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TOP STORIES

Nomination of Tytler, Sajjan insult to Sikhs, says Badal
Chandigarh, April 17
The Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today described as “brutally insensitive and a gross insult to the Sikhs” the decision of the Congress high command to reward the culprits of history’s worstever massacre against Sikhs, Mr Jagdish Tytler, Mr Sajjan Kumar and certain others with the party ticket for the parliamentary election.

• ON RECORD: Cooperation, not confrontation need of the hour: Badal

Sukhbir, Gujral to file papers on April 21
Chandigarh, April 17
Four candidates belonging to different parties filed their nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab today. The total number of candidates who have filed their papers has now risen to six.

Badal’s counsel moves three applications
Ropar, April 17
Counsel of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today moved three applications in the court of Special Judge S.K. Goel here in case of corruption and disproportionate assets registered against Mr Badal by the Punjab Vigilance.

• Harsimranjit may join SAD

• Kuthala expelled from SAD

• SAD meeting today

• Punjab Congress names 11-member youth panel

Punjab Government woos farmers with an eye on poll
Bathinda, April 17
The state Congress government seems to have made all-out efforts to woo every section of society to get their votes for the party and its alliance candidates to get the maximum number of seats in Punjab in the Lok Sabha elections by extending them “favours”.

Sidhu’s political test opens Wagah, April 17 Sporting saffron turban and shirt, Navjot Sidhu crossed the border here to plunge into active politics today. He claimed he would storm the Congress citadel by “clean bowling” vetern Congress leader R.L. Bhatia, a six-time winner from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, by cashing in on the cricket fever. Sidhu bowled over by PM, says wife
BJP candidate from the Amritsar constituency Navjot Sidhu makes an informal election speech on his way to Amritsar from Wagah border on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Cong violating EC guidelines, says Atwal
Phagwara April 17
Mr Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, MLA and son of Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, the SAD-BJP-BKU candidate from the Phillaur (reserved) constituency, who is spearheading his father’s poll campaign today met the Returning Officer of the constituency at Jalandhar and gave him a written complaint about the violation of the model code of conduct by the ruling Congress.

• Infighting surfaces in Cong

• Cong promises remain unfulfilled: SAD

BSP nominee files papers, fails to declare assets
Ropar, April 17
Mr Mann Singh Manhera, the all-India general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party today filed his nomination papers from Ropar before the DC and the Returning Officer, Ms Seema Jain, today.

• BSP candidate may dent Cong vote bank

Pabwan files nomination as CPI (ML) candidate
Jalandhar, April 17
A Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) nominee, Mr Hans Raj Pabwan, today filed his nomination papers for Phillaur (Reserve) constituency, to the Assistant Returning Officer here. He is the first candidate to file nomination papers from the constituency.

This candidate owes Rs 15,000 to government
Bathinda, April 17
Mr Bhagwant Singh, CPI (M.I.) Liberation candidate, today filed his nomination papers for the Bathinda (Reserved) parliamentary constituency for the coming elections. He was accompanied by hundreds of party workers.

POLITICS

Kanwaljit promises to complete canal project
Patiala, April 17
Capt Kanwaljit Singh, senior Akali leader and contestant from the Patiala parliamentary constituency, has accused the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, of harming the interests of farmers of Ghanaur region immediately after coming to power by suspending work on the Rs 650-crore Dashmesh canal project which was initiated by the Akali Dal government in the year 2000.

NDA pleasing capitalists, says Preneet
Patiala, April 17
The Congress candidate for the Patiala parliamentary constituency, Mrs Preneet Kaur has said, the feel good factor, being hyped by the NDA government, was merely an eyewash. She said the Central Government was pleasing the capitalists and the rich strata of society.

Five Congress councillors may join SAD today
Amritsar, April 17
Five Congress councillors led by Mr Daljit Singh Chhina, grandson of Comrade Achhar Singh Chhina, a freedom fighter, are likely to join the Shiromani Akali Dal in the presence of Mr Parkash Singh Badal here tomorrow. Mr Chhina is also a special invitee of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

COMMUNITY

All-religion meeting calls for brotherhood
Tarn Taran, April 17
A message of universal brotherhood, world peace and prosperity for the human race was delivered today at a Sarab Dharam Sammelan organised at Khadoor Sahib as part of the 500th birth anniversary celebrations of second Sikh Guru Angad Dev.

Preet Nagar’s intellectual spirit to be revived
Preet Nagar (Amritsar), April 17 The South Asian Foundation and a Goodwill Ambassador of Unesco, Mr Madanjit Singh, a contemporary of Gurbax Singh Preetlari, the founder of Preet Nagar, are trying to revive the intellectual spirit of Preet Nagar. It had fallen on bad days due to the Partition. Preet Nagar was a hub of renowned Punjabi and Urdu writers in the pre-Partition days.
Mr Madanjit Singh (centre), goodwill ambassador UNESCO, Mr H.P. Dixit, Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Open University (left), and Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, GNDU, addresses the audience at Amritsar during the inauguration of SAF-IGNOU study centre. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Amarinder meets Tohra’s widow
Patiala, April 17
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, yesterday visited Tohra village, around 30 km from here, to meet Mrs Joginder Kaur, widow of the late SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

• Perspective: Netas hijack Tohra’s Bhog ceremony

CM felicitates people on parkash utsav
Chandigarh, April 17
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today felicitated the people of Punjab and Punjabis settled abroad on the occasion of Guru Angad Dev's 500th parkash utsav.

