P U N J A B

Top stories | Politics | Community | Courts

Crime | Education | Business

TOP STORIES

Sudarshan lays stress on Sanskrit
Skips comment on controversial issues

Amritsar, September 29 Mr S.K. Sudarshan, RSS chief, today steered clear of uttering any thing controversial in his speech addressed to the RSS and other Hindu organisation activists on the occasion of Baba Sahib Apte birth anniversary Sanskrit award function.
Mr K.C. Sudarshan, RSS chief, inaugurates the Baba Sahib Apte Janam Shatabdi Sanskrit Award function by lighting lamps in Amritsar on Thursday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Protest against RSS chief, 30 detained,
let off
Amritsar, September 29
At least 30 Sikh activists, who carried black flags and burnt the effigy of Mr Sudarshan, here today were bundled into police vehicles and taken to the police station. However, Mr Harmanbir Singh Gill, SP (City) claimed that the agitating activists, who were taken into custody with a view to defuse the situation, were later let off.

Job scam: 70 teachers to be chargesheeted
Chandigarh, September 29
The Punjab Education Department has stumbled on a scam and found that at least 110 teachers may have taken up government jobs on the basis of fake degrees. The first list of about 70 such teachers, who allegedly took jobs on the basis of fake certificates was ready and the teachers would be served a chargesheet soon, said senior functionaries of the Punjab Government.

Plucking rates shoot up after rain   Bathinda, September 29 Last week’s rainfall has not only damaged cotton crop in about 40,000 acres of land spread over in 42 villages but has also resulted in a rise in plucking rates by about 50 per cent, thus adding to economic woes of the cotton growers. Balbir Singh, a farmer of Talwandi Sabo, plucking cotton on Thursday. — Photo by Kulbir Beera CBI raids FCI godowns Chandigarh, September 29 The Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids on the godowns of the Food Corporation of India at several places in Punjab today and also took samples of rice stocks. This follows reports of ‘’poor quality’’ rice supplied from the state to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Orissa and West Bengal.

Punjab chickens for Pak
Chandigarh, September 29
After potatoes and livestock, it is now the turn of Indian poultry to enter the Pakistan market. If all goes well, from next month, one can enjoy Indian chicken and eggs in Pakistan also.

Naya Gaon rape: HC says govt to decide all matters
Chandigarh, September 29
The ongoing hearing of a bunch of applications, including those moved by the Punjab Government and Indian Express reporter Gautam Dheer, today witnessed two major developments.

Uzbek woman, NRI held for flesh trade
Ropar, September 29
The Ropar police today busted a major flesh racket flourishing in Mohali and Chandigarh with the arrest of an Uzbekistan woman and an NRI under the Immoral Trafficking Act from Mohali.

Riots: acrimonious clashes mar Shankaran visit
Mohali, September 29
Even as the Shankaran Committee today gave assurances to the 1984 anti- Sikh riot victims that it would recommend granting maximum compensation to them, acrimonious clashes between various organisations representing the riot victims in Punjab, marred the visit of Dr D.K. Shankaran to the township.

Sugarcane price may be hiked by Rs 15
Chandigarh, September 29
The Punjab Government is examining a proposal to increase the price of sugarcane by Rs 15 per quintal. A decision in this connection is expected to be taken tomorrow when the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Cooperation Minister, Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, and others meet informally to discuss the issue.

POLITICS

103 Youth Cong members submit resignations
Kharar, September 29
As many as 103 office-bearers and members of the local Block Youth Congress have submitted their resignations today from the primary membership in protest against the appointment of a Chandigarh resident as president of the Ropar unit of the District Youth Congress.

COMMUNITY

Malerkotla girl faces dilemma
Chandigarh, September 29
Ms Shahida Parveen is literally without a country. Born and brought up in Malerkotla (Sangrur) in 1976, she shifted to Pakistan after her marriage in December, 1996. In Pakistan, her husband forced her to acquire a Pakistani passport.

Herbal park inaugurated
Hoshiarpur, September 29
Mr Hans Raj Joshan, the State Minister of Forest, Punjab, inaugurated the herbal and medicinal plants park here today. This park, having plants of 180 species, has been established by the Forest Department, Hoshiarpur, in 11 hectares at Naloian area of the city.

Gastro cases in Phagwara locality
Phagwara, September 29
Over 15 cases of gastroenteritis have been reported from Onkar Nagar, a locality peopled with migrants. Supply of contaminated water and squalor in the area were said to be the cause of the disease.

Birth centenary of Bhagat Singh celebrated
Abohar, September 29
The birth centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh was observed by the Punjabi Sabhyachar Manch. Mr Sunil Jakhar, Parliamentary Secretary, Horticulture and Irrigation, Punjab, lit a lamp at a function held to mark the occasion.

Flying Mail stranded
Phagwara, September 29
The 4674 down Amritsar-Darbhanga Flying Mail remained stranded at Phagwara Railway Station today due to the rail and rasta roko agitation.

• No kar seva at B’desh gurdwaras: SGPC
• Pollution board team collects samples
• Student dies

COURTS

Dy Director in Vigilance custody
Kharar, September 29
A local court today remanded Deputy Director, Punjab Technical Education Department, N.S. Bhatia to two days of custody of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

CRIME

Five gangsters nabbed
Phagwara, September 29
The police yesterday claimed to have arrested five members of an inter-district gang involved in robberies, snatchings, lootings, lifting of cars and other crimes. A press note issued by the Kapurthala SSP, Mr Rajiv Ahir, said huge recovery was made from them while a major bid to commit a crime by them in this area was foiled with their timely arrest following a tip-off.

Vigilance nabs two officials
Jalandhar, September 29
The Vigilance Bureau today nabbed two government officials on the charge of taking graft. Giving this information, Mr Gurkirpal Singh, SSP, Vigilance, said Daulat Ram, Deputy Chief Engineer of Cooperative Sugar Mill, Bhogpur, was caught red-handed taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 from Mr Manjit Singh, a resident of Mank ke Raipur, who had taken contract for cleaning of the boilers.

EDUCATION

College suspends Joginder Kaur
Amritsar, September 29
The Khalsa College has suspended Ms Joginder Kaur, demonstrator (female), Farming Training Centre, Agriculture Department of the college, for levelling serious allegations against the principal here yesterday.

CMC to offer vacant seats to PMET candidates
Ludhiana, September 29
The CMC Ludhiana Society, running medical, dental and nursing colleges here, has decided to consider candidates selected by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences from the state PMET for filling ‘stray vacancies’ if any, in the undergraduate courses tomorrow, the last date for the completion of admission by the Supreme Court of India.

Teachers assured of 50 pc DA merger
Chandigarh, September 29
A delegation of the Punjab Aided School Teachers and other Employees Progressive Front led by Mr Upjit Singh Brar today held a meeting with the Finance Minister, Mr Surinder Singla.

BUSINESS

Rs 50 crore for industry in rural areas
Chandigarh, September 29
The Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board will distribute cheques for Rs 50 lakh on October 2 at Patiala among those who have set up small industrial units in the rural areas. This money will be given as subsidy to the owners of the units.