Pedestrian Underpass of little use
MC strictures discourage public from using it; open from 7 am to 7 pm; shut on Saturdays, Sundays
Puneet Pal Singh Gill
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
It seems that the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is not able to put the pedestrian underpass opposite the Mini-Secretariat to optimum use because not many people use it for crossing the road. And also, the underpass remains closed on Saturdays and Sundays, holidays at the Mini-Secretariat.

People are forced to use the road to cross the road. It seems that the Ludhiana MC feels that when there is a holiday in the Mini-Secretariat, people won’t use the underpass.

But, the MC officials claim that owing to a shortage of staff, the underpass remains open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays while it’s closed on Saturdays and Sundays. They are mulling over the idea of handing over the underpass to a private company.

A visit to the underpass revealed that people crossing the busy Ferozepur Road prefer not to use the underpass because they feel that it will be a longer distance. Even police officials, who bring undertrials to the District Courts, mostly use the road instead of the underpass.

When The Tribune team visited the spot, a person, who was crossing the road, was asked the reason why he was not using the underpass, he said: “It hardly takes a few seconds to cross the road but if we use the underpass, it will take at least a minute. Moreover, the underpass remains closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Besides, the MC officials lock it after 7 pm on weekdays. If the MC wants that people should use, they should keep it open 24X7,” he said, pleading not to be quoted.

The MC Commissioner, Rakesh Kumar Verma, said he was aware of the matter. “Right now we are using the services of some lower-ranking staff for the opening and locking of the underpass, but this arrangement will not continue for long. We are in the process of hiring a private company, which will be involved in the maintenance of the underpass. It will be responsible for maintaining cleanliness and security at the underpass. Moreover, when the nine shops located in the underpass are auctioned, more people will start using it,” claimed Verma.The foundation stone of the Rs 3.5-crore underpass project was laid by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in November, 2010, and the MC was expecting its completion by November 30 last year. It was finally inaugurated on November 16 this year.

MC to hire private firm

City to get 11 more low-floor buses soon
Puneet Pal Singh Gill
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
From the next week, 11 new low-floor buses will be added to the fleet of the city bus service. It is learnt that these new buses will be plied on at least two new routes, which would provide much-needed respite to the residents.

These 11 buses will be part of a lot of 30 low-floor non-AC buses, which are being readied at the regional sales office of the Tatas near Chandigarh. The Ludhiana City Bus Service Ltd (LCBSL) had placed an order for 40 low-floor non-AC buses with the Tatas under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project. Of these 10 buses were delivered to the LCBSL in December last year. Each bus will cost around Rs 48 lakh.

When the LCBSL officials inspected these buses in the first week of November, they had raised questions. First, the LCBSL officials told the Tata officials that as per the contract, they were to provide automatic rear view mirrors instead of manual ones. Secondly, the officials wanted that the company should conduct a random shower test.

Now, the Tata officials had arranged for the shower test, but they have said the manual rear view mirrors will not be replaced with the automatic ones. “As per the contract, the Tata company was to provide buses fitted with automatic rear-view mirrors. We would deduct the price of these mirrors from the total cost of the buses,” said a senior LCBSL official.

The LCBSL officials said a decision has not been taken yet on the routes on which these buses would be plied. “Five routes have already been identified,” said an official.

Elderly robbed of gold kara, chain
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
A senior citizen, ML Bhagat, was robbed of a gold kara and a chain while he was on a morning walk in a public park near his residence today. As one of his neighbours has installed a CCTV camera outside his house, the movement of the two accused has been captured in the camera, which has been handed over to the police.

Bhagat, a resident of BRS Nagar, while talking to The Tribune, said as a normal routine, he went to a public park in BRS Nagar, which is near the BRS cremation ground, for a morning walk. While he was walking he saw a youngster, with his face covered, making rounds near the park on his bike. He made a phone call. After 10 minutes, another youth, also on a motorcycle, came there and both of them sat near the entrance of the park.

