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Student dies in road mishap
Ludhiana, February 13 According to an eyewitness, the driver of an overspeeding goods carrier auto-rickshaw, that was coming from the opposite side, lost control over the vehicle and hit the motorcycle. Both Karan and Shivam fell on the road. Shivam's head got smashed on the road and he started bleeding profusely. He was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body was handed over to the family after a postmortem. Ranjit Singh, SHO, Division No. 8, said the driver of the auto-rickshaw fled the scene. The vehicle had been impounded and raids were on to arrest the auto-rickshaw driver. Man mowed down by truck
A man working in a circus was run over by a truck at Samrala Chowk late last night. The victim has been identified as Walson. Tilak Raj, a circus employee, said he, along with his friend Walson, were crossing Samrala Chowk when an overspeeding truck (HR 58 1528) hit Walson. The victim got seriously injured and was taken to the CMC, where he succumbed to his injuries. A case under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC has been registered against the truck driver, who is yet to be identified. Had gone to buy study material
A pall of gloom descended on Bhim Singh's official residence. The incident took place a few metres away from Bhim Singh's house. Shivam's mother said her son had returned home from school and had gone with his friend to purchase some study material. Several government employees and police officials visited Bhim Singh's house to offer condolences to the family.
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Mumbai jeweller duped of items worth Rs 12 lakh
Ludhiana, February 13 He said two persons, one wearing a turban, posing as IT officials approached him and asked him to show them his belongings. Mehta panicked and showed them his bag. The swindlers involved him in conversation and took out a pouch containing gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 12 lakh, which he failed to notice. The swindlers then ran away. When Mehta searched his bag, he was shocked to find a pouch missing. He raised the alarm and informed local jewellers about the incident. Soon, jewellers of the city held a meeting and reported the matter to the police. The police, including ADCP-I Nilambari Jagdale and ADCP-Crime Harmohan Singh, reached the spot and listened to Mehta’s account. Later, the police recorded his statement. The police has questioned some persons running an eatery and is also looking at the footage
of CCTVs installed in the vicinity. This is the second such incident in the past six months. Earlier, a policeman deputed in the office of the IG (Headquarters) in Chandigarh had allegedly kidnapped and robbed an employee of a jeweller from Mumbai
and had thrown him out of a moving vehicle near Sahnewal. |
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Freed from Sharjah jail, youth returns home to a warm welcome
Jagraon, February 13 Kulwinder Singh was one of the 17 Punjabi youths who were jailed in Sharjah for the past many months for allegedly killing a Pakistani man. A Sharjah court had awarded the capital punishment to all these youths. However, later these youths were released from the jail when the case was settled after an NRI hotelier, SP Singh Oberoi, paid blood money to family members of the murdered Pakistani man. Kulwinder said going proved a huge blunder for him and the other Punjabi youths. "I will never forget the dark days spent in the Sharjah jail. Today is the most memorable day of my life," said Kulwinder Singh after being reunited with his family members. "I will never think of going abroad again," he said. Kulwinder urged Punjabi youths not to aspire for going abroad and instead work hard and build their careers in their own country, which had huge opportunities. He expressed gratitude to NRI hotelier SP Singh Oberoi, who felicitated the release of these Punjabi youths from jail by paying blood money in the murder case. "It is only due to Oberoi's efforts that we have managed to return home," he said. Belonging to a poor farming family, Kulwinder had gone to Sharjah in 2008 for earning a livelihood. However, fate had something else in store for him as he was jailed, along with 16 others, for killing a Pakistani man. Kulwinder was jailed a week before his younger sister Jasbir Kaur's marriage in February 2008. During his stay in the jail, Kulwinder's maternal uncle, Tarsem Singh, who had helped the family in sending him abroad, died. Kulwinder arrived at his village late late night from Amritsar along with his family members. Kulwinder's elderly parents were very happy over his safe return. "We spent several sleepless nights when Kulwinder was in jail. Now that he has returned, it is like the beginning of a new life for us," said Kulwinder's mother Surinder Kaur while wiping tears from her eyes. His father Baldev Singh and brother Jaswinder Singh thanked Oberoi for getting the youths freed. " The celebrations in the village continued today. A large number of people, including several political leaders from different parties, visited Kulwinder's house to meet him. |
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LIT to hand over 4 colonies to MC
Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, February 13 As per statutory provisions of the Punjab Town Improvement Act, the LIT will transfer the 256-acre Maharishi Valmiki Nagar, the 129-acre Rajguru Nagar, the 30-acre Bharat Nagar Extension and the 8.4-acre Baba Ishar Singh Nagar colonies to the MC. Once the MC takes control of these colonies, which is likely to happen in the near future, the corporation will be responsible for providing civic amenities like water supply and sewerage as well as maintenance of roads, streets, green belts and streetlights in these colonies. In fact, the transfer of these colonies should have taken place long ago as per the provisions of the Act, which says that after five years of the development of a colony, it should be handed over to the MC for maintenance. The LIT authorities had adopted resolutions to this effect long ago and the state government had also given its nod to the proposal. The MC did not evince much interest in taking over these colonies for the simple reason that it was not in a position to undertake development and maintenance works in an additional residential and commercial area of nearly 400 acres. LIT executive officer Avtar Singh Azad said officials of the Trust and the MC had held a series of meetings in this regard and several related issues like ongoing and pending development works, unsold properties and sites and encroachments had been discussed in detail. "The actual transfer of control will take place once the MC House gives its nod or even earlier through an administrative order in anticipation of the approval from the House," he said. Residents of the colonies, proposed to be transferred to the MC, however, are not pinning much hopes on the civic body as far as development works and civic amenities are concerned. "Going by the pathetic condition of roads and streets in the city, nothing much will change for residents of the colonies being transferred to the MC," says Pradeep Goyal, a resident of Rajguru Nagar, adding that in light of the financial crunch being faced by the MC, the residents will continue to remain at the receiving end. Jaspal Singh, a resident of Valmiki Nagar, said the MC had not been able to carry out development works in many areas in the city due to the financial crisis for quite some time now. "And the new Trust colonies being transferred to the civic body will not be on their priority list," he said.
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Youths snatch purse containing
Rs 35,000, mobile from woman
Ludhiana, February 13 When they reached near Daresi, two motorcycles-borne youths snatched her purse and fled the spot. She raised the alarm, but to no avail. The incident took place just a few metres away from the Daresi police station. Sensing that the snatching incident was a lapse of security, ACP-Central Ramneesh Chaudhary reached the spot and assured the victim that the accused would be arrested soon. The accused were reportedly caught on a CCTV camera installed on a temple premises. The police is trying to get hold of the CCTV footage to identify the snatchers. 2 girls kidnapped on pretext of marriage
The city police has registered two cases of kidnapping of two girls on the pretext of marriage. In the first incident, a boy and three of his family members were booked by the Shimlapuri police for kidnapping a minor girl on the pretext of marriage. In his complaint, the victim’s father told the police
that his daughter is a student of Class X. The accused, Charankamal Singh, lured the girl by making a false promise to marry her. On February 10, the girl allegedly stole Rs 5,000 and five tola gold ornaments and eloped with Charankamal. Besides Charankamal, the Shimlapuri police has booked his father Nirmal Singh, brother Kalu and mother Kulwinder Kaur. In the second incident, the Jamalpur police booked Sonu Kumar for allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old girl on the pretext of marriage. According to the girl’s father, his daughter left home for work at a factory unit. Sonu Kumar allegedly kidnapped her on the pretext of marriage. |
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Single kitchen caters to 35,000 students!
Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 13 Parveen Kumar, general secretary, Government School Teachers' Union, said the aim of the scheme was to provide good quality food to poor and needy students studying in government primary schools. "Government has set proper menu of the food, which is to be served throughout the week to the students. But now, it is for the contractor to decide what has to be given to students. We have been writing to authorities about low-quality food being served in mid-day meals to students. Besides, food is not served as per the menu,” said the general secretary. While Sanjay Dhawan, the contractor of the kitchen preparing mid-day meal for students of over 172 government primary schools here said that the kitchen spread over 1,000 square yards, prepared food for about 35,000 students daily. Dhawan said total 125 persons were deployed on duty to prepare the food. These included cooks, helpers, supervisors, semi-supervisors, delivery boys etc. "We are preparing food for thousands of children. We have tried to maintain proper hygiene while preparing the meals," said Dhawan. When asked that in recent times, mid-day meal remained in controversy, the contractor said that earlier, food was prepared by the teachers in their school kitchens. "The practice has been stopped. The teachers have not liked the idea so they crib," he said adding that he had brought a "chapati-making" machine, which will be installed in two days. The machine will make 15,000 chapatis in one hour, said the contractor. Rishipal Singh, ADC (Development), who has been looking after the mid-day meal scheme, however, said there were still many discrepancies and authorities were trying to remove them. "We have been getting complaints of stale food, food not reaching to schools in times as there is some distribution problem etc. We are sending teams of teachers and health officials on daily basis and they are getting the samples, too. We are trying our best that good quality food is served to the children in schools," said Rishipal.
