P U N J A B

Top stories | Community | Crime

TOP STORIES

Better alone than with CPI, says CM
Bathinda, April 15
Hinting that the Congress would go it alone in the forthcoming Assembly polls, the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, yesterday said forging an alliance with the CPI in the last Assembly elections was a mistake and the ruling party would not lose anything if the CPI snapped its poll ties with it.

CM ignoring farmers: Badal
Bathinda, April 15
Lashing out at the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, for his denial to extend bonus to wheat farmers, SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal yesterday said such a statement was not expected from the CM and it was proof enough that the state government was indifferent to the welfare of farmers.

• ‘CM hampering probe’
• CM violated maryada: SGPC

BJP seeks income insurance scheme
for farmers
Sangrur, April 15
The Bharatiya Janta Party’s Punjab unit has formed four teams, to study affairs of the farmers, the Dalits, the businessmen, and the youth.

65 per cent state farmers under debt: expert
New Delhi, April 15
For Punjab farmers, the harvest festival of Baisakhi is no longer an occasion to celebrate as 65 per cent of them are under debt with per farmer debt reaching Rs 45,000 and private money lenders charging high interest rates, ranging from 18 to 24 per cent.

Forest Hill: did IAS officer favour doctor?
Amritsar, April 15
Did the beleaguered senior IAS officer, who is already facing a CBI case in connection with the Forest Hill Resort, give benefit to a local doctor by granting him a licence to carve out a colony on 10 acres of prime land on the Rajasansi Airport road here, in lieu of a prime residential plot in the same resort?

COMMUNITY

MP wants airport at Adampur, not Halwara
Jalandhar, April 15
Opposing the Punjab Government’s move to facilitate conversion of the Halwara airfield into a civil airport, Mr Varinder Bajwa, Rajya Sabha MP, has asserted that he will take up the matter with the Prime Minister during the next session of the Lok Sabha in May.

Remission granted to convicts for good conduct
Amritsar, April 15
The jail authorities today granted 15 days’ remission to all convicted persons who have been teaching to their fellow convicts or themselves studying in special classes organised within the four walls of the high-security Central Jail as part of a unique literacy mission.

Durgiana committee alleges embezzlement Amritsar, April 15 The Durgiana Managing Committee today lodged a complaint with the police against its former president, Mr Surinder Arjun, for embezzling Rs 1 crore. Baisakhi mela ends                                 Bathinda, April 15 The display of unmatched acts of gallantry by Nihangs marked the culmination of the three-day annual Baisakhi mela at Talwandi Sabo today. A Nihang displays horsemanship on the final day of the Baisakhi mela in Talwandi Sabo on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Ambika stresses on tourism development
Amritsar, April 15
The Central government should provide infrastructure for providing tax sops to the hotel industry to promote tourism in the country. Ms Ambika Soni, Minister of State for Tourism, said this to the media after paying obeisance at Harmandar Sahib here today.

‘Umeed’ to help curb female foeticide
Patiala, April 15
Nearly 500 delegates from all over the state, including ultrasonologists, gynaecologists, members of the Indian Medical Association and PCMS doctors, will gather to discuss ways and means to curb the menace of female foeticide at a conference, “Umeed”, at Government Medical College here on Sunday.

Riot victims given relief Jalandhar, April 15 A sum of Rs 9.6 crore was today disbursed among 480 victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage out of the grants delivered by the Centre. Punjab Food and Civil Supply Minister Avtar Henry disbursed cheques for Rs 2 lakh each to the riot victims at the Red Cross Bhawan here. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Henry said the Centre as well as the Punjab Government were sensitive and sympathetic towards the needs and miseries of the riot victims. A recipient fails to supress her tears as she receives compensation for the 1984 riots in Jalandhar on Saturday. — PTI photo

Governor goes fishing Ropar, April 15 It required a lot of concentration, patience and strength by the police and the administration to let the Punjab Governor, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), to catch a fish from the Sutlej here today. The Governor along with his wife and son arrived here at 4:30 p.m. for fishing after getting permit from the Irrigation Department. The Governor of Punjab, Gen S.F. Rodrigues, tries to catch a fish from the Sutlej near Ropar on Saturday.

Pharmacists to intensify stir
Fazilka, April 15
Mr Ravinder Luthra, Mr Gurinder Singh Sodhi, president and General Secretary, respectively, of the Punjab State Pharmacists Association, state unit, and Mr Shashi Kant (Fazilka), president of district Ferozepore unit, in a joint press note here today.

CRIME

Jewellery worth Rs 5.5 cr seized
Amritsar, April 15
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, acting on specific information, seized diamond-studded gold jewellery worth Rs 5.5 crore in Indian currency at the Amritsar International Airport here today.

Pickpockets nabbed from gurdwaras
Amritsar, April 15
The SGPC task force has nabbed five pickpockets from Harmandar Sahib and Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh. The accused were handed over to the police for further action.