"After completing the walk, I headed towards the entrance of the park. At the entrance, the youngsters caught hold of me and asked me to hand over all my belongings to them. They removed my gold kara and chain and fled the scene. Though I raised an alarm, none of the residents came out to my rescue. A resident has installed a CCTV camera outside his residence. I was lucky that the youngsters’ movement was recorded in the camera. I called up a PCR and handed over a pen drive carrying the CCTV footage to the police," said the victim. Meanwhile, the Sarabha Nagar police has not filed any case in the matter.

Fog hits rail traffic
Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
Passengers remained at the receiving end today as many trains got delayed due to foggy weather. Most of the long-route trains from the central India to the North were running behind schedule due to the fog in the region.

Railways officials said: "Almost all the trains operating on the trunk routes (New Delhi-Amritsar and New Delhi-Jammu) got delayed from four to 10 hours." Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express got delayed by 3.30 hours. This train was expected to arrive at the local station at 10.35 am but it reached here at 2 pm.

Similarly, the Shatabdi Express running from New Delhi to Amritsar got delayed by 1.30 hours. The train reached here at 2 pm. The Jansewa Express, which was scheduled to arrive herd at 2.30 pm, was running 7 hours behind schedule.

The Kathiar Express also got stuck in the fog and was late by 10 hours. The train was expected to arrive here at 9 am.

Meanwhile, the Sachkhand Express, which was scheduled to arrive at the Ludhiana railway station at 6.45 pm was running 2 hours behind schedule. Ravinder Sharma, Station Supervisor, said: "The fog is the major reason behind this delay. Several trains have been running 10 hour behind schedule. It happens in the end of December and January every year. The passengers are facing inconvenience due to the delay in trains’ arrivals".

Watchmen resent meagre salary
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 22
Having failed to press the authorities to release their monthly allowances, watchmen of the localities of this part of Malwa have threatened to launch an organised agitation over the issue as their salaries have been pending since six months.

Darshan Singh Shivalik, legislator from Gill, said he had taken up the issue with the officials who have assured us of the release of pending salaries of the watchmen soon.

Accusing successive governments of ignoring their genuine demands, watchmen led by Jasbir Singh Butahri, president of the chowkidar union, alleged that the administration pay them a meagre amount of Rs 800 which they have been accepting despite the directions by the court to increase the salary with effect from January 2005.

“Though the state government has been directed to increase our salary with effect from January 1, 2005, no step has been taken to implement the decision of the court. It is shameful that the government, which is boasting of unprecedented development, has failed in every aspect and is still paying a meagre amount of Rs 800 per month,” said Bhutari while addressing a meeting of activists of the union at Dehlon. The outfit resolved to launch an organised movement in case the pending salary is not released without further delay.

Claiming that they had been working round the clock in their beats for many years at a meagre salary of Rs 800 with an expectation of getting reasonable remuneration, the watchmen alleged that none of the political leaders had bothered to listen to their grievances during these years.

Delhi’s shame
Police, institutions step up vigil
Mahesh Sharma

People take out a candle march in Mandi Ahmedgarh on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 22
Taking cognizance of recent rise in number of incidents of eve-teasing and outraging modesty of girls, educational institutions of the area have started taking measures for the security of girl students.

The police has also enhanced vigil around the educational institutes during the opening and closing hours of the institutions. Caretakers of hostels, hospitals and coaching centres have been asked to make adequate security arrangements for their occupants and staff members.

Pardeep Sharda, principal of MGMN Senior Secondary School, said male teachers had been deputed to keep a watch outside the institute in the morning and during the closing hours, besides seeking help from the police to ward off eve-teasers. Girl students were also given tips to avoid any unsavory situation.

Organisers of certain coaching centers and teachers giving tuitions during early and late hours have also asked the students not to come alone.

Acknowledging that the incidents of eve-teasing and molestation of girls had risen during the recent years, SP (D), Sangrur, Paramjit Singh Goraya said circle officers of the region had been asked to launch an awareness drive besides enhancing surveillance near educational institutes falling under their respective areas.

