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Badal writes to President
Says Amarinder carrying out vendetta
Malout, April 5
The issue pertaining to allegations and counter-allegations being levelled against each other by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during the election campaign in this Assembly segment for the past many days took a new turn when Mr Badal while reacting to the large-scale violence allegedly done by Congressmen during the polling, “threatened the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

• 19 booked for poll violence

• SHO’s snub to Badal

Badal breaks silence on Sekhon case
Says punishment excessive, denies getting letter from Air Marshal
Malout, April 5
Breaking silence on the controversial forced retirement of Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon, the former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Air Command, the former Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said the punishment handed out to Sekhon was in excess of the “mistake” committed by him.

No money for paddy bonus
Minister says govt can’t keep poll promise to farmers
Patiala, April 5
The newly elected Congress government is finding it difficult to fulfil its promise of giving Rs 30 bonus per quintal to farmers on paddy procured from them last year, with Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Singh today categorically stating that the state did not have the money to meet the promise.

PAU set for global challenge: VC
To motivate farmers to diversify
Ludhiana, April 5
‘‘The Punjab Agricultural University has accepted the challenge to provide assistance and guidance to the farming community of Punjab to come out of the wheat-paddy circle.

As summer sets in, pitchers arrive on the market in Ludhiana. —Photo by Paramjit Happy

Demarcation of MC wards rejected
Jalandhar, April 5
While rejecting the demand of the opposition parties for fresh demarcation of wards on rotation basis before the elections to four municipal corporations in the state, the Punjab Local Bodies Minister Choudhary Jagjit Singh today declared that the ensuing MC poll would be held on the existing pattern without changing the status of wards in four districts.

Sidhu in judicial remand till April 19
Kharar, April 5
A local court today further remanded Punjab Public Service Commission Chairman Ravinder Paul Singh Sidhu to judicial custody till April 19 in an illegal gratification case. The orders were pronounced by Judicial Magistrate Roshan Lal Chouhan here.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Octroi to be key poll issue
Chandigarh, April 5
The elections to the four Municipal Corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala have been announced for May 19, accelerating political activity. The elections have come at a time when the state has “abrogated its constitutional obligations towards the local self-government institutions by withholding their share in taxes, recommended by the state Finance Commission”, says the White Paper.

COMMUNITY

Eye operations in open banned
Ropar, April 5
In view of the mishaps in the recent past in which patients lost their eyes in the eye camps being organised by various voluntary organisations in open, the state government has decided to ban such surgical eye operations. If any organisation now wants to conduct any kind of eye operation, it would have to first arrange for proper operation theatre in government or approved private hospitals.

Protests hit sanitation work
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 5
Whereas the grim financial position of the Municipal Council, Sirhind-Fatehgarh Sahib, has forced its employees to start gate rallies and dharnas in protest against the non- payment of their salaries and the removal of 88 sanitation employees working on ad hoc basis has affected the sanitation work and sewage water has started overflowing.

Orders on digging roads unheeded
Bathinda, April 5
The condition of roads would improve if the orders of the Deputy Commissioner that prior permission from the district administration be taken before digging roads for some work and that the work should be completed within the projected time period, were implemented in letter and spirit.

Pipe leakage hits water supply
Abohar, April 5
Uncertainty remains over the fate of 76 municipal council employees who had been on deputation with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board for the past two years. They were relieved by the board on April 1 but not given any duty by the council. The employees held a dharna inside the council complex for the second day today.

PHRO dy chief attacked
Amritsar, April 5
Deputy Chairman of the Punjab Human Rights Organisation Kirpal Singh Randhawa was grievously injured in an attack by a person while he was returning to Amritsar on the Rajasansi road here today.

PM reneged on job promise: DYFI
Nawanshahr, April 5
The Punjab and Chandigarh unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India organised a state-level convention on “Education, employment and communal harmony” at Swarankar Bhavan here today.

Meeting discusses development of Patiala
Chandigarh, April 5
The Punjab Government will develop Patiala as a counter-magnet under the national capital region plan. A meeting in this regard was held yesterday at Patiala by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. During the meeting some of the leading real estate consultants made presentations on the project.

IMA to adhere to PNDT Act
Jalandhar, April 5
The Indian Medical Association today resolved to obey the guidelines of the PNDT Act pertaining to the banning of pre-natal sex determination. Presiding over a meeting of the district unit of the IMA here today, its newly elected president, Dr S.P.S. Grover impressed upon the members to strictly adhere to the instructions regarding the registration of all ultrasound machines.

Former MLA surrenders
Fazilka, April 5
Mr Sher Singh, a former Akali Dal MLA from the Jalalabad constituency, surrendered in the court of the Judicial Magistrate here this afternoon in a case of recovery of illicit liquor during the Assembly poll.

