PRTC to hire private buses
PATIALA, June 2 — The Pepsu Road Transport Corporation will hire buses from the private sector to augment its services as well as help it come out of the red.

Bomb explodes in Amritsar courts
AMRITSAR, June 2 — The tehsil office situated in the district court today was rocked by a crude bomb blast around noon here.

10 pesticide samples found substandard
LUDHIANA, June 2 — The Agriculture Department has found 10 samples of pesticides and three of fertilisers to be substandard among a total of 694 samples taken in the district during 1998-99.

Badal's chopper force lands
PHAGWARA, June 2 — The state helicopter carrying the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was forced to make an emergency landing at the helipad of JCT mills here this evening.

BSP to go it alone in Punjab
GARHSHANKAR, June 2 — In Punjab the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will contest the Lok Sabha elections of its own and will not have an alliance with any political party.

SHO held for accepting bribe
GURDASPUR, June 2 — Inspector Paramjit Singh, Station House Officer, Gurdaspur police station, and his associate Head Constable Baljinder Singh, were caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15000 and were detained in the same police station.

Campaign against polio launched
ROPAR, June 2 — Following the detection of a polio case in the Noori Colony at Shyampura village near here, the district Health authorities launched a campaign, but no case of Acute Flaccid Paralysis was detected out from among 11269 children between age of 0-5 years which were covered under Ring Immunisation Action Plan, prepared for one lakh population of the surrounding areas.

Father kills daughter
JALANDHAR, June 2 — A father yesterday murdered his young daughter for having an affair while a woman received serious burns in a bid to commit suicide after a quarrel with her husband, the police said here.

3 held for selling spurious petrol
GURDASPUR, June 2 — The police has arrested Surinder Pal Singh, alias Shinda, Raj Kumar, alias Raju, both of Dina Nagar, and Om Parkash, alias Doja, from Begowal but now settled at Taragarh of their alleged involvement in the manufacture and sale of spurious petrol.

Couple dies of food poisoning
JALANDHAR, June 2 — A young couple died of food poisoning after they reportedly dined at an acquaintance's place yesterday, the police said.

Stability of govt 'biggest challenge'
JALANDHAR, June 2 — Stability of the government was stated to be the biggest challenge before the nation, according to political leaders and editors of newspapers.

• BA (Philosophy) re-examination
• Sonia stand on Kargil lauded
• Engineer promoted
• Carcass plants for Bathinda, Halwara
• Employees’ threat to oppose candidates

• Monsoon likely from mid-June
• Project progress reviewed
• Two unions not to
  join strike
• Panel on quality education set up
• Sale of cigarettes banned

Bid to field PM from Punjab
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, June 2 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is being persuaded to contest from any one of 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab in addition to his traditional Lucknow constituency in UP.

The Punjab BJP leadership is said to be quite sold on the idea of fielding Mr Vajpayee from Punjab. The Akali Dal (B) leadership is also not averse to the move. Both are convinced that fielding a "sure winner" like Mr Vajpayee from Punjab will give a tremendous boost to the electoral prospects of the nominees of the two coalition partners in other constituencies in Punjab and Chandigarh.

Insiders say the two would prefer if Mr Vajpayee agrees to contest from the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency. The seat is traditionally regarded by the BJP as its stronghold. In the parliamentary elections held in February last year, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, offered the Jalandhar seat to the then Prime Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, despite opposition from the BJP. A nominee of the Janata Dal, Mr Gujral won the seat with the support of the Akali Dal and a reluctant BJP cadre.

Incidentally, the BJP leadership is unable to reconcile itself to the fact that Mr Gujral returned the compliment by voting against the Vajpayee government which was brought down by a solitary vote in the trial of strength in the Lok Sabha in April.

In the parliamentary elections held last year, the Akali Dal and its allies won all 14 seats in Punjab and Chandigarh. The leadership is now acutely aware of the fact that the political situation has undergone a change during the past one year. While the Akali Dal (Badal) has weakened following a split with Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra floating a separate outfit, the Congress is no longer the spent force it was a year ago. It has steadily been gaining strength following a change in leadership both at the central as well as the state level. The Congress wrested the Adampur assembly seal from the Dal (B) in the by-election held last year.

It is argued that the next elections will be fought on the issue of "Bharat ka sapoot vs Italy ka doot", highlighting the foreign origin of the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. This emotive issue is likely to submerge other Punjab issues like corruption, non-governance and other policy failures sought to be highlighted by the Congress, the Dal (Tohra) and other political outfits in Punjab. Hence, the effort on the part both the Dal (B) and the BJP leadership to rope in Mr Vajpayee.

