Bishop of Paris to take up turban issue
Patiala, February 2
National Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh today said the turban row in Paris was likely to be resolved soon with the Bishop of Paris set to taking up the issue with the French government.

8 jail officials transferred
Chandigarh, February 2
The Punjab Government today transferred eight jail officials. Mr Jagjit Singh has been posted as Superintendent, Central Jail, Ludhiana; and Mr Gursharan Singh as Superintendent, Central Jail, Patiala.

POLITICS

Punjab Congress gets activated
Chandigarh, February 2
Redressal of grievances and taking decisions on organisational matters, including reconstitution of some frontal cells, will be among major items on the agenda of district-level meetings which the Punjab Pradesh Congress Commit-tee has decided to start from February 9 to mobilise grass-root-level workers for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Tandon or Sodhi, that’s the question
Amritsar, February 2
The move of BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon to contest from Amritsar has caused a furore in the local BJP even as former MP and former state BJP chief Daya Singh Sodhi has declared that he is the winning and ‘fittest candidate’ for the Lok Sabha poll.

Lok Bhalai Party campaign from February 8
Jalandhar, February 2
The Lok Bhalai Party today announced to launch “Lok Jagao Punjab Bachao” campaign in Ludhiana from February 8. At a press conference here party president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, received that six teams were constituted to tour 425 villages of Ludhiana district from February 8 to February 16.

SAD youth wing to enrol one lakh members
Hoshiarpur, February 2
The youth wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal will mobilise youths of Punjab for the development of the state. It will enrol at least one lakh youths as members for this shortly.

Morcha cancels merger rally of February 15
Phagwara, February 2
The proposed merger of the Bahujan Samaj Morcha in the Bahujan Samaj Party today suffered a setback when the Morcha cancelled its Bahujan Ekta Rally, slated to be held at Banga on February 15.

Govt policies anti-people, says Left
Tarn Taran, February 2
A political conference was organised here yesterday by the CPM, the MCPI, the CPI (ML) and the AIFB, which was attended by hundreds of peasants, labourers youths and women from Amritsar district.

NCP unit goes Sangma way
Chandigarh, February 2
The Punjab unit of the Nationalist Congress Party today decided to side with Mr P.S. Sangma’s faction.

• Nation page: Talks with NDA after Feb 6, says Sangma

COMMUNITY

Ban discharge of sullage into rivers, says NGO
Amritsar, February 2
Students of the Department of Zoology Guru Nanak Dev University organised a one-day filed tour to Harike Wetland 40 km from here to observe World Wetland Day today. Dr Anish Dua, a senior lecturer, Zoology highlighted the importance of Wetlands in the country for preserving natural resources like water, flora and fauna.

Id celebrated with enthusiasm Malerkotla, February 2 Id-ul-Zuha prayers were offered in several mosques here today. The biggest congregation was witnessed at the local Idgah, where at least one lakh persons offered ‘namaz’ and greeted each other. Maulana Hashim Shah Shabib, Shahi Imam of the local Jama Masjid, led the ‘namaz’ at the Idgah. Devotees recite the namaz at the Idgah on the Mall Road, Patiala, on the occasion of Id-ul-Zuha in Patiala on Monday.

Traders seek reopening of Hussainiwala border
FEROZEPORE: While guns have stopped emitting fire from either side of the fence, and both the Indian and Pakistani Governments have set off the process to resume the bilateral composite dialogue, once again a new hope has arisen among residents of the border town, who feel that their long pending demand to open the Hussainiwala-Kasur border for trade and transit would be fulfilled soon.

Gift horse for Capt detained at Wagah Wagah, February 2 A thoroughbred horse of rare Arabian breed, gifted by Mr Parvez Elahi, Chief Minister, West Punjab (Pakistan), to his Indian counterpart, Capt Amarinder Singh, could not cross the Wagah checkpost here due to stringent customs rules.

Authorities shielding killers of student, says union
Abohar, February 2
The Technical Services Union here has condemned Muktsar district administration allegedly for shielding transporters responsible for crushing to death Harjinder Pal Singh, a student of Government College Muktsar, on January 29.

No fear of terrorism, says Punjab Intelligence
Mohali, February 2
Putting speculation to rest, highly placed sources in the Punjab Intelligence today stated that the Burail jail break case was not likely to have wider ramifications and there were little chances of revival of terrorism in Punjab.

Civil engineers or plumbers?
Amritsar, February 2
Even as civil engineer, being technical professionals, are called upon to be the certifying authority before granting permission for construction according to guidelines of Disaster Management, a department under the Ministry of Home Affairs, due to Punjab’s high vulnerability to earthquakes, they are now being asked to register themselves as plumbers.

