The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Punjab to train students for BPO industry
Chandigarh, August 20
Government colleges in Punjab will now churn out students ready for jobs in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Power cuts cripple industry
Ludhiana, August 20
The unprecedented power crisis in the state has crippled industrial production and the wheel of the machine has almost come to a standstill. The industry is getting power supply only for six hours, allege industrialists.

Mill boiler blast leaves 1 dead, 10 injured
Verka (Amritsar), August 20
One migrant labourer was killed and 10 others were injured, a few of them seriously, in an explosion in a textile processing unit early this morning here today.

‘Fake letter’ creates confusion in university corridors
Amritsar, August 20
The circulation of a “fake notification” on the letterhead of Guru Nanak Dev University to the heads of all affiliated centers of the university (outside Punjab), directing them not to go in for further admissions for the new academic session, created confusion today.

POLITICS

Dullo hints at poll alliance
Ropar, August 20
The Punjab Congress can form an alliance with like-minded parties to fight the next Assembly elections, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, indicated here today.

Factionalism in Youth Congress
Ropar, August 20
Factionalism in the District Youth Congress (DYC) came to the fore today when three functions were organised here to pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. The PPCC president attended two of the functions.

COMMUNITY

Dal Khalsa rejects Vedanti as Jathedar
Amritsar, August 20
On the fifth day of the Gurdwara Reform Movement, the Dal Khalsa today refused to submit a memorandum to Jathedar Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti on the plea that he had lost credibility in the Sikh Panth.

PCCTU for implementation of pension scheme soon
Patiala, August 20
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU), which held a “Poll manifesto reminder march” from Barnala to this town on Friday, urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to implement the pension-gratuity scheme from September 5, 2005.

Sidhu leads rally against poor law, order
Amritsar, August 20
The SAD-BJP combine carried out a protest rally against deteriorating law and order situation in the holy city.

BBMB rock garden a major tourist attraction
Talwara (Hoshiarpur), August 20
The rock garden of the BBMB here has proved to be a major tourist attraction. According to the authorities of the BBMB, about 1 lakh tourists from the surrounding areas have visited the park.

A piece of art work, made out of an old road roller, at the BBMB rock garden in Talwara. — Photo by the writer

GMC doctor’s herbal cure to reduce side effects of TB drugs
Amritsar, August 20
Dr Jaswant Rai, Prof and Head of Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, here has revealed in his research that Liquorice (mulathi) helps to overcome side-effects which emerge after the use of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug therapy.

Marble dealers allege trespassing
Manawala (Amritsar), August 20
Marble dealers and industrialists are agitated over trespassing by the workers of a Hyderabad-based company into their business establishments and houses for marking the area to set up toll plaza on the GT road here today.

PPCC pays tributes to Rajiv Gandhi
Chandigarh, August 20
Congress party workers paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 62nd birth anniversary that was observed at the Punjab Congress Bhavan here this morning.

Two dead in separate incidents
Moga, August 20
Two persons died in separate incidents in different parts of the district during the past 24 hours.

AGRICULTURE

Ginners boycott purchase of cotton
Abohar, August 20
The Punjab Cotton Ginners Association yesterday decided to stop buying cotton with immediate effect.

CRIME

18-year-old girl gang-raped
Hoshiarpur, August 20
An 18-year-old girl, student of Class X and resident of Bassi Jaura village in this district, has been gang-raped by two youths and their uncle, all of the same village. The Sadar police registered a case under Sections 363, 366, 376, 342, 506 and 120-B of the IPC last evening.

Buffalo thief dead as Canter falls into canal
Moga, August 20
A buffalo thief was killed and his three accomplices were arrested as their Canter fell into a canal near Rataul village this morning. However, the fifth buffalo thief managed to flee.

One dies in mishap
Kharar, August 20
One person was killed in a road accident at Kharar when his motorcycle was hit by a car near Sahoran village near here yesterday.

EDUCATION

GND university ‘overlooked’ rules for NRI MBA admissions
Amritsar, August 20
The candidates seeking admission in NRI or NRI -sponsored MBA seats alleged that Guru Nanak Dev University did not hold entrance test against the claim made in the prospectus.