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Govt-industry talks on
e-trip system collapse
water with uranium content in govt school
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Sarna to appear before clergy today
BJP pressure works as SAD goes soft on taxes
Manpreet hints at pact with Congress for LS
election
Mukerian channel repair work under Vigilance scanner
Ludhiana chief engineer is PSPCL distribution head
CM: Varsities must help in policy-making
New site for Kanakwal village finalised
July 19 floods
Police returns stolen goods to owners
Medicines siphoned off from govt stock seized in Ropar
2 Indians at Kot Lakhpat Jail
Conduct TET every year, High Court tells state
Rural docs can’t be equated
with PCMS counterparts: HC
5 get life term for killing constable
Two employees of store selling fake arms held
Robbers’ gang busted, Rs 10 lakh gold seized
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Govt-industry talks on
e-trip system collapse
The industry representatives today met Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma to plead their case against the changes, but to no avail. “The commissioner bluntly told us that the steel, oil and yarn industry will not get any relaxation and the notification will not be rolled back,” said Badish Jindal, president of Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association. “Now, the Ludhiana industry will go the Anna Hazare way to press upon the government to roll back the e-trip notification issued recently,” he said. The members of the All Industries and Trade Forum will start their strike at the Cycle Market here. “We have been left with no other option. All our requests to the authorities concerned have fallen on deaf ears,” said Jindal. While the hosiery and the plywood industry was on a three-day strike from July 22-24 against e-trip, yarn dealers followed suit today for as many days. A large number of industrial houses in the city would be affected by the strike as the yarn supply would remain suspended. “The industry is going to face a tough time due to the changes made in the e-trip notification. Exempting goods less than Rs 50,000 is a joke in today’s world of rising inflation. The prices of steel, yarn and oil already are very high. Even a small trader or manufacturer will have to maintain infrastructure to abide by the e-trip system,” said Manish Jain from Ludhiana Yarn Dealers Association. Through a recent notification, the state government had added six commodities, including cotton, sarson, plywood, iron & steel (excluding scrap), yarn and vegetable oil (edible and non-edible), under e-trip. It is a system through which details of the movement of goods can be entered on the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department's website, which will result in the generation of an acknowledgement slip. The slip will be mandatory for intra-state transportation of goods. In case the acknowledgement slip does not accompany the goods, the owner will be liable for action. However, goods valuing less than Rs 50,000 would be exempt from the system.
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water with uranium content in govt school
Chandigarh, July 25 Taking up the matter, a Division Bench of the High Court set one-month deadline for the Punjab Director General of School Education (DGSE) to conduct an inquiry into a complaint lodged by sarpanches on this and other issues. The sarpanches, in their complaint, alleged that the principal of Government GGS Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Sahnewali, had failed to make arrangements for hygienic drinking water for the students. They alleged that the underground water in Sahnewali contained uranium. The complaint was sent to the DGSE by seven sarpanches of gram panchayats, including Sahnewali, Ghuduwala, Danewala, Jarana Kalan and Maewala. They also alleged usurpation of grants received from the state government for supplying free of cost uniforms, books, mid-day meals and free transport. The complaint by the sarpanches was brought to the High Court’s notice by Amrik Singh and three other residents of Fatehgarh Sahnewal village. In their petition filed in public interest, they alleged that the DGSE had so far not responded to their complaint sent on May 29 through registered post. They prayed that inquiry be ordered into the conduct of Vinay Kumari, school principal. The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih directed the DGSE to conduct an inquiry into the complaint within a The directions come at a time when the authorities concerned across the country are under pressure to open a chapter of safety and sanitation for school students. Already, more than 850 students suffered nausea and complained of stomach ache after consuming iron tablets in government schools in several districts of Haryana. Besides, there was a mid-day meal tragedy that left 23 children dead in Bihar recently.
