Ludhiana, February 4
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation will impose property tax from April 1. The city will be divided into eight zones and each zone will have a different unit value, to be fixed by a committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner.

The property tax to be paid by city residents will be calculated on the basis of the unit value as well as a set formula. After the imposition of property tax, city residents will not have to pay house tax.

The eight property zones will be decided by the zoning committee headed by the Director of the Local Government Department. The MP, MLAs, Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor, nominee of the Deputy Commissioner (not below the rank of SDM) and MC Commissioner will be the members of the committee. These zones will be decided on the basis of civic amenities in the area, location of the property and market value of the property.

Once the property zones are finalised, the unit valuation committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner will decide the unit value of the building and land for the property zones. This would be calculated on the basis of land value, cost of construction and rental value.

To make sure that all buildings as well as vacant spaces are covered under the ambit of Property Tax, the MC is getting satellite mapping done with the help of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) located at the Punjab Agricultural University.

MC Joint Commissioner PS Ghuman said: “The properties will be allotted a unique identification number by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, which has already completed the mapping work. From Wednesday onwards, the PRSC members will conduct a physical verification survey of the properties, which will be completed within 60 days.” 

Ludhiana, February 4
The city traffic police will launch a drive against unauthorised auto-rickshaws. The police claimed that the city would be free from illegal autos within two months.

The Assistant Commissioner of Police has asked representatives of various auto-rickshaw unions to provide the actual count of autos registered with them and the number of autos plying in the city.

The police will launch a drive and check the permits of the auto-rickshaws, he said. The issue of unauthorised auto-rickshaw became a hot topic during a meeting of police officers and auto-rickshaw operators held at the Police Lines today.

The meeting was convened by the newly appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Dhruman Nimbale. Representative of auto-rickshaw unions said that they were facing losses due unauthorised autos. They said over 10,000 autos were plying in the city.

"The then ACP (Traffic) Swapan Sharma had tightened the noose around illegal autos, but after his transfer, illegal autos were again back on road," said Darshan Singh, member of the Auto-Rickshaw Union.

"The illegal autos are eating into our business. I have got the permission from the transport office. I am paying Rs 300 rent per day and Rs 300 is spent on fuel," said Sanjiv Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver.

ACP Dhruman Nimbale assured the unauthorised auto rickshaws would not be allowed to ply in the city. Nimbale said he would speak to the MC authorities to allocate parking points for auto-rickshaws.

The ACP said auto-rickshaw drivers should wear uniform and display address on their vehicles. The police will also prepare a list of persons who own auto-rickshaws. 

Ludhiana, February 4
Cheap steel imports from china are turning out to be a curse for the domestic steel industry, which is already saddled with serious problems. Available at 35 per cent less than the price of local products, imported products have crippled the local industry.

The long-awaited demand of the industry to levy anti-dumping duty on steel is still pending and the industry is hoping against the hope that it will be levied in the forthcoming budget. "The domestic steel industry is facing severe problems and is struggling for survival as China is dumping steel at much cheaper rates in India. The government should appoint a steel price regulatory authority for controlling the price. Besides, anti-dumping duty should also be levied on steel," said Mohinder Gupta, president of the Mandi Gobindgarh Induction Furnace Association.

"Chinese products are of low quality and are used in the infrastructure, engineering and fabrication segments in place of the locally produced standard and good quality structural steel. China is dumping the product at a much cheaper price which in turn is giving tough time to the local secondary steel producers," said Santosh Aggarwal, another steel producer.

Cheaper Chinese imports are likely to affect the local industry. Since steel is mainly used for construction purposes in Punjab, people do not mind buying it. The government should impose anti-dumping duty on steel to control the menace, said Kailsah Jain, another secondary steel producer. 

Ludhiana, February 4
A day after Guru Nanak Stadium played host to the Canada Kabaddi Cup, it was like a sea of litter. Plastic bags, empty bottles, food packets and scraps of newspapers were strewn in the seating area as well as on the ground.

It has become a national character that organisers clean the venue before an event, but they fail to clear the garbage littered by spectators after the event is over.

Local kabaddi players were shocked when they entered the stadium this morning for practice. The place looked more like a garbage dump.

Spectators also broke a glass of a door and the gate of stadium.

District sports officer Kartar Singh said: “Sometimes, the organisers don’t take pain to clear the waste from the stadium. We ask the organisers to deposit a security amount for such things. A glass of a door and the gate of the stadium have been damaged. We will not refund the security amount to the organisers.” 

Ludhiana, February 4
The revised rates of food items at the railway station have only added to the burden of passengers.

