Ludhiana, December 5
Amid protest by residents, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation finally succeeded in demolishing buildings located in khasra number 106 of Sunet village here today. This piece of land is owned by the MC, but some persons have encroached upon it for the past more than a decade, with the civic body unaware about it.

After an NGO, the Maha Sabha, Ludhiana, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding this matter, the Deputy Commissioner was asked to investigate the matter, who on November 16, directed the MC to get the encroachment removed and take possession of its property as expeditiously as possible.

An MC team, led by municipal town planner Raj Kumar and assistant town planners Surinder Singh Bindra and Rajinder Sharma, reached the spot at around 3 pm today. They first demolished the godown, owned by Jaspal Singh, an aide of independent councillor Veeran Bedi.

As the godown was being demolished, there was not much opposition, but as MC officials turned two JCB machines towards a “vehra”, also located on khasra number 106, a group of people tried to stop the MC officials. Darshan Singh, who claimed to be the owner of this vehra, said the MC officials had not sent him any prior notice before carrying out the drive. He claimed that he has filed a case in a local court seeking permanent injunction. However, he failed to provide any documents to substantiate his claim.

Later, the MC demolished a large portion of the vehra and told the “owner” to demolish the remaining portion himself or else it would take action against him. “We will install a barbed wire around the land so that no person is able to encroach upon it again,” claimed ATP Surinder Singh Bindra.

Another building owner, who has encroached upon around 2 ft of MC land, was asked to vacate the MC land himself or else the MC would demolish the structure on it.

MC officials removed a wire installed by the owner of a house in B block of BRS Nagar. “Due to the installation of this wire, more than 10 ft of the road had been encroached upon. Another owner had installed “no parking” boards outside his house, which is illegal

Ludhiana, December 5
During the demolition drive of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, a Class IV employee of the MC tried to stop the drive by allegedly arguing and abusing his senior officials. The employee, Raghbir Singh Chauhan, is posted in Zone D and was seen openly shouting at the machine drivers to get off their vehicles.

The drama started when officials of the building branch of the MC were about to demolish a “vehra” located on khasra number 106, which belongs to the MC. Chauhan, accompanied by some other people, reached the spot and asked the MC staff to give a day's time before demolishing the structure.

When he was reminded that the drive was being carried out on the orders of the HC, he seemed in no mood to listen and kept insisting on his demand. He even tried to stand in front of the ditch machine. When senior MC officials asked the JCB machine drivers to start demolishing the building, Chauhan was seen abusing and using vulgar language against the MC officials.

Asked why he misbehaved and tried to stop the MC drive, Chauhan claimed that this building was owned by his friend Darshan Singh and that the MC was doing "something wrong".

Asked why he used abusive language against municipal town planner Raj Kumar, assistant town planners Surinder Singh Bindra and Rajinder Sharma and other MC officials, Chauhan said, “I just showed my displeasure. We cannot tolerate something wrong on the part of the MC officials.”

He said, “Our association has always stood by senior MC officials. However, today they didn’t listen to us. When Joint Commissioner AS Sekhon was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau, senior MC officials had requested our union members for support and now they are not even ready to listen to us. If any officer wants to take action against me, he is welcome because I am not dependent on my job,” said Chauhan in the presence of area residents and mediapersons.

A senior MC official said a report had been prepared against Chauhan. The report would be submitted to the MC Commissioner for action. “He misbehaved and abused MC officials in the presence of their subordinates as well as area residents. We cannot tolerate such nonsense. The matter will be taken up with the MC Commissioner,” said an MC official on condition of anonymity.

Official's take
He misbehaved and abused MC officials in the presence of their subordinates as well as area residents. We cannot tolerate such nonsense. The matter will be taken up with the MC Commissioner

— An MC official

Employeespeak
"If any officer wants to take action against me, he is welcome because I am not dependent on my job”

— RS Chauhan

Ludhiana, December 5
The sodomy case in a juvenile jail has yet again highlighted how the observation home, meant to "make juvenile criminals good human beings", has become a safe haven for anti-social elements.

With negligible security arrangements and no focus on the betterment of the juvenile home, juvenile criminals are having a field day at the observation home in Shimlapuri. The home is run by the Department of Social Securities.

A number of "clever" criminals have reportedly escaped rigorous jail term in the Central Jail or the Borstal Jail on the pretext of being minor although they were more than 18 years old.

One of the accused, Harpreet Singh, from Barnala, who is facing sodomy charges, is reportedly 19 years old.

