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TOP STORIES

Sacked PCS officials seek justice
Jalandhar, May 24
Terming the Punjab Government’s action in dispensing with their services as an “arbitrary” and “injudicious” step, a section of 28 PCS officers (Executive), maintained that this would ruin the families and would mar the career of even those “genuine” officers who had joined the service after duly clearing the examination and after burning the midnight oil,” “without paying a single penny to anybody”.

28 PCS officers relieved
Chandigarh, May 24
The twenty-eight Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers whose services were “dispensed with” yesterday were relieved from their places of postings today in Punjab, official sources said here.

PPSC ex-chief denies graft charge
Chandigarh, May 24
Former Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, Mr Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, facing a Vigilance probe, said today that allegations regarding his properties and assets were baseless and politically motivated.

DC reallocates posts following dismissal
Patiala, May 24
Deputy Commissioner Tejvir Singh today posted two PCS officers to positions falling vacant due to dismissal of three PCS officers by the state government besides making internal arrangements to handle the third post falling vacant in the district administration.

• Give Sidhu case to CBI, says Mann

Officials facing graft charges given plum posts
Bathinda, May 24
The posting of a section of officials of the Department of Industries, Punjab, who were caught red-handed while taking bribe for advancing loans under various schemes in the past few years, on the same positions from where they were caught, has surprised many in the department on the one hand and on the other caused a major setback to the state government’s resolve to wipe out corruption.

Intelligence agencies plan strategy
RAW officials sidelined
Ferozepore, May 24
Three major intelligence agencies working in the border areas of this sector have drawn up a strategy to provide valuable information to the Army regarding the possible targets of Pakistan and the internal movement of the Pakistani army.

Morale of border villagers high
Bamyal (Pathankot), May 24
Residents of the border belt are not scared even as Pakistan fired mortar shells at Kotli Jawahar village, near here, for the third time in a week. “They even go to roofs to see the sporadic firing which shows that their morale is high.

Mr Rajan Gupta, IG, Border Range, SSP Narinder Pal Singh and Deputy Commissioner S. S. Puri address mediapersons on the tension along the Indo-Pak border. — Photo Rajiv Sharma

Few families in the border belt are seen shifting their household items to safer places on Friday. — Photo RS

Former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi comes out of a court in Patiala where he had gone in connection with a defamation case on Friday. The case has been filed by Punjab Cricket Sangh president M. Pandov. — PTI

Army seeks more vehicles from truck owners
Bathinda, May 24
Fear has gripped a large number of truck owners of this region after the Army authorities made a fresh demand of about 3,000 trucks for transporting the men and material to the frontiers.

Irrigation scam: MPs to meet CM
Bathinda, May 24
A group of MPs belonging to Punjab has decided to meet Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for holding a probe into the multi-crore irrigation and drainage scam.

Police excesses dominate complaints to PSHRC
Chandigarh, May 23
With Justice J.S. Sekhon joining as Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Election, on April 12, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) is left with four members, including the Chairman, Justice V.K. Khanna.

Six IAS, 9 PCS officers transferred
Chandigarh, May 24
The Punjab Government has transferred six IAS and nine PCS officers. Mr B. Sarkar has been posted as Secretary, School Education, against a vacant post.

POLITICS

Formation of SAD-BJP panel put off
Abohar, May 24
A joint meeting of working of the SAD and the BJP today deferred the formation of an action committee to fight against the “repression” unleashed by the Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh against the alliance workers.

Cong men leave MC posts to Amarinder
Patiala, May 24
The District Congress Committee passed a resolution yesterday authorising the Pradesh Congress President and state Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Patiala MP, Ms Preneet Kaur, to select the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the municipal corporation. The Congress has sweeped the MC poll by winning 37 of the 50 seats in the May 19, MC poll.

Pasla faction threatens stir
Jalandhar, May 24
The Mangat Ram Pasla faction of the state CPM today threatened to launch a statewide agitation from May 28 to protest against registration of fake cases against party workers and “illegal” possession of the main party office by the Harkishan Singh Surjeet faction with the help of the police authorities.

Talwandi’s kin joins SHSAD
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 24
The SAD today suffered another setback when a close relative of veteran Akali leader Jagdev Singh Talwandi quit the party and joined the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) led by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

Mayoral candidates keep fingers crossed
Ludhiana, May 24
Even after five days of elections to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation held on May 19, the Congress, which gained a majority in these elections, still seems to be undecided on the final choice of its candidate for the post of Mayor.

COMMUNITY

HIGH COURT
IG told to look into valuation of assets
Case against former CS
Chandigarh, May 24
Acting on a petition seeking the registration of a case against Punjab’s former Chief Secretary V.K. Khanna for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed that Punjab’s Inspector-General of Police (Vigilance) may “have a fresh look at the matter”.

• Pollution check

Judicial remand for Langah’s associates
Kharar, May 24
Mr Roshan Lal Chouhan, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar, today remanded five close associates of Sucha Singh Langah, former PWD Minister, in judicial custody until June 6. He ordered that they should be produced on that day before the Special Judge, Ropar.

