POLITICS

Badal meets Sibal, Reddy 
Seeks eco, forest clearance for projects
New Delhi, January 22
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today met science and technology minister Kapil Sibal to seek early environment and forest clearance (EFC) for national agri-food biotechnology institute and bio-processing unit and the national institute of nanotechnology. Badal said the state government had fulfilled its commitment of acquiring 381.38 acres at Mohali for the knowledge city.

COMMUNITY

Separate SGPC for Haryana
Move to divide Sikhs: Badal
Hoshiarpur, January 22
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has expressed anguish over the move for a separate gurdwara parbandhak committee in Haryana for which a committee was formed to report to the Congress government and it will table a Bill in this regard in the Haryana Assembly in the Budget session.

Mann for round table conference
Sangrur, January 22
President of the SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Mann today asked Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to hold a round-table conference of all major Akali Dals to discuss move of separate gurdwara parbandhak committee in Haryana, besides the issues of Chandigarh international airport and the Orbit.

National Akali Dal activists burn a cutout of French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a protest in New Delhi on Tuesday against the French government’s decision to ban turbans. — AFP

Turban Issue
Sikhs to hold marches
world over 
Chandigarh, January 22
The International Sikh Confederation, an umbrella body of various Sikh organisations, today gave a call to Sikhs the world over to hold peaceful marches on January 24 to seek the removal of ban imposed by the French government on tying turbans or “ patkas” for Sikh students in government schools in France.

Government all set to survey sex ratio
Chandigarh, January 22
The Punjab Health Department is ready to conduct a survey to determine the current sex ratio and health indicators in the state. Long castigated for the poorest sex ratio in the country - the standing figure is 863 as per 2001 census, the health authorities now want to find out if past interventions have helped.

Take over vacant BBMB land: MLA
Nangal, January 22
Congress MLA from Nangal K.P.S. Rana has written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take over vacant BBMB land. In the letter, a copy of which was provided to newspersons here, he stated that the BBMB had acquired the land for setting up colonies for its employees.

Quota for Poor Housing projects to be checked
Mohali, January 22
All housing projects in the state will be surveyed for compliance with the mandatory condition that 10 per cent of the project area is used to house the economically weaker sections.

COURTS

Notice of motion issued to A-G
Chandigarh, January 22
Taking up a petition by Punjab’s former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Ludhiana city center case, Justice Mahesh Grover of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice of motion to state Advocate-General Punjab for January 31. The judge also directed against his arrest in till the date fixed.

EDUCATION

Private players keen to set up universities in state
Chandigarh, January 22
Punjab is all set to become a hub of specialised universities for different academic streams. At least 10 private players, including the Reliance Industries group led by Anil Ambani, Bharti telecom (Airtel group), Lord Diljit Rana, Chitkara group, Ryat and Bahra group and the SGPC are keen to set up their universities in Punjab.

PCCTU to resume agitation
Doraha, January 22
The executive committee of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has decided to resume its deferred court arrest agitation from February, and February 5 will be marked as complete educational bandh in Punjab.

AGRICULTURE

Ground frost hits crop export 
Amritsar, January 22
The export of perishable cargo from Rajasansi international airport has run into rough weather, with business of the perishable cargo complex dipping by over 50 per cent over the last week, all due to ground frost destroying crops in the region.

CRIME

2 undertrials escape
Jalandhar, January 22
Two undertrials lodged in Central Jail Ajay Kumar of Munpur village in Jalandhar and Sunil Kumar of Rani Tal village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh managed to escape from the custody of the district police from the district courts complex here this afternoon.

Dalit youth beaten to death
Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 22
Three persons, including chief of a dera, situated on the Machhiwara road on the outskirts of Samrala town, near here, allegedly beat a Dalit youth of Kullewal village to death this afternoon.