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 Langur Mela marks the beginning of
Navaratri.
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Confusion marks first day of paddy procurement
Chandigarh, September 25
Confusion marked the first day today of the paddy procurement operations by official agencies in various parts of Punjab. The agencies and others concerned were not clear whether the Rs 40 per quintal announced as bonus by the Union Government on paddy should be included in the J form (sale voucher) or its billing should be done separately for payment to farmers.
Dalbir Kaur slams rumours in Pak media
Amritsar, September 25
Ms Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjt Singh, imprisoned in Pakistan for allegedly carrying out explosions there, slammed the Pakistan media for spreading rumours that she was not the sister of Sarabjit Singh.
SAD to act tough against errant cops
Jalal (Bathinda), September 25
On regaining power, SAD will act tough against certain police and civil officials against whom it has enough proof of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, stated SAD MP Sukhbir Singh Badal, while addressing a press conference minutes after a party rally here today.
No pact with Uma’s party, says Khurana
Chandigarh, September 25
The President of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr Avinash Rai Khanna, yesterday said his party and its alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), were strong enough to win the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab. There was no need to enter into seat sharing agreements with either Uma Bharti’s Bharatiya Jana Shakti Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party, said Mr Khanna.
Report against Madhu sent to high command
Amritsar, September 25
Supporters of the former president of the Mahila Seva Dal, Ms Kamlesh Saini, today submitted a report on the alleged involvement of Madhu Khanna in criminal activities to all-India organising secretary Raj Narayan Yadav.
SAD to take city centre scam to logical conclusion
Patiala, September 25
Gearing up for the forthcoming Assembly elections, the SAD leadership has started taking issues connected with deprivation of facilities to the people and resolved to take the issue of multi-crore Ludhiana City Centre scam to a logical conclusion. In the coming days, the SAD would target the Congress on issues like the city centre scam, manhandling of girl students by the police in the presence of Chief Minister in Ludhiana, closing down of around 750 government schools and 2,300 dispensaries in the past four years by the state government.
BDPO made to reverse order
Tarn Taran, September 25
Hundreds of Akali workers and residents of the nearby Naushehra Pannuan today gheraoed the office of the BDPO against appointing officiating sarpanch replacing the pro-Akali officiating sarpanch. Mr Ranjit Singh
Brahampura, MLA, led the workers.
BJP feels ignored, seeks 8 seats in Malwa
Sangrur, September 25
Leaders of the BJP Malwa zone —Sangrur, Patiala, Bathinda, Mansa, Moga and Barnala — today demanded eight seats during the seat-sharing between SAD and the BJP in the ensuing Punjab Assembly elections.
Farmers block rail traffic
Bathinda, September 25
Hundreds of farmers and farm labourers today blocked rail traffic on the Ferozepore Bathinda Railway section near thermal power plant between 12 noon to 2.30
pm
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Activists of various farmers’ organisation block rail traffic in protest against the state
government’s move to acquire their agricultural land, in Amritsar on Monday.
— Photo by Rajiv Sharma |
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Dalits gherao police station
Nabha, September 25
Over 100 workers of the Dalit Bhalai Federation and the SC/BC Employees Organisation yesterday gheraoed Sadar police station for one hour for not taking action against the persons who encroached upon the cremation ground land at Ageta village, 10 km from here. They raised slogans against the police and the local administration.
‘Bara Makana’ to be preserved
Amritsar, September 25
The ‘Bara Makana’ (cluster of 12 houses) in the Shaheed Islamabad locality here where Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev took shelter in the house of freedom fighter Sohan Singh Josh in 1928 after shooting ASP of Lahore J.P. Saunders, would be preserved by the Heritage and Tourism Foundation
(HTF).
‘Awareness growing on women’s freedom’
Amritsar, September 25
There is growing awareness in Punjab with regard to freedom for women and more and more girls are taking up professional jobs and running their own business unlike in the past when girls stayed at home.
Train to promote tourism in state
Amritsar, September 25
The ‘Grandeur of Punjab’ train would soon run in the state to promote heritage and religious tourism in Punjab. The Director Tourism Mr Jagjit Puri, while announcing this on Saturday said that the government had already given the go-ahead to this tourism promotion project on the lines of ‘Palace on Wheels’ tourist train running in Rajasthan.
Mandira leads walk on World Heart Day
Amritsar, September 25
A “walk for young heart” was organised here yesterday by the Escorts Heart and Super Speciality Institute to mark World Heart Day which is being observed in over 100 countries.
Pesticides affecting newborns’ health: doc
Amritsar, September 25
Presenting a grim picture of the excessive use of pesticides, Dr S.G. Kabra
from the Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, said the state had to completely reorient its agriculture based on chemical fertilisers and other hazardous pesticides to avoid a catastrophic health scenario.
Cooperative bank poll postponed
Bathinda, September 25
The elections of Bathinda Central Cooperative Bank have been postponed due to unspecified reasons. None of the electoral officers turned up at the bank today that left the SAD candidates and their supporters fuming.
Motor vehicle Bill condemned
Chandigarh, September 25
The Punjab Mini Bus Operators Association has condemned the Punjab Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2006, that was approved by the state Assembly recently.
Society for raising memorial to Rafi
Amritsar, September 25
The Mohammad Rafi Memorial Society honoured artistes of Punjab from various streams on the 26th death anniversary of legendary playback singer of Bollywood, Mohammad
Rafi, here late last night.
Mother, son killed in road accident
Hoshiarpur, September 25
Naranjan Kaur (70) and her son Jarnail Singh, son of Teja Singh of Mangarh village (Dasuya), died on the spot when the motor cycle on which they were going to Bullowal collided with a bus (PB-07L-5165) of Azad Transport Company on the Dosarka-Bullowal road last evening.
