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Controversies dog Talwandi, Vedanti
Amritsar, March 13
Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi (known as ‘iron man’ in panthic circles), who has completed 100 days as President, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, who is going to complete his one-year tenure as Jathedar, Akal Takht, by the month-end, have reportedly failed to take ‘independent decisions’, pertaining to the Sikh panth so far.

High priests put off meeting at last minute
Amritsar, March 13
The crucial meeting of the five Sikh High Priests, scheduled to be held at Akal Takht today, was postponed at the eleventh hour without assigning any reason.

Pak writers ignored for Shiromani Award
Patiala, March 13
Punjab may talk of the close cultural affinity it shares with Punjabi-speaking people living across the border in Pakistan, but Punjabi writers representing rich cultural traditions of the once united Punjab are apparently persona non-grata as far as the government and its Language Department in concerned.

IT staff asked to check private tuitions
Patiala, March 13
The Punjab Higher Education Ministry has written to the Income Tax Department to conduct surprise checks on government college teachers taking private tuitions. Talking to The Tribune, Punjab Higher Education Minister, Master Mohan Lal, said income tax officials were likely to conduct checks in this regard in the state in a phased manner. 

COMMUNITY

Mansa areas cry for potable water
Mansa
Residents of this district, a backward district of the state once known as Asia’s biggest cotton market, are not getting potable water supply and the authorities have failed to take necessary steps in that connection.

BKI activist’s case: arrest of cops stayed
Patiala, March 13
A local court today stayed the arrest of Superintendent of Police (Detective) Mohinder Singh Chahal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagtar Singh and Inspector Ramesh Chander till March 15 in a case involving the alleged illegal detention and subsequent disappearance of a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activist.

Hijack: 7 named proclaimed offenders
Patiala, March 13
A local court today declared seven Pakistan-based persons, who are accused of masterminding the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aeroplane to Kandhar in Afghanistan from Kathmandu, as proclaimed offenders.

Warrants against SI, Constable
Patiala, March 13
The special CBI court today issued non-bailable warrants against two police personnel in a case involving the disappearance of a Sangrur resident after he was kept in illegal custody in 1993.

Modern colonies lack facilities
Bathinda, March 13
This historic city, known as the ‘city of lakes’, ‘city of sand dunes’, ‘heartland of Malwa’, etc has grown in the past few years but there has been no proportionate development. Residents even allege that the city had always been given a step-motherly treatment by the authorities concerned.

VDS for water, sewer connections launched
Bathinda, March 13
The municipal council (MC) of the city has launched a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) for the regularisation of unauthorised water and sewerage connections in the city under which about 4000 connections would be regularised.

Drive against TB launched
Bathinda, March 13
To make Muktsar district free from tuberculosis (TB), a special drive has been launched by the Health Department. This was stated by Mr Kanwaljeet Singh Cheema, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, while presiding over a function organised to mark adoption of TB patients by various social service organisations, youth clubs and panchayats of different villages.

Traffic park for Sangrur soon
Sangrur, March 13
The district administration has planned to set up a children traffic park at Banasar Bagh here soon.

ADMINISTRATION

CM reviews work on PIDB projects
Chandigarh, March 13
The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today reviewed the progress of projects under the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

Panel on waste management constituted
Bathinda, March 13
Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, Minister for Science and Technology, Punjab, yesterday said the state government had constituted a committee of experts to advise the government on the implementation of bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules 1998, formulated by the Union Government.

CRIME

Murder suspect held after 3 years
Bathinda, March 13
The district police has made a major breakthrough in a murder case by arresting Vijay Kumar of Vanwala in Rajasthan after more than three years.

Probe into hawala case ordered
Phagwara, March 13
The March 7 hawala case here, involving an amount of Rs 7 lakh, has taken a new turn with the ordering of an inquiry into it in view of the contradictory stands taken by the police and the persons/kin of those accused of hawala transactions.

EDUCATION

GND varsity exams from March 31
Amritsar, March 13
The annual examinations of Guru Nanak Dev University will commence from March 31. This was stated by Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar of Guru Nanak Dev University.

Research project sanctioned
Patiala, March 13
The Department of Forests, Punjab Government, has sanctioned a major research project entitled, “Fungal-Insect Diseases of Forest Trees of Punjab and their Management Strategies” for a period of five years with a grant of Rs 25.26 lakh to Dr J. S. Dargan, a forest scientist and Head, Department of Botany, Punjabi University.

Rs 50,000 grant for Bikram College
Patiala, March 13
A special grant of Rs 50,000 was announced by Mr Madan Mohan Lal, Cabinet Minister for Higher Education, Punjab who presided over the 56th Annual prize distribution function of the Government Bikram College of Commerce held here today. He announced another reward of Rs 5000 to honour Ms Rasan Billing, an outstanding sportsperson of the college.