No clash with SGPC: Tohra
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, June 2 — Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President, Shiromani Akali Dal (Tohra), has said that the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the Punjab Assembly could be changed in a democratic way in due course of time. However, he said his party would ensure that the Akali government should complete its five year term as per the word given to the voters by the Akalis before the elections.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of senior Akali leader and SGPC member Onkar Singh Arora here today, Mr Tohra said that he won't be a candidate for the post of president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in future. He, however, said his party would get the present leadership of the SGPC changed during the elections of office-bearers of the committee in November.

Mr Tohra said BSP supremo Kanshi Ram had agreed to reach a poll alliance with his party in Punjab. He claimed that during his meeting with the BSP chief the latter had said that both parties were natural allies. He, however, said his party would like to reach seat adjustments with any party which would express solidarity with the SAD (Tohra) on the issue of Akal Takht. He said his party would endeavour to restore the position of Bhai Ranjit Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht.

He appealed to all Akali factions and federations to avoid confrontation with the SGPC on June 6 for observing the "ghallukara divas" in memory of those killed in Operation Bluestar. He, however, said it was unfortunate that the SGPC had announced that other factions of the Akali Dal or the human rights wing won't be allowed to hold the bhog ceremony at Akal Takht on the occasion.

It may be mentioned here that Mr Simranjit Singh, President, SAD (Amritsar), had appealed to the Sikh sangat yesterday to hold the bhog ceremony on June 6 at Akal Takht.

Mr Tohra said a "black paper" would be published to highlight the 'misdeeds' of Mr Badal and glaring financial irregularities committed by Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief, in less than three months.

It may be recalled that Bibi Jagir Kaur had earlier said that the SGPC would publish a white paper to highlight the alleged corruption during Mr Tohra's 25-year-long term as SGPC chief.

On the probability of rapprochement between the SAD (Badal) and the SAD (Tohra), he said his party would welcome the merger of his faction with the Badal faction if Mr Parkash Singh Badal would accept the supremacy of Akal Takht. For rapprochement, Mr Badal would have to consider Bhai Ranjit Singh as real Jathedar of Akal Takht.

When asked about the election manifesto of his party, Mr Tohra said it would be decided by the working committee of the party to be formulated within a week. He remarked that he could not announce the programmes of his party on his own as he was bound to take all decisions in a democratic way.

Mr Tohra declined to comment on the statement of Mr Mann that sacked Jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Ranjit Singh should become the convener of the proposed third front.

It is pertinent to mention here that Mr Mann had claimed yesterday that Bhai Ranjit Singh had agreed to become the convener of the third front, Mr Tohra, however, said Bhai Ranjit Singh's present position was higher than the convenership of the proposed third front as he was still being considered "real" Jathedar of Akal Takht.

When asked about the allegations of corruption being levelled by the SAD (Badal), Mr Tohra said let Mr Badal approach the CBI and get have value of the property owned by me and Mr Badal inquired by a senior officer.

To a question, Mr Tohra said most of the charges levelled by Giani Bhawan Singh, Head Granthi, Akal Takht, against Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Kesgarh Sahib, were "true". He alleged that Prof Manjit Singh had amassed property disproportionate to his known source of income.

Replying to another question, the former SGPC chief said former SSP of Tarn Taran Ajit Singh Sandhu had committed a number of excesses on Sikh youths. However, he declined to comment on Mr Harminder Singh Gill, present, AISSF, and his close confidant attending the bhog ceremony of the former SSP.

Mr Tohra said his party would seek the support of all like-minded parties to defeat the SAD (Badal) and the Congress. He said his party would contest 14 seats in Punjab, including the Lok Sabha seat of Chandigarh. He alleged that the Badal government had set a wrong precedent by interfering in the religious affairs. He said a secular government had no locus standi to interfere in the religious affairs. This was admitted even by various Left parties, including the CPI and the CPM.

We owe it to them, who died for nation
From Our Correspondent

NANGAL, June 2 — Nothing unusual happened in this sleepy village of Dhrauli, on the Nangal-Anandpur Sahib road, till May 13 when at 7 a.m. villagers saw a convoy of Army and police vehicles moving towards a thatched hut in the centre of the village. Soon with the wailing of the wife of Lance Naik Maluk Chand they discovered that the brave soldier of the village had laid down his life for the nation. A brave soldier of 16 Dogra regiment, whose body was in a wooden coffin, had killed four Pakistani intruders before being hit by a bullet in his throat in the ongoing undeclared war in the Rajouri sector of Kashmir. Body of Maluk Chand was cremated with full military honours in the presence of military personnel and local police officials.

