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TOP STORIES

Dhindsa to be SAD candidate
from Sangrur
Sangrur, February 11
Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), today announced the candidature of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Secretary-General of the SAD and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, for the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency.

• 2 Cong leaders join SAD

Badal meets Ranjit Singh Balian
Sangrur, February 11
Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), today visited expelled SAD leader, Ranjit Singh Balian, here at his residence. Mr Balian was expelled by Badal during previous Assembly elections from the party when he (Balian) contested the Assembly election from Sangrur against the official SAD candidate, Mr Sanmukh Singh Mokha.

HIGH COURT
Punjab told to give evidence in
minister’s son case
Chandigarh, February 11
Controversy continues to shroud the appointment of a Punjab minister’s son as an Inspector under the terrorist-victims category.

28 Punjab reunion celebrations begin
Chandigarh, February 11
The youngest battalion of the Punjab Regiment, 28 Punjab, will be receiving the President's Colours during the four-day reunion celebrations of the regiment's ninth post-war reunion, which began at the Regimental Centre in Ramgarh, near Ranchi, today.

POLITICS

Jain pulls up Jalandhar DCC
Jalandhar, February 11
The Congress observer for eight parliamentary constituencies of Punjab, Mr Lalit Jain, has reportedly pulled up the District Congress Committee for recommending only the name of the last Jalandhar MP, Mr Balbir Singh, to the Congress high command, that too “without informing” the seven party MLAs.

All-India Anti-Terrorist Front activists blacken a hoarding with a Coke advertisement in Amritsar on Wednesday in protest against products of Coke and Pepsi companies. — PTI

BSM-BSP merger on Feb 15
Jalandhar, February 11
The president of the Bahujan Samaj Morcha (BSM) and former MP Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, today said his party would merge with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on February 15 during a “Bahujan Ekta Rally” to be held at Banga in Nawanshahr district.

Venkaiah to launch campaign on Feb 21
Sangrur, February 11
The national President of the BJP, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, will formally launch an election campaign from Hoshiarpur on February 21 at a rally. The rally will also be attended, among others by Mr Vinod Khanna, a former MP from Gurdaspur.

Cong leader refutes Khanna’s claims on development grants
Pathankot, February 11
Mr Chander Pal Singh, Member of the PPCC and former President District Congress Committee, Gurdaspur in a press note here yesterday claimed that Mr Vinod Khanna was misleading people of Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency by distorting facts relating to MP’s Local Area Development Fund. Mr Khanna had been making false claims on various development grants, he alleged.

• VHP terms for backing candidates
  

COMMUNITY

Border farmers to get more work time

Raja Tal (Amritsar), February 11 The BSF today agreed to increase the working hours allowed to farmers in the fields across the fence near the border. Mr D.K. Sharma, BSF Commandant, said this after listening to the grievances of farmers at a joint meet of the BSF, the district administration and the police here today. Mr D.K. Sharma, BSF Commandant, and Mr Raminder Singh, Deputy Commissioner (left), listen to farmers’ woes near a gate on the fence in the border village of Raja Tal in Amritsar on Wednesday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Villagers fear pollution from distillery
Pathankot, February 11
A public hearing meeting organised here today by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) for inviting objections to the proposed distillery project at the Industrial Growth Centre in the Sujanpur Assembly constituency was boycotted by the villagers of the area, saying it was an eyewash.

Pension paid on paper only, alleges Dang
Amritsar, February 11
Despite unearthing the sensational Rs 32-crore pension scam, the Department of Social Securities reportedly continues to function in a “questionable manner. As many as 95 persons who were supposedly sent pensions up to March 2003 according to an acknowledgement in a demi-official letter to Mr Satya Pal Dang, have not received the pensions.

Health mela succumbs to poll code
Hoshiarpur, February 11
A health fair scheduled to be held at the Community Health Centre, Bhunga, from February 12 to 14 has been postponed for now by the district health authorities.

Engineers oppose execution of units by BHEL
Lehra Mohobat, February 11
The PSEB Engineers Association, Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP), Lehra Mohobat, while opposing the execution of a project pertaining to setting up two units of 250 MW each under stage-II of the GHTP by the BHEL, pointed out that it would escalate the project cost by minimum of Rs 200 crore.