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Sarna to appear before clergy today
Amritsar, July 25 Talking to The Tribune, Sarna claimed he would come clean on the issue. He said he had prepared a six-page letter that he would present before the high priests. He said he had drafted his reply in consultation with Sikh scholars and legal experts. When first summoned last month, Sarna had questioned the clergy's decision to do so, arguing that a Sikh could be summoned only if he had violated the Sikh maryada (code of conduct). “I have not violated Sikh tenets. I did not oppose the memorial but only objected to its construction inside the premises of Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib,” he had said, pointing out that it was during his tenure as DSGMC chief that a resolution was passed for raising the memorial. Another key issue on the agenda is SGPC member Navtej Singh Kauni’s presence at a congregation of Dera Sacha Sauda at Bhullar village on May 16. A member of the ruling SAD, Kauni will also appear before the Takht tomorrow. He is alleged to have violated a Takht edict, directing the Sikhs to boycott Dera Sacha Sauda. The edict was passed in 2007 after dera head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh “hurt Sikh sentiments by imitating the attire of Guru Gobind Singh." The clergy is upset that photos of Sikh Gurus on social networking sites are being tampered with. It is likely to take up the issue tomorrow. It is learnt that someone has created a fake Facebook account of the Akal Takht chief, Giani Gurbachan Singh. The Jathedar said he was unaware of it and would ensure that the fake account was deleted from the site.
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BJP pressure works as SAD goes soft on taxes
Chandigarh, July 25 The government was proposing additional resource mobilisation (ARM) to bridge the huge revenue deficit staring at it in the face. For this, the government had proposed to increase the VAT on diesel from 8.8 per cent to 13 per cent, and thus increase the contribution of VAT on petroleum products in total revenue from VAT. Currently, the percentage is just 22.7 per cent in Punjab while it is 28 per cent in Haryana and 34.9 per cent in Rajasthan. Interestingly, though the value-wise sales of petroleum products are going up, the volume of sales of diesel are coming down in Punjab. Figures collected from the Excise and Taxation Department reveal that the volume of sale (for diesel) has come down by 6.27 per cent in the first quarter as compared to the corresponding period last year. However, because of hike in prices of diesel, the value of sales has gone up by 5.95 per cent (up by Rs 3,435.04 crore). As a result, the tax deposited, too, has increased by 12.02 per cent (Rs 323.27 crore) during this period. It has been learnt the issue of increasing VAT and the proposal to impose professional tax (thus collect Rs 500 crore per annum) was initially proposed to be taken up during the Cabinet meeting on July 23. However, following disagreement with the BJP, the SAD decided to defer the imposition of professional tax while a committee has been formed to look into the rationalisation of VAT on petroleum products. It seems maintaining political equations with its alliance partner has gained precedence over the more delicate issue of raising resources for the cash-strapped government. Growth in revenue during the first quarter has been much below than targeted this year. The collections in stamp duty and land registration have shown a marginal increase of 8 per cent as against the target of 15 per cent. Even the VAT collections in the first quarter have shown an increase of around 11.8 per cent, as against the target of 25 per cent. However, the only recourse the government has taken is to plug the loopholes in tax collection by making e-filing of trade transactions (for six commodities) above Rs 50,000 (e-trip), and increase the retirement age to 60, and thus defer payment of retirement dues (amounting to Rs 1,000 crore). Another Rs 1,000 crore will be earned through regularisation of illegal colonies. These measures may, however, not be enough to bring down the state government’s revenue deficit from Rs 4,758 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 1,747 crore this year. For this, the state government needs to mobilise Rs 3,011 crore, which may not be possible considering the slowdown in growth and its unwillingness to impose fresh taxes. The recent ‘Comptroller and Auditor General report on State Finances for Punjab’ has also recommended that budgetary control should be strengthened in all government departments, particularly in those where savings, excesses have been observed for the last four years. It is also suggested that anticipated savings should be surrendered as and when these are expected so that the amount could be utilised on other schemes. Budget estimates should be prepared with due care so that there were no huge savings, surrenders or excesses over the budget estimates.
