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Cong rally brings city to halt
Ludhiana, September 7 The vehicular traffic remained disrupted on the road for over three hours. Congress leaders Captain Amarinder Singh, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress committee, Sunil Jakhar, Congress Legislative Party leader and Manish Tewari, Member of Parliament, led a protest rally of Congress leaders and workers near the Mini-Secretariat. Residents passing through Ferozepur Road had to face inconvenience as haphazard parking of Congress leaders’ vehicles blocked the traffic. Besides, vehicles of the security staff were also parked on the road leading to chaos. The organisers failed to make provision for parking of vehicles near to the rally venue. A number of Congress workers faced inconvenience while parking their cars at the venue. Most of the vehicles were parked at Punjabi Bhawan Complex. Commuters passing through the busy Bharat Nagar chowk were at the receiving end for three hours (from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm) due to long traffic jams. Beant Juneja, in charge, traffic police station, said: "We had made arrangements to avoid traffic jams. The police diverted the heavy vehicles to Kochar Market. But there were some Congress workers who parked their vehicles on the road and we had to tow away five-six cars from the spot. The Z security vehicles were also parked on the road.” |
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All 75 wards without councillors
Ludhiana, September 7 Surprisingly, the state government is still in the process of finalising the date for administering oath to the elected councillors. Besides, the date to elect the Mayor, the Senior Deputy Mayor and the Deputy Mayor has not been decided yet. The development works in the city have come to a standstill as after being elected, the newly elected councillors are yet to serve the residents while the sitting councillors, who lost the June 10 MC elections, resorted to dilly-dallying tactics. A newly elected councillor rued: “Though I defeated the sitting councillor, residents still visit his office for attestation of documents, redressal of their problems and other works. The loser continues to work as normal
while the winner is still waiting to be accepted as a councillor.” However, some councillors have found a new way to tackle the problem. “We are still attesting documents, but are now not mentioning the date under our signatures. This way, we can continue working as normal,” said a councillor whose term expire on Thursday. Govt can appoint administrator
A senior MC official said this problem had arisen after several years. “It’s for the first time that the newly elected councillors have not been administered oath for around three months. As per rules, whenever the term of the MC House ends and the newly elected councillors are yet to be administered oath, the state government can appoint the present MC Commissioner as an administrator. But this situation will change as the oath-taking ceremony and the election to the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor is likely to take place on September 15,” said the official. |
Mayoral election likely on Sept 15
Ludhiana, September 7 Sources within the local bodies department said the election might be held on September 15. The newly elected councillors will also be administered an oath on the same day. Interestingly, even after passing of almost three months, the newly elected councillors are yet to be administered the oath. The MC elections had taken place on June 10. While the Shiromani Akali Dal councillors and leaders have given the right to elect the Mayor to party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Bharatiya Janta Party has asked the party high command to choose the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting at the house of state PWD minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon on June 12. On September 3, the BJP had asked the party high command to take the final call. A senior Akali leader said the Mayoral election will be held on September 15. “As per rules, the oath-taking ceremony is held three days after the MC secretary receives an official communiqué from the state government. The letter is to be sent by the Divisional Commissioner, Patiala, and he is likely to send it soon." The Ludhiana MC is the richest civic body of the state with an annual budget o Rs 741 crore for 2012-13. As per the internal arrangement between the Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party, the post of Mayor goes with the Akali Dal while the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor remain with the BJP. The main contenders for the post of Mayor are three-time councillor Pal Singh Grewal, Hakam Singh Giaspura, youth leader from the Bains group Kamaljit Singh Karwal, Jagbir Singh Sokhi and Paramjit Kaur Shivalik, two-time councillors. |
Gangster Shera was wanted by city police
Ludhiana, September 7 A case was registered against Shera at the Shimlapuri police station in May in which he demanded a ransom of Rs 30 lakh from a businessman. Shera was wanted in numerous cases of murder, attempt to murder, looting, vehicle lifting, kidnapping, firing and incidents of intimidation. Jaswinder Singh, SHO, Shimlapuri, said: Shera was wanted in a case registered in their police station some months ago. Gagandeep Singh, a mobile service distributor and a resident of Dugri, received call from Shera for a ransom of Rs 30 lakh. We conducted raids at various places to nab Shera, but he managed to flee." Shera was allegedly involved in a murder case that took place in Ferozepur during the Assembly polls on January 30. The police said Shera had threatened some other businessmen of Ludhiana. |
