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TOP STORIES

Bir Devinder has spat with VC, stages dharna
Patiala, June 26
Punjab Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh, who is a member of the Punjabi University Syndicate, staged a dharna in front of Vice-Chancellor Swarn Singh Boparai’s office today after a spat with the latter on the issue of reducing marks of Punjabi and English languages to facilitate the introduction of computer application as a compulsory subject in colleges affiliated to the university.

• Punjabi varsity Syndicate clears D Litt for Sonia

Gurdwara panel countermands poll in 3 constituencies
Chandigarh, June 26
Blaming the electoral machinery for “frustrating the process of holding free- and-fair gurdwara elections”, the Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, tonight ordered countermanding of elections in Taran Tarn, Dhariwal and Gurdaspur. Elections in the remaining constituencies will be held as scheduled, it was announced.

Panthic Morcha’s conditional offer to SAD on SGPC poll
Amritsar, June 26
The conditional offer of the Panthic Morcha to withdraw candidates against Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee working President Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhoke and former ministers Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Sucha Singh Langah is likely to put the Shiromani Akali Dal in a spot.

All parties to meet PM in July on river waters
Chandigarh, June 26
An all-party delegation from Punjab, led by Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, will meet the President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on the SYL canal and river waters issue in the first week of July.

Villages without power, water We live in ‘kala pani’, says oldest resident

Kajle (Indo-Pak border), June 26 About 100 families of seven villages in Lassian Enclave across Ravi and Ujh rivers seem to have been living in medieval period as they are still without power, water and other basic amenities. A woman with her child steps out of an Army boat to reach her house in Lassian Enclave across the Ravi and the Ujh (Indo-Pak border). The Army boat is the only mode of transport for the seven villages. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Board's Class X exam results today
Mohali, June 26
The Class X examination results of the Punjab School Education Board will be declared tomorrow. According to the information made available by the board, this year 66.17 per cent of the total students who appeared for the examination have passed.

Two murdered ‘by in-laws’
Bathinda, June 26
Two persons were murdered allegedly by their respective in-laws at two places in the town today. Maggar Singh, a resident of Mehna Basti, was murdered allegedly by his in-laws when he went to his in-laws house at Chunnu village in Muktsar district to bring his wife back.

POLITICS

Kainth accuses Mayawati of back stabbing
Phagwara, June 26
The BSP President, Ms Mayawati, should have given us a hearing before expelling us from the party, Satnam Singh Kainth, who was the chief coordinator of Punjab BSP but expelled later on charges of disobedience, said here today.

COMMUNITY

Unauthorised shopping complexes demolished
Jalandhar, June 26
Despite efforts of Mayor Surinder Mahey to scuttle the drive to demolish unauthorised shops and shopping complexes in residential areas, including that of the Editor of a local Punjabi daily Ratnesh Singh Sodhi, the municipal corporation authorities led by Commissioner T.R. Sarangal today demolished multi-storeyed shopping complexes and buildings being built in violation of building bylaws.

Bollywood actor Arya Babbar paying obeisance at the Golden Temple on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Bridge unsafe for heavy traffic
Ropar June 26
The over 100-year-old bridge on the Sirhind canal in Ropar is too old to be safe for heavy traffic. It was declared unsafe by the state government about 10 years ago. However, still heavy traffic is plying over it despite the directives of the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar.

20 stone pickers of RTP still untraceable
Ropar, June 26
About 20 stone pickers of the Ropar thermal plant who were allegedly kidnapped by a contractor yesterday were still untraceable. The Ropar police had also failed to register an FIR in the matter despite a complaint filed by the contract labour union of the plant.

Music royale at city royale
PATIALA: High profile performance platforms may be at a premium for him in this city royale, yet 72-year-old Pt Jawaharlal Sharma, an exponent of classical vocal music, has been producing endearing fare for the past six decades in his own imitable way.

Soldiers’ families visit Amritsar Amritsar, June 26 A total of 125 family members of Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks posted in border areas of the country visited Amritsar today. The visit was organised by 91-Sub Area under the aegis of Vajra Corps.   Families of Army personnel deployed in border areas at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Anti-Drug Day observed
Bathinda, June 26
Dr Phulinder Kaur, Project in charge, Drug Awareness Counselling Centre, Bathinda, today said the evil of drug addiction could be curbed only though educating people about its hazards.

