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TOP STORIES

Land for Kuka martyrs
CM to write to Centre
Malerkotla, January 17
In response to the demand of the Namdhari sect for 67 acres belonging to the Defence Ministry, adjoining the Kuka martyrs memorial complex here, where 66 Kukas were blown up with canons by the British on January 17 and January 18, 1872, the Punjab government will rite to the Centre to hand over the said land to the Namdharis.

Municipal Council Poll
BJP to contest on own symbol
Chandigarh, January 17
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab president Rajinder Bhandari has announced to contest forthcoming Municipal Council elections on party symbol. BJP’s national secretary and in charge of Punjab affairs Balbir Punj was also present at the press conference after the executive committee meeting in Chandigarh yesterday.

Fix responsibility, gurdwara panel to SGPC
Row over Meera Bai hymns in Guru Granth Sahib
Amritsar, January 17
The Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission (SGJC) today directed the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) to find the officials responsible for the publication of a controversial book on Sikh history , authored by Sher Singh who claimed that the hymns of Meera Bai were included in Guru Granth Sahib.

Transfers
Chandigarh, January 17
The Punjab government today transferred four IAS and two PCS officers.

 

 

POLITICS

Leadership: Cong polarised into Bhattal, Capt camps
Chandigarh, January 17
Conflict in the Punjab Congress party over the issue of leadership is on the rise. Indications by the party high command of a reshuffle in role and responsibilities have polarised the body - one loyalists of party chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and other of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Amarinder Singh camp wants his rehabilitation, while the Bhattal camp is for for Bhattal’s retention as president.

COMMUNITY

Punjab can afford to go slow, says Montek
Chandigarh, January 17
“The state of Punjab is not poor and it can afford to go slower as compared to other states which need to match steps with national growth rate”, said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission of India, while delivering the Brij Narain memorial lecture organised by the department of economics, Panjab University, today.

Martyr’s wife wages a battle of her own
Chandigarh, January 17
Nearly 45 years after Amar Singh, a soldier of Sikh LI, was killed defending Indian territory in the Indo-China war, his widow Mohinder Kaur is fighting a different battle for retrieving 50 kanals of land promised to her.

‘Rejection of visitor visa highest among Punjabis’
Chandigarh, January 17
Immigration consultant from Canada Seema Bhayana, who is also the executive assistant to Canadian MP of Indian-origin Ruby Dhalla, says large number of genuine people from India are being refused visitor visas for Canada.

Under his father’s umbrella: A man takes his son on a motorcycle in rain in Amritsar on Thursday. — AFP photo

Only 6 convictions under PNDT Act in Punjab
Chandigarh, January 17
While the Punjab government claims that it takes measures to curtail female foeticide and strictly enforces the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Test (PNDT) Act, the fact is so far only six persons have been convicted under this Act in the state.

Heritage pruned
Branches of tree where Namdharis were
hanged cut
Amritsar, January 17
Heritage lovers were today aghast to see the branches of an ancient banyan tree pruned from where five Namdharis were hanged to death. The tree was pruned by the Namdhari Sangat.

Influential rule the road
Patiala, January 17
Defying government instructions, some private bus operators have been plying buses in the state. According to sources, these buses, owned by influential persons have been plying illegally in the district since many years much to the discomfiture of the Punjab Transport Deparment.

Direct payment: Arhtiyas, farmers to meet
Chandigarh, January 17
The Federation of Arhtiyas Associations, Punjab, has invited representatives of farmers at a function to be held at Moga on January 19 to find an amicable solution of the notification issued by the state government to make direct payment to farmers through cheques in lieu of the foodgrains marketed by them.

18 depts sans citizen’s charter
Sangrur, January 17
Many government departments do not have citizen’s charter on solving grievances and problems being faced by citizens in their day-to-day dealing with these departments. Besides, it also contains information about the functioning of the department concerned and the services being provided by it.

Security training institute in 2 years
Chandigarh, January 17
The state government will complete its prestigious Rs 40-crore project of setting up the Punjab Security Training Institute (PSTI) at Jahan Khelan to impart two-month vocational training for unemployed youth within the next two years.

Demolition Drive
Traders at loggerheads with BBMB
Nangal, January 17
Traders here today once again are at loggerheads with the BBMB over the demolition drive against alleged illegal occupants. The BBMB officials today asked the occupants of an illegal house constructed on their land to vacate it. They said they had a high court order to demolish the house.

3 more cancer centres to come up
Patiala, January 17
Two ultra-modern regional cancer centres, being set up by the Medical Education and Research Department, Punjab, will start functioning in Amritsar and Faridkot within six months and two years, respectively.

Two SAD youth leaders ‘trying to grab’ 27 acres in Gulab Nagar
KMC comes to rescue of Bazigar families likely to be ousted
Amritsar, January 17
Bazigar families living in Gulab Nagar near the Daburji area of the city have alleged a few persons were trying to grab the 27 acre plot on which they have been living for more than 82 years.