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Experts dwell on kharif crops
Ludhiana, February 13 Joint Directors, Chief Agriculture Officers and Agriculture Officers from the State Department of Agriculture, Directors of Regional Research Stations, Deputy/Associate Directors of Krishi Vigyan Kendras
(KVKs) and Farm Advisory Service Scheme (FASS), and PAU senior officers, heads and faculty members of various departments of the university participated in the inaugural session. Pointing out that intensive agriculture has posed many
agri-problems, Dr Dhillon emphasised on educating and creating awakening among the farming community about paddy straw management, conservation of natural resources and judicious use of agro-chemicals for farm sustainability. Referring to the targets, production and problems of Kharif crops in Punjab, Dr Mangal S
Sandhu, Director of Agriculture, Punjab, said keeping in view the increasing urbanisation and
industrialisation, and shrinking landholdings, there is a need to adopt crop diversification. Crop diversification is not possible without the involvement of rural women, observed Dr
Sandhu, while highlighting the progress of other Indian states in agriculture with the support of farm women. He urged the farm experts to evolve water saving crop varieties, study the yield and economics of chickpea and different types of maize, develop technologies for the preservation of flora and fauna, devise effective measures for insect-pest and disease management of various crops, and focus on paddy straw management, intercropping in poplar, molecular breeding, and safe use of pesticides. Highlighting the salient findings of research in Kharif crops, Dr SS
Gosal, Director of Research, PAU, said PAU has reprioritised its research
programmes. The Research Evaluation Committee of the university has recommended two varieties each of rice, basmati and American cotton for general cultivation in Punjab. The varieties include "PR 121 and PR 122" of rice; "Punjab Basmati 3 and Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509" of basmati; and
"LH 2108 and NCS 855 BG II" of American cotton. Welcoming the dignitaries and the participants, Dr DS
Cheema, Dean, College of Agriculture, said crop diversification is the need of the hour in wake of changing weather, rising pest problems, stubble burning. Dr MS Gill, Director of Extension Education, proposing the vote of thanks, highlighted the Action Taken Report of Directorate of Extension Education,
PAU. Two technical sessions on "Package of Practices for Rice and Cotton Crops" and "Oilseeds," were held today and chaired by Dr
Sandhu.
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Gifts galore on V-Day
Ludhiana, February 13 "It is the only time of the year when flowers are in a huge demand,” says Sanjay, a florist who has his kiosk on Pakhowal Road. “Generally, our business thrives during the marriage season. Occasionally, customers order bouquets to be delivered to their near and dear ones on anniversaries or other special days. On Valentine’s Day, however, the demand goes up considerably, and prices too,” says Sanjay.
Sanjay says he is ready to cater to the rise in demand. “One rose bud, which is generally priced at Rs 10, is now being sold at Rs 20. By tomorrow evening the price may go up to Rs 100 per bud," says Sanjay. Bakeries also see a huge rush on Valentine’s Day. Every bakery in the city is trying to outdo others by giving various choices to couples to choose from. While some are giving the option to of getting a photograph printed on the cake, others are allowing customers to write their love message on the cake with their own hands using pens with an edible ink. "It is all about new ideas,” says a bakery owner at Civil Lines. “Valentine’s Day is the time of the year when we try to give something new to our customers,” he says. Gift galleries, too, sell maximum number of greeting cards and gifts on any single occasion during Valentine’s Day. "In this age of Internet, people prefer wishing each other online on social networking sites or by sending an e-card. On February 14, however, we manage to earn what we are not able to throughout the year," says Sachin, owner of a gift gallery. Inked with love
Youngsters also chose tattoos to express their love on Valentine’s Day. A local tattoo studio witnessed a huge rush this year. Youngsters were seen bearing the prick of a needle to get a tattoo made for their special ones.
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Six-laning of national highway 1 Puneet Pal Singh Gill Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 13 Bains has also stated if the NHAI failed to take an ‘appropriate’ action, he, along with city residents, would sit on a dharna in front of the toll barrier. The Rs 4,500-crore project for six-laning of National Highway Number 1 started in 2008. Due to various reasons, such as ban on mining in the state that led to a shortage of sand and gravel and some financial concerns, the project got delayed. In a letter addressed to the NHAI project director, Bains complained the work on the project was going on a very slow pace. “Residents are suffering as the service lanes are in poor shape and are not able to accommodate the traffic, especially in Ludhiana, which already has a large number of vehicles. All this is leading to traffic congestion, due to which people are forced to waste their time on roads, and it also adds to pollution,” his letter stated. While speaking to The Tribune, MLA Simarjit Singh Bains said, after receiving a written reply from the NHAI officials, he would take up the issue during the Punjab Vidhan Sabha's session next month. Rajesh Kundal, NHAI project director, said the collection of toll tax could not be stopped as it was being collected under a contract as per the Government of India guidelines. “Out of the total collection, one-fifth is going to the central fund of the NHAI,” he said. Kundal said after receiving Bain’s letter, he had personally spoken to the MLA. “I assured him that I would speak to the contractor to maintain the service lanes properly. The toll plaza, however, would remain on the road,” he said. Referring to a petition made to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by a city resident, Prem Kumar Gupta, that demanded a minimum width of 10 metre for service lanes, Kundal said even he felt the lanes needed to be wider.
