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Inferno reduces garment factory to cinders
Ludhiana, November 4 Officials of the fire brigade said owner of Vardhman Knitwears Naveen Jain suffered a loss of more than Rs 7 crore. “Finished goods lying inside the factory and the godown have been reduced to ashes,” said assistant divisional fire officer Bhupinder Singh Sandhu. A major portion of the building collapsed and cracks also appeared on the walls of eight other buildings. Firemen had to face difficulty in controlling the blaze as there was only one entry and exit point to the factory. “Iron grills on the windows made are task even harder,” said a fire official. Fire officials also heard two-three blasts inside the factory, who were still trying to douse the flames till the filing of this report. Miraculous escape
It was a miraculous escape for a family of six. Shivji Rathod, his wife Pushpa Devi, their three daughters and a son used to reside on the fifth floor of the building that caught fire. They jumped onto the fifth floor of the adjoining building and were rescued. Foul play cannot be ruled out, says fire official
A fire brigade official said the factory was insured and the possibility of foul play could not be ruled out. He said the fire might have started from the basement. The factory officials, however, claim that the fire started due to crackers. Assistant divisional fire officer Bhupinder Singh Sandhu said: “Right now, our focus is to douse the flames. The building can collapse anytime.” Upgrade fire brigade
The Chamber for Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) has urged the Mayor and the Municipal Corporation Commissioner to upgrade the fire brigade. Upkar Singh, joint secretary, CICU, said: “The industry pays property tax, fire cess, licence fee
and octroi on electricity, but the authorities have failed to strengthen the fire department.” Over 40 fire incidents were reported in the city on Diwali night. It was a tough day for fire fighters as apart from dousing flames at a factory in the Sekhewal area, they had to control blaze at other places too. Assistant divisional fire officer Bhupinder Singh Sandhu said: “We are still busy dousing the flames of the factory in Sekhewal. We have not been able to ascertain the exact loss due to fire incidents at various places.” Truck damaged
A stationary truck was damaged after a firecracker fell on it in the old sabzi mandi area of Samrala on Diwali night. The truck was loaded with juice packs. Residents of the area managed to douse the flames before the fire tender reached the spot. Celebrations
turn sour
A 32-year-old woman, Amarjit Kaur, aka Puja, a resident of Mangli Neechi, was charred to death on Sunday night. The victim was lighting candles when one of the candles fell on a box containing crackers. Her clothes caught fire. Her husband Paramjit Pamma also suffered burns when he tried to save her. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. 4 held for gambling
The police arrested four persons from Garewal Chowk for gambling on Diwali night. The police recovered Rs 52,000 from their possession. The accused have been identified as Darshan Kumar, Kala Sahi, Vikram Kumar and Jeet Ram. A case under Sections 13, 3 and 67 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.
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City celebrates safe Diwali
Christian Medical College and Hospital received 20 burn cases. Dr Aashish Chander, assistant professor, department of ophthalmology, said: "Five patients suffered eye injury. A few of them have been operated while other will be operated soon." Eithteen patients were reported at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. Dr Sanjeev Uppal, head of the plastic surgery department, said: "We received 18 patients with burn injuries due to crackers on Diwali night. Out of these, two suffered eye injury." Five patients came with burn injuries at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital. Senior medical officer of the hospital Dr Raj Kumar Karkara said: "The number of patients is far less as compared to last year. We received 15 cases of burn injuries last year." SPS Apollo Hospital received six cases of burns on Diwali night. The medical superintendent said: "The patients suffered minor injuries and were sent home after first aid." Medical superintendent of Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital Dr RS Sodhi said 12 patients with burns were reported at the hospital on Sunday night." |
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Two migrant labourers electrocuted
Ludhiana, November 4 Station house officer
(SHO) of the Focal Point police station Gurtej Singh said the victims came in contact with the live wire passing from the rooftop of the vehra where they lived. The incident took place around 10.30 pm. The police said the victims consumed liquor and entered into a spat with a group of migrants living in another
vehra. Shrawan and Manoj along with a few others ran towards the rooftop of their vehra and came in contact with the wire. They died on the spot. The SHO said: "We are investigating the families of the victims have been informed." |
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Heroin worth over Rs 7 lakh seized
Ludhiana, November 4 The price of the contraband in the international market is over Rs 7 lakh, he said. A case under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. The accused said he was into the illegal drug trade for the past two years and cases had been registered against him at various police stations. The accused used to procure the contraband from Jalandhar and Phillaur and used to sell it in the city. The accused has been sent to two-day police remand. |
Riot of colour shines bright on a new moon night
