Customs officials destroy illegally
grown opium plants.
— Photo Rajiv Sharma |
Customs men destroy opium fields
Inter-state smuggling racket detected
Amritsar, May 23
Opium, which is being illegally cultivated in terrorist-infested valleys of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, has been finding its way to Punjab through truck drivers. With the result, the beautiful valleys which were considered “heaven on earth” are fast becoming “heaven for drug smugglers”.
Five-year leave under
self-employment scheme
Chandigarh, May 23
Punjab Government employees can now serve in the private sector or even start a private enterprise of their own, and all this while they are in service. Announcing a special five-year leave option to all its employees who have served the state for more than eight years, the Punjab Government will be giving this employees the option of rejoining duty in case they fail in the private venture.
Border villagers gear up as war clouds hover
Ferozepore, May 23
With the war clouds hovering once again, the panic-stricken residents of the villages situated along the Indo-Pakistan border are gearing up to face any eventuality. But this time, the mood is “do or die”. As on earlier occasions, they are not abandoning their homes due to the fear of war, but are ready for any situation.
Fire destroys crops on 500 acres
Attari (Amritsar), May 23
A fire which probably erupted following explosions triggered by landmines along the Zero-line on Pakistani side late last night destroyed crops over 500 acres even as no casualty had been reported.
A watermelon seller is all smiles
in Bathinda as he is
doing a brisk business due to excessive heat. — Photo Kulbir Beera |
MC refuses action against
indicted employees
Abohar, May 23
The Municipal Council has declined to take departmental action against the employees indicted by the auditors of the Local Funds Department for alleged embezzlement of Rs 1.54 lakh in recovery of water and sewerage tax.
4 councillors complain to
CM
Mansa, May 23
Four local Municipal Councillors, Ms Krishna Devi Bholi, Ms Amarjeet Kaur, Mr Prem Sagar Bhola and Mr Harpal Singh
Pali, in a written complaint to Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, have accused the Municipal Council chief, Mansa of mortgaging the bus stand and New Sabzi Mandi to raise a loan of Rs 1 crore from the local branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce.
Dang alleges scandal
in Transport Office
Amritsar May 23
A terrorism-victim has alleged that his mini bus route permit was being used by an imposter who had forged the documents, allegedly in connivance with an official of the District Transport Office.
Govt
set to ‘weed out corruption’
Hoshiarpur, May 23
Mr Bir Devinder Singh, MLA and General Secretary of the PPCC, said the
Congress government in the state was trying for the revival of sick
industrial units, diversification of agriculture and improvement in
economy.
Excise Minister
conducts raid
Chandigarh, May 23
The Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation, Mr Sardul Singh, today paid a surprise visit to the Shambu barrier, where he found an inspector absent from duty and also sought disciplinary action against four policemen who were allegedly indulging in malpractices.
Appointment of
Tota Singh’s son:
probe sought
Moga, May 23
The former secretary of the Samajwadi Janata Party, Mr Krishan Aneja, has in a complaint to the Punjab Government, demanded a probe into the circumstances under which Balwinder Singh, a son of former Education Minister Tota Singh, was given a high post in the Punjab Pollution Board when he did not have the requisite qualifications.
PSEB fixes supply timings
Faridkot, May 23
The PSEB has fixed the timings of all 14 main power substations to ensure uninterrupted power supply for agricultural purpose in the district with immediate effect. The board has set 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. for the day supply and 1 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the night.
Members of rival groups
clash
Phillaur, May 23
Tension prevailed here last evening following a clash between some followers of a religious place of Noormahal and some members of the Khalsa panchayat on the issue of distribution of some handbills criticising the working of a religious head of Noormahal
dera.
Settle row over Bhindranwale’s
death: AISSF
Amritsar, May 23
Even after 18 years of Operation Bluestar, the controversy over the death of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale refuses to die down.
Sikh body appeals for unity
Amritsar, May 23
Expressing concern over the alleged politicising of the SGPC, Baba Hakam Singh, vice-president of the Sampardaya Karsewa Sarhali Sahib, has appealed the Sikhs to be united in the forthcoming general elections of the SGPC.
HC order to SSP on petitioner’s letter
Abohar, May 23
Treating a letter addressed to a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as a criminal writ petition, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has directed the SSP, Muktsar, to look into the petitioner’s grievances within a month of the petitioner approaching to him.
Pool a victim of official apathy
Bathinda, May 23
The swimming pool in the local Civil Lines which is maintained by the Municipal Council is yet to start functioning.
Symposium on May 30
Bathinda, May 23
A national-level symposium on “Challenges to civil engineers in context of natural disasters” will be held on May 30 and 31 at the local GZS College of Engineering and Technology.
Punjab plans new water supply
schemes
Ropar, May 23
The Punjab Government has drawn up a comprehensive plan to introduce new rural water supply schemes in 58 more villages in Ropar district at a cost of Rs 4.67 crore. These villages, till now did not have proper potable water supply.
Canal supply mooted for water problem
Patiala, May 23
Canal water supply is the only solution for covering all 50 colonies in the city which are still without piped water supply and constitute around 45 per cent of the city’s population.
Traffic violators to be
penalised
Muktsar, May 23
Those who have incomplete papers of their vehicles or who are in habit of breaking traffic rules, should mend their ways as the district police is in a mood of taking stern action against such violators after May 31.
Woman abducted, stabbed to
death
Alawalpur (Jalandhar), May 23
The gang rape and murder of a 28-year old newly married woman by four assailants, who forcibly abducted her after attacking her husband near their house last night, has evoked widespread protest by residents who raised anti-police slogans for its failure to nab the culprits.
Man with fake passport held
Amritsar, May 23
The Immigration Department of Rajasansi Airport today apprehended a person with fake passport.
Pbi varsity Registrar under cloud
Patiala, May 23
The recently appointed Punjabi University Registrar, Dr K.S. Sidhu, who was rewarded by the new Punjabi University management for being at the forefront of the agitation against the ousted Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, has come under a cloud with documents surfacing that he had been punished earlier for conducting illegal checking at an examination centre of a girls college in Bhawanigarh for which he was punished by the university
Synidcate.
‘Stop harassment of medical teachers’
Chandigarh, May 23
Representatives of the faculty of government medical colleges in Punjab have urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, that their colleagues should not be harassed by the Vigilance Bureau in the name of holding an inquiry into the alleged scandal in the purchase of drugs.
2 schoolchildren beaten up by teacher
Patiala, May 23
Two girls were brutally beaten up at a primary school today, leading to one of the girls being admitted to the Government Rajindra Hospital.
According to sources, the class teacher of the third standard first asked Simarjit Kaur and another girl to bend down and stand on their haunches for some time. Following this the teacher beat them up with the stick.
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