Rain eases electricity crisis
Nangal, February 20
The continuous increase in the inflow of water to the Bhakra Dam during the past one week has saved power crisis in north India at least for the next two weeks.
Elahi, Amarinder to lay highway foundation stone on March 15
Chandigarh, February 20
West Punjab (Pakistan) has already started preparations for the launch of the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib and
Amritsar-Lahore bus service at the earliest possible.
Nusrat Fateh Ali’s nephew replicates legend’s charm
Patiala, February 20
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s music lends itself to a melange of images. Now spiritual, now basic, his melodies change tones as they trail a divine course from one meandering curve to another.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, nephew of the legendary qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, charms the audience with his full-throated rendition at Old Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala on Saturday.
— Photo by Rajesh Sachar. |
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Rabbi, Sukhbir rock Patiala
Patiala, February 20
Rabbi Shergill has taken success with some measure of humility. The new Punjabi star on the horizon of popular music is taking one day at a time, moving from one circuit to another, hitting music lovers across the country with his earthy punch.
Crafts mela genrates good business
Patiala, February 20
Even as the Heritage
Festival comes to an end today, the Crafts Mela, which will continue
till February 27, is generating a good response from the people of the
city.
Festival
Diary
Pop stars play hard to get
NEW-AGE pop stars can sometimes play very hard to get. Just as Punjabi singer Sukhbir played all this day. Although he had reportedly checked into his hotel this morning, the managers kept repeating that the pop star was yet to arrive.
Farmers being driven to suicide, says BJP leader
Sangrur, February 20
Former leader of the BJP Kisan Morcha and now top leader of the Punjab unit of the BJP said yesterday during the three years’ regime of the Amarinder government, more than 325 farmers had been driven to suicide due to debt and poverty in the Malwa region of the state.
SGPC forms panel to review heritage dossier
Amritsar, February 20
Bowing to the pressure over the controversy regarding the Golden Temple dossier submitted to UNESCO for conferring world heritage site to Harmandar Sahib, SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur constituted a five-member subcommittee to study the contents of the dossier.
Patna Takht chief presents siropa to Brar
Chandigarh, February 20
Senior Congress leader, Jagmeet Singh Brar was yesterday presented with a siropa by the jathedar of Takht Sri Patna Sahib at Patna. Mr Brar has been sent to Bihar by his party as election observer. He is accompanied by Mr Manjit Singh Jhalbhutti and other Congress leaders from Punjab.
 Three of family die in roof collapse
Jalandhar, February 20
A woman and her two minor daughters were today buried alive and four others injured when the first floor of a house collapsed in Aman Nagar area of the city, police sources said.
The incident occurred in the morning when seven rooms on the first floor
collapsed, they said.
People remove debris form a damaged building in Jalandhar on Sunday.
— Photo by S.S. Chopra
Doc, lab technicians suspended in seven-year-old case
Amritsar, February 20
The Medical Education and Research Department has suspended Dr Gurvinder Singh Marwaha, blood transfusion officer, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Mr Balwinder Singh, medical laboratory technician, grade-I, microbiology department, and Mr Kashmir Singh, senior medical laboratory technician, physiology department, Government Medical College, for negligence, which had led to the death of a minor girl in 1997.
Plan to rehabilitate safai karamcharis
Nawanshahr, February 20
Ms Santosh Chaudhary, chairperson, National Safai Karamchari Commission, while addressing a rally of ‘safai karamcharis’ at Banga said the Congress-led UPA government had drawn up a comprehensive plan to stop the carrying of night soil and for the rehabilitation of ‘safai karamcharis’ by 2007.
Batala roads, sewerage in
bad shape
Batala, February 20
Nineteen-year-old twin brothers Navin Aggarwal and Nikhil Aggarwal fell into a ditch, which had been dug up by the Sewerage and Water Supply Department more than a week ago, when they were going to their school on their scooter on Friday.
Family planning programmes ineffective in northern states: expert
Bathinda, February 20
Dr Ram Chander Murty Kaza, Professor, Microsurgery, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, who pioneered non-scalpel vasectomy in India in 1992 and carried out more than 70,000 vasectomy operations so far, yesterday said that family planning programmes in a part of north India was not being implemented effectively.
US Cong men to explore sister state status
Jalandhar, February 20
With the intention to explore the possibility if Punjab could be accorded sister state status by California, two members of the US Congress are likely to visit Punjab in May or June.
Tributes paid to Abhi
Hoshiarpur, February 20
Intolerance, lust for money, an increase in drug addiction and desire to lead a luxurious life are the main reasons behind the perpetration of crimes like kidnapping, violence and thefts by the youth.
Truck driver beaten up by staff of octroi contractor
Sangrur, February 20
The driver of a truck was allegedly “beaten up” by employees of an octroi contractor of the Dhuri Municipal Council yesterday.
