Ludhiana, June 14
Three motorcyclists lost their lives in two incidents that took place in different parts of the city. In the first incident, two men riding a motorcycle were crushed to death by a speeding tractor-trailer in Sahnewal late last night.

The victims have been identified as 27-year-old Ramesh and 25-year-old Inderjit, who work in a factory at Sahnewal and were returning home at Gobindgarh village.

According to the statement of the police, the accused were on the National Highway- I when the speeding tractor-trailer hit the rear of the motorcycle.

Interjit, who was riding the motorcycle, lost control and the bike fell on the road. Before they could react, the speeding tractor-trailer ran over them. Both the victims died on the spot.

The Sahnewal police has registered a case against the unidentified driver under Section 304-A of the IPC for rash driving resulting in death and started investigation.

In the second incident, a youth identified as Neeraj (22) died after falling from a motorcycle on the Shinghar Cinema road here today.

The incident took place in the wee hours when Neeraj was heading to his house near Samrala Chowk on his motorcycle. According to the victim’s friend, Neeraj, he lost control over the motorcycle due to the bad condition of the road and smashed his head on the pavement and died on the spot.

Jagraon, June 14
A middle-aged man was crushed to death by a speeding vehicle on the Ludhiana-Moga highway near Jagraon this morning. The accident took place around 7.15 am near Sherpur Chowk. The deceased has been identified as 42-year-old Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Kacha Malak road, Jagraon.

The accident took place when the victim was returning after paying obeisance at a gurdwara early in the morning. Just as he neared Sherpur Chowk, his Honda Eterno scooter was hit by a speeding Mahindra Scorpio (PB 03T 4802) coming from the rear.

An eyewitnesses, Ajaib Singh, said the SUV was speeding when it rammed into the scooter. "The impact of the collision was such that the SUV dragged the scooter about 20 metres with it. The victim died on the spot while the driver of the SUV fled leaving behind the vehicle," he said.

The police reached the spot and rushed the victim to the local Civil Hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police handed over his body to his family after a postmortem.

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the house of the victim. Sukhdev Singh is survived by his wife and a six-month-old girl. According to his family, Sukhdev Singh was a very religious person and a regular visitor to Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib. "Today morning also he had gone to the gurdwara. At about 7.30 am, a police official called us to inform that he had met an accident and was in hospital. But when we reached the hospital, doctors told us that he was brought dead to the hospital," a relative said.

Meanwhile, the police has impounded the SUV, which is owned by a neighbour of the victim. 

Ludhiana, June 14
High drama was witnessed at Ghumar Mandi after the traffic police towed away a vehicle belonging to District Mahila Congress president Leena Taparia for using a siren. The incident took place this afternoon when she was visiting the market to collect watches from a shop. In order to clear the way, the driver of the vehicle in which Taparia was travelling used a hooter.

The blowing of hooter alerted the traffic police, which stopped the vehicle and asked the driver to show the permit for a hooter.

Leena Taparia, told the police her designation, but since she was not entitled to use a hooter, the traffic police told her that she would be challaned for it. This reportedly rattled the Congress leader and she alighted from the vehicle.

She complained of pick-and-choose policy adopted by the police and alleged that while SAD leaders were let-off by the traffic police, Congress leaders were being targeted. This led to a heated argument and she refused to sign on the challan.

The argument turned ugly and residents and shopkeepers surrounded the place. The whole drama led to a traffic jam in the busy market.

The police further told Taparia to step aside and towed away the vehicle, causing embarrassment to the Congress leader in front of the crowd.

In the meantime, SHO Beant Juneja arrived at the spot and saved the situation. He told her to calm down and said the police was performing its duty. She complained to the SHO that she was cooperating, but the traffic police spoke rudely and had no sense how to talk to a woman.

Ludhiana, June 14
Punjab Agricultural University will be celebrating its golden jubilee this year. With the passage of time, the university has witnessed a lot of development in the field of research and studies, but as far as the maintenance of roads is concerned, the authorities have done a little.

The number of vehicles has increased, but the problem of congestion still persists.

The authorities should chalk out a plan. The university does not have adequate parking space. In the absence of parking lots, students park their vehicles haphazardly. Yaadvinder Singh, one of the students, said he was satisfied with the condition of roads. He added that students had a tough time finding a parking slot.

"I used to park my vehicle in front of the department or on road. I am against wrong parking, but what can one do if there is no parking space available on the campus."

Another student, Amrit Kaur, said, "I feel that the roads here need to be repaired. Parking problem should also be sorted out."

Amrit said the university authorities should draft a new plan.

