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TOP STORIES

Punjab requires Rs 3,200 cr to buy power
Chandigarh, April 3
A power-hungry Punjab requires a whopping Rs 3200 crore during this financial year to buy electricity from outside sources just to cope with the rapidly increasing demand in the state. This is nearly Rs 600 crore more than what the state spent on buying power during the just-ended financial year.

Wheat procurement insignificant, as traders offer higher prices
Chandigarh, April 3
Though government procurement agencies have entered various grain markets in Punjab to procure wheat, private traders are in a dominant position as far as purchases are concerned.

Cop cross-examined in Hawara’s wife case
Sangrur, April 3
Mr Harjinder Singh, Head Constable (HC) and prosecution witness, was today cross-examined partly in a Fast Track Court, Sangrur, in connection with a case registered against Balwinder Kaur, whose marriage with Jagtar Singh Hawara of the Babbar Khalsa International had been annulled by the court recently.

Advocate grilled after Bheora’s disclosure
Amritsar, April 3
After the revelations by Paramjit Singh Bheora, BKI terrorist accused of the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, that an advocate in Amritsar had given him shelter and funds for carrying out his activities, the police detained the advocate Amarjit Singh for investigation.

• Bheora’s wife held
• Chandigarh page: Bheora’s police remand extended
  

Road repair work comes to standstill
Ludhiana, April 3
Recarpeting work on all the state roads has come to a standstill, thanks to the strike by owners of hotmix plants in the state, who have refused to supply the material in protest against rise in bitumen prices.

LAC Sodhi facing contempt proceedings also
Chandigarh, April 3
It seems that not only did P.S. Sodhi, Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), PUDA, Mohali, treat common people with utter disdain but he is also accused of adopting a similar attitude when it comes to the courts also.

One killed, 31 hurt in road mishap
Rajpura, April 3
One pilgrim was killed and 31 others injured when a tourist bus collided with a truck at the Banur barrier, near here, in the wee hours of today.

POLITICS

Ministers criticise Badal
Chandigarh, April 3
Senior Congress Ministers today took exception to what they described as “irresponsible utterances” of SAD President Parkash Singh Badal.

Gagandeep is PPYC spokesman
Chandigarh, April 3
The Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress President, Mr Raminder Awla, has appointed Mr Gagandeep Singh Wasu as spokesman of the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress with immediate effect.

COMMUNITY

Dogra kicks off Pulse Polio campaign
Hoshiarpur, April 3
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Romesh Chander Dogra today launched the pulse polio campaign here by flagging off polio raths. The vehicles carrying message of polio immunisation will cover the state by April 9.

Work at hydel power project disrupted again
Hoshiarpur April 3
Work at the 18 MW hydel power project of the PSEB has again been hit due to eruption of water. Water has once again started gushing out of the new site of the proposed power houses causing disruption of work.

MC gets Rs 10.83 cr for development
Hoshiarpur, April 3
Ch Jagjit Singh, Local Bodies Minister, gave cheques for Rs 8.35 crore for water supply and Rs 2.48 crore for sewerage work to the local Municipal Council at a function here today.

Home Guards resent non-payment of salary
Bathinda, April 3
Resentment is brewing among home guards over the issue of non-payment of salary before their deployment for the coming Assembly elections in West Bengal. About 1,200 home guards have been sent for election duty from Punjab.

Autorickshaw operators on strike
Pathankot, April 3
Autorickshaw operators here today kept their vehicles off the roads to protest the illegal nakas raised by mini bus operators. The protesters alleged that the mini bus operators were not allowing them to operate on the suburbs of Pathankot.

Vani Jairam enthrals audience
Amritsar, April 3
Renowned playback singer and Tansen awardee Vani Jairam in a scintillating performance regaled people during a live concert in aid of Chinmaya Mission here last night at BBK DAV College auditorium.

Councillors allege corruption in MC
Batala, April 3
At a press conference in the town hall, here today evening Mr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Mr Talochan Chanda, Mr Joginder Angurala, Pinky Pamma, Sukhdeep Singh, Harinder Singh Kalsi and Ms Inderjeet Kaur Municipal Councillors levelled allegations of corruption and mismanagement against Mr Subhash Sekhri, President, MC, Batala and officers of the council.

BJP to oppose land acquisition in 3 villages
Barnala, April 3
The BJP today decided to oppose the Punjab Government’s move to acquire around 331 acres of farmland in Dhaula, Fatehgarh Chhanna and Sanghera villages here to make way for three industrial units of Trident Group of Industries, and the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation’s (PSIDC).