100 women attend awareness
programme
Kharar, February 20
More than 100 rural women participated in an awareness programme on women empowerment organised by the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Mohali, at Anganwari Centre at Bajheri village near here yesterday.
Potato farmers seek Rs 20,000 per acre compensation
Moga, February 20
Sporadic rain and hailstorm in the past couple of weeks have ruined over half of the potato crop in the district, while the rest may have also been adversely affected.
Forest dept to give incentives to pvt farms
Chandigarh, February 20
The Punjab Forest Department will encourage land owners to plant valuable trees on their private lands under farm forestry plan, to promote diversification of agriculture.
Another probe ordered against Commissioner
Faridkot, February 20
Already facing a probe into corruption charges against him, troubles for the Faridkot Commissioner, Mr B. Sarkar, appear to be far from over. Now, the Punjab Governor has ordered a probe into an alleged bribery demand made by a Reader at the Commissioner’s behest.
Dental doctor ‘ditched’ by NRI husband
Bathinda, February 20
The joy of Dr Tanupreet Kaur, a local resident and dentist, knew no bounds when she married Amritpal Bimbhra, a Canada-based NRI in August 2004.
Kidnapping was fake, says police
Batala, February 20
The Batala police district has succeeded in solving the murder mystery of Rachhpal Singh, a resident of Shikar Machhian village 20 km from here, on the Batala-Dera Baba Nanak road. A special investigation team had been constituted to solve the case.
25 quintal of BT cotton seed seized
Doomwali (Bathinda),
February 20
Even as the mystery shrouding the seizure of more than 25 quintals of B.T. cotton seeds loaded in a truck by the sales tax authorities few days ago is yet to unfold Mr S.K. Singla, SDM, Bathinda, sealed the truck yesterday to prevent any mischief with the stock by its owner, which could not be identified by the authorities so far.
Photographer, assistant beaten up
Bathinda, February 20
Mr Jagtej Singh, a photographer and his assistant were allegedly beaten up by a section of residents of Teona village in this district when the latter got agitated over the fact that the former did not click their photographs with Mrs Sushma Singla, wife of the Punjab Finance Minister, Mr Surinder Singla, at a function held on February 18.
2 thieves escape from custody
Phagwara, February 20
Two women chain-snatchers, Balkaro and Seema, escaped from the police lock-up here on Friday.
Three cops, including additional munshi Charajit Singh, constable Balwant Singh
and a woman constable, have been arrested under Sections 223 and 224, IPC, for
negligence of duty.
USA “imposing” globalisation
Phagwara, February 20
“It was compulsion and not consensus which opened the floodgates for globalisation and India should be wary of American designs.”
CPI for student union poll
Sangrur, February 20
Expressing concern over the non-holding of elections of student unions in colleges and universities for the past more than 20 years in the state, the Punjab unit of the Communist Party of India
yesterday asked the Punjab Government to hold elections of student unions in colleges and the universities in the forthcoming academic session to “save democracy from criminals and youths from drugs.”
Teachers present memo to MLA
Phagwara, February 20
As part of their ongoing protest programme, activists of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union yesterday presented memorandums to their area MLAs and MPs, including Mr Joginder Singh
Mann, Congress MLA from Phagwara, and chairman Punjab Agro Foods
Corporation.
Principal to take up gratuity issue
Mukerian, February 20
The Principal of the SPN College Mukerian Mr Rakesh Mohan, has decided to put the case of non-payment of gratuity to employees by private colleges before the senate of Guru Nanak Dev University.
Upgradation, an indicator of quality schooling
AFFILIATED to the CBSE, Blossoms School, Patiala, provides education which plays an important role in building up a strong base in a student’s life. More emphasis is laid on the all-round development of kids rather than just making them engrossed in books. The school has always strived to live up to the expectations of agendas of the CBSE, New Delhi, of which 100 per cent pass percentage is one of the main targets.
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The building of Blossoms School in Patiala
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 Principalspeak
Blossoms
School, Patiala, established in 1981, has come a long way and enjoys the reputation for excellence in academics, sports and cultural activities. The school feels proud in announcing its upgradation to the senior secondary school starting from 2005 for which the registrations are open.
Two poets honoured
Phagwara, February 20
Mohan Lal Uppal DAV College, Phagwara, yesterday honoured noted poets Dr Jagtar and Mr Amrik Singh Puni (former Chief Secretary, Punjab), at the college annual
function-cum-kavi darbar.
Musical evening at medical college
Patiala, February 20
A musical cultural evening, Surmai Sham, was organised by the Medicos Kala Sangam in the Government Medical College under the patronage of the Principal, Dr Kiranjeet Kaur.
Bandh against VAT today
Bathinda, February 20
On a call given by the All-India Beopar Mandal, the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal will observe a bandh in the state tomorrow to lodge its protest against the proposed introduction of the value-added tax system in Punjab.
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