P U N J A B

Top stories | Community | Courts

Agriculture | Administration | Crime | Education | Business

TOP STORIES

Agricultural officers to get vehicles, mobiles

Rakhra (Patiala), March 10 Agricultural officers are set to reclaim vehicles, besides being given petrol allowances to enable them to provide extension services to farmers in the state. They may also be given mobile phones in this regard. A farmer takes home four bags of high-yielding seed from the Kisan Mela at Rakhra in Patiala on Thursday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Punjab has lost 11,000 cr in foodgrain export: Johl
Jalandhar, March 10
Despite the fact that the state has suffered a net loss of Rs 11,000 crore in the past nearly three years during the export of 17 million tonnes of food grain, the area under wheat-paddy cultivation has not gone down.

Khalra case: question mark on Kuldeep’s presence at ‘murder site’
Patiala, March 10
The cross-examination of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) star witness Kuldeep Singh, who had earlier deposed in a local court claiming that he was witness to the liquidation of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, ended today with the defence asking him whether there was any official record of his presence at the Jhabal police station where the 'killing' was supposed to have taken place.

Chennai to Sweden on bikes! Amritsar, March 10 A history of sorts is being made, even as 12 Swedish visitors, including two women and two brothers, have undertaken the feat of riding back home to Sweden from Chennai on their Royal Enfield bikes, covering a distance of more than 12,000 km. Members of a Swedish group which is currently on an adventure trip from Chennai to Sweden on motorcycles. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

COMMUNITY

Punjabi language interpreter for Rajya Sabha
Chandigarh, March 10
Punjabi-speaking Members of the Rajya Sabha will now be able to get their speeches interpreted in Hindi and English.

Controversy builds up over PUDA colony
Gurdaspur, March 10
The colony being planned by Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) in Sujanpur town of the district has got mired in controversy. The ACR, PUDA, Mr Vikas Garg, recently visited the area to invite objections to the proposed colony.

Senior citizen’s plea to PUDA
Patiala, March 10
A senior citizen, who had deposited Rs 2.15 lakh with the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) as extension fee to obtain a no objection certificate (NoC) from the authority for his house constructed in Ludhiana, is running from pillar to post for the past six months to get the money refunded.

‘Suvidha’ to redress grievances
Ludhiana, March 10
Suvidha an alternate complaint redressal mechanism, has been launched in the Ludhiana police range to sort out the grievances of the people and build their confidence in the police administration.

Governor should act as per Constitution: Sidhu
Malout, March 10
The Governor of any state should act and perform duties as per the Constitution and should not allow anyone to raise a finger on his or her conduct.

BSNL employees hold protest
Rajpura, March 10
Members of the United Forum for BSNL, Executives, Rajpura, organised a rally in front of the local telephone exchange today.

Traffic-aid ambulances flagged off
Moga, March 10
The Ferozepore Range IGP, Dr P.M. Das, flagged off two ambulances for traffic aid from Joginder Singh Chowk here today.

Punjabi Suba Morcha activists honoured
Dhanaula (Sangrur), March 10
In protest against the alleged “murder of democracy in Punjab”, MPs, MLAs, SGPC and PAC members, besides district presidents of the SAD will hold a dharna in front of Parliament on March 15.

Singla’s effigy burnt
Sangrur, March 10
Government employees of various departments under the banner of the Democratic Employees Front (DEF), led by its district president Swaranjit Singh, today held a march in the town, burnt the effigy of the Punjab Finance Minister in a chowk and held a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in protest against the alleged “anti-employee” statements and alleged “anti-people” policies of the Punjab and Central Governments.

Boy falls into manhole, dies
Jalandhar, March 10
A minor boy today died when he fell into an uncovered sewerage manhole in a park situated at Urban Estate (Phase II) here where he was playing cricket with his friends.

COURTS

high court
Punjab CM moves HC for quashing summons
Chandigarh, March 10
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking quashing of the summons issued to him by a Chandigarh court asking him to appear in court on March 12.

Couple jailed for forcing girls into flesh trade
Moga, March 10
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Sukhdev Singh, has sentenced a woman to life imprisonment and her husband to 10-year jail for forcing girls into flesh trade and abetting one of them to commit suicide, besides slapping a fine of Rs 5,000 each.

Park Plaza case: judicial remand for accused
Ludhiana, March 10
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr G.C. Garg, today remanded the accused in the Park Plaza video-filming and attempt to murder case in judicial remand till March 24.

AGRICULTURE

Markfed to supply Bt cotton seed
Chandigarh, March 10
About 1.5 lakh seed packets of the hybrid Bt cotton will be available in Punjab. This comes after the approval of BT cotton from the Government of India for plantation in the northern state. Bt Cotton is significant as Punjab is producing about 25 per cent of the country’s cotton.

ADMINISTRATION

Vigilance Bureau gets 32 computers
Chandigarh, March 10
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau is going hi-tech. For streamlining its functioning, the bureau has procured 32 computers. The machines have been installed at the bureau’s headquarters and “subordinate offices” in the districts at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh.

CRIME

Pregnant woman burnt alive; in-laws booked
Moga, March 10
A pregnant woman was reportedly burnt alive by her in-laws leading to her unborn child’s death at Dharamkot, near here. The woman has sustained 90 per cent burn injuries.

Tehsildar arrested accepting Rs 15,000 as bribe
Ferozepore, March 10
The sleuths of the Vigilance Bureau arrested the Ferozepore Tehsildar, Mr Rajeev Verma, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 in his office here today.

Youth held for producing fake certificate
Moga, March 10
The Vigilance Bureau has arrested a person for producing fake Class X certificate for further studies. Sources said the accused, Tarun Kumar, was a student of Class X at the local SD Model Senior Secondary School in 1999, but he failed in the examination.

3 held for murder
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 10
The police here arrested three persons for looting and killing two persons in Mandi Gobindgarh. The fourth gang member is already in jail.

2 held for selling fake gold biscuits
Patiala, March 10
An Inter State gang which sold fake gold biscuits worth Rs 5.5 lakh to residents of Chaswal village in this district yesterday were nabbed by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel at the Sirhind Railway Station.

EDUCATION

GND varsity excels at youth fest Amritsar, March 10 Guru Nanak Dev University today annexed the Punjab State Inter-University Youth Festival Overall Trophy by winning first positions in 15 competitions, out of the total 16, held. These competitions organised by the DPI (Colleges), Punjab, concluded here today at the local S.R. Govt College for Women. Students perform giddha during the Punjab State Inter-University Youth Festival in Amritsar on Thursday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Probe ordered into doctors’ leave
Faridkot, March 10
A probe has been ordered into the doctors shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College from Amritsar and Patiala proceeding on leave “feigning” backache.

BUSINESS

Forward Block for controlled FDI in India
Ropar, March 10
The central government should go for controlled Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as done by China government for the development of their country. But FDI should not be allowed in any area where national security involved including the telecom and civil aviation sector, said National Secretary of the All India Forward Block, V.P. Saini, who with other four members returned from China after six-day officials visit.