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Did Amarinder change parties for ‘kursi’?
Badal’s poser to PPCC chief
Chandigarh, December 12
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who heads SAD, has a simple message for the coalition party workers : face the forthcoming Assembly elections with perseverance. Since the promises made in the 1997 election manifesto have been translated into reality, it was time to approach the constituents on the strength of the achievements of the past five years to return for yet another term.

Unity move was sabotaged, claim Tohra’s aides
Ludhiana, December 12
Notwithstanding the assertion of the Panthic Morcha convener, Baba Sarabjot Singh, that he wants to put a lid on the talks of unity with the SAD, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s stand still remains ambiguous on the rapprochement with the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Grain stocks worth 25,000 cr rotting
Slow movement to other states
Ludhiana, December 12
Huge stocks of foodgrain are rotting in state godowns and the authorities are worried over the slow movement of the stocks, estimated to be worth around Rs 25,000 crore to other states.

Pension to aided colleges through treasury
Chandigarh, December 12
The Punjab Council of Ministers today accepted the demand of government-aided private colleges’ staff to give them pension and gratuity benefits on a par with their counterparts in government colleges. The payment will be made through the treasury.

CEC’s Punjab visit from today
New Delhi, December 12
Chief Election Commissioner, J.M. Lyngdoh will leave on a three-day tour to Punjab tomorrow to assess the law and order situation and poll preparations, including the progress made by the state government in issuing photo identity cards to the electrorate and electoral roll revision.

Thick fog leads to power failure
Bathinda, December 12
Intense fog gripped the region today, leading to power failure in the northern grid after high-tension wires collapsed when voltage passed between them through dew drops. As a result, power supply in a major part of Punjab was affected.

Elaborate arrangements for Jor Mela
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 12
To ensure proper utilisation of the grants given in recent sangat darshan programmes for the Sirhind and Amloh constituency and to maintain quality and completion of the initiated development projects in time, Mr Vikas Partap, Deputy commissioner, directed the officials of the departments concerned to make the checking a regular feature and warned that strict action would be initiated against the officials if any deficiency or irregularity is found.

POLITICS

Winnability selection criterion: Sukhbir
Killianwali (Muktsar), December 12
Even as an army comprising thousands of youth Akali Dal workers had started spreading in every nook and corner of Punjab to take the achievements of the SAD-BJP government to the grass-root level, the top leadership has decided to seek votes on development carried out in the past five years.

COMMUNITY

Chilly winds catch people unawares

Bathinda, December 12 Normal life virtually came to a standstill today when chilly winds blew and thick fog enveloped the region, with the sun appearing only in the afternoon. The thick fog lasted till 1 p.m. The chilly weather caught residents of the region unawares. Chilly winds and thick fog force labourers to keep themselves warm by sitting around the fire in Bathinda on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Kulbir Beera

Congmen protest over councillor’s arrest
Ropar, December 12
Congressmen of the Nangal area gheraoed the local police station today to protest against the alleged victimisation of party workers by the police. Nearly 100 Congressmen, led by local leaders, descended on the police station raising slogans against the Punjab Government and the police authorities.

Rs 600 cr sanctioned for uplift of Dalits
Bathinda, December 12
The Punjab Government has provided Rs 600 crore for the welfare of Dalit families under the special component scheme, said Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MP. Mr Bhunder was addressing a gathering at Talwandi Sabo today while presiding over a sangat darshan programme here.

Anganwari workers hold dharna
Sangrur, December 12
Women anganwari workers of the district held a dharna in the office complex of the District Programme Officer, Integrated Child Development Services, Department of Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development, here today.

Secretariat to screen complaints to Takht
Patiala, December 12
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Kirpal Singh Badungar said today a secretariat would be formed at Akal Takht to screen all complaints received by it.

Schemes to improve power distribution
Patiala, December 12
The Punjab State Electricity Board has launched special schemes for the improvement and strengthening of its distribution system under the Accelerated Power Development Programme.

Blind man sees again Bathinda, December 12 Life returned to normal and regained its charm for Mr Buta Singh (50) who was completely blind. On December 3, one of his eyes was transplanted with an eye donated by Hardyal Singh who died a few days ago. Mr Buta Singh found no words to express his gratitude when he saw the photograph of Hardayal Singh who was like a messiah for him. A resident of Phulo Mithi village of this district, Mr Buta Singh had lost vision in his right eye 12 years ago. Mr Buta Singh with a photo of Hardyal Singh whose eye was transplanted to him in Bathinda on Wednesday. — Tribune photo

Rs 170 cr for water supply schemes
Patiala, December 12
Addressing a rally at Bhappal village, Rajpura, the Local Bodies Minister, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, and the Public Health Minister, Mr Raja Narinder Singh, announced a plan to spend Rs 170 crore on water supply schemes for Punjab.

‘Issue appointment letters’
Patiala, December 12
The acting president of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal’s youth wing, Mr R.S. Rakhra, has appealed to the Punjab Subordinate Service Board to release appointment letters of the clerks selected on the basis of the examination held seven months ago.

CD on ill-effects of intoxicants
Phagwara, December 12
A Canada-based NRI, Mr Raghbir Singh Bains, has produced a 270-slide multi-media CD on alcohol and drugs, selecting references from scriptures, including the Guru Granth Sahib, the Bible and the Koran, that regard intoxicants as a taboo.

• Grant for water testing labs

Man burnt to death, 4 held
Tarn Taran, December 12
Beera Singh, a resident of Khand Wala, Amritsar, was burnt alive here last evening allegedly by four persons at the local Muradpur locality. The city police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 34, IPC, against four persons who have been identified as Harpreet Singh, Avtar Singh, both residents of Muradpur, Gurjant Singh, alias Raju, resident of Chaba and Heera Singh, resident of Nangali village.

3 months’ RI for trespass
Nabha, December 12
Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate Jatinder Pal Singh Wahniwal has sentenced Jaswinder Singh, alias Sukhwinder Singh, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three months and to pay a fine of Rs 100 for committing offence under Section 452, IPC.

EDUCATION

College teachers hold rally
Ferozepore, December 12
A complete “education bandh” was observed today for the ninth consecutive day in all colleges of the district as the teaching and the non-teaching staff stayed away from the colleges in protest against the non-implementation of the pension and gratuity scheme.

Pvt college staff to hold rally
Chandigarh, December 12
A rally by the managements, principals, teachers and non-teaching staff employed in private aided colleges will be held in Banur on December 14 as per the announcement by the Joint Action Committee of all federations.

Teachers gherao minister’s house
Ropar, December 12
Teachers of aided colleges of this district, as part of their ongoing agitation, sat on a dharna in front of the residence of Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Punjab, here today.

Resentment over arrest of PCCTU members
Chandigarh, December 12
Some Fellows and former Fellows of Panjab University have strongly resented the arrest of executive members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union following their agitation demanding the implementation of the pension and gratuity scheme for the private college lecturers.

BUSINESS

Discount sales hit branded woollens business
Bathinda, December 12
Owners of showrooms selling branded woollen garments who were facing recession due to absence of winter chill now face another challenge from discount sale of woollens in the city.