Students of the Delhi Public School (DPS), Pinjore, perform bhangra at Bathinda on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Installation of robot put off
Tarn Taran, April 17
Devotees thronging Khadoor Sahib to pay their respects to second Sikh Guru Angad Dev on his 500th birth anniversary caused the organisers to postpone the installation of a robot in the multimedia Sikh museum today.

• Cassette on Guru Angad Dev released

10 taken ill after consuming tea
Bathinda, April 17
Ten persons, including farmers and labourers, were admitted to the Rampura Phul Civil Hospital late tonight evening today when they fell ill after taking tea while thrashing wheat in Bachhuana village of the district.

Taxi driver’s display of honesty
Phagwara, April 17
A taxi driver, Amrik Singh, operating from Rajasansi airport, Amritsar, has set an example of honesty and social responsibility. It was learnt here today that an NRI, Jarnail Singh, who had come from the UK to visit his native village, Haripur Khalsa, near here, had hired a taxi from the airport.

Labourer dies in blast
Jalandhar, April 17
Daniel Masih, a 30-year-old labourer, died in a mysterious bomb blast which ripped apart his body in pieces in front of his house in Dhirowali village near Adampur this morning. The deceased was believed to have found some undetonated old bomb.

Preserve cultural heritage, says IGP
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17
Punjab has rich cultural and heritage. It is our moral duty to preserve it by encouraging the people particularly the youth to participate in cultural activities, so that they are not swayed by the present trend of westernisation and vulgarity, which lead to drug addiction and other social evils.

• SAD(A) activist alleges illegal detention

• Road renamed

• BSF jawan buried with honours

• 2 killed in road mishap

COURTS

High Court
Writ petition dismissed
Chandigarh, April 17
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a writ filed by a woman seeking directions to the Punjab Government to appoint her as PTI, Instructor.

AGRICULTURE

Taxation on agriculture produce high: US envoy
Chandigarh, April 17
“I wish I could own a booth in one of the grain markets in Punjab and earn a cool 2 per cent commission without doing anything,” was the comment the US Ambassador to India, Mr David C. Mulford, give in a lighter vein, holding that there is an ample scope for an intermediary agency to work between producers and consumers in a state like Punjab.

Central team visits Sirhind grain market
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17
A high-powered team of Central Government officials from the FCI yesterday visited the grain market at Sirhind. The team took stock of procurement, quality, and lifting of the wheat in the mandi. The team was led by Mr. Sanjay Kaul Joint Secretary (Policy) and Mrs Ratna, Director, Finance.

ADMINISTRATION

R.S. Gill heads languages dept
Patiala, April 17
Mr Rachpal Singh Gill has been appointed the Director of the Punjab Languages Department.

CRIME

Four held for duping emigration aspirants
Amritsar, April 17
With the arrest of four persons, the Gurdaspur police today claimed to have busted a gang of cheats which defrauded at least 18 persons of Rs 5.90 lakh on the pretext of sending them to Australia.

They killed sister for lodging complaint against her husband
Abohar, April 17
A recently married girl was allegedly killed by her brothers and mother for lodging a criminal complaint against her husband under the Dowry Prevention Act. They also assaulted the head of the family.

One killed, 9 hurt in looters’ attack
Sangrur, April 17
A gang of looters, comprising seven or eight persons, attacked two families, living in the fields of Kothe Kharrial village, near Sunam, last night with swords, iron rods and lathis and killed Darbara Singh (70). Nine other members of the families were also injured seriously in this attack.

Wife, 3 others held for man’s murder Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17 The district police claims to have solved a murder case with the arrest of four persons — the wife of the victim, her paramour and two contract killers. Addressing mediapersons, Mr Shiv Kumar, SSP, said on April 12, Gurmeet Singh of Nandpur Kalour village who was an employee with the Punjab State Electricity Board, was murdered in sleep on the roof of his house.

The accused in a case of blind murder in police custody at Fatehgarh Sahib.

2 drug smugglers nabbed
Nawanshahr, April 17
In yet another success in its drive against drug smugglers, the Nawanshahr police nabbed two Garhshankar residents, along with the biggest-ever haul of narcotic drugs, besides Rs 26,300.

2 poachers arrested
Hoshiarpur, April 17
In a major catch, the Forest Department authorities have arrested two alleged poachers, who used to trap leopards in the Shivalik hills area falling on the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border and mercilessly kill them with sticks before skinning them.

Spurious kerosene racket busted
Moga, April 17
The police claimed a major breakthrough in the selling and supply of spurious kerosene and busted a gang by arresting its two members. Sarup Singh and Surjit Singh, driver and conductor of a canter, were arrested when they were allegedly carrying 11,800 litres of kerosene for supplying to Delhi.

Raids on dairies, one held
Patiala, April 17
The health authorities yesterday launched an offensive against dairy owners who contaminated milk by raiding two dairies besides arresting a person on charges of manufacterial.

EDUCATION

‘Suit skills to real work environment’
Jalandhar, April 17
The new work environment and the characteristics of the new-generation employees are significantly changing the employment landscape, in which industry-institute interaction has an important role to play by way of bringing relevance to the skills imparted to students.

BUSINESS

BSNL to set up 3 online cash collection centres
Jalandhar, April 17
In its bid to provide better facilities at the grassroots level, the BSNL has decided to set up three online cash collection centres in the rural areas of Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts, which will cater to the needs of about 20,000 subscribers.