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TOP STORIES

Biggest drubbing went to BJP, Panthic Morcha
Chandigarh, February 25
There is the expected ecstasy and despondency in the Congress and the Akali camps after the results of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. While the SAD-BJP combine is meeting, though separately, to dissect the entire election gamut and analyse what went wrong, the Congress is getting into the act of forming the government.

Exit poll scientific or sponsored?
Chandigarh, February 25
The inaccuracy of opinion and exit polls conducted by various media outfits with regard to the number of seats which might be won in the elections to the Punjab Assembly has raised serious questions about the independence, accuracy and purpose of such an exercise.

Cong men ready to share spoils
Patiala, February 25
The victory of the Congress in the state has buoyed Cong men of the district, both legislators as well as office-bearers, who are now angling for a share of the spoils.

Congress fouled up: CPI
Amritsar, February 25
The belated pre-poll alliance between the Communist Party of India and the Congress did not work well, especially in Amritsar, Garhshankar and Mansa, which resulted in the defeat of many candidates of the poll partners in the state.

Badal to vacate CM’s house immediately
Chandigarh, February 25
The outgoing Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today decided to vacate his official residence immediately. He has offered to move to the official accommodation earmarked for the outgoing Chief Minister.

POLITICS

Tohra: no decision on trust motion
Amritsar, February 25
Even as the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) has decided to do introspection in the wake of the “humiliating” defeat of Panthic Morcha candidates in the Assembly elections, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president of the party, has said his party has not yet decided to move a no-confidence motion against the SGPC President, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar.

Badal is SAD House leader

Chandigarh, February 25 The elected Akali MLAs today unanimously elected Mr Parkash Singh Badal as the leader of the Legislative Party at a meeting held at the residence of the former Chief Minister. SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal who was elected as the leader of the Legislative Party in Chandigarh on Monday. — PTI photo

BSP’s performance below expectations
Jalandhar, February 25
Despite a lot of hard work put in by Mr Kanshi Ram, the BSP’s performance, in terms of victory, largely remained below its expectations in the Doaba region in Punjab.

Defeated candidate puts blame on EVMs
Sunam, February 25
Mrs Sonia Deepa Arora, a Congress candidate from Sunam, who was defeated by Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa of the SAD in the recently held Assembly elections, today urged the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, to ask Capt Amarinder Singh president of the Punjab Congress and prospective Chief Minister of the state, to give her seat in his government as she was a representative of women in the Congress.

Cong to probe ‘false’ cases against scribes
Jalandhar, February 25
Asserting that the freedom of the Press would be safeguarded by the Congress at all costs, the PPCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, said today that the Congress would order a thorough probe into “false” cases registered against mediapersons by the Punjab police during the SAD-BJP regime after his party took up the reins of the state government.

Cong paid price for ignoring Rai Sikhs
Abohar, February 25
The Congress has paid the price for ignoring the Rai Sikh community while giving party ticket for the Assembly elections. Members of the community have been cultivating land near the international border for the past many years.

COMMUNITY

Abducted girl’s kin allege police inaction
Bathinda, February 25
Even as a departmental inquiry has been initiated against Rajinder Kumar, a former in charge of the Civil Lines police chowki, for allegedly delaying the registration of an FIR of the abduction of a four-year-girl, Rajni, on November 24, 2001, the parents of the child have accused that the police was not making serious efforts to search for their daughter.

Govt urged to reintroduce octroi
Hoshiarpur, February 25
Members of the Punjab Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangthan at a meeting held here today urged the new government to reintroduce octroi in the state.

Flower show draws crowds
Mansa, February 25
A flower show was organised here today by the Green-watch Environment Society on the premises of the local Summer Field Public High School. It attracted thousands of people from the district and nearby areas. A large variety of flowers were displayed in a splendid array at the show.

Beopar Mandal happy over SAD-BJP defeat
Abohar, February 25
The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal is jubilant over the defeat of senior SAD and BJP leaders in the Assembly elections.

Scribes seek graft?
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 25
Mr Vikas Paratap, Deputy Commissioner, opened the sub office of Hind Samachar group at Sirhind town today. Many speakers alleged that mediapersons sought money for favorable coverage during the Assembly elections.

• Docs told to use masks
  

AGRICULTURE

Hailstorm damages wheat crop
Talwandi Sabo February 25
Heavy downpour coupled with a hailstorm, which lashed the region badly, damaged the standing wheat crop and left the farmers of about 10 villages, who are already reeling under heavy debts, in the lurch.

Fertilisers can spell disaster: experts
Mansa, February 25
Dr D.S. Joshi, Principal of International Youth Medical College, while addressing farmers at Makha village in the district today warned them of ‘disastrous consequences’ by 2009 if they did not check the use of chemical fertilisers and insecticides. These were the main cause of an increase in the number of blood cancer cases, he said.

ADMINISTRATION

Lobbying for AG’s post starts
Chandigarh, February 25
Intense lobbying for the post of the Advocate General has started in Punjab. With the change of guard at the political level in the state, the present incumbent, Mr Hardev Singh Mattewal, is expected to demit office in a day or so.

CRIME

Fake travel agents, cops arrested
Jalandhar, February 25
The district police has booked two inspectors of the Punjab police for allegedly running a human trafficking racket in connivance with two travel agents, Gagan Bakshi and Halminder Singh. The travel agents were arrested yesterday but the inspectors were still at large.

Body of youth found
Kharar, February 25
The police recovered the dead body of a youth aged about 38 years in Khanpur village in the Kharar municipal limits today.

EDUCATION

Probe VC’s conduct, Capt urged
Patiala, February 25
The Forum for Educational Action and Reform (FEAR) in its meeting held here today, pleaded with Capt Amarinder Singh to initiate an inquiry against the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia.

Globalisation of education emphasised
Amritsar, February 25
Earning foreign exchange is not the sole objective of foreign and Indian universities. This was stated by Mr S.P. Gaur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, while inaugurating a three-day round-table conference on “internationalisation of higher education” at Guru Nanak Dev University here today.