Ludhihna November 4 At religious places, devotees lit up candles. 'Bandi Chhod Diwas' was celebrated at gurdwaras. Devotees celebrated the festival by paying obeisance at gurdwaras. At home, people offered prayers and performed rituals. Along with fireworks, paper lamps also went up in the air. Youngsters were seen taking delight in bursting crackers on roads and rooftops. For many, it was time to enjoy different delicacies. "For me, Diwali is the start of winter and with it comes the time to enjoy scrumptious delicacies," said Komal, a resident of Dugri. "Diwali perhaps is the only occasion when I call up and receive calls from all my friends, acquaintances and relatives. Some of my friends have now become Diwali friends," said Rohit, a Civil Lines resident. Exchange of gifts kept the residents busy. "Diwali and the day before are very hectic days for us," said Simar, another resident. "This is the festival of gifts," she said. Many people gifted gadgets and home appliances to their loved ones. "Purchasing things on Diwali is considered auspicious. So we make sure we buy something," said Minakshi, a resident of Sant Nagar. "So we are making the most of the day by purchasing things that will make Diwali more memorable for us," she said. Markets remained lit up, with the residents thronging gift stores till evening.
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Post-Diwali, it’s all messed up
Ludhiana, November 4 All streets were littered. As Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was to visit the city, some roads were cleaned this morning. A number of sanitation workers do not report to duty on Vishwakarma Day. A resident lamented that nobody bothered to dispose of litter."I fail to understand why people act so irresponsibly," said Uday Partap Singh Sandhu, a resident of South City. Another city resident lamented that despite urging residents to celebrate a green Diwali, the residents burst crackers. "People burst crackers till morning," said Pardeep Kumar, a resident of Kailash Chowk.MC Joint Commissioner AS Sekhon said he had already issued orders, asking workers to clean the roads. "A majority of roads were cleaned this morning," he claimed.
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Sale of crackers witnesses 50 pc dip
He said the maximum sale of crackers this year was Rs 10 to 12 crore. "The sale generally touches the Rs 25 crore mark," he said. He said the sales had totalled up to Rs 5 crore. The sales started picking up only a day before, he said. "People hardly have cash due to the slump in the market caused by slow property and hosiery markets this year," said Pardeep. Some of the cracker sellers were so disappointed this year that they said they would give up the business. "I had mortgaged my wife's jewellery, but the sales have been too low for me to make any real profit," said Gopal, a cracker seller.
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Diwali bridges divide
Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 4 Owners and managers of commercial, educational and industrial
organisations, irrespective of religion, greeted their staff members and distributed gifts and sweets among them. Sohrab, managing director of the Sohrab Group of Industries and Educational Institutes, said he along with the other members of his family greeted all his friends and relatives, including Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims on the occasion. He said the management committee had also distributed sweets and gifts among workers
and staff. "We do not find anything wrong in celebrating the festivals of Hindus and Sikhs when we have been living and working with them for decades. Chairman of the organisation, Amjad Ali, had advised heads of educational institutes to apprise students of the importance of the festival. Regretting that leaders of certain radical groups had been trying to create differences between various communities, Hamid Mohammad and Babu Khan, social activists, said their children had celebrated the festival with fervour. "We motivated our children to participate in the celebrations because we remember how bad we used to feel when we were not allowed to celebrate Diwali," said Mohammad. Ram Masih, a Christian social activist, said all communities should celebrate festivals such as Diwali, Christmas, Eid and Gurpurab. Mobile companies and social media also play an important role in connecting different communities on religious festivals.
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No schedule for selection trials yet
Ludhiana, November 4 The Punjab Kabaddi Association has not bothered to call the kabaddi academies and players for selection trials. Earlier too, due to the dilly-dallying attitude of the kabaddi body, the Punjab government had to postpone the kabaddi cup, which was scheduled to start from November 9. Office-bearers said that the national body of kabaddi i.e. the Amateur Kabaddi Association, had put some objection on the functioning of the PKA. Sikander Singh Maluka, chairman of Punjab Kabaddi Association, said, "Some politicians from the opposition party had approached the Amateur Kabaddi Association and tried to disrupt the kabaddi cup. The central body had put some objections on our functioning. We have answered their queries and they are satisfied now. All issues have been sorted out"."We are not running behind schedule. The date of selection trials for the Indian kabaddi team has not been finalised yet, but we hope that the trials will be conducted on November 6 or 7. We are set to organise the World Kabaddi Cup. The hotel rooms, transportation and other required facilities have been arranged for players", said Maluka. The fourth edition of the World Kabaddi Cup is scheduled to start from November 30. The final matches and concluding ceremony will be held in Ludhiana on December 14. The renovation work of Guru Nanak Stadium, which was resumed after 10 months, is going on at a snail's pace.
