L U D H I A N A

Man alleges kidnapping of son by neighbour
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — In an interesting case, a man is reported to have master minded a plan to settle his score with a neighbour by accusing him of kidnapping his six-year-old son, when he had himself kept him in hiding.

Three injured in firing incident
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — Three persons were injured in a shooting incident yesterday when a group of six persons shot at them outside their home in Sherpur Kalan over a dispute. The injured have been identified as Baljit Singh, Santokh Singh and Nirmal Singh, all residents of Sherpur. The reason for the attack is said to be a dispute over the recent panchayat elections in which Baljit Singh's wife, Amarjit Kaur, contested and won by defeating Jarnail Kaur. 

Children’s Day reduced to farce?
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — The day certainly did not bring cheer for all the children, as all of us living in the comforts of our cosy homes would like to believe. For many children the day again dawned, bringing the sorrows, disillusionment, hard labour and responsibilities.

Contests mark Children’s Day celebrations
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — Painting, fancy dress, declamation and dance competitions, exhibitions and various cultural programmes organised by schools marked the Children’s Day celebrations here today.

Another honour for Anna Hazare
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — Anna Hazare, today, received the Sat Pal Mittal National Award — 2000 from the Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust in an impressive ceremony here. The ceremony also marked the 111th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Raids on electronic goods shops
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — As part of an ongoing crackdown on smugglers of handsets of mobile phones and other electronic goods, a number of shops dealing in these goods were raided by officials of the Customs Department here today.

SSF asks Jagir Kaur to quit
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — The Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) has asked the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, to quit immediately on moral grounds and save the highest temporal body of the Sikh community from further embarrassment. 

Managing soil problems
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — In spite of efforts made by the Punjab Government, the problem of water logging, salinity and alkalinity in soil still persists. Large areas of land falling in the south west districts of Punjab, namely, Faridkot, Ferozepore, Muktsar, Bathinda and Sangrur are still affected by these problems because the drainage of Punjab is from the north east to the south west direction.

LUDHIANA CALLING In the end, it is our karma that decides the courses of our mundane lives. The jeweller who tried to outsmart the cops by enacting a robbery drama in his own shop-cum-residence in HIG Housing Board Colony on the Metro tyre road has obviously reaped what he had sown.

COMMUNITY

‘Cooperatives should help farmers’
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — This is not the first or the last time that the farmers of Punjab are facing a crisis in paddy procurement. In the coming year, farmers may have to face a worse crisis in case of wheat and milk. While the stocks of paddy are not so high as India was able to export a significant quantity of rice, but the stocks of wheat are lying in stores from 1997-98 crops. Cooperatives can play a crucial role in educating and training the farmers to prepare themselves to face the fast changing scenario.

Talwandi favoured 
SAMRALA, Nov 14 — Dr Balwant Singh Chahal, President, of the Sikh Budhijivi Council and General Secretary of the District Akali Jatha, Ludhiana (rural) has demanded that under the present circumstances prevailing in the SGPC, it was appropriate to make Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Senior Vice-President of SAD (Badal), the next president of the SGPC.

Aid for mentally challenged kids
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — The birth anniversary of Chacha Nehru, Children's Day, was celebrated by children of the members of the Sutlej Club here today. Mrs Bubbly Sandhu, wife of Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the function.

Children for ban on drugs
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — To mark the occasion of Children’s Day, more than 13,000 children from various schools of the city posted letters to various political and religious leaders informing them about the easy availability of gutkha, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. They also wrote that such intoxicants were ruining their lives and strict measures should be taken to cut the supply line of intoxicants.

Surgeons flay Act
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — Participants at the 21st annual conference of the Northern Chapter of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) said less than 2 per cent of the GNP was an inadequate share for the medical profession. This was announced by Dr R.J.Singh, Head of the Department of Paediatric Surgery in the local Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and General Secretary of the association, and Dr J.D. Wig, President of the body.

CRIME

40 kg of poppy husk seized
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — Forty kg of poppy husk was seized during two separate operations by the CIA Staff during the past 24 hours and four persons were arrested.

Bid to molest girl
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — A youth allegedly tried to molest his girlfriend in the company of another friend here. The youths had taken the girl to a house that she intended to take on rent.

CULTURE

A Punjabi delicacy
Peeli peeli sarson phule chal bagh mein words from the lyrics of movie Earth depict the sarson fields in all their beauty. Come winters and every Punjabi waits for sarson da saag and makki di roti either made plain or with grated raddish, or with green leaves of fengruik.

HEALTH

Psychiatry conference
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — The first national conference of private psychiatry will be held in Delhi on November18 and 19 in which more than 400 psychiatrists from all over the country will participate. Mr C.P. Thakur, Union Health Minister, will inaugurate the conference.

SPORT

City gets kabaddi, kho-kho events
Ludhiana, Nov 14 — All kabaddi and kho-kho matches of the forthcoming National Games will be held here now. These matches were earlier to be held at Patiala. This was announced by Mr I.S. Bindra, Principal Secretary Sports and Youth Services, during a visit to the city here today. He was here to inspect venues for the National Games.

ADMINISTRATION

Minimum wages likely to be raised
LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — The Punjab government is contemplating to bring about an increase in the minimum wages for unskilled and other categories of workers in the state. Talking to mediapersons after the Sat Pal Mittal National award presentation ceremony here today, the Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Mr Balramji Das Tandon, who also holds the charge of the Department of Labour and Employment, said the government had decided to increase the minimum wages to Rs 1950 on an ad hoc basis.