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3 parties to boycott CM’s meeting
Chandigarh, October 1
Three major political parties — the SAD, the BJP and the CPI — have decided to boycott the all-party meeting convened by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tomorrow, putting the government in an very awkward situation. Sources said the government was trying to chalk out its strategy arising from the decision of these three main parties.

• Hanspal flays Centre for  MSP hike

Government put on the mat
Chandigarh, October 1
Their ideological and political differences, notwithstanding, the all- party meeting called by the CPI today pushed the Punjab Government to the corner on the paddy and drought issues. The ruling Congress stayed away from the meeting. However, all other major political parties such as the SAD, the BJP, the CPM, the Akali Dal (Mann), the BSP, the NCP, the RPI, the Lok Bhalai Party and the Samata attended it.

Govt anti-farmer, say kisan unions
Bathinda, October 1
Various kisan unions describing bonus of Rs 20 per quintal for paddy as a cruel joke said today that the “anti-farmer” face of both Centre and the state governments had been exposed. The office-bearers of different associations of farmers have said the announcement of bonus by the Central Government was a political game played by leaders.

Farmers block GT Road
Doraha, October 1
Hundreds of farmers of the district, under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union, staged a dharna on the GT Road near Gurdwara Manji Sahib Kota, near Doraha, and blocked traffic for over an hour. They also blocked traffic on the GT Road at Khanna for more than three hours after a visit of the Chief Minister.

Cane growers await payment
Patiala, October 1
Farmers in the Malwa belt are still to get a large part of the payment for sugarcane supplied to various cooperative mills in the state. The Rakhra mill near here is owing farmers Rs 5.51 crore. Mills across the state owe farmers around Rs 80 crore.

Sikh heritage: Ramgarhia body, SGPC lock horns

Amritsar, October 1 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation have locked horns over the restoration work being carried out at Ramgarhia bungas in the Golden Temple complex and at Gurdwara Baba Atal through kar seva. Repair work on the historical Ramgarhia Bunga in the Golden Temple complex is being carried out on a war footing. — Photo Rajiv Sharma

Earlier story:
Let experts do ‘kar seva’: minorities panel

Vigilance probe against ex-MD
Chandigarh, October 1
The Vigilance Bureau Punjab, has initiated vigilance inquiries against alleged irregularities in Co-op Sugar Mill, Ajnala, and also against the Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Mansa and others.

IFS officer held for taking bribe
Dasuya (Hoshiarpur), October 1
In a sensational incident, an IFS officer, posted as Range Forest Officer, landed into the Vigilance Bureau net for taking lakhs of rupees from other officials of the Forest Department, who were already facing a probe by the Vigilance Bureau, on the pretext of paying bribe to the bureau.

Medicare: govt-private partnership on anvil
Chandigarh, October 1
Encouraged by the success of the World Bank-aided Rs 456-crore health delivery project, Punjab is now all set to venture into public-private partnership to enhance medicare.

COMMUNITY

Raids on SGPC members worry Badungar 
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 1
The Punjab Government is interfering in the personal and religious affairs of the Sikhs by conducting raids on the premises of SGPC members just to terrorise them to shift their loyalties from the SAD to the SHSAD. The Vigilance Department has no jurisdiction to raid the houses of the SGPC members as they are not drawing any benefit from the state exchequer.

82 more HIV cases in Amritsar
Amritsar, October 1
Eightytwo HIV positive cases were recorded by the district from April to August. As many as 12,886 blood samples were collected from the district during this period. Most of the cases are from the rural belts of Tarn Taran, Baba Bakala, Rayya, Patti and the adjoining areas where the infection has reached alarming proportions, said Dr K.K. Sharma, Civil Surgeon, while talking to TNS.

Minister opens hospital
Budhlada (Mansa), October 1
Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Public Health, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Punjab, inaugurated a Rs 1.17 crore 50-bedded hospital here today. He said with the coming up of this hospital with modern facilities, the long pending demand of the area had been met.

1,723 acres encroached upon
Ferozepore, October 1
Thousands of acres of government land in the district has been encroached upon. The district administration has failed to check these illegal encroachments despite clearcut instructions of the state government.

Housing project for defence personnel
Bathinda, October 1
The defence services have drawn up an ambitious plan to construct almost two lakh dwelling units across the country to overcome accommodation shortage. According to sources, at least 22,500 dwelling units for married personnel will be constructed at various stations located in the jurisdiction of the Western Command under phase 1 of the plan. This phase is expected to be complete by 2006.

Proposed bypass project opposed
Kharar, October 1
Mr Bir Devinder Singh, Congress MLA, has urged the Punjab Chief Minister to immediately cancel the proposed project of Kharar bypass emerging from Desu Majra village on the SAS Nagar-Kharar highway as it was not in the interest of the Punjab Government and would hit many farmers and adversely affect business activities in the town.

‘Jaago’ marches mark blood donation

Bathinda, October 1 Various associations took out “jaago” procession from different parts of the city and assembled at the Milky Booth market where a programme was organised on the eve of National Voluntary Blood Donation day last evening. The programme was organised by an NGO, the United Welfare Society. Punjabi folk artistes take out a "Jaggo" on the eve of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day on Monday evening at Bathinda to motivate residents to donate blood. — Photo Kulbir Beera

PYFA to honour Hans Raj Hans
Patiala, October 1
The Punjab Young Farmers Association has decided to honour prominent folk singer Hans Raj Hans with the Amrik Singh Cheema Award. The award will be conferred on him by Lt-Gen (retd) J.F.R. Jacob, Governor of Punjab, at the Kisan Mela in Rakhra on October 4.

Highlighting evils of drug addiction Amritsar, October 1 A move has been initiated to make people in remote villages aware of the evils of drug addiction, pollution and female foeticide in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts. Akal Purkh ki Fauj members at Akal Takht, starting a three-day "samajik chetna march (social awareness march)" in Amritsar on Tuesday. — Photo Rajiv Sharma

20 landmines explode
Fazilka, October 1
Twenty landmines are reported to have exploded near the Indo-Pak border in Goluke village yesterday. However, no causalities have been reported.

ADMINISTRATION

• 2 cops booked for harassing Briton

CRIME

Four booked in rape case
Jalandhar, October 1
The district police has booked four persons, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in a rape case. The victim, a student of class XII, in her complaint submitted to the district police, alleged that Harjinder Kaur, who was her neighbour at Mothawali village in Kapurthala and was at present living at the Guru Nanak Nagar locality here, told her family members about a travel agent, who could arrange her immigration to some Western country.

DC’s convoy crushes sarpanch to death
Ferozepore, October 1
A sarpanch was crushed to death under a Gypsy, belonging to the security convoy of Mr D.K. Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, 9 km from here this evening. According to details available from the local police, the pilot Gypsy attached with the Deputy Commissioner rammed into Mr Valaita Ram, sarpanch of Hazi Betu village at the Khai Femeke bus stop where he was waiting for a bus.

• Priest accused of sodomy remanded