THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

P U N J A B

TOP STORIES

Cong to launch countrywide stir
Jakhar labels Badal govt as anti-farmer
ABOHAR, Jan 13 — The Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has given a green signal for launching countrywide agitation starting from the block level, to air the grievances of farmers. The agitation will be concluded by organising a mammoth rally at New Delhi.

Telescopic gun found at cop’s house
Avtar Singh murder case
LUDHIANA, Jan 13 — A telescopic gun, a Maruti 800 car without a registration number and five bottles of imported whisky were among several items recovered here today from the official residence of Gurmeet Singh, alias Pinky, main suspect in the Avtar Singh murder case, as pressure has been mounted on the “cat-turned-policeman” to surrender.

Punjab awaits Centre’s nod
Special girls’ schools
CHANDIGARH, Jan 13 — Punjab is awaiting the Union Government’s nod for clearance of a scheme pertaining to special girls’ schools in the state.

SGPC meeting tomorrow
AMRITSAR, Jan 13 — Even as the executive committee meeting of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, scheduled to be held on January 15 at Ludhiana may lift ban on the sending of jathas to Pakistan, yet its officials may not get the expected warmth which they used to get two years ago before the formation of the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee headed by Javed Nasir, a former ISI chief.

• Giani Puran Singh ‘won’t resign’

Private octroi collection may go
CHANDIGARH, Jan 13 — Politics of votebank may soon force the ruling SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab to sacrifice the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg which has brought about a sea change in the financial health of the civic bodies in the state during the past three years.

POLITICS

Punjab Cong divided on WTO
LUDHIANA, Jan 13 — The Pradesh Congress Committee leaders seem to be fighting a war among themselves on the implementation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement within the party. The two warring factions led by the PCC president, Capt Amarinder Singh, and another led by MP, Jagmeet Singh Brar have already gone public making the WTO an issue.

SAD-BJP tie-up to last: Kanwaljit
GURDASPUR, Jan 13 — Captain Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister Punjab talking to newsmen last evening at Dinanagar said that the SAD-BJP alliance was on the national level. Bickerings by state leaders are irrelevant. He added that statements by state leaders which might weaken the alliance must be avoided. Differences if any should be resolved through dialogue.

SAD-BJP govt failed on all fronts: CPI
MUKTSAR, Jan 13 — Punjab CPI leadership while accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the centre of surrendering economic independence to the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO, said that left parties in association would leave no stone unturned to stop them from doing so.

BJYM state unit reconstituted
PHILLAUR, Jan 13 — The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Punjab unit, was reconstituted with the intervention of the state BJP President, Prof Brij Lal Rinwa, and some officials of the RSS yesterday.

Rift in Congress come to fore 
MUKTSAR, Jan 13 — The rift within the main opposition Congress party came to the fore, when the party’s Lok Sabha member from Faridkot, Mr Jagmeet Brar, and his supporters boycotted today’s conference held here to mark the Maghi fair.

COMMUNITY

CM using police cats to bully people: Tohra
MUKTSAR, Jan 13 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal president, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, accusing Punjab Chief Minister and SAD president, Parkash Singh Badal of finishing the relevance of Akal Takht and panthic line from the Akali Dal, gave a call to the people to come on a single platform so that freedom could be protected from present anti-people, anti-panthic, anti-farmer and anti-trader rule.

Jassi murder: bail denied to SI
CHANDIGARH, Jan 13 — Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today denied anticipatory bail to SI Joginder Singh allegedly responsible for the gruesome murder of Canadian citizen Jaswinder Kaur after she got married to Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Kaonke Khosa village, in Moga district of Punjab.

Puar case hearing put off to Feb 19
PATIALA, Jan 13 — A local court today adjourned hearing into the charge sheet filed by the State Vigilance Department against former Vice-Chancellor Dr J S Puar and five others in a case of alleged corruption till February 19.

Last rites in one’s lifetime
ABOHAR: The last rites of an 83-year-old man were performed by the family respecting his last wish. The three-day function concluded earlier in the month at Kikkarkhera village, 7 km from here.

PSEB staff to continue stir 
BATHINDA, Jan 13 — The Punjab State Electricity Board Employees Struggle Committee would continue its agitation against the policies of the government which, so far, has not fulfilled the demands of the employees.

Ghazal has found new horizons, says Panchhi
PHAGWARA, Jan 13 — Reputed Urdu poet and lyricist of Hindi film songs Sardar Panchhi has asserted that Punjab is the cradle of Urdu.

ADMINISTRATION

Shopkeepers demand fixed transfer fee
PATIALA, Jan 13 — Even as the Patiala Municipal Corporation has initiated the process of selling-off its shops in various bazaars of the city, the shop tenants have questioned the format for disposing of the properties and demanded that a fixed transfer fee be charged in respect of the shops that have been sublet.

Rs 200 crore for Punjab pensioners
BATHINDA, Jan 13 — The Punjab Government has reserved Rs 200 crore for old age pensioners so that they could get pension every month.

CRIME

6 held for robbery, several vehicles seized
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Jan 13 — The police here claims to have smashed an interstate gang of robbers and killers and arrested six members of the nine member gang headed by Gurinder Singh Roda resident of Majri village. Vehicles and ammunition were recovered from them.

FIR registered under SC order
ABOHAR, Jan 13 — The Khuiyansarwer Police has registered an FIR against seven members of a family under directions from the Supreme Court. The FIR No. 17 dated January 10 was registered on the complaint of a dalit woman who resided near the police station.

Jeweller robbed
FAZILKA, Jan 13 — Mr Kewal Krishan, brother of Mr Ramesh Verma, a local BJP leader, was robbed by car-borne dacoits last night of Rs 32,000 and gold ornaments worth about Rs 1,15,000.

EDUCATION

Students given expired tablets
MAURMANDI (Bathinda), Jan 13 — A major controversy has arisen in a local school as a section of students were administered expired medicines at a camp organised by the health authorities of Talwandi Sabo.