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TOP STORIES

On the run, Daler loses weight

Patiala, December 21 Pop star Daler Mehndi may no longer need his trademark long robe. The designer robe, which did well to hide his rotund midriff, would now look out of place on Daler who has lost 15 kg during the past two months after a human trafficking case was registered against him.
Singer Daler Mehndi on his way to the District Courts in Patiala on Sunday. — PTI photo

Amarinder admits to dissidence in party
Ferozepore, December 21
Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, today admitted that the Congress in the state was still suffering from dissidence and factionalism from within, which had yet to be sorted out and the final decision in this regard would be taken by the party high command.

• Dissidents hold breakfast meeting

• CM to lay stone of memorial gates today

State of Industrial Focal Points in Punjab — I
Bereft of basic civic amenities
Dera Bassi, December 21
The Punjab Government’s ambitious plan to establish an Industrial Focal Point at Dera Bassi in 1991 seems to have gone awry in the absence of basic amenities.

Wild growth abounds in most vacant plots in the Dera Bassi Focal Point, highlighting the poor upkeep of the area. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Engineers repair Attari track Attari (Amritsar), December 21 After having received the green light from the Ministry of Railways for resuming the Samjhauta Express from January 15, group of railway engineers and other staff have started repairing the track on war footing. No Pak passage for Tata trucks
Railway technical staff repair the track at Attari Railway Station on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Rajiv Sharma

Deed revenue Rs 442 crore
Faridkot, December 21
The Punjab Government collected a revenue of Rs 442 crore from the registration of deeds and stamp duty till October 31 against the target of Rs 750 crore in the current financial year. This was stated by Ms Gurbinder Chahal, Financial Commissioner, Revenue, while talking to mediapersons here on Friday.

Woman alleges forcible abortion by in-laws
Hoshiarpur, December 21
Ms Kulwinder Kaur (25), daughter of Ram Parkash of Sherpur Katcha village has alleged that her husband and his family members forcibly got her pregnancy terminated. Presently, she is struggling for her life at the local Civil Hospital.

POLITICS

BJP to plan for LS poll on Dec 28
Bathinda, December 21
Punjab BJP chief Avinash Rai Khanna said on Friday that the party would work out a strategy for the next Lok Sabha election in its working committee meeting to be held at Phagwara on December 28.

• BJP’s district chiefs

COMMUNITY

Move to curtail pension scheme decried
Fazilka, December 21
A function was organised here on Wednesday evening by the district unit of the Punjab Government Pensioners’ Association to mark Pensioners’ day. About 400 government pensioners participated in the function.

Jurists leave for Pak today
Amritsar, December 21
After initial refusal to an Indian legal delegation at the eleventh hour by Pakistan authorities in September, the first delegation of legal luminaries and jurists form here would be visiting Pakistan tomorrow as state guests on the invitation of the vice-chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab, Lahore, Mr Arif Chaudhary.

No dog’s death Phagwara, December 21 An NRI came all the way from the UK to immerse the normal remains of his pet dog in a river here, hold religious ceremony as last rites and langar in the canine memory at local Ratanpura Mohalla today. The posters with the portrait of the dog were pasted in the locality with the words “in the memory of revered Madmax Chopra”. The dog was Rottweiler.

Dalit woman is Talhan Sarpanch
Jalandhar, December 21
The district administration today succeeded in holding panchayat elections at Talhan village near here in a peaceful manner while a Dalit woman, Ms Inderjeet Kaur, was elected Sarpanch defeating her nearest rival, Ms Gian Kaur, by a margin of 88 votes.

A man takes a kid for a ride on a perambulator amid thick fog in Bathinda on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Furniture burnt
Sangrur, December 21
Furniture goods, worth lakhs of rupees, were destroyed in a fire, which broke out this morning in a showroom, owned by M/s Durga Dass Surinder Kumar, at Dhuri, about 14 km from here.

Souvenir on Mungowalia released
Patiala, December 21
Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand released a souvenir in the memory of freedom fighter Mangu Ram Mungowalia at a seminar on “India's struggle for Independence” at Central State Library here today.

Ambulance donated to Rotary Club
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 21
The District Red Cross Society has initiated social service projects with the support of social organisations for the benefit of the needy. Besides, efforts are being made to help poor patients by providing timely treatment and medicines to them, said Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, while addressing a function organised by the Rotary Club, Sirhind, today.

Raising day celebrated
Patiala, December 21
The third combined raising day of All-India Reserve Battalions was celebrated with gaiety and fervour at the IRB Centre at Ladda Kothi. Six platoons representing each battalion took part in an impressive parade.

COURTS

Courts’ building unsafe
Nabha, December 21
Resentment prevails among lawyers practising in the courts here over the apathetic attitude of the administration towards their problems. Building housing the courts was declared unsafe 25 years ago, it is learnt.

CRIME

5 shops burgled in one night
Nawanshahr, December 21
Resentment prevails among traders over thefts in five local shops last night. The thieves also inadvertently set the first floor of a garment shop on fire, allegedly causing a loss of about Rs 1 lakh.

Father, son attacked
Bathinda, December 21
Mr Chinder Singh and his son, Mr Mewa Singh, residents of Kothaguru village in the district, were injured when they were attacked by two youths with masked faces late last night in their house.

11 arrested for cruelty against animals
Bathinda, December 21
The local police has arrested 11 residents of Buladhewalla under Section 11-A of the prevention of cruelty against animals act and Section 289 of the IPC. Sources said that these accused loaded cows from their fields and left them in the thermal police station area.

• Case against sarpanch

• 2 youths commit suicide

• Three die in accident

• Gang busted, motor cycles recovered

EDUCATION

E-cards for PTU students
Mohali, December 21
‘Smart’ companies will place ‘smart students’. With an eye on the future, Punjab Technical University has taken the lead in the country in issuing e-cards or smart cards to its students.

BUSINESS

No buyers for kinnows in Punjab

Chandigarh, December 21 Kinnow growers in Punjab are disappointed these days as the wholesale prices have come down to Rs 5 or Rs 7 per kg in the market as against Rs 12 to 15 per kg last year. After a sharp rise in production this year, the growers are finding it difficult to find buyers in the market. Kinnow growers with their unsold stock near Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

Bank organises customers’ meet
Patiala, December 21
The State Bank of Patiala organised a customers’ meet with a special focus on insurance products here yesterday. The meeting was presided over by the general manager (treasury) of the bank Mr Pardeep Shankar.