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TOP STORIES

State Assembly
Akali Dal stalls proceedings
Exemption of land from acquisition
Chandigarh, February 28
A protesting Shiromani Akali Dal today stalled the proceedings of the Punjab Assembly, demanding that a special committee of the House be set up to probe allegations against the Minister for Local Government, Mr Jagjit Singh.

Tussle on between two senior Congress leaders
Chandigarh, February 28
A tussle has began between two senior leaders of the ruling party — Chowdhary Jagjit Singh and Bir Devinder Singh. Hardening his stand against the Local Bodies Minister, Chowdhary Jagjit Singh, the Congress MLA, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, said today that he would pursue the issue of exemption of 32 acres of land worth several crores from a development scheme of the Amritsar Improvement Trust to a logical end.

500 waterworks face power disconnection
Bathinda, February 28
Water supply to about 500 villages in the state has come under threat as their fund-starved panchayats have failed to pay the electricity bills of their waterworks.

Relief to promoters of PUDA-approved projects
Chandigarh, February 28
Promoters of projects approved by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) has finally something to cheer about. In a major relief to scores of big colonisers, the Punjab Government has clarified that the Department of the Town and Country Planning (T&CP) was the "competent authority" to accord technical approval to the building plans falling within the municipal limits.

People-friendly Budget, says CM
Chandigarh, February 28
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today hailed the Union Budget and termed it as people friendly and growth oriented.

Godrej asked to pay up or return land
Chandigarh, February 28
The Empowered Committee of the Punjab Government, at a crucial meeting here today, approved seven new mega projects in the state with a promised investment of about Rs 1245 crore.

‘100 ultras listed as living under assumed names’
Amritsar, February 28
The Akal Federation today revealed names of certain hard-core militants were living under assumed names after having been declared ‘dead’ during the Badal government.

Mann against USA providing nuclear technology to India
Hoshiarpur, February 28
Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (A), urged the US President George W Bush, who is visiting India on March 1, not to provide nuclear technology to India keeping in view alleged enmity between Hindus and Muslims.

POLITICS

SAD(L) plans dharna offensive
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 28
The Shiromani Akali Dal (L) is going to start a series of political activities in the state to educate the people about 'beoparikarn', 'parvarikarn' and 'moneykarn' of the politics by both Congress as well as the so-called representative party of the Sikhs —SAD(B).

COMMUNITY

SAD(A) for prosecution of soldiers involved in killing of Sikhs
Patiala, February 28
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD-Amritsar) has urged the president of India seeking prosecution of the armymen involved in the killing of innocent Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rafi contemporaries honoured
Kotla Sultan Singh (Amritsar), February 28
The SAD-BJP organised a cultural memorial function at the native village of legendary playback singer Mohmmad Rafi, here today.

The BJP MP, Mr Dara Singh, honours a contemporary of Mohmmad Rafi at Kotla Sultan Singh village, near Amritsar, on Tuesday. Also seen in the picture is Mr Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP MP.
— Photo by Rajiv Sharma

EPF scam case to be re-examined
Gurdaspur, February 28
The EPF scam case against 21 officials and a contractor of the Ropar Thermal Plant would be re-examined by the Principal Secretary (Home), Mr P.K. Verma. An assurance in this regard was given by Mr Verma after the DGP (Vigilance), PSEB, Mr Lalit Bhatia, met him.

Vote on motion of thanks today
Chandigarh, February 28
The conclusion of discussion on the Governor’s address and vote on the motion of thanks would be carried out tomorrow in the Punjab Assembly.

Enforce ban on cow slaughter: dera chief
Abohar, February 28
The chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has criticised the government for not strictly enforcing the law on the prevention of cow slaughter.

Mansa observes bandh
Chandigarh, February 28
A near-complete bandh was observed today in Mansa city over the issue of a sub-way under the railway line that passes through the middle of the city. Even medical shops remained closed in the city.

Miraculous escape for 2 families
Amritsar, February 28
About 15 persons of two families of a 150-year-old three-storey dilapidated building had a miraculous escape when its front portion collapsed here today.

Troops show preparedness for nuclear warfare
Somewhere in the western Sector, February 28
Simulated conditions were created for training the troops to handle nuclear biological and chemical warfare somewhere in the western sector today.

Army jawans in simulated conditions demonstrate preparedness for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare somewhere in the western sector on Tuesday.
— A Tribune photograph

Talwara Rock Garden fails to attract visitors
Talwara: Even after two years of its establishment, Rock Garden in Talwara township here has failed to attract visitors, thanks to the authorities of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Talwara township, which boasts of developing Phase-I after clearing Sector 4 from illegal possession of some highly influential persons.

Students burn effigies of Bush
Sangrur, February 28
In protest against the visit of Mr George W. Bush, President of USA, to India tomorrow, activists and members of the Punjab Radical Students Union (PRSU) today burnt the effigies of Mr Bush at Sunam, Mastuana Sahib and Sangrur.

SGPC chief gives Rs 5 lakh for sangeet bhavan
Patiala, February 28
The President of the SGPC, Jathedar Avtar Singh, said his sole motto was to serve the cause of the "panth" and made an announcement of Rs 5 lakh for the construction of Gurmat Sangeet Bhavan as the two-day celebrations of Gurmat Sangeet Utsav ended at Punjabi University here today.

COURTS

High Court
Notice issued in Ludhiana city centre case
Chandigarh, February 28
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for March 17 on a petition filed by Baldev Singh and another person, who were original owners of a portion of land that the Ludhiana Improvement Trust has earmarked for a city centre.

Engineer jailed for 3 years in bribe case
Patiala, February 28
Mr G.S. Gill, Special Judge, CBI, Punjab, today sentenced P.K. Verma, Commander Works Engineer (CWE), Military Engineering Service (MES), to three years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) after holding him guilty of taking bribe from a contractor in lieu of making him payments of his outstanding bills.

Lawyers rue shrinking of district
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 28
The lawyers of the District Bar Association, Fatehgarh Sahib, today held a meeting and strongly condemned the decision of the government to include 11 villages of the district in the proposed SAS Nagar district.

AGRICULTURE

Punjab farmers bowled over by Pak basmati rice
Amritsar, February 28
Pakistan’s superior quality basmati rice has acquired new name “Shabnam” and Punjab farmers have adopted this variety in a big way.

CRIME

Blind murder case solved
Amritsar, February 28
Dispute over smack led to the brutal killing of a notorious criminal, Lucky, alias Lukas, known as “Lucky chor” in the area. The police has arrested another notorious criminal, Mohan Pal, alias Monu, who was out on bail allegedly in the second case of murder.

EDUCATION

Centre to run M. tech, MBA courses
Gurdaspur February 28
The regional campus of Guru Nanak Dev University here would now offer five-year M. tech and MBA courses to the students from the next academic season. Mr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the university, made an announcement in this regard at the regional campus. He also said efforts were being made to run bio-technology courses at the centre.