Sukhdev Singh Virk, deputy superintendent of police, Amargarh, said the SHOs were asked to coordinate with the heads of all educational institutes falling under their jurisdiction. Virk told the SHOs to ensure that no unwanted youth were seen near educational institutes and on roads and streets leading to these institutes.

Students express solidarity
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 22
Holding candles in hands, a number of students accompanied by their parents and office bearers of certain social and constitutional organizations shouted slogans during a protest march against the recent rape case in the national capital.

Students, along with several members of NGOs, expressed solidarity with the 23-year-old victim, who was gang raped, and brutally assaulted in a moving bus by a group of six persons on Sunday night.

The demonstrators demanded capital penalty for the rape accused, who had since been arrested by the police.

Started from Bhagat Singh Chowk, the protest march passed through the Railway Road, Galla Mandi, Main Bazar and concluded near the Municipal Children Park.

Students said the residents as well as the politicians should change their mindset about girls, who are feeling unsafe.

Need to fight crime against women: BSNL employees
Tribune News Service

A girl demonstrates self-defence techniques at Fountain Chowk in Ludhiana on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Ludhiana, December 22
Members of BSNL Working Women Coordination Committee organised a demonstration against the recent rape case in New Delhi during the lunch hour here today. A large number of BSNL Employees’ Union members also attended the demonstration.

Sukhpreet Kaur, chairman of the committee, demanded that the culprits be hanged in public to deter such incidents from happening in the future. She said that Delhi had become the capital of crime against women

Ranjit Kaur and Uma Sood, while addressing the gathering, said the situation was not different in Punjab. The anti-social elements even murdered a police officer in Amritsar, who was protecting his daughter, they said.

The criminals under the patronage of their political bosses were moving freely and the police was also responsible for such incidents, they added.

The attendees also called upon the girls, working women, public and private sector to organise themselves in order to fight the crime against women.

The women wing of Hindu Sikh Jagriti Sena held a demonstration and "sandal" march against the recent rape incident that took place in New Delhi. Around 50 women held sandals in their hands and asked other women not to remain quiet if they become victim of any atrocity. They also distributed chili powder amongst the public. The wing has been providing self-defence training to the girl students in schools. The girls demonstrated ways to protect themselves.

Arthritis becoming prevalent among young population: Expert
Tribune New Service

Ludhiana, December 22
Young men and women are starting to experience joint pain, lack of mobility and frozen knees caused by arthritis, osteoporosis, and other medical conditions more common in elder people. Once the damage is done, replacement is often the only solution for a young person's knees, said Dr Manuj Wadhwa, Ranawat Joint Replacement Fellow (USA) and director and head of orthopaedics and joint replacement department, Fortis Hospitals, Punjab.

In Punjab alone there are close to 25 lakh arthritis patients of which more than 5 lakh patients have advanced arthritis. 50,000 of these require immediate surgery.

The problem may affect the potential sports career of the young population, diminish their range of motion, and ultimately lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, Dr Wadhwa said.

Oxinium knee implants are the best solution for the arthritis problem, he said.

As compared to the usual implants, with 10 to 15 years of longevity, the oxinium implants last for 30 to 35 years. As these are created of bio-compatible elements, these new prosthetic joints don’t irritate the immune system.

With the combination of technology and modified surgical techniques, painless surgery is possible and a patient can walk next day after getting implants in both the knees, he said.

Remedying Mantra

• Watch your weight
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily
• Do not ignore sprains

Punbus workers threaten to gherao buses owned by Badals
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, December 22
Irked by the continuous negligence of the SAD-BJP coalition government towards their various long pending demands, the striking members of Punbus Contract Workers' Union have threatened to Gherao the buses owned by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family members in the coming days.