Poll rolls with photos for all 90 constituencies
Chandigarh, April 3
Electoral rolls having the photograph of each voter will be published for all 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana with January 1, 2006, as the qualifying date.

Thethi takes charge as CE of GNDTP
Bathinda, April 3
Mr Narinder Singh Thethi, has taken over the charge of Chief Engineer, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda. He has replaced Mr Baldev Singh who retired on March 31.

Baisakhi celebrations
Patiala, April 3
The Mehak Cultural Forum will organise a function here in connection with Baisakhi on April 8. Noted Punjabi singers Sardool Sikander and Manpreet Akhtar will perform before a select audience.

COURTS

HC notice to two officers
Chandigarh, April 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the Financial Commissioner, Local Government, Punjab, B.R. Bajaj, and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, K.S. Kang to show cause as to why proceedings under the contempt of court not be initiated against them for not complying with its orders.

Insurance company told to pay relief
Hoshiarpur, April 3
The District Consumer Forum, here headed by Mr B.C. Gupta, president, Ms Manjeet Walia and Mr Amarjit Singh Jauhar, both members, accepted the complaint of Mr Gurcharan Singh of local Government colony, and ordered the National Insurance Company here to pay Rs 17,928/- along with Rs 5,000/- for harassment, litigation expenses and interest in two months.

AGRICULTURE

Decline in interest on farm loans on cards: minister
Bathinda, April 3
Aiming to achieve agricultural growth rate of 4 per cent, the Central Government has asked various banks to peg their rate of interest at 7 per cent for a farm loan of up to Rs 3 lakh. This was stated by the Union Minister of State for Finance while addressing a public meeting at Maur Mandi here yesterday.

Gill for waiving farmers’ loans
Chandigarh, April 3
Former Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill here today urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to make a decisive intervention to deal with the problem of rising debts of Punjab farmers.

CRIME

Six booked in immigration fraud
Ludhiana, April 3
The Kotwali police today booked six persons, including two women, of the Kenya Export Company, for allegedly duping nearly 130 youths of about Rs 2 crore on the pretext of sending them abroad even as the Lok Bhalai Party has sought resignation of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, for allegedly failing to check the menace.

Decomposed body found in Kharar
Kharar, April 3
An unidentified body was found lying on the way to the Jayanti Devi temple here today.

EDUCATION

Realise duties towards society, students told
Amritsar, April 3
Mr S.S. Boparai, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, addressing combined faculty convocation of Guru Nanak Dev University today said the students understand their duties towards society, religion, and environment and make their minds free from prejudice to achieve their targets.

Durgiana panel alleges embezzlement by ex-chief
Amritsar, April 3
The new Durgiana Managing Committee (DMC) has lodged a complaint against Mr Surinder Arjun, former chief, for embezzling Rs 3.33 lakh received as grant for the Sanskrit college.

DC lays stone of building for deaf and blind
Patiala, April 3
Deputy Commissioner of Patiala Tejveer Singh laid the foundation stone of a residential school for the deaf and blind, being constructed at a cost of Rs 4 crore, at Saifdipur village, near Punjabi University campus, here today.

Private schools hold dharna
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 3
Students, staff and managements of all private schools in the district organised a protest rally and dharna under the banner of "Save Schools" in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner today.

DAV school celebrates silver jubilee
Amritsar, April 3
Noted playback singer Vani Jairam inaugurated the silver jubilee celebrations of the DAV Public School here. She appealed to young generation to understand and appreciate rich Indian cultural and musical heritage which had given so much to the world.

Office-bearers of school trust take charge
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 3
The newly elected office-bearers of the Ashoka Educational Trust and Management Society, Sirhind, took charge of their respective posts today.

Annual function organised
Fatehgarh Sahib, April3
The Punjab College of Education, Chuni Kalan, organised its first annual prize distribution on the college campus. Mr Bir Devinder Singh, former Deputy Speaker, was the chief guest in the morning session of the function and distributed prizes among the outstanding students.

BUSINESS

Annual credit plan of UCO Bank released
Ropar, April 3
The Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Mr H.I.S Garewal, today released the annual credit plan (2006-2007) of UCO Bank worth Rs 1,138.28 crore to be utilised in terms of loans under various schemes for the district. The amount of the credit plan was 34 per cent more than last year's.