UNESCO award for Punjab temple
Chandigarh, September 27
An Award of Distinction of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation has been given to Krishna Temple, Kishankot, in Gurdaspur district. The National Archives Building in Jakarta, Indonesia, was awarded Award of Excellence, as announced by the UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, according to information received here.

Baba remanded in custody
Ropar, September 27
Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara, who was arrested last evening for instigating his followers to torch the Guru Granth Sahib “bir” that led to communal tension in the state, was remanded in police custody till September 29 by the CJM, Ropar.

CBI nabs 19 railmen for fraud
Chandigarh, September 27
The Central Bureau of Investigations today conducted raids to nab several officials allegedly defrauding the Railways by manipulating tickets on a self-generating machine. They were allegedly making a whopping Rs 10 lakh on an average daily.

POLITICS

Cong, BSP boycott MC meeting
Jalandhar, September 27
The much awaited Rs 113-crore annual budget of the local municipal corporation was passed unanimously at a special meeting of the MC here today amid allegations by Congress and BSP councillors that the meeting was “illegal” since a case was pending in the Supreme Court regarding the removal of Mr Suresh Sehgal from the post of the Mayor.

Congress alleges discrimination in grants
Gurdaspur, September 27
District Congress leaders accused the Chief Minister, Punjab, of discrimination against panchayats having Congress sarpanches during the distribution of cheques for the development works in the sangat darshan programmes. Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri, president DCC, talking to this correspondent today said more than 20 sarpanches of the Sujanpur Assembly constituency who had been given cheques by the Chief Minister were later asked to return these by the BDPO allegedly at the instance of the local minister.

COMMUNITY

Govt allows overloading of trucks
Chandigarh, September 27
In violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Punjab Government has allowed truckers to overload their vehicles by paying certain charges. Punjab is the second state to do this in the region. Earlier, Haryana, had done the same, though a bit differently.

Loses kidney during operation Bathinda, September 27 In a bizarre incident, a female patients kidney was removed while she was operated up on for removing a tumor from her spleen at a local private hospital on September 8. The patient, Harjinder Kaur, a class IV employee of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, came to know about the removal of her kidney when her condition deteriorated after the operation and she was told by a doctor that her kidney had been removed.

Suicide note not written by deceased, say cops
Ludhiana, September 27
Recent developments in the case pertaining to the suicide by a clerk with the Excise and Taxation Department, in which an AETC has been accused of abetment to suicide, indicate the man being mentally upset and taking this extreme step in a state depression. Though the investigation is at a preliminary stage, the suicide note allegedly left by the deceased holds the key as the police suspects that it may have been written by some other person before or after the man’s death.

PATIALA DIARY
Looking after statues of heroes
Patiala
A veteran citizen and his party has taken up the task of cleaning up the statues of national leaders and martyrs. Prof K. L. Bhatia and his party, the Hind Kisan Kamgar Sena, has already spruced up the statue of Mahatama Gandhi on The Mall. The party felt that the statue was cleaned up only on the occasion of the birth and death anniversaries of the Father of the Nation and remained neglected for the rest of the year.

Campaign to check pre-natal tests
Patiala, September 27
The District Civil Surgeon has launched a campaign in the city to check whether the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act, 1994, was followed by the ultrasound and CT scan centres. The District Family Welfare Officer carried out surprise raids today at the various ultrasound centres and CT Scan centres of the city.

Protest against govt failure to allot plots
Jalandhar, September 27
More than 200 labourers, including activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, Punjab, today took out a march here to register their protest against the failure of the state government to allot 5-marla residential plots to them.

Plea for more technical assistants in hospitals
Malerkotla, September 27
The Punjab State Senior Operating Theatre Assistant, OT Assistant, Supervisor and Anaesthesia Technicians Union in a press note alleged that in the absence of technicians and assistants in operating theatres of the civil hospitals unauthorised employees are performing sterilisation and anaesthesia.

Ex-Army man alleges beating by SHO
Bathinda, September 27
Mr Darshan Singh, a decorated ex-serviceman of the Army, has been running from pillar to post to get justice in connection with a case wherein he was beaten up by the SHO of the thermal police station and kept in illegal custody for three days.