Meanwhile, Jaskarn Singh, estate officer, PAU, said, "It is true that parking is a problem in the university and we are identifying areas for parking lots. A parking lot in front of the university market and another near students' hostel has been proposed. The university is waiting for funds to start the projects." 

Jagraon, June 14
In a blatant violation of norms set up by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and strict guidelines issued by the government against the illegal sale of SIM cards (mobile numbers) by shopkeepers, the practice of selling illegal SIM cards on the basis of fake identity proofs has been going unchecked at a large scale in Jagraon.

Despite the fact that there is a strict ban on the issuance of SIM cards without proper identity proofs, there are some shopkeepers who are issuing SIM cards to several customers on the basis of fake identity proofs.

Sources said a large number of SIM cards were issued by some of the shopkeepers everyday. Most of the customers, who bought mobile numbers on fake identity proofs, indulged in illegal and anti-social activities. A majority of mobile numbers issued on fake identities were used by people involved in illegal trade practices, added the sources.

Therefore, while doing so, such shopkeepers, knowingly or unknowingly, have been putting the security of their own country at high risk. Besides, they have also been inviting trouble for themselves because if their practice is exposed, they are bound to face strict legal action.

The sources further revealed that shopkeepers involved in the practice pasted the photograph of someone else on the application forms and fill in the name and address of an imaginary person on the basis of forged documents. Even though the credentials of these documents submitted for the issuance of SIM cards are often scrutinised by service providers, still these shopkeepers manage to get the SIM card issued and start the mobile service.

They said there were many shopkeepers and retailers in the town who had been involved in the illegal practice directly or indirectly and they had been earning a good money through this business. One such shopkeeper on the local College Road has hundreds of pictures and photo copies of identity proofs of different persons which he uses for issuing SIM cards to his customers.

Terming it a threat to security, former ADC and local MLA SR Kaler said, "There is an ample possibility that the mobile numbers issued on fake identities might also be used by the activists of any terrorist organisation or other anti-social elements for creating disturbance in the area. Therefore, the telecom companies shall issue SIM cards after properly verifying the documents. Besides, the police officials shall also take stern action against the guilty."

Ludhiana (rural) SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor, when contacted, said the police was doing its job sincerely and strict action was taken whenever such kind of incident came to the fore. However, he instructed the local shopkeepers and retailers to issue SIM cards only after properly verifying the valid documents.

Ludhiana, June 14
Nearly 3,000 brick-kiln units in Punjab are on the verge of closure after a new notification is issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for brick-kiln units in which environment clearance for using mining area of less than five hectares has been made mandatory.

Arvinder Singh, president of the All India Brick-Kiln Ownerss Association said that after the new notification comes in to effect in the state, the brick-kiln owners will not be left with any other option but to shut down their operations. To meet the mandates of environment clearance, each unit will be required to shed around Rs five lakh, which will directly affect the cost of the bricks.

"Brick-kiln units in Punjab will be forced to close down their units for the next 18 months from June 20 onwards. Over 3,000 unit owners under the aegis of the Punjab Brick Kiln Owner Association are forced to take this extreme step after the imposition of draconian directives which have left their operations in unfeasible and in a dismal mode," said Arvinder Singh.

Earlier, the brick kiln industry was operational on land less than five hectares, which did not require environment clearance. But now, according to the new notification, an environment clearance is required even for land that is less than five hectare, which has proved to be a death knell for the industry, added Kuldeep Singh Makkar, president, Punjab Brick Kilns Owners Association.

Adding Makkar said clearance up to five hectare of land should be given, otherwise brick-klin owners would be forced to shutdown their operations for at least 12 months, which will further lead to unemployment. In addition to this, the price of bricks will also escalate. The closure of these units will lead to halt of many development projects.

The crusher industry has already been hit hard with a ban on mining of sand and stones and as a result the consumers are paying high cost for the construction material.

Ludhiana, June 14
Since the price of petrol is rising at regular intervals, the demand for petrol cars has fallen drastically in the last quarter, as a result auto companies are facing stock pile ups.

With the difference in petrol and diesel prices widening to Rs 30 per liter, the buyers are naturally opting for diesel-run cars over petrol ones.

"Increase in petrol price has resulted in substantial increase in demand for diesel cars so much so that the auto manufacturers are finding it difficult to keep abreast with the demand. There is long waiting period for the diesel-run cars which initially use to be the case with petrol-driven cars," said Anil Khanna, sales manager, at a local car showroom.

Davinder Grewal, who is planning to buy a car, is going for the diesel variant. "It is impossible to drive a petrol-run car with the price of petrol rising every now and then. Since I have to drive to the periphery areas, diesel-driven run vehicle will be a better option for me" he said. Currently Davinder is driving a petrol variant but now he is switching over to a diesel car after seeing the ever increasing price of petrol.

