Malwa: Test of political sagacity of Badals, Amarinder
Chandigarh, August 9
“The General is back. Now we can take on Akali leadership that had made life miserable for our activists in the countryside”. Congress leader from the Malwa region Rampal Daipee commented on former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s return to Punjab’s political scene.

Speakers’ Conference
Kahlon unhappy with finance dept
Chandigarh, August 9
A strong protest by speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon regarding his visit to Malaysia for a conference of speakers of Commonwealth countries has created an embarrassing situation for the Punjab government.

COMMUNITY

Sakki-Kiran nullah to be tamed
Gurdaspur, August 9
Efforts made by senior officials of state irrigation and drainage department have yielded result with the central water commission (CWC) clearing the Sakki-Kiran nullah (flowing through Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts) canalisation project, which has been hanging fire for the past 20 years.

NREGA scheme for all dists
Chandigarh, August 9
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) Scheme, already been successfully implemented in Hoshiarpur district, will now be extended to all districts of Punjab and the state will focus on 100 per cent utilisation of NREGA funds.

Front appeals to J-K Muslims for peace Pathankot, August 9 Leaders of the Rashtriya Muslim Front have urged Muslim leaders of the Kashmir not to object to the handing over the land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. A group of Muslim leaders across the country, under the banner of the Pegam Aman Yatra, reached here last evening. Leaders of the Muslim National Front stage a dharna against a ban on their entry into J-K, on a bridge in Pathankot on Saturday. — Photo by N.P. Dhawan

Report on separate gurdwara panel in 15 days: Hooda
Ludhiana, August 9
Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda inaugurated an advanced hernia and piles surgery centre at Dewan Hospital here today. Addressing mediapersons after the function, Hooda said the committee constituted under Cabinet minister Harmohinder Singh Chaddha to look into the issue of Haryana Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee would submit its report in 15 days.

Akal Takht chief leaves for Hazur Sahib
Amritsar, August 9
Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, today left for Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded (Maharashtra), where he will be honoured by P.S.Pasricha, president, Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee, tomorrow ending an era of confrontation between the Sikh clergy of Punjab and outside.

Graveyard ‘encroached on’, burial delayed
Gurdaspur, August 9
The family of deceased Bashir Masih, a Christian of Devi Dass village of this district, was forced to wait for 72 hours to bury his body at the Christian graveyard, thanks to an alleged encroachment on it.

Shaheed Dhadhogal remembered
Sangrur, August 9
The 70th martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Dhadhogal, freedom fighter of the Riyasti Parja Mandal Movement, was observed in his Dhadhogal village, near Dhuri, today.

COURTS

Treatment of freedom fighters distressing: HC
Chandigarh, August 9
The Punjab and Haryana High Court says denying freedom fighters their due amounted to “disservice”, especially when the state exchequer was available to the government officers for enjoying freebies. The state of affairs, the High Court has made it clear, was distressing.

EDUCATION

BKU wants quality education to all
Khanna, August 9
The Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) has urged the Punjab government to ensure quality education to all students regardless of economic status. The BKU resolution at a gathering near here said the government should end discrimination in the education sector in the state.

AGRICULTURE

Seed farm across fence near Ravi planned
Chandigarh, August 9
The Punjab Agriculture Department has worked on the proposal mooted by Amritsar deputy commissioner K.S. Pannu to set up a seed farm across the fence near the Ravi in the Indian territory along the Indo-Pak border.

BUSINESS