Rai Sikhs declared Scheduled Castes
Chandigarh, February 16
A long-standing demand of Rai Sikhs, considered to be a tribe of migrants living as hunters and fowlers, for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Castes of Punjab has been conceded by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Badal flays CM on Rai Sikhs’ issue
Fernandes woos Christian voters
Kariyal (Ajnala),
February 16
Even as Christian votes are a deciding factor in the crucial Ajnala byelection, Mr Oscar Fernandes, a Member Parliament and general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, today held a closed door meeting with the priests in the presence of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the PPCC President, Mr
H.S. Hanspal, on church premises in this remote border village, here today.
Father Mark laid to rest
Anne Waikling, sister of Christian Father Mark, who reached from England to attend his last rites, visibly moved by the upsurge of emotions of the followers of her brother in Amritsar on Wednesday.
— Photo by Rajiv Sharma |
 |
Roadways staff protest against illegal plying of buses
Jalandhar, February 16
The true face of the anti-corruption drive of the Congress government was virtually exposed today when the district transport authorities allegedly refused to challan private buses owned by two Congress ministers and transporters owing allegiance to the ruling party.
Members of the Punjab Roadways Joint Action Committee protest against plying of private buses without valid permits at Jalandhar on Wednesday.
— A Tribune photograph
|
 |
Mansar Sarpanch gets Laloo’s grant
Hoshiarpur, February 16
A grant of Rs 10 lakh announced by Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, Railway Minister, for the development of Mansar village was received by Mr
D.K. Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, from Mr Randhir Singh Gera, Senior Divisional Safety Officer, Northern Railway, Ferozepore, yesterday.
A tribute to Sahibzadas
Patiala, February 16
Harpal Tiwana’s theatrical class was recreated at Old Moti Bagh Palace today. As the legendary thespian’s historical play ‘Sirhind di Diwar” opened to a rousing welcome, it was time for the gathering to trace the genesis of a conspiracy that scarred the sensibility of Sikhs.
Jagjit Singh at Old Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala on Wednesday.
— Photo by Rajesh Sachar |
 |
Dance fusion enthrals
Patiala, February 16
But for the venue, everything about yesterday’s classical music and dance presentations was inspiring. In a unique experiment of fusion, two exponents of distinct dance idioms – Odissi and Mohiniattam – exemplified the character of their respective forms.
Festival Diary
Show goes on after Bhairavi
Having made her musical offering, Savita Devi suggested the accompanying artiste Pt Anant Lal to play raag Bhairavi on the shehnai. And this she did to the surprise of connoisseurs and Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma who was to perform after her. In the true classical tradition, raag Bhairavi best qualifies as the last offering of the evening.
No purist is comfortable making an offering once raag Bharavi has been
played. Small wonder that Pt Anant Lal looked confused and Pt Shiv Kumar
Sharma remarked backstage, “Ab to Bhairavi baj gayi, ab hum kya
sunayen…’ Nevertheless the show went on.
Montu Chitrkaar displays his painting at Sheesh Mahal in Patiala on Wednesday.
— Photo by Rajesh Sachar
|
 |
SGPC acting beyond its powers, alleges Chandumajra
Chandigarh, February 16
Coming down heavily on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for its move to seek heritage status for the Golden Temple at Amritsar, Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) president Prem Singh Chandumajra today said it would dissolve the independent entity of Akal Takht.
Exploitation rife as rules are ‘bent’ to fell trees
Gurdaspur, February 16
A number of people being granted relaxation in the forest felling rules by the government was leading to the exploitation of farmers and illegal felling of trees in the Dhar forest area of the district.
Trench causes scare
Nabha, February 16
For residents of Bhai Vir Singh Colony and dozens of villages around the town, the construction of a stretch of a link road to Mehs Bridge has made them vulnerable to mishaps.
700 dam staff fail to draw salary for 2 months
Gurdaspur, February 16
As many as 700 employees of the Ranjit Sagar Dam have not drawn salaries for the past two months. With reports that many Class IV employees of the dam were working as servants in the houses of serving and retired officers of the dam, residences of ministers and senior bureaucrats, the Director Treasury, Mr Krishan Kumar, ordered that about 5000 Class IV employees of the dam should open their accounts with a bank at Shahpur Kandi so that they were paid salaries.
