Ludhiana, April 5
Tightening the noose around bookies, the city police have arrested eight of them for betting on the T20 World Cup matches.

The gadgets seized by the police in Ludhiana on Saturday

The accused, Shallu, Gurmeet Simgh, Rohit, Gaurav, Sunny, Monument, Gagandeep and Pritam Kumar, are local residents.

Acting on a tip-off, the police raided their accommodation in Ahluwalia Colony on Jamalpur Road and arrested them.

The house belongs to the alleged kingpin of the betting racket, Shallu. They were booking bets on the T20 semifinal between Indian and South Africa.

A customised exchange, Rs 25, 000, two laptops, 50 mobile phones, a digital recorder, two LCDs and an Internet dongle were recovered from their possession.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) MS Dhesi said the accused had been running the betting racket for the past few months.

A case of fraud under Section 420, IPC, and other relevant sections under the Gambling Act has resgistered.

Ludhiana, April 5
As many as 1,200 pensioners of Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank, who have not received their pensions since November 2013, have decided to boycott the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the Lok Sabha elections.

“If our pensions are not released by April 20, we will vote against the ruling SAD-BJP combine," said Karamjit Singh, president of the Pensioners’ Association of Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank.

"Many pensioners have died as they were unable to pay for their treatment. The pension was their only means of survival," he said. Medical reimbursement and other provisions had already been scrapped. Widows of many pensioners are living in misery. They cannot go to work or find other means of livelihood, he said.

"Most pensioners had joined the bank on its inception and they are the ones who have contributed to the expansion of the bank by working day and night. What we are getting in return is pain and suffering," said another pensioner. "We are being made to beg at this age," he lamented.

These pensioners have been receiving pension since 1989.

Doraha/Ludhiana, April 5
A major portion of the paper of English and Business Communication Skills of BCom Part-I conducted by Panjab University in the evening session today was out of syllabus.

Mansi, a student of BCom Part-I at the Government College for Girls, and her classmates, who appeared for the examination, seemed very upset after taking the examination.

Mansi and Ekjot said: "The first question, which carried 20 marks, was not set from the prescribed text book, i.e. Musings on Vital Issues. Question No. V, carrying 12 marks, was also out of the syllabus. In one of the questions there were antonyms and synonyms along with pairs of words, a pattern never existed in the syllabus. Moreover, the textual portion carried 45 marks against the normal 20 marks".

Prof Rustum Devi of Malwa College, Bondali, Samrala, said: "The whole pattern of the question paper was quite opposite what students had studied throughout the year. It seemed the paper-setter had followed the old syllabus pattern. The textual questions were from the book, Ten Mighty Pens, which is no longer part of the syllabus".

"Such callousness on the part of the paper-setter should not be tolerated. The examinees had to suffer a lot. There was a commotion at examination centres when question papers were distributed," said another teacher.

Controller of Examination Parvinder Singh said: "I have received complaints from many colleges. There certainly has been a problem as teachers and students have complained that almost 30-mark portion was out of the syllabus. I will refer the matter to a committee on Monday".

Asked if the paper would be conducted again, he said: "It is difficult to comment. Students will be either given grace marks or some other alternative will be decided shortly".

Jai Prakash Jain waves at his supporters after filing his nomination papers as an independent candidate

Ludhiana, April 5
The BSP candidate for the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat, Navjot Singh Jarg, filed his nomination papers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today. Jai Prakash Jain also filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate.

Earlier, BSP state general secretaries Hargopal Singh and Ajeet Singh Bhani along with zone in-charge Ramesh Kaul inaugurated the party’s election campaign office at Dr Ambedkar Chowk on Jalandhar bypass.

The BSP candidate garlanded the statue of Dr Ambedkar and reached the DC office along with supporters and party leaders to file his nomination papers. Jaswinder Kaur filed her nomination papers as the covering candidate.

BSP members claimed that no party would get the required number of seats to form the government at the Centre on its own and the BSP would play an instrumental role in formation of the government. They said in the multi-corner contest here, the BSP had an edge and would win in the election.

BSP candidate Navjot Singh Jarg said the tenure of Congress was marked with corruption, as its leaders had been busy siphoning off crores of public money. He added that the law and order situation in Punjab was pathetic and the crime graph was shooting northwards. “The BSP has been working for a social change and economic equality,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jai Prakash Jain, popular as Titu Baniya, is a comedian and has done a number of comedy programmes and series, including 'Baniye Ne Jatt Kuteya', 'Pange-baaj Baniya' etc.

The independent Lok Sabha candidate said people were fed up with the current political system. “There is not one issue that needs attention. “The country is battling several issues such as unemployment, corruption, inflation, law and order, drug abuse etc,” he said, adding that he would work towards ending these problems. “The drug mafia cannot survive until it has a political or administrative backing. Politicians entice voters by distributing drugs,” he alleged.

LPG subsidies and other public welfare schemes don’t reach the beneficiaries on time, he said. “Elderly have to shell out more money making rounds of government offices to get Rs 250 per month as old-age pension,” Jarg said, adding that all these issues prompted him to contest the election.

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal said candidates could file their nomination papers with the Returning Officer or the Assistant Returning Officer at the DC office from 11 am to 3 pm on working days. April 9 is the last date for receipt of nomination papers.

Ludhiana, April 5
The building branch of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, issued more than 150 challans during the last three months for various non-compoundable violations. However, none of these illegal buildings has been demolished so far.

Interestingly, many buildings are being constructed illegally but the authorities concerned seem to be looking the other way.

As per the information available, under Section 269 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation (PMC) Act, 1976, about 46 challans were issued in the Zone A during December 2013 to March, 2014. In the Zone B, 11 challans have been issued till February 5, 2014. In the Zone C, 21 challans were issued till March 11, 2014, while in the Zone D, 49 violators were penalised till March 21, 2014.

