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Punjab plan on crop diversification
Seeks Rs 1,000 cr to begin with
Chandigarh, April 4
Punjab has framed a plan to encourage farmers to shift from paddy and sow maize in kharif and rapeseed and mustard instead of wheat in rabi. This diversification policy is as per the guidelines of the Centre. But unless the Centre assures marketing and a minimum support price (MSP), as in the case of paddy and wheat, farmers will not switch over.

MC elections on May 19
Chandigarh, April 4
Close on the heels of the election for the Malout Assembly seat, the polling for which ended this evening, the Punjab Government today announced the holding of elections to all four municipal corporations in the state next month.

Badal: Malout byelection a shameful experience

Malout, April 4 The Shiromani Akali Dal President and former Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today described the conduct of the Assembly poll in this constituency as “the darkest chapter in the history of democracy in the country and the most shameful experience for the electoral politics since 1947. A policeman helps an old man cast his vote at village Tamkot village in the Malout assembly segment on Thursday. — PTI photo

• Violence marks Malout poll
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‘Promotion scam’ in research institute
Amritsar, April 4
The Congress government which claims to have launched a drive to eradicate corruption seems to be in the dock as six employees of the Irrigation and Power Institute here have been promoted, allegedly in the violation of the service rules.

5,000 cops relieved of VIP security duty Ludhiana, April 4 About 5,000 personnel of the Punjab police have been withdrawn from VIP security duty and put on policing in the districts as part of the exercise to curtain security provided to prominent persons.

Youths kill NRI, son-in-law hurt
Jalandhar, April 4
Panic gripped the city when an elderly NRI was shot dead and his son-in-law was injured by two unidentified scooter-borne youths in the Basti Danishmandan locality late tonight.

COMMUNITY

Morcha, SHSAD not to share stage
Bathinda, April 4
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) will not share the stage with other constituents of Panthic Morcha on April 13 on the occasion of Baisakhi at Talwandi Sabo.

End morcha quota, say freedom fighters
Patiala, April 4
Close on the heels of the ouster of the Akali-BJP government, freedom fighters have appealed to the Punjab Government to do away with the reservation granted to persons who have participated in the Sheesh Ganj and Punjabi suba morchas in the category meant for wards of freedom fighters in various educational institutions in the state.

Cop injured in accidental fire
Kapurthala, April 4
Head Constable Harbhajan Singh was injured by a bullet accidentally fired from a revolver by a constable at the local police lines today.

• Keetu’s bail plea rejected
• Two injured in firing incident

AGRICULTURE

Canal water till May 15 sought
Bathinda, April 4
Mr Hartej Singh Mehta and Mr Balwinder Singh, district president and general secretary of the Sarb Hind Youth Akali Dal (SHYAD), respectively, have urged the authorities concerned that the supply of water in canals and distributaries in the district should not be stopped till May 15.

ADMINISTRATION

CM clips wings of OSDs
Hoshiarpur, April 4
In an apparent bid to curtail political interference in administrative matters and to bring more transparency, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has conveyed to all heads of department and Deputy Commissioners that his orders would be conveyed to them only through the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary.

MC refuses to take back its staff
Abohar, April 4
Seventysix employees of the Municipal Council here who were on deputation with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) for past two years, were relieved on April 1 by the board but they have not been taken back by the council.

MC employees not paid salaries
Hoshiarpur, April 4
Municipal employees of Hoshiarpur have not received salaries for March, due to non-payment of compensation money by the Punjab Government in lieu of the octroi income to the council. This was stated by Mr Kulwant Singh Saini, General Secretary, Punjab Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangthan, in a press note, here today.

CRIME

Registry clerk held on graft charge
Jalandhar, April 4
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar range, today arrested a clerk of Shahkot tehsil while demanding and accepting a sum of Rs 5000 as a bribe.

Book suspects in land-grab case: DC
Kapurthala, April 4
Mr Rakesh Kumar Verma, Deputy Commissioner, today ordered the police to register a criminal case of fraud under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code against six persons.

35 kg of poppy husk seized, two held
Bathinda, April 4
The district police achieved a break-through with the arrest of two members of an inter-state gang of narcotics smugglers.

One more held in fake currency case
Bathinda, April 4
The Moga police has arrested Mohinder Singh a member of a sang involved in fake currency racket unearthed last month, who had been on the run since March 4.

EDUCATION

Grants ‘not given’ to colleges
Chandigarh, April 4
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union has expressed its resentment over non-release of pending grant amounting to Rs 18 crore due for the last quarter of the academic session 2001-2002 under the grant-in-aid scheme to affiliated non government colleges of the state.