He was 17 years old when he was sent to the observation home. He has a huge list of criminal cases against him. The other two inmates, who are facing sodomy charges, are 17 and 16 years old.

A majority of the criminals take the advantage of a legal lacuna and claim that they were minor when they committed the crime.

Ludhiana, December 5
As 21 allottees of high income group (HIG) flats continue to wait for the past several years to take possession of their houses, a spat between the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and the Kabir Cooperative House Building Society stands in the way of the execution of the last phase of the project.

The scheme for the construction of 162 HIG flats under the name of Rajiv Enclave in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar was envisaged by the LIT in 2008, and after allotment of the flats in the self-financing housing project through a draw of lots, the construction of the flats was taken up.

However, as the work commenced on the last block of 21 flats in the project, it was brought to the notice of the LIT authorities that a chunk of 900 sq yards, included in the layout plan of the housing scheme, was owned by the Kabir Cooperative House Building Society. The society objected to the work being taken up for the construction of HIG flats on its land, and also moved the civil court, which granted a stay order in favour of the society.

During the intervening period, the allottees of 21 HIG flats had already paid three half-yearly instalments towards the cost of the flats to the Trust. The affected allottees kept exerting pressure for early settlement of the dispute, but as the matter dragged on, the LIT authorities decided not to take any more instalments from the allottees till the issue was sorted out.

There was a ray of hope that at last the remaining 21 flats would be constructed when functionaries of the society signed an agreement with then chairman MM Vyas after a detailed discussion.

In the agreement, signed on January 7, 2011, the society agreed to forgo its claim on 900 sq yards so that the remaining 21 flats could be constructed on it, and in return, the LIT offered to hand over possession of 500 sq yards lying vacant in the F block of the colony on the condition that no construction would be carried out at this site. It was further agreed upon that the Trust would approve all pending building plans, including that of a community centre, in the pocket owned by the society.

However, when the LIT allotted the work for completion of the project, and it was to be taken in hand a few weeks ago, it came to light that the society had not withdrawn the court case, as had been agreed upon, and that the possession of the land still lay with the society.

Bhagwan Singh, president of the Kabir Cooperative House Building Society, alleged that Trust officials had got the agreement signed with a mala fide intention. "They (the LIT) were never prepared to keep their part of the agreement as certain LIT officials had made known that the agreement held no legal sanctity. Our building plans are still not being approved, and the Trust just wanted to usurp 900 sq yards owned by the society," he said.

Trust engineer SS Jakhar said, "We have called the office-bearers of the society to discuss the matter and sort out all related issues," he said.

Ludhiana, December 5
Panic gripped students, patients and staff of educational institutes and a hospital associated with the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Group of Medical Institutes when a group of over 200 miscreants created a ruckus, broke windowpanes and manhandled students taking an examination at an ayurvedic college of the group today.

Though the police is yet to register a case, the Sudhar police claimed to have identified some of the suspets who had allegeldy been denied registeration as students in the college on technical grounds.

Members of the management committee of a Trust running these institutes said a group of over 200 miscreants forcibly entered the premises of the ayiurvedic college and hospital and damaged property.

"They broke windowpanes of the institutes, threatened our students and staff, entered the examination hall and tore question papers and answers sheets of students," alleged Inder Jit Singh Grewal, general secretary of the Trust. The reason behind the attack is suspected to be denial of registeration to 10 students who were admitted to the college last year.

Grewal said the institute had admitted 13 students after the stiplated last date by adopting the proper system in the presence of representative of the Punjab Government. While three students left on their own, documents for registeration of the other 10 were sent to the university along with those of 35 students admitted earlier.

"Unfortunately, the university denied registeration to 10 students. We sought the intervention of the court to enable the students continue with their studies. However, instead of understanding our problem and cooperating with us, some of these students played at the hands of some mischievous forces and attacked the institute at about 10.30 am today," said Grewal, adding that the college authorities had already informed the police about the threats recieved from the students concerned.

SHO, Sudhar, Rajesh Sharma said a police party was sent to the college after recieving information about the incident. The police had identified some of the miscreants. "Though we have identified some of the suspects, we cannot disclose their names yet as that can affect the investigation," said Sharma.

The trigger
The reason behind the attack is suspected to be denial of registeration to 10 students who were admitted to the college last year

Ludhiana, December 5
A major tragedy was averted when a pilot vehicle escorting a kabaddi team from Muktsar rammed into a stationary tractor-trailer on Ferozepur Road near Mullanpur here today.