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Manpreet hints at pact with Congress for LS
election
s
Tarn Taran, July 25 The PPP chief was speaking to mediapersons after his meeting with party workers here today. Manpreet cited the example of Balachaur block samiti poll in which the Sanjha Morcha and the Congress had bagged 18 of the 31 seats. “If the number of votes polled by the opposition parties in the recent panchayat elections are taken into account, even Akali Dal MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Badal trails by one lakh votes,” he said. He advocated seat adjustment at the local level between the two political groups for the forthcoming municipal council poll. Addressing public meetings at various places in the district, Manpreet alleged the ruling alliance had failed to live up to the expectations of the people. "On the one hand, the state government is burdening the common man with fresh taxes and on the other it is purchasing helicopters and cars by draining the public exchequer. All this when the government has had to auction its properties for meeting its daily expenses,” he added. He also criticised the state government for extending the retirement age to 60 years, terming it as a “grave injustice” to the unemployed youth.
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Mukerian channel repair work under Vigilance scanner
Hoshiarpur, July 25 Accompanied by Som Nath, Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar, six Vigilance officials today visited the office of the PSPCL at Hazipur and sought records of the repair work carried out in April and May. Rupinder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, VB, Jalandhar, said the work was reportedly carried out in violation of the rules. Som Nath said the VB team had been camping in Hazipur to gather information following complaints that repair work at the channel on which Rs 1.50 crore was spent was not done as per technical specifications and contract agreement. Sources said PSPCL employees had refused to hand over the measurement register and other documents to the Vigilance team while a senior officer had gone underground. The Vigilance is probing allegations regarding power generation losses and poor quality of repair work. VK Jain, Chief Engineer, Construction and Design, PSPCL, expressed his ignorance about the development. “I have not received any communication in this regard,” he claimed. The sources said there were complaints that the work was allocated to a Hazipur-based company, JS Transport and Contractor, who was the lone bidder for tenders floated for the construction of slabs.
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Ludhiana chief engineer is PSPCL distribution head
Chandigarh, July 25 Sources said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had cleared Sharma’s file for the post. Having served mostly in Amritsar, he is respected among his peers as well as juniors for his management acumen. As the appointment was to be made through selection, and not seniority, the committee headed by Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh (it also included Secretary, Power, Anirudh Tewari) seems to have gone in for a mixture of seniority and merit. Others in the race for the post included Engineer-in-Chief, Distribution (North), SS Sarna; former Engineer-in-Chief VK Gupta and Chief Engineer, Distribution (West) Gurdas Dhaliwal. Sources said in the case of Director, HRD, the committee has, despite having received 14 applications, put off its decision saying “no suitable candidate was found”. Among those who had applied were IM Singh, the senior-most Engineer-in-Chief who also has an MBA degree; SK Arora, the Engineer-in-Chief, HRD, and RP Pandove, who holds the charge of chief, administration, PSPCL. Sources said Pandove was the favourite for the post on the basis of his seniority-cum-merit, but it seemed his experience as the head, industrial relations, was not found apt for the top HRD job as both were different categories.
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CM: Varsities must help in policy-making
He has advised collaboration in areas such as food technology. At a meeting held in the first week of July, the Vice Chancellors of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, were asked to focus on collaborative research in key areas. At a meeting hosted by Guru Nanak Dev University on July 11, the Vice Chancellors of the other two universities sent four nominees each to determine the agenda.They decided to collaborate in food technology, bio-diversity and bio-sensors. Talking to The Tribune, Prof Arun Grover, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, said: "We have been asked to focus on research in fields that have a direct bearing on the people. We intend to identify common projects in core areas." He said the Chief Minister was working on a bigger collaboration with leading Central Government-backed research institutions, including the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali and the Indian Institute of Technology in Ropar. The Chief Minister, at a meeting with the Vice Chancellors on July 22, made a special reference for helping meritorious students who belonged to poor families. It was decided to provide them hostel and coaching facilities for various entrance exams at specially developed centres. The Chief Minister asked the universities to evolve a mechanism through which these students could be groomed for professional courses from Class XI onwards.