Cops forced to free panchayat members
Kathunangal (Amritsar), April 5
A large number of residents of Gopalpura and Majwind villages sat on a dharna today for two-and-a-half hours in front of the local police station and forced the police to release Joginder Singh, member of panchayat, and Malkiat Singh, a pharmacist, who had been arrested following a dispute allegedly with the wife of a Congress leader of the area, Mr Ramesh Sharma.

Shradhanjali Samaroh in Major’s honour
Kharar, April 5
A Shradhanjali Samaroh is being organised by the family of Major Harminder Pal Singh, Shaurya Chakra Awardee, tomorrow in Mundi Kharar to mark the third death anniversary of the youth from Kharar who laid down his life for the country in a fierce encounter with militants.

World Punjabi Theatre Day celebrations
Patiala, April 5
National Theatre Art Society has called upon all Deputy Commissioners of Punjab to patronise theatre movement, especially the 88th World Punjabi Theatre Day celebrations, on April 6. NTAS director Pran Sabharwal said on April 6, 1914, the mother of modern Punjabi theatre, Norah Richards, laid the foundation of the theatre movement by staging ‘Dulhan’ by I.C. Nanda at Dyal Singh College, Lahore.

Woman gives birth to triplets
Mansa, April 5
A local resident, Ms Shanti Devi, gave birth to triplets, all males, at Sidhu Nursing Home here on March 31. Mr Vasudev, husband of Ms Shanti Devi, said his wife had undergone ultrasound test on February 15 at the local Garg Hospital and Ultrasound Centre, where Dr Tarsem Garg, proprietor of the centre, told her that she would give birth to twins.

• World Health Day

Millers, arhtiyas disagree on payments
Jalalabad, April 5
Local commission agents are at loggerheads with Rice sheller owners over the terms and conditions of the payment of paddy. According to sources, rice millers have refused to abide by mutually agreed terms and conditions of payment in view of the non-payment of levy rice.

Farmers take out protest march
Sangrur, April 5
Members of five kisan organisations, including the Punjab Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the CPM; Punjab Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the CPI, and the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta), here today took out a march in support of their demands.

ADMINISTRATION

POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS
PPSC Secy, 11 IAS officers transferred
Chandigarh, April 5
Acting quickly on a memorandum submitted here this evening by members of the Punjab Public Service Commission to the Chief Secretary, Mr Y.S. Ratra, the Punjab Government ordered the transfer of the Secretary of the commission, Mr Pritpal Singh, besides ordering transfer of 11 IAS and one more PCS officer here this evening. Mr Pritpal Singh’s place will be taken by Mr Satwant Singh, also a PCS officer.

Improvement Trusts dissolved
Chandigarh, April 5
The Punjab Government today dissolved all 21 Improvement Trusts in the state. According to a notification, the Deputy Commissioners of Amritsar and Faridkot will be the Administrators of their respective Improvement Trusts, while the Additional Deputy Commissioners of Gurdaspur, Ropar, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Sangrur and Bathinda districts have been appointed Administrators.

CRIME

Two arrested for planning dacoity
Bathinda, April 5
The police has arrested two members of a gang who were allegedly planning to commit dacoity. The SSP said in a press note today that the suspects have been identified as Om Parkash and Devinder Singh of Amarpura basti. He said the gang comprised five persons. The police raided a hideout of the gang near Behman Diwana village while a plan was being made to commit dacoity.

6 dacoits held
Kapurthala, April 5
The police has busted yet another 10-member inter-district gang involved in dacoities, lootings and thefts and arrested six members of this gang. One stolen Tata Safari, two motorcycles, a computer set, a lamination machine, three pistols and some cartridges were among other things that were seized.

Lineman held for stealing wires
Sangrur, April 5
Sat Pal, a lineman, working in the PSEB at its Kaheru grid near Dhuri, has been arrested for stealing wires. Giving this information here this afternoon, Mr Gurpreet Singh Toor, SP (D), said Sat Pal was arrested from Mallumajra canal bridge near Dhuri last night and four kg of wire and two jute bags were recovered from him on the spot, he added.

Poisoned to death by in-laws
Hoshiarpur, April 5
Jaswant Kaur (20) was allegedly poisoned to death by her in-laws at Chakswana village under Hariana police station on April 3, the police said.

EDUCATION

CET form: date extended
Chandigarh, April 5
Panjab University has extended the last date of submission of application forms for CET 2002 up to April 15. The earlier date was April 5. This was said by Dr Sodhi Ram, Controller of Examination, in a press release here today.