Jalandhar, April 20
The hunt for professional courses outside Jalandhar is going to end soon as most of the colleges in the city have planned to introduce new professional graduate and postgraduate courses.

The courses which include retail management, plant tissue culture, pharmaceutical management, interior designs and specialised postgraduate engineering courses would open numerous options for the students.

Lyallpur Khalsa College’s department of biotechnology, which has recently received a grant of Rs 7 lakh from the UGC, has plans to introduce a course in plant tissue culture. Talking to The Tribune, head of the department Dr Arun Dev Sharma said BSc II and III students were eligible for it.

Joining the league is Apeejay College of Fine Arts. It plans to start postgraduate course in design. Principal Dr Sucharita said the college was already offering seven postgraduate courses and the new course would help students to improve their qualifications and skills.

Those interested in taking up management as profession too have an option. The CT Institute would offer postgraduate programme in retail management. Institute’s corporate relations and placements director Manhar Arora said the course was being started in collaboration with Retailers Association of India. “The passouts would have an opportunity to join retail outlets like Pantaloons and Food Bazaar”, he claimed. He said the institute was also planning to start a one year AICTE approved postgraduate diploma in management.

For those who wish to join technical courses, DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology would offer courses in MCA and MTech in civil, electrical, mechanical, electronic, IT and computer engineering. Even Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) has plans to start a postgraduate programme in electrical engineering. Director Dr Moin Uddin said a final decision would be taken during a board meeting to be held on April 26.

He said, “We had plans to start course in nanotechnology as well but now it seems quite shaky as we need to expand our set up for existing courses owing to OBC reservation. Nearly 120 more seats would be added in our PG programmes.”

While these colleges would be busy in providing postgraduate courses, Lovely Professional University has planned to start new integrated programmes after class XII. Aman Mittal of LPU said, “The four dual-degree integrated courses which would be introduced from the coming session include BCom professional with MBA, Bachelor of Journalism with MBA, MSc mathematics with MPhil and BPharmacy with MBA. Few more courses coming up on the campus are BSc (animation and graphics), Bachelor of Performing Arts and MPhil management”, he added.

However, Punjab Technical University does not have plan to start any new course.

Jalandhar, April 20
The Punjab Muslim Front (PMF) blocked traffic on the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road by holding dharna at Basti Bawa Khel Pulli in support of their demand of providing justice to the family of slain labourer Alamgir.

Three motorcycle-borne persons killed Alamgir by attacking him with some sharp-edged weapons in the wee hours today when he was returning to his house in the Basti Bawa Khel locality at 3.30 am from GK Industries located at Sports and Surgical Complex, said PMF president Mohammad Kalim Azad while talking to The Tribune.

Alamgir and his brother were riding bicycles when three motorcycle-borne youths attacked them with sharp-edged weapons, Azad said, adding that Alamgir’s brother managed to flee. After reaching home, Alamgir’s brother returned with some persons where Alamgir was lying in an injured condition, he added.

They took him to a private hospital and then to the civil hospital but Alamgir succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital, Azad added.

Azad said he did not know the motive behind his murder. However he denied Alamgir’s enmity with anyone.

Meanwhile, several policemen reached Basti Bawa Khel Pulli where PMF activists were staging dharna. They arranged Azad’s talk with SP (city II) Sarabjit Singh, who assured him that the murderers would soon be nabbed after registering an FIR in this regard, Azad said, adding that after his assurance they lifted the dharna.

Meanwhile, when contacted Maqsoodan SHO Sakattar Singh said it did not seem that robbery was the motive behind the murder.

An FIR under sections 302 of the IPC has been registered.

Jalandhar, April 20
Dismissing the rumours of being summoned by the Congress high command, Capt Amarinder Singh said he had been called by Ahmed Patel, political advisor to the Sonia Gandhi, to discuss "routine matters".

Talking to mediapersons at the residence of Mohinder Singh Kay Pee, working president of the state unit, he said the news of being called by party high command was erroneously published in the media.

He said, "Patel had asked me to meet him in Delhi but I told him that I would meet him on April 21". However, he confirmed that he had received several "missed calls" from Patel on Saturday morning.

On the cold vibes with PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Amarinder admitted that they had problems. "I am sure Bhattal would have informed the party about my allegations against her. Now it is the turn of party high command to abdicate on the issue," he pointed out.

On the possibility of a patch up between them, he said, "Let Bhattal snap ties with the Akalis then I can think of overcoming differences".

Accusing the SAD for indulging in political vendetta, Capt Amarinder alleged that it was only after 1950 that such a large number of Congress workers were booked in the false cases. He said the Congress would make a clean sweep in the forthcoming parliamentary elections since people were fed up of the present government on all accounts.

Giving a new twist to the war of words between Bhattal and Amarinder, PPCC working chief Mohinder Singh Kay Pee gave a "clean chit" to the former Chief Minister. Replying to a query on the show of strength by Capt Amarinder, Kay Pee replied in negative and said Captain Amarinder Singh was a pillar of Congress.

During his tenure, he served the people and was instrumental in enacting the Punjab Terminations of Water Agreements Act to protect the rights of the farmers of the state.

"As working president, I welcome him on his visit to my residence. I would talk to him about his differences with Bhattal. It was in the interests of all that they both present a united face," he reiterated.

Amritsar, April 20
As many as 164 cases were disposed off through mutual compromises and Rs 79.79 lakh were awarded as compensation during the lok adalat organised here on Saturday.

The adalat comprising five benches was assisted by social workers, advocates, professor of Guru Nanak Dev University and a doctor.

District and sessions judge-cum-chairman District Legal Services Authority S.P. Bangarh said 4,122 persons have been provided with free legal services till date.

Jalandhar: The District Legal Services Authority (DSLA) organised a seminar on the importance of lok adalats and free legal services at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Reru village here today. Mayor Rakesh Rathore was the chief guest on the occasion.

Rathore said public should resolve their disputes through lok adalats and avail free legal aid provided by DLSA. “I would ask all the councillors to hold such seminars in their wards to spread awareness,” he added. Assistant district attorney (legal services) Kanwalpreet Singh informed public that they could get free legal aid from district and sessions judge, civil judge (senior division) and assistant district attorney.

Hoshiarpur, April 20
Five persons have been killed in two road accidents in the district since last night. According to police sources, scooterists Sandip Kumar, alias Sonu, resident of Gaja Gillian, and Amrik Singh resident of Satnaur, died when a Maruti car going towards Garhshankar from Hoshiarpur hit their scooter today. The car driver fled after the accident.

Three members of a family were crushed to death by a tourist bus near Tuto Mazara bus stop. The deceased were identified as Jaswinder Kaur (40), her son Amandeep Singh and husband Jasvir Singh (45), resident of Sarhala Khurd. After the accident the bus driver Jagtar Singh and conductor Surjit Singh fled leaving their bus. A case under sections 279, 304 A and 427 of the IPC has been registered.