Beant’s son for strong action against Mann
Ludhiana, May 16
Tej Parkash, son of former Chief Minister Beant Singh and sitting legislator from Payal, today said the government must take strong action against Simranjit Singh Mann for his act of dishonouring his father's statue.

Foolproof security for Panthic meeting
Talwandi Sabo, May 16
ADGP (Law and Order) Chander Shekhar, IG, Zonal, Patiala, M. K. Tiwari and DIG, Faridkot range, Jatinder Jain, were camping till late night in this town for making foolproof security arrangements for a Panthic meeting to be organised tomorrow.

Food subsidy
Sukhbir seeks Central aid
Chandigarh, May 16
Reminding the central government of rising prices, working president of the Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked it to simplify procedures and give financial assistance for providing atta and dal to families living below the poverty line.

State Round-up
Rs 40 cr for sewage treatment
Chandigarh, May 16
At a meeting held here today between local government minister Manoranjan Kalia and finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the release of funds to speed up ongoing municipal works was discussed.

POLITICS

Sidhwan made pol secy
Chandigarh, May 16
Shiromani Akali Dal working president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appointed Paramjit Singh Sidhwan his political secretary. Sidhwan has been asked to streamline the functioning of the party secretariat and, in coordination with senior leaders, plan a strategy to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

COMMUNITY

Punjab forest, wildlife dept posts merged
Chandigarh, May 16
The Punjab Government has decided to merge the Punjab Wildlife cadre of officials with the Forest Department. In Punjab, though the department of forests and wildlife preservation is one the cadre of wild life officials is separate.

First IPS officer from Abohar Abohar, May 16 Vikram Jeet Duggal, son of former Punjab Police sub-inspector Kashmiri Lal Duggal, has passed the Civil Services Exam 2006 with 124th rank and has been selected to the Indian Police Service. Vikram has drawn inspiration from his grandfather Babu Ram Duggal who had served in the Punjab Police as a constable. Vikram Jeet Duggal being welcomed at his Nanak Nagri residence in Abohar on Wednesday. — Photo by Raj Sadosh

Women at war against illegal liquor, poppy husk outlets
Abohar, May 16
A large number of women yesterday thrashed a few shopkeepers in upper streets of Nai Abadi here for running illegal outlets of the country-made licensed liquor and poppy husk. Earlier, one of the protesting women was beaten up by a shopkeeper and his wife for obstructing them from doing so.

B.R. Bajaj acquitted in corruption case Chandigarh, May 16 Twenty-two years after the CBI booked a Punjab-cadre IAS officer, B.R. Bajaj in an alleged lottery scam, the CBI special court today acquitted him of the charges. The case was registered when Bajaj was on deputation to the union territory of Chandigarh as finance secretary. He remained the UT’s finance secretary from 1984 to 1986. During the trial, the prosecution failed to prove the charges and a number of prosecution witnesses turned hostile.

Jakhar hands over keys of tractors to coop societies
Abohar, May 16
MLA Sunil Jakhar today handed over keys of the latest tractors and laser levellers to presidents of cooperative societies located at Maujgarh, Kallarkhera, Killianwali and Khuyiansarwar villages at a function organised at Kallarkhera village on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road.

Meritorious service awards for engineers
Chandigarh, May 16
On the Raising Day of the Beas dam at Talwara today, the Chairman of the Bhakra Beas Management Board, U.C. Misra presented meritorious service awards to 24 engineers and officials, who performed their duties diligently.

Plea to govt on Anglo-Sikh war
Amritsar, May 16
The Punjab government should get the Anglo-Sikh war declared as the First War of Independence. Kanwar Karvinder Pal Singh, Kanwar Meetpal Singh, Kanwar Karanbir Singh Zirakpur and Kanwar Jeet Singh, descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, stated this at Attari here today.

Use of caste-based remarks
Labourers stage dharnas
Sangrur, May 16
Labourers, including women, under the banners of the Mazdoor Mukti Morcha and the CPI (ML) Liberation staged dharnas in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and the Sadar police station here today. They also took out a protest march through the main markets of the town in support of their demands.