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TOP STORIES

Gill seeks Haj-like sops for Hazur Sahib pilgrims
Chandigarh, November 2
Union minister of sports Manohar Singh Gill wants Air-India to make Amritsar-Delhi-Hazur Sahib Nanded flight a regular feature besides urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and civil aviation minister Praful Patel to further reduce the airfare on this special flight.

News Analysis
Dal Khalsa’s ‘Punjab Jagao’ has Mumbai echoes
Economists foresee farm, industrial fallout
Chandigarh, November 2
For true “federal structure” in the country, the Dal Khalsa has started a stir demanding sending migrants back from the state. This move is nothing but regional politics and has received a lukewarm response. The move may vitiate atmosphere in Punjab and precipitate crisis in agrarian, construction and industrial sectors.

Busy with Nanded, govt forgets New Punjab Day
Bathinda, November 2
Because of its preoccupation with the Gurta Gaddi Diwas celebrations at Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra, the Punjab government apparently forgot to celebrate the New Punjab Day on November 1.

Atta-dal Scheme
Govt to put surplus wheat in open market
Chandigarh, November 2
Punjab, which is already distributing around 35,000 tonnes of wheat every month to the families living below poverty line in the state under the Atta-dal Scheme, will now extend the benefit to the common man.

Khaira raises questions about CM’s sangat darshan
Kapurthala, November 2
Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has raised questions about Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s proposed sangat darshan in his constituency.

Rajasansi flight cut to hit pilgrims, tourism
Amritsar, November 2
The curtailing of international flights from Amritsar international airport will hamper development and movement of overseas pilgrims to major tourist and commercial centre of northern India.

POLITICS

LS polls: Atwal likely to contest from Fatehgarh Sahib
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 2
Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal is likely to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from the Fatehgarh Sahib (reserved) seat.

COMMUNITY

Power engineers plan statewide stir
Patiala, November 2
Extension given to two retired senior engineers has angered the PSEB Council of Engineers. The executive committee of the PSEB Engineers’ Association, at a meeting held here, condemned the extension given to two superintendent engineers whereas the council has demanded immediate withdrawal of the orders.

Army moots 150 polyclinics for ex-servicemen
Pathankot, November 2
The Army authorities have sent a proposal to the Centre to open 150 polyclinics for defence personnel across the country.

Narcotic cell identifies smuggling spots in riverine belt
Amritsar, November 2
In a bid to thwart nefarious designs of the international drug cartel which had been probing the loopholes on the Indo-Pak border to facilitate smuggling, the Special Narcotics Cell (SNC) has managed to identify certain vulnerable points in the riverine belt of the Harike and Ferozepur sector.

National Congress of Homoeopaths from Nov 8
Amritsar, November 2
The Indian Institute of Homoeopathic Physicians (IIHP) will organise a two-day 21st National Congress of Homoeopaths (NCH) for the first time in Punjab from November 8.

Surprise check reveals dirty wards
Amritsar, November 2
Director research and medical education (DRME) Dr J.S. Dalal on Saturday paid a surprise visit to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and newly-constructed multi-specialty ward, besides other government-run hospitals, including the children ward and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, here.

CM, Sukhbir mourn death of Dr Kang
Chandigarh, November 2
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has mourned the death of noted Punjabi writer, critic and winner of the Shiromani Sahitya Award, Dr Kulbir Singh Kang, who died in Amritsar on Saturday after a prolonged illness.

Lehra power plant sets new records
Bathinda, November 2
Units 1 and 2 of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Project at Lehra Mohabbat, near here, surpassed previous records in generation last month. These units have achieved a record of highest-ever monthly generation of 319.033 million units against a target of 290 million units during October 2008. 

A man reads a paper on the banks of a lake at a thermal power plant in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

100 pilgrims leave for Haj
Malerkotla, November 2
More than 100 Haj pilgrims today left for the Delhi airport by the Dadar Express from Malerkotla railway station for the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Chaudhry Abdul Gaffar, chairman, Haj Committee, said a total of 387 Haj pilgrims were going for Haj from Punjab.

Relatives bid a tearful farewell to Haj pilgrims at Malerkotla railway station on Sunday. Photo: Vikrant Jindal

CM orders probe into functioning of Aviation Dept
Chandigarh, November 2
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the entire functioning of the state Civil Aviation Department.

14 injured in roof collapse
Moga, November 2
At least 14 persons, mostly women, were injured when the roof of a room, on which they were standing, collapsed all of a sudden here in the wee hours today. As per details available, they all were standing on the roof of a room in the Dashmesh Nagar locality to see a prabhat pheri, organised by the management of the Gurdwara Kalgidhar on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary, that was passing down the street.

CRIME

Drunk man kills friend
Phagwara, November 2
Balbir Ram killed his rickshaw-puller friend, Rampal (50), in a fit of rage as Rampal refused to repay him the money he had borrowed and did not take him to his village on his rickshaw.