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A sarson field in
bloom.
— A Tribune photo by Karam Singh |
Sarson
in bloom in Punjab fields
Chandigarh, March 1
If the beautiful bloom of sarson (Brassica
compestris) in rural Punjab is any indication, there is a definite and
firm deviation from the proposed shift towards value-added, water-light
crops, including fruit, vegetables, floriculture, maize, soyabean and
sugarcane as recommended by the expert committee of the Union Ministry
of Agriculture. Instead, the farmers have gone for oilseeds in general
and sarson in particular.
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15
prisoners repatriated
Wagah (Amritsar), March 1
Even though 15 Pakistani
prisoners were repatriated at the joint checkpost (JCP) here today, no
reciprocal repatriation was undertaken by the Pakistani authorities.
This has not happened for the first time. On September 8, 1999, when
14 Pakistani prisoners were released, Pakistan withheld the release of
Indian prisoners.
Panjoli
rules out patch-up with SAD
Bathinda, March 1
Mr Karnail Singh Panjoli,
President, Sarb Hind Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (SHSAYD), said here
today that there were no chance for a patch-up with the Shiromani
Akali Dal until Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, did not instal
Bhai Ranjit Singh as Jathedar, Akal Takht.
Punjabi
poll commissioner in UK
Nawashahr
Mr Karamjit Singh Heer, who was
born in the UK in 1950 and has his roots in Dadyal village (Garhshankar),
has brought laurels to Punjab as he has become the first Asian to be
appointed Election Commissioner in the UK. He was also honoured by
Queen Elizabeth II with the CBE( Commander of the Order of the British
Empire) in June last year.
Land
feud: sarpanch being ‘shielded’
Ferozepore, March 1
At least six residents of the old
Bareke village near here have charged the authorities of shielding the
sarpanch, Channa Singh, who was earlier booked in a counterfeit
currency case, by delaying necessary action against him.
No
firearms at Hola Mohalla
Ropar, March 1
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr
Gurinder Singh Grewal, has banned the carrying of firearms and the use
of crackers during the Hola Mohalla celebrations from March 5 to 10 at
Kiratpur Sahib and Anandpur Sahib. The use of gulal has also been
prohibited for all except Nihangs, who use it as a tradition. The
orders were passed by the Deputy Commissioner after chairing a meeting
of various departments to finalise the mela arrangements at Anandpur
Sahib today.
Notice
to CBI in DIG case
Patiala, March 1
Patiala District and Sessions
Judge S.N. Aggarwal today issued notice to the CBI for tomorrow on the
bail application applied by the Patiala Range Deputy Inspector General
of Police Sanjeev Gupta in the case involving the alleged illegal
detention and disappearance of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)
activist Sukhdev Singh, alias Sukha in 1993.
Minister
lauds Punjabis’ help to quake-hit
Jalandhar, March 1
Saluting Punjabis for their
generous help to earthquake victims of Guarat, Dr Vallabhbhai Bhai
Kathiriya, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises, said today that Gujarat no more needed ration and
clothes, but tents for providing makeshift accommodation to thousands
of families, rendered homeless by the nature’s fury.
‘All
parties must back anti-terrorism Bill’
Bareta (Mansa), March 1
Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta,
President, All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, today said that all
political parties, cutting across party lines, should make efforts for
the passing of the anti-terrorism Bill, to be introduced in the
current session of Parliament.
Govt
waives interest on plot dues
Bathinda, March 1
The Punjab Government has given a
big relief to the residents of Veer Colony, developed by the
Improvement Trust, by waiving off the interest for 24 years on the
amount which they have to pay due to enhancement in the prices of the
plots allotted to them.
Medical
camps for slum areas
Faridkot, March 1
The District Health Department,
in collaboration with the Punjab Health System Corporation, has
launched a special campaign to provide free medical aid to residents
of slum and rural areas during this month in the district.
PSEB
told to pay compensation
Pathankot, March 1
The District Consumer Disputes
Redressal Forum has recently directed the Punjab State Electricity
Board, Dorangla, through its SDO to pay Rs 5100 as compensation and Rs
500 as litigation expenses on account of non-release of tubewell
connection to the complainant, Mr Roop Singh.
A
menace called blue bull
Bathinda, February 28
Stray blue bulls have become a
problem for animals and employees of the Deer Park, besides compelling
farmers of Bir Talab and Multania village of this district to watch
their fields even at night.