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New site for Kanakwal village finalised
Bathinda, July 25 They alleged that pollution from the refinery was making life unbearable. After a frantic search for 100 acres of land required for relocating the village, the administration finalised a site on the Rama Mandi road, a few kilometres from Talwandi Sabo. Reliable sources said the new village site would be developed into a model village with paved roads and a drainage system. The state government will soon issue a notification in this regard after a fresh survey of the number of families who will be shifting to the new site. Several families have already shifted to Mansa, Talwandi or Bathinda. Two blasts in the refinery had created a panic in the village, triggering migration. The villagers had been protesting against pollution from the refinery for a year, blocking rail and road traffic. They had abstained from the zila parishad and panchayat elections to express their anger.
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July 19 floods
Ropar, July 25 “I have asked the officials of both the departments to submit the report to me by tomorrow,” said the Deputy Commissioner (DC). However, the farmers with less than 26 per cent damage to their crop would not be entitled to any compensation under the guidelines of the National Disaster Relief Fund, said Agrawal. Earlier, the Revenue Department officials in their report submitted to the DC had claimed that no farmer suffered loss due to the floods. The Chief Agriculture Officer Dr LS Hundal on the other hand had said maize crop standing on nearly 2,500 acres was damaged completely in the floods. Kultar Singh, a farmer from Chandpur Bela, said maize sown on 12 acres of his land was washed away. Another farmer, Pardeep Kumar of Chandpur Bela, said half of the crop standing on 2,400 acres in the village had been damaged completely. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Sukhpal Khaira said the farmers can not be denied compensation on the grounds that they were hit by a natural calamity. The state government should have taken concrete steps to check floods in the area especially as the region has been prone to floods, added
Khaira.
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Police returns stolen goods to owners
Pathankot, July 25 Gold ornaments, weighing 6.5 kg, silver weighing 4.5 kg and rare coins were returned to those robbed. Cash worth Rs 11 lakh too was returned to the owners. Umranangal, in his brief address, was all praise for Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SK Kalia. Kalia, Batala SSP Tulsi Ram and Hoshiarpur SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill are the three officers shortlisted by the Punjab Government for appointment as SSP, Chandigarh.
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Medicines siphoned off from govt stock seized in Ropar
Ropar, July 25 The Ropar Vigilance Bureau (VB) Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Balbir Singh Rana said they had received information that storekeeper Prem Bansal was pilfering medicines from the hospital and selling these to the private practitioners and chemists. Thereafter, a VB team raided Bansal’s house in Kurali and seized 8,000 tablets, 55 injections and 200 capsules. The DSP said the 250 kits of copper T recovered from the multi-speciality hospital bore the marking “for central government supply”. Forty-five oxytocin injections were also found. Dr Harvinder Baweja, the owner of Baweja Hospital, however, has denied that the copper T kits were pilfered from government stock. “The copper T kits were issued to us by volunteers of an NGO named Udaan,” claimed Dr Baweja. No arrest has been made so far.