Ahluwalia’s ouster from foundation sought
Chandigarh, May 24
Various organisations of Sikhs have urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht to dissociate the former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, from Guru Gobind Singh Foundation. A similar appeal has been made to the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who and his father, have remained associated with the foundation.

War against FMD begins
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 24
The Punjab Government has decided to take steps to eradicate animals’ diseases from the state. The incidence of such diseases increases in rains. Dr Harbans Lal, Minister of State for Forests, Food and Civil Supplies, talked about this strategy at the inauguration of a vaccination fortnight of the Animal Husbandry Department in Fatehpur Ariya village under Bassi Pathana subdivision of the district today.

JCB MACHINES SCAM
CE remanded in police custody
Kharar, May 24
Mr Roshan Lal Chouhan, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar, yesterday remanded Baldev Singh, Chief Engineer, Rural Development and Panchayat Department, Punjab, in police custody till May 27. He was brought here from Patiala in connection with the JCB machines scam. He is already in judicial custody in connection with the JE recruitment scam and was brought here on a production warrant.

Akalis to raise Amritsar shootout in Assembly
Jalandhar, May 24
Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that his party legislators would raise the killing of six persons, including Akali leader Gurdial Singh, by unidentified persons in a shootout at Amritsar on Sunday last in the forthcoming Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha proposed from June 12.

25 shops gutted
Amritsar, May 24
As many as 25 shops were gutted in the main vegetable market outside Hall Fate here today when he haystack suddenly caught fire, the police said.

Punjab War Museum to be modernised
Chandigarh, May 24
The Department of Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, has finalised a comprehensive plan for the expansion, modernisation and renovation of the “Punjab War Museum” at Ludhiana.

Six injured in group clash
Kapurthala, May 24
The local police has registered a case against five persons on the charge of manhandling Hari Singh, a constable in the local city police station, yesterday evening.

PUDA grievance redress week
Chandigarh, May 24
Allottees in the urban estates of Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) have been given an opportunity for speedy redress of their grievances. Public grievances redress week will be held from May 27. Officials of the rank of Additional Chief Administrator have been deputed districtwise to examine the problems.

Paash’s poetry comes alive
Patiala, May 24
‘Udaas Pehar Ki Shan Shan’ a solo performance based on revolutionary poet Paash’s poetry was today presented at the Theatre and Television Department of Punjabi University. Staged at the department’s intimate auditorium, the solo was performed by Kulwant Sidhu, a second-year student at the Department of Theatre here and directed by Mr Ranvir Rana, a technical assistant in the same department.

Lawyers to continue dharna

Employees fight over generation allowance
Ropar, May 24
The generation allowance paid to thermal plants by the PSEB has become a bone of contention between employees working in generation and distribution wings. While the former are holding meetings to resist the government move to stop the generation allowance, the latter held a meeting today and urged the government to stop it.

CRIME

Missing man found murdered
Jalandhar, May 24
Panic gripped residents of Basti Bawa Khel and its adjoining localities when the body of Parveen Kumar, who was missing since yesterday night was today found lying in a pool of blood in the fields at Waryana village near here.

Gang of vehicle thieves arrested
Bathinda, May 24
The Moga police has arrested three members of a gang who used to steal vehicles from Mumbai and sell them in different parts of Punjab.

Currency dealer robbed
Jalandhar, May 24
The police is still groping in the dark about the daring attack on a city-based foreign currency dealer, who was shot at and injured by four car-borne armed robbers.

Woman killed by husband: protesters
Jalandhar, May 24
The case pertaining to the gangrape and murder of a 28-year-old woman at Alawalpur village, near here, on Wednesday night took a new turn when hundreds of villagers and parents of the deceased today blocked traffic at Nehru Garden Chowk in protest against the failure of the police to arrest the husband of the victim.

Man poisons self, 2 children to death
Kapurthala, May 24
In a tragic incident in the local Adarsh Nagar mohalla last evening Baljit Avasthi, fed up with poverty, not only ended his life but also poisoned to death his son, Rajat (6) and daughter Vishali (4).

Lovers commit suicide
Phagwara, May 24
Close on the heels of suicide by two sisters, Rajni Bala and Jaswinder Kaur, here last night, another case of double suicide was reported here today.

Three booked in dowry case
Tarn Taran, May 24
The police has booked three members of a family under Sections 498A and 406 of the IPC.

Three murder accused arrested
Patiala, May 24
The Rajpura police today arrested three of the six persons accused of murdering Sharandip Singh of Delhi while he was travelling on the Rajpura-Ambala highway on May 20. Sharandip Singh was repeatedly stabbed by the accused.

Opium seized from former YC leader
Mansa, May 24
The police has arrested former General Secretary of the Punjab Youth Congress, Mr Varinder Kumar Yadav, and recovered 400 grams of opium from him.

ASI arrested