• Open Wagah, says ginners’ body

After years, despair gives way to joy
Rajpura, September 13
It’s celebration time in a number of homes across the region as their near and dear ones are back home after years of incarceration in Pakistan jails. Tribune reporters met some of the persons who were released yesterday to elicit their views and gage the mood in their families.

Joginder Kaur, mother of Lakhwinder Singh, hugs her son who reached home after being released from a Pakistani jail at her residence in Ajrawar village on Tuesday. Also seen in the picture is Mr Balbir Singh, father of Lakhwinder Singh.
— Photo by J.S. Virdi.

Free but haunted by memories of jail
Family’s endless wait for BSF jawan in Pak jail

Dept approves luxury cars for Punjab ministers
Chandigarh, September 13
The state Finance Department today gave approval to the proposal to buy luxury cars for Punjab ministers. The issue to buy luxury cars was hanging fire for the past three months. Informed sources said the Finance Department, after clearing the proposal, had sent the file to the State Transport Department to procure 18 Camry cars at the earliest.

Dullo tells ministers to hold ‘public darbars’ Chandigarh, September 13 All Punjab Ministers have been told to hold “ public darbars” in Assembly constituencies to hear the grievances of the people. This was disclosed here today by the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo. Talking to The Tribune, Mr Dullo said here today that he had written to all Punjab Ministers in this connection.                            Shamsher Singh Dullo

Now, Ram Das institute refuses to accept fee
Amritsar, September 13
As if the harassment of students, who had to take entrance tests twice for admission to medical colleges in the state and face delay in the start of session by over a month, was not enough, the SGPC-run Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research here refused to accept fees from students today, the date fixed by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, for depositing fees.

COMMUNITY

Forest Dept under a cloud
Pathankot, September 13
The Forest Department has come under a cloud for planting 5,000 saplings on the 25-acre acquired land of the Ranjit Sagar Dam here. The saplings were planted under a Japanese project in the year 2002-03 at Phangota village. The village was part of the reservoir.

Daily wagers hold protest at DFO office
Pathankot, September 13
The daily wagers of the forest department today organised a protest in front of the office of DFO, Pathankot to press for their demands. Over 100 daily wagers initially organised a rally and raised slogans against state government and the forest department officials.

Scooter rally by junior engineers
Patiala, September 13
On a call given by the Council of Junior Engineers of the Punjab State Electricity Board, junior engineers from all over the state organised “empty tank scooter rallies” in all circles today.

Grievances panel holds seminar
Bathinda, September 13
A seminar to sensitise non-government members of the district and sub-divisional grievances committees was held here today. Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Grievances Redressal, Pension and Programme Implementation) Harbans Lal presided over the seminar.

Electric pole removed
Pathankot, September 13
Taking cognizance of the news-item published in The Tribune on September 11, “High tension wires pose threat to the residents”, the PSEB authorities have removed the electric pole concerned.

COURTS

high court
SIT submits report in Naya Gaon case
Chandigarh, September 13
The Special Investigating Team looking into the Naya Gaon rape case today submitted its report in a sealed cover to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was forwarded by Punjab Advocate-General R.S. Cheema.

Malta boat tragedy: witness summoned
Hoshiarpur, September 13
Mr Paolo Trichilo, Counsellor in the Embassy of Italy, has informed Mr Balwant Singh Khera, chairman, Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission, that the court of Sircusa has summoned him as witness in the case on October 12, 2005.

ADMINISTRATION

Ban orders till Nov 13
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 13
To prevent any untoward incident by anti-social elements in the district, Mrs Jaspreet Talwar, District Magistrate, under Section 144, today made it mandatory for all landlords to give names and addresses of their tenants to the nearest police station.

CRIME

One more held in Nayagaon rape case Mohali/Kharar, September 13 The special investigation team of the Punjab Police probing into the rape of a minor girl at Nayagaon three years ago today arrested Satnam Singh, an alleged accomplice of the accused in the case. The accused in the Nayagaon rape case outside the Kharar court on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

1 killed, 4 hurt as vehicles collide
Rajpura, September 13
One person lost his life while four were seriously injured in an accident on the busy Ambala-Rajpura highway, near here, early this morning. In all five vehicles collided at the same spot, in a span of more than one hour, as the local police failed to clear the accident spot of the damaged vehicles.

2 killed, five hurt in mishap
Batala, September 13
A Mahindra Scorpio carrying a marriage party met with an accident this morning near Hardojhande village on the GT Road. The vehicle overturned and struck against a tree, resulting in the death of Pramod Kumar of Agra and Praveen Mahajan of Dinanagar.

1 killed, 1 hurt in scrap metal explosion
Patiala, September 13
One person was killed and another injured during an explosion when they were sifting through waste metal scrap at Mahmudpur village on the Ghanaur road, near Bahadurgarh here today.

EDUCATION

Arrest university officials, demands SC association
Patiala, September 13
The ongoing protest at Punjabi University, Patiala, took another turn as the Punjab Scheduled Castes Welfare Society demanded the arrest of four university officials for making caste-based comments against students’ leader Chamkaur Singh.

• Punjabi varsity closed today

Homoeopathy college among top 10 institutions
Ludhiana, September 13
The Guru Nanak Dev College of Homoeopathy here has been ranked among the top 10 colleges in the field in the country.

Grandparents day celebrated
Patiala, September 13
A grandparents day was celebrated by Bhupinder International Public School here today. After the Principal of the school, Ms Indu Sharma, welcomed the guests, the programme started with a shabad recital by students of class VI.