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65-cr salary paid to ‘surplus’ dam staff
Ranjit Sagar Dam, (Gurdaspur), March 9
It may sound strange but this is true that a sum of Rs 65 crore has been paid to more than 5,000 employees who were rendered ‘surplus’ after the completion of the Ranjit Sagar Dam, since March last year. The dam was dedicated to the nation on March 4 last year by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Female foeticide ‘expensive’
Patiala, March 9
On the International Women’s Day the focus was on the evil of female foeticide with prominent women disclosing that ban on sex determination tests and subsequent termination of pregnancies had only made these services more expensive instead of acting as a deterrent.
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Exclusion irks Amritsar
Congressmen
Amritsar, March 9
Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, is reportedly under pressure to give representation to Amritsar where the party won three of the four seats during the
recently held Assembly election. A large number of Congress workers and leaders have already lodged their protest with Ms Sonia Gandhi, President of the Congress, for not inducting any MLA from the city this time.
Mann cautions CM on SYL
Phagwara, March 9
Commenting upon the Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down the review petition filed by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to challenge the decision of the apex court to open up the SYL canal to let Punjab’s river waters flow into Haryana, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Member of Parliament, today said his party would not allow this decision to be implemented.
Cong MLAs to declare assets
Jalandhar, March 9
The Punjab State Minister for Social Security and Welfare of SC and
BCs, Choudhary Santokh Singh, yesterday said the ministers, as well as the elected representatives of the Congress in the state, would soon submit details of their assets to the high
command.
Ferozepore to be model dist
Ferozepore, March 9
One of the most backward areas of Punjab, Ferozepore district sharing more than 200 km of border with Pakistan, will soon become a model district in the country.
Bank told to pay compensation
Ropar, March 9
The District Consumer Forum has directed the Punjab and Sind Bank to pay compensation to a complainant for honouring his cheque despite him not having the requisite deposit in his account.
No ambulance at mock safety drill
Bathinda, March 9
A mock safety drill undertaken by the local LPG bottling plant of Bharat Petroleum recently raised questions about the efficiency of health authorities as no ambulance reached the plant although the authorities were informed about the emergency arising there.
Sena to fight for labourers’ cause
Bathinda, March 9
The Punjab Dalit Sena in a resolution passed at a meeting held yesterday said it would fight for the cause of labourers of the local unit of the NFL plant.
Identify erring cops in Gujarat, say Muslims
Jalandhar, March 9
The Muslim National Front, Punjab, has expressed concern over the recent killings in Gujarat and other parts of the country.
Mann assails govt on jatha issue
Chandigarh, March 9
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief and MP, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, today assailed the Punjab Government for preventing a “jatha of peaceful demonstrators”
from proceeding to New Delhi on way to Ayodhya on Monday.
Farmers gloomy, despite bumper crop
Ferozepore, March 9
Despite prospects of a bumper wheat crop in irrigated areas of Punjab so far, farmers are gloomy.
With barely four weeks left for harvesting the government is yet to declare the minimum support price for the wheat to be procured for the Public Distribution System. This has created a sense of unease among the farmers.
UGC plans special funds
for colleges
Amritsar, March 9
The Vice-Chairman of the University Grant Commission, Dr Arun Nigavekar, today asserted that allocation for higher education was likely to be doubled to Rs 5000 crore in the coming tenth Five-Year-Plan.
REC grant issue to be probed
Jalandhar, March 9
The Punjab Technical Education Department will hold an inquiry into the circumstances under which the annual grant to the local Regional Engineering College (REC) has been stopped by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Schools’ body for copying-free Punjab
Phillaur, March 9
The Punjab Private Schools Organisation will actively cooperate with the government to bring about 100 per cent literacy, upgrade the education status and make Punjab a “copying-free state”.
Law students awarded degrees
Amritsar, March 9
“Our education system is primarily producing job seekers and pen-pushers and not nation builders and patriots,” said Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, while delivering the convocation address at the Department of Laws, Guru Nanak Dev University, here today.
Probe shifting of exam staff, says union
Bathinda, March 9
The Government School Lecturers’ Union has urged the Education Minister to conduct an inquiry into the shifting of superintendents of 21 centres before the start of matriculation examination. The union has alleged that there were some mala fide intentions behind the move.
Complete strike in colleges
Patiala, March 9
Various colleges in the city observed a complete strike today to protest against the “indecent” behaviour of the Punjabi University Vice-chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, against a girl student, besides demanding his immediate ouster.
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