chowk, Bindraban Road, Ferozepur Road and several other localities where Anna’s supporters staged rallies, processions and marches and in the process holding the vehicular traffic in these areas to ransom on Friday and Saturday.

Blaming the so-called Anna’s supporters for creating chaos on the roads and disrupting normal movement of traffic in one of the busiest commercial hubs of Ghumar Mandi, a shopkeeper said even though the intention of the people (in extending support to Anna's movement) is noble, the manner in which this “tamasha” is causing frequent snarl up is not acceptable.

Ludhiana, August 21
Livestock and pets are prone to diseases, especially vector-borne parasitic diseases. Prof PD Juyal, Registrar, GADVASU, stated this in a press note issued here.

During the monsoon, humidity and increase in temperature may increase parasitic problems manifold such as gastrointestinal parasites, ticks and tick-borne diseases in pets and farm animals, said Juyal.

“However, these diseases are often overlooked because clinical symptoms are rarely apparent. Losses of production occur mainly from low milk production in adult animals leading to retarded growth and delayed fertility,” he added.

Tick population flares up during the monsoon and post-monsoon. Regular and repeated application of newer generation of acaricides can serve the purpose.

However, the animal on which acarcide is applied, needs to be kept in shade for a few days, said the expert.

The ailments afflicting animals include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite and sudden drop in milk yield. To reduce fatality in such cases, the earlier the disease is diagnosed and treated, the better it will be. However, all such interventions need to be made strictly under the supervision of a qualified veterinarian, the release stated.

Juyal cautioned against the usage of a single acarcide for a longer period of time, as it can develop acarcide resistance. Crevices and cracks in the walls are major hideouts for ticks, so chemical should be sprayed on these spots, he said, adding that livestock farmers are advised to adopt the practice of a routine check-up.

Samrala, August 21
The Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College for Women, Jhar Sahib, celebrated “Tiyan Teej Dian” by organising a function, in which Sumneet Kaur of BCA-I was crowned Miss Teej, while Manjot Kaur of MA-I was declared runner-up.

The function was inaugurated by college principal Paramjit Kaur Tiwana, who also presented the college annual report, while jail minister Hira Singh Gabria was the chief guest.

Girl students of the college presented several cultural items, including lok geet, dhola, giddha, ghori, sithnia, tappe and dance, which enthralled audience. Skits were also presented on drugs, illiteracy and female foeticide.

Several schools also participated in the function by organising competitions like mehandi and rangoli, where Captain Santokh Singh School, Kotala, won the first prize of Rs 3,100.

Doraha, August 21
The only municipal council park made after spending lakhs of rupees for the welfare of residents of the town has been reduced merely to a parking stand. Tempos and taxis have converted the park to a taxing area due to absence of any check.

With morning walkers fed up of asking the council to restore the original beauty and grace to the park, that has now been converted into an open space where animals roam about apart from the taxis and tempos which are made to stand there.

Many people in the town come out due to either health consciousness or their craze for a daily walk have to risk their lives along the canal. Many people feel unsafe while taking a walk on the road as there is lots of traffic. Many people now prefer staying indoors.

The park with collapsed wall, heaped garbage, over grown grass, parking of vehicles, pigs, requires maintenance. Many people do not feel to visit to the park as they rue that it is no longer meant for them. A senior citizen of the town said, “As the residents left the park, the committee further disowned it entirely.”

Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 21
Lack of awareness about balanced diet and hygiene are major factors behind increasing incidences of deficiency diseases and infections among children and aged persons.

Non-adherence to the vaccination programme drafted by the health authorities was another cause of loss of immunity among children.

The observation was made by a group of physicians after examining about 200 persons at a medical camp organised at Guru Nanak Charitable Hospital at Dehlon near here yesterday. Dr Balwinder Walia, chairman, inaugurated the camp.

