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TOP STORIES

Sending Birs to Canada
Sarna rejects probe panel, ready to appear at Takht
Amritsar, October 18
Harwinder Singh Sarna, a former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has rejected the five-member committee, constituted by the SGPC to probe attempts of the DSGMC to send 100 Birs (copies) of Guru Granth Sahib to Canada in a container (through shipment), but he offered to appear at Akal Takht to clarify the position of Gurdwara Committee, if summoned by the Jathedar.

Punjab govt agenda not clear, says Bhattal
Chandigarh, October 18
Punjab Congress chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today launched another attack on the ruling SAD-BJP combine, alleging that there was no clarity in the agenda of the alliance on any issue and said “chief minister Parkash Singh Badal should make his government functional".

Buddha Nullah
With HC monitoring, Punjab chief secy talks tough
Chandigarh, October 18
Accountability is not exactly a hallmark of the state’s administration that more often than not revels in buck-passing. But, prodded by the high court’s censure over the terrible state of Buddha Nullah, the chief secretary, Punjab, Ramesh Inder Singh, has sounded warning bells for officials concerned lest they turn lax in their efforts to clean the nullah.

DSP accuses seniors of shielding officials involved in clash
Chandigarh, October 18
A DSP has accused senior Punjab Police functionaries of attempting to shield officers “found to be involved” in a clash between the police and some members of the public that took place over a year ago due to a land dispute between Gurdwara Bhadaur and Nanaksar Thath in Barnala district.

Staff shortage hits top college
PPSC fails to make regular appointments
Bathinda, October 18
Government Rajinder College, Bathinda, is finding it hard to cope with the shortage of regular staff. The college, which celebrated its platinum jubilee in 2004, has ambitious expansion plans but staff crunch is holding back the plans.

POLITICS

CM: Waterproof Rajasthan canal

Gidderbaha, October 18 Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said he would take up the matter of renovating the main Rajasthan canal and to'water proof' it to save the state's fields from waterlogging with the union government and his Rajasthan counterpart Ms Vasundhra Raje Scindia. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at a sangat darshan programme at Lambi on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Balbir Punj to meet Badal
Sangrur, October 18
In the light of differences on the issue of hike in power tariff and some other issues between the Punjab BJP and the SAD, in charge of the Punjab BJP affairs Balbir Punj will meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on October 19 in Amritsar.

Mann group plans political rallies at Attari and Burail
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 18
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has decided to hold two political rallies at Attari and in front of Burail Jail in Chandigarh. Party chief Sirmranjit Singh Mann said the rally at Attari was being held on October 28 to hail the efforts put in by the Pakistani president Prevez Mushraf for opening the Indo-Pak border for trader purposes.

COMMUNITY

Commissioner takes govt offices by surprise
38 employees found absent
Patiala, October 18
Patiala division commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia conducted a surprise check at various government offices this morning and found 38 employees absent from duty. The employees did not reach their offices in time.

Information panel summons DC
Gurdaspur, October 18
The Punjab Information Commission , has summoned the Gurdaspur deputy commissioner for not providing information regarding expenditure by Dinanagar civic body on the construction of a concrete drain to a resident of Dinannagar.

Park faces govt apathy, is haven for addicts
Chamkaur Sahib, October 18
The incomplete theme park, set up by the Congress government to commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's sahibzadas and 40 others, has become a haven for drug addicts. The illustrious park is a victim to government apathy with not even a single grant released for it.

Tractor-trailer overturns, 10 students hurt
Sandhuana (Moga), October 18
The sleepy village, located nearly 7 km from here, was shocked with cries of students writhing in pain when a tractor-trailer carrying them back from an excursion trip turned turtle here in the noon.

Bathinda expanding sans facilities
Bathinda, October 18
Though Bathinda has been witnessing rapid expansion for many years, its residents have been deprived of facilities, including local bus service and an air link. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, on a visit to the city on Sunday, announced to boost tourism, a shikara facility in the three lakes of the Guru Nanak Dev thermal plant here.

Festival fervour grips Bathinda
Bathinda, October 18
With the 10-day Durga Puja entering into the seventh day today, the festival fervour has gripped entire Bathinda and adjoining areas. Devotees have been thronging puja pandals and temples across the district to have a glimpse of Maa on the Maha Saptami Day.

Kapurthala fest gets underway
Kapurthala, October 18
Jagatjit Palace was the venue for the 6th Baba Jassa Singh Kapurthala Heritage Festival, which began today. The festival began on an auspicious note of devotional renditions of Bhai Manohar Singh. The chief guest for the mystic evening was education minister Upinderjit Kaur.