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Govt schools short of staff
Ludhiana, November 4 Over 25,000 posts of teacher, librarian, staff and Class IV employees are lying vacant. Although teachers have been struggling for long to get these posts filled, the state government seems to be least bothered to tide over the problem. In the absence of teachers, lab attendants have been taking the classes in many schools. As per data, the total sanctioned posts of principal at government senior secondary schools in Punjab are 1,388 and just 896 posts have been filled. Apart from principals, there is an acute shortage of primary teachers. Against the total 34,015 sanctioned posts, there are 24,975 teachers in government schools. Only 7,067 lecturers are providing their services against the total 11,487 posts of lecturer in Punjab government schools. As per rough estimates, there are about 30 lakh students in government schools in Punjab and between 15-20 lakh are studying in senior secondary schools. President of the Democratic Teachers Front Ramanjit Singh Sandhu said students were suffering due to the staff shortage. "The government is not paying attention towards regularising contractual staff. The vacant posts should be filled at the earliest," said Sandhu. DGSC Kumar Rahul said the department was working to assess the exact requirement of staff in government schools and a decision would be taken soon."
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City lad fifth in PCS examination
Having an engineering background, he chose geography and psychology as subjects. He took coaching for the examination from Delhi. He said his family stood by him all this while. His inspiration remained his maternal grandfather Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang who was the former Governor of Kerala, he added. He said aspirants preparing for civil services must have a 'back-up career plan' they can fall back on if they don't make it to the civil services. "Sometimes, the preparations take several years, which can get frustrating if one doesn't make it to the services. I too chose to do engineering as an alternative career, had I not succeeded in the civil services exam," he said. During the preparations, one might face frustrations and distractions, but one must stay focused, he added.
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Foreign delegation visits farm varsity
Ludhiana, November 4 The delegation, comprising extension officials, visited PAMETI under the US-India-Africa International Training Programme on 'New Dimensions in Agricultural Extension Management' being conducted by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad. Dr P Chandra Shekhra, director, Centre for Agri-preneurship, Youth and PPP, MANAGE, Hyderabad, accompanied the team. Coordinating the visit, Dr MS Mahal, director, PAMETI, highlighted the achievements of Punjab in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. Besides, he apprised the delegation of the farm problems, which had arisen due to intensive cultivation being followed by the farming community in the state. He also talked about the probable solutions being advocated by the researchers and extension functionaries to tackle the agrarian issues. The delegation team also visited the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology . The director of the institute, Dr SN Jha, briefed them about various technologies developed by the institute for evolving agri-entrepreneurship and value addition of raw produce in food grains, vegetables and
fruits. — TNS
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Tributes paid to singer Reshma
Ludhiana, November 4 She had carved out a different identity for herself and had earned a worldwide acclaim, he said.Reshma also visited the city once and Dhir had met her. He said that she connected with the people of the land instantly through her singing, speaking their language in the songs. She had her own style of singing, he added. Vijay Yamla, grandson of Yamla Jatt, also mourned the demise of Reshma. He said that her voice was loved as much across the border and his family was saddened by the demise of the legendary singer. Through her songs, she enriched Punjabi culture, said Dhir. "Her demise has created a vacuum and she will be remembered for her golden voice," he added.
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Vishwakarma Day celebrated
Ludhiana, November 4 During a state-level function held at Guru Nanak Bhawan, the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, said that Lord Vishwakarma was the founder of engineering, architecture and technology on earth. Badal said that the industrial and infrastructure growth across the globe was only due to the blessings of Lord Vishwakarma, who had created mechanical skills. Badal said that the technological skills, coupled with day-to-day advancements had facilitated the mankind to grow swiftly. He appealed the people, especially the Punjabi youth, to improve their professional skills and enhance their abilities so that they could avail optimal job opportunities. Lord Vishwa karma was also worshipped by the owners of the factories along with their workers. Sonu, a worker at a hosiery unit. said that the day held a lot of importance for all.