"The state body of Punbus Contract Workers' Union has decided to gherao the buses run by various private transport companies owned by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal as well as the other leaders of the ruling party in the coming days in case the state government does not pay any attention towards various long pending demands of the union members," said Sukhdev Singh, president, Punbus Contract Workers' Union, Jagraon unit, during a protest rally here today.

He said all the contract workers attached to the union will assemble in Ludhiana and the private buses owned by Badal family as well as other leaders of the ruling party would be stopped from plying on different routes.

Minister opens Engineering Expo
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
The maiden edition of ‘Engineering Expo’ kick started here yesterday. The Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Anil Joshi, inaugurating the expo. He said, “We need a full-proof plan to promote the machine tool industry in Ludhiana. We have the right pool of manpower available. We also need exposure so that our machinery is accepted not only in India, but globally.”

Mayor of Ludhiana Harcharan Singh Golwaria, while addressing the audience, said: “A cursory look at the halls in the expo clearly showed that the machinery available in Ludhiana can benchmark global quality. We are still heavily dependent on imports of machinery. We need to reduce this dependence by creating awareness about our machinery to the world.”

Engineering Expo provides a perfect opportunity for Indian and foreign companies to exhibit their products and services. It gives them an opportunity to interact with buyers and sellers and make new tie-ups.

Engineering Expo is spread across 1,00,000 sq ft, with 250 plus exhibitors and an estimated 65,000 footfalls, including a flurry of engineers, technocrats, manufactures, traders, government officials and corporate.

From schools
Athletics meet concludes

Students participate in fun games during the annual sports meet at Ram Lal Bhasin Public School in Ludhiana. tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

LUDHIANA: A two-day athletics meet organised by Doraha Public School (DOPS), GT Road, Doraha, concluded on the school premises today. The event today saw over 500 students participating in various sports events. Raavi house clinched the trophy for being the overall best house. Meanwhile, Beas house won the rolling trophy for best marching contingent.

Ram Lal Bhasin Public School

An overflow of enthusiasm drenched the environment on the grounds of Ram Lal Bhasin Public School where annual athletics meet was organised on Saturday. The meet was presided over by Balraj Bhasin, the president of SDP Sabha, Ludhiana. The students exhibited exemplary co-ordination and discipline during the march past and PT exercises and pledged to participate in the meet with integrity and honesty.It was a feast for the eyes to see the little ones dressed as rabbits and kangaroos jostling with each other to grab the first position. The senior students set the track on fire with energy exuberance. The students also displayed their talent in martial arts. The president of the school Balraj Bhasin along with his wife Usha Kiran Bhasin gave away the trophies and certificates to the winners. Balraj Bhasin emphasised the need of physical exercises for students who are becoming computer worms these days.

Christmas carnival

Mirth and elation marked the Christmas celebration at Ryan, Jamalpur. Christmas trees, bells, stars added colour to the fiesta. Magnanimous personalities were invited to the school. Dr Vijay Obed (deputy director of CMCH and HOD Plastic Surgery), Dr Kanwal Masih (medical superintendent of CMCH), Dr Valsa Abraham (deputy medical superintendent, HOD Anaesthesia & Trauma Center), Dr Roopinder Kaur (in charge blood bank of CMCH) were the guests of honour. The guests were accorded welcome at the entrance. The special programme commenced with Bible reading and worship songs. A Christmas bonanza was presented by the vibrant Ryanites. Angel dance, shepherd dance, Santa dance and carol singing were magnificent performances. Birth of the saviour, Jesus Christ, was showcased in the nativity play which was the special feature of the programme. The school founder, chairman, Dr Augustine F Pinto, had sent heartfelt wishes and abundant blessings for the Ryanites.

MGM Public School

Students of MGM Public School celebrated Christmas, a day before the commencement of winter break. A party was organised and cake was cut to amplify the festive fervour. Tiny tots of the primary and pre-primary sections took pleasure in watching Santa Claus, fairies and mother Marry. They looked like beautiful angels while distributing sweets among all and dancing on the ‘Jingle- bell’ time. Relishing the flavour, school principal Poonam Sharma extended the Christmas and New Year greetings to all.

