Jalandhar, November 26
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that a six-lane express highway to link Chandigarh and Phagwara will soon be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 700 - 800 crore on public-private partnership.

A map for the highway is being finalised and its unique feature would be an uninterrupted 150-200 km stretch without any major or minor road arteries branching out or joining it. The distance too would be reduced by nearly 25 to 30 kms. This highway would be later extended up to Amritsar, he pointed out. The CM, accompanied by SAD working president Sukhbir Badal, flew in to the city today to attend the marriage function of a relative.

Badal said a plan has been chalked out to upgrade the roads of the state wherein most of the link roads would be connected to the national highway and execution of the same would be initiated in the coming days. He revealed that after the proposed International Airport at Mohali was operational, it would usher a new era of industrial revolution in the state.

An area of 100 acre will be developed at Mohali to promote industry of the state on the pattern of Pragati Maidan in the national capital, he added.

On the education front, he claimed that it has been decided that at least three schools in every district would be equipped with all infrastructure and a sum of Rs 125 crore has already been released from the state ex-chequer on his account.

On the health sector, Badal said the medical colleges at Faridkot and Amritsar would be upgraded with an estimated cost of Rs 200 - 300 crore and work for the same would begin within two months. Reiterating his resolve to make the state power-surplus, Badal said the work on installation of two power generation plants of the capacity of 2000 MW each at Bathinda and Rajpura with an investment of about Rs 20,000 crore, would begin in the coming days.

Evading a direct reply on the proposed unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), he said the interests of the state will be kept in mind before taking any decision in this regard.

On the issue of releasing Rs 292 crore as subsidy to PSEB in lieu of state government’s decision on roll back of recent hike in power tariff, Badal said a decision would be taken in the next cabinet meeting.

Amritsar, November 26
In a major embarrassment to the local leadership of the Bhartiaya Janata Party, a former BJP councillor and vice-president of BJP Mahila Morcha Dr Renu Goel has alleged that illegal constructions were going on in the city despite the matter being brought to the notice of the mayor Shwet Malik and municipal town planner (MTP).In her missive to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Goel claimed that she had complained to MTP Shakti Bhatia about the illegal construction being done by her neighbor who had come up with a 30 feet high single brick wall on their common wall against the approved plan. “The MTP refused to demolish the construction stating that a lot of pressure was on him for not demolishing the said construction,” she alleged.

Accusing Shakti of using unparliamentary language during his visit to her house on Monday morning, Goel demanded immediate suspension of the official. However, when contacted Shakti rubbished the charges and claimed that Goel’s son had misbehaved with him besides leveling allegations of corruption. He said the construction is as per the rules. Meanwhile, Goel alleged that Malik has proved inefficient in controlling the menace of illegal construction. The BJP leader said she would be forced to join some other party if the high-command fails to take any action against the local leadership.

Hoshiarpur, November 26
Congress workers of Saila Khurd, led by vice president of the District Congress Committee Kulwinder Singh Bittu and president of the Mahila Wing of the Congress, Garhshankar, Manjit Kaur staged a rally and dharna at Saila Khurd, here on Monday to protest against the district administration for not laying the pipe line from government tubewell at Nariala to the town, due to which the inhabitants were forced to consume unsafe water.

The speakers alleged that continuous discharge of effluent water by the ABC Paper Mill, Saila Khurd has rendered the water polluted and unfit for consumption. — OC

Pholriwal (Jalandhar), November 26
A day after an attack on Vijay Kumar by a wild animal, DFO Jalandhar at Phillaur Satnam Singh today said most probably it was a panther. The DFO made this observation after seeing the pugmarks of the animal.

Meanwhile, the forest department today dispatched several teams to Pholriwal and surrounding villages to nab the animal. A cage has been also fixed in the village and another one was being brought from Hoshiarpur district, the DFO added.

He had also informed his seniors including Chandigarh-based chief conservator of forests Jitendera Sharma and chief wildlife warden M.P. Rai. A party equipped with tranquiliser gun was also being sent from Chandigarh to catch the panther, he added. The police was also assisting the forest department in getting the animal caught, he said, adding the villagers had been asked to be vigilant.

To a query, he said the incidents of panthers straying into cities during winter from the hilly area of lower Shivalik used to occur at now and then. The panthers were sighted in Phillaur, Mullanpur and Patiala several months back, he added.

Satnam Singh said there was also possibility the panther might have gone out of the area as it usually covered about 10 to 15 kilometres per day but the forest department did not want to take any risk. The panther could not be sighted again in the village, he replied to a query.

Meanwhile, a member of the forest teams deputed in the area, BFO Rajinder Singh said the teams were also vigilant in surrounding villages of Munpur and Alipur.

Jalandhar, November 26
The day two of PTU Inter-zonal youth festival saw the hosts, DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology, clinching most of the prizes in various cultural and fine arts contests.

The major competitions of the day were Skit, western vocal solo, western group song, play, classical instrumental solo (percussion), classical vocal solo, debate, collage and poster-making. Since the three-day festival this year is dedicated to 60 years of freedom struggle and birth centenary of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, topics given for most of the events were the same.

The fine arts students depicted various phases of life of Bhagat Singh, including the time when he started his revolutionary movement, through their posters. The clay modeling students prepared his statue and even garlanded it with flowers shaped out of clay. Collage participants too seemed to have come prepared for the topic. They used magazine clippings, artificial moustaches and even khaki cloth to depict their national hero.

Sarojini Gautam Sharda, registrar, Punjab Technical University, Rajneesh Sachdeva, deputy dean establishment, PTU, S S Chathha, director, Lovely Institute of Management and officials from various institutions were also present on the occasion.