Ludhiana, August 10
The police claimed to have unravelled the mystery shrouding the murder of a woman by arresting her husband here today. Police officials said the motive behind the murder was his wish to have a son. The accused and one of his associates have been identified as Rajiv Sharma and Neeraj Sharma respectively. Rajiv used to work as a security guard at the PSPCL feeder whereas Neeraj is a class IV employee at a bank.

The ADCP, Joginder Singh, said Rajiv and deceased Dimple got married eight years ago and they had two daughters. Rajiv and his family wanted a son, which led to a dispute.

According to the police, Rajiv lodged a complaint with the Sadar police station that her wife Dimple, who was a teacher in a private school, had gone missing under mysterious circumstances on August 4. Rajiv told Rajesh Kumar, Dimple’s brother, that she left the house for a temple, but did not return.

Amandeep Singh, SHO of the Sadar police station, said: "The day when when Rajiv lodged the complaint, we got suspicious as he was changing his statements again and again".

Meanwhile, Rajesh informed the police that Dimple had informed him on the phone on August 2 that Rajiv consumed liquor along with his friend Neeraj.

During the investigation, the police took Rajiv and Neeraj in custody. Today, both confessed to the crime. Rajiv told the police that he gave a drug overdose to Dimple on August 2. When she fell unconscious, they put her in a car and moved towards Karnal in Haryana. They threw Dimple into a canal at Uchana Bridge in Karnal district.

The accused confessed that they had removed the deceased’s earrings and mobile phone before throwing her into the canal. The police has recovered the earrings, mobile phone and the car.

The loacl police has contacted its counterpart in Haryana to recover the woman’s body from the canal.

Ludhiana, August 10
A day after the Youth Congress activists blocked the New Delhi-Lahore bus in Amritsar, the Ludhiana unit of the Youth Congress also tried to block the bus here today. However, the Youth Congress workers could not succeed in their plans as the the administration acted smartly and diverted the route of the bus.

More than 25 activists of the Youth Congress, led by Tejinder Chahal, district secretary of the Youth Congress, and Vijay Agnihotri, vice-president of the Youth Congress (South Constituency), gathered on the Jalandhar bypass at around 11.30 am. The New Delhi-Lahore bus was scheduled to reach the Jalandhar bypass at 12:20pm. Security was beefed up on the national highway and senior police officers also reached the spot.

The leaders of the Youth Congress alleged that the ACP, J Elanchezhian, threatened their workers with a case against them for disrupting the traffic. The protesters raised slogans against Pakistan for killing the Indian soldiers.

Vijay Agnihotri said: "We wanted to block the bus to register our protest against the killing of the Indian soldiers. But, the police diverted the bus route. So, we staged a protest on the Jalandhar bypass and raised slogans against Pakistan".

Meanwhile, Elanchezhian said: "It is part of our duty to ensure a safe passage to the bus and its smooth journey. We provide foolproof security to the New Delhi-Lahore bus in routine. Today also the bus passed through Ludhiana without any interruption in journey".

Party flag in dustbin Soon after a demonstration by the Youth Congress workers, who were expressing their patriotic feelings, it was observed that a few protestants dumped the Youth Congress flags in a dustbin placed at a bus shelter. When contacted, Vijay Agnihotri, Youth Congress leader, said: "Our activists can't do so as they respect the party flag. Some times, mischievous elements mingle in such public gatherings and do such things."

Ludhiana, August 10
While the MC officials are not satisfied with the working of A to Z Waste Management Ludhiana Ltd, which has been awarded the contract of solid waste management in the city, the company officials blame the delay in payments for their poor performance.

The financial situation of the company is such that one of their sub-contractors, who had provided tippers and JCB machines to the company on rent, pulled out his vehicles due to the non-payment of his dues. The company had to hire the tippers and JCB machines of the MC today, else garbage collection in the city would have come to a standstill.

