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Foodwise Lahore Way
Rs 5 cr for food streets in Asr, Jalandhar
Amritsar, April 26
The Central government has planned food streets in Amritsar and Jalandhar on the pattern of those of Lahore, especially for foreigners, at a cost of Rs 5 crore each. The food streets in Lahore’s Anarkali and Gwalmandi areas offer food known all over the world. The Central government wants similar food facilities in Amritsar and Jalandhar and all types of hygienic food at one place.

Lehra Plant
Unit III shut again, this time due to coal problem
Chandigarh, April 26
The 250-mw unit III of Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabat had to be shut this afternoon, as its coal bunkers got empty. The unit never had a smooth sailing since its synchronisation with the grid in January this year.

Leaders bring up terrorism to gain mileage
Chandigarh, April 26
The controversy surrounding allegations of terrorist links of Punjab Congress leaders is getting murkier with political parties and party leaderships, especially among the SAD-BJP, trying to draw political mileage out of the situation. On the other hand, Congress members are trying hard to rebut the allegations and make counter- allegations.

Fire devours crop on 374 acres
Residents of 5 villages suffer losses
Amritsar, April 26
Residents of five villages of Ajnala subdivision in this border district suffered major losses with wheat crop on more than 374 acres being destroyed in a fire late last night. However, timely action by the district administration prevented the fire from spreading to a larger area. It took the fire brigade two hours to control the fire. Villagers helped the brigade in fire fighting operations.

Bypoll: Cong fields Goldi
Amritsar, April 26
Even as the Congress high command today allocated ticket to Navdeep Singh Goldi, a councillor, for the Amritsar (South) Assembly seat, where elections are slated for May 22, certain former party MLAs held a “secret meeting” here to discuss denial of ticket to former MLA Harjinder Singh Thekedar. They termed Goldi a “greenhorn” in politics.

Navdeep Singh Goldi

AISAD seeks support of BSP, JP
Amritsar, April 26
The All-India Shiromani Akali Dal (AISAD) has sought the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Janata Party (JP) and Panthic organisations to defeat SAD(B) and Congress candidates in byelections to the Amritsar (South) constituency to be held on May 22.

Sukhbir to decide on candidates
Chandigarh, April 26
As usual, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the SAD today authorised party president Sukhbir Singh Badal to decide on candidates for the Amritsar (South) Vidhan Sabha byelection and zila parishad and block samiti elections. Earlier, when Parkash Singh Badal was president of the SAD, the PAC used to give similar authorisation to him.

Remarks on Beant
Cong leader wants Badal to clarify
Patiala, April, 26
Tej Parkash Singh, former minister and son of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, has ridiculed the statement of senior Akali leader and SAD PAC member U.S. Sekhwan who has alleged that the former Chief Minister had links with terrorists.

COMMUNITY

Ramoowalia claims role in reunion of family
Sunam, April 26
Rajinder Singh, a granthi from Talbal village in Mansa district, was today reunited with his only son and three daughters, thanks to the efforts of Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) chief Balwant Singh Ramoowalia and its vice-president Jodha Singh Mann.

Lok Bhalai Party chief Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, along with Avtar Singh (9), Sandeep Kaur (13) and their father Rajinder Singh (orange turban), talks to mediapersons at Sunam on Saturday. Photo: Sushil Goyal

246 mothers of girl children honoured
Anandpur Sahib, April 26
As many as 246 women, each having two daughters, were honoured at a function held to sensitise people to gender bias here today. These women, along with 154 sportswomen, were also honoured.

Pension Woes for PAU Scientists 
State dumps its Green Revolution brigade
Chandigarh, April 26
Hundreds of scientists who helped usher in the Green Revolution in Punjab are today on the verge of starvation with their pensions being stopped. It is ironic that the plight of these Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) scientists as well as technicians has become pitiable during the rule of the SAD that claims it to be the representative of the farming community.

Promotion of Punjabi
Pragmatic rules can deliver results: Khangura
Chandigarh, April 26
Appreciating the efforts being made to promote Punjabi in the state, Congress MLA Jassi Khangura today asserted that implementing of this objective was another issue.

Doctors allow Navjot to resume activity from May 1
Chandigarh, April 26
Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP MP from Amritsar, who was under treatment in Delhi for a month, will resume political activity from May 1.

Pak inmate in Amritsar jail dies in hospital
Amritsar, April 26
A middle-aged Pakistani national Mohammed Afzal arrested sometime back for entering India by the Samjhauta Express without travel documents, died today in a hospital here after a brief illness.

COURTS

Suspension beyond 180 days not valid
This rule not binding: HC
Chandigarh, April 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held the rule, providing that the suspension of an employee shall remain valid for a period not exceeding 180 days at a time, is only directory in nature and not binding.

State empowered to dissolve improvement trusts: HC
Chandigarh, April 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the Section 103 of the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922. The Section empowers the state to dissolve improvement trusts, set up to ensure proper and planned development of the cities.

AGRICULTURE

Atta-dal Scheme
Govt to procure 3.18 lakh MTs of wheat 
Sunam (Sangrur), April 26
The Punjab government has ordered four government procurement agencies to procure 3.18 lakh metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat for the atta-dal scheme during the current wheat procurement season to make wheat available to the poor at cheap rates.
Markfed MD G.S. Grewal talks to arhtiyas in grain market at Sunam on Saturday. Photo by writer

BUSINESS

Stone-crushing units to resume work on minister’s assurance
Gurdaspur, April, 26
After getting assurance from Manoranjan Kalia minister, Local Government, Punjab, members of the Gurdaspur Stone Crushers Union have decided to restart units on tomorrow afternoon. The union took the decision after the minister assured them granting extension for quarrying in different riverbeds. The minister also said the government would draw up lanes to benefit them.