L U D H I A N A

MC falls way behind in meeting budget projections
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — With less than two months left for the end of the current financial year, the Municipal Corporation top brass finds itself in a piquant situation over its failure to meet the projected income from various sources shown in the budget. 

Shivaratri celebrated
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — Thousands of devotees celebrated Shivaratri with religious fervour. Various Shiva temples in the city were decorated with balloons and other decorative items. Shobha yatras were carried out in the city in which devotees recited hymns and sang Shiva bhajans.

Devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva on the occasion of Shivaratri in Ludhiana on Wednesday. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

DMCH employees call off strike
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — Employees of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital called off their six-day strike here today. The stalemate between the management and union leaders ended after the intervention of the administration yesterday. The meeting began in the evening yesterday and an MoU was signed by both parties later in the night.

Murder mystery solved
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — The police here got a major breakthrough in a murder mystery case as it arrested Bhupinder Singh, owner of a famous chicken corner for allegedly murdering his 18-year-old domestic servant Saurab.

Murder accused Bhupinder Singh with the police.

Police inaction alleged in Sirhind funds scam
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Feb 21 — The police has taken no action in a case of cheating and embezzlement that has been registered at Sirhind police station on the complaint of Mr H.S. Gill, Executive Engineer of the Rural Works Department at Sirhind.

WOMAN POWER
In service of people and animals
Feb 21 — “I was inspired by my husband, Dr Kuldeep Chander, a pathologist, who left a lucrative job to do social service. Since my children had also grown up, I thought, I had lived for myself and now I should spend the rest of my life looking after the handicapped and others.

COMMUNITY

A painful betrayal in marriage
PREETI is charming, perky, well versed with social etiquettes, wears designers clothes and earns a good salary. One obviously concludes that she would find a good match. The only thing worrying her parents is getting her Mr Right.

‘Political system needs to be cleansed’
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — The District Youth Congress president, Mr Parminder Mehta, today lamented the increasing role of money power in politics and observed that politicians, particularly the younger generation, had to pursue the path of dedication and sacrifice to strengthen democracy.

Donations for quake victims
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — The Arhtias Association, Khanna, has presented cheques for Rs 2,92,700 to the Deputy Commissioner here for the Gujarat Earthquake Relief Fund. On behalf of the association, Mr Sadhu Ram Nanda, President, Mr Harbans Singh Rosha, Senior Vice-President, Mr Bharpur Chand Bector

Defence Ministry to review hosiery purchases
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — The Ministry of Defence has appointed a high powered committee to review its decision to procure textile and hosiery goods from ordnance factories which has resulted in loss of crores of rupees to the ministry. Earlier, these goods were reserved for the small scale hosiery units.

CRIME

No arrests made in firing case
AMLOH, Feb 21—The police has not arrested any person in connection with the alleged firing of gun shots at Kanjari village on February 17 by some armed men. According to the report lodged with the police here Ms Jasbir Kaur, had alleged that Gurmeet Singh, Amolak Singh, Gurpreet Singh alongwith 20 to 25 persons armed with fire arms, swords etc allegedly began to demolish the boundary wall of her home, when the women present in the house raised an alarm, they allegedly gave them a beating, dragged them and opened fire, damaging the electric meter and telephone set.

Son of insurance co. officer caught
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — Sunil Kumar, whose father is a Development Officer in the Oriental Insurance Company, was caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 3,000 from Kulbir Singh, a resident of Rajgiri village, Anandpur Sahib. This was disclosed in a press note issued here yesterday by the Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana.

BUSINESS

‘Punjab dairy industry needs diversification’
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — “The Punjab dairy industry will not be able to survive in the coming days if it does not diversify and modernise by adopting cutting-edge technology . The upgradation should be according to Indian conditions. It should not blindly follow Western models of production and distribution”, said Dr Syed S.H. Rizvi, Professor, Food Process Engineering, Cornell University, the U.S.A..

Lecturers oppose UGC notification
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — A majority of the college lecturers of Panjab University have opposed the recent notification of the UGC to make Ph.D a compulsory eligibility criteria for the post of principal. The lecturers have said that the degree cannot increase the administrative skills of a principal.

‘Food industry should cater to needs of rural people’
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — Dr Jaspinder Singh Kolar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, has said that the food processing industry should tune itself to the needs of the rural people.

Village without school
MACHHIWARA, Feb 21 — The people of the nearby Marewal village, have been awaiting the government’s order to open their primary school since 1995. The delay in the process has put them to inconvenience. One of them, Mr Daljit Singh, president of Lok Bhalai Sabha, a social organisation,told Ludhiana Tribune that the village panchayat had received a grant of Rs 1 lakh to construct a school building by the end of 1994.

Non-teaching staff stage dharna
DORAHA, Feb 21 —The non-teaching staff of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, today staged a dharna in front of the Principal’s office in protest against the Punjab Government’s failure to accept their pending demands. 

CULTURE

Cultural festival
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — A cultural festival will be celebrated in the memory of Justice Gurnam Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab, at his native village, Narangwal, in Ludhiana district Sunday on March 4, 2001.

HEALTH

Health camp for workers
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — A medical check-up camp for industrial workers was organised here by the Labour Department and the local ESI Hospital. At the two-day camp, 228 workers were examined and treated for occupational and general diseases.

Dr Abraham Thomas honoured
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — Dr Abraham Thomas, Professor and Head of the Plastic Surgery Department and Principal of Christian Medical College, has been awarded the prestigious Dr B.C. Roy National Award in the category of recognition of best talents in the development of specialities in medicine.

SPORT

Sport meet inaugurated
DORAHA, Feb 21 — The 2nd Alankar Tony International Kabaddi Cup and Sports Meet was inaugurated by Gurmail Singh Pehalwan, Chairman of the club, and Mr Kirpal Singh Khirnia, member of the SGPC, at the Mangat Waryam Stadium at Kubbe village, here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Firms evading octroi booked
LUDHIANA, Feb 21 — The enforcement staff of the Octroi Department of the municipal corporation has booked several firms dealing in electronic goods, courier business and public transport for octroi evasion and Rs 79,410 were recovered from the defaulters as due octroi and composition fee.