Migrant’s murder case solved: Police
Ludhiana, September 7 Qurbaan, a resident of Bhamian Road, was murdered on September 2 and the police found his body the next day. Raj Kumar, SHO, Division no 7 police station, said: "During preliminary investigations, it came to light that Qurbaan was a member of a notorious gang. This gang targeted people in Ludhiana and other districts. When we come to know about it, we started looking for Qurbaan's associates and the main accused was arrested on Thursday at Samrala Chowk. The accused revealed that on September 2, Qurbaan had a scuffle with other members of the gang ", added Raj Kumar. The SHO said that Ishfaque allegedly strangulated Qurbaan with some cloth and after killing him, fled from the spot. |
Dengue: 15 test positive
Ludhiana, September 7 Besides, the Sentinel Surveillance Lab confirmed six more suspected cases of dengue, said District Epidemiologist Dr Puneet Juneja. With this, Ludhiana District has 24 confirmed cases of dengue. |
Cong Leaders stage dharna against taxes
Ludhiana, September 7 Defending the UPA Government at the Centre, Tewari claimed that the allegations of a scam in the coal block allocation were the "biggest lie". During the protest, Congress Legislative Party leader Sunil Jakhar accused the state government of misdirecting funds released by the Centre. The Congress workers raised slogans against the state government, demanding withdrawal of the taxes. The protest concluded with the address of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Captain Amarinder Singh. The Congress leaders also submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Governor, to the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana. Among those present on the occasion included District Congress Committee Ludhiana (Urban) president Pawan Dewan, and MLAs Bharat Bhushan, Gurkirat Kotli, Surinder Dawer, Rakesh Pandey, Amrik Dhillon, and Gurcharan Singh
Boparai. Sidelights *
A wobbly ceiling fan made the PPCC president uneasy. He was heard telling the party workers to get it fixed. *
The Congress functionaries and workers have been issued a diktat not to go public with their grievances. "If they have any problem with anyone, they can tell the leaders," said the PPCC chief, addressing the media. *
Captain Amarinder Singh said: "Dharna does not mean the end of the show. What we are going to do will be decided when the party sits together." *
The Metro Project came in for sarcastic jibes, when Captain Amarinder Singh alleged that the Akali-BJP govt. did not have requisite funds to complete the project. "Trenches will be dug. Cars will fall into these trenches," he claimed. *
While addressing the gathering during the dharna, Tewari claimed that the SAD leaders left no opportunity to get their photographs affixed on Ambulance-108. |
Akali protesters obstruct traffic
Ludhiana September 7 Vehicular movement on roads in Pakhowal roads was affected. Meetpal Singh Dugri, national vice-president of the Youth Akali Dal, alleged, "Most of the Congress leaders are involved in coal scam, spectrum scam and Commonwealth Games scam." He alleged that the Prime Minister had failed to control the price hike. |
Marriage palace owners demand rollback in luxury tax
Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 7 Owners of palaces situated at Pohir, Jagera and Dehlon villages led by Param Deep Singh Deepa and Dharam Pal Bansal said the hike in luxury tax from four to eight per cent came as a shock to them. As advance bookings had already been made for the next six to seven months, neither the owners nor the clients were ready to bear the extra burden, they said. "Now, when we have made the bookings according to the old plan, how will we be able to convince the clients to pay double the tax," argued Deepa and Bansal. Maintaining that they were already a harried lot, the owners appealed to the state government to review the tax structure and rationalise levies according to the economic background of their clients. The palace owners said most of their clients belonged to the lower-middle class and could not afford the extra taxation. Customers who had already made the bookings were approaching the owners of marriage palaces to get a clarification on the matter. Nirmal Singh of Lohgarh village, who had booked a palace situated on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road for a function to be held in November, said he would seek intervention of higher authorities if he was made to pay more than what he had been told at the time of booking. |
Literacy a distant dream
Ludhiana, September 7 Although the government claims that many child labourers have been "rescued", thousands of them continue to work at homes, shops and other commercial establishments, and as daily wagers in construction and other industries right under the nose of the administration. This is happening despite a ban on child labour imposed by the Constitution of India, the Union Parliament as well as the apex court. The Right to Education Act remains ineffective in the face of opposition from private schools that are not willing to allow the underprivileged children to study in their schools. "The government has provided for the right to free and compulsory education, but it has proved to be spineless when it comes to implementing it. The government has neither been able to rehabilitate the child labourers, nor it has been able to take a strict action against the private schools that are not complying with the rule of giving admission to underprivileged children," says Harjit Singh, a resident of Sant Nagar. Residents also feel the campaign has failed because of the widespread ignorance amongst the underprivileged about the fundamental right of free and compulsory education. "The government has failed to create awareness about the right," says Rohit, a resident. Oblivious of his rights, Pramod, a child who works at a shop in Model Town, says although he wanted to study in school, he had to work as his parents could not pay for his education. |