Four policemen travelling in the pilot vehicle sustained injuries and were taken to the DMCH. They are stated to be out of danger.

An eyewitness said the bus driver that was following the pilot vehicle applied brakes on time otherwise the tragedy could have been grave. 

Ludhiana, December 5
A 29-year-old woman died after inhaling poisonous fumes from a gas geyser installed in a bathroom.

The victim has been identified as Bindia, a resident of Street No. 4 in Shivpuri.

The incident came to light when Bindia's son and daughter returned from school and started searching for their mother.

They kept knocking at the bathroom door but there was no response. After failing to open the bathroom door, they called area residents for help.

The residents broke open the door of the bathroom and found Bindia lying unconscious. Bindia was taken to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. Bindia's husband Munish, a jeweller, was not at home when the incident took place.

Doraha, December 5
With the re-filling of the deep trench dug up for fixing the overbridge poles at the bus stand of Doraha, the hopes of residents, who had earnestly demanded an over bridge to be constructed at the place, seem to have been dashed to the ground.

“As the erection of an over bridge was very essential especially at the bus stand of Doraha, we had to personally meet the authorities at Ambala several times who in turn acceding to our request and worked out the possibility of the same at point 294+040 which comes exactly at the place of the bus stand of Doraha and arranged the material too for the purpose,” said Prof Parkash Singh, a resident of the town.

“The residents of Doraha including Mohalla Zaildar, Sunder Nagar, villages along Doraha including Jaipura had met the project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Ambala, who were given a nod there and then.

Although it was already a year or so since the erection material last arrived at the bus stand but still we were confident that some or the other day it would be finally erected. But some days ago, the deep trench, that had been dug up for fixing the material, which had hitherto been covered by safety poles all along, has been re-filled as if the authorities have given a re-thought to put the public into inconvenience once again when six-laning is complete,” expressed Pawan Kumar Kaushal, another resident of the town.

“If this is so, we shall not sit back. Are we fools pleading for our demands by rushing from pillar to post, if such is the case? Only if the need of the overbridge was being strongly felt by the people of Doraha that we asked the authorities to intervene and it was only when the NHAI itself saw authenticity in our demand that they relented to fix an over bridge at this particular spot. Now if the authorities have thought otherwise, as it seems from the manner in which the dug up trench has been filled up, we shall have to raise our voice once again,” shared Jandeep Kaushal, a social worker of the area.

“At Doraha, especially the need for a foot over bridge had ever been badly felt by the public especially the ones who board their buses on either side of or for that matter the school and the college going children or employees who have no other option but to cross the National Highway.

Now when the material has already been unloaded at the bus stand and a ray of hope has been kindled in the hearts of the residents, such an act of the contractors have raised doubts in the minds of the residents. If not so, then it has been already been one year since the material is lying down. How much time more does the NHAI need to just affix an over bridge so that the grave problem of crossing the humming National Highway, especially by the children and the elderly, is eased at the earliest? At our town the foot over bridge should be constructed at all costs otherwise Doraha shall cease to remain what it presently is,” expressed Pritam Singh Jaggi of Doraha.

The project director, Rajesh Kumar, when contacted said: “We had initially fixed 75 points as flyover points on the entire stretch but as genuine demands poured in, we started reviewing the things again. Now if the approval has been granted and moreover if it is a bus stand at the place, the over bridge should be constructed. But I shall first have to check up and only then I shall be able to tell about the situation for certain.”

Jagraon, December 5
The police has failed to clear the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of Jagraon Truck Union former president Darshan Singh, who was allegedly shot dead on the outskirts of Sawadi village, near Jagraon, on Monday morning. Even though more than 60 hours have passed since the murder took place, the police investigation has made a little progress.

Though the police had booked three persons in connection with the murder on Monday evening, none of the accused has been arrested so far. The police has not found any evidence to establish the exact reason behind the murder.

And now Dashan Singh's licensed revolver has also gone missing, making the investigation more complex. According to sources, the revolver has been missing since he was murdered.

In the absence of any substantive evidence the whole investigation into the murder now depends upon the bullet which was removed by the doctors from the deceased's head during a post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital, Jagraon. The police had set up a panel of three doctors for conducting the post mortem examination.

The police has sent the bullet to a laboratory. The police officials say the laboratory examination of this bullet holds utter importance in solving this case.