SGPC may start TV channel
Ludhiana, February 2
The SGPC is contemplating to have its own TV channel to relay Gurbani and disseminate information on Sikhism. The project is likely to be completed in phases.

Scheme prepared to control TB
Fazilka, February 2
Dr Jagir Singh Kahlon, Civil Surgeon, Ferozepore, said here today that a comprehensive scheme had been prepared to control and eradicate TB. He said under the revised national tuberculosis control programme, four main centres were being set up in Ferozepore district.

MLA refutes allegations
Sangrur, February 2
Refuting allegations levelled against him by members of the local Truck Operators Union and its president after the eviction of the union from its premises on January 28, Mr Arvind Khanna, local MLA, said the union had encroached upon municipal council’s land worth more than Rs 1 crore.

Tohra’s appeal to Sikhs
Chandigarh, February 2
SGPC President G.S. Tohra has urged Sikhs living in India and abroad to observe three centenaries pertaining to Sikh history this year.

Patiala in spring-cleaning mode in winter
Patiala, February 2
It may be winter, but for the district administration and the municipal corporation it may as well be spring as this is the time of the year when every official gets into the spring-cleaning mode. This is because of the upcoming Heritage Festival scheduled to be held in the city from February 14 to 21.

MC to spruce up Patiala for Heritage Festival
Patiala, February 2
The Municipal Corporation is all set to undertake steps to spruce up the city as part of its preparations for the Heritage Festival, which will begin on February 14 and continue till February 22.

• Zirakpur-Panchkula road traffic blocked

• Theatre fest opens with ‘Andher Nagri’

• Entrepreneurship programme begins

COURTS

High Court
Key witness seeks tight security cover
Chandigarh, February 2
Acting on a petition filed by key witness Balwinder Singh in Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case seeking directions for fortifying security cover provided to him, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for February 5.

ADMINISTRATION

Excise Dept drive against illicit distillation
Bathinda, February 2
To curb bootlegging in this region, the Excise and Taxation authorities have decided to raid the premises suspected to be used for illicit distillation. Mr P.C. Payasa, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Faridkot and Ferozepore division, told The Tribune that the decision had been taken to prevent hooch tragedies which claimed two lives in Chand Bhan village of Faridkot district yesterday.

Col Dhillon is Advisory panel member
Chandigarh, February 2
The Punjab Government has appointed Col T.S Dhillon (retd) as a member of the Advisory Committee. The notification states that his tenure in the committee shall be at the pleasure of the government.

CRIME

2 kids die in road accident
Phagwara, February 2
Two children were killed while two others were injured when an allegedly drunken driver of a Tata Sumo drove his vehicle into them at Deengrian village last night, it was learnt yesterday.

3 held for demanding dowry
Phagwara, February 2
The police had arrested three persons on charges of demanding dowry on the complaint of Reshma, a resident of Mannanwali village. Those arrested were her husband Parwinder Singh, her mother-in-law Dilbag Kaur and her sister-in-law Manjit Kaur.

Four held for attacking a Dalit
Jalandhar, February 2
The police here has arrested four persons including a panch of Talhan village near here allegedly for assaulting a Dalit member of the managing committee of Shaheedan Gurdwara and his brother under the influence of liquor.

Poppy husk smuggler held
Nawanshahr, February 2
Mr M.F. Farooqui, SSP, stated in a press note here yesterday that the police arrested a notorious poppy husk smuggler Jagiro, widow of Nanju Ram, a resident of Mukandpur, 20 km from here. 

• Missing boy’s body found

• Robbers shoot at salesman

EDUCATION

Private college teachers rue govt indifference
Sangrur, February 2
Resentment prevails among at least 5,000 private college teachers, serving in about 175 privately managed colleges in Punjab, including unaided colleges, against the Punjab Government’s alleged indifferent and stepmotherly attitude towards them with regard to their demands and grievances for the past couple of years.

Symposium at Punjabi University
Patiala, February 2
To discuss the recent trends in research and advancements made in the field of micro and macroalgal biotechnology, a two-day national symposium is being organised by the Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala, from February 4.

School board clerks protest Patiala, February 2 Clerks of the Punjab School Education Board, who were selected during the regime of the Akali government, organised a protest march against the ‘anti-employees’ policies of the state government here today. In all, 134 clerks took part in the protest. Dismissed clerks hold a protest march on the Mall Road in Patiala on Monday.

BUSINESS

Chicken sale down by 25 pc
Bathinda, February 2
Even as no case of bird flu has been reported in the region, the fear psychosis created by it among the residents of the Malwa region has started affecting the sale of chicken, which has come down by 25 per cent in the past few days.

• World page: 3 more Thais die of suspected bird flu