Maluk Chand is survived by an illiterate wife and three children, the eldest son being 10-year-old and the youngest daughter just two-year-old. Though the entire village gathered to the support of wife of Maluk Chand at the time of his funeral, his wife doubts if this support will continue long enough to help raise her minor children. The family of Maluk Chand has no land holding, and after the death of the sole bread earner, his wife has the only option of working in fields as labourer.

Body of Jaswinder Singh, a soldier of the 8-Sikh regiment came to his native Munao village, on May 30. Jaswinder was part of the advance party of Sikh Regiment which had been deployed in Kargil. This party was given the task to get a height occupied by Pakistani intruders vacated. As soon as their party started advancing over the besieged mountain there came a burst of machine gun fire from the top of mountain which killed Jaswinder Singh. Jaswinder Singh who had married just in January 1999, left behind a young widow, a blind father and an ailing mother.

Another brave soldier of the area, Surinder Singh of 13-Punjab Regiment, belonging to Chingri village, gave his life for the nation on December 13, 1998 while fighting intruders at Anantnag in the ongoing undeclared war. Surinder Singh killed four intruders before being shot fatally. Surinder Singh who was to get married in March 1999, was the youngest son of his parents.

Though the parents and wives of all these heroes are proud of their sons and husbands who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Now it is duty of the nation at least to take care of the families of the soldiers like Lance Naik Maluk Chand, who were the sole bread winners in their families.

Cong not Punjab-friendly: CM
From Our Correspondent

NAWANSHAHR, (June 2) — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, while addressing a political conference organised by the district units of the SAD, the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Manch (BSM) today gave a clarion call to the people of the state to make the proper use of their right to vote in the ensuing Lok Sabha poll to change the fate the country and Punjab by giving crushing defeat to the Congress, which now wanted to hand over the reins of the country to a foreigner.

He said the people should come forward to give a clear cut verdict in favour of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee against Mrs Sonia Gandhi, whom the Congress was projecting as the prime ministerial candidate. He cautioned the people that a vote in favour of the Congress would mean a vote in favour of the foreign rule. He reminded the people of the discriminatory attitude of the previous Congress governments at the Centre and said the Congress had meted out a step-motherly treatment to Punjab in the past.

He said it was only after the setting up of the SAD-BJP government in the state that peace, communal harmony and prestige of the Punjabis had been restored and with the celebrations of the tercentenary of the birth of the Khalsa Panth, the prestige of the Punjabis had touched great heights throughout the world as the mega event successfully propagated the real message of the Khalsa Panth.

The Chief Minister, while enlisting the achievements of his government, said the government has fixed its priorities and was executing its project in a well planned manner.

While lashing out at former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra, he said Mr Tohra had hatched a conspiracy by hobnobbing with Mrs Sonia Gandhi against the party which could not be tolerated by the party.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, in his speech, made scathing attack against the Congress and Mr Tohra. He held the Congress responsible for depriving the Punjabis of the water, Punjabi-speaking areas and the capital.

He said, the Panth could not tolerate those Panthic leaders who would work for the victory of the Congress.

The convention was also addressed by Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Mr Sikander Singh Malooka, Mr Swarana Ram, Dr Upinderjit Kaur (all Ministers), Mr Kamal Chaudhary, Mr Satnam Kainth (both former (MPs), Mr Mohan Lal, Mr Nand Lal (both MLAs) and others.

PRTC to hire private buses
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, June 2 — The Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) will hire buses from the private sector to augment its services as well as help it come out of the red.

According to a scheme formulated by the PRTC, private operators will provide the bus and driver, besides being responsible for its repair and maintenance. In return, they will be made a fixed payment per km with the corporation collecting receipts through its conductor.

"This is our way of getting more returns without any massive investment", says PRTC chairman B. Vikram. The scheme involves identifying monopoly routes on which private buses will be allowed to run.

This scheme coupled with another by way of which PRTC will recruit drivers and conductors on a contract basis, is an effort to generate revenue without increasing establishment expenses.

Mr Vikram disclosed that the corporation had also suffered a loss of Rs 24 crore on account of free and concession service given to various sections of society by the government. He said only Rs 5.5 crore of this revenue had been reimbursed to the corporation.

The PRTC chairman said presently the corporation had surrendered various routes amounting to 25,000 km. He said the corporation now planned to take back all these routes and run its services on them by implementing both schemes.

Bomb explodes in Amritsar courts
From Our Correspondent

AMRITSAR, June 2 — The tehsil office situated in the district court today was rocked by a crude bomb blast around noon here.

The SP (Headquarters), Mr Rajinder Dhoke, told TNS that the blast took place around 12.45 pm and damaged the vehicle registration records of the district transport office (DTO), lying in wooden almirahs placed in the veranda of the office, besides damaging the wall and some window panes.

He said it was a mild explosion and that it had nothing to do with "Operation Blue Star anniversary week".

