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38 PSUs suffer loss of Rs 200 cr yearly
Chandigarh, May 19
The Punjab Disinvestment Commission has recommended the setting up of an asset management authority, a disinvestment fund for employees, price fixation autonomy or regulatory authority for pubic sector undertakings (PSUs), reduction in stamp duty, registration fee for the quick disposal of assets, amendments to the Agricultural Produce Marketing Act and the Cooperative Societies Act, etc, for the rejuvenation of ‘’sick’’ PSUs and apex cooperative institutions.

Pbi varsity working on ad hoc basis?
Patiala, May 19
Punjabi University is virtually paying the price for ad hocism with the examination in disarray, meetings of both Finance Committee and Syndicate due and hundred of files, which had been recalled for review, gathering dust.

Congress sweeps MC poll
Patiala, May 19
The Congress today swept the elections to the local Municipal Corporation cornering 37 of the 49 seats results of which were declared today. Independents secured eight seats while candidates aligned with the SAD got four seats. The BJP drew a blank. Result of one seat remained contested till the filing of this report.

SDOs who acted as Langah’s conduit booked
Kharar, May 19
As more skeletons tumble out of the cupboard of former PWD Minister Sucha Singh Langah in the case of his disproportionate assets, another scam of departmental promotions and recruitment in the PWD during his tenure has come to light.

• Langah’s aides go underground

Jagman, Pammi’s remand extended
Ropar, May 19
The judicial remand of Jagman Singh, a right-hand man of Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, and Paramjit Singh, alias Pammi, a senator of Punjab University, was today extended till June 3 by Mr A.S. Kathuria, Special Judge, here, in the multi-crore PPSC recruitment scam case. Both were brought to the court as their earlier judicial remand ended today.

Minorities may leave Jammu: Tarlochan
Ludhiana, May 19
Apprehending an exodus of the minorities from the Jammu region, Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Mr Tarlochan Singh cautioned against letting a sense of fear develop in the minorities in the Jammu region of state, as they had started feeling insecure due to increasing terrorist attacks on them.

War psychosis fails to move border villagers
Ferozepore, May 19
Despite the war psychosis being sparked off once again after the Jammu massacre, residents of the border areas living in the Ferozepore sector look unaffected. They say that after the December 13 attack on Parliament they were asked to leave their homes but no concrete action was initiated against Pakistan by India.

POLITICS

Talwandi set to part ways with Badal
Ludhiana, May 19
A former president of the SGPC and senior vice-president of the SAD, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, is set to part ways with the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Although Mr Talwandi may not formally resign from the party, he is learnt to have come out against the party president.

BJP’s Gautam here for clean-up
Chandigarh, May 19
“No one is corrupt unless proved so in the court,” said Mr Sangh Priya Gautam, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at a press conference here today, in reply to questions on why the party had continued to support the Shiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab, in spite of allegations of corruption against its top brass.

COMMUNITY

A Pakistani soldier stands guard on the Pakistani side of the Pakistan-India border at Wagah, 18 km from Lahore, on Sunday. Indian and Pakistani troops, locked in a five-month standoff, traded heavy fire again on Sunday. — Reuters

‘Punjab ignoring Dalits’
Nawanshahr, May 19
Mr Jasbir Singh Pal, state president, Gazetted and Non-Gazetted SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation, Punjab, while addressing the district-level rally organised by the federation as part of its drive to gear up its rank and file to launch a state-level stir to press the government to accept its demands, here yesterday, accused the state government of ignoring “Dalit agenda” on the basis of which it had come to power in the state.

Tension in village, says report
Phagwara, May 19
Taking cognisance of press reports, particularly the one in The Tribune, about the persecution of Dalits by the upper castes at Todarwal village in Kapurthala district, Ch. Santokh Singh, Punjab Social Welfare Minister, took prompt action and dispatched Mr Deepak Kumar, Joint Director, SC/BC Welfare Corporation, to conduct a probe into the matter.

Open-book policy ‘needed’ for NGOs
Phagwara, May 19
Ms Annie Romanos, Indian coordinator of the Sydney-based NGO, the Global Village, Group, today said an open-book policy should be devised for the NGOs to ensure accountability and transparency in their functioning. Ms Annie said, liked The Tribune newspaper for its balanced reporting.

Pharmacists to hold rally on May 27
Bathinda, May 19
The large-scale transfers of pharmacists in the state have evoked resentment among the pharmacists of the state who have alleged that the transfers are violative of the transfer policy. They have threatened that they will hold a dharna and rally in front of the office of the Director, Health Services, at Chandigarh, on May 27.

• Delhi-Ferozepore Shatabdi from July

• Murdered arhtiya’s funeral held

• Rs 5.09 crore awarded at lok adalat

• Hospital sought for colonies

CRIME

4 killed, 6 hurt in road accident
Pathankot, May 19
Four persons were killed and six injured when a private bus collided with a three-wheeler, near Sarna, 6 km from here, on the Amritsar-Pathankot road today. According to information, the injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Three of the injured were later referred to a hospital in Amritsar.

108 kg of poppy husk seized
Bathinda, May 19
The police has arrested 24 persons involved in various crimes, including smuggling of narcotics, illegal distillation of liquor, possession of illegal weapons and satta transactions.

EDUCATION

Dental college inspections in June
Mansa, May 19
Students of the Khalsa Dental College and Hospital for Women, Nangal Kalan, and their parents, who have been running from pillar to post to get the degrees awarded by the college approved by the Dental Council of India, are now hopeful as the third and fourth inspections of the college will be conducted by the DCI in the first week of June.