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Industry threatens agitation over
non-refund of VAT
Wants octroi to stay
Ludhiana, January 10
Doing away with octroi might be on the priority list of the state government but the idea has not gone well with industry. Irked with the suggestion of an alternate tax, local industry has declared it would not accept any other tax than octroi.

Mayor faces penalty for violating building bylaws
Ludhiana, January 10
Amid allegations that the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation was shielding the city Mayor, who had allegedly violated building bylaws, MC officials said today that they were looking into the legalities of the case and the Mayor might be penalised and his construction would be compounded.

Attack on Ayurveda motivated by MNCs, say manufacturers

Ludhiana, January 10 Crying foul over the ongoing controversy about Ayurvedic formulations, manufactured and marketed by the company owned by Swami Ram Dev, the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association has maintained that the attack on the Ayurveda system was motivated by the powerful petro-chemicals and multinational pharmaceutical lobby.

Dr Pradeep Nagrath, national vice-president, and Dr Rajesh Thapar, state secretary of the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association, address a news conference in Ludhiana on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Schools to open at 10 am from today
Ludhiana, January 10
Keeping in view the severe cold conditions persisting in the region, Education Minister Harnam Dass Johar has ordered to change the school timings from tomorrow.

COMMUNITY

A unique Lohri gift Ludhiana, January 10 A local couple has a unique New Year gift. Kamlesh, wife of Brij Lal, working in Punjab School Education Board, Gurdaspur, gave birth to triplets at Kiran Hospital and Laparoscopic Surgery Centre, Gill Road, here today. According to their attending doctor, two are the male babies and one is a girl child. Doctors said that all the babies were normal and healthy. “They weigh 2.3 kgs, 2.4 kgs and 2 kgs. Since we did not want to take any chance in this case, the delivery was Ceasarian. The mother and the babies are absolutely fine but they have to be taken care in this shivering cold”, said Dr Tarlochan Singh. The triplets with their grandmother and doctor in Ludhiana on Tuesday. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

People throng Lohri mela Ludhiana, January 10 All roads seemed leading to the Punjabi Bhavan today. Ruralities from near by areas and urbanites visited this place to be part of the 13th Lohri mela. The mela was organised by the Malwa Sabhyacharak Society with Mr K.K. Bawa and Prof M.S. Cheema at the helm of affairs.

Thakurs value their girl child
Mandi Ahmedgarh,  January 10
According a poster that fetched the best poster award to Ms Purnima Prashar at the 93rd Indian Science Congress held at Hyderabad last week, families from a lower stratum of society desist from sex determination test and female foeticide. This despite the fact that this segment also shows preference for male child.

Editorial: Aborting the future

Vishva Hindi Day celebrated Ludhiana, January 10 “Hindi is the third most popular language in the world and yet we have had such a slave mentality that we do not want to speak in Hindi as we feel English is a superior language. Russians and other leaders always speak in their own language, but Indian leaders will give speeches in English. We send out our invitation cards in English. Members of the Punjab Hindi Parishad watch stamps depicting the history of Hindi literature in Ludhiana on Tuesday. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

Workshop workers hold dharna
Amloh, January 10
Field and Workshop Workers Union Punjab staged a dharna in front of the office of the SDO, (Canal), here today. They raised slogans in support of their demands. Later, a protest march was organised and a memorandum was submitted to the local SDM.

Dr Aulakh on Right-To-Food group of NHRC
Ludhiana, January 10
The Punjab Agricultural University Vice Chancellor, Dr K.S. Aulakh, has been nominated as a member of the Core Group on Right to Food constituted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Charge baseless: MC chief
Khanna, January 10
Surinder Pal Sood, acting president of the Municipal Council, Doraha, said the allegations of encroachment of land and to sell that land by Congress Councillors were baseless.

97 pc Rly staff voted for strike
Ludhiana, January 10
Members of the Railway Employees Union, which resorted to secret voting to decide whether they should go in for a strike or not, today said over 97 per cent of the employees in the Ferozepore division voted in favour of strike. The date for the nationwide strike would be decided on January 15.

