POLITICS

Mayawati, Cong blamed for exploiting Dalits
Jalandhar, July 31
The Bahujan Samaj Morcha has criticised the state government for alleged failure to implement promises made to the Dalits. Talking to reporters Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, a former MP and the president of the BSM, alleged that a number of promises, including doubling of the ‘Shagun Scheme’ amount from Rs 5100 to Rs 11000, doubling the amount of old-age pension and implementation of the Mandal Commission in the state were made by the Congress in June 2 rally at Jalandhar, but none of these promises were fulfilled.

COMMUNITY

Talhan Jat-Dalit issue resolved
Jalandhar, July 31
After membership issue, the two Dalit nominees on the Shaheed Nihal Singh Gurdwara Management Committee and Jat members paid obeisance jointly at Anandpur Sahib Gurdwara today.

Admn resolves Dalit-Jat dispute
Phillaur, July 31
The administration has resolved a communal land dispute in Rurrka Kalan village. According to reports, Dalits in the village requested Jats to give 55 marlas of land for celebrating Guru Ravi Dass birthday a few months ago.

Sunam renamed after Shaheed Udham Singh
Sunam, July 31
A state-level function, to observe the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh, was held under the presidentship of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at the local New Grain Market today. Mr Lal Singh, Finance Minister, Mr H.S. Hanspal, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Surjit Singh Dhiman, MLA, Dirba, and Mr Jasbir Singh, Chairman, Punjab Agro, also attended the function.

Citizens recall Udham’s sacrifice
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 31
On his martyrdom day today, Udham Singh was paid rich tributes at his memorial at Rauza Sharif here. Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, in his address at the gathering, said the privileges of the Independence were due to the supreme sacrifices made by Udham Singh and others like him.

Shopkeepers threaten SDM
Amritsar, July 31
SDM Pardeep Kumar was allegedly threatened by shopkeepers of the Sainik Rest House yesterday. The shopkeepers also allegedly assaulted Mr S.P. Singh, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare Board.

Khalra panel for action against Patiala police chief
Amritsar, July 31
Demanding the suspension of Mr Paramjit Singh Umranangal, SSP, Patiala, allegedly for registering a “false” case of rape against Mr Kirpal Singh Randhawa, Deputy chairman, Punjab Human Rights Organisation, the Khalra Mission Committee today sought that the case should be probed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Breathalysers for railway stations
Bathinda, July 31
The Northern Railway authorities have decided to equip all main railway stations with breathalysers to check use of liquor by drivers and other staff of trains, while on duty.

MC’s offer to regularise illegal water connections
Patiala, July 31
The local Municipal Corporation has decided to serve notices on around 10,000 persons having illegal water connections in the city, offering them a chance to get their connections regularised without penalty.

Rs 17.47 cr to be spent on development of Ropar
Ropar, July 31
A meeting of the Planning and Development Board of Ropar held yesterday witnessed a tiff between the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Mr Bir Davinder Singh, and the district authorities. The Deputy Speaker later blamed the officials for having failed to utilise developmental funds.

Rice shellers raided
Sangrur, July 31
Mr Manpreet Singh Chhatwal, SDM-cum-Administrator of Market Committee, Sangrur, raided the premises of three rice shellers, Sat Kartar Rice Mill, Parveen Rice Mill and Jaspal Rice Mill, here on Wednesday, in connection with keeping “unaccounted” paddy (purchased during this season).

Minister blamed for Ghumiara row
Jalandhar, July 31
The Gurdwara Asthan Sati Mata Ghumiara Sangharsh Committee today alleged that Punjab Local Bodies Minister Choudhary Jagjit Singh was driving a wedge between two communities by supporting those, who were making attempts to convert gurdwara into a temple at Ghumiara village.

Man buried under earth for 5 days!
Tapa Mandi, July 31
Various agencies of the state government along with the Army have failed to take out a man who was buried under earth here ago five days. He was digging a pit for installing a tubewell motor when the incident took place.

Speaker refers report to panel
Chandigarh, July 31
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Dr Kewal Krishan, has referred to the Privileges Committee a report published in a local Punjabi newspaper wherein some objectionable matter had infringed upon the “independent status” of the Vidhan Sabha besides causing aspersions on the high office of the Speaker.

Dead phones annoy subscribers
Batala, July 31
Resentment prevails among local telephone subscribers due to non-functioning telephones for the past few days. Mr Ashwani Kumar told the correspondent here today that their residence telephone has remained non-functional since July 11.

