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TOP STORIES

Punjab Youth Congress faces crisis
Chandigarh, March 1
With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, a frontal organisation of the Punjab Congress, which has remained leaderless for the past several months, is now heading for yet another organisational crisis.

CM, Bhattal to campaign jointly
New Delhi, March 1
The coordination committee of the Punjab Congress, which met at the AICC today, has decided to hold a meeting of all MLAs to take their suggestions regarding the party’s preparations for the Lok Sabha poll.

Cong for alliance with BSP in Punjab
Ludhiana, March 1
The Congress in Punjab is keen on poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party. The BSP in Punjab, particularly in the Doaba region has firm base. BSP support can mean a lot to the Congress, particularly in Hoshiarpur, Phillaur, Jalandhar and also Gurdaspur.

Barnala faction wants Bachi out of SAD
Dirba (Sangrur), March 1
In a resolution adopted under the leadership of Mr Baldev Singh Mann, General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and confidant of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, here today, party workers asked the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to oust Mr Gurbachan Singh Bachi, a former administrative member of the PSEB, and his associates from the SAD within 10 days.

NSUI leaders threaten to resign
Amritsar, March 1
The office-bearers of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), district unit, today threatened to resign if, Prof Gurwinder Singh Mamanke was not given ticket.

Fewer polling booths this time
Code blocks promotions, appointments
Chandigarh, March 1
The number of polling booths, to be set up for the Lok Sabha poll on May 10 in Punjab, will be less than that of the previous election. According to sources, 15,623 polling booths would be set up for 1.65 voters enlisted, following the revision of electoral rolls till January 20 this year.

DSP gets life term in fake encounter case
Ludhiana, March 1
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Inderjit Kaushik has sentenced the DSP posted at Malerkotla-Darshan Singh to undergo rigorous life imprisonment on account of finding him guilty in a conspiracy to kill a person, Tarvinder Singh, in a fake encounter terming him a militant.

SDM, 2 others get bail in poaching case
Hoshiarpur, March 1
Mr Puneet Goyal, Subdivisional Magistrate of Pathankot, who is also holding the dual charge of Dhar Kalan, his driver, Mr Makhan Singh, and a poacher, Mohinder Singh, were produced before Mr K.C. Gupta, Duty Magistrate, at 9.30 pm here yesterday. Mr Gupta granted bail to all of them.

POLITICS

Goyal denies joining Rashtarvadi BJP
Bathinda, March 1
Mr Parminder Goyal, former executive member, BJP, Punjab, today said he had not joined the Rashtarvadi BJP, set up by a former BJP leader, Mr Jagmohan Kaura.

COMMUNITY

Dilmegh Singh new SGPC Secy
Amritsar, March 1
The Executive Committee of the Shiromani Parbandhak Gurdwara Committee (SGPC) today decided in principle to establish dispensaries and schools in each gurdwara, being managed by the SGPC.

Development gets priority as elections draw near
Patiala, March 1
With Lok Sabha elections round the corner, keeping citizens of Patiala happy seems to be the main concern of the Municipal Corporation as well as Congress candidate Preneet Kaur. The corporation has taken up the task of completing development works costing Rs 4.25 crore within two months.

Ban on carrying of arms, sale of liquor
Ropar, March 1
Hola Mohalla celebrations at Kiratpur Sahib begin tomorrow. The district administration has banned the carrying of arms in the 5-km radius of Kiratpur Sahib and Anandpur Sahib till March 7.

Closure of bus stand causes chaos
Amritsar, March 1
After the closure of the main bus stand, here, the administration has taken little notice of the chaos that has followed due to the haphazard parking of the buses. The area has been closed for the construction of a model bus stand here.

No ‘Dronacharya’ to groom talented archer
Patiala, March 1
The year 2000. Local lad Vishal Kumar, son of an out-of-work daily labourer, creates sensation by winning the gold medal in the 70-metre Olympic round archery competition in the National Games had in the city.

Vishal Kumar in his new avtar as fireman in Patiala. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

‘Unclaimed’ boy battles for life in hospital
Ludhiana, March 1
A 15-year-old boy, who met with accident near Floating Restaurant, Sirhind, on January 4 has been battling for life in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here.

A 15-year-old unclaimed child in coma at DMCH, Ludhiana. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

“Dance like a Man” weaves magic
Amritsar, March 1
The staging of famous play “Dance Like a Man” Directed by Lillete Dubey and sponsored by The Tribune group of newspapers and Spice Telecom last night at Guru Nanak Bhavan here enthralled theatre lovers of the holy city.

35 persons stung by bees on court premises
Kharar, March 1
Panic spread in the courts complex when at least 35 persons were stung by bees here today. People were seen running here and there, trying to save themselves from being stung.

