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Protest Against Dera Head
Summon Badals, KAC to Vedanti 
Amritsar, February 19
The Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) met Jathedar, Akal Takht, Joginder Singh Vedanti here today and sought summoning of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president.
Members of the Khalsa Action Committee and the Dal Khalsa come out of the office of Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti at Akal Takht in Amritsar on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Rail, road traffic hit during Punjab bandh
Amritsar, February 19
At least four farmers were injured, one of them seriously, in a clash with local traders when the former were forcing the traders to down their shutters to observe Punjab bandh here today.

PSERC Order
Govt has limited legal options
Ropar, February 19
With the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) ordering withdrawal of all power subsidies in the state from March 1, the Punjab government has been left with limited legal options. If the state fails to find any legal remedy to the PSERC’s order then agriculture and urban consumers would have to pay increased power bills as decided by the PSERC in September last year for power consumed from March 1.

COMMUNITY

30 yrs on, freedom fighter’s widow awaits pension
Chandigarh, February 19
The country does not know how to honour her heroes, at least this is what 85-year-old widow of Subhas Chandra Bose’s bodyguard-cum-soldier in the Indian National Army Surjan Singh is claiming.

Celebration time at Sharif’s native village
Jatti Umra (Tarn Taran), February 19
Residents of the native village of Nawaz Sharif, former Pak Prime Minister, remained glued to their TV and radio sets to know the results of elections in Pakistan throughout the day and later thronged the local gurdwara to perform ardas following the excellent performance of his party.

Minority Issue Tarlochan for review
Amritsar, February 19
Tarlochan Singh, MP and a former chairman of the National Commission on Minorities, has asked the state government to review its stand on minorities. “We have already done great disservice to the Sikh community by dissociating the Sehajdhari Sikhs from the Sikh Panth”, he said.

11 colleges to be opened in backward areas: Minister
Patiala, February 19
With a view to providing qualty educational facilities in the state, the Punjab government has decided to open 11 degree colleges and recruit 14,000 teachers, particularly in educationally backward areas.

Govt nod to cops’ weekly off
Chandigarh, February 19
The Punjab government has given its nod to the proposal of a compulsory weekly off to policemen from the rank of constable to inspector. This was announced by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the occasion of Police Martyrs Commemoration Day parade.

Wrestler Chuselwaria attacked, serious
Tarn Taran, February 19
Salwinder Singh, alias Chuselwaria pehalwan, an Asian gold medal-winner, was injured when he was attacked by four persons with sharp-edged weapons here today.

Lyricist Sudarshan Fakir dead
Jalandhar, February 19
Renowned lyricist Sudarshan Fakir died here yesterday. He was 73. The man who was loved by millions of ghazal fans across the world gave a whole new perspective to love, life and melancholy through his famous ghazals “ye kaghaz ki kashti…ye baarish ka pani” and “ishq mein ghairate-jazbaat ne rone na diya” touched every chord of the human heart.

Minister, teachers to meet today
Chandigarh, February 19
Education minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur has invited the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and other Employees Union for discussion on demands tomorrow.

Paris-based institute to fund study
Chandigarh, February 19
Paris-based National Institute of Demographic Studies has sponsored a study on the migration from Punjab to the USA, the UK and other countries of the world. “It will be the first study to be conducted by involving the largest sample in the state,” said Aswini Kumar Nanda, a demographer working with the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) here.

COURTS

High Court
Circular on facilitation charges withdrawn
Chandigarh, February 19
Less than a fortnight after a news report on “facilitation charges” was carried in these columns, a circular issued in this regard by the Punjab police chief has been withdrawn. The police chief, vide the circular, had allowed police officials all over the state to collect “facilitation charges” from the residents for rendering services like passport and character verification.

CRIME

Singer Balbir Mann held for cheating
Sangrur, February 19
Punjabi singer Balbir Mann was today arrested b in connection with a case registered against him and his wife Sunita Mann under Section 420 of the IPC in October 2007 at the police station here. His wife is at large.