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“PUNJABIS
OVERSEAS”
Sikh
religious leaders in USA
Chandigarh, April 20
In an unprecedented event,
the Jathedars of four of the five Takhts, head priest of
Gurdwara Sis Ganj, president and secretary of the Delhi Sikh
Gurdwara Management Committee, president of the Patna Sahib
Management Committee and other eminent religious leaders will
address the overseas Sikh community at Gurdwara Gurjot Parkash
in Chicago, USA, from today in connection with the
eight-day-long 400th anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Granth
Sahib. |
Rs
8000-cr missing foodgrain scam
Chandigarh, April 20
In Punjab, wheat and paddy stock
worth Rs 8,000 crore is reported “missing”. This is evident from
the glaring “mis-match” between the cash credit limit given by the
Reserve Bank of India for procurement of foodgrains and the value of
the present stock held by the procurement agencies, as determined on
physical verification. A “quality” audit will show the extent of
damage that has been caused to the present stock.
58
Punjab farmers ‘committed suicide’
Chandigarh, April 20
The Bharatiya Kisan Morcha
national President Mahadev Rao Shivankar claimed today that at least
58 farmers had allegedly committed suicide in Mansa, Muktsar, Sangrur
and Bathinda districts of Punjab during the past four to five months.
Lightning
kills six of family
Nawanshahr, April 20
Lightning struck the jhuggi of
Jai Ram Yadav, originally in Bakhuna village in Madhuvan district of
(Bihar), on Saturday night and killed his wife Anita (35) and children
Surajmani (10), Gunja (9), Pooja (7), Munna (5) and Budhehar (4
months).
As manual harvesting picks up once again, sickles are much in demand in
Ludhiana villages.
—
Photo Pradeep Tewari
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‘DSGMC
got red carpet welcome in Pak’
Wagah, April 20
Members of the SGPC Sikh jatha
that returned from Pakistan after celebrating Baisakhi at gurdwara
Panja Sahib, Hassan Abdal through Wagah joint check post today alleged
that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was accorded ‘red
carpet’ welcome by Pakistan authorities immediately after their
arrival in Pakistan.
Relax
visa rules, Gujral to India, Pak
Jalandhar, April 20
Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral
today said that strict visa rules, suspension of rail and road traffic
and snapping of cricket ties between India and Pakistan would not help
in improving the strained relations between the two countries.
Domoria
bridge project delay irks Gujral
Jalandhar, April 20
Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral
today held ongoing dispute between local Municipal Corporation and the
Railway Ministry over price of land to be transferred to build link
road to the proposed bridge, responsible for delay in the start of
Domoria bridge, linking two parts of the city.
Head
of Ahmadiya community dead
Qadian, April 20
The head of the Ahmadiya Muslim
community, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (75), Khalifatul Masih IV, passed
away in London yesterday. He was elected as the fourth successor on
June 10, 1982 but due to the religious persecution in Pakistan he
migrated to London in April 1984.
NGO
committed to protect environment
Bathinda, April 20
Volunteers of Sankalp, an NGO,
have taken up tree plantation drive in the periphery of Govindgarh
fort and 100 saplings had already been planted.
Give
Jacob extension, says SAD (A)
Phagwara, April 20
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)
has sought an extension for Lieut-Gen JFR Jacob (retd) Punjab
Governor. Mr Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singhwala, general secretary, SAD
(A), said today that the term of General Jacob should be extended.
Gujjars
should get ST status: Mohsina
Gurdaspur, April 20
A large number of Gujjars
participated in a rally held at Gobindsar village, 35 km from here,
today. Mrs Mohsina Kidwai, General Secretary, AICC, and in charge,
Punjab Congress, was the chief guest. Mr H.S. Hanspal, President,
PPCC, president, presided.
Mystery
shrouds youth’s death
Hoshiarpur, April 20
Mr Gurcharan Singh found his
young son dead when he reached ‘haveli’ of Narinder Singh in
Bambeli village under Mahilpur police station on Friday last night. It
is reported that Surjit Singh and Narinder Singh son of Mangal Singh
both of Bambeli village were fast friends.
‘Add’
special clause to check foeticide
Sangrur, April 20
Members of different sections of
society have said the Union Government should add a special clause to
Section 302, IPC, to book violators of the PNDT ACT. They said harsh
steps were needed to check, female foeticide.
Arhtiya
writes to rights panel
Mansa, April 20
Mr Kulwant Singh, an arhtiya of
Budhlada in the district, today wrote to the Punjab State Human Rights
Commission to issue directions to the Mansa SSP to put the challan of
a case (FIR No. 107) registered on September 29, 2001, in the Budhlada
police station against some arhtiyas of Budhlada.
Plea
to President on court holidays
Sangrur, April 20
Mr Yogesh Gupta, member of the
District Bar Association, has urged the President of India, the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court to reschedule the holidays of all subordinate
courts of Punjab and Haryana on the pattern of that of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court.
Mobile
library launched
Bathinda, April 20
The Bathinda Vikas Manch has
launched a mobile library that supplies books on the doorstep and
collects them after a specified time.
Wheat
on 5 acres burnt
Farmer blames it on PSEB
Bathinda, April 20
The hopes of Nazam Singh, a
farmer of Joganand village, of earning a profit were dashed to the
ground last evening when five acres of standing wheat crop was burnt
in a fire that allegedly broke out due to sparking in a faulty
transformer.