A packet of biscuits costs Rs 10. Two "kulchas" cost Rs 32, a burger is being sold for Rs 28. A plate of chana costs Rs 15 and two pieces of brown bread are being sold for Rs 20.

The popular "janata" meal costs Rs 20 on trains and Rs 15 at platforms.

Vendors said the revised rates had affected their sales as people avoided buying food items from the railway station.

"The Railways has also increased the licence fee. We are going through a bad phase. Who will buy "kulche choley" for Rs 32? We are selling the same for Rs 20," said a vendor.

"The Railways should have given its decision a second thought. We are at the receiving end," said Ram Khilawan, a migrant worker.

Ravinder Sharma, Railway Superintendent, Ludhiana, said, "The rates are genuine. Passengers are not being fleeced at the station. As far as the revision of rates is concerned, it was the decision of the ministry." 

Ludhiana, January 4
The city received 21mm rainfall in the past 24 hours. Officials at the meteorology department of Punjab Agricultural University said that the rain led to a dip in maximum as well as minimum temperature in the city.

The meteorologists expect that that rain will continue for some more days and the days would be sunny after February 6.

The city witnessed a minimum temperature of 12.5 degree Celsius and maximum temperature was recorded at 18.5 degree Celsius.

Dr KK Gill, Agro meteorologist, PAU, said, "The rain and dip in temperature is due to the western disturbance. The rain will continue till February 6. There are chances that there may be a hailstorm tomorrow. The dip in temperature will also continue for a few days". The rain will not damage the crops as the wheat crop has not yet matured" she added.

Neeraj, a resident of Mahraj Nagar, said, "I work as a salesman so it becomes tough to ride on a two-wheeler in the rainy season. The city roads become slippery due to the rain.

Mohan Singh, a farmer from Mullanpur, said, "Rain is not bad for the wheat crop. But if the winds blow during rain, it will damage the crop". 

Ludhiana, February 4
It seems that higher education figures nowhere on the priority list of the state government. Hundreds of posts have been lying vacant in government colleges for several years.

All professional courses are being taught by the "guest faculty" in colleges which is being paid meagerly by the government.

A regular lecturer at the SCD Government College said at present almost all courses, including BBA, BCA, BCom, were being taught by the guest faculty.

"It is not that they do not take the job seriously but they are hardly given any incentive by the government. The Punjab Government had agreed to provide them Rs 10,000

lump-sum salary per month but recently that communication was also withdrawn. We are being paid well but they are getting peanuts. Why should they take their work seriously when their future is bleak?" asked the teacher.

As per an estimate, there are about 1,873 posts of regular lecturer in government colleges of Punjab and just 760 have been filled, the remaining are lying vacant.

"About 60 per cent of the posts are lying vacant. When there are no regular teachers, there cannot be discipline, sense of responsibility in the institutions. What is more ironical is that the stake holders in the colleges do not consider the guest faculty as teachers. How can the students respect the guest faculty when the regular teachers take them for granted?" asked Prof Jaipal Singh, general secretary, Government College Teachers Association.

The last "bulk" recruitment by the state government was made in 1996. In 1997, about 14 teachers from the SC/ST category were accommodated. The recruitment of about 60 teachers was made in 2007-08. As per the UGC norms, the guest lecturers have to be paid about Rs 21,000 a month but they are paid about Rs 7,000, that too from the PTA fund.

Ludhiana, February 4
For residents, who have not received their Aadhaar cards despite enrolment in the first phase can now download the cards from the website.

Navneet Verma from Smart Chip Limited, the IT agency working with the department of posts for enrolment, said, "Those who have not received their cards can download a soft copy termed e-aadhaar from the UIDAI website. They need to type their enrolment number and time to download the copy," he said.

"I have not received the card so far, despite enrolling last year. I visited the post office a couple of times to enquire why it was not issued, but to no avail," said Satwant Singh, a resident. "It is good that the card is now available on the Internet," he said.

"One can now fill the enrolment form online, and people having the registration number for enrolment will be given a preference," Verma said.

Enrolment for the cards is being done at the head post office and sub-post office, Miller Ganj, and at post offices in Khanna, Doraha and Jagraon.

Ludhiana, February 4
As far as fighting for one's rights is concerned, one doesn't need to be well educated. This was recently proved by Manjit Kaur, a resident of Jalaldiwal village, when she was asked to put forth her views on MNREGA scheme, launched by the Central Government. Manjit Kaur was among the two speakers, who was asked to express her views on MNREGA during a national conference in Delhi. She spoke in front of Prime Minister

Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Confident Manjit Kaur said she had to shape the future of her children.