He said, "We came early to our factories, and washed the tools."
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24 dengue cases in two days
Ludhiana, November 4 A team of the Health Department, including Assistant Unit Officer Bhag Singh, Multi-purpose Health Supervisor Manpreet Singh under the supervision of district epidemiologist visited Salim Tabri, Near Chand Cinema and held four group meetings. The team checked 58 coolers and 76 containers but did not find any larvae. Pamphlets were also distributed.So far, different hospital of Ludhiana, Gian Sagar Medical College and Government Medical College, Patiala, have received 980 dengue cases. Out of them, 725 are from Ludhiana district, 335 are from other districts and 120 from other states.
— TNS
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MCPI (U) flays increase in wages of MLAs
Doraha, November 4 Kuldip Singh, national general secretary and Pawan Kumar Kaushal, the secretary of state,Committee of MCPI (U), stated that it was shameful that all the legislatures had become a party to this open loot. No reaction arose to it and it was unanimously accepted by all parties. This showed to what extent these parties could rise when there was personal benefit at hand, they expressed.
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Engineering expo from November 29
Ludhiana, November 4 Over 300 exhibitors from India, Japan, China, Germany and Yemen will participate in the exhibition which will attract more than 40,000-50,000 visitors. A concurrent national event ' Arab-Africa Conclave' will be held on the last day. Ten Ambassadors/High Commissioners from Arab and African countries will visit the expo. Besides, purchase heads from prominent auto component manufacturers throughout India and international representatives from purchase offices will be participating. The CICU has urged engineering and allied companies to participate as an exhibitor. It has been asked to showcase its products and explore new avenues.
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Festivities pervade schools in city
Ludhiana, November 4 Meanwhile, Bharatiya Vidya Mandir celebrated Diwali. Students came dressed as Rama, Sita and Mandodri. A diya and candle decoration competition was held. Students also participated in rangoli making. Principal Bandana Sethi appreciated the efforts of the students.
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LUDHIANA
SCAN
Avon cycles held an awareness programme on for African students. The theme was 'Don't hunt for job, be your own boss'. Seventy African students from 15 countries participated in the programme on October 31. It aimed at building skilled and productive workforce to meet the challenges of global business competitions. Onkar Singh Pahwa, chairman, Avon Cycles Limited, said the SMEs were playing a key role in the industrial development of the economy. Information campaign
Bharat Nirman Jan Soochna Abhiyan, a public information campaign, will be organised at the sports ground in front of Senior Secondary School at Dakha village from November 9 to 11. It will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari. The campaign aims at apprising residents of several schemes launched by the Central and the state governments. Stalls will be set up during an exhibition. A play, 'Bharat Nirman Di Ik Buland Awaaz - Karmo', will also be staged. Ailing man
needs help
A factory worker, Ranjit Singh,who is diagnosed with left parafalcine meningioma, a benign brain tumour with seizure disorder, has undergone a surgery at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. The cost of surgery, hospitalisation and medicines will be around Rs 2 lakh. He is the sole breadwinner of the family. The hospital authorities have appealed to the public to come forward and help the patient. Cheques in the name of 'Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana' can be deposited in the medical superintendent office with the name, Ranjit Singh (Hospital Unit No: C- 7473330), written at the rear of the cheque. NCC camp begins The annual training camp of No 4 (Pb) Air Sqn NCC kicked off at JNV School, Dhanansu. The 10-day long camp is being attended by 500 cadets. More than 100 girls of over 15 city schools and colleges are attending the camp. Camp Commandant Wg Cdr SS Kaila said activities such as PT, drill and weapon firing would be held. "Football, volleyball and basketball competitions will also be held," Kalia stated. Cultural events and cross-country race, besides air sqn specific events like static-aeromodel making and .12 bore skeet shooting will be organised. He said the cadets would be taken to airfield. He said the cadets who attended the last camp had asked for motivational movies. More than 50 personnel, including 11 instructors and nine
ANOs, will be imparting training to the cadets during the camp. Protesters
meet DC
Protesters demanding reservation in government contracts met Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal after they were released from jail on Monday. BSP leader Ramanjit Lali said the Deputy Commissioner assured them that the government was considering their demands. He said the DC told them that government schoolteachers would not be asked to prepare voter lists and collect census data. He said the backlog of government vacancies would be cleared by the government. Lali said the government had okayed the translation of books on the life of Dr BR Ambedkar into Punjabi. Painting exhibition
A painting exhibition, 'Different Strokes', is under way at Model Town. The event is on till November 6.