Reassuring
banners greet farmers
Bhokhra (Bathinda), April
20
A large banner urging farmers not
to pay bribe to arhtiyas (commission agents) for selling their wheat
greets the visitors to this procurement centre set up by the Punjab
State Civil Supplies Corporation and the faces of the farmers selling
their wheat here tell much about the transparency that has been
induced in the system by some dedicated employees.
Potato
glut threat to economy: Mann
Jalandhar, April 20
Terming the potato glut in Punjab
mandis as a major threat to the economy of the state, president of the
SAD (Amritsar) and MP Simranjit Singh Mann has decided to raise the
issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Delhi soon.
BKU
(E) fast begins today
Chandigarh, April 20
To protest against the failure of
the Punjab Government to honour its commitments made last month, the
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) has decided to go on fast from tomorrow.
MLA
inaugurates wheat purchase
Abohar, April 19
Mr Sunil Jakhar, MLA, Mr Darshan
Singh Grewal, ADC, inaugurated purchase of wheat and Mr Jaskiran
Singh, SDM, at a function organised by the Commission Agents
Association at the Grain Market here. The water cooler donated by the
association was also inaugurated.
FCI
MD visits grain market
Khanna, April 20
Managing Director of the Food
Corporation of India Naresh Chaturvedi today visited Khanna grain
market and found some gunny bags with less weight. He was here on a
tour to Punjab to cover procurement arrangements for the wheat
procurement.
Commission
agent’s licence cancelled
Mansa, April 20
A commission agent, Mr Ramesh
Kumar Jatane Wala, working in a purchase centre at Bachhuana village
in the district, is alleged to have sold old wheat unfit for human
consumption mixed with barley to Punsup in connivance with Inspector
Ishwar Kumar of Punsup.
DEO
to probe embezzlement of Red Cross funds
Abohar, April 20
Alleged embezzlement in sports
and Red Cross funds collected by the Primary Education Officer has led
to confrontation among different unions and associations of government
employees. The District Education Officer, Ferozepore, shall be
visiting the town on Tuesday to probe the matter.
City
roads to be widened: Singla
Bathinda, April 20
“The efforts for securing
Municipal Corporation status for the city were successful and now
providing more facilities for the residents would be high on
agenda.” This was stated by Mr Surinder Singla, Chairman
High-Powered Finance Committee while presiding over a meeting of
district officials convened to prepare a programme for widening and
strengthening of main roads in the city.
2
SAD workers booked
Abohar, April 20
Two senior SAD workers of Chak
Janisar village have been booked under Sections 451 and 454, IPC, and
under the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Caste Act after five
years of the incident. Sources said Congress worker Sardul Singh had
been driven from pillar to post stating that senior SAD workers
Jaswinder Singh, Devinder Singh and Gurcharan Singh had forcibly
evacuated his family from his house constructed on panchayat land.
Four
booked on cheating charge
Gurdaspur, April 20
The police has booked four
persons for cheating persons by taking money from them in the name of
an investment company, Finance and Investment Company on the pretext
of handsome interests. Mr R.P.S. Brar, SSP, said here today that the
accused have been identified as Vikas Nijawan of Pathankot, Mehar
Chand of Tanda, Hoshiarpur district father-in-law of Vikas Nijhawan,
Khazan Chand, brother of Mehar Chand, and a resident of Saharanpur,
Uttar Pradesh.
Change
entrance test date: IMA
Phagwara, April 20
Dr O.P.S. Kande, chairman,
Medical Action Committee-cum-Legal Cell of the Indian Medical
Association, Punjab, today urged the Punjab Government to change the
date of the PG entrance test fixed for May 25 since the date clashed
with the date of the entrance test of Manipal University, which had
been fixed prior to Punjab.
I’ll not meet minister on Pro-VC’s message: VC
Patiala, April 20
Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Swarn Singh Boparai today made it clear that he would not meet Higher Education Minister Harnam Das Johar on being conveyed as such by the university’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, Dr R.N. Pal.
Saru Rana not to sit for re-exam
Patiala, April 20
A former Punjabi University Fine Arts Department student, Saru Rana, who had accused the ousted Vice-Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, of attempting to rape her, has written a letter to the present Vice-Chancellor, Mr Swarn Singh Boparai, saying she does not want to reappear for the second year postgraduate examinations after raising of a controversy over her reappearance by the head of the department.
Hike
in college fees opposed
Bathinda, April 20
The state government’s move to
increase fee and funds in state-owned colleges has been criticised
widely and a large number of organisations have urged the government
to reconsider the hike.
Minister’s
warning to private colleges on fee
Jalandhar, April 20
The Punjab Higher Education and
Language Minister, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, today issued warning to
private educational institutes against charging hefty fees in the name
of various funds.
| Gaganjit wins painting competition |
Patiala, April 20
Gaganjit Singh Brar of Blossoms School won the first prize in the Major
B.S.S. Bedi Memorial Inter-School On-the-Spot painting competition, organised by the Rotary Club, Patiala Mid Town, and the Innerwheel Club, Patiala Mid Town, at the Gymkhana Club here today.
Prize winners of the Major
B. S. S. Bedi memorial inter-school on-the-spot painting competition at Gymkhana Club, Patiala, on Sunday.
— Photo Subhash Patialavi |
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