Ludhiana, August 1
The police has booked scrap dealer Manoj Kumar and Pardeep’s ‘friends’ Sumit and Kala after safai sewak Pardeep Kumar’s body was recovered from the sewerage treatment plant at Balloke village today.

A case under Sections 304-A (causing death due to negligence) of the IPC has been registered against Manoj Kumar, Sumit and Kala. Section 304-A of IPC states that whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act, not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend up to two years or with fine or with both.

The case has been registered on the complaint of MC SDO Balwinder Singh. Even MC Joint Commissioner AS Sekhon had written to the Haibowal police for registering an FIR against Manoj Kumar, Sumit and Kala.

“In our complaint, we had written that owner of shop number 92 A, Street Number 3, Dairy Complex, Haibowal, and two other persons, identified as Sumit and Kala, had asked Pardeep Kumar to clean the sewer. This is a criminal negligent act following which Pardeep died,” said Sekhon.

The MC has already banned the opening of sewers by private persons in the city. This decision was taken in February last year, when two MC employees had died while they were trying to open a private sewer line in the Bhagwan Chowk area of the city. After the incident, the civic authorities had decided that an FIR would be got lodged against person who opens a manhole without the civic body’s permission.

“Manoj, Sumit and Kala were arrested and later released on bail,” said inspector Satinderpal Singh, SHO, Haibowal police station.

Ludhiana, August 1
It was the inhuman act by contractual safai sewak Pardeep Kumar’s ‘friends’ which led to his death yesterday. When Pardeep fell into the sewerage line, his friends, identified as Sumit and Kala, allegedly put the manhole cover back and fled from the spot.

Pardeep’s body was recovered after 21 hours of the incident from the sewerage treatment plant (STP) at Balloke village, about 3 km from the spot where he fell into the sewerage line, around 10.30 am today. The incident took place near Dairy Complex at Haibowal on Tuesday.

The scrap dealer, who had hired Pardeep Kumar, has been identified as Manoj Kumar.

It is learnt that when Pardeep entered the sewerage line, Sumit and Kala were also present there along with Manoj Kumar. But when they saw Pardeep being swept away by a strong current of sewage water, Sumit and Kala fled from the spot after putting the cover back on the manhole.

MC Joint Commissioner AS Sekhon said: “Pardeep’s friends tried to hide the incident by putting back the manhole cover. It was scrap dealer Manoj Kumar who raised the alarm and informed the Haibowal Police about this incident. Had they tried to save Pardeep, he might have been alive today.”

Pardeep (36), a resident of Bank Colony, lost his life on Tuesday for mere Rs 200. Pardeep, a safai sewak, along with two of his friends had taken a private ‘contract’ of clearing the sewerage line near Dairy Complex in the Haibowal area. A scrap dealer had hired them for Rs 600 for the job. When Pardeep entered the manhole, the strong current of sewage swept him away.

Pardeep worked as a contractual safai sewak and was getting a monthly salary of around Rs 4,000.

Ludhiana, August 1
The murder of 60-year-old Taranjit Kaur, who was hacked to death at her house in the Model Town area last night, was well orchestrated.

Sources said the investigating team today recreated the scene of crime and arrived at a conclusion that personal enmity and not robbery was the motive behind the murder.

The waste material lying in the house was scattered to hoodwink the police and to make it appear that some rag picker had killed the woman. The assailants gained entry into the house posing as rag pickers.

The assailants might have conducted a recce of the house and even visited the house on pervious occasions to gain an easy excess into the house.

The investigating officer suspects that the assailants were two in number. “Initially, only one man posing as rag picker used to visit the house to win the confidence of the woman and on the day of the murder assailants also accompanied him," an investigating officer while recreating the scene of crime.

One of the accused kept the victim busy and the other assailant might have come from behind to slit the neck of woman with a sharp knife, said the police.

The assailants came with a motive to kill. Investigating officer said if it was spontaneous outburst of anger by a robber, the assailants might have used the knife and other sharp-edged instruments lying in the house.

The gold jewellery the victim was wearing was not missing. Moreover, five knifes were lying near the scene of crime, but none of the knife was used for killing Taranjit Kaur, which substantiate that killer were carrying the weapon along with them, the police added.