Spurt in snakebite cases
Ludhiana, September 7 In the past two months, about 14 patients with snakebite were admitted to Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, while six underwent treatment at Deep Hospital alone. Dr Baldeep Singh of Deep Hospital said,"Recently, six children were brought to the hospital. Five of them were discharged after their condition improved while the sixth one left the hospital stating that his parents could not afford the treatment. The children hail from Sudhar and Doraha." However, at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital, 11 cases were reported in August alone. Senior Medical Officer of the hospital Dr Karamveer Goel said,"In July, we received three cases while in June only one case was reported. Such cases keep surfacing throughout the year, with the average being 1 or 2. However, maximum cases are reported during rainy season." Dr Baldeep said,"When a snake bites, people cover the area with a cloth thinking that poison will not spread.But the practice is wrong, usually snakes bite on limbs, so the limb of the victim should be made immobile in such a way that there is no muscular movement. It will help contain the spread of venom. A snakebite victim is administered anti-snake venom. If the victim encounters breathing problem, he or she is put on ventilator till the anti-snake venom starts working effectively." SMO Dr Karamveer Goel said,"Before administering anti-snake venom, fang marks (the impression where a snake bites) are scaled off and washed with an antibiotic. We always keep anti-venom to deal with emergency cases." |
Company told to clear backlog
Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 7 The state transport department has asked the company to issue at least 2,300 number plates everyday so that the backlog is cleared by October-end. Confirming this, District Transport Officer MS Chatwal said the decision was taken recently during a meeting of the high-ups in Chandigarh. "Seeing the quantum of work in the district, the decision has been taken by the transport department. There is a huge backlog of number plates here and residents have regularly been complaining against the delay in getting the high-security number plates," said DTO Chatwal. Sources said the company had got just four machines to make such number plates in the district where hundreds of new vehicles were registered everyday, besides the old vehicles. About 40 more such machines are expected to be added to streamline the work. Meanwhile, the residents have been regularly raising hue and cry over the working of the contractor and his attendants in issuing the number plates. The residents complained that there were just two to three attendants and they could never get through to them. When certain residents lodged complaint with the attendants for not attending the phone calls, they were told that it was not possible to answer each and every call. Arvind Vashisht, a local resident, lamented that even after three months he was not able to get a high-security number plate from Dana Mandi (where these are issued). "I am simply fed up," complained Vashisht. |
Hike in VAT puts off brick kiln owners
Ludhiana, September 7 General secretary of the Ludhiana Brick Kiln Association Sarabjit Singh Dhillon said the government had put an additional burden on the brick kiln owners. The lump sum amount of VAT of about Rs 20,000 per month was levied by the state government about five years ago and all kiln owners were paying it religiously. At that time, it was decided that the government would increase the amount to 8 per cent per annum. "But in the recent decision, they set the VAT amount to Rs 40,000 per month, which is uncalled for. That means, the brick kiln owners will have to pay Rs 4,80,000 per year even if their business is not running smoothly. For four months from July to October, it is almost off season when people stop construction work due to rain. Though, we are given another option to deposit the VAT as per our sale, which is deposited every three months. But that way Inspectors start taking us for a ride and government loses its revenue as Inspectors start asking for money." said Dhillon. President of the association Darshan Singh Jawanda said there were about 2,000 brick kilns in Punjab, out of which 1,000 were near the city while the remaining were on the outskirts. "The kilns near the city can sale the bricks due to increased demand but there are not much sales in rural areas. How can they pay such a huge amount as VAT to the state government when their business suffers losses? Our executive will hold a state-level meeting in Chandigarh tomorrow to decide the next course of action," said Jawanda. |
Residents reiterate demand to shift garbage dump
