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Punjab hopeful of hike in paddy MSP
Ludhiana, August 3
The Punjab government is hopeful of a substantial hike in the minimum support price of paddy for the coming season. Stating this here today, the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal told reporters that the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had already taken up the issue with the Centre.

• Meeting with PM courtesy call: CM

Punjab IAS officers’ body up in arms
Move to extend period of 8 deputationists
Chandigarh, August 3
The Punjab State IAS Officers Association has opposed the state government’s move to extend the deputation period of eight IAS officers who have come here from other states.

Rein in varsities, council urges govt
Chandigarh, August 3
The All-India Council for Technical Education has urged the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to discipline certain Punjab-based universities which, according to the council were out to play havoc with technical education, especially information technology courses, in this part of the country.

CM’s word “final” on Kangar’s expulsion
Bathinda, August 3
Mr Gurpreet Singh Kangar, a senior Akali leader and Director, Faridkot-Bathinda Regional Rural Bank, seems to have emerged stronger after being expelled from the party for six years by the district president of the SAD, Mr Sikander Singh Malooka, as his expulsion has not been endorsed by the party president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, so far.

Two booked for cheating
Dreams to own land turn sour
Bathinda, August 3
Dharampal’s joy knew no bounds when he was offered a 1000 square yards residential plot by two persons only for Rs 60,000.

Satta operators use Net, cell phones
Bathinda, August 3
As the police has started a campaign in the district against satta operators and gambling those who are in the trade have started using mobile phones, computers and other modern gadgets in order to play safe.

COMMUNITY

Ambulance becomes bone of contention
Jalandhar, August 3
A mobile ambulance purchased out of the Local Area Development Fund of Phillaur MP Santosh Chaudhary for dealing with road accidents of the Bholath constituency has become a bone of contention between Ms Chaudhary and the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner, Mr Vivek Aggrawal, with the former alleging that the latter was procrastinating over the flagging off the van under “political pressure”.

PM’s help sought on Malta boat victims
Chandigarh, August 3
The Malta boat tragedy probe mission has requested Prime Minister to take personal interest in the retrieval of the remains and wreckage of the sunken ship F-174, which was allegedly sunk by international mafia along with 290 Asian victims.

3 die of cholera; SMO denies deaths
Budhlada (Mansa), August 3
Three persons reportedly suffering from cholera have died while nine others are struggling for their lives at Reond Kalan village on the Punjab and Haryana border in this subdivision. It is feared that the disease may become an epidemic as some other residents of the village are also afflicted with symptoms of the disease.

110 fresh TB cases detected in Ropar
Ropar, August 3
In a survey conducted recently, the district health authorities have detected 110-fresh cases of tuberculosis in the district. With this the total number of TB cases has reached 601 in the district. The Civil Surgeon, Ropar, Mr Rajinder Singh, stated this while talking to this correspondent here today.

Govt website for jobs abroad
Chandigarh, August 3
Looking for a job abroad through a state government website ! Sounds unbelievable. But it is true. The Punjab Overseas Employment Cell, which has, to an extent, been successful is being redesigned to make it more user-friendly. The website is all set for a new look .

Encroachments bane of Amritsar
Amritsar, August 3
Indiscipline and chaos stalk the holy city of Amritsar as handful of violators seem to have become stronger than the administration. In fact, there is total contempt for law.

Promotion policy for docs to be reviewed
Patiala, August 3
The Punjab Government has decided to review the merit promotion policy of doctors posted in the medical and dental colleges of the state after receiving several complaints about the ongoing promotion scheme.

Army man alleges son was murdered
Nawanshahr, August 3
Mr Darshan Singh of Dhaingarpur village in this district and a Risaldar in the Army posted at Patiala in a letter to the President, Prime Minister and the CBI Director, copies of which were released to the Press here yesterday, has demanded an inquiry into the cause of the death of his son Jasvir Singh.

14 cases registered against quacks
Bathinda, August 3
The police authorities have been on tenterhooks to nab those who have been cheating the innocent people by adopting various methods in the district.

IN FOCUS
Rose Garden to get facelift
Patiala
The Rose Garden near the bus stand used to be a favourite haunt of morning walkers before beautification of the Baradari made it more popular. This garden will, however, have something to cheer about if the Municipal Corporation puts into effect its plan to do major repairs to the fountain in the garden and also to go in for a musical fountain at the spot.

PATHANKOT ROUND-UP
Octroi contractors harass transport carriers
TRANSPORT carriers of Sujanpur are a harassed lot at the hands of octroi collection contractors who have decided to charge transit pass fee and octroi duty far in excess of that fixed by the state government. Mr Desh Raj, sarpanch of Bhajura gram panchayat, and Ms Rita Puri, councillor of Sujanpur Municipal Council, in a letter written to the Chief minister and Local Bodies Minister have alleged that the octroi collection staff forced drivers of medium and heavy commercial vehicles to pay Rs 80 as transit pass fee as against Rs 50 fixed by the state government.

Uniform cess on properties sold
Chandigarh, August 3
The Punjab Government has decided to levy cess at a uniform rate of 4 per cent on all properties sold by improvement trusts in the state.

Army recruitment rally from Aug 7
Ropar, August 3
The Army will organise a recruitment rally from August 7 to 11 here. The president, District Sainik Welfare Board, gave this information in a press note issued here yesterday. The candidates from Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Patiala districts can appear for tests.

Lawyers to intensify stir
Amritsar, August 3
The Bar Association today decided to intensify its peaceful agitation against the arrest of one of its senior members, Mr Talwinder Singh, in an alleged case of fraud.

AGRICULTURE

Millers seek more space for crop
Patiala, August 3
The Punjab Rice Millers Association today expressed concern over the availability of limited space for the custom-milled rice crop and blamed the Food Corporation of India for failing to provide adequate storage facility.

CRIME

65,000 snatched from PSEB cashier
Ludhiana, August 3
A sum of Rs 65,000 was allegedly snatched from a cashier of the Punjab State Electricity Board at Daresi here yesterday, while she was purchasing snacks after depositing some amount in a bank.

EDUCATION

Govt violates policy on schools’ upgradation
Bathinda, August 3
Rajya Sabha MP and SAD general secretary Sukhbir Singh Badal inaugurated the upgraded Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Balianwalli on Wednesday violating the policy on upgradation of schools announced by the Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh.

PTU credibility still under cloud
Chandigarh, August 3
Efforts on the part of the Punjab Technical University to bring a shade of credibility to its distance education programme is proving far from satisfactory.

Protest rally by college teachers
Patiala, August 3
Teachers of non-government colleges held a protest rally on the call of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union in support of the long pending demands in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner here today.