The police has also recovered a Hindi newspaper lying near the crime scene and believes that the weapon was wrapped in the newspaper. The police arrived at this conclusion as no one in the family reads a Hindi newspaper.

Ludhiana, August 1
After several rounds of talks between senior government functionaries and representatives of colonisers and developers on the crucial issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the mega city and the state, the state government has initiated an exercise for revision of the existing policy.

A deputation of the developers that met Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in Chandigarh on Monday was given an indication that a new policy aimed at providing relief to developers would be announced soon.

The Punjab Property Dealers and Colonisers Association president, who led the deputation of developers that had met the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development , and later Cabinet Minister Majithia, told The Tribune that though some key issues related to compounding of the existing colonies were still to be addressed, the response from the government was positive.

"The government has apparently made up its mind to resolve the matter of unauthorised colonies by providing relief to developers as well as residents of unauthorised colonies," he said.

He said the major demand of the developers of unlicensed colonies that these be regularised on "as is where is basis" has found favour with the government. The only stumbling block, he added, was the onus of paying composition fee and external development charges (EDC). "While the government desired to recover the EDC from the developers, we have made a plea that these should be recovered from the plot holders or property owners in the unauthorised colonies.

He said the developers had pointed out that recovery of EDC from the colonisers, who had sold the plots at very cheap rates many years ago, was not a practical proposition. "Most of the developers of unauthorised colonies had either no stakes in the long ago carved out colonies, or had changed business. Some others had shifted base, and few of them had even expired. Moreover, the prices of land had appreciated many times since inception of these colonies and the plot or house owners will not mind paying a few hundred rupees per square yard in return for all basic amenities and external development works," he said.

Lending support to the demand for regularisation of existing colonies in a hassle-free manner, a prominent city-based realtor Gulshan Kumar of GK Group asserted that if the government comes out with a simplified and practical policy for regularisation of unauthorised colonies, it can virtually have a money-spinner which would come handy to tide over the financial crisis that the state is facing.

He said going by some 634 colonies listed on the GLADA website, the area covered by these colonies is roughly around 6,000 acres. "Taking the non-saleable area to be approximately 30 per cent, these colonies are spread over in some 4,200 acres or upward of two crore square yards. Even if the government fixes a composition fee of Rs 500 per square yard, just the listed 600 off colonies will yield a whopping amount of over Rs 1,000 crore."

Kumar further said the unauthorised colonies spread across the length and breadth of the state will fetch many times more by way of EDC even if one goes by the number of such colonies as per the government records which stand at 3500. "The market sources, however, peg the number of colonies at more than 15,000," he added.

Ludhiana, August 1
Not many people in this industrial city are aware about the existence of a public library of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC), which is surprising as well as shameful, given the fact that Ludhiana claims to be the educational hub of the region. The odd location and condition of the library could be the main reasons why nobody visits it.

The cieling of the library at the Children’s Traffic Training Park in poor condition; and (right) a few visitors at the library in Nehru Rose Garden in Ludhiana. Tribune photographs

To make matters worse, the MC has not purchased even a single book in the last five years, despite the fact that every year funds are allocated for this purpose.

The public library is located in the Zone-C office of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation located on the Gill road, while it’s having two branches, one in Nehru Rose Garden, Civil Lines, and another in Children’s Traffic Training Park, Model Town area.

The public libraries are opened for those who are fond of reading, but over the years, the number of readers has come down considerably, pointing fingers over the reading habits of the residents of the city as well as the MC, which needs to promote book culture.

The MC libraries are merely considered as stores for keeping books, as a few people visit these libraries nowadays because the books lying there have not been updated for years. Sadly, nothing has been done so far to improve the libraries, either by improving the collection of the books or providing facilities to the readers.

The books stocked in these libraries are not in a readable condition and even other infrastructure is in dire need of repair and need an overhaul with new books and creation of a comfortable atmosphere for the readers.

The public library in the Nehru Rose Garden dates back to 1988 and is having around 6,000 books with a majority of them being in Punjabi and Hindi, followed by English and Urdu books. Here the number of members is falling with each passing year.

