Sunday, November 12, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Punjab stops tractor loan for small farmers

Chandigarh, November 11 Farmers owning less than 10 acres will not be able to avail themselves of loans from the Punjab State Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank to buy tractors or one or two buffaloes for running a dairy.

It was misused In a good number of cases farmers misused the loan taken for a tractor. After buying a new tractor, farmers used to sell it after a few days at a reduced price and use the cash for some unproductive purpose.

Capt turns people’s man
Kotkapura/Bathinda,  November 11
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, dropped his royal mantle to turn a people’s man today. Seeking to dent the Akali vote bank, he stormed the Badal territory with his army of horses, camels, elephants and Congressmen.

Sidelights

Bibek Debroy quits PHDCCI
New Delhi, November 11
Less than a year after he joined the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bibek Debroy has quit as the Secretary-General of the organisation.

Hizb worker was paid Rs 1,000 for blast
Pulwama, November 11
A partial bandh was observed in Pulwama against the grenade explosion that killed five persons and injured 26 at Tahab village yesterday.

Gulam Nabi Mir of Pulwama, accused of lobbing a hand grenade outside a mosque, being produced before mediapersons in Srinagar on Saturday. Six civilians were killed and 50 others were hurt in the attack. — Tribune photo by Amin War

Nuke deal: Wait-and-watch time before lame-duck session
New Delhi, November 11
Two days before the Senate starts its lame duck session where the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation Bill is believed to be high on the agenda list, it is time for quiet and patient diplomacy for the South Block mandarins.

PPS officers want retirement age raised
Chandigarh, November 11
It is now the turn of the Punjab Police Service officers (PPS) to demand for raising of their retirement age from 58 to 60.