The company officials alleged that it is due to an 'unprofessional approach' of the MC that their financial position had gone weak.

It is learnt that of a total of 38 tippers and JCB machines deputed by the company in the city, around 20 were hired from a Jalandhar-based company. Due to a financial dispute, the Jalandhar-based company pulled out its vehicles on Thursday afternoon.

Yesterday, the company hired 10 tippers and six JCB machines from the MC for a daily rent of Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,500, respectively. "But these vehicles have not been provided on a long-term basis. The company has also been asked to arrange its vehicles at the earliest," said a senior MC officer.

At present, the A to Z company is involved in door-to-door collection of garbage in around 40 percent areas of 60 wards. The MC has a total of 75 wards.

"That is why, when the company's bid in Mohali was the lowest, it failed to get solid waste management contract there. Mohali MC Commissioner AK Sinha had sought comments about the company's performance at Ludhiana," said the officer.

Meanwhile, BPS Chauhan, vice-president, A to Z Waste Management Ludhiana Ltd, claimed that the MC was not clearing their payments on time. "Our payment for June is still due and how can the civic body expect us to perform well? We will make payments to our sub-contractors only if we are paid on time. Now that we have not received payment on time, the Jalandhar-based company have pulled out its vehicles. But still we are continuing the service with the available resources," claimed Chauhan.

Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said if the company failed to perform up to the mark, they might think of awarding the contract to some other private company.

Ludhiana, August 10
To press for their demand for the abolition of solid waste management contract system in the state, the safai karamcharis of the state are all set to go on statewide strike on August 12.

The safai karmacharis’ demands included the state government should abolish all contracts with private companies for solid waste management, the contract system for hiring safai karmacharis should be abolished. Though the safai karmacharis claimed that they didn't have any problem if private companies lift garbage from dumps instead of indulging in door-to-door collection of garbage.

Ever since A to Z Waste Management Ludhiana Ltd started its operations in the city on August 15, 2011, it has been facing protests by the private garbage collectors of the city.

On August 15, 2011, the A to Z staff was even 'manhandled' by a group of private garbage collectors. The windowpanes of their vehicles were broken and brand new garbage bins thrown in the Sidhwan Canal. The extent of this protest was such that the Sarabha Nagar police had to register a case against the protesters and arrest one person, who was later released on bail. Later, the company staff engaged in garbage collect was provided police protection.

In October 2011, the private garbage collectors of the state had gone on strike, after which on October 31, 2011, a meeting between Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and the members of the Valmiki Samaj Bachao Andolan (VSBA) was held in Chandigarh.

Surinder Kalyan, chairman, VSBA, said they would hold a meeting with Local Bodies Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, the Secretary of the Local Bodies Department and other senior government officers in Jalandhar tomorrow evening.

"If the state government agrees to accept our demands, we might cancel the proposed strike. Everything depends on tomorrow's meeting," he said.

Ludhiana, August 10
Soon, private hospitals will be able to register births and deaths taking place in their respective hospitals on their own. This plan will certainly provide some respite to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation as the work burden would be eased and paper work would be reduced.

The MC has also uploaded the records of all births taken place in the city between 2008 and 2012. The births taken place till date in the city will also be uploaded within the next one month.

In regard to providing records of all births and deaths taking place in hospitals, the MC also plans to provide login details to all city hospitals so that they can directly upload the details on the MC website instead of sending it to the MC office by hand.

Municipal Health Officer Dr Charanjit Uppal said: "At present, all hospitals send this record by hand. They prepare a monthly list, which is sent to us after a month. After this, we register it in our records. But now, we are in the process of computerisation of all birth and death records. That’s why we will soon provide login details to all major hospitals so that the records can be updated on a daily basis.”

The hospitals will still have to send a monthly copy by hand after 21 days, which will be verified manually by the MC staff.

“When this facility starts functioning, it will help the city residents in a big way as the records will get updated on a daily basis,” said Dr Charanjit Uppal.

