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Financial Position
Cong walkout over rejection of adjournment motion
Chandigarh, December 20
Reacting strongly to the decision of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon disallowing the adjournment motion demanding a discussion on the financial position of the state, the Congress staged a walkout from the Punjab Assembly, staying away during the last one hour of today’s session.

Channi booed off SGPC dais
Jor mela sans top SAD leadership
Chamkaur Sahib (Ropar), December 20
The second day of the annual Jor Mela, organised to commemorate martyrdom of sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Ajit Singh and Jhujhar Singh, along with 40 other Sikhs, saw unruly scenes at the stage of the SGPC here today.

Criteria for BPL Benefits
Brahampura ‘cornered’
Chandigarh, December 20
The Congress-led debate on the issue of criteria for determining below Poverty line (BPL) families in Punjab being defective led to sharp division among legislators with a majority, including speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, making categorical statements that the criteria to determine BPL needed to be reviewed.

Grain-based whiskies gain popularity
Consumption up by 10 pc a year
Chandigarh, December 20
Since grain-based whiskies are made from extra neutral alcohol (ENA) and characterised by smooth, well-rounded texture and distinct aroma, these have been gaining popularity and registered 10 per cent annual growth in consumption.

Trans Arrow passengers a harried lot
Amritsar, December 20
“Officials of Trans Arrow, a private airlines, have failed to provide any medical aid to my two kids down with fever for the past two days and we were not being allowed to move out of the hotel,” said Harpreet Kaur of Toronto, who had come here on December 18 to board Flight 544 for Toronto from the Rajasansi airport at 5.25 am on December 19.

End of Dowry
Tirai Sikhs show the way
Amritsar, December 20
The Tirai Sikh community has set a unique example by ushering in “dowryless” marriages in India and Pakistan. And this has been achieved without any government or NGO initiative. Under the new code drafted by Tirai Sikhs, one cannot give and accept dowry.

POLITICS

SAD councillors protest over statue
Amritsar, December 20
Differences in the ruling SAD-BJP alliance came to the fore at the first general house meeting of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation when seven SAD councillors staged a walkout against the move to install a statue in memory of the BJP leader, Dr Baldev Prakash, at a cost of over Rs 14 lakh.

COMMUNITY

Respect decorum of House, speaker to MLAs
Chandigarh, December 20
As disorder prevailed in the Punjab Assembly today, speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, had to tell legislators not to turn the House into a fish market and respect discipline. He told them not to become the masters of the House and address the chair in case they wanted to make a point on any issue.

Change in schedule
Chandigarh, December 20
Changes were made in the schedule of the winter session of the 13th Vidhan Sabha after December 21 was declared to be a holiday on account of Id-ul-Zuha.

Punjab MCs asked to hold monthly review sessions
Chandigarh, December 20
Punjab minister for local self government Manoranjan Kalia today issued directions that municipal corporations (MCs) in the state should hold comprehensive monthly review sessions to chalk out strategies to tackle local problems and issues.

Delegates at an orientation-training programme for newly elected councillors and officers of municipal corporations at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development in Chandigarh on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Dolphins WWF team reaches Harike
Gurdaspur, December 20
Two teams of experts today reached Harike Wildlife Sanctuary in Ferozepur where a pair of endangered fresh water dolphins was spotted recently.

Panel to study pollution by distilleries
Chandigarh, December 20
The Vidhan Sabha today decided to constitute a joint committee of the House to study the extent of pollution caused by sugar mills and distilleries in the state. The committee will have representations from the treasury and opposition benches. The decision was taken amid opposition by the Congress legislators, who felt that it was aimed at targeting a sugar mill that belongs to a Congress MP.

MLAs favour stricter rules for road upkeep
Chandigarh, December 20
The Assembly today discussed an important matter with regard to the upkeep of roads and framing of certain rules to prevent people from the encroachment on roads and turning these into wastewater drains.

Bhattal extends Id greetings
Chandigarh, December 20
President Punjab Congress and Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has extended felicitations and good wishes on the eve of Id-ul-Zuha to people of Punjab, especially Muslims.

CM, Governor greet people on Id
Chandigarh, December 20
Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Governor S.F. Rodrigues, besides others have extended felicitations and good wishes on the eve of Id-ul-Zuha to people of Punjab.

Award for work in co-op movement
Chandigarh, December 20
The Citizens Urban Cooperative Bank, Jalandhar, has chosen Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder for ‘Vijay Sethi’ award. The award will be presented to Bhinder on December 29.

COURTS

Bhattal summoned in embezzlement case
Chandigarh, December 20
Additional and sessions judge Raj Rahul Garg today issued a notice to former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to appear in court on the next hearing on January 9 in the Rs 20 lakh embezzlement case.

High Court
Be careful before filing affidavit
Chandigarh, December 20
Punjab and Haryana High Court today suggested to IPS officer V. Neerja to be careful while filing or stating anything before a court.

‘Coop banks to be interlinked’
Patiala, December 20
Cooperative banks in the state will be interlinked through networking and all branches will be computerised soon. This was stated by Punjab State Cooperative Bank chairman Bunny Jasjit Singh after taking charge here today.

Industrialists threaten stir
Sangrur, December 20
Expressing concern over unscheduled cuts in power supply to the industry, the Sangrur District Industrial Chamber (SDIC) today warned the PSEB that if it failed to streamline power supply to the industrial sector by December 31 then the chamber would hold a protest in front of the PSEB head office in Patiala.