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Badal talks polls during vikas yatra
 Abohar, December 30
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal virtually converted his vikas yatra into an election yatra by beginning his speech during the much-awaited sangat darshan programme in Balluana village
MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana presents a sword to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Balluana village, near Abohar, on Tuesday. Photo by writer
CM clears file to increase minimum wages
Chandigarh, December 30
The way has been paved for a hike in the
minimum wages of industrial labour in Punjab with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
giving the go-ahead to a minimum wage of Rs 3,200 per month.
Curbing Drug-addiction
Chawla favours two chemists per village
Chandigarh, December 30
The Punjab government, to curb sale of habit-forming drugs, has decided not to allow more than two chemist shops in a village.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla stated this here today. She added that the decision followed the recommendation of the drug advisory committee, which had met last week and suggested not more than two licences be issued for a single village.
LS Polls
SAD (A) against state terror, poverty, excesses on minorities
Sangrur, December 30
The agenda of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) for the Lok Sabha (LS) elections will be to fight against state terrorism, poverty and genocide of minorities.
To a question here on Sunday, president, SAD (A), Simranjit Singh Mann said the party would also work for the protection of minorities in the country and against unemployment and injustice in society.
A man feeds pigeons in the Company Bagh area
in Amritsar. Photo: Vishal Kumar |
Tougher challenges ahead for police
Chandigarh, December 30
Support, patronisation and even active participation of bigwigs, both from political and bureaucratic fields, are not only extending jurisdiction and expanding operations of drug smugglers, land mafia and other unlawful groups engaged in human smuggling, white-collar crime and illicit trades, but are also putting the ageing police force of Punjab under tremendous pressure.
Teachers to ‘greet’ CM with black flags
Sangrur, December 30
In view of the proposed tour of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on January 4, 7 and 11 to Sangrur district to distribute development grant, the ETT Adhyapak Union has plans to show black flags at Badal’s functions to remind him of the promise of adjustment in the Education Department made during the Assembly elections to ETT teachers working under Zila Parishads and Municipal Councils.
Punjab farmers nation’s heroes in ’08
Jalandhar, December 30
Real heroes of the country in 2008 are Punjab’s farmers who have made the country, which faced a crisis on food-security front in 2007, food surplus with their huge contributions of wheat and rice to the Central pool.
BSF jawans frisk visitors at the Attari-Wagah joint check post in Amritsar
district on Monday. Photo: Vishal Kumar |
6 IAS officers shifted
Chandigarh, December 30
The Punjab government today transferred six IAS officers. Gurdev Singh Sidhu, director, Rural Development and Panchayats and ex-officio secretary, has been given additional charge of joint development commissioner, IRD. Surinderjit Singh Sandhu has been transferred as presiding officer, State Colleges and State Schools Tribunal.
Exams rescheduled
Mohali, December 30
Following the directions of the Election Commission of India, the PSEB has rescheduled examinations of the middle, secondary and senior secondary classes. Releasing the date sheet, a board official said the examinations of secondary classes would commence from March 6, and that of middle and senior secondary level from February 21.
ASICON 2008
‘Lack of proper sterilisation a drag’
Ludhiana, December 30
Sterilisation is a challenge a majority of laparoscopic surgeons face while performing surgeries in rural areas of the country, observed Dr Suresh C Hari in his address at the annual conference of the Association of Surgeons in Ludhiana. He was in the city to attend ASICON 2OO8.
Mumbai Heat
Village youth line up for pvt security jobs
Chandigarh, December 30
Punjab village youth, who were lukewarm to the idea of becoming “chowkidars” only six months back, are apparently now gung ho about taking on private security duties with companies competing with each other to take them aboard after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Farm societies to be multipurpose bodies
Will help them undertake various activities to become financially viable and provide services to members
Chandigarh, December 30
All primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) in the state will be converted into multipurpose cooperative societies to enable them to undertake various activities to become financially viable and provide services to the members.
Suicide by farmer: Rally seeks arrest of accused
Nabha, December 30
Several farmer bodies, led by the Akali Dal 1920, yesterday held a rally before the SDM’s office in the town. They were demanding the arrest of the commission agents accused of driving farmer Shamsher Singh of nearby Gadaiya village to suicide.
Karnataka man tells children how to study on their own
Sangrur, December 30
In districts, like Sangrur, where students return from school without learning a single word due to an acute shortage of teachers and lecturers, a man from Karnataka and at present lecturer in sociology in the Government College for Girls at Chandigarh Pt Rao Dharennavar emerges as a ray of hope. He tells students about J. Krishanamurthi’s methodology of teaching to study in schools on their own, even without having a teacher in the school.
Change of IO
HC: Court interference can lead to undesirable results
Chandigarh, December 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the investigating officer or agency should not be changed at the asking of the accused. The court may monitor the investigations in case of dereliction of duty by the agency.
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Bathinda, December 30