"Being a MNREGA worker, I could feel for the poor, so I spoke my mind. I requested those in power that the minimum wages of MNREGA workers should be enhanced to at least Rs 250. Besides, they must be given work for at least 250 days instead of 100 days", said Manjit Kaur.

She said there were at least 10 such women MNREGA workers at her village who had started agriculture to get better returns. "The days when we are free, we sow vegetables to be financially strong," she said, adding that earlier it was difficult to get a two-time meal, but now under MNREGA, their status had improved."

She said in the past five years, MNREGA workers had started witnessing a lot of improvement, now their wards were being sent to schools. She said she had been given 16 acres, where she was sowing vegetables. "Through this, we are able to get above

Rs 5,000 per month and we are pretty satisfied," said Manjit Kaur. 

Ludhiana, February 4
With a number of swine flu cases being reported from different areas in the city, city-based doctors are asking residents to get vaccinated.

But officials of the health department are warning residents against getting vaccinated. Some doctors have even displayed notices outside their clinics. A doctor said, "We charge anything between Rs 700 and Rs 900 per vaccine."

Another doctor said,"We got these vaccines two years ago from a private pharmaceutical firm and have vaccinated a few persons. These are effective."

District epidemiologist Dr Anil Verma said,"The vaccines are provided to hospitals only through the Government of India. These are administered to medical and paramedical staff in case they are attending to a suspected swine flu patient." He appealed to the public not to go by such claims.

Ludhiana, February 4
The deadlock between a section of Congress councillors and Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria has come to an end. Following the Mayor's assurance, the Congress councillors called off their week-long strike today. The Mayor and Congress councillors have decided that the general house meeting would be convened after February 23.

The Congress councillors led by the leader of opposition, Hem Raj Aggarwal, were protesting against the imposition of property tax.

They wanted the Mayor to hold a meeting at the earliest.

The Mayor, who was to reach Zone A office as a part of his weekly schedule, went straight to the protesting councillors and requested them to join him so that their grievances could be addressed.

Hem Raj Aggarwal stated that the Mayor had assured them that the general house meeting would be convened after February 23 once the Moga byelections were over.

As far as the development charges in core area are concerned, the Finance and Contract Committee had stated that the area would be exempted, but no formal orders were issued by the Mayor. So today, he issued the orders. The issue pertaining to property tax would be discussed in the general house meeting, said Aggarwal.

The Mayor said had the Congress councillors taken up their problems with him, he would have never let them hold a protest. “We are like a family. I have told them that in case they have any problem in future, they can always come and meet me instead of going on a strike," claimed the Mayor.

Ludhiana, February 4
It seems that the re-carpeting of roads at Punjab Agricultural University was only to please the VVIPs.

The authorities re-carpeted only the main roads, but the roads leading to the PAU hostels, farms and residential quarters of employees are yet to be repaired. The students and staff are unhappy with the patchy work.

The authorities claimed that the work was stalled due to the inclement weather. The government had sanctioned Rs 2 crore for the repair of roads.

The Punjab Mandi Board had started the work on October 1, 2012.

The government had sanctioned the grant after seven years.

The PAU authorities claimed that all roads would be re-carpeted, but when the work started, the Estate Officer told the PAU that the grant was insufficient and only those roads be re-carpeted which were in a pitiable condition.

The authorities re-carpeted the main roads as the VVIPs were to visit the campus.

"The authorities should get all roads repaired," said a student.

Ludhiana, January 4
Four patients tested positive for swine flu in the city hospitals today.

Two of these cases were reported from Ludhiana district, one from Pathankot and another from Faridkot.

Health officials said that one case has been confirmed at DMCH, one from CMCH, one from SPS Apollo and one from a private hospital.

As many as 31 patients have tested positive for swine flu in city hospitals, out of which eight were from Ludhiana. 

Ludhiana, February 4
The city police has nabbed a chemist and seized psychotropic drugs, including 35,000 capsules and cough syrups from the possession of the accused during a search conducted at a naka at Dehlon bridge here on last evening.

Ludhiana, February 4
Thieves struck at Shiv Om Impact, a hosiery unit, located at Bhadurke Road last night and fled away with yarn worth Rs 35 lakh. The activities of the accused have been caught on CCTV camera installed at the hosiery unit.

The incident came into light when Harjinder Singh, supervisor of the hosiery unit, arrived here this morning and was shocked to find the locks broken.

When he entered the hosiery, he found the material ransacked. Without wasting time, he informed Prem Kumar Verma, owner of the hosiery unit.

Thieves entered the hosiery unit at 10pm and fled with yarn worth Rs 35 lakh. It has came to light that thieves used a truck to carry the stolen material. After scanning the CCTV recording, the police took the camera footage.