Investigating officer SHO Rachpal Singh stated the police had been investigating this case from different angles. "It would be too early to say anything about this case at this stage. We have sent the bullet which caused the death of Darshan Singh for laboratory examination and now we are waiting for the laboratory report which will disclose many things," said Rachpal Singh.

He admitted that Darshan Singh's revolver has been missing and the police has been searching for the revolver too. The efforts to arrest the accused have also been stepped up, added Rachpal Singh.

Darshan Singh was allegedly shot dead by certain persons on the outskirts of Sawadi village on Monday morning when he was out for a morning walk. Darshan Singh's body was found in a defunct brick factory located outside Sawadi village. The police had booked three persons, including Gurpreet Singh, alias Choji, his Uncle Jatinder Singh Chaddha and Gursewak Singh, alias Rinpy, on a statement of the deceased's son Jagdeep Singh.

Ludhiana, December 5
Folk singer Surinder Shinda has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Punjab Arts Council. This is the highest recognition in the state given to a singer for making contribution to the field of culture.

Contented at having been chosen for the award, Shinda said he had basically remained a folk singer.

He brought to life the old genre "kissa-kavs" (folk stories). "My music has been that of folk instruments and I have used these throughout in my music," he said.

"I have learnt music from Jaswant Singh Bhawra, and before that from my father and maternal grandfather," he said.

Surinder Shinda shot to popularity with his folk song “Naina Di Vanjhli”. Then a string of folk songs, including “Bhagat Singh”, “Dulla Bhati”, “Jagga Jatt” and “Sucha Soorma”, won him acclaim from all sections of society. "My music album, “Bhagat Singh”, was released at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by then president Giani Zail Singh, and at an awards function in Canada," he said.

He has been a folk singer throughout his life because "folk survives while pop disappears after some time," he said. The life of a pop song ends after it has been heard a few times, but folk songs are heard for a long time.

He has been paying attention to his admirers and critics. "I have tried to improve my music. People like Pargat Singh Grewal, Dev Threekeyawala, Gurbhajan Singh Gill and Gill Surjeet have always advised me about how I can improve my music," he said.

Having achieved many milestones in his long career in music, he now wants to go even higher. "I want to take Sufi music to every home and every village. Sufi songs are mostly sung in light classical tones, but I want to give it the colour of folk," he said.

Ludhiana, December 5
As the city police has beefed up security ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel have also arrived at the PAU to overview the security arrangements.

Hectic activities were witnessed at the PAU today as vehicles fitted with high-resolution security cameras were zipping in the university.

By the evening, the university took the shape of a garrison. Policemen were seen in every nook and corner of the university. The Commissioner of Police, Ishwar Singh, who is supervising the security arrangements along with the SPG, was seen briefing the officials, including the PAU Vice-Chancellor BS Dhillon, on the preparedness for the visit.

The PM will visit the city on December 8 to preside over the golden jubilee function of the PAU. Nearly 1,500 policemen from the reserve police forces and other districts have been deployed in the city.

Ludhiana, December 5
These days when there is much hue and cry over the poor supply of electricity in the region, the biogas plant at the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) has started producing 240 kilo watts (kw) of power everyday. The gas, which will be sufficient to run a 40-KVA biogas operated genset daily, ultimately provides uninterrupted power-supply for about six hours. The brainchild of Dr VK Taneja, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU, the biogas plant has a capacity of 4500 kgs of cow-dung and poultry droppings per day.

Dr Taneja said, "The electricity produced from this genset can be used for chaffing of green fodder, machine milking of animals and to operate fans, coolers and foggers installed in the animal sheds. The successful running of the biogas plant and to produce electricity from generated biogas can motivate the progressive dairy farmers of the state.

The mechanisation of various operations at the dairy farm has increased the need of electricity. By producing electricity from biogas plant, it will help in reducing the electricity cost of a dairy farmer and will also provide cheap and green electricity source during power cuts."

Besides, the slurry obtained from biogas plant can be used as manure in the fields and it has more fertilising power than conventional farmyard manure. Wastes from livestock include dung, urine, slaughterhouse poultry and fish processing and dairy plants.

"Appropriate processing of these wastes while maintaining environment can provide additional income. A study undertaken at GADVASU in terms of management of dung for slurry, biogas production and generating electricity including processing the CO2 has been very successful and savings through management around 50 quintals of dung per day was Rs 90,000 per month after accounting for all inputs," said Dr Taneja.