Cherubs School

Smiling faces could be seen everywhere at the Christmas celebration at Cherubs, the pre-school. The school wore a festive look decorated with Christmas trees, bells, stars and snowman. Students decorated trees with balloons, cherries and bells. Song and dance performances on ‘Jesus born today’, ‘bells are ringing’ and ‘we wish you merry Christmas’ showcased the spirit of the festival. Christmas carols were also sung by students. A hut was also made depicting the scene of Jesus Christ’s birth. Santa Claus distributed gifts and candies among children.

GGN Public School

GGN Public School celebrated Christmas with gusto. The school campus was decked up with Christmas trees and balloons. The students of primary section were clad as Santa Clause. They distributed sweets among students and teachers. Principal Satpreet Kaur wished Merry Christmas to all the teachers and students.

Annual prize distribution

The annual prize distribution function 'Gunjan 2012' was held in the campus of GMT Public School. The function started with the band marching ceremony by the students. Rahul Tiwari, deputy commissioner, Ludhiana, presided over the function. The lamp lighting ceremony was followed by Shabad, Ganesh Vandana. A performance by kindergarten students 'candy man' and ‘ek chidiya’ mesmerised the audience. Punjabi choreography performed by the students highlighted the issue of old-age homes. Several other items included Bhangra and Giddha.

Joint annual athletic meet

SDP Senior Secondary School, Hazuri road, SDP Senior Secondary School, Basti Jodhewal and SDP Model Senior Secondary School, Quilla Mohalla, jointly organised Annual Athletic Meet at the premises of SDP College For Women. Balraj Kumar Bhasin, president, SDP Sabha, presided over the function while OP Angrish, manager, inaugurated the athletic meet. It commenced with the lighting of ceremonial lamp followed by a march past and mass PT by the students. Principal Jasveer Singh Chauhan read the annual sports report and motivated the students to take part in such activities. Balraj Kumar Bhasin in his address congratulated the winners of different events and laid stress on the need of sports for all round development of the personality of a child. The chief guest for the closing ceremony was Paramjeet Kaur Chahal (PES), district education officer, Ludhiana. She gave away the prizes to the position holders and in her speech; she laid stress upon the importance of games and sports in a student life. — TNS

From colleges
Awareness camp

The 3rd day of NSS camp with the motive ‘not me but you’ began with full enthusiasm and energy at BCM College of Education, Ludhiana. To arouse the feeling of selfless and social service, NSS volunteers of the college are working successfully. For this, a Yoga Camp was organised in the college. Dr Dharam Singh (HoD of Geography, SCD College for boys, Ludhiana) was the resource person. In the afternoon session, Dr Bharti Uppal (professor and head Biochemistry, CMC) gave lecture on awareness of self examination of breast cancer with the slogan ‘teach one each one’. Students of the college actively participated in the camp with full interest. Gurwinder Singh and Manjit Kaur (NSS coordinators) thanked both the dignitaries for their precious time and valuable speech.

Science camp

GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, is going to host the Inspire Internship Science Camp from December 26 to 30 on its campus. This camp is being sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Pinnacle Institute of Fashion Technology

Pinnacle Institute of Fashion Technology today organised a Christmas party at Las Vegas hotel. The theme of the party depicted merriment and magic of the season. The celebrations wereplanned by the management and students to mark the Christmas and New Year celebrations. The students participated from all the design departments of the college. The event had various games involved in which all the students activly participated. — TNS

Blood donation camp held
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 22
The Shaheed Col Gurbir Singh Sarna Memorial Blood Donation Camp was held at the Ivanna Institute of Fashion Technology and Hotel Management here today.

This was the 5th blood donation camp held at the institute. Staff and students of the institute participated in the noble cause. “Each year, we add more and more donors and let them have the experience of participating in the cause,” said Manmeet Sodhia, director, Ivanna.

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Tribune News Service

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