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Live coverage of Punjabi conference, sports fest
Chandigarh, November 17
The Union Government has accepted the Punjab Government’s request for the live telecast of the opening and closing sessions of the three-day Punjabi Conference and five-day sports festival that will be held at Patiala from December 1 to 10.

Tercentenary celebrations to be telecast live
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 17
As the President of India is expected to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib during the commemoration of the tercentenary celebration of Martyrdom of Sahibzadas from December 24, the district administration has started making special arrangements for the event.

First Bathinda heritage festival from November 27
Bathinda, November 17

Feeling concerned over the fact that residents of the Bathinda region have been slowly becoming oblivious to their rich cultural heritage, a section of local people, in association with the district civil and police administration, has decided to organise the first heritage festival of Bathinda on November 27 and 28.

Mr Karam Singh, a historian, speaks at a press conference organised in connection with the first heritage festival to be held on November 27, in Bathinda on Wednesday. Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kapil Dev, SSP, and Mr Lekh Raj Nayyar, Commissioner, Income Tax, are also seen in the picture. — Photo by Sonu

CM to release logo of World Punjabi Conference
Pak delegation to take part in cultural fest

DAP shortage does not bother them
Ludhiana, November 17
Shortage of diammonia phosphate might have created problems for farmers across the region but there exists a section which is not affected by the shortage. Though small in number, farmers who have adopted organic farming are carrying on with their work as usual, little troubled by the fertiliser shortage.

BKU activists burn effigy of cotton corporation chairman

Bathinda, November 17 Hundreds of activists of the BKU, who have been holding a continuous dharna for the past three days in front of the office of cotton corporation of India here to lodge their protest against the falling prices of raw cotton, today burnt the effigy of its chairman to protest against its negligible purchase of cotton in the cotton markets. The activists of the BKU (Ekta) burning the effigy of chairman of Cotton Corporation of India in front of its office at Bathinda on Wednesday. — Photo by Sonu

College teachers burn government’s effigy Chandigarh, November 17 Teachers working in over 160 non-government colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh today burnt the effigy of the state government after proceeding on mass casual leave. Teachers working in over 160 non-government colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh burn an effigy of the Punjab Government near Matka Chowk in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Teachers on deputation to be called back, says Johar
Ropar, November 17
All teachers of the state, who are on deputation, would be called back, said Education Minister Harnam Dass Johar here today. The decision had been taken to ensure quality education in government schools that had been facing shortage of teachers, he added.

Nankana Sahib-Wagah highway planned Wagah, November 17 The Chairman of the National Minority Commission, Mr Tarlochan Singh, has said the West Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parvez Elahi, has offered to construct a super-highway connecting Wagah and Gurdwara Nankana Sahib to facilitate faster movement of Sikh pilgrims visiting the famous shrines. Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and Parkash Singh Badal display the sword of Sir Chhotu Ram at the Wagah checkpost in Amritsar on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

POLITICS

Govt mulling scheme for urban poor: Selja
Killianwali (Muktsar), November 17
Ms Selja, Minister of State for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, today said the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh had been contemplating the launch of a scheme for the social and economic uplift of the urban poor.

Badal offers to mediate between INLD, BJP
Wagah, November 17
The SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal had been under pressure to bring about rapprochement between INLD president Om Prakash Chautala and the BJP national leadership.

COMMUNITY

Wasteful expenditure? Not here anymore

Patiala, November 17 Village panchayats may be in the news for all the wrong reasons, but a village in the traditionally backward region of Samana subdivision in this district is making waves for turning the tide against wasteful expenditure and observance of fanciful rituals. Residents of Kamalpur village in Samana subdivision stand next to the wall on which new panchayat laws have been painted. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Patwari returns bribe money, courtsey MLA
Mohali, November 17
Probably for the first time in Punjab a patwari posted at Kurhri patwar was today made to ‘return’ the bribe money that he had allegedly taken from a villager to make entries into the mutation register.

Punjab Police develops software to decide appeals
Chandigarh, November 17
Appeals filed by Punjab Police personnel will no longer gather dust or remain buried in files for months together. No, not anymore. The Administration Wing of the Punjab Police has now developed a software for keeping track of appeals and representations filed by its officials.

PSEB’s passbook system a non-starter
Phillaur, November 17
The pass book system, introduced by the Punjab State Electricity Board two years back, remains a non-starter. In this scheme, pass books are kept near electricity meters to keep a record of meter readings. Pass books have been gathering dust near electricity meters, but this has never been questioned by any employee.

Brick-kiln owners hold protest
Patiala, November 17
The Punjab Brick Kiln Owners Association held a demonstration in front of the office of the Punjab Pollution Control Board in protest against those kilns which were moulding bricks without the use of fly ash.

Employees thank CM for approving 15 p.c. HRA
Chandigarh, November 16
Members of Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union have thanked the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and MP, Perneet Kaur, for the Punjab Cabinet approving the case of 15 per cent house rent for employees of aided schools serving in Patiala city .

