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Bill on Commission for Women passed
Chandigarh, March 27
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s Budget session ended today by conducting serious legislative business, including the passing of a Bill to set up a Commission for Women and effecting certain amendments to seven Acts, in a matter of minutes.

Punjab session a ruling alliance affair
Chandigarh, March 27
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha adjourned sine die today after the last Budget session of the SAD-BJP government. This particular session will be long remembered for many reasons — the suspension of 21 Opposition members of the House for the entire period, the shortest discussion, just one hour, on the Budget estimates for 2001-02, a spate of walkouts, slogan shouting and skirmishes between members and the Speaker and, of course, the lacklustre conduct of the business.

Conviction rate low in women-related crimes
Jalandhar, March 27
If you are a woman from Doaba region and any heinous crime, ranging from rape, murder to tormenting by husband and in-laws over dowry, has been committed against you, chances are bright that the perpetrators might go scot-free, primarily, for the intervention by relatives anxious to reach a compromise with the culprits or for the lack of evidence against them in court.

Corpn budget axes development
Amritsar, March 27
Even as the last year of the Badal government is being extensively observed as a “year of development”, ironically the axe has fallen on the development works to be undertaken in the budget of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation for 2001-2002.

FCI, DFS authorities lock horns
Bathinda, March 27
A dispute has arisen between the District Food and Supply authorities and Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities allegedly after an FCI official entered two consignments of rice into the FCI account which belonged to the state agencies in Bhucho centre on March 19 and 20.

Poppy husk found in bunkers
Nawanshahr, March 27
The police in a drive against drug traffickers last week, conducted raids and recovered 32 bags of poppy husk from Sansi locality near Garupur village and nabbed Jarnail, alias Jaila, in this connection.

Where are shikaras, bus service?
Bathinda
Even as the city has been witnessing a massive expansion for the past many years, residents have been deprived of various facilities, including a local bus service and an air link.

COMMUNITY

Probe into ‘sale’ of BBMB records
Ropar, March 27
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has ordered an inquiry into the stealing and sale of records of its design department at Nangal. The records contained designs of Bhakra and other projects.

Pamphlets thrown into mosque
Jalandhar, March 27
Unidentified miscreants tried to disturb communal harmony here late last night by throwing a bundle of inflammatory and objectionable pamphlets in the staircase of a mosque near Bhagat Singh Chowk.

CM reviews wheat purchase arrangements
Chandigarh, March 27
The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today reviewed wheat procurement arrangements with agencies concerned and state’s Deputy Commissioners. Official procurement starts from April 1 next.

AIDS control scheme, a limited success
Gurdaspur, March 27
The National Programme for Control of AIDS has met with limited success in the district. During 1991-2001, as many as 54 AIDS patients were registered with the district Health Department.

RSS for ban on cow slaughter
Phillaur, March 27
The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) wants a ban on cow slaughter in the country.

Income Tax staff hold dharna
Abohar, March 27
Officers and employees of the Income Tax Department today staged a dharna in the adjoining street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The call for the dharna was given by the central committee of the “joint council of action” of the Income Tax Gazetted Services Federation and the Income Tax Employees Federation.

Prime suspect in sacrilege case held
Patiala, March 27
The Patiala police today arrested Sanjiv Babla, a prime suspect in the ‘’religious’’ book burning case, from Handesra village under Lalru police station in the district.

Pak intruder shot dead
Amritsar, March 27
The BSF shot dead an unidentified Pakistani intruder near the Khangarh border outpost in this sector last night.

Man dies as gun goes off
Mansa, March 27
Mr Hardev Singh, a gunman of Mr Kaur Singh Khara, an SGPC member, was killed accidently today with his own gun.

Sarpanch, two panches suspended
Sangrur, March 27
Mr Jagat Singh, sarpanch, Fatehgarh Chhana village in the Sangrur block, Mr Joginder Singh and Mr Gurdial Singh, both panches of the same village, have been suspended by the authorities of the Directorate of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab, in connection with the issuance of grants under Indira Awas Yojna to ineligible persons.

Jhuggi set on fire, 9 goats burnt alive
Hoshiarpur, March 27
Three miscreants set a jhuggi of Bajrangballa on fire. Nine goats were burnt alive in the fire the police said here today.

AGRICULTURE

Labourers, farmers attend convention
Jalandhar, March 27
The Pendu Mazdoor Union Punjab organised a state-level convention at the local Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall today.

CRIME

ADC’s steno arrested
Bathinda, March 27
The vigilance authorities have arrested the stenographer of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Bathinda for accepting Rs 500 as bribe from Mr Narotam Das.

Mother, lover kidnap boy
Hoshiarpur, March 26
A case of kidnapping of a nine-year-old boy by his mother and her lover came to light yesterday.

EDUCATION

Staff oppose move to close college
Amritsar, March 27
The proposal to close down Lakshmi Narayan Ayurvedic College by the Durgiana Committee has met with opposition by the teaching and non-teaching staff of the college.

College teachers stage protest
Chandigarh, March 27
An education bandh was today observed in government-aided 172-odd colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh against the non-implementation of the assurances given by the Punjab Minister of Higher Education, Master Mohan Lal, on the pension-cum-gratuity scheme for the staff.