Plan to connect Golden Temple with G.T. Road
Jalandhar, February 16
To ease traffic chaos on the road leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Punjab Government has decided to construct a 7.5-km-long elevated road connecting the Delhi-Amritsar GT Road with the Temple Complex directly.
Malwa roads in bad shape
Bathinda, February 16
It took more than five hours to shift a patient from Bathinda to Ludhiana as the vehicle could not run at its normal speed, thanks to the bad condition of the Barnala-Mullanpur stretch of the Bathinda-Ludhiana main road. Normally it takes about three hours to reach Ludhiana which is about 140 km from the town.
Workshop stresses on media ethics
Patiala, February 16
US Embassy Media Outreach Officer Bob Richard said today India and the USA had a lot in common as far as journalistic practises were concerned.
Widening of Chandigarh-Ropar road mooted
Ropar, February 16
The Grievance Removal Committee headed by Education Minister Harnam Dass Johar yesterday decided to take up the widening of the National Highway-21 from Chandigarh to Ropar. He took the decision at a meeting with the MLA from Kharar, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, and Mr Ramesh Dutt Sharma, an MLA from Anandpur Sahib, besides an official of the administration.
Probe ordered into custodial death of youth
Chandigarh, February 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered investigation by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Crime Branch of a 13-year-old case relating to alleged custodial death of a Rajpura youth.
Court again reserves order on Goyal’s
arrest
Kharar, February 16
A local court today reserved its order on the Punjab Police plea, seeking arrest warrant against Mr Jai Bhagwan Goyal, Shiv Sena’s north India president, in a case pertaining to the attack on the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on February 10, which is to host an Indo-Pak test match next month.
Regional Kisan Mela on March 16
Bathinda, February 16
The regional Kisan Mela of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) would be organised here on March 16.
Farmers stop MC workers from
digging nullah
Kharar, February 16
Employees of the municipal council were stopped from digging a nullah along the Randhawa road here today by farmers. The farmers, who gathered after the employees started digging, said the nullah would damage their crops.
Date extended
Chandigarh, February 16
The Punjab Transport Department yesterday extended the last date for the receipt of applications to February 21 to allocate permits to unemployed youth under the Sonia Gandhi Golden Rozgar Bus Scheme.
Gang of thieves busted
Mansa, February 16
Jethu Ram was today arrested along with his three accomplices in connection with six burglary cases committed at different places in the district despite the fact that he was on bail in a theft case registered against him at Barnala.
8,000 illegal power connections detected, lineman suspended
Ludhiana, February 16
The Punjab State Electricity Board has detected 8000 illegal power connections in some areas of the city including the Focal Point, Industrial Area, Tajpur Road and the Police Colony, Jamalpur. One lineman has also been suspended for collusion in facilitating the illegal power supply to these households.
11 chemists nabbed for selling intoxicants
Faridkot, February 16
The Faridkot police has nabbed 11 unauthorised chemists for allegedly selling intoxicants in the district.
Campaign against drug peddlers launched
Mansa, February 16
The district police has launched a campaign to curb the menace of drug smuggling and sale of illicit liquor in the district.
Suicide: Lucky had not
submitted form, claims school
Patiala, February 16
A class VIII student who committed suicide apparently did not submit his form to the Punjab School Education Board in order to give his paper as a private candidate.
Body of trader found
Batala February 16
The police today found the body of a local trader, Rashpal Singh, who had been missing for the past three days. Sources said the body of the trader was found near Panchayat Bhavan of his native village, Shikar Machian.
Woman commits suicide
Bathinda, February 16
Paramjit Kaur, a resident of Jodhpur Pakhar village of this district, was allegedly forced to commit suicide by her husband and mother-in-law for bringing inadequate dowry.
Man found dead after 2 days of
marriage
Kharar, February 16
A young man who got married two days ago allegedly committed suicide yesterday. The body of 23-year-old Jarnail Singh was found hanging from a tree by a rope in a field at Jhandpur village near here, yesterday.
BJP leader, father booked in fraud case
Bathinda, February 16
A case against Mr Mohit Gupta, president, BJP, district unit (rural) and his father Mr Pawan Kumar was registered at Nathana police station on the complaint of Mr Baljit Singh for allegedly frauding the complainant and others.
|