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Copying menace: Education Department to act tough
Ludhiana, February 13 Pannu said a detailed meeting of the board officials and all the DEOs was held yesterday in Chandigarh in which the issue of copying was discussed in detail. He said that the Instructions have been passed on to all the concerned persons that the duties of the teachers, superintendents, supervisors will not be changed, as was being done in
earlier times. He said, "Earlier, the duties were assigned just one day before the examination. But now, the duties will be assigned at least four days before the exam. In case, there is some emergency, we can depute some other person on duty. Last minute changes will not be permitted. Besides, we have identified the sensitive examination centres, where copying had been reported in previous times. We will make sure either these centres must not be allowed to conduct examinations or special surveillance will be conducted at all these centres." According to sources in the education department, there are over a dozen such centres, where copying is allegedly done blatantly in Ludhiana alone. All these centres, this time, will be under surveillance. Meanwhile, a delegation of Nakal Virodhi Teachers' Front also met the PSEB Chairman recently over the copying issue. Sukhdarshan Singh, the president of the Front said they had brought forth certain issues, which could help in curbing the copying at examination centres. "We have requested authorities that the centres should be on pattern of the CBSE. The private schoolteachers should perform duties at government schools and vice-versa. Besides, as per instructions by the PSEB, the centres should be on the ground floors and not on first or second floors. The principals/ administrators from schools must not be included in flying squad and board officials should check the centres," said the president.
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Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt casts a spell
Ludhiana, February 13 “In the era of Internet and cable television, classical music has taken a backseat, especially in the lives of youngsters. It is, however, surprising that people in West are more attracted towards the Indian classical art forms. Every month I perform at around 25 concerts, mostly in the USA, Canada and Europe,” said Pandit Vishwa Mohan
Bhatt, creator of the Mohan Veena. He now plans to create a new electronic instrument. Talking about Pandit Ravi
Shankar, the sitar legend who was honoured with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy award recently, he said, “Pandit Ravi Shankar was a fatherly figure to me. He helped in shaping lives of a large number of his disciples. He used to describe me as the best among his disciples and showered a great affection upon me and my family. Whenever we went abroad for concerts, he took care of me, asking about meals and other essentials.”
Bhatt is best known for his Grammy-winning album “A Meeting by the River” with Ry
Cooder. He is also known for other fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with Western artists such as Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2002.
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Do not neglect enlarged tortuous veins, says expert
Ludhiana, February 13 The ailment is usually characterised by aching and heavy legs, ankle swelling, dilated bluish bulge under the skin, redness, dryness and itchiness of skin. In some people skin above ankle may shrink because fat underneath skin becomes hard. The symptoms also include whitened, irregular scar-like patches, which can appear at the ankles or patient can have chronic non-healing ulcers. Dr Jindal said the disease marks indication of a malfunction of venous system and should be evaluated by vascular surgery specialist. “If disease is not properly evaluated and is operated by an inexperienced surgeon, chances of reoccurrence of varicose vein get higher,” he cautioned.
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Yuvraj, Chavi are Mr and Ms Basant
Ludhiana: Bhartiyans celebrated Basant Panchami "the festival of flowers" with gusto. Fluttering with excitement and enthusiasm students donned in yellow robes added fragrance to the beauty of the auspicious day. Kavita Sharma, senior teacher enlightened the students with the historical importance of the day. A fancy dress competition was also organised. Portraying different characters alive on the stage. Yuvraj of class nursery was declared as Mr Basant and Chavi of class Nursery declared as Ms Basant. Farewell party
BCM Senior Secondary School organised a farewell party for the students of class XII. Students entertained the audience by presenting song, dance items and games. Principal of the school, DP Guleria, addressed the students and blessed them with best wishes for their future. The manager of the school SK Mehta and Santosh Mehta also wished good luck to outgoing students. Many competitions were organised for the students in the different rounds and finally, 10 students qualified for the final round and they asked some thoughtful questions by judges. Quiz competition
A general knowledge quiz competition for primary wing was held at GRD Academy, Ludhiana. Students from classes III to V participated in competition. The competition was among three houses Teak House, Pine House and Oak House. This quiz was based on three rounds.