"The demand for one of our diesel-run SUV is so high that we have a waiting period of six months. People are waiting but not ready to buy petrol versions due to escalating petrol prices. The trend towards diesel cars has totally taken a swirl due to rising petrol prices," said regional manager from an auto company.

Ludhiana, June 14
Doctors from the city seem to be increasing their ambit of social service, taking off the stethoscope and donning the role of the civil servants. Dr Harsimrat Kaur Grewal, Dr Amit Gupta and Dr Lalit Kumar from the city have cleared the PPSC examination, the results of which were declared today.

Dr Harsimrat Kaur Grewal Dr Amit  Gupta Dr Lalit  Kumar

Dr Harsimrat Kaur Grewal, who secured 25th position, had decided to be a doctor to serve the society. But a doctor can only touch a limited number of lives, whereas a civil servant has a lot more power to bring change, she says. It was not the status or power but the effort to reach out to the disadvantaged that inspired her to become a civil servant, she says.

She feels connected to Punjabi culture and roots, as recites Gurbani from Guru Granth Sahib as well. For the mains examination, she chose sociology and Punjabi literature as optionals.

She wants to curb female foeticide and work for women empowerment. She says that she was inspired by her grandmother, and learnt to be righteous, straight forward, confident and altruistic.

It was her first attempt in the PPSC in the examination. She felt inspired as she met her relative civil servants Sarla Grewal, SS Grewal, and felt influenced by their work.

She said that coaching is helpful in putting you on track, but at the end of the day, it is self-study that counts, because taking coaching wouldn't ensure you getting through in the exam.

She advises aspirants to choose optional subjects wisely. One should choose only those subjects that one enjoys reading and learning, because in this exam, you have to read extensively, she says. One should also write a lot. Apart from that be sure of yourself, stick on, even when others point a discouraging finger at you. In the interview, just be yourself and confident, she says.

Dr Amit Gupta, who is serving as Rural Veterinary Officer is elated at having secured 38th rank in the examination. Rather than plugging away, he used to prepare for the examination after the job hours.

He started preparing about 5 months before the examination. He took chemistry and public administration as the optionals and wants to provide good administration.

Another doctor, Dr Lalit Kumar, has made it to the services securing 65th rank in the examination. It was his first attempt. He is a doctor at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. He took one month leave for preparation of the exam, and while doing the regular job, he was devoting 4 to 5 hours to study everyday. He took medical science and public administration as the optional subjects.

Dr Gupta and Dr Kumar say the exam preparation requires regular studies and hardwork. Meanwhile, Shinjini Tewari, wife of Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari also cleared the examination, securing 27th rank. But having already handled the position of ETO, she would not benefit from the examination result.

SCD Govt College

Students of Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana, recorded impressive results in the BCom first year exams conducted by the Panjab University. The college achieved 99 per cent results this year. Harsimranjot Singh stood seventh in the university and first in the college with 459 marks (83.3 per cent). Ajay Kumar stood second in the college with 445 marks (80.9 per cent) and Shivam stood third in college with 442 marks (80.3 per cent).

Guru Nanak Girls College

The declaration of BCom Ist year April, 2012, result by Panjab University, Chandigarh was a matter of pride for Guru Nanak Girls College. Manpreet Kaur bagged first position in the college by securing 81.81 per cent marks. Prabhjeet Kaur and Avneet Kaur secured 80 per cent and 78.72 per cent marks and secured second and third positions respectively in the college.

Master Tara Singh Memorial College

The BCA students of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women preformed excellently in the Panjab University examinations. All the students passed with first divisions. In BCA Ist year, 18 students got above 70 per cent marks. Priyanka of BCA-I got first position in the college by securing 77.87 per cent marks. Poonam Devi and Sofia Makkar got second and third position securing 76.37 and 75.12 percent marks respectively.

Devki Devi Jain Memorial College for Women

Students of BCom-I brought laurels to the institution by showing excellent results in the examination held by Panjab University with Bhawana bagging third position in the university and second in district with 84.7 per cent marks. Diksha stood second in the college with 81.4 per cent marks and Neha attained third position with 80.7 pe rcent marks.—TNS

Ludhiana: A delegation of Nishan-e-Sikhi Charitable Trust from Khadur Sahib, Tarn Taran district, Punjab, visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Thursday to have thorough deliberations on various agricultural aspects.

The delegation, led by Sant Baba Sewa Singh, interacted with the PAU Director of Research, Dr SS Gosal, additional director of research (horticulture), Dr HS Dhaliwal, additional director communication, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, associate director of research, Dr PS Chahal and heads of various departments.