— TNS
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4 persons booked for assault
Samrala, November 4 He said last night his wife started quarrelling with him, saying she wanted to leave him. He said she demanded Rs 5 lakh. She called up her parents. Her father Tarlochan Singh and brother Avtar Singh came and attacked them, he alleged. A case has been registered in this connection.
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85 aspirants attend soccer trials
Ludhiana, November 4 Shivtar Singh Bajwa, president of the association, said that the exercise would continue tomorrow also as some talented and deserving players were away to participate in the state-level football tournament. They will be returning tonight and attend the trials on Tuesday. The names of the Ludhiana probables will be announced tomorrow, added Bajwa. The selected players will represent Ludhiana district in the 35th Junior Punjab State Football Championship to be
held from November 16 to 20 at Baba Kala Mehar Stadium, Barnala.
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Budding shuttlers hog limelight again
Ludhiana, November 4 In the second edition of the Ustad Chaman Lal Ratti Memorial Punjab State Prize Money Badminton Tournament, Lakshaya (8), a student of Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, bagged two titles in the U-10 category, besides a bronze medal in the Under-13 section while Arnam Jain of Sat Paul Mittal School, Dugri, won one title in the same age group in addition to one silver and one bronze medal, respectively. Likewise, Sanya Jain of Delhi Public School, Rajgarh Estate, South City, gave a stunning performance and stamped her class, winning one title and securing a bronze medal in the U-10 category. Earlier, Lakshaya and Arnam were at the centre stage during the Open Punjab State Sub-Junior Badminton Tournament held last month at Mukandpur in Nawanshahr district where the pair surprised one and all as they overpowered their senior opponents to finish among position holders. At Jalandhar, Lakshaya defeated his city mate, Arnam Jain in the boys U-10 group. He won the verdict 21-12, 21-15. Then, Lakshaya teamed up with Arnam to outplay Jalandhar pair of Samarth Singh and Abhinav Thakur comfortably 21-14, 21-10 to lift the title in the boys U-10 doubles category. However, in the under-13 category, duo of Lakshaya and Arnam had to be content with the bronze medal. Similarly, Sanya Jain of Ludhiana in association with Harinder Kaur of Sangrur (U-10) quelled a strong resistance from Naina Sharma and Khushi Jha of Jalandhar before wrapping up the cliff hanger 21-17, 21-17. Mangat Rai Sharma, an NIS trained coach, under whose guidance, these three talented shuttlers get coaching was overwhelmed by their excellent performance. "These shuttlers are very talanted and have all the qualities to don national colors in the international tournaments, said Sharma.
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Doraha Public School cagers are champions
Doraha, November 4 As many as eight schools, comprising boys and girls teams in the U-14 and U-19 age groups, participated. Sukhpal Singh, chairman, Doraha Group of Institutes, Umal Kaur, chairperson, Doraha Public School, Tapvir Singh, director, Doraha Public School, Japvir Singh, director, Doraha Institute of Management and Technology were present during the tournament. The chairman gave away the trophies and medals to the
winning teams. Results U-19 (boys): Doraha Public School, Doraha-1, Sant Kirpal Singh Sewa Panthi School, Neelon-2, Tagore International Senior Secondary School, Sahnewal-3; U-19 (girls): Doraha Public School, Doraha-1, Tagore International Senior Secondary School, Sahnewal-2, Garden Valley International School, Machhiwara-3; U-14 (girls): Doraha Public School, Doraha-1, Mehta Gurukul Senior Secondary School, Doraha-2, Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary Schoo , Doraha-3; U-14 (boys): Garden Valley International School, Machhiwara-1, Doraha Public School, Doraha-2 and USPC Jain Senior Secondary School, Jamalpur.
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Karateka selected member of Athletics Commission
Khanna, November 4 In many countries, the Olympic Association has made the Athletics Commission so that important decisions are taken for the betterment of games. This is the first time that the Karate Association of India has made such a commission. Coach Rajesh Joshi (Punjab Police) has said Simmi Batta had also been selected for the upcoming World Karate Championship. On the occasion, Rakesh Chaudhary, president of the District Karate
Association, Ludhiana, Raju Kanojia , vice-president congratulated Simmi
and wished her for a better future.
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Ludhiana, November 4
Ludhiana, November 4
Ludhiana, November
4