IB officials visit Ludhiana
Ludhiana, October 18
Senior officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) visited the city today and held urgent meetings with the police officials sharing information regarding the likely terrorist outfit that could have been involved in the Shingaar bomb blast incident.

Cheques given to villagers
Bassi Pathana, October 18
Cheques worth Rs. 25,000 each to 64 village panchayats of Bassi Pathana block under ‘Sampuran Gram Rojgar Yojna’ were distributed. Besides, 12 quintals of wheat to each village panchayat and 30 carts (rickshaw rehries) to the unemployed.

COURTS

Mobile court to keep moving in Hoshiarpur
Ludhiana, October 18
Stamping down his foot on the functioning of mobile courts in the state, the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today said the mobile court would continue to work in Hoshiarpur where a section of advocates had gone on strike in protest.

High Court
Judicial officers transferred
Chandigarh, October 18
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the transfer and postings of judicial officers in Punjab. District and sessions judge Fateh Deep Singh has been transferred from Mansa to Kapurthala. He replaces S.P. Bangarh, who goes to Amritsar.

AGRICULTURE

BKU holds protest, threatens to intensify stir

Bathinda, October 18 Accusing the government of bowing to the wishes of the Barnala-based Trident Group and not implementing the agreement that farmers had signed with it, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan group) today held a protest rally at 10 district headquarters across the state, including Bathinda. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) farmers protest against the government in Bathinda on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Seminar on organic farming held
Daburji (Ropar), October 18
Farmers from various villages attended a seminar oganised on organic farming by the Ambuja Cement Foundation here yesterday. The chief guest of the seminar, Dinesh Kapila, DDM of Nabard, delivered a talk on loans available for farmers.

CRIME

Crime Against Kids
Two police teams constituted
Hoshiarpur, October 18
On the directions of the additional director-general, internal vigilance-cum-state human rights commission, the district police here has formed two special teams for dealing with crime against children and to locate missing children in the district.

Tantrik arrested; missing girl found
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 18
The district police today found a 17-year-old girl, abducted by a ‘tantrik’, in Nandpur Kalour village near Bassi Pathana. The 62-year-old ‘tantrik’ has been arrested. The godman had sought shelter in the house of the girl’s parents in Kotla Fazal on October 3, saying there was an evil spirit in the house that he would get rid of.

Vehicles collide, catch fire, 2 hurt
Pathankot, October 18
Two persons were injured in an accident that took place on the Pathankot-Amritsar road near Parmanand town today.Both were admitted to Dinanagar civil hospital. The accident took place after a truck (JK-03-7750) and a trailer (PB-04-L-9488) caught fire after collision in a bid to overtake other.

Police gypsy meets with accident
Patiala, October 18
A police gypsy today met with an accident on the national highway. The gypsy, which was attached as the pilot vehicle of MLA Naraingarh Ram Kishen hit into the road railing between Ramgarh and Barwala after the driver lost control of the vehicle.

EDUCATION

Wards of land donors to get jobs in Pbi varsity
Patiala, October 18
The Punjabi university syndicate today approved the appointment of wards of those who donated land for its neighbourhood campuses. In a major decision aimed at motivating and honouring those who donated land for the expansion programs of the university, the syndicate decided that the wards of the donors would be adjusted against class III and IV posts by relaxing the basic qualifications.

College files complaint against Pbi varsity
Patiala, October 18
Management of the government Ripudaman College Nabha and authorities of the Punjab University are at loggerheads. The management of the college has lodged a police complaint against the university authorities for forcibly taking away their record.

US students given warm welcome
Patiala, October 18
In an exchange programme between Punjabi University and Wilkes University, Pennsylvania, three faculty members and four students from Wilkes University were accorded a warm welcome on their arrival at the Punjab School of Management Studies, Punjabi University, here today.

From Schools and Colleges Karandeep crowned Mr ABS Kharar, October 18 Aryans Business School organised a freshers’ party for its MBA students on Thursday. The programme commenced with lamp lighting by Anshu Kataria, chairman, ABS. Karandeep and Swati were crowned Mr ABS and Miss ABS, respectively. Girls perform giddha at Shivalik Institute of Education and Research as part of the institute’s youth festival in Mohali on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

BUSINESS

Rice millers, exporters to boycott lifting
Amritsar, October 18
Taking strong stance against the embargo imposed by the Union government to ban the export of non-basmati rice, the Punjab Rice Millers and Export Association today decided to back the all-India call to boycott the lifting of long-grain paddy for next three days, creating a virtual chaos during the peak paddy arrival season.