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Former MLA Harbhajan Singh shoots himself
Bhogpur (Jalandhar), September 8
Disturbed over the efforts to grab his land and on being repeatedly coerced by certain influential persons, Dr Harbhajan Singh (75), former Adampur MLA, allegedly shot himself with his licensed revolver at his house here early this morning.

Punjab should pursue reforms, says Manmohan
Chandigarh, September 8
Former Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh said today: “Punjab has to create an investor-friendly situation that will promote agriculture and ensure jobs to the youth. The state should continue to vigorously pursue the reforms that have been initiated.”

SGPC officiating secy’s appointment challenged
Amritsar, September 8
The Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission today admitted a petition against the appointment of Mr Dilmegh Singh as officiating secretary of the SGPC. The petition, filed by Mr Balwinder Singh, also made Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra as party to the alleged illegal appointment.

23,752 teachers not paid for 3 months
Fazilka, September 8
There are 23,752 teachers and other staff in nearly 13,000 primary schools of Punjab and 1,404 middle, high and senior secondary schools upgraded in May, 2001, who have not been paid salaries for June, July and August.

• Teachers unhappy

Engineering seats go abegging
Chandigarh, September 8
The raising of the management quota from 15 to 50 per cent and an extension in the last date for admission to September 15 notwithstanding, 15 to 25 per cent seats in various engineering colleges in Punjab are still vacant.

Top cop for watch on cyber crime
Patiala, September 8
The Head of the Vigilance Department of the Punjab State Electricity Board and Additional Director-General of Police, Mr Lalit Bhatia, has recommended the establishment of a police station to deal exclusively with cyber crime.

They represented India at conference in USA Chandigarh, September 8 Six students of the Sahibzada Ajit Singh Academy at Ropar are back here after attending the Global Young Leaders Conference in the USA. They represented India in this 12-day conference which ended at the UN Headquarters in New York.

 

POLITICS

Centre’s attitude discriminatory, says Cong
Bathinda, September 8
Nearly 100 Congress workers from four block units today sat in a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner alleging the Congress-ruled states had been discriminated against by the BJP-led NDA government.

Ravi Inder claims good response from Akali leaders
Amritsar, September 8
The president of newly floated Akali party, Mr Rani Inder Singh, today claimed that he had received an overwhelming response from a large number of Akali leaders of the Badal faction who were disappointed with the functioning of Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

COMMUNITY

Rs 820 cr for SCs’ welfare
Amritsar, September 8
The government would expend Rs 820 crore on the welfare of scheduled castes in the state. This was stated by Mr Joginder Singh Mann, Punjab Minister for Welfare, Social Security, Women and Child Development at a seminar on the security of civil rights here yesterday.

Vigilance probe against SDM
Chandigarh, September 8
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has initiated a probe into irregularities committed by Officials of the Punjab Education Department in admissions to the elementary teachers training course in 2001.

Road toll policy being framed
Hoshiarpur, September 8
The Punjab Government will change the concept of the construction and repair of roads shortly for better condition of roads. This was disclosed by Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, Minister for Public Works, while talking to mediapersons at the local PWD Rest House here today.

Demand to reject WTO’s proposals
Sangrur, September 8
The Union Government should reject the proposals of the WTO regarding the stoppage of foodgrains’ procurement by the government agencies and fixation of minimum support price of foodgrains by the government at a ministerial-level meeting of the WTO to be held in Mexico from September 10 to 14.

Pharmacy supdt denies report on herbs
Chandigarh, September 8
While the Government Ayurvedic and Unani Dispensers Union, Punjab, has urged the state government to seal the Government Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Patiala, to inspect the material being used there for the preparation of ayurvedic formulations, the superintendent of the pharmacy, Dr Shivraj Singh, today denied that substandard and expired herbs were being used to make medicines.

Human rights panel against cycle-stand fee in market
Bathinda, September 8
The Punjab Human Rights Committee has urged the chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, Mr Sant Ram Singla, to stop unauthorised collection of cycle-stand fee in the vegetable market.

SC families stage dharna, block traffic
Kapurthala, September 8
Resentment prevails among the Scheduled Caste landless families of Khojewal village 10 km from here as the sarpanch has stopped them from taking possession of their land which was allotted to them for construction of houses.

Sodhal fair starts
Jalandhar, September 8
Thousands of devotees from all over the northern region have started thronging the local Sodhal temple as the annual two-day Sidh Baba Sodhal fair started here this evening amid tight security arrangements.

Baba Farid Aagman Purb from Sept 15
Faridkot, September 8
The 18th Aagman Purb celebrations of Sufi Saint Baba Sheikh Farid would be jointly organised by the district administration, Red Cross Society, Baba Farid Memorial Society and Gurdwara Godri Sahib Society here from September 15 onwards.

Indian losing ethical values, says Suba Rao
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 8
“Human values all over the world are fastly erading due to increase in communal clashes between various communities and it is our moral duty to maintain communal harmony and national integration at any cost”, said Mr S.N. Suba Rao, Director, National Youth Project, while addressing a seminar on communal harmony organised by the District Cultural Society in collaboration with the Rotary Club, Sirhind, today.

Arjuna awardee honoured
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 8
Alok Kumar, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh and a winner of the Arjuna Award, was honoured by the District Red Cross Society and District Olympic Association at a function held at Bachat Bhavan here today.

• Bank seals ice unit

• Fake doctor’s shop raided

• Book, website on Guru Angad Dev released

• Pak gurdwara panel chief to invite Tohra

• Pan card holders allege harassment

• Rs 4 for Re 1 stamp

• Blood samples of rape victim, accused taken

• Women prisoners examined

• Band competition at military station

COURTS

Contempt petition against Calcutta
Amritsar, September 8
A contempt petition has been filed against Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, honorary secretary of the SGPC, by Mr Ranjit Singh, a former district president of the Sarb-Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.

Next hearing in Calcutta case on September 11
Amritsar, September 8
The stay order restraining Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta as Chief Secretary, SGPC, would continue till the next hearing of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission. The three-member SGJC Bench comprising Chairman Mr Manmohan Singh Brar and members Mr Ajwant Singh and Mr Amrik Singh gave the next date of hearing in the case filed by Mr Ranjit Singh, rural district president, Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal as September 11.

ADMINISTRATION

Animal Husbandry Deputy Director suspended
Chandigarh, September 8
The Punjab Government has placed under suspension Mr Arun Kumar, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Hoshiarpur, for negligence and irregularities, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister, said here today.

CRIME

Trader kidnapped, robbed of lakhs
Jalandhar, September 8
A local trader was kidnapped and looted near Mangoowal in Hoshiarpur district by six armed car-borne persons while he was returning from his business tour in the Kangra valley in the wee hours yesterday.

Teenaged boy on horse cart killed
Dera Bassi, September 8
A teenaged boy died on the spot and his father sustained serious injuries after a truck rammed into their horse-driven cart on the Ambala-Kalka highway in Bhankharpur village here today.

Highway robbers take away car, cash
Hoshiarpur, September 8
Four to five men who came in two cars — an Indica and a Maruti — looted Rs 21,000 in cash, two gold rings and a silver bangle from Rajesh Gupta of New Jawahar Nagar, Jalandhar, near Mangowal, 15 km from here on the Hoshiarpur-Dharamsala road at about 1.30 a.m. today. They also took away his car (CHO-37-0980).

EDUCATION

18 varsity depts resume teaching
Patiala, September 8
In the second phase, 18 departments of Punjabi University, resumed teaching here today. An official press note said in the first phase, the University College of Engineering was opened on September 5.