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TOP STORIES

CPI seeks ‘White Paper’ on petro
price hike
Sangrur, June 11
Dr Joginder Dayal, a member of the national executive of the Communist Party of India, today asked the Centre to issue a “White Paper” on the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel to explain the people about the causes which compelled it to increase the prices of petroleum products time and again.

State BJP chief: post may go the Dalit or
Sikh way
Chandigarh, June 11
While the Bharatiya Janata Party President, Mr Rajnath Singh, wants the organisational elections in the party to be completed by October this year, Punjab will be a case for extra treatment. Elections to the state Assembly are due in less than eight months from now.

District status for Tarn Taran on Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day
Tarn Taran, June 11
The ancient city, founded by Guru Arjan Dev in 1596 A.D. was overflowing with devotees and emotions even as 125 nagar kirtans reached here today from Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Rajasthan and other parts of the country to mark the 400th martyrdom anniversary of the fifth Sikh guru, despite soaring temperatures.

A nagar kirtan arrives in Tarn Taran on Sunday to mark the 400th martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Badal, SGPC chief to cross over to Pak
Amritsar, June 11
History would be created when the Jathedars of all the five Takhts, the SGPC chief, Shiromani Akali Dal President Parkash Singh Badal and many former ministers, former Shiromani committee chiefs and MPs would cross over to Pakistan in a nagar kirtan to mark the quadricentennial martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev from the Wagah land route for the first time in annals of Sikhism tomorrow.

Inter-state trucks ferry narcotics
Gurdaspur, June 11
Smugglers are using trucks moving across the states to ferry narcotics in different parts of the country. The fact came to light after 8 kg opium allegedly smuggled into Punjab through trucks coming from Rajasthan was confiscated. The SSP Gurdaspur, Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, while talking to The Tribune told that the police had information that the trucks were being used for smuggling narcotics.

Land dispute: woman abducted, hair shorn
Hoshiarpur, June 11
A case of shearing the hair of a young woman and beating her up for a piece of land was reported at the Mahilpur police station here today. According to the police, Kaka of Sahiba, along with three women — Sonu and Rani of Mahilpur, and Surinder Kaur of Mehmadowal village — and Mohinder Singh, Head Constable posted at the Saila Khurd police post, allegedly abducted Naresh Kumari, wife of Manohar Lal of the same village, from the house of her aunt in Ward No. 4, Mahilpur, yesterday.

COMMUNITY

No check on illegal mining on highways Hoshiarpur, June 11 Brick-kiln owners continue to carry out excavation on road sides in violation of the Supreme Court orders and rules laid by the Punjab Pollution Control Board. As per the rule laid by the board mining cannot be carried out within 300 metres of the state highways. Illegal mining being carried out on the Mukerian-Talwara road. — A Tribune photograph

Girl’s death turns out to be honour killing
Tarn Taran, June 11
The police has claimed to have unravelled the mystery over the death of Rajwinder Kaur (19), a resident of Nagoke village. The headless and decomposed body of the girl was found in the village pond five days ago.

Signature campaign against high rates of ST
Chandigarh, June 11
The Punjab unit of the BJP will launch a statewide signature campaign against existing high rates of sales tax on petrol and diesel in the state. The BJP will urge the state government to slash the tax on these fuels.

SAD protest against oil price hike
Bathinda, June 11
The Shiromani Akali Dal today took out a protest march against the recent hike in oil prices and termed it as a step that would add to economic burden of common man. Hundreds of party workers participated in the rally that began from Gurdwara Haji Rattan and culminated at the Mini-Secretariat.

Procession against caste-based quota
Hoshiarpur, June 11
Activists of the National Equality Front led by their president, Dr S.S. Sharma, along with representatives of various social organisations and citizens, took out a “jaago” procession here last night.

Mayor, Commissioner tiff blows over
Patiala, June 11
The discontentment brewing between the Patiala Mayor, Mr Vishnu Sharma and the Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, for the past few weeks has blown over with the Mayor and the Commissioner addressing a joint press conference here today.

Stone of housing society laid Kharar, June 11 Ms Lakhvinder Kaur Garcha, OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister, today laid the foundation stone of the housing society run by the National Consumer Awareness Group. The group is formed and run under the leadership of Mr Ram Jethmalani, former Union Minister. Ms Lakhvinder Kaur Garcha, OSD to the Punjab CM, after laying the foundation stone of a housing society in Kharar on Sunday.

25 marriages solemnised
Batala, June 11
Marriages of twentyfive couples from the weaker sections of the society were solemnised today at Dharamkot Bagga village, about 10 kms from here, on Batala -Dera Baba Nanak Road, by the Kabir Youth Federation, Dharamkot Bagga.

• Devotees told to collect passports today
• PC Khanna dead

CRIME

1 killed in shootout over land
Tarn Taran, June 11
Police inaction in a land dispute case led to a shootout yesterday in which one person was killed and 11 were injured in border township of Khemkaran. The deceased has been identified as Harbhajan Singh of Khemkaran village, a supporter of Harpal Singh group involved in the land dispute.

Robbers’ gang busted, 5 held
Abohar, June 11
The police has busted a robbers’ gang and arrested five persons. The gang members had been hiring cars and later taking them forcibly from the drivers. Such vehicles were then sold off after preparing fake documents.

14-year-old raped
Rajpura, June 11
A 20-year-old man allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl at her residence in Nanheri village, near here, on Saturday night. The victim was alone at home as her parents had gone out after requesting her aunt to take care of her.

EDUCATION

4 DA instalments for non-govt college staff
Chandigarh, June 11
The Punjab Government in an order has released four dearness allowance instalments to the staff of non-government colleges pending since July, 2004. First DA instalment raises DA from 11 per cent to 14 per cent with effect from July 1, 2004.

• BSc (biotech)-II results today