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TOP STORIES

CM blames Centre for economic divide
Baba Bakala, August 28
A master plan for this historic city would be prepared soon by a world-renowned architect to turn it into a global destination for religious tourism. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced this while addressing a rally held on the occasion of Rakhar Punnia here today.

SAD writes to PM on turban checks at US airports
Jalandhar, August 28
Expressing dissatisfaction over the “failure” of the UPA government in handling two national issues, nuclear pact with the US and ban on turban in French schools, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) acting chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today accused the central government of not having consulted Opposition parties, including the SAD on the nuclear deal.

Acting SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal addresses a press conference in Jalandhar on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Lack of will, red tape hit project hard

Gurdaspur, August 28 Political one-upmanship, lack of planning and red tape has hit the Shahpurkandi dam project hard, thus delaying it for over 15 years. The construction of this most prestigious project could not be started even though the Planning Commission and the Central electricity authority had given the green light for it in 1992. The proposed site of the Shahpurkandi Dam project on the interstate border of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. — Photo by Bharat Bhushan Dogra

Construction cost of Shahpurkandi Dam has risen to Rs 1,945 crore

Muktsar incident of parading woman in torn clothes
Still no justice for victim
Muktsar, August 28
A woman, who is a prominent educationist of this district, was paraded in torn clothes torn by certain persons, including her kin, at Tarkhanwala village in this home district of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on May 25. She is yet to get justice as no case has been registered against the culprits so far.

‘Sisters’ from Pak cross Wagah to tie rakhi to Indian ‘brother’

Amritsar, August 28 Two Muslim “sisters” from Lahore and Islamabad today tied rakhis on the wrist of their Indian Hindu “brother” after crossing the Wagah border for the first time to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, here today. Shahida Latif, chief editor, Overseas International, Islamabad, and Imrana Mushtaq, Lahore, crossed the Wagah border to tie rakhi to Surinder Kochhar of Amritsar on Tuesday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

COMMUNITY

Secy justifies cuts
Costly power from other states
Patiala, August 28
Financial crisis in the Punjab State Electricity Board has been taking its toll. The secretary, Power, has written to the government to impose ‘tolerable’ power cuts in the state. He has justified the imposition of power cuts saying power being purchased from other states or traders was proving too costly to the PSEB and having adverse bearing on the financial health of the state.

ON CALL OF FAITH: Devotees flock to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Baba Bakala on the occasion of Rakhar Punnia on Tuesday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Sand Mafia
Industries Dept seeks police force
Chandigarh, August 28
The department of industries and commerce, which has been asked to generate an income of Rs 200 crore from minor minerals such as sand, gravel, etc, has sought police force to check the illegal removal of minerals from various quarries.

Housing projects may bear rainwater drain cost, MC
Kharar, August 28
The mega housing project in Kharar may have to bear the cost of rainwater drain. Municipal Council Kharar disapproved the proposed project for laying rainwater drains in areas of Chajju Majra, Mundi Kharar, Desu Majra, Shivalik, Sante, Majra, Ansal Group, Landran road and other areas.

Lawlessness at Bareta
Trigger-happy union chief creates fear
Bareta (Mansa), August 28
Fear gripped residents of this town after president of the Truck Union, Sirsiwala, Binder Singh, along with his accomplices, opened fire twice in the thickly populated Bareta crossing area last evening and again in the morning.

New citrus varieties planted in 19 dists
Chandigarh, August 28
All 19 districts of Punjab have been covered under a pilot project of planting citrus launched by the citrus and agro juicing council of Punjab. Announcing this here today the council said the first phase of planting citrus had been completed in Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Muktsar, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Gurdapur and Hoshiarpur districts.

DSGMC team back from Pak
Amritsar, August 28
The delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said the historic Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh gurdwara in Lahore was under the control of the Evacuee Board. The four-member delegation which returned from Pakistan said reports that the gurdwara was occupied by hooligans of Muslim community was wrong.

AWWA Raising Day function concludes
Patiala, August 28
Black Elephant AWWA, a week-long programme, which was organised to commemorate AWWA raising day, concluded here today. In this programme, various lectures on the concept of AWWA was delivered by members of the association.

COURTS

High Court
Ensure safety of ex-minister’s kin
Chandigarh, August 28
Justice Pritam Pal has directed the SSP, Batala, to ensure the safety of petitioners Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and Gurbachan Kaur, son and widow, respectively, of Satnam Singh Bajwa who was a former minister.

ADMINISTRATION

Govt shuts treasury for MLAs
Chandigarh, August 28
In a significant decision the Punjab government has decided against giving loans to the MLAs from the state treasury. Henceforth, they will have to take loans from banks of their choice like any government employee.

• 5 IAS promoted

CRIME

Three Thapar students booked for kidnap
Rajpura, August 28
Three students of B.Tech of the Thapar institute of engineering and technology were booked here for kidnapping a friend “ with the intention of murder.” The three were booked when Tarun Veer went missing under mysterious circumstances after the car in which they were travelling met with an accident near Ganda Kheri village adjoining the Narwana canal on the Rajpura-Patiala highway.

Missing lecturer yet to be traced
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 28
The sudden disappearance of a lecturer of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, just three-days after his marriage, still remains a mystery for the district police despite their having put in constant efforts to trace the lecturer.

Cops torture youth
Bathinda, August 28
Sher Singh, a young sugarcane juice vendor in the trans-railway colonies, landed in the local Civil Hospital after he was allegedly tortured by some policemen of the General Railway Police, yesterday.

Three held for illegal sale of luxury cars
Sangrur, August 28
The police today arrested Rajnish Kumar, alias Dimpa, Ravi Garg, alias Rinku, and Sanjay Kumar, all of Sangrur, and claimed the busting a gang purchasing luxury cars in fake names and addresses through bank loans and selling these at low prices after getting fake registration papers of the vehicles prepared from the office of the registering authority.

EDUCATION

‘Remove rural-urban disparity in schools’ Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 28 Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon has called upon leaders of various social, educational and constitutional bodies to help the board authorities remove disparity between rural and urban schools and fight copying during board examinations. Terming disparity of education in rural and urban areas and copying as the root cause of non-achievement of desired results, Dr Dhillon said he would make efforts to bridge the gap between teaching in urban and rural schools.

Dalbir Singh Dhillon

527 teachers promoted
Chandigarh, August 28
The Punjab education department has promoted 527 ETT, classical and vernacular (C and V) teachers to the master cadre and initiated the recruitment process of 4,000 teachers who will be called educational service providers.

From Schools
An 11-ft-long rakhi
Patiala, August 28
The festival of Raksha Bandhan was celebrated in Scholar Fields Public School with great fervour and gaiety. A 11 feet long Rakhi which was prepared by the students of this school was presented to S.K. Ahluwalia, divisional commissioner, here today.

Principal objects to VC’s style of functioning
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 28
Principal of Mata Gujri College Gurmohan Singh Walia has locked horns with Punjabi University vice-chancellor Swarn Singh Boparai over issues related to his style of functioning.

Punjabi varsity gets nod for BA LLB
Patiala, August 28
The Bar Council of India has accorded approval to the five-year integrated BA LLB course of Punjabi University to start from the 2007-08 session. Sources said this course is different than the existing Law courses of the university.