Garg promoted Supdt Engg

CRIME

One killed in accident
Jagraon, January 10
Jagjit Singh of Siloani village was killed when an unidentified vehicle hit him. The injured was admitted to civil hospital, Ludhiana, where he succumbed to his injuries. Dakha police has registered a case under Section 304-A IPC . No arrest has been made so far.

BUSINESS

Duke gets quality award

AGRICULTURE

Coop societies help farmers out of debt trap
Ludhiana, January 10
Acquisition of tractors and farm machinery by cooperative societies has helped farmers move out from the quagmire of debt. The Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Mr Kamal Deep Sangha, today said two tractor cooperative societies in a village of Moga district resulted in farmers selling off 16 tractors and instead opting for hiring option to carry out their farm operations.

EDUCATION

PAU invites applications for awards
Ludhiana, January 10
Punjab Agricultural University will honour three progressive farmers during a Kisan Mela in March next. The farmers who have excelled in agriculture, horticulture and dairy development will be awarded Rs.25,000 each.

From Colleges
Workshop for home science students
Ludhiana, January 10
The Home Science Department of Government College for Women here organised a special workshop for the students on the topic ‘Draping method of pattern-drafting in fashion industry’ here today. The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the Ivana Institute of Fashion Technology and Hotel Management.

Lohri celebrated in schools

Ludhiana, January 10 “Bhatti wala” arrived at Love Dale School just before Lohri. Children came to the school dressed in traditional costumes — girls in “lehangas” and boys in “lungis” and “pagris”. They enjoyed singing folk songs and reciting “boliyans”. Some guest young artistes were also given a chance to perform on the stage. Children were delighted when a bonfire was lit and they ate “rewaris”, and “gachaks”. The children had a gala time flying kites later on.

Schoolchildren celebrate Lohri. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

Prize distribution function held
Mandi Gobindgarh, January 10
Annual prize distribution-cum-inaugural function was held at Government Secondary School, Naraingarh, on Monday. Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Parliamentary Secretary was the chief guest. He expressed worries over the increasing of drug menace. “Awareness among the people is more important than the restrictions imposed through law”, Mr Dharamsot asserted.

Cultural function
Mandi Gobindgarh, January 10
Desh Bhagat Ayurvedic College and Hospital here organised a cultural function on the college campus. Dr Dinesh Kotach, Deputy Director, Ayurveda, was the chief guest. Ms Lavleen Kaur Ahuja, Principal of the college, presented a bouquet to the chief guest.

Endoscopic surgery for eye disorders
Ludhiana, January 10
Timely intervention with endocscopic sinus surgery came to the rescue of various patients admitted with different complaints in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital here. Two patients had eye complaints while another was admitted with bullet injury.

7-year-old gets new lease of life Ludhiana, January 10 Rohit Verma (7) received a new lease of life as a team of cardiac surgeons at SPS Apollo Hospitals here successfully performed surgery for a rare heart disease afflicting the child since birth. The procedure which Rohit underwent was intra-cardiac repair of ‘tetralogy of fallot’, augmentation of main pulmonary artery and aortic valve replacement. The cardiac surgical team, headed by Dr K.C. Mukherjee, senior consultant and coordinator cardiac surgeon, and supported by Dr Anupam Shrivastava, Dr Sanjeev Chandna, Dr Arun Gupta, Dr Anwar Khan, Dr R.P. Singh, Dr Chetan Sharma operated the seven-year-old for the complex congenital heart disease.

Rohit Verma, who underwent complex cardiac surgery, with the team of doctors at SPS Apollo Hospital in Ludhiana on Tuesday.

Polio immunisation drive from January 15
Ludhiana, January 10
The second round of mop-up polio immunisation campaign will be conduced on January 15, 16 and 17 in the district. During the campaign, polio drops would be administered to children below the age of 5 years by setting up around 2,100 booths. The teams would go from house to house to cover the remaining children, if any.

Health Dept’s clean chit to staff
Ludhiana, January 10
The District Health Department has given a clean chit to some Health employees in the Civil Hospital in the alleged sterilisation case of a mentally-challenged youth, who was allegedly tricked into undergoing the operation at the behest of some drug addict youths.