“Last year, we had a membership of 48, but this year only 36 persons became our members,” informs Sunita Sharma, a library restorer of the MC.

The picture at the library in Children’s Traffic Training Park is no different. Here, the number of books is around 1,800 (mostly children literature) and membership just 41. This public library caters mostly to the children from Jammu Colony, Model Town and other adjoining localities. Ironically, even the upper section of the library, where about 53 dolls showcased traditional attires of the country, is home to pigeons now.

Urmil Jain, the restorer at the Children Library, informs that children are good readers. “Whenever it’s holiday time, a large number of children visit our library,” informed Jain. Ironically, this building is in dire need of repairs, as its ceiling is broken.

The city residents often accuse the MC of not doing anything for improving the public libraries in terms of collection of books as well as facilities or even the ambience of the libraries.

Manjit Singh Dhaliwal, secretary, MC and in charge of the public libraries, informs that the main library located on the Gill road is having around 8,000 books of different Indian languages. “I have been made the in charge of this department recently and my main aim now is to modernise them, so that the residents can avail this facility,” said Dhaliwal.

How to become member?

The annual fee of becoming a member of the MC public libraries on the Gill road and Nehru Rose Garden is Rs 15 with Rs 50 charged as the security deposit. At the Children Library, the annual fee is Rs 2, while the security deposit is Rs 10. Once you become the member of these libraries, a book is issued for 15 days, while a magazine is issued for a week.

Gill road library to be shifted

To ensure that a large number of residents visit the public library and for inculcating reading habits among the residents of the city, the MC is in the process of shifting its main library from the Gill road to Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan. The shifting process has almost been completed and the MC has taken a hall on the first floor of the bhawan on lease.

Staff shortage to blame

MC officials rue that the posts, which fell vacant after the retirement of employees managing the libraries, have not been filled. Even the post of librarian is lying vacant for several months now and junior librarians are now working at this post. Out of 17 posts of library restorers, around 10 are lying vacant.

Mobile library missing

For taking public library on the doorsteps of the residents and to promote the book culture among people, the MC had started a mobile library more than two decades ago. The mobile library, Indira Gandhi Mobile Library (IGML), however, is lying abandoned for more than six years now. The reason behind this library being non-functional is that the bus housing the mobile library developed some technical snag. Later, it was sent to the MC workshop for repair, but since then it is lying there for repair.

Ludhiana, August 1
The Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) and exemption from the Site Appraisal Committee (SAC) for the industry announced by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has given a big relief to the industry.

The VDS was announced for industries that are still not covered under pollution control Acts, including air, water and noise pollution. The announcement was made by Ravinder Singh, chairman of Punjab Pollution Control Board on his visit to the city to meet industry representatives.

"The industries that make the disclosure will not be penalised retroactively. The scheme will help in reducing pollution, and enhance the confidence of the people in the government," he said, while addressing a meeting at United Cycle Parts and Manufacturers Association.

Discussing the problems faced by the industry, Gurmeet Singh Kular, the association president, said the industry was going through recession and struggling to survive.

In order to facilitate a smooth functioning of the industry, the association gave some suggestions:

• Exemption for all industries in designated and mixed land use area from the Site Appraisal Committee.
• Exemption from obtaining a no-objection certificate for building plans from Punjab Pollution Control Board.
• Industries situated in a mixed land use area that fulfill non-polluting norms be given consent to operate.
• Industrial forgings and hammers that create excessive vibrations be covered under the pollution Act, as excess vibrations damaged the adjoining buildings.
• Generators up to a capacity of 25 KVA in a mixed land use area and up to 62.5 KVA in a designated area be exempted from canopies, as cost of canopies exceeded the cost of the generator and was unviable for small entrepreneurs.
• The mixed land use area be declared as Industrial Area-D.

Ludhiana, August 1
A trivial matter triggered fight between two elderly people at an old age home recently. One of them had to be hospitalised as she went under depression following the fight.

The incident took place at the senior citizens home of Red Cross. Sarabjit Kaur, secretary, Red Cross, while talking to The Tribune said there is never any major problem among the people who are staying here. But sometimes even a slightest difference of opinion triggers fight. Being dejected and abandoned by their own kin they tend to vent their disappointment. "We try to sort out everything as soon as possible. We do understand their plight. We have to manage everything very cautiously," said Kaur.

