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Amarinder gets a breather
Focus now on Sonia’s Bathinda visit
Chandigarh, January 7
 The Congress high command has done whatit thought was best in the interest of Punjab. It has designated Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, as ‘’deputy’’ Chief Minister. Yet, the dissidents who had sided with her all these weeks are restive and there persists a political disquiet in the state.

• Cong leaders unhappy with district administration

• Most ministers stay away from sectt

• Dy Speaker reaffirms faith in CM

Bhattal fails to appear in court
Chandigarh, January 7
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today again failed to appear in the District Courts where charges of corruption were to be framed against her. The case has been adjourned for January 10.

Centre to take up PSGPC issue with Pak
Amritsar, January 7
The Government of India has agreed in principle to look into the demand of the SGPC for the maintenance of Sikh shrines in Pakistan on a priority basis. 

Rs 80,000 in fake currency seized, four held
Jalandhar, January 7
Continuing with its crusade against agents dealing in fake currency, the district police has arrested four persons and seized fake currency worth Rs 80,000 from them.

Journalists hopeful of lasting peace
Wagah, January 7
The ice has started melting between India and Pakistan, which will help in the early restoration of normalcy after the meaningful bilateral talks during the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Sikh council writes to Chirac on turban
Chandigarh, January 7
Mr Amarjit Singh Buttar, Chairman of the World Sikh Council, America region, has urged French President Jacques Chirac, to reconsider his decision to ban conspicuous religious symbols, including head dresses, from government schools and other places in that country.

POLITICS

Akali Dal against LS poll in April
Kapurthala, January 7
Mr Parkash Singh Badal former Chief Minister Punjab and president of Akali Dal (Badal) has opposed holding of Lok Sabha elections in March and April 2004 because he said farmers in Punjab would be harvesting wheat and rabi crops.

COMMUNITY

Nayyar calls for reunion of Punjabs
Patiala, January 7
Eminent journalist Kuldeep Nayyar today sentimentally called for a reunion of both Punjabs, in India and Pakistan, to promote Punjabi on both sides of the border. In a speech here after accepting the lifetime fellowship conferred on him, Mr Nayyar said the Partition had harmed Punjabi.

No proposal to increase passport fee
Phagwara, January 7
The Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Vinod Khanna, today said the Central Government had no proposal to increase passport fees from Rs 1,000 in the near future.

Pensioners seek Rs 500 as medical aid
Sangrur, January 7
More than 300 pensioners at a function, organised on the occasion of Pensioners Day under the banner of the Sangrur Government Pensioners Welfare Association here today, urged the Punjab Government to grant Rs 500 per month as medical allowance to government pensioners. 

Spokesman Editor fails to appear at Takht
Amritsar, January 7
Mr Joginder Singh, Editor of monthly magazine, Spokesman, today, failed to appear before Akal Takht here. The deadline for explaining his position today ended. Earlier, the Editor had questioned the validity of the notice issued by the Sikh clergy.

Resentment after notice to demolish ‘unauthorised’ structures
Pathankot, January 7
There was resentment among residents of the “Angooran wala bagh” area, here following they were given notices by the Improvement Trust, ordering them to demolish their houses in six hours.

Dharna by PSEB staff Patiala, January 7 On the call given by the Joint Forum of PSEB employees, a large number of Punjab State Electricity Board employees from the south zone held a dharna in front of the PSEB headquarter in protest against the decision of state government to unbundle the PSEB here today. The employees blocked the Mall due to which traffic was disrupted. Addressing the gathering leaders of the Joint Forum condemned the state government’s decision to dismantle the board against the interests of common man, farmers, industry and employees.   PSEB employees take out a protest march  in Patiala on Wednesday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Track sabotage: search begins
Jalandhar, January 7
The police today launched a search in the city following an alleged bid to blow up a rail track near the Goraya railway station on Monday night.

Motor cycle patrolling launched
Faridkot, January 7
The Faridkot police launched motor cycle patrolling here today. The step aims at checking anti-social activities, crime and to regulate traffic. Initially, five motor cycles, fitted with wireless sets, sirens, speakers and first aid boxes, have been deployed.

This man jacks up buildings not cars
Patiala, January 7
Do you want to jack up your building ? Literally. Leave it to Bhupinder Singh. This 20 something unlettered building contractor has lifted more than a 100 buildings in Patiala using jacks.

• Bandh held over shrine dispute

• Preneet Kaur pays tributes to Baba Ala

• Expressing ideas with pencil, charcoal

COURTS

High Court
Prisoners freed on fake documents may be booked
Chandigarh, January 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed hope that the Punjab Government will continue to make “sincere and serious efforts to book those responsible for securing release of prisoners on parole or otherwise by manufacturing and procuring fake documents and certificates”.

Bail sought in human trafficking case
Jalandhar, January 7
Even as the district police was conducting raids to apprehend former Miss Punjab Parpreet Kaur, her mother and her brother in the Rs 7-lakh human trafficking case, the three accused today reportedly moved anticipatory bail in the court of the Sessions Judge here.

Life term for killing wife
Faridkot, January 7
District and Sessions Judge Gurdev Singh yesterday sentenced Chand Singh to life imprisonment for murdering his wife in April 2001. His two brothers were acquitted by the court here.

Prem Sagar sticks to his statement in Sidhu case
Patiala, January 7
Ravi Sidhu case approver Prem Sagar today admitted during cross-examination that he, during his confessional statement in the same case earlier, had stated that he was turning approver in the case because the former PPSC Chairman and another accused in the case, Randhir Singh Dheera, had committed fraud on him.

CRIME

Accused escapes from police custody
Bathinda, January 7
Baljinder Singh, an accused in 13 criminal cases of looting, snatching, dacoity and other heinous crimes who was lodged in the local Central Jail, escaped from police custody late last evening.

Fresh case against patwari
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 7
The police has registered another case against the patwari, Gurpal Singh, his wife Satinder Kaur and Balwinder Singh a resident of Ghuman Garh for allegedly taking Rs 23.5 lakh from Varinder Singh and Harpreet Singh, both residents of Phoolanwal village in Ludhiana district, for making fake registration deeds of Canal Rest House at Adampur.

18 held, 25 cars recovered
Jalandhar, January 7
The police here claimed having arrested 18 persons and recovered 25 cars like Opel Astra, Scorpio, Maruti Zen and Wagon-R from them, said Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar SSP today. “After refurbishing nobody could suspect that these vehicles were stolen,” said Mr Bhullar.

EDUCATION

Varsity bans recruitment in defunct depts
Patiala, January 7
Punjabi University has decided to stop recruitment in Arts and Languages departments which are not attracting students and instead has decided to focus on courses in management, information technology and banking to generate resources and provide better means of employment.

Education dept staff warned against making false claims
Abohar, January 7
Former minister and PPCC vice-president Sajjan Kumar Jakhar has said teachers will have to motivate students to follow the Gandhian way of life to weed out corruption from all fields.

• Junior docs’ plea to conduct exam in March

• 40 students arrive from North-East