For training the hospital staff, the MC organised a programme today. It was attended by representatives from more than 20 hospitals of the city. 

Ludhiana, August 10
The Syndicate meeting of Panjab University, which was scheduled for August 9 at Chandigarh has been postponed and will now be held on August 13.

Though the outstation members of the Syndicate, too, had reached the venue on time but it was unanimously decided to postpone the meeting for August 13 as it was Eid yesterday. The outstation members had come from Ludhiana, Abohar and Khanna while most of the other Syndicate members were from Chandigarh itself.

According to information, it was an adjourned meeting which had to be continued but now it will again be held on August 13. Decision on a number of important issued had to be taken during the meeting.

Harpreet Singh Dua, a Syndicate member from Ludhiana, said: “On August 13, issues, including “autonomous status” to Mahilpur College (Hoshiarpur) will be discussed. The status was denied to the college after a visit by the inspection team of Panjab University. Besides, Syndicate will discuss the problems of Guru Nanak Girls College. The PU has already appointed its three members, who will take part in administrative matters of the college."

Another important issue to be discussed during the meeting is the fee structure. As Panjab University has slashed the fee structure of various courses in colleges, the private colleges are feeling the pinch. The PU has made it clear that its aim was not to make any profit through these courses. Many colleges have raised objection over decreased fee structure owing to losses.

Raikot/Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 10
Settling scores by registering false cases by misguiding the police has become a routine in this part of Malwa. Such incidents are on the rise after the elections for the rural bodies.

In a recent case, senior SAD leader and general secretary Jagtar Singh of Bhaini Baringa village in the Raikot constituency was booked last night under Sections 380, 323, 324, 445, 447 and 511 of the IPC for allegedly stealing goods from a flour mill owned by Zora Singh of the same village. The stolen articles, according to the FIR, include a “dhangi” (a bamboo stick used to knock tree twigs) and a kneading machine (used to make noodles).

Today, activists of the SAD, owing allegiance to the Talwandi group, blocked traffic at the Barnala chowk.

Terming the sequence of events as unfortunate for the party, Jathedar Mohan Singh said he had apprised the district-level and state-level leaders of the situation and they (senior leaders) had assured him that remedial steps would be taken soon. “Though we have been trying our best to persuade our workers to resolve differences, our rivals are not ready to accept us as their sympathisers,” said Mohan Singh, regretting that factionalism had compounded the problems of both the administration and the party high command.

Earlier, octogenarian Dyal Singh of Rupa Patti village, who is suffering from paralysis, was booked under Section 452. Demanding the cancellation of the alleged false cases, leaders, led by former chairman of the market committee Krishan Dev Sharma, former president of the municipal council Amandeep Singh Gill, Mohan Singh Talwandi and Inderjit Singh Gowindwal, urged the higher authorities to initiate action against those who misguided the police.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana (rural), Ashish Chaudhary said he had already deputed a circle officer to look into the matter.

In another case, the Dehlon police had booked Paramjit Singh Ghawadi, a senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhathal’s confidant, under similar sections. Ghawadi, along with his other associates, was booked for allegedly stealing utensils owned by the Baba Bhola Ram Trust founded by Ghawadi and other villagers. Ghawadi, who is life chairman of the said trust, had lost recent village sarpanch election.

Ludhiana, August 10
The Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) has condemned the move of the Gujarat government in which the Narendra Modi government filed a case against Punjabi farmers in the Supreme Court for their eviction from Gujarat, who have been residing there for the past 50 years.

Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, president, Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal), demanded from the Gujarat government to withdraw the case against these farmers, who made the lands fertile with hard work.

“If the Gujarat government will not withdraw its case, we will intensify the protest to support the farmer community,” said Lakhowal.

At the meeting, Lakhowal also demanded for an independent commission to set the prices of crops and calculate the cost of cultivation.

Lakhowal said: “The Minimum Support Price should be implemented on each crop”. He also demanded uninterrupted power supply for eight hours to the agriculture sector.

