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TOP STORIES

Rethink on Cabinet expansion
Chandigarh, January 18
There is rethinking in the Congress on the need for tinkering with the present Council of Ministers in Punjab. Sources say the re-designation of Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal as Deputy Chief Minister may just be a formality but expansion of the council of ministers may be viewed as an infringement of the new law that makes the Anti-Defection Act more stringent and restricts the size of the Council of Ministers at the Centre and in the states.

Vajpayee, Advani to address rallies in state
Jalandhar, January 18
The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, will address party rallies at three places in Punjab in February, for which a detailed programme was being worked out by the state BJP leadership.

Punjab yet to form dist plan panels
Chandigarh, January 18
The initiation of process of devolution of powers on panchayati raj institutions with great fanfare in the presence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Bathinda on January 15 notwithstanding, the Punjab Government is yet to notify the constitution of district planning committees for consolidation of plans prepared by panchayats and municipalities.

Border villagers oppose move to reclaim land
Amritsar, January 18
Refugee families from Pakistan as well as some locals who survived the Partition holocaust face the stark prospect of being homeless once again.

Bul Bul refuses to turn approver
Patiala, January 18
Property dealer Bul Bul Mehta, who is accused of being involved in human trafficking case registered against pop singer Daler Mehndi, his brother Shamsher and others, was today “advised” by the Patiala police to turn approver in the case.

Heavy police security to avoid clash among migrants
Abohar, January 18
A heavy posse of police was deployed at Nehru Park here today to avert a clash between two groups of migrants. Police personnel were withdrawn from all nakas and crossings inside and outside the sub divisional town and were deployed around the park located in the heart of the walled city.

One more rice milling scam detected
Abohar, January 18
One more scam allegedly involving rice mill of Guruharsahai which had been supplied paddy for milling by Punsup had recently come to light, according to sources. It is learnt that an employee of a rice mill at Guruharsahai, owned by a senior functionary of the ruling party in Ferozepore Cantonment, expressed his inability to take charge of the Punsup paddy stock lying at the mill.

POLITICS

Cong rally waste of public money, say Dalits
Bathinda, January 18
Mr Kiranjit Singh, state president, Dalit Sena, today said that the rally organised by Congress government here on January 15 in connection with the formal initiation of empowerment of panchayats was to waste public money and a move to eradicate reservation in recruitment of employees by the panchayats.

• D.S. Cheema named SAD Secy
  

COMMUNITY

Lal Singh award for Harcharan Singh
Patiala, January 18
The Giani Lal Singh Memorial Trust today honoured noted theatre personality Harcharan Singh with this year’s award in the name of the late scholar at a function organised at the Language Department here.

Bill to give more teeth to cooperative societies
Chandigarh, January 18
In order to make cooperative societies self-sufficient in all respects, the Punjab Government is set to bring Self-reliant Cooperative Societies Bill-2003, in the coming budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.

A tribute to Giani Gurmukh Singh
GIANI Gurmukh Singh Musafir entered politics after his sensitive poetic soul had reacted strongly against the imperialist violence at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 and at Nankana Sahib in 1921. Born on January 15, 1899, at Adhwal village in Campbellpore district (now in Pakistan) to a farming father, Musafir was educated and trained to be a teacher. At 19, he was working in the school where master Tara Singh — who later became a great Sikh leader — was the Headmaster.

Free treatment for poor
Jalandhar, January 18
“Pahal”, a non governmental organisation (NGO) in collaboration with a group of NRIs has decided to provide free treatment to the poor patients suffering from eye ailments, particularly those living in rural areas of the state.

Building shops on land meant for school
Amritsar, January 18
Even as the temple management continues construction of 12 shops at a hectic pace, allegedly flouting the lease agreement with the Municipal Corporation for building a primary school on the prime land near the Durgiana temple, the district administration and the corporation have turned a blind eye to the alleged violation.

Sullar village gets water supply scheme
Patiala, January 18
The Punjab Finance Minister, Mr Lal Singh, today inaugurated a water supply scheme costing Rs 25 lakh at Sullar village near here.

Bad weather hits rail services
Jalandhar, January 18
Bad weather and fog continued to paralyse rail traffic with most of the long-distance trains on the Jammu-Delhi and Amritsar-Delhi sections running several hours behind schedule.

Ex-MLA Mofar hurt in mishap
Bathinda, January 18
Mr Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, former MLA, Sardulgarh Assembly segment of Mansa district, was injured along with his two gunmen when the vehicle, in which they were travelling, collided with a truck near Bhikhi town late last night.

Four killed in mishap
Batala, January 18
Four persons, including two girls and a woman, were killed and four others seriously injured when a Jeep they were travelling in hit a oil tanker near Malu Dwara village under today, the police said.

COURTS

SC panel summons record from VC
Patiala, January 18
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has taken cognisance of a complaint filed by sacked Assistant Public Relations Officer (APRO) of Punjabi University H.S. Khokhar and summoned facts and other information pertaining to his dismissal from Vice-Chancellor S.S Boparai.

ADMINISTRATION

ADC to probe charges against Tehsildar
Jalalabad, January 18
The Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepore, Mr Ranjit Singh, has marked an inquiry to the ADC, Ferozepore, to probe corruption charges levelled against Mr Ravinder Walia, Tehsildar, Jalalabad, by Mr Vikasdeep of Jalalabad in his complaint to the DC. The complainant said the Tehsildar had received huge sums of money from one Mr Ashok Kumar for getting demarcated of a disputed piece of land.

CRIME

Man, parents booked for dowry death
Amritsar, January 18
The sadar police has booked one Arvind Jain and his parents — Abhilash Jain and Veena Jain — in connection with the death of his wife Neetu Jain here today. The woman was pregnant at the time of her death. A case under Sections 306, 34 of the IPC has been registered against them.

One more held in arhtiya murder case
Nabha, January 18
The crime branch, Patiala, today arrested Gurmit Singh in connection with the murder of an arhtiya of Nabha, Major Singh. He was sent to judicial custody till January 30.

11 held under Gambling Act
Jalandhar, January 18
The police today arrested as many as 11 persons under the Gambling Act, including the kingpin with the recovery of cash worth Rs 1.84 from them sources said.

EDUCATION

Residents want govt to take over private college
Bathinda, January 18
A section of panchayats, falling in Nathana, Joga and Rampura Phul Assembly segments and a section of staff members of TPD Malwa College, Rampura Phul, have urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to make arrangements to facilitate its takeover by the state government at the earliest.

GND varsity wins youth fest trophy
Jalandhar, January 18
Guru Nanak Dev University has become the first university in the northern region to win the North Zone Inter Varsity Youth Festival Trophy for the fourth consecutive term.

20,000 students take GK test
Jalandhar, January 18
As many as 20,000 students of different educational institutions today participated in a state-level general knowledge test, organised by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) here today. The aim of the test was to create awareness among the youth about the Indian history, culture and role of freedom fighters.

One room for five classes!
Kharar, January 18
One room for running five classes? Don’t be shocked. The answer is in the affirmative. In Kharar two government primary schools are being run from one room each. The third government primary school is a little lucky as it has two rooms for Class I to V even though cowdung is dumped by neighbours on its premises.

BUSINESS

Junk dealers agree to shift market
Patiala, January 18
Local junk dealers have agreed to the plan of the district administration to shift the Kabari Market to Transport Nagar, Rajpura Road.