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Principals told to register medical colleges as societies
Amritsar, March 17
As the state government has decided to give financial and administrative autonomy to government-run medical, ayurvedic and dental colleges by bringing them under registered ‘Medical Societies’, the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association, here today decided to oppose the move.

Officials in dilemma over probe against minister
Gurdaspur March 17
The inquiry ordered by the state department of panchayats against the Union Minister of State for Industries, Mr Ashwani Kumar, has put officials in the district in a quandary.

Bill passed to control medical education fee, admissions
Chandigarh, March 17
The Punjab Assembly today approved legislation to empower the government to regularise and control the fee structure in private colleges offering medical education in the state. The legislation also provides for reservation for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in private colleges.

Bill cleared to increase term of Lok Pal
Chandigarh, March 17
On the last day of its Budget session today, the Punjab Assembly quickly disposed of legislative business. It passed over a dozen Bills, mostly to amend the parent Acts.

Pak plans to ‘set up’ Guru Nanak Dev varsity
Chandigarh, March 17
Pakistan will be providing better facilities at Nankana Sahib. There is a plan to set up a Guru Nanak Dev university, informed Mr Mian Imran Masood, Education Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province while talking to mediapersons here today.

Fake insurance agents dupe customers
Pathankot, March 17
Another case of fake life insurance agents duping customers has come to the fore. Om Prakash Sharma, a resident of Dhaki road in Pathankot, was attracted to a HDFC Bank hoarding hanging outside a shop.

Gang of robbers busted, six arrested
Muktsar, March 17
The Muktsar police has busted a gang of robbers that was involved in the recent theft of safe containing cash from a Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) office, with the arrest of six of its members.

Mini-secretariat building attached
Ropar, March 17
In an embarrassment for the state government, the building of the mini-secretariat was today attached on court orders due to nonpayment of the dues of a private construction company which was entrusted the task of digging the SYL canal by the Punjab Government. The accounts of the Punjab Roadways depot here were also sealed on the same ground.

Alternating between hope and despair
Mullanpur, March 17
Bharpur Singh can't wish away his existence though he prays he could. He suffers from day to day - a strange suffering that causes him no pain but leaves him bleeding.



Bharpur Singh with his family in his one-room tenement at Chak Kalan village, near Mullanpur, in Ludhiana. — Tribune photo by Saeed Ahmad

COMMUNITY

Dhanoya sarpanch suspended
Hoshiarpur, March 17
Mr D. K. Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, has issued an order of suspension to Mr Bishan Singh, sarpanch of gram panchayat Dhanoya, following the discussion with five members of the said panchayat, SDM, Mukerian, and representatives of all those organisations who were supporting the agitation being launched by the members of the Snatan Dharam Mandir Committee of the village, here last evening, according to official sources today.

Kalam to pay homage to Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Chandigarh, March 17
Thousands of children from across the country will join the President, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, in paying homage to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their 75th death anniversary on March 23.

Pak releases Army jawan
Wagah, March 17
The Pakistani authorities released a jawan of the Indian Army at the Wagah joint checkpost here today who had crossed the border on December 25 last year.

Kairon’s portrait unveiled
Chandigarh, March 14
Immediately after the conclusion of the session of the Punjab Assembly, the Leader of the House, Capt Amarinder Singh, unveiled the portrait of the late Partap Singh Kairon, who, as Chief Minister, laid the foundation to make Punjab a progressive state in the 50s, in the main lounge of the Assembly complex.

Baba’s followers ‘assault’ SGPC men
Amritsar, March 17
A group of followers of Baba Gurpinder Singh Satlani of Gurdwara Gurusar Satlani Sahib allegedly assaulted some SGPC men at a rice sheller located on the Chattiwind-Tarn Taran road here today.

Three hurt in mishaps

Bankers hold protest
Patiala, March 17
On the call of the State Sector Bank Employees Association a body consisting of staff of State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Indore, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur held a demonstration before the SBOP's head office here today.

COURTS

high court
Pollution Board chief summoned
Chandigarh, March 17
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board to be present in the court in person along with relevant record pertaining to release of harmful industrial effluent into farm land by two industrial units at Dera Bassi.

AGRICULTURE

No seeds at Rakhra mela
Patiala, March 17
Farmers who visited the Rakhra Kisan Mela at Rakhra village, near here today, complained of the non-availability of seeds.

ADMINISTRATION

Suvidha centre goes hi-tech
Bathinda, March 17
People approaching the Suvidha centre for various official works would now be kept posted about the status of their cases through SMS, telephone, announced Deputy Commissioner Rahul Bhandari while inaugurating a Lok Suvidha Kendra at Talwandi Sabo today.

CRIME

190 cases of liquor seized

EDUCATION

Students, staff of labour schools hold protest
Amritsar, March 17
The students, teachers and other staff of the schools run by Shanti Sansthan today held a dharna in front of the Hall Gate here for not releasing the grant by the Central Government under the Child Labour Education Plan.

Campus dharnas by aided college teachers
Amritsar, March 17
As per the programme chalked out by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union, teachers from 13 colleges today observed campus dharnas in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government towards their demands.

Teachers stage dharna
Patiala, March 17
On a call given by the Punjab and Chandigarh Teachers Union, the teachers of local M.M.Modi College held a dharna on the college campus to press for their demands.