Teachers want Sonia as PM

Sikh priests decry seva dal advertisement

Ask Malaysian gurdwaras to stop non-veg in langar Amritsar, May 18 The five Sikh high priests while taking a serious note of an advertisement denigrating Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, by Miri Piri Seva Dal head Gurinderpal Singh Dhanola, issued directions to the Sikh sangat not to drag the name of Sikh gurus in any type of campaigning and warned that such advertisements should not be repeated in the SGPC elections scheduled for July 11.

Sikh high priests during a meeting at the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar on Tuesday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

4 held for torturing daughter-in-law
Jalandhar, May 18
Four members of a family were arrested on the allegations of torturing their daughter-in-law for dowry.

Biotechnology board set up in Punjab
Chandigarh, May 18
Punjab has established a biotechnology promotion board under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Ms Romila Dubey, Principal Secretary, Science, Technology, Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, said the board would create public awareness about diverse uses of biotechnology, establish BT parks and promote cultivation and processing of herbs and aromatic plants.

POLITICS

BSP leader resigns
Bathinda, May 18
Mr Mangat Rai Bansal, a senior leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Punjab, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections as its candidate, today resigned from the primary membership of the party.

President urged to order re-elections
Sangrur, May 18
In view of no clear mandate to any party or any pre-poll alliance, Mr Baldev Singh Mann, expelled SAD leader and former general secretary of the party, today urged the President to order fresh parliamentary elections.

COMMUNITY

Open Indo-Pak trade channels: Alam
Jalandhar, May 18
Hoping that enhancement of bilateral exchange could bring people of Pakistan and India closer, Mr Imtiaz Alam Secretary of the South Asia Free Media Association, yesterday suggested that the names of Indians who had left their property in Pakistan during the partition, could be engraved on their properties as a goodwill gesture.

Jaito SMO suspended
Faridkot, May 18
The Punjab Government has suspended Dr Ajit Pal Singh, SMO, Civil Hospital, Jaito, with immediate effect due to his failure to perform his duties in handling diarrhoea cases.

Two children drowned
Bathinda, May 18
Two children identified as Arun Kumar and Varinder Singh, both residents of Bathinda military station, were drowned in a pond last evening. Their bodies were recovered last night.

2 die as flames engulf shop
Moga, May 18
At least two persons, including the owner of a hardware store, died when a fire broke out in the store after a PSEB transformer installed in front of the store exploded last evening. The store was completely destroyed and the municipal fire engine fought with the flames for more than 90 minutes.

‘Make soil conservation divisions functional’
Hoshiarpur, May 18
The general body of the Punjab State Forest Officers Association at a meeting presided over by Mr R.S. Awasthi viewed with concern that “tainted” officers had been posted at responsible positions in the department. The meeting resolved that no such officer should be posted as in charge of a division, circle, Kandi project and the Forest Corporation in the state.

Heatwave claims another life
Bathinda, May 18
The heatwave sweeping the region for the past few days has claimed one more life as an unidentified person died of sunstroke near Goniana town, 15 km from here, today. The death toll due to the heatwave has reached four in this town.

• Lekhak Sabha’s office-bearers
  

COURTS

Pendency of court cases might continue despite appointments
Jalandhar, May 18
Even as the posting of eight judges at Jalandhar by the Punjab and Haryana High Court has raised the total strength of judicial officers to 11, an unprecedented high pendency of cases might continue as a source of inconvenience for both judges and litigants for quite some more time.

ADMINISTRATION

Sale of cut fruits banned
Muktsar, May 18
Mr B.R. Banga, Deputy Commissioner, has imposed a ban on the sale of cut fruits and vegetables in this district to prevent the spread of diarrhoea and gastroenteritis.

CRIME

Minor kidnapped, raped; 2 held
Amritsar, May 18
Two persons, including a woman, were arrested here today for allegedly kidnapping, raping and keeping a minor girl in illegal detention. The police has registered a case under Sections 376, 363, 365, 366, 368, 506 and 120-B of IPC at B-division police station.

Clerk booked for embezzlement
Tarn Taran, May 18
Ratinder Singh, a clerk in the office of the SDM, Patti, has been booked under Sections 409 and 201 of the IPC for embezzlement and causing a loss of Rs 2,30,669 to the state exchequer.

• Remand for PSEB official
  

EDUCATION

Approach HC, PTU tells BCA students
Jalandhar, May 18
Even as the affected students of the BCA in different engineering colleges were demanding a mercy chance Punjab Technical University (PTU) today suggested the students to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for any such relief.

Reinstate Principal, demand residents
Abohar, May 18
Residents of Dutaranwal village, including some members of the gram panchayat, today staged a dharna over the suspension of Mr K. L. Baghla, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Dutaranwali.

Punjab advances summer vacations
Chandigarh, May 18
The Punjab Government today advanced the summer vacations for schools in the state. The decision in this connection was taken late this evening by a high-level committee of government officials.

School timings changed
Patiala, May 18
In view of extreme weather conditions, the district administration has changed the timings of government and private schools. Deputy Commissioner Tejveer Singh said all schools in the district would now open at 7 am and close at 11 am till May 31.