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Wheat price down but flour still
sells at Rs 11 per kg
Prices of dals, other items too rising
Chandigarh, April 18
Although the wheat price has come down in the open market, the government authorities have failed to bring down the price of wheat flour. Private traders are buying wheat at Rs 655- 670 per quintal but selling wheat flour at Rs 11 per kg. Branded flour is selling at Rs 14 per kg.

Private players rule roost in wheat procurement
Chandigarh, April 18
Sheer economics has led to the private players playing a more active role in wheat procurement from the various mandis of Punjab. By offering anything between Re 1 to Rs 20 per quintal more than the Minimum Support Price of Rs 650 per quintal, the private players have entered the Punjab market in a substantial way this year.

Chandumajra wants Rs 100 bonus on wheat
Sangrur, April 18
In light of a meagre increase in the minimum support price of wheat for the current wheat procurement season and per acre low yield of the crop this year, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) today asked the Union Government to announce a Rs 100 per quintal bonus on wheat.

Farmers continue boycott of mandis

Insurance scheme for BPL families succumb to red tape
Chandigarh, April 18
An ambitious scheme of the Punjab Government to provide insurance cover for 2.50 lakh families living below poverty line, has been lost in the official red tape. No premiums are being paid by the government , hence no insurance payments are being made in case of deaths.

Govt to take up raids issue with Centre
Chandigarh, April 18
Disturbed over the raids on the residences of the two senior IAS officers of the Punjab cadre by the CBI last week here, the Punjab Government has decided to present it as an issue of violation of the Centre-state relations at the national level. The CBI has conducted raids in connection with the Forest Hill Golf Resort case.

COMMUNITY

Ageing govt hospitals may turn young Amritsar, April 18 With broken beds, leaking roofs and empty wards summing up the state of government-run chain of hospitals here, which include 115-year-old Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, TB Hospital and Ram Lal Eye Hospital, spread over 150 acres in separate buildings, the government has proposed relocation, conversion and optimum utilisation of these hospitals.

A view of 115-yr-old Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Amritsar. The state government has proposed rational relocation of government-run hospitals spread on 150 acres. Photo: Rajiv Sharma

Qila Ahluwalia restoration an ‘uphill task’
Amritsar, April 18
On World Heritage Day today, conservationists felt that the over 150-year-old Qila Ahluwalia located in the heart of city needed a herculean task for restoration.

No end to Durgiana panel row
Amritsar, April 18
The feud between the Durgiana Managing Committee and its former president seems to be unending as the latter has fired another salvo against the new committee.

Canal repaired to check seepage
Abohar, April 18
Repair of a branch canal emanating from the Hussainiwala headworks has been completed in 100 days only. This is part of the Rs 100 crore project taken up by the government for augmenting the supply of water in canals in Ferozepore district.

COURTS

HC notice on plea by Russia-educated doctors
Chandigarh, April 18
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for May 2 on a petition filed by Dr Prabhjot Singh and six others. The petitioners, all of whom have done their MBBS from colleges in erstwhile USSR, are seeking directions to the Punjab Government to consider them at par with the doctors who did their MBBS from elsewhere, including India.

CRIME

Farmer commits suicide, lenders booked Bathinda, April 18 Two private money-lenders were today booked in a case related to the suicide by a poor middle-aged farmer, Guradita Singh, of Kot Shamir village, near here, who took his life by consuming poison yesterday. Gurpreet Singh along with his kin mourn the death of his father, Guradita Singh, at Kot Shamir village in Bathinda district on Tuesday. — Photo by Kulbir Beera

2 killed in road accident

EDUCATION

10 pc extra seats for Punjabi varsity
Patiala, April 18
A meeting of the college development council of Punjabi University was held here under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Swarn Singh Boparai, in which, apart from the deans and officials of the university, as many as 28 principals of government and affiliated colleges took part.

BA III exams rescheduled
Chandigarh, April 18
Panjab University here today re-scheduled some of the examinations of BA/B.Sc (General) Part-III, according to a press note issued by the Controller of Examinations.

Govt should ‘fund’ maintenance of heritage sites
Amritsar, April 18
Nearly 200 students from schools, colleges and university formed a human chain around Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on World Heritage Day (WHD) observed here today under the aegis of the Amritsar Chapter of INTACH.

Handing over of schools to panchayats resented
Bathinda, April 18
Protesting against the state government’s move to hand over 4,181 primary schools to panchayats, activists of the Anti-privatisation Action Committee today took to the streets here.

National Children’s Festival begins
Amritsar, April 18
About 900 children from across the country dressed up in their traditional attire held a sadbhavana rally on the first day of the six-day National Children’s Festival at Chheharta, near here, today.