CM to present Shiromani awards on Nov 28
Patiala, November 17
The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, will give away the Shiromani awards on the concluding day of “Punjabi saptah” slated to be held on the State Languages Department’s premises from November 22 to 28.

Seminar on cultural heritage
Amritsar, November 17
A national seminar on the “Cultural heritage of Amritsar: efforts and processes of its conservation” would be held on November 19 and 20 by Guru Nanak Dev University, this was stated in a press release issued here today.

VHP threatens stir over seer’s arrest
Abohar, November 17
The VHP and allied organisations took out a protest march from Geeta Mandir here today to express resentment over the arrest of Shankracharya in a murder case.

Speaker pays tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai
Moga, November 17
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Dr Kewal Krishan, participated in a martyrdom day function of Lala Lajpat Rai at Dhudike village, near here, today.

Rodrigues to visit Golden Temple today
Chandigarh, November 17
The Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gen S.F. Rodrigues, will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and also the Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar tomorrow. Later, he will also pay tributes to the martyrs at the historic Jallianwala Bagh.

• Bhatt Biradari

COURTS

High Court
Gunman’s statement recorded
Chandigarh, November 17
The statement of Sub-Inspector Rattan Singh, the gunman of a former Punjab Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, was recorded today in the court of, Mrs Justice Kiran Anand Lall, of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

AGRICULTURE

Kisan front seeks hike in wheat MSP
Barnala, November 17
Demanding Rs. 800 per quintal as wheat minimum support price (MSP) for wheat the Punjab Khetiwadi Kisan Vikas Front ( PKKVF) has termed the hike of Rs 10 in the wheat MSP as gross injustice to farmers.

ADMINISTRATION

Mohan Singh made Punjab Planning Board member
Mohali, November 17
Mr Mohan Singh, Director General, Centre for International Trade & Industry (CITI) has been appointed a non-official member of the Punjab State Planning Board by the Governor of Punjab. Orders to this effect were issued on October 29.

Rajput is new DC of Lahaul-Spiti
Shimla, November 17
The Himachal Government today transferred Mr Pushpendra Rajput, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, and posted him as Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, in place of Mr B.R. Verma.

CRIME

Probe sought into murder case
Amritsar, November 17
Claiming that the Danial Masih and members of his family was innocent, residents of Bishop House, in a signed representation to SP City, Mr Harmanbir Singh, today urged to hold proper investigations in the case.

Smack high on peddlers’ list
Jalandhar, November 17
Youngsters of Doaba region are falling prey to drugs, especially smack, for its easy availability. It has also attracted drug peddlers to pump big money into the murky business because of high returns.

Woman killed in accident
Jalandhar, November 17
A middle-aged woman was crushed to death by a bus when she was trying to cross the road near Nakodar Chowk here today.

Food supply inspector held for graft
Moga, November 17
The Vigilance Bureau arrested food supply inspector Tarlochan Singh while accepting bribe for making a ration card at Kishanpur Kalan, near here, today.

Police custody for PCO owner’s murder accused
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 17
CIA staff of the district police today presented all three arrested accused of kidnapping and murdering the PCO owner here in the court of Mr. D.S.Johal, Additional CJM.

2 killed in road mishap
Moga, November 17
Two persons were killed when a truck collided with a tempo near Landeke village on the Moga-Amritsar road here today.

Murder over property alleged
Amritsar, November 17
Gurmail Singh (32) of Bhorshi Rajputa village under Khalchian police station falling under Majitha police district, was allegedly murdered by Mangal Singh of Ratangarh village over a land dispute here last evening.

EDUCATION

Students oppose VC’s ‘anti-Punjabi’ policy, court arrest
Patiala, November 17
Nearly 24 students owing allegiance to the Punjabi University Students Confederation and from various colleges of the city today courted arrest on the Punjabi University campus here today afternoon.

Nod to remove illiteracy in 15-35 age group
Patiala, November 17
The New Delhi-based National Literacy Mission has accorded permission to Patiala district to remove illiteracy in the age group of 15 to 35 years.

ABVP seeks elections to student bodies
Jalandhar, November 17
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today demanded that the state government should revive students’ bodies by holding elections for the same.

Jalandhar college lifts trophy Amritsar, November 17 The APJ College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar, lifted the Guru Nanak Dev University overall youth festival trophy on the final day today. Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, gives away the overall youth festival trophy of Guru Nanak Dev University to APJ College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar. Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, is also seen in the picture. — A Tribune photograph

NAAC team to visit college
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 17
Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia, Principal of the college, while addressing a press conference said today that the NAAC team from Bangalore would visit the college from November 18 to 20. The team would be led by its Chairperson, Dr L.S. Rathore, Dr S.K. Dhawan and Dr Mehmooda Shafi.