Tributes paid to Bhagat Singh
Bathinda, September 27
A cultural programme was held by four social welfare organisations to mark the birth anniversary of martyr Bhagat Singh at the local Kikkar Bazar today. The programme was organised by the Asra Welfare Society, the Lala Jagat Narayan Memorial Committee, the Young Blood Club and the Hari Om Shankar Charan Paduka Sewa Dal. 

Seminar on tourism
Bathinda, September 27
A seminar on tourism was organised by the Hotel and Restaurant Association here today under the chairmanship of Mr Inderjit Singh Sandhu, Director Tourism, Punjab. Mr N.S. Nanda, president of the association, said the hotel and tourism industry had increased employment opportunities in the country.

Maluka inaugurates project
Hoshiarpur, September 27
Mr Sikander Singh Maluka, Power Minister, Punjab, today inaugurated one of the most modern and first of its kind computer-based remote-controlled load management scheme for rural area at the 33-kv grid sub-station, Attowal, Hoshiarpur, covering 21 villages and 144 transformers of 11-kv Mona and Mehmowal feeders.

Doctor’s bail plea rejected
Mansa, September 27
Mr Harbans Lal, Additional Sessions Judge, Mansa, exercising the powers of Special Judge, under the Prevention of Corruption Act rejected the bail application of Dr Pushpinder Singla, Medical Officer, Government Rural Hospital, Bhikhi in the district, yesterday.

AGRICULTURE

DC: FCI to supervise paddy purchase
Mansa, September 27
The purchase of paddy by the government agencies in the district commenced on September 25 and 102 centres have been set up for the purpose. The arrival of paddy has picked up in 23 centres. The government agencies have purchased 5,800 metric tonnes of paddy.

Farmers irked over FCI specifications
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 27
Though the district administration has claimed that the process of procurement of paddy is going on smoothly and is in full swing at the 30 purchase centres in the district, commission agents and farmers at Sirhind, Amloh, Bassi Pathana and at other purchase centres are facing a problem from the FCI as the procurement staff of the FCI is not purchasing paddy like the other state procurement agencies. 

Procurement staff shifted
Chandigarh, September 27
The Punjab Government has shifted procurement officials of two agencies — Punsup and Markfed — from the Jalalabad grain market following complaints of a nexus between private traders and certain members of the procurement staff.

CRIME

Youth killed over land dispute
Tungwali (Bathinda), September 27
Kuljit Singh (17) of Tungwali village was killed in broad daylight by two persons while he was working in his fields with his father and others. Police sources said the suspects had been identified as Parminder Singh and Sukhjinder Singh, both brothers.

2 arrested on sodomy charge
Jalandhar, September 27
The district police has arrested two persons, who had allegedly charred the hands of a 14 years old boy after he refused to indulge in sodomy.The incident had taken place 15 days ago, but the boy, a resident of New Raj Nagar locality, had not disclosed the facts to his parents or any of family members.

District YC chief kidnapped
Gurdaspur, September 27
The Youth Congress, President, Mr Kulwinder Singh Laddi of Khanuwan block, was kidnapped by unidentified car borne miscreants near Meheate village under the Dhariwal police station last night.

EDUCATION

Controversy over officiating DPI
Chandigarh, September 27
There is, at present, no regular Director, Public Instruction (Colleges) in Punjab. The officiating Director is Ms Nisha Sarad, who is Principal, Government Ranbir College, Sangrur. This is so, informed sources say, despite the fact that the seniormost Principal is Dr Vidhwan Singh Soni, a PhD in Physics who heads Government Mohindra College, Patiala, and at number two is Dr S.S. Sooch, also a PhD in Physics, who is Deputy Director at the headquarters. Ms Sarad does not hold the PhD degree and is at number three.

GND varsity to approach World Bank
Amritsar, September 27
To strengthen the financial health of Guru Nanak Dev University special efforts will be made to approach the World Bank, HRD Ministry, UNESCO and Central and state governments. A separate planning and development cell will be created to generate financial resources.

Study circle to hold celebrations
Bathinda, September 27
The local unit of the Swami Vivekanand Study Circle will celebrate the 108th anniversary of the address delivered by Swami Vivekanand at the World Religious Parliament in Chicago in 1893, on September 30 at SSD Girls College here. This was stated by Mr R.K. Narula, press secretary of the circle, in a press note here today.