In a violation of the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC), the MC has not taken action against any violator so far, though notices have been served to them. The HC had directed that in case an unauthorised construction was detected, it should be photographed. Notices along with photographs should be sent to the violators so that they do not plead ignorance.

An RTI activist, Rohit Sabharwal, alleged that even after violations were detected, photographs taken and notices sent to violators of non-compoundable and unauthorised constructions, the building branch officials did not take any action. "Action has to be taken against the violator in three days of serving the notice. But the way illegal constructions are coming up in the city, it appears that officials are hand-in-glove with the violators and have preferred to look the other way. In fact, notices are issued to violators so that it becomes easy for the building branch officials to strike a deal with them," he alleged.

MC Commissioner Shruti Singh said she would look into the matter and would get the details about the action taken against violators, who had been issued challans.

Ludhiana, April 5
In view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, paramilitary forces have arrived in the city.

The additional forces will assist the local police in holding round-the-clock nakas in various parts of the city.

A communique issued by the Commissioner of Police, Sanjiv Kalra, states that the additional forces will also be deployed at crowded places, including bus stand, railway station, shopping malls and busy markets.

Further, security personnel will be deployed in strength outside religious places.

Ludhiana, April 5
Vmad (v making a difference), a Ludhiana based organisation, under its campaign “I Exist” organised a rally to encourage girls to exercise their franchise, at Model Town here.

Members of the organisation acquainted female voters with the power of vote and their right to choose their representative in Lok Sabha. More than 30 girls and children dressed as politicians participated in the event. Anisha Kapoor of BCM Arya Model School and Ramandeep Kaur, a housewife, led the rally. Anisha said there was a good response to the rally. Many female voters have pledged to exercise their right effectively.

Ludhiana, April 5
Campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections is hotting up in Ludhiana. The candidates are trading charges while making claims and counter-claims.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate HS Phoolka held a roadshow that began from Sarabha Nagar and passed through Barota Road and Rehru Sahib Road before culminating at Dugri Road.

The AAP candidate assured the people that Ludhiana would be developed into a model city. "All the residents will get access to the basic amenities without any discrimination," he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress candidate, Ravneet Singh Bittu, during his campaign at Jagraon, accused the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in the state of deceiving people in the name of development. "The Congress is committed to work for the welfare of people," he said.

At the election campaign of the SAD-BJP candidate, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Akali leaders accused the Congress of ignoring the needs of the industry. "The wrong economic policies of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre have adversely affected the industry in Punjab," said Ayali.

Jagraon, April 5
The entire city is fast turning into garbage dump due to non-lifting of garbage on regular basis by the employees of Municipal Council, Jagraon. One can easily spot heaps of garbage laying in every nook and corner of the city. There heaps of garbage in various areas of the town have irked the city residents.

According to residents, these heaps of garbage not only present a bad look but also emit foul smell thus making their lives difficult.

"Huge heaps of garbage are lying alongside the boundary wall of Sanmati Vimal Jain Senior Secondary School situated near the office of municipal council. If the situation is so bad in front of the MC office, one can easily gauge the effectiveness of the civic body in lifting the garbage from other localities", said Ashok Kumar, a local resident.

Even though most of the officials of local municipal council pass from this place everyday while going to office but it seems these heaps of garbage are not visible to them. Similar is the situation at Raikot Road, Sadan Market, Shubash Gate, Disposal Road and College Road, near Bus Stand and other areas where huge heaps of garbage can be seen lying on roadsides.

The residents say they have reminded the municipal council officials about the problem a number of times but nothing has been done in this regard so far.

Executive Officer Municipal Council Jagraon Davinder Toor said the municipal council workers lift garbage on regular basis. "The sweepers of municipal council lift garbage from streets and outside houses on regular basis. If garbage is still laying at some places, the workers would be instructed to lift it at the earliest", assured Toor.

Ludhiana, April 5
To make farmers aware about the rotational crops, the Department of Agriculture conducted awareness-cum-training camp for farmers at main office of agriculture department, Ferozepur Road, today. The camp was inaugurated by Dr Mangal Singh Sandhu, director, Agriculture, Punjab.

Good number of farmers came to attend the camp. Dr Sandhu said the farming of wheat and paddy for long had resulted in the depletion of the ground-water and the situation is alarming. To make best use of soil, efforts should be made. Sandhu said, "The farmers must sow crops such as maize, basmati, kamaad, pulses under certain paddy-crop area. Problem of water depletion could be curbed and the soil will become fertile," added Sandhu.

Dr Sandhu informed that government was making sincere efforts to use10 lakh hectare paddy area should be used for other crops in the next five years. He asked farmers to choose the seeds with great attention and for any assistance they could contact the department officials on toll-free number 1800-180-1551. Besides, an expert team from Punjab Agriculture University also provided their valuable suggestions.

Ludhiana, April 5
‘The Woman 2014’, a four-day exhibition of designer attires, jewellery and household décor products, began at Park Plaza here on Friday.

Products of noted brands from Gujarat, Jaipur, Mumbai, Lucknow, Hisar, Delhi, Ludhiana and Chandigarh showcased their products at the exhibition. Besides, companies from Dubai and Thailand too have put up their products on display.

Fashionistas and fashion enthusiasts turned up at the venue to check out designer attires, jewellery, accessories, home décor, lifestyle refinements and cosmetics exhibited at as many as 60 stalls.

“This is the eighth edition of the exhibition,” said one of the organisers of the event.

Ruhi, a visitor, said she was impressed with the quality of products displayed at the event. — TNS