Ludhiana, September 7 Residents and shopkeepers are demanding that the company should shift the garbage dump near Orient Cinema as it is operating without permission from the Ludhiana municipal corporation. This is not for the first time that residents and shopkeepers have held a protest against the garbage dump. The garbage dump is called a secondary garbage collection point in technical terms and private garbage collectors dump garbage of Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar and other adjoining localities here. The dump is then lifted by the A2Z company and sent to the garbage dump in Jamalpur village on the Chandigarh Road. However, the area residents and shopkeepers allege that the garbage dump is a blot on the face of posh Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar locality. Col Jagdish Singh Brar (retd), president of an NGO, Maha Sabha, Ludhiana, alleged that the particular garbage dump was running without permission from the MC. “This is not only an illegal dump but is also poorly maintained. This can be gauged known from the fact that a 10-year-old migrant girl had lost her life here last month. The MC should shift the dump to some other area so that the residents are not made to suffer. If the MC fails to redress this problem, we will be forced to intensify our protest,” claimed Col Brar. He added that they would not let the private garbage collectors dump garbage here. When the Maha Sabha Ludhiana members were protesting against the garbage dump, a group of private garbage collectors led by Surinder Kalyan, chairman of Valmiki Samaj Bachao Aandolan, too, reached the spot. Manoj Mishra, deputy-general manager, A2Z Waste Management Ludhiana Ltd, claimed that after their company got the contract of solid waste management, they had lifted more than 200 trucks full of garbage from the dump. “The dump has been in the area for several years and after we took over, we have maintained it in a better way than it was maintained earlier. We have kept several garbage bins in the area, but instead of dumping garbage in those, the private garbage collectors bring it to the dump. If they dump it in garbage bins, our trucks will lift it directly from there and take it to Jamalpur garbage dump and that particular garbage will not reach the dump near Orient Cinema. I have met the members of Maha Sabha, Ludhiana, and have assured them that the garbage dump will be maintained in a proper manner so that no person is affected,” claimed Manoj Mishra. |
Millers oppose amendment to open market scheme
Ludhiana, September 7 Naresh Ghai, president of the Punjab Roller Flour Millers' Association, said, "The Government of India through its Open Market Sale Scheme, which has been in place for the past 20 years, allocates wheat through the tender system in the entire country. Under the scheme, one reserve price is fixed for the whole country and rail freight from Ludhiana is charged as per distance up to the state's capital. Now, the policy has been amended and the producing states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and MP have been subjected to discrimination." He said the government had selectively identified the above stated four producing states and had imposed 14.5 per cent extra tax. Ghai said,"The Centre is penalising consumers by devising policies to "fix" consumers of the state and is forcing them to pay highest price for wheat products." |
Drug abuse a serious concern: Experts
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 7 There were two forms of drug abuse, habituation and addiction, she said. "In habituation, there is a desire but no inner compulsion to take drugs. There is some psychological but no physiological dependence and it affects only the person concerned,” Dr Kang said, adding, “In addiction, there is a strong inner compulsion to take more drugs. There is psychological as well as physiological dependence and the consequences of the drug abuse affect other too." |
Shaveta Thakur crowned Miss Freshers at GNIMT
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 7 The main attraction, however, was the Mr Freshers and Miss Freshers competition. Harjot Singh and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu were declared as the first and second runners-up among the boys, while Harman Kaur and Pavneet Khurana were declared first and second runners-up among the girls. The function was followed by lunch hosted by senior students. Literacy
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Grandparents’ day celebrations
Ludhiana: Penguin Castle Preschool, Udham Singh Nagar, organized a function to celebrate Grandparents’ Day during which children mingled with their paternal as well as maternal grandparents on the school premises. The little ones gave an endearing presentation to the special visitors with prayer, dance performances and poem recitation. The children also gave beautifully decorated greeting cards to their grandparents. The elders played games with their grandchildren and shared their experiences especially related to the children. Kamal Preet Kaur, director of the school, said such activities emphasised the importance of different relations and helped the children to inculcate feeling of love and respect towards elders in the family. Seminar on RTE Rain dance party Students enjoy a rain dance party at Cherubs The Preschool in Ludhiana on Friday. A Tribune photograph
Trip to Kasuali Awareness on career options |
19 bags of poppy husk recovered
Khanna, September 7 Two persons, Shankar and Navjeet Singh, both residents of Mandiala Kalan village, who were carrying the contraband were arrested, he said. Further investigation led to recovery of two more bags of poppy husk from Navjeet, and five bags from one Harmeet Singh and four bags from one Manjit Singh. Both Harmeet and Manjit worked with Shankar and Navjeet, Brar said. Another police party arrested a woman from Raikot who was carrying two bags of poppy husk. The police has registered cases in this regard under the NDPS Act and is questioning the accused. |
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