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2 Indians at Kot Lakhpat Jail
Chandigarh, July 25 The Centre said the entire exercise would be undertaken after the Punjab Government verified facts from the families of “missing” persons. The assurance is significant as Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh was fatally attacked in the same jail about six months ago. Also, an India-Pakistan judicial panel has found that 20 of the 36 Indian prisoners lodged in the infamous jail have lost their mental balance and are not been taken to hospital for proper medicare. The declaration came during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest by Lawyers for Human Rights International through counsel Navkiran Singh. The petition said two Indians, both from Punjab, were languishing in Kot Lakhpat even after completion of sentence. The NGO claimed that the matter was brought to its knowledge by advocate Zulfiqar Ali Jehangir, a Pakistani lawyer. Jehangir had said that during his visit to the jail in Lahore, he had met some Indians who had served their sentences but were still in detention. He had said that the Union Ministry of External Affairs had failed to furnish the requisite documents for their return. Counsel Navkiran Singh requested the High Court to direct the ministry to expedite the return of Dilbagh of Tarn Taran and Sunil to Gurdaspur. As the case came up for hearing, counsel for the Union of India told the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih it would be appropriate if the State of Punjab verified that the two persons were missing by approaching their families. "On confirmation, the matter will be taken up with the Government of Pakistan,” he said. Taking up the matter, the Bench asserted: “We direct the State of Punjab to take necessary action and verify the fact as to whether these two persons are missing within two weeks and communicate the same to the Union of India. "It will, in turn, take necessary action within a period of two weeks from the receipt of the communication”.
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Conduct TET every year, High Court tells state
Chandigarh, July 25 Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, in his order, observed: “It would be apposite to notice that under the Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education, 2009, the Central Government has appointed the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) as the academic authority to lay down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher. “In the circular and guidelines issued by the NCTE and circulated to all the state governments, certain directions have been issued for conducting the TET, including essential qualification for appointment as a teacher. Such guidelines envisage that the appropriate government would conduct TET at least once every year. “As such, it is expected that the government would comply with the directions issued by the NCTE and ensure the holding of the TET once every year. Adherence to such exercise shall ensure that the prospective candidates for being appointed as teachers are not divested of the right of being considered for appointment.” The directions came on a petition filed by Parminderpal and other petitioners. They were seeking issuance of directions to the state of Punjab for not proceeding further with the selection process for recruitment of 5,078 rural associate teachers. The process was initiated through a public notice dated September 9, 2012. The petitioners had demanded that the state should not go ahead without first conducting the TET, since it had not conducted the exam last year.
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Rural docs can’t be equated
with PCMS counterparts: HC
Chandigarh, July 25 The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih observed that the cadre was different for both posts. The RMOs would be given benefit of the rural service rendered by them as RMOs under zila parishads after their selection in
PCMS. Similar observations were earlier made by a Single Judge. He too had ruled that
RMOs, working with zila parishads in Punjab, cannot be equated with PCMS in-service doctors. The ruling is significant as the RMOs are, as such, not entitled to be considered for 60 per cent seats in postgraduate degree/diploma courses in the health sciences institutions. These seats are to be filled up from among the eligible in-service doctors. The ruling by Justice Rameshwar Singh Malik came on a bunch of six petitions filed by Dr Manu Gupta and others against the State of Punjab and others. Their counsel had added “since the petitioners were serving as RMOs under zila
parishads, they were entitled to be treated at par with PCMS doctors for the purpose of admission to postgraduate courses in question. In an attempt to substantiate the argument, the counsel added their salary was also the same as PCMS doctors. Moreover, the state government has pervasive control over zila
parishads. As such, the petitioners should be considered as state government employees, and permitted to compete with the PCMS doctors for 60 per cent seats for in-service candidates. After hearing the arguments, Justice Malik had dismissed the petitions by ruling: “These writ petitions are bereft of any merit and without any substance. Thus, these writ petitions must fail. No case for
interference has been made out”.
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5 get life term for killing constable
Ludhiana, July 25 They have been sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment and fined Rs 15,000 each. Those convicted are Iqbal Singh, his brother Harjit Singh and nephew Jaskaran Singh, residents of Chowkiman village, and Malkiat Singh and Daljit Singh of Kular village, Dakha. However, the court acquitted co-accused Kuldeep Kaur, accused Iqbal Singh's wife, giving her the benefit of the doubt. A case against them was registered at the Dakha police station on April 5, 2010, on the statement of Jagmail Singh, the deceased's father. The complainant had told the police that his family had not supported prime accused Iqbal Singh's wife in the panchayat elections. Due to this, they were nursing a grudge against them. On the fateful day, the accused attacked his son. He, along with Amberdeep Singh, tried to save him, but Iqbal Singh opened fire. One bullet hit his son Harvinder Singh, while another one pierced Amberdeep Singh's abdomen. The injured were taken to a private hospital in Ludhiana, where Harvinder succumbed to his injuries.
