Sunday, July 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Buddhadeb meets Advani
Seeks review of decision on rly bifurcation
New Delhi, July 6
Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani said today that he would speak to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee regarding West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyya’s demand for setting up of an experts’ committee for studying the Eastern Railway zone bifurcation issue, which had become a bone of contention between Bihar and West Bengal.
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Creation of five rly zones notified
New Delhi, July 6
The opposition of the Trinamool Congress notwithstanding, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today formally notified the creation of five more railway zones. 

Afghan Vice-President shot

Kabul, July 6 Haji Abdul Qadir, one of Afghanistan’s three vice presidents, was assassinated in front of his office in the centre of Kabul today, police and government officials said. An Afghan policeman points to a bullet hole in the window of Vice-President Haji Abdul Qadir’s car. Unidentified gunmen assassinated Haji Abdul Qadir (see inset) in broad daylight in Kabul on Saturday.  — Reuters photo

Tohra to move Sikh panel
Wants Calcutta as SGPC Secretary
Amritsar, July 6
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal will file a petition before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission to re-appoint Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former Akali Minister, as SGPC secretary. In case the commission which was restored yesterday gives a verdict in favour of Mr Calcutta it would help the SHSAD to bring a no-confidence move against the SGPC chief, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar.

     Punjab page: SGPC, govt heading for confrontation
      It’s brazen interference: Badal

PPSC ex-Secy arrested
Chandigarh, July 6
After dilly-dallying for several weeks, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau today formally arrested former Secretary of the Punjab Public Service Commission Pritpal Singh in the job-for-cash scam. 

    Punjab page: Notice to state in PPSC scam
     Edit page: Restructuring PPSC to restore its lost credibility

Tota Singh’s confidant rounded up
Moga, July 6
Punjab Vigilance Bureau sleuths rounded up city councillor Prem Chand by conducting a raid on his residence late this evening in connection with an education scam case in which former Akali minister Tota Singh had been arrested as the main accused last month.

Punjab Cabinet expansion deferred
New Delhi, July 6
With Congress President Sonia Gandhi putting her foot down on plans for an immediate expansion of the Punjab Cabinet, the move has been deferred. The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who met senior party leader Manmohan Singh today before leaving the Capital, had a brief meeting with the Congress President on Thursday.

Sukh Ram’s son new HVC President Bilaspur, July 6 The Himachal Vikas Congress supremo and former Minister of State for Telecommunications, Mr Sukh Ram, today declared that he was stepping down from the post of party President to make way for his son, party Senior Vice-President and a Rajya Sabha MP Anil Sharma so that his conviction by a Delhi court do not have any adverse impact on the party. Mr Sukh Ram waves to the crowd during the annual foundation day of the party at Ghumarwin on Saturday. — Tribune photo Karam Singh