A 70-year-old said, "We are at the fag end of our lives, dejected and frustrated. And we lose tempers, too. There are over 50 people living here. It is likely to have differences of opinion. The fights are like the way we fight with our children or family members. We sort out the differences later. Some people fight to get the newspapers while others fight to have a particular dish in lunch or dinner." Pappo Abnash Singh, a regular visitor at the old age home said the residents had to be tackled in an affectionate way.

"All of them adjust with each but sometimes it is not possible to adjust everything. We try to make them happy and if required we warn then too," said the NGO officials.

Ludhiana, August 1
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rahul Tiwari has asked officials from the revenue department to enter intekaal of the residents in their records by August 15. While conducting the monthly meeting of the revenue department today, Tiwari said the officials must enter the intekaal of the residents up to August 15.

Tiwari said, “The department must make sure that all documents regarding intekaal, recoveries and demarcation are completed by August 16, as on August 16 another meeting will be held on this issue.” He also asked the SDMs to conduct a review meeting with all revenue officials before the meeting on August 16.

The DC said it had brought to his notice that many officials in the revenue department had not entered the intekaals in the registers for long. He said it was the duty of the SDMs to fix responsibility and ensure that all pending work was completed. Tiwari said patwaris must sit at their work stations where construction had been completed. — TNS

Jagraon, August 1
The accident, in which a two-wheeler rider, Laxman Kumar of Jagraon, died after his two-wheeler was hit by a car near the New Grain Market on Sherpur Road last afternoon, took a new twist today when Akwinder Singh, a student of class XI at GHG Academy, Jagraon told SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor that the accident took place because the vehicle which hit the two-wheeler was in fact chasing Akwinder for allegedly kidnapping him.

Akwinder Singh of Tihara village, near Sidhwan Bet, told the SSP that when he came out of the building after the school was over yesterday, some unidentified persons attempted to kidnap him but he managed to flee away on his motorcycle.

Akwinder claimed that the persons, who wanted to kidnap him, chased him in a Toyota Innova. "When I reached near the Sherpur Road, I quickly turned my bike towards the city and the Toyota Innova hit a two-wheeler rider. After the accident, I managed to reach the house of one of my relatives," said Akwinder.

Akwinder's father, Jagjit Singh said he had an old rivalry with another family of the village. He claimed that in the past too his rivals had tried to kidnap his son but they did not succeed in their efforts.

Meanwhile, Toor said the police had traced the Toyota Innova, which was involved in the accident, and the vehicle belonged to a person from Ramghar Bhullar village. "The police has also arrested three youngsters in this case and registered a case of negligence driving against them. During the investigation we have learnt that these youngsters have no connection with alleged kidnapping attempt," said Toor.

Ludhiana, August 1
To streamline the process of providing shagun schemes and other benefits to government beneficiaries on the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India, the state government has asked the district administration to look for the viability of introducing electronic transfer and financial inclusion plan (ETFIP) in villages.

According to information, till now these benefits are disbursed under various schemes to residents of the villages. These schemes include shagun schemes, widow pensions, schemes for pregnant women, shagun for girl child, benefits to physically challenged persons, etc. Presently, about 15 such schemes are going on in Punjab, under which the residents of the villages are getting the financial benefits.

But the beneficiaries’ accounts have opened in various banks in the villages or cities and they have to approach to different banks to get the benefits. Under the ETFIP, the government plans to introduce one nodal bank in each village or block from where all beneficiaries could get the benefits under the respective schemes by just swapping a card given to them.

This nodal bank will have the accounts of all beneficiaries (with different banks) and will disburse the amounts under one roof.

It is learnt that even the banks, officials in the finance department, Chandigarh, and district administration officials are taking the plan as good and beneficial for the residents of the villages as this will save a lot of time. At the same time, they feel that a lot many steps were involved before implementing the plan.

