Khalsa Diwan row: groups depose before panel
Amritsar, December 4
Both warring groups of the Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) today deposed before the Committee, constituted by Jathedar Akal Takht, separately, even as the offices of the Dewan continued to be locked for the second consecutive day today.

Newborn thrown into septic tank, rescued
Barnala, December 4
A seven-day-old infant was rescued after she was thrown into a septic tank , a village latrine, at Taajoke village about 25 km from here following laudable efforts of the Taajo Ke Panchayat near Tapa Mandi.

Pt Jasraj charms Holy City Amritsar, December 4 As we prepare to meet contemporary doyen of north Indian classical singer, Pandit Jasraj, a musical voice hails us from behind. After greeting us with “Jai mata ki” from a distance, he settlers comfortably, ensuring that the distance is maintained. In the next moment, he requests, “I hope you are not wearing a perfume? If you are, please excuse me. I am highly allergic to scents. These interfere with my vocal capacity.” FESTIVAL SIDELIGHTS

COMMUNITY

He walked the Great Wall
Amritsar, December 4
A 50-year-old Malaysia-born Buddhist monk, Dr Sumana Siri, who had made a history of sorts by covering the 7,000-km Great Wall of China in nine months without a break, now wants to walk around the world to promote peace. His earlier expedition had started from the deserts of Ganzu province in China, which runs along the North Korean border, in October, 2000.

Arrangements for Shaheedi Jor Mela
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 4
During the four-day annual Shaheedi Jor Mela starting here from December 24 to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of the younger sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh, who were bricked alive here, a bhakti sangeet sammelan, ‘var gayan’ competition, paintings on sahibzadas and ‘shabad gyan’ competitions will be organised by the district administration to pay homage to the sahibzadas.

11 kids hurt as school bus overturns
Patiala, December 4
As many as 13 persons were injured, including 11 children, when a school bus of Narain Public School overturned near Meerapur, a few kilometres from here, while ferrying children back to their homes after the school hours.

JEs demand more posts of SDO
Patiala, December 4
The Panchayati Raj Junior Engineers Association today demanded that more posts of SDO (Electrical) should be created to supervise the electrical works in the state.

Raids on four nursing homes
Jalandhar, December 4
The district health authorities today raided four private nursing homes here and found that three chemist shops in as many nursing homes were selling medicines without getting mandatory licence from the authorities concerned. Medicine stock worth about Rs 1 lalh was seized from these shops.

Experts deliver lectures on ayurveda
Patiala, December 4
A four-week re-orientation training programme in the Department of Ras Shastra of Government Ayurvedic College concluded here today.

Blast victims’ kin allege apathy
Khasa (Amritsar), December 4
Relief was distributed among kin of blast victims, who complained that they had not been provided with jobs promised to them by authorities.

One killed as cylinder bursts
Jalandhar, December 4
One person was killed and three others were injured when the lintel of a house at the local Sidharth Nagar collapsed due to a LPG cylinder blast in the wee hours today.

COURTS

Dalit-landlord clash: 11 allowed bail
Sangrur, December 4
A court here today granted bail to 11 persons, said to be involved in a ‘clash’ between Dalits and landlords of Hasanpur village, near Dhuri. The clash took place on November 11 over a piece of shamlat land (common land) in the village.

HIGH COURT
Fazilka polytechnic penalised
Chandigarh, December 4
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on a polytechnic in Fazilka. The orders were issued on a petition filed by a Jagraon student against the institution and another respondent.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers’ dharna continues
Tarn Taran, December 4
Dharna by the Kisan Sangharash Committee entered the second day yesterday. They were staging dharna for demanding the payment on the pending sugarcane price and against cutting the power supply to the tubewells who have failed to pay the bills.

ADMINISTRATION

Income tax teams carry out surveys
Abohar, December 4
Eight teams of income tax officials, which carried out surveys in different business premises and of those who with real estate business, have succeeded in detecting transactions worth crores of rupees on which the income tax has been evaded.

18.69 cr to be spent on Ropar schemes
Ropar, December 4
The Punjab Government will spend Rs 18.69 crore on various schemes in Ropar district in the current financial year through the District Planning Board. Out of this Rs 9.09 crore has already been released.

CRIME

Proclaimed offender arrested
Jalandhar, December 4
The district police has arrested a proclaimed offender who was booked in a case of theft 21 years ago.

Watchmaker found murdered
Batala, December 4
A city watchmaker, Jaswant Lal (32), was murdered for cash and valuables here last night but the crime came to light today when his body was found in a field outside Hathi Gate, the police said.

EDUCATION

211 items on display at science exhibition 
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 4
A three-day state-level science exhibition was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia, at BZSF Senior Secondary School here today, as Prof Darbari Lal, State Minister for Education, failed to turn up to inaugurate the exhibition.