During the interactive session, heads of fruit science, vegetable science, Forestry and Natural Resources (F&NR) and Floriculture and Landscaping (F&L) gave PowerPoint presentations, highlighting the achievements and research programmes of their respective departments. In his remarks, Baba Sewa Singh said, "PAU possesses immense scientific knowledge in agriculture and its allied occupations and has scaled great heights with its tireless efforts." He advocated the use of plants which served twin purpose of providing shade as well as have medicinal properties. 

Ludhiana, June 14
Roads on the Punjab Agricultural University campus are in a pitiable condition as the university does not have funds to get these re-carpeted. The Punjab Mandi Board, Punjab government, sanctions grants for the maintenance of roads.

The roads on the campus were carpeted five years ago. The road that leads to Government Senior Secondary School, PAU, is also in a bad shape. The main road which leads to Gate No. 1 is potholed. Roads in farming areas also need to be repaired.

Harpreet Singh, one of the students, said, "It becomes difficult for students to commute on potholed roads. Most of the roads are well-maintained, but there are a few that need to be re-carpeted. The university is not a profitable institute so the government releases grants for basic facilities."

Sanjiv Thapar, principal, Government Senior Secondary School, said, " The condition of the road in front of our school is pitiable. We have taken up the matter with the university authorities and they have assured us of doing the needful."

Jaskaran Singh, estate officer, Punjab Agricultural University, said, "The Punjab Mandi Board is responsible for maintenance of roads on the PAU campus. The university has been facing financial crisis. As soon as the government will release funds, the roads will be re-carpeted."

Ludhiana, June 14
The department of Transfusion Medicine at SPS Apollo Hospitals organised a series of awareness initiatives and a special commemoration program for voluntary blood donors on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day here today. Over 200 people participated in a special awareness walk at Leisure Valley, Sarabha Nagar.

The walk was flagged off by Dr G L Awasthi, Director, Medical Services and Dr Hitish Narang, Head of Transfusion Medicine, SPS Apollo Hospitals. The participants carried slogans and messages highlighting the importance of safe blood transfusion and encouraging people to voluntarily donate blood. In an effort to raise awareness and educate people about blood donation and safety, a quiz was also organised before the walk. 40 participants from 10 different teams took part in the quiz.

“Every Blood Donor is a Hero” is the theme for the 2012 World Blood Donation Day. SPS Apollo Hospitals took the day to celebrate the heroic role that numerous blood donors have played in the last one year. In a special program earlier during the day, SPS Apollo Hospitals honoured more than 25 voluntary blood donors who have generously donated blood. Speaking on the occasion, Dr GL Awasthi, Director, Medical Services, SPS Apollo Hospitals said, this year’s theme “Every Blood Donor is a Hero” focuses on the idea that every one of us can become a hero by donating blood. While recognising the silent heroes who save lives every day through their blood donations, this theme also strongly encourages more people all over the region to donate blood voluntarily and regularly. — TNS

Khanna, June 14
A delegation of Lok Sewa Club, Khanna, met SDM Khanna in his office and brought to his notice the irregularities being done by gas agencies with the consumers.

Jagraon, June 14
The police has arrested five proclaimed offenders in a day. As per information, the five proclaimed offenders were arrested by different police teams during separate operations carried out under a special campaign initiated by the local police to nab proclaimed offenders.

The arrested proclaimed offenders have been identified as Jasvir Singh, alias Jagga, and Amlok Singh, alias Rinka, of Akhara village, Jagseer Singh, alias Seera, of Galib Kalan village, Satnam Singh, alias Satta, and Boota Singh of Sherewala near Jagraon.

Jagraon SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor said Jasvir Singh, alias Jagga, Amlok Singh, alias Rinka, and Jagseer Singh, alias Seera, were arrested by a police team led by ASI Jaspal Chopra, head of the PO wing of Jagraon police following a tip-off while the remaining two, including Satnam Singh Satta and Boota Singh, were arrested by a police party led by ASI Amarjit Singh, head of the Gidarwindi police chowki.

The SSP said the police had received information that three proclaimed offenders Jasvir Singh, Amlok Singh and Jagseer Singh were going towards Akhara village following which a police team laid a naka on the Jagraon-Raikot Road and arrested three proclaimed offenders this morning.

In a separate operation, a police party from the Gidarwindi police chowki near Sidhwan Bet arrested two other proclaimed offenders Satnam Singh, alias Satta, and Boota Singh.

"These all were declared proclaimed offenders by a local court in 2008 after they did not appear during hearings," added Toor.