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TOP STORIES

PM seized of food insecurity problem
Chandigarh, September 29
Two issues weighing the most at the moment on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s mind are with regard to food insecurity and the deteriorating condition of small farmers. He is spending a lot of time with agricultural experts to examine these issues. During his visit to City Beautiful, Dr Manmohan Singh spent an hour with Dr G.S. Kalkat, Chairman of the Punjab Farmers Commission. The question Dr Manmohan Singh repeatedly raised at this meeting revolved around increasing the production of wheat and rice to cope with the rapidly rising demand for foodgrains in the country.

Rs 1.5 cr grant for upgrading Wagah post
Amritsar, September 29
With a view to enhancing surveillance and security the Ministry of Finance has sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore to install close-circuit cameras. It will also add more Customs counters at the Wagah joint checkpost. The cameras would be installed within a couple of months to keep a watch on visitors using the land route for arrival and departure from Pakistan. Mr D.P. Singh, Commissioner, Customs Department stated that these cameras would be installed at eight identified vulnerable points.

After farmers’ suicides, Lehra Gaga rides the self-empowerment wave

Lehra Gaga (Sangrur), September 29 One has rarely witnessed such a gathering of women at one place at one time. But at Lehra Gaga this morning, it was the women’s show all the way. Amid loud cheers and frenzied political sloganeering inspired by the presence of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, the suicide belt of Punjab rode the self-empowerment wave. Dalit women from Lehra and Andana blocks talk about their problems on the occasion of Mahila Shakti Samaroh at Lehra Gaga on Friday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Package likely on PM’s next visit, says Dullo

Amritsar, September 29 Sounding a note of warning, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, has said indiscipline won’t be tolerated in the party at any cost and party tickets will be distributed on the basis of performance. Talking to mediapersons after launching an anti-drug campaign here today, Mr Dullo said the party would deny tickets to leaders found guilty of encouraging drug smuggling. Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, president, PPCC, launches an anti-drug road show in Amritsar on Friday. Photo: Rajiv Sharma

 

POLITICS

Shanta decries UPA govt
Hoshiarpur, September 29
Mr Shanta Kumar, national vice-president of the BJP, criticised the Congress-led UPA government for chaos in the country and alleged that it had failed on all fronts. Political corruption and price hike of essential commodities had increased problems of the country.

COMMUNITY

Loud firecrackers banned
Patiala, September 29
Mr I.B. Purushartha, Additional District Magistrate, Patiala, today imposed a complete ban on the use firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am. However, this restriction would not apply on the use of colour or light emitting firecrackers.

Girls’ number up in Bathinda
Bathinda, September 29
The PNDT cell’s campaign against female foeticide has started bearing fruit as the birth rate of girls has shot up from 808 in 2005 to 821 in July, 2006. This was stated at a meeting of the cell held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Rahul Bhandari here today.

Bhanwar quits DSGMC
Amritsar, September 29
Mr Harbir Singh Bhanwar, media adviser, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), today resigned from his post. He submitted his resignation to the management committee at New Delhi after serving for about six months.

6 Army teams to take part in car rally
Chandigarh, September 29,
Keeping up with its long- standing tradition of encouraging adventure sports, the Army is fielding six teams representing various regiments in the 8th Raid-de-Himalaya - 2006, which is scheduled to be flagged-off from Shimla tomorrow.

 

AGRICULTURE

Seeds not available at kisan mela: farmers
Bathinda, September 29
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan today flocked to the daylong kisan mela organised by the Punjab Agricultural University at the regional station here.

 

ADMINISTRATION

Tehsildars await posting
Chandigarh, September 29
For a civil servant having no work is like a punishment. The tehsildars who joined the PCS after clearing the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) re-conduct test in 2004 are being forced to while away their time, after their training ended in June.

 

CRIME

Drug addicts kill mother, brother
Muktsar, September 29
Two sons murdered their mother and the youngest brother at Bodiwala village in the Malout area over a property dispute last night.

4 kidnappers nabbed by Patiala police
Ropar, September 29
The Punjab Police today arrested four kidnappers from Anandpur Sahib sub-division of the district and also managed to get released two businessman from their custody this evening.

Gamma picked up by CBI
Ludhiana, September 29
Gurcharan Singh Gamma, brother-in-law of Khalistan idealogue and senior vice-president SAD-(Amritsar), Daljit Singh Bittu, was allegedly picked up by a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation from his village, Rattan, 12 km from Ludhiana, this afternoon.

Residents nab 4 women thieves
Patiala, September 29
Residents of Green Lehal colony managed to capture four thieves, all women, involved in stealing of iron grills, covers of manholes and other things in that area for the past few weeks after giving a long chase, last evening.

 

EDUCATION

Innovation camp ends
Patiala, September 29
The technopreneur promotion programme innovation funding camp, a programme to assist individual innovators to convert an original idea, invention or knowhow into working prototype or processes, concluded at the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology here today.