A group of physicians led by Dr Jaspal Singh Walia, managing director, and Dr Pardeep Sharma observed that a majority of the patients had contracted diseases due to lack of resistance owing to deficiency of essential macro and micro nutrients in their diet. The residents also ignored the importance of vital components of balanced diet for growing children and ageing persons. “Regrettably, people have started evaluating usefulness of food items on the basis of their price. A little awareness about the importance of various components of balanced diet and their source of availability can enable even the poor families to keep their elderly members and children healthy by providing them all nutrients in a proper ratio,” said Dr Jaswant.

Ludhiana, August 21
Stating that Punjab has always been on the forefront in agriculture mechanisation, deputy director-general (ICAR), Dr MM Pandey said close coordination between manufacturers and scientists was the reason behind. He made these remarks on conclusion of the three-day coordination committee meeting of the all-India coordinated research project (AICRP) on post-harvest technology at the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) yesterday.

Pointing out that scientists should work hard to give new impetus to agriculture growth, Dr Pandey advised that they should think more for future generations than for individual growth. He chaired various technical sessions and also listened to administration problems faced by scientists working under AICRP. Assistant director-general (ICAR), Dr KK Singh showed satisfaction over the progress made by AIRCP.

Ludhiana, August 21
A migrant labourer was electrocuted in Sherpur area here today. The deceased, identified as Ram Prasad, came in contact with lose electricity wires of a transformer and died on the spot.

Ludhiana, August 21
The soaring rates of all vegetables are expected to come down within 10 days, provided there are no rains. But if the rains continue and roads get blocked, the prices are bound to increase further.

The prices of almost all vegetables are presently on the higher side. Since all vegetables are being brought from hilly areas like Kullu, Manali and Shimla, in case there are rains, the roads may get blocked and prices will further be increased.

Ludhiana, August 21
The global business competitiveness intensifies the demand for improvement of communication and negotiation skills. The Indian economy is one of the fastest growing economies and chartered accountants (CAs) play a vital role in an economy and specifically in audit of financial statements, direct taxes and indirect taxes, financial management, cost and cost management.

These observations were made by Punjab chief secretary SC Aggarwal while presiding over the inaugural session of the two-day national CA students’ convention at KVM School here today.

The national meet of CA students with the theme “Insight, initiate and perform” is being hosted by the Ludhiana branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), representing 1,400 practicing CAs and 3,500 students.

Aggarwal exhorted the CA students to play a pivotal role in the national economy by sticking to the highest standards of performance and ethics. He remarked that the fact that the government, shareholders of companies and organisations whose accounts are audited by CAs and society relied completely on the financial statements certified by CAs.

National president of ICAI, G Ramaswamy while stressing on need of information technology in the profession urged the students to be tech-savvy.

Ludhiana, August 21
Cracking a whip on the reckless parking of private vehicles in front of the railway station, the Kotwali police impounded two private buses for causing traffic jam.

The incident took place here today when a private bus operator parked their buses in front of the railway station, which resulted in traffic jam.

The matter was brought to the notice of Kotwali SHO Amandeep Singh Brar, who rushed to the spot and arrested drivers, Bagga Singh and Ajay Kumar, for causing traffic jam by parking their vehicles in the middle of the road.

Both buses were impounded and taken to the Kotwali police station. The drivers were let off after furnishing a bail bond.

Ludhiana, August 21
Defending champions, Nav Bharti Public School, Ludhiana, that got a direct entry into the last 16, began their campaign in a style with a thumping victory over Oxford School, BaktaBhai in Bathinda district, 51-1 in the boys’ under-18 category in the Mahindra NBA Challenge Basketball League Season II being held at the Guru Nanak Sports Complex here today.

Nav Bharti School players faced no challenge from their opponents and went on to add point after point to clinch the issue convincingly. They were so dominating that Oxford School boys could gather only a single point.

The winning side was leading 26-1 at half time. Harmandeep accounted for 23 points in Nav Bharti School’s victory.

In the second match (boys’ U-18), BCM Senior Secondary School, Dugri Road branch, Ludhiana, outplayed Oxford School, BaktaBhai, 26-13 in which Gautam made 13 points for the winning side.

