THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

P U N J A B

TOP STORIES

Now pre-poll bonanza for municipal councillors
CHANDIGARH, Jan 18 — Councillors of all 133 civic bodies and the trustees of all 21 Improvement Trusts in Punjab will now get an honorarium to attend the meetings of these local bodies even as the state government has decided to revise upwards both the honorarium and entertainment allowance for the presidents of the civic bodies and the chairmen of the Improvement Trusts.

Problem of potato — the way out
CHANDIGARH, Jan 18 — The problem of potato, as seen on roads in Jalandhar on Tuesday, is again not merely one of “plenty” alone. It is one of demand and supply. The problem has not occurred for the first time. The anguish of potato-growers is understand able. The problem of potato glut is cyclic in nature. Every three or four years it re-surfaces giving credence to the general belief that a farmer who suffers an economic blow due to potato failure or excess can recover only with yet another potato crop.

Beas changes course, threatens villages
KAPURTHALA, Jan 18 — A sudden change of course by the Beas has posed a threat to the 10-km long bundh constructed at a cost of Rs 4 crore near Desal village to save villages and hundreds of acres of agricultural land.

Khalra case: CBI claims right to proceed
PATIALA, Jan 18 — The CBI in its reply to an application filed by seven police personnel accused of murdering human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in the sessions court today said it had full right to proceed against the accused as the acts allegedly committed by them were outside the purview of their official duties.

POLITICS

PPCC chief’s style feudal: Jagmeet
FARIDKOT, Jan 18 — Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, Congress MP and whip of the party in the Lok Sabha has expressed concern over the attitude of PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh for following feudal policies in the party in Punjab. He said it was giving rise to frustration among party cadres. It may further harm the cause of the party in the near future in Punjab. Therefore there was urgent need to change it to safeguard the interests of the Congress.

Brar toeing SAD line: Bajwa
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, a former minister and general secretary, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, yesterday alleged that Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, Senior Vice-President, was toeing the SAD line as he opposed the party line on the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Surjewala flays govt policies
MANSA, Jan 18 — The All-India Youth Congress President, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, has said that Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee had promised that a compulsory crop insurance policy would be introduced for the peasants of the country in order to save them from the continuing losses that they had to incur every year. However, even after four years nothing concrete has materialised resulting in suicides of farmers.

Badal govt denigrating Akal Takht: Tohra
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — Alleging grave violation of Akal Takht, the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal and the All-India Sikh Students Federation (Gill) (AISSF) while jointly addressing a large conference at Chuslewar village in Patti subdivision today criticised the Badal government for denigrating the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Assess Badal’s assets: Tohra
TARN TARAN ,Jan 18 — Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal President and member Rajya Sabha levelling serious charges of corruption against Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab has challenged him to get his assets be inquired into by the CBI.

District BJP chief’s plea to councillors 
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Jan 18 — On the direction of the state BJP, the district unit has decided to organise training camps for workers to counter the rift being created by the Congress between the rural and the urban units.

COMMUNITY

‘Health for all’ extended to 2010
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — Unable to meet the target of ‘Health for all’ by the beginning of this millennium, the Union Health Ministry has pushed the ambitious project to 2010. Before launching the nationwide campaign against the dreaded disease of tuberculosis, Dr C.P. Thakur, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, admitted that the target of ‘Health for all’ could not be achieved by the turn of this century due to various reasons.

Panel meets on hospital waste disposal
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — Alarmed at local hospitals defiance of rules relating to disposal of biodegradable waste, a high-powered meeting took place in Ludhiana. The meeting, deliberating on ways to control the menace of hospital and other hazardous wastes is contemplating to install a central facility at Ludhiana.

Training in new farm technologies
FARIDKOT: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra set up here by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, New Delhi, has drawn up a plan to impart training in new technologies in agriculture and allied fields.