The ADC (D) has reportedly been made the nodal officer and given a month’s time to study the viability of the project and consult with the representatives of lead bank office here to get the feedback. The next meeting on this issue will be held on August 17 after which the report will be submitted to the state government.

Ludhiana, August 1
Days of hand fans are returning, as residents can be seen searching for the hand fans from the old city areas. As invertors and other equipment installed at homes got dysfunctional due to the long power cuts, the demand of hand fans has increased.

Despite from attractive and modern hand fans, people still have faith in hand-made traditional pakhies. It is a common perception that these pakhies give more relief in humid and hot weather.

The Saban Bazaar is an area in the old city where hand fans used to sell in the wholesale market.

Devi Lal, a wholesaler, said, “We have been selling traditional pakhies from 50 years. I have seen days when we used to sell bundles of hand fans every day. The sale of manual fans decreased with the emergence of technology. But now after many years, people again started demanding these fans.”

Karan, another wholesaler at the Talab Mandir road, said, “It was an era when we used to display the hand fans outside the shop, but after the decrease in their demand, we started keeping them inside the shop. With the emergence of invertors, only rural costumers demand hand-made fans. But this time, we have sold at least 1,200 bundles. Now, we haven’t much hand fans in stock.”

Randeep Kaur from Dhandari Kalan said, “All thanks to the government to make us close to our tradition.”

Ludhiana, August 1
The Punjab government has promoted three Deputy District Attorneys to the rank of District Attorney and two Assistant District Attorneys to the rank of Deputy District Attorney.

On promotion, Ashwani Kumar Bedi has been appointed as the District Attorney (Legal), Ludhiana. He will work with the office of Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana.

Seema Arora, who was working as officiating District Attorney with the office of Commissioner of Police, has been transferred to the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, after being promotion as District Attorney.

Whereas, Promila Kumari Jain has been promoted to the post of District Attorney and posted in the office of Commissioner, vigilance enquiry, Punjab staste, at Chandigarh.

ML Bathla and SS Latala both have been promoted to the rank of Deputy District Attorneys. However, they will remain posted at the local district courts.

Ludhiana, August 1
The industry, finally, heaved a sigh of relief as the government of India has decided to ban steel from commodity trading up to December 31. With the state government increasing the power tariff and imposing weekly off on the industry and asking the intra-state traders to file the information online, the central government has given them something to cheer about.

Steel was traded through commodity exchange since 2005. The Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association (FOPSIA) has welcomed the decision of the government to ban steel from commodity trading. “This was the long standing demand of the industry. Since commodity trading of steel was done it resulted in fluctuations as the market was in the hands of artificial traders,” said Badish Jindal, president of FOPSIA.

“Banning steel from commodity exchange is a positive step taken by the government as it will bring down the prices of steel in future, and will help to maintain the stability of prices as steel will follow the actual principal of demand and supply. The fluctuations in the prices of steel will now stop and there will no longer be irrational increase in the prices,” added another industrialist Vipin Sehgal.

Ludhiana, August 1
The lead pair of "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai", Aaditya Samanta and Nazia Khan, was in the city to promote the movie which is set to release this Friday. Taking to the media, they said it was a love story in which they play characters belonging to warring Rajput families.

Although the storyline sounded threadbare at the outset, the movie is different and interesting, said Nazia. Shot in Poland and India, including Rajasthan where the story is set, the movie showcased tradition and family values, she said.

Nazia said it was better to start a career in the mainstream cinema with a love story, as audiences connected more with such movies. Nazia is a niece of Sanjay Dutt. She said although she hailed from a family of movie stars, it did not help her much in her career.

Nazia said she did not work in any commercials or television shows, because she was focused on movies.

"Although my first movie 'Say Yes to Love' turned out to be mediocre, I was well reviewed," said the actress. She said it was Salim Khan who encouraged her to perform.

Aaditya, who was accompanying his co-star, is son of director Ashim Samanta. He was the assistant director of the Govinda-Salman starrer "Partner", and also assisted his father in "Don Muthu Swami" and television series "Antariksh". He said despite his stints behind the camera, he was always keen on acting.

This Friday, "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai" will open on the silver screen in the city along with "Jism-II", "From Sydney to Love", and an animated movie "Krishna aur Kans".