Shabir dares Farooq to hold elections


Paramilitary forces guard a police post in Srinagar on Saturday. Kashmir’s main centre was back in their control after a bloody attack by militants. 
— Reuters photo

3 HP ministers booked
KANGRA, Feb 10 — The Kangra police registered a case last evening against three ministers of the Himachal Pradesh and Kangra district Bharatiya Janata Party chief and MLA for allegedly kidnapping and torturing two zila parishad women members on February 4 and detaining them till the zila parishad polls for chairman and vice-chairman were over the next day.

Ghising shot in head, condition stable
SILIGURI, Feb 10 — Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Chairman Subhas Ghising was seriously injured in the head in an ambush by unidentified gunmen near Kurseong this evening, leaving three persons, including one of the attackers, dead.

MSCP to pull out of NDA
IMPHAL, Feb 10 — The Manipur State Congress Party, a key constituent of the ruling United Legislature Front in Manipur, has decided to pull out of the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, a senior MSCP leader said.

Narrow escape for 113 coalminers
PATNA, Feb 10 — Close on the heels of the Bagdigi mine tragedy, 114 miners in the Chitudih coalmines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited in Katras were trapped inside a mine yesterday when a blast breached the wall of the nearby dam and water rushed in.

Hike in college fee on cards
AMRITSAR, Feb 10 — The sub-committee constituted by the state Council for Higher Education has recommended a five-fold hike in admission fee and doubling of tuition fee in all colleges of the state. The recommendations, if implemented, will help the colleges overcame their financial crunch.

When even atheists turn to God
AHMEDABAD, FEB 10 — Faith. You can do very little with it but you can do nothing without it. So the Gujaratis strongly believe and continue to live life on the razor’s edge despite all odds weighing heavily against them and those they hold dear. 

• Kutch residents seek removal of CM

• Edit page: Focus on quake and aid packages

Sukhbir files papers for RS seat
CHANDIGARH, FEB 10 — Former Union Minister, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, today filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab as a nominee of the Shiromani Akali Dal headed by his father, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. 

No medicine for ‘Mother Safety’ month PATIALA, Feb 10 — Despite the “National Mother Safety month” being observed to take care of pregnant women, mothers in the state are not getting a major material benefit due to them under the scheme, provision of iron folic acid tablets. Punjab has not been supplied the tablets since December, 1999. Hence, these are not available at most primary health centers, civil dispensaries and civil hospitals.