Train damages vehicles
Phagwara, July 31
A train, going from Jalandhar to Nawanshahr, damaged two scooters, two rickshaws, a cycle near the Satnampura railway crossing here yesterday.

SSP’s escort vehicle overturns, 6 injured
Bathinda, July 31
Six gunmen of the district police chief had a narrow escape when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned near Tapa on the Bathinda-Barnala road today.

CM out to scuttle refinery, says Badal
Chandigarh, July 31
The Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today said the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, was out to scuttle the Bathinda oil refinery. And he was bent upon bartering away Punjab's interests for personal profits.

Notification on private practice today
Chandigarh, July 31
The Punjab Government has failed to issue guidelines to regulate private practice of government doctors.

Five injured in cylinder blast
Ropar, July 31
Five persons injured in an LPG cylinder burst at Jhallian village near Ropar last night. Sources said the incident took place when the family was trying to replace the cylinder.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Controller alleges torture in custody
Chandigarh, July 31
In less than two months after five officials of Wimpy International Limited were “picked up” by the Vigilance Bureau from their residences in Delhi, company’s Controller, Raj Kumar Gupta, today alleged that he was “mentally and physically tortured” in police custody.

Bajaj Auto told to pay Rs 25,000
Ferozepore, July 31
The Consumer Forum here directed Bajaj Auto to pay compensation of Rs 25,000 for misleading advertisement. According to the information, Bajaj Auto Limited, Pune, released an advertisement showing that average petrol consumption of the Bajaj Boxer Motorcycle costing Rs 35,400/- was 91 km per litre.

AGRICULTURE

6 farmer unions start statewide stir
Jalandhar, July 31
The joint action committee of six farmers’ organisations of Punjab today announced the launch of a statewide agitation in protest against the failure of the state government to redress their grievances. The decision was taken at a state-level convention held at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here today.

CRIME

Man tries to cheat mother-in-law, booked
Hoshiarpur, July 31
Lust for money can make a person even cheat his close relatives. A case of impersonation for grabbing Rs 2 lakh from his mother-in-law by Prithi Singh has been reported in the Mahilpur police station.

Granthi assaulted with axes, dies
Hoshiarpur, July 31
A granthi of Gurdwara Sherpur, Mr Bhagwan Singh, succumbed to his injuries at the Civil Hospital, Mukerian, last midnight. He, his son Harjit Singh and wife Surjit Kaur were seriously injured when three or four unidentified persons assaulted them in their house with axes while they were sleeping last midnight.

Dowry death case registered
Mansa, July 31
The Sadar Mansa police today registered a case following the mysterious death of Kulwinder Kaur in her in-laws house, in Khokhar Kalan village, yesterday. Her father Jagtar Singh, a resident of Kanakwal village in Bathinda district, alleged that his daughter had been murdered for dowry.

• Farmer found murdered

EDUCATION

Board vocationalises Hindi syllabus
Chandigarh, July 31
After years of dithering, the Punjab School Education Board has finally taken the first step towards inspiring its syllabi with relevance. To begin with, the board has approved vocationalisation of Hindi syllabus in its schools all over Punjab.

Governor lays stress on IT-related education
Amritsar, July 31
The Punjab Governor, Justice O.P. Verma, has appealed to the management of DAV institutes to reach out to far-flung areas and provide quality education. The Governor expressed these views at the inaugural function of the design and technology complex in the BBK DAV College, here yesterday.

Juniors forced to strip, 3 students suspended
Patiala, July 31
Three students of B.Pharmacy Department of Punjabi University have been suspended with immediate effect following a complaint of extreme ragging against them lodged by six students of the department .

Teachers’ alliance wins varsity poll
Amritsar, July 31
The ‘Pro-Teacher Alliance’ (PTA) group led by Dr Narpinder Singh, Head of the Food Science and Technology Department, had defeated its opponent the United Progressive Teachers Front with the biggest margin in the teachers association elections in Guru Nanak Dev University held on its campus recently.

Senior secondary school for Kharar okayed
Kharar, July 31
The Punjab Government has approved the plan to open a Government Senior Secondary School here.

• B.Ed counselling

BUSINESS

Petrol pumps to remain closed
SAS Nagar, July 31
Petrol pumps in Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Ropar and Sangrur will remain closed tomorrow for a day in protest against the decision of the government to increase Sales Tax on petrol by 5 per cent.