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TOP STORIES

CM, Sukhbir on stone-laying spree in Malwa
Damdama Sahib (Bathinda), September 26
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal laid a number of foundation stones in Talwandi Sabo. After paying obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib, they laid 12 foundation stones for beautification and development projects, for which the Centre had sanctioned around Rs 100 crore.
Muslim leaders present a memento to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda on Friday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

City Centre Scam
Defence ‘delaying’ start of trial
Ludhiana, September 26
Framing of charges in the City Centre scam case has witnessed a record delay due to the inspection of case file being carried out by the defence lawyers for the past more than six months. The inspection work of a challan has never ever taken such a long time. The delay has set a new record in the judicial history not only in Ludhiana courts but probably in the state. The Vigilance Bureau is all set to take up the matter in the court to request for its expedition so that the process of framing of charges against the accused, including former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, be initiated. The case comes up for hearing tomorrow.

POLITICS

Rahul’s visit successful: Tanwar
Amritsar, September 26
The recent visit of Rahul Gandhi, general secretary, All-India Congress Committee, will have strong and long-term impact on Punjab politics. The visit has become a cause of worry for the SAD-BJP alliance, besides boosting the morale of Congress workers.



Indian Youth Congress national president Ashok Tanwar (left) and Punjab unit president Vijayendra Singla at a press conference in Amritsar on Friday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Rahul’s visit a gimmick: Badal
Patiala, September 26
Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi and his much-publicised “Road Show”, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asserted that Rahul’s visit would not fetch any benefit for Punjab and also advised that if he was “serious and concerned” about the people of Punjab, he should have come with some relief package or big projects.

AISAD (1920) keen on alliance with Cong
Amritsar, September 26
The All-India Shiromani Akali Dal (1920), headed by Jaswant Singh Mann, has expressed willingness to have an alliance with the All-India Congress Committee and its UPA partners before the Lok Sabha elections if they agree to accept genuine demands of the Sikhs.

Jaswant Singh Mann

Randhawa disputes CM’s remarks
Jalandhar, September 26
Taking strong exception to the statements made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said today that the Chief Minister was frustrated with a huge response to Rahul Gandhi’s visit in the state.

COMMUNITY

Cotton procurement from Oct 1
Bathinda, September 26
The Cotton Corporation of India will start procurement of cotton here on October 1 at the recently announced minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,800 per quintal.




Labourers sit idle on Fridayas procurement of cotton is yet to pick up at grain market in Bathinda. Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera

Potato glut hits farmers hard
Jalandhar, September 26
Potato growers in Punjab have been hit hard owing to glut in the national market. The price of potato has crashed to Rs 150 per quintal in the wholesale market, whereas during the corresponding period last year it was Rs 1,000 per quintal.

Staff crunch affects VAT collections
Chandigarh, September 26
The next time you sit down for butter chicken, beware as VAT you pay on your bill may not find its way to the state government treasury. The inability of the Excise and Taxation Department to conduct audit checking of quarterly returns filed by VAT collectors is leaving scope for evasion on this account.

Daily wage hike on the cards
Patiala, September 26
The government has decided to increase minimum daily wage of a labourer from Rs 100 to Rs 123 and monthly wages of other workers from Rs 2,610 to Rs 3,200.

COURTS

HC puts BDS counselling on hold till noon today 
Chandigarh, September 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put on hold till Saturday noon counseling for BDS courses in colleges across the state. Baba Farid University of Health Sciences was to commence the same at Patiala from tomorrow.

Dera chief’s plea dismissed as not pressed
Chandigarh, September 26
Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s plea for quashing the first information report registered in the Bathinda case was today dismissed as not pressed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

• Maini is additional advocate-general