Farmers begin ‘padyatra’ to Delhi A group of farmers begins 'padyatra' from Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to New Delhi, on Saturday. — PTI

Milk quality checking centres to be set up
Ropar, June 26
There has been a tremendous increase in complaints of adulteration of milk products in Punjab. Owing to this the Department of Animal Husbandry has decided to provide milk checking facilities in the rural and urban areas of the state.

• Sangrur SSP clarifies

• Bollywood stuntman dies in mishap

• Freedom fighter cremated

• Residents lock liquor kiosk

COURTS

Ramandeep surrenders in court
Patiala, June 26
The kingpin in the immigration scam, Ramandeep Singh, who is accused of duping 47 youths of lakhs of rupees by giving them fake job offers, has surrendered before a local court and been sent to judicial custody.

Proclaimed offender remanded in police custody
Kharar, June 26
A man arrested by the Economic Offences Cell of the Ropar district  yesterday on charge of cheating was remanded  in police custody till  June 29 by a court here today. The police had arrested Balbir Singh Kalsi from Delhi yesterday.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers being encouraged to up sugarcane yield
Mohali, June 26
Sugarcane growers of Punjab are being encouraged to adopt ring or pit plantation to improve yield. This was stated by Mr P.S. Kaunta, Chairman, Sugarfed, during the first meeting of the Board of Directors of Sugarfed held at its new office here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Archival records to be shifted to old DC office
Patiala, June 26
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today directed that archival records, presently being kept at Rajindra Kothi, to be shifted to the old Deputy Commissioner's office and the Commissioner's office after renovation of the same.

Kharar Sanitary Inspector suspended
Kharar, June 26
A Sanitary Inspector of the Municipal Council here has been suspended for failing to maintain proper sanitation in the town. Action has also been initiated in this regard against the Assistant Municipal Engineer of the civic body.

CRIME

‘Tantrik’ held for rape; victim hospitalised
Pathankot, June 26
A case of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old was registered here today. ‘Tantrik’ Karam Chand of Bahadurpur village was arrested in this connection. The rape victim was admitted to the local civil hospital. The doctor on duty said she was 34-weeks pregnant.

Dacoits loot Rs 17 lakh from bank
Amritsar, June 26
In one of the most sensational bank dacoities, three armed youths today looted Rs 17 lakh in cash from the newly opened branch of Bank of Rajasthan Limited on the highly congested Majitha Road of the city.

Deceased’s father claims it’s murder
Bathinda, June 26
The death of a local truck driver, Sarabjit Singh, alias Lalli, under mysterious circumstances about three months ago on the Bathinda-Dabwali road has triggered a controversy.

665 kg poppy husk seized
Patiala, June 26
Nineteen bags of poppy husk were seized from a mini-truck after it was intercepted here, according to the police yesterday. The bags containing 665 kg poppy husk were being transported in the truck by two persons, one of whom was later nabbed by the police.

EDUCATION

BEd entrance test centres raided
Bathinda, June 26
All BEd entrance examination centres here were raided today following the receipt of information that some persons had been indulging in impersonation. The raids were conducted at four examination centres by joint teams of police and civil officials led by senior officials of the Revenue Department.

Panchayat won’t allow school to reopen
Fatehgarh Sahib, June 26
Strange are the ways of the working of the Education Department, the recent decision of Mr Gian Singh DPI (S) to stay the orders of the outgoing DPI, Mr Sohan Lal, regarding the transfers of teachers of Government Elementary School Lattour, out of district, has forced the village panchayat to revolt against the decision of the DPI(S) and they have declared that the panchayat won’t allow to open the school till the decision of staying the transfers orders of the controversial teachers are withdrawn.

Students polish shoes in protest
Jalandhar, June 26
Students of BCA and BBA courses of colleges affiliated to Punjab Technical University today polished shoes of candidates seeking admission and their parents on the third day of counselling here today.

BUSINESS

Traders fear fresh Army ban on mandi
Vallah (Amritsar), June 26
Tension was in the air as the new fruit and vegetable mandi opened here today with infrastructure still lacking in the area. The scene was reminiscent of the day when the Army imposed a ban on any new construction within 1000m of the ammunition dump a year ago and most construction work was left incomplete.