P U N J A B

Top stories | Community | Courts

Agriculture | Crime | Education

TOP STORIES

Tax on day-old chicks may go: Kang
Sujanpur (Gurdaspur), November 6
In what could be a boost to the poultry in the state, the government was considering waiving off the tax on hatcheries. The Department of Animal Husbandry has now written to the Department of Excise and Taxation to waive off the tax imposed on one-day old chicks produced in the hatcheries of the state.

LPG scarcity triggers black-marketing
2 criminal cases registered
Bathinda, November 6
Even as the scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, which has hit the region for the past many days, is yet to be controlled by the authorities concerned, a section of LPG dealers have started cashing in on the situation by selling cylinders in the open market at a premium.

Physiotherapy Dept head offers to step down
Amritsar, November 6
Even as at an emergency meeting of Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers’ Association the ‘intervention’ of the Ministry of Higher Education in the Department of Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy was termed as a ‘serious attack’ on the autonomy of the university, Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, has offered to step down as Head of the Department if the university authorities appointed another person in his place.

Sale of plots continues in illegal colonies
Gurdaspur, November 6
PUDA has launched an aggressive campaign against the illegal colonisers in the state. However, in this district the sale of plots in illegal colonies being developed by the property dealers is still continuing. A survey conducted by this correspondent revealed that a lot of illegal colonies are still coming up in and around Gurdaspur.

Revision petition filed in land use case
Chandigarh, November 6
A land promoter was allowed change of land use for 67.78 acres in Sohana and Lakhnaur villages in Ropar district even though 12 acres were alleged to be forest land. This was not all.

Punjab seeks relief for expenditure during terrorism
Chandigarh, November 6
In pursuance to November 3 meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has requested an “early action” on reimbursement of expenditure incurred by the state on the security forces during terrorism, April 1981 to 2004; writing off the outstanding special term loan; and relief for the economic loss suffered by the state due to drought and deluge, earlier this year.

Sabha demands speedy justice for NRIs Jalandhar, November 6 Demanding a speedy justice for NRIs settled abroad, the UK Chapter of NRI Sabha, Punjab, has said fast-track courts be established to facilitate the litigation process. Stating this in a press conference, Mr Manjit Singh Lit, president of the sabha, said NRIs were facing a lot of problems, especially pertaining to property matters.
Mr Manjit Singh Lit (right), President, UK Chapter of NRI Sabha, Punjab, addresses a press conference in Jalandhar on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Foreign groups target Indian education market
Chandigarh, November 6
Now, foreign groups have started eyeing the Indian education market as Varkey, an international group, is all set to launch its first school promising world class education in Jalandhar this month.

COMMUNITY

Probe sought into BKU activists assault issue
Mansa, November 6
The state CPI and the Punjab Kisan Sabha leadership while alleging that the police has meted out an inhuman treatment to BKU (Ekta-Ugrahhan) activists at Ralle village on November 3 have demanded a judicial probe into the same.

Farmers protest against poor food quality in jail
Amritsar, November 6
Hundreds of members of various farmers organisations who had been arrested by the police during a state wide portest against the government on November 3 yesterday went on a fast to protest against the sub-standard meals being provided by the jail authorities.

No complaint to VB from Dera Bassi: DSP
Dera Bassi, November 6
Sixtyone cases were registered with the Punjab Vigilance Bureau at Patiala in last 10 months. Out of the registered cases, 30 are of trapping while the rest relate to misappropriation of funds by different panchayats.

SHO shifted for handcuffing youth
Bathinda, November 6
Mr Lachhman Singh, Station House Officer of thermal plant police station, was sent to the police lines today by the district police chief, Mr Kapil Dev, after he was prima facie found guilty of handcuffing and chaining a local youth, Rajiv Kumar.

Arya Samaj annual function cancelled
Hoshiarpur, November 6
The annual function of the local unit of Arya Samaj could not be held due to infighting in the Arya Samaj. The two-day 103rd annual function of Arya Samaj, Hoshiarpur, was to begin today but claims regarding the control of Arya Samaj management by factions led by Mr Kamal Chaudhry, former MP, and Mr K. K. Saini created confusion.

‘People’s participation must to root out graft’
Bathinda, November 6
As many as 30 officials of different departments, including eight gazetted officers, had been caught red handed while accepting bribe by different teams of Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda range in the current year so far.

Public help sought to root out corruption
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 6
Public cooperation is compulsory to root out corruption from society, said Deputy Commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia, while addressing a seminar organised by the Vigilance Office on the concluding day of “Anti-Corruption Week” at Bachat Bhavan here today.

Colony residents write to MP on thefts
Patiala, November 6
Residents of Teg colony, one km from the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence, have claimed that several robberies had taken place in their colony and adjoining ones with the police taking no action against the culprits.

2 minors suffer serious burn injuries
Jalandhar, November 6
Two minors suffered serious burn injuries today when they poured kerosene on an “angeethi” in a room at their house in Kadala Jatta village near here. The incident took place in the morning, when Ranjit Kaur, mother of the children, had gone out to get milk.

Three found suffering from mild jaundice
Sangrur, November 6
To examine suspected cases of jaundice, the district health authorities yesterday organised a medical camp at the local Magazine Mohalla. As many as 19 suspected jaundice cases were examined by a team of doctors, comprising Dr Inderjit Singla (pathologist) and Dr Vikas Dhir, Medical Officer.

COURTS

Bank Manager released
Phagwara, November 6
Mr Suresh Kumar Makkar, local Branch Manager of UCO Bank, has been released by the court after the police failed to produce “solid evidence” against him.The manager was arrested on September 18 in connection with an alleged havala racket.

AGRICULTURE

Herbal garden raised in Ropar
Ropar, November 6
In order to reduce the pressure on forests and provide alternative sources of income to farmers in the economically backward kandi area in Ropar district, the Forest Department has launched a herbal project.

CRIME

1.5 kg of charas seized from 2 smugglers
Gurdaspur, November 6
The police has arrested two inter-state drug smugglers and confiscated 1.5 kg of charas from them. In a press release issued here yesterday, the SSP, Mr Narinder Bhargav, said that two smugglers, Wilson John, a resident of the Ramlila Ground area of Pathankot, and Ramesh Chand Sharma, a resident of Jatton village of the Nurpur area of Himachal Pradesh, had allegedly purchased charas from a Chamba-based smuggler, identified as Bunty.

EDUCATION

'Tech Utsav' organised Bathinda, November 6 Nineteen teams from different colleges of the region participated in 'Tech Utsav-2004' organised by the Computer Department of the local DAV College on its premises today. Students participating in ‘Tech Utsav’ organised at DAV College, Bathinda, on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Sonu

St Soldier school holds annual function
Banur, November 6 A cultural programme was organised by the students of St Soldier Divine Public School, Banur, on its annual day, here today. Students participated in various items including rhymes, dances, group and solo songs, qwawali and plays with great enthusiasm. Students of St Soldier Divine Public School, Banur, perform giddha on the annual day of the school in Banur on Saturday.