Action against gunman recommended
Jalandhar, February 11
The district police chief today made a written recommendation to his counterpart in Ludhiana for taking appropriate departmental disciplinary action against the delinquent security guard whose service weapon was found abandoned near a taxi stand here on Monday last.

Johar for Indo-Pak academic interaction
Ludhiana, February 11
Academic interaction between India and Pakistan may take some more time, but the interaction between two parts of Punjab is likely to start from next month after Vice-Chancellors from various universities of the two countries will converge here for a conference.

Warrant officer finds 47 bonded labourers
Moga, February 11
A warrant officer of the Punjab and Haryana High Court found 47 alleged bonded labourers in a raid at a brickkiln at Baghapurana in this district yesterday.

Cooperative society official suspended
Faridkot, February 11
The Cooperative Department, Punjab, has suspended Lakshami Narain, secretary, Cooperative Agriculture Service Society of Lambwali village in Jaito subdivision, on charges of misappropriating society funds worth Rs 11 lakh in the past three years. The matter came to the light last month following complaints of a large number of loanees of Gondhara and Lambwali villages who were served notices for depositing the amount.

One hurt in accident
Kharar, February 11
One person was injured when he was hit by an unidentified vehicle last night. Harjinder Singh, a resident of Khoonimajra village, near here, was going on a scooter near Chappar Chiri when he was hit. He was admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh.

CPI workers gherao police station
Amritsar, February 11
Activists of the CPI today gheraoed the Rajasansi police station in protest against the alleged police inaction in arresting the accused in an attempt to murder case.

• Gen J.J. Singh visits Bathinda
  

COURTS

IMA decision unethical, says consumer forum
Amritsar, February 11
The local Consumer Welfare Forum today presented a memorandum to Justice H.S. Brar, Chairman, State Consumers Disputes Redressal Commission, for taking up the matter with the Central and the state health authorities to ensure that government doctors gave their opinion in cases against doctors.

AGRICULTURE

Morinda sugar mill not paying dues, alleges farmer
Ropar, February 11
His 71-year-old wife is suffering from a heart problem. He is a small farmer owning just seven acres of land. She has to undergo a bypass surgery in the Escorts Hospital at Delhi. He has raised a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh at 13.5 per cent interest for her operation. However, the Morinda Cooperative Sugar Mill is allegedly not paying his dues worth Rs 70,000.

ADMINISTRATION

Probe ordered into filling of pond
Bathinda, February 11
Mr K.A.P. Sinha, District Magistrate, today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the filling of earth in a pond on a piece of land in the heart of the city allegedly by a section of real-estate developers.

DC suspends absentee
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 11
Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, today conducted a surprise check at his office and district office. During the checking, 25 employees and officials were found absent.

31 sites sold for Rs 4.5 cr
Amritsar, February 11
The Amritsar Improvement Trust fetched more than Rs 4.50 crore in the auction of 31 shops and booths.

• Addl charge for Kulbir Singh

CRIME

1.5 kg opium seized
Jalandhar, February 11
The Jalandhar police today arrested a man for possessing 1.5 kg of opium. Mr G.P.S. Bhullar, SSP, said a police party spotted a suspicious looking person who was carrying a polythene bag in the Chauggitti-Nangal Shama area. He was later identified as Balbir Singh of Raptoke village of Tarn Taran district.

Thefts in four shops
Patiala, February 11
In separate incidents, cash and goods worth lakhs of rupees were stolen from four shops here last night.

One arrested on rape charge
Bathinda, February 11
The police today arrested Baljit Singh, a resident of Harrangpura village in this district, for his suspected involvement in first raping a minor Dalit schoolgoing girl of the village and then allegedly forcing her to commit suicide on February 8.

EDUCATION

Dharna by students
Amritsar, February 11
The B.Sc and M.Sc. students of Khalsa College, Agriculture Department under the banner of the Agriculture Students Forum, staged a dharna outside the faculty building in protest against the non-filling of posts in Agriculture, Horticulture, Soil Conservation, Education Departments and related disciplines under various boards and corporations in Punjab.

BUSINESS

Seminar on industrial safety
Faridkot, February 11
The Punjab Government in collaboration with the State Industrial Council organised a seminar on industrial safety and disaster management here today.