• Thermal plant seeks Rs 35 lakh from cement company

Dumping of fly ash can spoil groundwater: study
Ropar, June 30
The result of the study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for the Ropar Thermal Plant have indicated that the underground dumping of the fly ash without taking any precautionary measure could damage the ground water in the surrounding areas.

Pak official meets prisoners Amritsar, June 30 Mr Khalid Zamali, First Secretary, Pakistan High Commission, today visited the Central Jail here and held a counselling session with 16 Pakistan prisoners, who are to be freed from Indian jails, to cross-check their antecedents for repatriation. The meeting was held for the first time in Amritsar. It was earlier held in Jaipur. Mr Zamali was accompanied by Mr Ram Ratnam, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs, and another official of the Pakistan embassy. Mr Khalid Zamali, First Secretary, Pakistan High Commission, comes out of the Central Jail in Amritsar on Wednesday after holding a counselling session with Pakistani prisoners to be freed from Indian jails. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Sikh jatha returns from Pakistan
Attari (Amritsar), June 30
A 390-member Sikh jatha returned here today via a special train at the international railway station. It was reported that the passport of Maninder Singh (27), a jatha member, was blacklisted by the Pakistan authorities. The jatha had left on June 21.

Passport office closed amid opposition
Amritsar, June 30
The local passport office closed today amid opposition, with the government set to lose nearly Rs 2 crore in revenue from fees. 

BBMB celebrates Beas Divas
Hoshiarpur, June 30
Beas Divas was celebrated by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) at Talwara, 80 km from here, today. On this day in 1974, the dam was completed and the ponding of Beas water commenced. Despite the Deputy Commissioner’s attempt at appeasement by the withdrawal of Rs 100 as application submission fee yesterday, a hue and cry has been raised over the decision.

• Youth Congress holds rally

DIG to probe Cong worker’s murder
Malout (Muktsar), June 30
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has asked DIG Police, Ferozepore Range HS Randhawa to probe the murder of Congress worker Gurbachan Singh alias Sharda Singh of Kolianwali village in Malout subdivision of Muktsar district.

• Cong leader booked on CM’s direction

Nepal national kept chained by cops for three days
Amritsar, June 30
A Nepal national, father of an accused in a theft case, was allegedly kept in chains at the local Nehru shopping complex police post here for three days. However, he was shown to be arrested when the matter came to light.

Exempt Central staff pension from IT: CPM
Jalandhar, June 30
The CPM has urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to exempt the pension of Central Government employees from the purview of income tax.

Baradari Gardens to regain former glory
Patiala, June 30
The Baradari Gardens, which were laid out by Maharaja Rajendera Singh nearly 150 years ago, is set to regain its former glory, with the Patiala Development Authority (PDA) deciding to start work on a Rs 1 crore project to restore the original nature of the garden as well as recreating the erstwhile rose garden, which was once its crowning glory.

Rs 2.12 crore spent on Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan
Fatehgarh Sahib, June 30
Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over a meeting of the District Sarv Sikhya Committee here today said to impart quality education and to provide good infrastructure in government schools under the Education for All Scheme Rs 2.12 crore had been spent in the district.

Roadways staff decry delay in induction of new buses
Moga, June 30
Punjab Roadways employees today burnt an effigy of the Director, State Transport, Punjab, in protest against the delay in the induction of 400 new buses and “ignoring” their “genuine” demands.

Attari rly station to be upgraded
Amritsar, June 30
The railway station at Attari will soon be upgraded to an international railway station.

• PHRO alleges police inaction in 3 cases

• Gurpurnima  celebrations

• Woman blessed with triplets

COURTS

Opium ordered for registered addicts
Chandigarh, June 30
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) today directed the government to supply opium to civil surgeons in the state for distributing it among registered addicts after procuring the supply for whole of the state within 20 days.