Traffic
lights causing jams
Pathankot, March 1
Traffic in this town requires
better management. Traffic lights have been installed at G.S. Salaria
Chowk, however, instead of reducing traffic-related problems, they
have compounded the problems.
Olympian
Balbir retires as DIG
Chandigarh, March 1
When Olympian Balbir Singh
retired yesterday on attaining superannuation, he was a Deputy
Inspector-General of Police. His promotion came only on his last
working day yesterday. He thus became the first hockey Olympian to
rise to the rank of DIG.
Lok
adalats on March 3
Bathinda, March 1
The District Legal Service
Authority, will organise lok adalats on March 3 at Bathinda, Mansa,
Talwandi Saboo and Phul to solve various disputes of the public.
BJP
opposes shifting of hospital
Bathinda, March 1
After the Congress and the CPI,
the BJP leadership of the district has also started opposing the
shifting of General and Children Hospital from its present location to
the premises of Civil Hospital.
Cops’
screening demanded
Amritsar, March 1
In a letter to the DGP the
All-India Sikh Students Federation, headed by Mr Narinder Pal Singh
Kanda, has demanded screening of those police officers who had landed
out-of-turn promotions during the days of terrorism.
Jassi’s
claims false: NCP leader
Bathinda, March 1
Mr Amritpal Singh Brar, member of
the national council of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has said
the claims made by Mr Harminder Singh Jassi, MLA, Talwandi Sabo,
regarding the refinery to be set up at Raman Mandi, are completely
false.
UCPI:
Budget pro-rich
Faridkot, March 1
Mr Sukhinder Singh Dhaliwal and
Mr Sukhdev Singh Pandhi, president of the United Communist Party of
India and general secretary of the Republican Party of India, Punjab,
respectively, have expressed concern over the Budget presented
yesterday.
Mandir
society demands action
Amritsar, March 1
The Sri Thakur Dwara Mandir
Shanker Dass Seva Society has demanded prompt action against Mr
Jaswant Sarpal who allegedly used abusive language for the Shanker
deity in the premises of the temple.
Accident
victims cremated
Tarn Taran, March 1
The bodies of six persons, who
died when their truck fell into a khud near Dhandiar in Himachal
Pradesh yesterday, were cremated here today.
Adhere
to quality, Kalkat tells farmers
Nawanshahr,
March 1
Dr Manmohan Singh Kalkat, VC, PAU, Ludhiana, addressing a large
gathering of farmers after inaugurating a kisan mela at the Kandi
Regional Research Station, Bullowal Suankhari, 30 km from here, today,
urged scientists to develop efficient production technologies
involving the minimum use of poisonous chemicals so that the farm
produce could meet the standards of the international market.
Farmers’
stir called off
Amritsar, March 1
The farmer’s stir was called
off after nearly 28 hours of gherao of the Deputy Commissioner’s
office. The gherao by the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab Kisan
Sabha and other farmer organisations were protesting against the
non-acceptance of their demands.
Abolish
two posts, says MC chief
Bathinda, March 1
Taking serious note of the danger
posed to finances due to surplus staff in the local Municipal Council,
its President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Bhuller, has written to the Deputy
Director, Local Bodies, Punjab, to abolish the posts of Additional
Executive Officer and Additional Municipal Engineer.
Four
truck thieves arrested
Bathinda, March 1
The district police claims to
have busted an inter-state gang of truck thieves and has impounded
seven trucks from them. The value of these trucks is reported to be
about Rs 40 lakh.
Three
houses burgled
Jalandhar, March 1
Twelve persons barged into three
houses in two separate villages near Nakodar this evening and looted
cash and jewellery before escaping.
Three
arrested, pistol seized
Phagwara, March 1
Three youths, Harnam Singh alias
Kaka, Jaswinder Kumar alias Babba, and Mukesh Bharati were arrested
while they were planning to loot a house on the night of February 24,
said Mr Raj Jit Singh, local DSP, here yesterday.
Varsity
set to conduct entrance test
Faridkot, March 1
Baba Farid University of Health
Sciences, Faridkot, has made elaborate arrangements to conduct
entrance test for admission to postgraduate courses in three state
medical colleges during the next academic session. This was disclosed
by Dr J.S. Gujral, Vice-Chancellor of the university, while talking to
this reporter here yesterday.
PTU
to honour Swaraj Paul
Jalandhar, March 1
Lord Swaraj Paul, the
London-based business magnate-turned-politician, will be honoured by
the Punjab Technical University (PTU) by conferring honorary doctorate
degree on him during the university’s annual convocation to be held
on March 9.
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