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Akal Takht invites excommunicated Sikhs to rejoin Sikh fold
Amritsar, July 21
In an unprecedented ‘Gurmata’ (literally Guru’s intention), passed unanimously in presence of Guru Granth Sahib, today gave choice to all excommunicated persons to rejoin the Sikh fold by January 13, 2007 without undergoing any ‘Tankhah’ (punishment) on the pre-condition that they accept the authority of Akal Takht, ‘Granth and Panth’.

Panthic groups to launch gurdwara reform movement
Amritsar, July 21
At the first meeting of various Panthic groups opposed to Mr Parkash Singh Badal today decided to launch second gurdwara sudhar lehar (gurdwara Reform Movement), after a gap of eight decades. Earlier, the SGPC came into being in 1925 after the first gurdwara reform movement.

Farmers gherao SDM’s office
Want land acquisition notification scrapped
Barnala, July 21
Opposing acquisition of agriculture land for big industrial houses by the Punjab Government in the state, especially in three villages, Dhaula, Fatehgarh Chhanna and Sangherra (near Barnala), hundreds of activists and members of nine farmer organisations today gheraoed the office of the SDM here for more than an hour.

Jai Rup Singh new GND varsity VC
Amritsar, July 21
Internationally renowned geneticist, Dr Jai Rup Singh, Professor of Human Genetics and Coordinator of Centre for Genetic Disorders of Guru Nanak Dev University, has been appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the university for a period of three years.

CM must commit to EC on tainted leaders: Badal
Chandigarh, July 21
The SAD President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today dared Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to officially communicate to the Election Commission that none of Congress ministers and other leaders facing corruption charges would be named as candidate during the forthcoming Assembly poll in the state.

COMMUNITY

Mock exercise leaves district officials fuming
Gurdaspur, July 21
The police here received a red-alert message on its communication system today morning (at 3 a.m.). The message which caused panic was that there was a blast in Jammu Tawi train at Bariar Railway station near Pathankot.

Riot-hit given cheques
Terror victims seek similar package
Gurdaspur, July 21
The local administration has started distributing grants to the 1984 riot victims settled in the district. The SDM, Pathankot, Mr Amarjeet Paul, along with the local MLA, Mr Ashok Sharma, distributed grant cheques for Rs 2 lakh each to 16 families of riot victims.

CM flags off first AC bus to Chandigarh
Amritsar, July 21
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today said that the fare of the direct bus service from Amritsar to Lahore and Nanakana Sahib was too high for a common man and should be reduced considerably.

Sidhu dismayed over empty buses to Pak
Amritsar, July 21
The much hyped Amritsar-Nankana Sahib and Amritsar-Lahore buses have run into rough weather and are plying sans passenger. The bus services were started with great fanfare in March this year. This was stated by Mr Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP MP. He said the bus services had failed to fulfil the purpose and aspirations of the people.

Another woman dies of gastroenteritis
Phillaur, July 21
Another woman Chand Rani died at Nakodar due to gastroenteritis today. With this the death toll has risen to four while more than 200 residents still were suffering from it in Nakodar.

Gas from fields leaves students unconscious
Phillaur, July 21
A poisonous gas from pesticide-sprayed sugarcane fields of a farmer, Makhan Singh, left 65 of the 166 students of the nearby Government Elementary School at Silkiana village and its Head Teacher, Ms Joginder Kaur, unconscious this morning.

Ex-ministers will be asked to repay loans
Chandigarh, July 21
Certain former ministers who have not returned loans advanced to them for building houses or buy cars by the Punjab Government will be asked to return the same at the earliest.

New SDMs for Fazilka, other towns
Chandigarh, July 21
Several postings and transfers were ordered by the Punjab Government today. Mr Arshdeep Singh Thind is the new SDM of Amloh. Mr Manashvi Kumar has been posted as SDM, Dhar Kala. Mr Varun Roojam will be the SDM of Fazilka while Ms Kavita Mohan Singh Chouhan becomes the SDM of Fatehgarh Sahib.

Frame code of conduct, arhtiyas told
Chandigarh, July 21
The Punjab Government has started discussions with arhtiyas on the issue of advancing loans to farmers. The government wanted to take commission agents into confidence before making any law regulating the system of advancement of loans by commission agents or money lenders to farmers and weaker sections of society.

Tanker drivers continue strike
Bathinda, July 21
Protesting against the alleged thrashing of a tanker driver and a cleaner by the Faridkot police, the Petroleum Oil Tanker Contractors and Workers Union today continued their strike even as two cops were placed under suspension in the case.

Foeticide to cause social disorder: DC
Fatehgarh Sahib, July.21.
The declining sex ratio is a matter of concern and if the trend continues, it will lead to social disorder. Female foeticide is a blot on society, said Ms Jaspreet Talwar, Deputy Commissioner, while addressing a workshop at Aam Khas Bagh here today.

Senior citizen goes missing

AGRICULTURE

Govt to modernise fish farms
Hoshiarpur, July 21
The Punjab Government has planned to modernise all fish seed farms of the state at the total cost of Rs 212 lakh. This was disclosed by Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Tourism, Punjab, while talking to mediapersons here this afternoon.

CRIME

3 more held for contract killings
Abohar, July 21
With the arrest of three persons last evening, six of the nine allegedly involved in the contract killings of a farmer, his mother and sister at Jandwala village near Guruharsahai town in the district on July 12 have been arrested.

3 robbers held
Patiala, July 21
The police arrested three members of a inter-state gang of robbers while they were preparing to commit a robbery in the Kalodi Gate area here last night. Known as the Muradabadi gang, they specialised in stealing money from scooter dickeys and were on the ‘most wanted’ list in four states.

7 of family booked in dowry case

EDUCATION

Printing error creates panic among students

Bathinda, July 21 A printing mistake by Punjab School Education Board caused concern among scores of reappear candidates of senior secondary exam here last evening as the admit card received by them mentioned a Ropar school as their exam centre. An admit card received by a Bathinda candidate mentioning his exam centre in Ropar. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Minority institutes: govt issues fresh notification
Chandigarh, July 21
The Punjab Government has decided to treat Christian Medical College and the medical and dental institutes being run by the SGPC as minority community institutes and keep those out of the purview of the notification which was issued on April 24.

Teachers’ body rues Principal’s ‘humiliation’
Nawanshahr, July 21
The district unit of the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and other Employees Union is sitting on a dharna in front of the local Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School since Monday to protest against the ‘callous’ attitude of the school management towards Mr Hans Raj Sharma, Principal of the school.

65 teachers found absent in Gurdaspur
Chandigarh, July 21
Seventeen teams of the Punjab Education Department, led by the DPI(Elementary), Mr Jagtar Singh, conducted a surprise check at 179 schools in Gurdaspur district today.

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