Farmers hold protest rallies
FEROZEPORE, Jan 18 — As a mark of protest against the loan recovery drive launched by mortgage banks, the farmers supported by the Left parties today staged a demonstration near the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

• Farmers stage dharna

Parallel SGPC
Canadian Sikhs may go US way
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — After the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the American Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, now this is the turn of Canadian Sikhs to form The “Canadian Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee” which may dilute further authority of the SGPC.

Minister finds himself in awkward position
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Jan 18 — Mr Sat Pal Saini, Minister of State for Information and Technology, had to face an awkward position during his visit to this historical district today.

Groom among 4 dead in mishap
SANGRUR, Jan 18 — A vehicle carrying a groom and his family members collided with a truck, hitting four persons, including the groom, at Moonak town today.

Selection grade for 13 IAS officers
CHANDIGARH, Jan 18 — The Punjab Government has given the selection grade to all 13 IAS officers belonging to the 1988 batch.

Bar associations boycott work
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — The Income Tax Bar Association, the local branch of the Chartered Accountants Association of India and the Sales Tax Bar Association today boycotted work in the Income Tax Department in protest against the alleged raid on the premises of one of their members by the Director of Investigations.

Shiv Sena condemns attack on airport 
PHILLAUR, Jan 18 — The state unit of the Shiv Sena has condemned the terrorist attack on Srinagar Airport on Tuesday. Talking to media persons here yesterday, Sena leaders described the attack as an “inhuman and cowardly” act.

ADMINISTRATION

PRTC squad to check ‘illegal’ operators
PATIALA, Jan 18 — Faced with 10 to 15 per cent of loss in revenue due to illegal operations, the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation, has formed a special squad to check the menace.

CRIME

Robbery at municipal worker’s house
ABOHAR, Jan 18 — Four robbers deprived the family of Mr Subhash Nagpal, an employee of the municipal council here, of gold ornaments and cash after storming his residence on Mahashya Kirpa Ram Marg in Indira Nagri area in the wee hours today.

Inter-state gang busted
GURDASPUR, Jan 18 — The police has busted an inter-state gang involved in car thefts and dacoity in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu. Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, in a press note said today that four members of the gang identified as Vijay Kumar of Amritsar, Anil Malik, Vilal Ahmed Bhatt and Vinod Kumar, all residents of Jammu, had been arrested. 

14-year-old girl raped
JALANDHAR, Jan 18 — A 14-year-old Dalit girl of Roopewal village near Nurmahal was allegedly raped by an electrician and one of his friends belonging to the same village last night.

Drive against street Romeos 
BATHINDA, Jan 18 — Eve-teasers, beware. The district police has launched a campaign to check eve-teasing. If caught red-handed, the offender is asked to do sit-ups in full public view while their ears are pulled.

Woman’s death: case registered after 15 months
HOSHIARPUR, Jan18 — After running from pillar to post to get justice for deceased Kanta Devi, Mr Khajan Singh son of Mr Wasan Singh of Kaintha village at last succeeded in getting a case registered against his son in-law Rajinder Kumar after 15 months after the killing of his daughter.

Man lynches ailing wife
JALANDHAR, Jan 18 — Amrik Singh of Mander village in Nakodar district allegedly lynched his 34-year-old wife with a sword late last night. The deceased, Manjit Kaur, had been suffering from some mental disease for the past four years. Amrik Singh had reportedly been disturbed over the illness of his wife.

• Youth shot dead
  

EDUCATION

Census to hit teaching work
FAZILKA, Jan 18 — The Punjab Government’s decision to put teachers on census duty would affect teaching work in 16 primary schools of Fazilka subdivision for four weeks. 

Students want Sunday as holiday
BATHINDA, Jan 18 — The recent move of the Director Technical Education Punjab to cancel Sunday holiday of the students of various courses studying in the Industrial Training Institutes would lead to problems and should be withdrawn immediately.

Vedic astrology course starts
AMRITSAR, Jan 18 — The Indian Council of Astrological Sciences, Amritsar centre has started Jyotish Visharda classes for the first time in Amritsar city. The course can be done after completing the Jyotish Parveen which is of one-year duration.