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Two employees of store selling fake arms held
Ludhiana, July 25 A replica of an AK-47 assault rifle purchased from the store, E-Studio, was used in the kidnapping of industrialist Manish Bharara. The store has been shut, said reliable sources. The owner of the store, a Bengaluru-based businesswoman, says the replicas are "mere toys meant only for decoration." Defending the sale of the fake assault rifle, she claimed that the replicas of weapons were being sold online by a Delhi-based store. "Nobody has asked for the credentials of those running this store. At least I am taking the necessary precautions before selling these items," she claimed. "I sell more replicas of weapons at my store at Bengaluru than in Ludhiana. In Punjab, people prefer replicas of pistols. I sold only one replica of AK-47 in three years in Ludhiana," she claimed. She denied gifting replicas of various weapons to police officers and politicians to win favours. "I am an art lover. Before selling the replicas, we take an undertaking from the purchaser that he/she will use it for decoration alone. I am shocked to know that some criminals used the replica for kidnapping an industrialist. “Now on, I will be more careful," she said. She said it was only after she received a no-objection certificate by the Commissioner of Police in Bengaluru that she supplied the replicas to her stores in Bangalore and Ludhiana. The Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police said: “We have sent a legal notice to Sonu and if she fails to reply, we will register a case against her.”
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Robbers’ gang busted, Rs 10 lakh gold seized
Patiala, July 25 The arrested accused have been identified as Prabhdeep Singh, Manpreet Singh of Jamalpur, Ludhiana, Jaswant Singh of Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, Satnam Singh of Tanda, Hoshiarpur. A jeweller Pardeep Kumar from Hoshiarpur was also arrested for buying the robbed goods from the accused. Sources said Head Constable Harjeet Singh intercepted a Nano car (PB 08 BX-2117) and nabbed Prabhdeep Singh and recovered narcotic substance from the car. Senior officers said a police team, led by senior officers, had been instrumental in nabbing the accused. “As soon as I cornered Manpreet Singh and Jaswant Singh, a backup police team reached the spot,” Harjeet said. Ishwar Singh, Patiala Inspector-General (IG) said the five accused were involved in over 250 snatching incidents, primarily in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Khanna, Mohali and Chandigarh. "We are hoping to solve several other cases following their arrest,” he said. In May 2011, ASI Gurdial Singh was shot dead in Ludhiana by a robber Jaswant Singh in Vishal Nagar. The ASI was shot at while he was trying to overpower the robbers. The accused have so far admitted to being involved in 250 snatching cases, out of which 16 are from Patiala and 3 from Khanna. Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) HS Mann said, “They had committed 70 snatchings in Jalandhar, 90 in Ludhiana, 25 in Phagwara, 8 in Mohali and 6 in Chandigarh.”
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With the state government refusing to nullify the recent changes made in the e-trip notification, members of various industrial associations affected by the decision have decided to go on fast-unto-death from tomorrow.
People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal today hinted at forging an alliance with the Congress for the next Lok Sabha elections.
Though Manpreet did not make any direct comment, he stressed on the need for the opposition parties to unite against the SAD-BJP government's “misrule”.
Ludhiana, July 25
Someone has created a fake Facebook account of Akal Takht chief Giani Gurbachan Singh (see pic). The Jathedar said he would ensure that the fake account was deleted from the site
I will come clean on the issue. I have prepared a letter in consultation with Sikh scholars and legal experts that I will submit to the high priests 
Chandigarh, July 25