PWD workers threaten stir
Amritsar, March 1
The PWD Field and Workshop Workers Union, Punjab, has threatened to observe a strike and a chain fast at Ghanaur from March 9 to 11 to protest against the non-acceptance of their demands.

Resentment among Dera Bassi truckers
Dera Bassi, March 1
Resentment prevails among members of the Dera Bassi Truck Union, after a six-member committee, constituted by the Sub Divisional Magistrate, deleted names of about 40 truckers from the voter list.

Ayurvedic docs to back ‘sympathetic’ party
Bathinda, March 1
The Punjab Ayurvedic Medical Services Association (PAMSA) has decided to vote and support nominees of the political party which would include the development of ayurvedic, yoga, Unani and sidha systems of medicine in its manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

‘Adopt-a-cow’ campaign launched
Bathinda, March 1
The Lions Club (Bathinda Classic) has started an “adopt-a-cow” campaign to tackle the menace of stray cattle in the city. Stray cattle have become a major source of road accidents and insanitary conditions here.

Newly-wed woman goes missing
Moga, March 1
Mystery shrouds the disappearance of newly-wed Baljit Kaur, a resident of Ajitwal and wife of Jaspal Singh, an Army jawan of Dhudike in the district.

Civic body cautions investors
Zirakpur, March 1
Taking serious note of false promises being made by property dealers while selling land in Pir Muchhaila village, that the village would be merged with Zirakpur nagar panchayat soon, the civic body authorities have cautioned investors against falling prey to such allurement.

Lovers beaten up on court premises
Kharar, March 1
Two lovers, who wanted to go in for a court marriage, were beaten up at the judicial court complex here today.

Free eye camp on March 23
Kharar, March 1
The 11th free eye camp will be organised by the Citizens Welfare Club at the Civil Hospital premises here on March 23, the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh.

COURTS

High Court
Discrimination in grant alleged
Chandigarh, March 1
If allegations in a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court are to be believed, then the development fund was not handed over to a panchayat in Ludhiana district as the local Member of Parliament belonged to the Congress, while the sarpanch and panches were supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

AGRICULTURE

Poultry farmers suffer huge losses
Barnala, March 1
Resentment prevails among families of poultry farmer in Punjab, and also among those involved in poultry-related business because of huge losses suffered by them.

CRIME

Jagraon Naib Tehsildar held on graft charge
Moga, March 1
The Vigilance Bureau, Moga, today arrested Bhupinder Singh, Naib Tehsildar of Jagraon, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1500 for returning back a power of attorney, registered by him as a registrar.

Woman commits suicide
Amritsar March 1
Gurvinder Kaur a young woman of Amritsar allegedly committed suicide by injecting poison at the house of her paramour Gurpawan Singh in Naushera Pannuan village in Tarn Taran police district last evening.

2 scooterists die in mishap
Bathinda, March 1
Two persons were killed on the spot near Lahra Mohabbat, 22 km from here, yesterday when their scooter was hit by a canter.

Woman raped
Bathinda, March 1
A woman (26) having three children, and deserted by her husband was allegedly raped by Jasvir Singh, of Gheri Butter village of this district.

Woman shot at
Amritsar, March 1
Baljit Kaur, was injured grievously when two scooter-borne persons shot at her when she tried to resist an attempt to loot her at Waliyaa village, under the Tarn Taran police district, in early hours today.

EDUCATION

440 students get degrees
Jalandhar, March 1
Degrees were conferred upon as many as 440 students of different streams by the Higher Education Minister, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, and the DPI (Colleges), Ms Nisha Sarad, at the annual convocation of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts, here today.

NAAC team visits training college
Faridkot, March 1
A three-member team, led by Dr D.N. Sansanwal of the National Assessment and Accredition Council (NAAC) from Bangalore, has underlined the need for the appointment of five more qualified teachers and a Principal on a regular basis, besides encouraging research aptitude for updating the knowledge among M.Ed. and B.Ed students and teachers at the local Government Training College.

BUSINESS

Change criteria for listing in stock exchanges: expert
Amritsar, March 1
“There is a need for more vigorous and comprehensive criteria for listing in stock exchanges.” said Dr B.S. Bhatia, Director, APJ Institute of Management and Technology, while delivering his keynote address at the inaugural function of a national seminar on “Capital market reforms in India” at Guru Nanak Dev University here today.

Rice millers seek Badal’s help
Jalalabad, March 1
The Punjab Rice Millers Association has urged  Mr Parkash Singh Badal to use his good offices to get settled their demand regarding the cost of unused gunny bags to be retained by the millers after the delivery of custom-milled rice.

Capt hosts dinner for Lahore Chamber
New Delhi, March 1
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today hosted dinner for the delegation of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is in the Capital for talks with business chambers in India on ways to boost mutual trade.