— TNS
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On a crusade against female foeticide
Ludhiana, February 13 For his exemplary crusade to save girl child he has been awarded the "Social Bravery Award" of the 21st Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards. He and his anti-foeticide slogan-carrying moped (two-wheeler) have become legendary. Every morning 75-year-old Sardar Harbans Singh sets out for a village on his moped to spread awareness about the implications of female foeticide. He visits expectant mothers, talks to them and meets their families too. During the past 11 years, he has covered over 100 villages and has become so popular that many people have started joining him on his visits. He seeks help from prominent citizens to address people and talks to them about the importance of protecting girl child. "I have no children of my own and consider every newly born girl child as a member of my extended family," he said.
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NCC cadets bring laurels
Ludhiana, February 13 The five students namely Harpreet Kaur, Ranjit Singh, Kiranjot Singh, Sahil and Bhawani from Government Model Senior Secondary School are from the NCC IInd year. They did the school and state proud as no other student from any government school from Punjab took part in the Republic Day parade. NCC in charge Ramniq Kaur Sandhu said it was due to the dedicated efforts of the Principal Sanjiv Thapar and the students that the school participated in such prestigious event. "The students are getting training at 1PB R and V Sq. NCC unit. They have to go through rigorous training for three to four hours daily and the training starts at 4:30 am morning. They all are very good horse riders. They left for the training on December 28 and came back here on February 3," said she.
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Health Dept lifts eight samples of food items
Ludhiana, February 13 Over six samples, one each of "rajmah", sugar, biscuit, sauce, cumin
and "mung daal", were collected from Haibowal, according to the District Health Officer Dr
Avinash Kumar during the drive.
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Crime briefs Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 13 Proclaimed offender nabbed
Following a tip-off, the police nabbed a proclaimed offender, identified as Raj Kumar, at a checkpoint at Vardhman Chowk on the Chandigarh road here last night. Raj Kumar, a resident of Guru Arjan Dev
Nagar, was declared a proclaimed offender by a local court recently in a fraud case. Thieves held
The police has arrested two persons with a stolen domestic cylinder and mobile phone. The accused have been identified as Avtar Singh and his brother Jagtar Singh, residents of Prem Vihar on Tibba Road. On seeing the police at a checkpoint near Basti Jodhewal Chowk, the accused tried to flee from the scene, but were apprehended. Moneylender, son booked
A moneylender along with his son Ankur and accomplices Ashu, Paramjit Singh and Parmod Kumar have been booked by the police for assaulting and forcing a man to sign documents at gun point. The victim has been identified as Raj Kumar, a resident of Shivaji Nagar. The incident took place on Sunday evening when Raj Kumar was forcibly taken to the office of the accused,
Ladi Katyal. There he was coerced into signing some documents, he alleged. Vehicle thief nabbed
The police has nabbed a person with a stolen motorcycle, following a tip-off, at Vardhman Chowk yesterday. The accused has been identified as Bablu Kumar, a resident of Arjun Dev Nagar. On seeing the police, the accused tried to escape, but was caught. During questioning, the accused confessed before the police that he had stolen the motorcycle a few months ago. 2 held for bootlegging
The police has nabbed two persons for bootlegging. The accused have been identified as Bhadur Singh, a resident of New Kartar Nagar, and Saurabh Kumar, a resident of Rahon Road. They were nabbed from a checkpoint at Kaind bridge. During their search, the police impounded seven boxes of illicit liquor. Search at jail
The police and jail authorities today conducted a massive checking at Ludhiana Central Jail on Tajpur road. The search was conducted following information that prisoners were trying to escape through a tunnel. It was carried out on the orders of the Director General of Police (Jails).
— TNS
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Husband, in-laws strangle mother of two to death
Phillaur, February 13 A case has also been booked against his mother Gurmaij Kaur, sister Amarjit Kaur and nephew Sunny. The police said the shawl used for strangulation was also recovered from the spot. The other three accused managed to escape. The victim, Rajwinder Kaur, got married to Harpreet in 2006. Her father Karnail Singh alleged the accused and his family members were harassing and torturing Rajwinder. Bank clerk kills guard
A security guard of the Apra branch of the State Bank of Patiala was reportedly shot dead by a clerk of the same branch. The accused, Ved Parkash of Phillaur, surrendered after the incident. He alleged the deceased, Jaswinder Singh of Habitpur village, was repeatedly harassing his girl friend. Despite repeated warnings, he did not budge, Ved Parkash stated to the police. The accused used the victim’s gun to shoot him.
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