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Power tariff hike on cards
Govt to be penalised for delay in subsidy payment
Chandigarh, June 20
While the domestic power tariff is likely to go up by 8 paise per unit in the state, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission  will direct the state government to pay penalty of Rs 35.50 crore in the form of interest for the delayed payment of subsidy to the Punjab State Electricity Board in lieu of free power to farm sector and poor sections of society during the past fiscal year. For the current fiscal year, the state government will have to pay Rs 2,601 crore as subsidy to the PSEB. 

Cong boycott at Dera Baba Nanak
To launch Internet drive against Kahlon 
Dera Baba Nanak, June 20
The local unit of the Congress, led by former chief parliamentary secretary Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, today decided to boycott the municipal council elections in protest against the alleged atrocities on party workers by the ruling alliance and rejection of nomination papers of party candidates on flimsy grounds. Earlier, the party unit at Gidderbaha, the hometown of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, had announced boycott of the elections amid fear of rigging and atrocities on the party workers.

Talwandi Bhai MC elected unanimously
Ferozepur, June 20
Residents of the subtehsil, Talwandi Bhai, 30 km from district headquarters, today created a history of sorts with all 13 municipal councillors being elected unanimously. There are 13 wards of the council for which 58 nomination papers had been received. After the withdrawal of nominations by 45 candidates, only one candidate was left in the fray in each of the wards.

Detained Cong worker dies
Majitha, June 20
A Congress worker, who was allegedly detained by the Amritsar police and later freed in a remote area near Chogawan, 25 km from Amritsar, died due to heart failure late last night.


Congress leaders protest with the body of a Congress worker at Majitha police station on Friday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

‘Cancel Majitha poll’
Chandigarh, June 20
The Congress today demanded for the countermanding of elections to the Majitha MC, claiming that its candidates had been threatened by minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia.

Speaker to issue notice to Bhattal
Batala, June 20
In an unusual move, Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, has decided to issue a show-cause notice and subsequently to move to the Privilege Committee against leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for levelling baseless allegations against him in the capacity of Speaker.

Bhattal skips rally; Badal joins campaign
Bathinda, June 20
The electoral scene became interesting on the last day of campaigning today with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal joining the SAD-BJP campaign and the PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal suddenly leaving the town in the morning without addressing scheduled rallies.

A duststorm battered the venue of the SAD-BJP rally at Dana Mandi in Bathinda on Friday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Minister alleges code violation
Hoshiarpur, June 20
In a complaint to the state election commissioner today, former minister Naresh Thakur alleged that BJP-SAD alliance candidates, under the patronage of the district administration, were violating the election code of conduct.

MPLAD Funds
‘Sidhu 2nd-best MP’
Chandigarh, June 20
Cricketer-turned-Parliamentarian Navjot Singh Sidhu has done exceedingly well as far as utilisation of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Funds is concerned. He is, perhaps, the second-best MP in the country to spend the funds in his constituency. At the first place is West Bengal MP Mamta Banerjee.

CPI for independent observers
Sangrur, June 20
The CPI has asked the state election commission to appoint independent observers for every municipal council. 

COMMUNITY

Govt competent to hold inquiry against VC
Chandigarh, June 20
The Punjab government said today that it was fully competent to order an inquiry against the vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). “Inquiries have been ordered and conducted against some vice-chancellors even earlier”, said a spokesman of the state government.

14 posts of state cadre IPS officers remain unfilled
Chandigarh, June 20
The government has not been able to fill 14 posts of IPS cadre for state police officers due to the ongoing dispute of inter-cadre seniority between direct Punjab Public Service (PPS) officers and promotees.

Corporation status for Moga sought
Moga, June 20
The Congress has demanded upgrade of the local Municipal Council (MC) to corporation keeping in view of the newly added areas to the civic body limits.

Rickshaw service takes off
Fazilka, June 20
It was a historic day when this border town came forward to show the way to the country in checking environment pollution and global warming by launching the Echo-Tel Rickshaw System. With this, a rickshaw shall be available to user on a telephone call.

NGO exposes incomplete affidavits
Sangrur, June 20
Despite the order of the state election commission regarding the submission of information by the candidates through affidavits about their criminal antecedents, assets, liabilities and educational qualifications etc, a number of affidavits have reportedly been found either incomplete/deficient or lacking vital information.