In the senior men’s section, Punjab Police, Jalandhar, overpowered PSEB, Patiala, 68-29 after leading 46-18 at the end of second quarter.

Amanjot Singh netted 22 points for the Punjab Police, while Gurpreet Singh with 12 points fought well for the losers.

In the boys’ under-13 section, Gymkhana Club, Ludhiana, proved too good for Government High School, Gure in Ludhiana district, whom they defeated 32-12. The half time score sheet read 21-7. Yuvraj was the main scorer for the Gymkhana Club who contributed 11 points.

In the girls’ section (U-13), Oxford School, BaktaBhai, too, failed to put up any resistance as they lost against Faridkot district comprehensively (0-17). Hajrat with 11 points played the pivot role in Faridkot’s easy win.

In the boys’ (U-18) group, Faridkot district registered victory over Jalandhar district 54-36. Sukhdeep Pal dropped 17 baskets for the winning side and Ravinder contributed 11 points for Jalandhar district.

In the boys’ under-13 section, Kapurthala district squeezed past Sujjapur 31-28. The winners were in a comfortable position (20-4) at half time, but fumbled at crucial moments during the last two quarters, however, managed to hang onto the lead till the long whistle.

Ludhiana, August 21
Rahul Singla from Ludhiana excelled with bat and ball (26 runs and two for 28) that resulted the ongoing cricket match between Chaman Lal Malhotra XI and MP Pandove XI evenly poised on the second day of the PCA Players’ Emerging Cricket Tournament being organised by the Punjab Cricket Association at the Punjab Agricultural University campus ground here today.

At close of the second day’s play, in reply to Chaman Lal Malhotra XI’s first innings score of 217 runs, MP Pandove XI were 145 for six after 46 overs.

After the initial hiccups (99 for five), Chaman Lal Malhotra XI were able to reach a respectable total of 217 runs in their first essay.

Chaman Lal XI skipper Karan Goel won the toss and opted to bat. His decision appeared to be a miscalculated one, as they found themselves in dire straits with MP Pandove XI bowlers finding their line and length making it difficult to negotiate the ball.

Jeewanjot Singh (zero) and Karan Goel (three) were consumed cheaply and Chaman Lal XI was soon in shackles. Mayanak Sidana and Abhishek Gupta made 12 and 35 runs, respectively.

However, Anil Sihag (76), Shiv Lal (34) and Rahul Singla played sensibly to help their team to reach 217 runs.

Anil figured in two valuable partnerships. First, he was engaged with Shiv Lal in a 44-run partnership for the fourth wicket and then in association with Rahul Singla, he added 65 runs for the sixth wicket.

For MP Pandove XI, Maninder Singh captured three wickets, while Love Abhlish and Rajesh Sharma took two wickets each.

MP Pandove XI, too, began their first innings on a dismal note with losing wickets at regular intervals. At draw of stumps, they were 145 for six with two batsmen on the crease, Sharad Loomba (16) and Yogesh Kumar yet to open his account.

Brief scores:

Chaman Lal Malhotra XI (Ist innings): 217 all out (Shiv Lal 34, Mayank Sidana 12, Anil Sihag 76, Rahul Singla 26, Sidharth Kaul 12, Manpreet Singh Goni 21 n.o, Mohit Mohindra 14; Love Abhlish 2 for 23, Maninder Singh 3 for 33, Yogesh Kumar 1 for 53, Kamal Passi 1 for 5, Shard Loomba 1 for 0, Rajesh Sharma 2 for 51).

MP Pandove XI (Ist innings): 145 for 6 in 46 overs (Munish Bhatia 5, Sarul Sawar 12, Amitoj Singh 58, Preet Kamal 35, Sharad Loomba 16 n.o; Manpreet Singh Goni 2 for 2, Sidarath Kaul 1 for 23, Mohit Mohindra 1 for 29, Rahul Singla 2 for 28).