P U N J A B

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TOP STORIES

Maluka’s foreign trip cost PSEB dear
Ropar, March 10
The cash-starved Punjab State Electricity Board is finding it hard to meet its expenses. Yet sops like free electricity for tubewells offered by the SAD-BJP government were not the only reasons for the financial mess of the board.

Punjab seeks 6,000 cr for procuring wheat
Ludhiana, March 10
The Punjab Government has sought a cash credit limit worth Rs 6000 crore for procurement of wheat in the state from the Reserve Bank of India. The state government is confident that the CCL would be sanctioned before the start of the wheat procurement season.

Tohra readies for SGPC poll
Patiala, March 10
Having lost the political battle, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra is getting ready to regain control of his traditional fiefdom — the SGPC — whose elections are due in September, in a bid to emerge a major player in Akali politics.

Helpless at the border
Ferozepore
The house was decked up, as you would expect it to be in a home readying for a wedding. All the bright colours and paraphernalia that go with a village wedding were in evidence. But there was one thing missing — the marriage party itself.

POLITICS

Cong will complete term: Bir Devinder
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 10
“The Congress government will complete its five-year tenure and would endeavour to fulfill the expectations of the people and provide clean, responsive and transparent government,” said Mr Bir Devinder Singh, MLA, while talking to mediapersons at a gurdwara here today.

‘Urban-rural divide to the fore during poll’
Jalandhar, March 10
The Federal India Forum, Jalandhar, today organised a seminar on the reasons behind the defeat of the SAD-BJP combine during the recent Assembly elections here today.

COMMUNITY

Doctors seek better neonatal care
Faridkot, March 10
A state-level annual conference of neonatologists organised by the district body of the National Neonatology Forum at Kotkapura today advocated better provision of infrastructure to bring down the infant mortality rate. The conference expressed concern over inadequate arrangements in rural areas.

Amarinder Singh flags off relief for the riot-hit

Patiala, March 10 Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today laid the foundation stone of a bridge costing Rs 60 lakh over Chhoti Nadi at Ghalori Gate in the city besides flagging off a consignment of relief material worth Rs 15 lakh to the riot-affected people of Gujarat.
Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister, flags off a consignment of relief material for the Gujarat riot-hit in Patiala on Sunday.

MC shows income from abolished octroi!
Bathinda, March 10
In an interesting move, the local municipal council authorities, in order to cover the council’s collapsing financial health, have shown Rs 21 crore as income from octroi in the budget proposals for 2002-2003 which was prepared yesterday despite the fact that the previous SAD-BJP government had abolished octroi on November 15, 2001.

Passport forms till December cleared
Jalandhar, March 10
In spite of the heavy rush of passport applicants from the Doaba region, the Regional Passport Office has achieved the target of zero pendency by issuing passports to all applicants, who had submitted their documents by December, last year.

Rly ex-staff seek medical passes
Phagwara, March 10
The annual general body meeting of the All-India Retired Railwaymen’s Federation, Ferozepore division, today sought the intervention of the Divisional Railway Manager to get the free medical pass facility implemented for retired railwaymen.

AGRICULTURE

Cane growers assured payment of arrears
Phagwara, March 10
Mr Gurbinder Singh Atwal, Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab, holding portfolio of the Cooperation Department, today declared that his priority would be to get the payment of the arrears of cane growers cleared from sugar mills managements.

CRIME

Pesticides’ godown looted
Bathinda, March 10
As many as 10 thieves entered a godown of pesticides on the outskirts of the city on the Bathinda-Malout main road, a few hundred yards away from a police station, on the night of March 8, and took away goods worth Rs 16 lakh in a truck.

Fake notes racket busted, 2 held
Moga, March 10
The local police has busted an inter-state gang involved in printing and distribution of fake currency. On a tip-off, Major Singh and Balbir Singh were arrested from a liquor vend while trying to purchase liquor on fake currency.

EDUCATION

PCCTU flays cut in grant
Jalandhar, March 10
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union has criticised the state government for its decision to impose a 10 per cent cut every year on all grants to non-government privately managed colleges. The government has asked the college managements to generate its own sources of income.

Entire supervisory staff suspended
Balachaur, March 10
The DPI (S), Punjab, Chandigarh, Dr Jagtar Singh Khatra, placed the supervisory staff of the matriculation examination of Government High School, Garhi Naunugoan, Nawanshahr, under suspension. Dr Khatra visited the centre yesterday. 

Change in education policy sought
Phagwara, March 10
The Joint Action Committee comprising federations, associations and unions of managements, principals, teaching and non-teaching staff of 172 non-government colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh, today urged the Punjab Government to review the higher education policy pursued by the SAD-BJP government.