Ludhiana, August 10
Students have brought laurels to SCD Government College by securing 100 per cent pass percentage in the MCom (business innovations) fourth-semester examination conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh, in May 2013.

Roshini Kapoor bagged the top position in the university by securing 2,488 marks out of 3,200, and passed the examination with distinction. She will be awarded a gold medal by the university in the forthcoming convocation.

Besides, Saru Jindal bagged the second position in Panjab University by securing 2,461 marks out of 3,200. Third position is clinched by Kirti Dhawan. As many as 18 students out of 38 secured more than 70 per cent marks and 36 students bagged the first division.

Prof Rajinder Singh, principal of the college, congratulated the faculty of the college, especially Dr Ashwani Bhalla, programme coordinator of the course, and other members of the Commerce Department for the excellent results.

Ludhiana, August 10
Star cast of the upcoming Punjabi movie “Punjab Bolda” was in the city at Lodhi Club today. Lead actors of the movie, Sarabjit Cheema and Anisha Pooja, along with other members of the film, were present on the occasion.

The movie throws light on the history of Punjab, and also highlights the present situation of the state.

This is Cheema’s third movie after “Pind Di Kudi” and “Apni Boli Apna Des”.

He said: “Though people prefer comedy films these days, if you make good cinema, it will do well. This is the reason why “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” is a huge success”.

He said even though there was an influence of the Western culture on the youth today, they were still rooted in the Punjabi culture.

Noted Pakistani singer Arif Lohar has sung one of the songs of the movie.

Acting my passion, says Anisha Pooja

Anisha Pooja, Miss India Switzerland 2008, is making a debut opposite Cheema as the female lead. Born in Germany and brought up in Switzerland, the actor said acting had been her passion. She learnt acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, Los Angeles, and European Film Actor School in Zurich. She had already done bout 25 plays and 20-odd short films and videos, she said. She had done a musical play titled “Flaws of Attraction” with a theatre in Mumbai.

Anisha said she was an actor and language was not a barrier for any actor. It was a part of the profession for an actor to learn the language, so she learnt Punjabi.

The actor said she wanted to do a good role. “I auditioned for the role and I got selected,” she said.

“The reason I chose to do this film was its brilliant script,” she said. 

Jagraon, August 10
Residents of Agwar Ladhai, Kothe Rahlan and some other localities near Bhadarkali Mandir staged a protest against Jagraon Municipal Council (MC) today. The residents were annoyed over the practice of dumping garbage by MC sweepers near their localities.

The residents fear outbreak of epidemic if the practice of garbage dumping is not stopped soon. The residents have asked the local MC authorities to move the dump to some other place and have threatened to boycott the upcoming MC elections if their demand is not met.

Baldev Krishan Dhir, MC president, said, “A resolution to shift the garbage dump would be presented before the MC house soon and the problem would be solved.” 

Ludhiana, August 10
Bollywood and Punjabi movie actor Arya Babbar launched a clothing brand outlet in a city mall today.

Talking about his next venture he said, “My next Bollywood movie is Dussehra, with actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, and will be released on Dussehra, while my Punjabi movie Hero and Heer opposite Minissha Lamba will be released in November.”

Given a choice between Bollywood and Punjabi movies, he said he would take to Punjabi cinema, because his heart lies in Punjabi movies. Nobody gives the amount of love, warmth and respect as Punjabi fans do.

Ludhiana, August 10
Two-day fashion exhibition titled De Cosmopolitan displaying bridal suits, wedding collections, jewellery and accessories commenced at a hotel on the Ferozepur road.

Boutiques and designers from other cities also displayed their fashion collection. Handbags, shoes, designer accessories and suits were being showcased, all making the most of the festive season.

Not only fashion products, but also indoor and outdoor plants, including special varieties of palms like the phoenix palm, fox palm, areca, rhapis palm were on display for home decor purposes. — TNS