Ludhiana, December 5
The e-filing of VAT 20 form will now start on December 7 since the Excise and Taxation Department has failed to upload the forms on its website. Initially, the online filing was to commence from December 5 and the last date for the filing was December 31, which has now been extended to January 4.

The Excise and Taxation Department has also issued a public notice, which also mentions that the annexure accompanying the VAT 20 form should be submitted to the respective AETCs in-charge of the district within three working days of the filing of return. The annexure shall be accompanied by the system generated acknowledgement of e-return.

Jatinder Khurana, a tax professional, said the last date for the filing of return is approaching and the department was yet to upload the form on its website. "Traders are facing inconvenience due to all this. The department should not do the things in a rush and it would have been better if it would have started the e-filing of VAT returns from the next year after completing all the requirements," said he.

Ludhiana, December 5
DRV DAV School, Phillaur, figures in the list of winners of the National School Sanitation Awards given by the Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE). Only nine schools in the state have received the award and none of the schools in Ludhiana has made it to the list.

The awards were launched by the CBSE in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Urban Development under the National School Sanitation Initiative in 2009.

According to the CBSE website, "Access to sanitary toilets not only ensures dignity of the individual but also positively impacts health, well-being and productivity, reduces dropout rates and encourages regular attendance in schools," he said. The parameters of the selection were sustainability, replicability, innovation and dynamism.

"We had filled the form about the basic data, the number of toilets, facilities, toilets for girls and the disabled," he said. "After that an inspection team came to verify the information that we had filled in the form," he added.

Now participation in the awards has been made mandatory, he said. Schools can update the status of their initiatives every two months, he added.

Because these are initial years, not all schools applied for the awards, but after the participation becomes mandatory, sanitation would certainly get a boost in the schools, said a school principal. — TNS

Ludhiana, December 5
The owner of a factory unit located at the Focal Point has been booked for manufacturing fake cycle parts of Hero Cycles industries.

The case was registered following the complaint of Bharat Goyal, a manager in Hero Cycles.

According to the investigating officer the police conducted a raid at the factory unit located in Focal Point Phase VI and recovered fake cycle parts worth lakhs of rupees bearing the logo Hero Cycles.

Ludhiana, December 5
The Court of Additional Sessions Judge Mandeep Pannu has convicted Lakhbir Singh, alias Bobby, of Ketla Bhari village in Khanna of killing his father Sher Singh, his brother Balbir Singh and attempting to kill his mother.

He was ordered to undergo rigorous life imprisonment. A fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed on him. However, the court acquitted co-accused Balbir Singh, another son of the deceased giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Delivering the verdict, the court held that it was proved beyond doubt that Lakhbir Singh killed his father with sharp weapons over a property dispute.

The complainant had stated before the police that his father owned 21 kanals. His father had given 7 kanals to both the accused but they were not satisfied.

On September 25, 2008, both the accused, who were residing separately, entered their house and attacked the family. Lakhbir Singh inflicted kirpan blows on his mother Gurdev Kaur. They ran out of the house to save themselves from the attackers. The accused went to the fields and killed their father and brother with kirpans.

Ludhiana, December 5
Even as women’s kabbadi teams continued to arrive in the city, the team of England had a training session at Guru Nanak Stadium today.

Unlike certain foreign teams, the team doesn't have any of the players of the Indian origin. Most of the players are in the team because they like the sport.

Most of the players are athletes and have some sports background. The Captain of the team is in the air force and is a rugby player. "Because some of us are already in contact sports, we find this game more interesting," said Rosie Haigh, the captain of the team.

Three of our members are from the rugby background while one is a kick-boxing player. A player of the team is a fitness coach in England. "It is a good sport. We really enjoy the game," said Louise Redmond, a player of the team.

The team was the runners-up of the World Cup last year. "As the awareness about the game is spreading back home, we hope to get better by the years," said Haigh.

"It is a very technical and tactical game. It is a good aggressive game," she said.

They have brought to the sport training patterns from other games as well, she said.

As the game has all the ingredients of different games, including athletics, wrestling and judo, it is an interesting game, said another player.

Malaysian team was also in the ground for training. Most of the players in the team are of Indian origin. They have taken up the game as "it is the sport of Punjabis."

"Because we are proud of being Punjabis, this is the way of telling people back home that we have such an aggressive and interesting sport," said Talvinder Kaur, a member of the team.

"We are participating in the World Cup for the first time. It is good that the World Cup has been introduced to give a fillip to the game," said Gurdeep Singh, coach of the team.