L U D H I A N A

Child kidnapped, murdered
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — In a shocking incident, eleven-year-old Roopak Kumar is suspected to have been kidnapped by a former neighbour for ransom and later done to death in order to avoid keeping the child in custody.

Goods worth thousands gutted
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — Goods worth several thousands were gutted in a fire in Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar here today.

PSEB engineers to hold protest
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — The Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association has attacked the PSEB management for its failure to deal with important issues and for pursuing completely ‘illogical, irrational and anti-engineer policies’, which had forced the engineers to resort to agitation from today.

Mixed response to tying seat belts
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 —There has been a mixed reaction among the Ludhianvis to the orders on fastening safety belts during driving vehicles in the city. The traffic police has become strict with persons who try to violate the rules. Some have welcomed the administration’s order where others feel that fastening of seat belts is irritating and uncomfortable. 

Minister’s kin booked under Excise Act
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — A nephew of a senior Akali leader and a state Cabinet minister hailing from the city has been booked by the police along with his driver under various sections of the EC Act.

A PAGE FROM HISTORY War memorial in a state of neglect LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — An over 150-year-old monument, Flame of Memory, built by the British in memory of the last Anglo-Sikh war, the Battle of Aliwal, stands abandoned at the outskirts of Gora Hoor village near Aliwal, some 40 km from here.

The Flame of Memory in Aliwal village near Ludhiana is in a state of neglect. — Photos by Inderjeet Verma

Body found from gurdwara
JAGRAON, Nov 20 — The body of Surinder Singh, a resident of Prem Nagar, Moga, was recovered from Gurdwara Sahib Nanaksar.

COMMUNITY

Water supply disrupted
SAHNEWAL, Nov 20 — The water crisis that Sahnewal and its two dozen surrounding villages are facing puts under a cloud all the promises made by the government.

A unique home for the old
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — Shree Gita Nand Vridh Ashram in Thrieekya village on the outskirts of Ludhiana takes care of the inmates free of charge. It is not just basic necessities that it provides, it also looks after their medical needs.

Adoption of ‘multiple cane concept’ emphasised
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — The pro vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, Dr K.S.Aulakh, today emphasised the need to implement the ‘multiple cane concept’, in order to bring down cost of production of sugar in sugar mills as also to make them viable and compete at the international level.

Second-hand clothes in demand
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — To wear second-hand foreign clothes is no more considered unacceptable. Time has passed when only labourers or the lower middle-class housewives and clerks used to buy second-hand clothes. Now the people cutting across different income groups come to the Sunday market to buy trendy and fashionable clothes in Chaura Bazar and surrounding markets.

CRIME

Woman run over by train
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — A woman died near Gill railway station after she was reportedly run over by the Dadar Express at around 12 noon today. It is learnt that the woman was wearing a salwar-kameez and appeared to be in her fifties.

BUSINESS

Chaura bazar complexes need reconstruction
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — Once a majestic place in the midst of the city where even customers from far flung places used to come for shopping, Chaura bazar has seen many ups and downs in the past five decades of independence.

EDUCATION

Usha Sidhu is back as DEO
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — The month-long suspense surrounding the filling of the post of District Education Officer (Secondary) following the promotion and transfer of Ms Usha Sidhu ended today when as she took back the charge.

PAU organises declamation contest
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — The youth unit of the Department of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, today organised a district-level declamation contest at Government High School, Bhagana.

Books galore as library falls apart
The library of Government Model School must have seen better days. Presently, the floor is cracked, and the almirahs that store the books could do with some polishing. The most surprising thing noticed was that the chairs were tied with a thick chain. The principal, Joginder Kaur, State Awardee 1996, informed that both the students and teachers carried away chairs, hence, they were chained.

HEALTH

New kit for diagnosis 
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — An Indian-born American scientist, Dr Romesh Kumar Gautam, has developed a new kit for investigating and diagnosing different food-borne diseases caused by certain bacteria. The kit, called Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), is said to be both cost and time effective.

Seminar on handling newborn babies

SPORT

CFC school wins cricket tourney
LUDHIANA, Nov 20 — The CFC School won the Sahodya CBSE School Cricket Tournament here today. CFC School defeated Sacred Heart Convent School (SHCS), Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, by four wickets.

Cycling tourney