Will Vigilance Bureau get back its teeth?
Chandigarh, March 7
Will the Punjab Vigilance Bureau get back the teeth it had after the previous Congress government assumed office five years ago?

 

POLITICS

Action against Dimpa, errant cops hinted
Wadala Kalan (Beas), March 7
Unfolding the list of police officials, who had allegedly tortured the Akali leaders following Vigilance raids, Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, said such officials would be brought to book for resorting to unconstitutional third degree methods during the Congress regime.

Show-cause notice to Bir Devinder
Chandigarh, March 7
Bir Devinder Singh, a former MLA from Kharar, is among 10 Congressmen who have been served show-cause notices by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee for alleged anti-party activity in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state.

COMMUNITY

PSEB accepts suggestions of study group 
Phillaur, March 7
The Punjab State Electricity Board has accepted the recommendations of the high-level study group headed by Chief Engineer (North) Parminder Singh Sandhu,which visited Andhra Pardesh to assess power system there. The PSEB now has started steps to prevent kundi connections especially in rural areas and introduced a scheme to reduce power loss.

Urbanisation affecting life: Experts
Amritsar, March 7
With the fast pace urbanisation in the world, the quality of life is declining while poverty is increasing.

Widow awaiting pension for 2 years 
Patiala, March 7
The Indian Ex-Services League (Punjab and Chandigarh) has been representing the Centre to grant two pensions to widows of ex-servicemen who drew two pensions during their lifetime, but the government has not granted the same so far.

Manmohan’s next flick on illegal immigrants
Bathinda, March 7
Renowned producer-director Manmohan Singh, who has had a hat trick of successful Punjabi films, today shot some sequences of his forthcoming venture “Mitti Wajaa Maardi” at Khemuana village, near here.

Rs 24 lakh for research on Sikh history
Amritsar, March 7
The UGC has sanctioned Rs 24 lakh to the Guru Nanak Studies Department of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) for research on Sikh philosophy and religion, comparative study of religion and Sikh history. The UGC has provided this grant to the university under the Special Assistance Programme (SAP) for a period of five years.

‘Analyse Namdhari literature’
Patiala, March 7
A national seminar on “Historian and the region: The 20th century”, organised by the ICHR and the ICSSR at the department of history, Punjabi University, concluded here yesterday. Delegates from all over India participated in the seminar.

Seminar on ‘cause of death certificate’
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 7
The district health department organised a seminar for medical officers in the district on the medical certificate of cause of death here yesterday.

COURTS

Badals case: Verdict on March 9
Ropar, March 7
After hearing arguments from both sides on the issue of framing of charges, the special court judge G.S. Saran today reserved his order on a plea moved by the Punjab Government seeking further probe in a corruption case involving Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and members of his family in view of income tax reports and also on other issues raised by defence counsel for March 9.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers’ gamble pays off
Cotton crosses Rs 2,500 mark
Bathinda, March 7
It seems that the farmers who gambled to hold back their stock has ultimately paid off, as cotton prices in the region have shot up to Rs 2,500 per quintal. It fetched as high as Rs 2,524 per quintal in the local market today.

Progress of govt schemes reviewed
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 7
Deputy commissioner Jaspreet Talwar reviewed the progress of government-sponsored schemes for the agricultural sector and weaker sections of society during a meeting of the standing committee of banks here yesterday.

Camp for farming women
Abohar, March 7
Former minister Sajjan Kumar Jakhar today inaugurated a four-day training camp for farming women sponsored by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) at Khuyiansarwar village in this subdivision.

ADMINISTRATION

Administrative reshuffle after March 9
Chandigarh, March 7
Minutes after joining as the chief secretary of Punjab, Ramesh Inder Singh today reiterated the stand of the SAD-BJP government saying there would be “no witch hunt and no vendetta, though anybody who has committed a wrong will have to face the law”. He said an administrative reshuffle would be carried out after March 9.

CRIME

Duping Youth
Many travel agents in dock, few convicted
Moga, March 7
The police may have booked several travel agents for duping those aspiring to go abroad; but few convictions due to lack of evidence has enabled agents to continue with their vocation.

SI’s bid to abduct 2 girls foiled, held
Tarn Taran, March 7
A drunkard sub-inspector, Satwinder Singh (32), was overpowered by two girls with the support of public when he allegedly made an attempt to kidnap them in front of a Government Senior Secondary School, at pistol point, here today .

70 LPG cylinders seized
Abohar, March 7
The police during a raid today seized 70 LPG cylinders from a house and arrested three persons under section 420, IPC, and section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act.

Heroin, fake currency seized
Ferozepore, March 7
The BSF foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs and fake currency into Indian territory. According to BSF sources, at 1.30 am today morning, BSF men Vinod Auren and Surinder Kumar, deputed at border outpost Bahadur Ke spotted some movement along the cobra fencing near Indo-Pakistan border in Fazilka sector.

EDUCATION

China keen on joint academic plans
Amritsar, March 7
China is keen to have collaborative academic programme with Indian universities in the field of higher education. In this context, China has already signed agreements with Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University.