Power tariff hike move: panel invites objections
Patiala, July 16
The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission has invited objections to the Annual Revenue Requirements and Tariff Applications filed by the Punjab State Electricity Board for 2004-05 which seeks to raise Rs 392 crore tariff increase. Board sources said the PSEB had sought revenue requirement of Rs 787 crore for 2004-05. They said the board wanted to raise Rs 392 crore through tariff increase.

Cops accused of rape attempt
Kotkapura (Faridkot), July 16
A case of alleged police excesses has come to light. Sonu Sharma, a 20-year-old girl and resident of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Nagar, in a complaint to the DGP, Punjab, and the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, has alleged that eight policemen, including SHO Nachhatar Singh and ASI Sukhdev Singh, tried to rape her 15-year-old sister Rajni in “illegal” custody.

Truckers block traffic over official lethargy
Rampura, July 16
Members of a local Truck Operators Union and Kisan Union today blocked traffic on the Bathinda-Rampura and Rampura-Maur Mandi roads by parking hundreds of vehicles to protest against the callous attitude of the district administration and its alleged involvement in shielding the persons accused of defrauding the union.

Jaundice spreading its tentacles in Bathinda
Bathinda, July 16
Even as the authorities concerned have been claiming that jaundice was under control in the city, it has been spreading its tentacles fast as more and more new cases have been surfacing from the nook and cranny of the town.

Docs reject panel report
Patiala, July 16
The week-long impasse between municipal corporation employees and doctors of Government Rajindra Hospital today took another turn with the latter rejecting the committee formed to probe the charges of negligence against them amid reports that the committee had submitted an adverse report against them doctors.

Cancel FIR against junior engineer: Panel
Bathinda, July 16
The members of the Diploma Engineers Association, Punjab, today urged the Irrigation Minister, Mr Avtar Henry, to facilitate the cancellation of a false murder case registered against a Junior Engineer, Mr Jagdev Singh Bhatti, at Kotbhai police station of Muktsar district.

BJP workers’ dharna against power cuts
Hoshiarpur, July 16
Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and residents of the city led by Mr Tikshan Sud, MLA, Mr Bhagwant Kishore Gupta, Mr Vijay Sud, BJP leaders and Mr Shiv Sud, Municipal Councillor demonstrated and raised slogans at Shastri Market here yesterday to protest against power cuts by the PSEB and failure of the Punjab Government.

Akali leader seeks FIR cancellation
Amritsar, July 16
Mr Nirmal Singh Kahlon, former Akali minister, who is on the run after registration of an FIR against him, following firing at a polling station during the SGPC elections in Gurdaspur district, today sought cancellation of a case registered against him along with three other activists of the youth wings of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

• Brick-kiln owners ‘unable’ to use ash
• Tribune employee bereaved

11 get bail in Kanjhla criminal case
Sangrur, July 16
Mr Jagroop Singh, Sessions Judge, has granted anticipatory bail to 11 residents of Kanjhla village against whom a criminal case was registered by the Dhuri police on June 25 for allegedly making an attack on the police and attacking the house of Amritpal to kill four persons who had been allegedly detained in a room of Amritpal’s house by residents as they were of the view that these four persons were looters.

• 27 accused in bitumen scam get bail

Sugarcane growers sore over non-payment of dues
Fazilka, July 16
Even after the lapse of 2 years 1,500-odd sugarcane growers of Fazilka, Jalalabad and Abohar subdivisions have not been paid Rs 8 crore against the sugarcane supplied by them to the local Cooperative Sugar Mill.

Drive against intoxicant sellers
Bathinda, July 16
The committee constituted by the district police authorities will carry out an aggressive campaign against those selling intoxicants from chemist shops.

Molestation victims commit suicide
Moga, July 16
Two girls of Rode village today committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance after a few village boys allegedly molested them.

Man commits suicide
Hoshiarpur, July 16
Kuldip Kumar Tipu of Hariana town of this district allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday evening.

Labourers kill farmer
Phillaur, July 16
A farmer, Puran Singh, was allegedly beaten to death with iron rods by two migrant labourers, Balli and Bhola of Bihar, at Jajja Khurad village, near here, last night.

• Pak intruder electrocuted
• Theft bid in UCO Bank
• Policeman kidnapped from police station
• 16 hurt in clash

Education staff working in unsafe building
Sangrur, July 16
More than 70 officers and employees of the offices of District Education Officer (Secondary), Sangrur, and District Education Officer (Elementary), Sangrur, are facing a threat to their lives as they are working in a building which has been declared unsafe by the Department of Public Works, Buildings and Roads.

Varsity ‘hushing up’ case
Amritsar, July 16
Guru Nanak Dev University allegedly tried to hush up the case of a head examiner for MA (Punjabi), who was accused of tampering with the award sheets to favour students from his college.

2,775 seats filled in CET counselling
Jalandhar, July 16
Punjab Technical University has filled nearly 2,775 seats of its 12,510 seats in 43 colleges offering B.Tech in the state during its ongoing counselling being held on the campus for the past more than 20 days.

• 10,000 Punjab teachers not paid salaries
• MA (pol. science) results declared