Immigration fraud case accused remanded
Patiala, June 30
Prime accused in the immigration fraud case, Ramandeep Singh, was today remanded to police custody till July 2 by a local Duty Magistrate.

AGRICULTURE

PAU to set up 3 more farm research centres
Ludhiana, June 30
The Punjab Agricultural University will set up three Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) in Muktsar, Amritsar and Ludhiana districts.

Arhtiya occupying farmer’s land, says BKU
Muktsar, June 30
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta has alleged that an arhtiya of Gidderbaha subdivision is illegally occupying over 5 acre land of farmer Jang Singh of Sahib Chand village.

ADMINISTRATION

Revenue officials attend camp
Ropar, June 30
The district administration is taking the help of ex-servicemen and other boating experts to train Revenue Department officials for carrying out rescue operations in case of flash floods.

• Restricted holidays rescheduled
  

CRIME

Man hacks sister to death
Patiala, June 30
Two weeks after a brother hacked his sister and her lover to death and disposed of their bodies in the ‘Badi Nadi’ which flows close to his house in Ekta Colony in the city, the police has cracked the case following intensive questioning of one of the suspects. One of the bodies was recovered yesterday evening.

Unit making illegal drugs unearthed, 2 arrested
Moga, June 30
The police in a raid on Goyal Medical Stores at Akalsar Chowk and its branch at Sham Lal Chowk here last night unearthed illegal manufacture of drugs. A large quantity of drugs kept without record was recovered. According to the police, the chemist concerned used to manufacture these drugs illegally.

Waiter beaten to death for breaking glass mugs
Jalandhar, June 30
A waiter was beaten to death for breaking glass mugs at a function at Aangan Palace on the Kapurthala road here.

Woman, kin booked in rape bid case
Talwandi Sabo, June 30
A case has been registered against Chotto Kaur, a local resident and fortune teller, and her family members on the charge of abetting the persons who tried to rape a girl living in her neighbourhood on June 6. Police sources said though a case was registered under various sections of the IPC against the accused on the same day, the offence pertaining to rape was made against them yesterday at the local police station after the victim gave her statement to the police.

Contract killer nabbed
Amritsar, June 30
The district police has nabbed an alleged contract killer — Devinder Singh, alias Sonu — on a tipoff and seized two revolvers of .38 and .32 bore along with live cartridges from him.

Bank looted of Rs 1.5 lakh
Amritsar, June 30
Even as the Amritsar police is still clueless about the dacoity committed in the Bank of Rajasthan in Amritsar city four days ago, five dacoits today looted Rs 1.5 lakh from the Central Cooperative Bank, Jalalabad, about 40 km from here, today, adopting the same modus operandi.

One murdered in Rajpura
Rajpura, June 30
Sanjay Kumar (35), a resident of Chhajju Maajri, old Rajpura was allegedly murdered by his brother-in-law with a sharp edged weapon near BCI Chowk here today.

35 booked for violence at Kharar village
Kharar, June 30
In an incident of violence involving members of two communities in Sahora village, near here, today 35 persons, including the sarpanch of the village were booked by the police on charges of rioting, armed with deadly weapons, voluntarily causing hurt and house trespass.

EDUCATION

PTU’s no to BBA, BCA students
Jalandhar, June 30
Expressing inability of a mercy chance to the BBA and BCA students, who failed to clear one or more subjects of a semester in three chances and on a dharna in front of the university campus the Punjab Technical University (PTU) has urged the parents of striking students to persuade their wards to withdraw the agitation.

PTU honours Bhagat Singh’s kin
Jalandhar, June 30
Punjab Technical University (PTU) today honoured a kin of Shaheed Bhagat Singh who had come for her admission under the freedom fighters’ quota during the ongoing CET counselling here.

GND varsity admissions
Amritsar, June 30
Guru Nanak Dev University would admit students to its B.Tech and B.Arch courses on the CET basis at all its three campuses located at Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur through counselling being conducted by Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.