According to the DTO office, the records pertaining to the past 15 years had been destroyed. He refuted the charge that some "insiders" were involved in the incident.

The police summoned forensic experts from Chandigarh to determine the explosion and the material used in it. However, no arrests had been made in the series of blasts, including one near the Durgiana Temple on March 14 and the second in the most-populated "Gunj di Mori locality of the walled city during April.

10 pesticide samples found substandard
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, June 2 — The Agriculture Department has found 10 samples of pesticides and three of fertilisers to be substandard among a total of 694 samples taken in the district during 1998-99.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel, informed that the licences of the dealers concerned had been cancelled and cases registered against them. Flying squads of the Agriculture Department had made frequent raids to ensure that no fertiliser dealer exploited the shortage of DAP during the previous rabi season.

Shopkeepers in Jagraon, Khanna, Samrala, Mullanpur and Ludhiana had been nabbed for selling spurious fertilisers.

The Deputy Commissioner informed that Ludhiana district had earned the first position in the state by exporting 1250 million tonnes of honey and a local firm has also won the Jawaharlal Nehru Lifetime Achievement Award for Export of Honey and Bee-keeping from the Government of India.

Ludhiana had achieved another distinction by setting up a laboratory for manufacturing biofertiliser injections which help in reducing the expenditure of farmers on fertilisers. During 1998-99, 7000 such injections were produced and distributed in Punjab.

Badal's chopper force lands
From Our Correspondent

PHAGWARA, June 2 — The state helicopter carrying the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was forced to make an emergency landing at the helipad of JCT mills here this evening.

Official sources said high-velocity winds and lightning made the helicopter forceland on its way to Jalandhar from Nawanshahr around 3.45 p.m.

Mr Badal, after spending about 15 minutes at the mill, left for Jalandhar by road.

After about an hour, the chopper flew to Jalandhar when the weather became normal.

BSP to go it alone in Punjab
From Our Correspondent

GARHSHANKAR, June 2 — In Punjab the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will contest the Lok Sabha elections of its own and will not have an alliance with any political party.

This was stated by Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri, general secretary of the state BSP unit. He said we had the experience of forming alliances with all political parties in the state and in all these cases we had been the losers.

He criticised the performance of the Badal government in the state and expressed resentment over the atrocities being committed on Dalits in the state.

Commenting on Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra's expulsion from the Shiromani Akali Dal, he said Mr Badal will have to pay a heavy price in the form of poll reverses. He declared that we would help Mr Tohra and his supporters in their struggle to weaken Mr Badal.

SHO held for accepting bribe
From Our Correspondent

GURDASPUR, June 2 — Inspector Paramjit Singh, Station House Officer, Gurdaspur police station, and his associate Head Constable Baljinder Singh, were caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15000 and were detained in the same police station.

Mr Pinder Singh, DSP, Vigilance, conducted a raid on a complaint of Balwinder Singh saying that the SHO had detained his brother-in-law, Kulwinder Singh, for the past four days and was demanding Rs 15000 for his release. The police recovered Rs 15000 during the raid. Balwinder Singh had paid the accused Rs 5000 earlier and Rs 10,000 yesterday.

Campaign against polio launched
Tribune News Service

ROPAR, June 2 — Following the detection of a polio case in the Noori Colony at Shyampura village near here, the district Health authorities launched a campaign, but no case of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) was detected out from among 11269 children between age of 0-5 years which were covered under Ring Immunisation Action Plan, prepared for one lakh population of the surrounding areas.

During the three days campaign this month, Oral Polio vaccine was administered to the 11269 children to cover Bharatgarh, Nurpur Bedi. Chamkaur Sahib and Ropar town and check wild polio virus in these areas. As many as 78 camps were organised for the purpose. The break up is; 54 at Bharatgarh, four at Nurpur Bedi, three at Chamkaur Sahib and 17 at Ropar.

Dr B.K. Goel, District Immuni-sation Officer said here yesterday that a case of AFP was reported on February 23 last at the local civil hospital. The affected child was a nine-month-old-boy Aved son of Pappu of Noori Colony. The case was investigated by him and Dr Kamaljit Singh, Regional SMO, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Chandigarh.

Dr Goel said that stool sample of the child was sent for examination to Kasauli. He said, the stool test was found negative but on the basis of 60-day follow up Residual Paralysis, they reported the case to the government which declared it as a confirmed case of polio.

He said, despite the negative result of the stool examination regarding polio virus, if paralysis remained even after 60 days, it was considered a polio case.

Dr Goel said, following the detection of polio case, 258 children were given oral polio vaccine in Noori Colony and Shyampura.

The Non Government Organi-sations (NGOs) played a major role in the success of holding of polio drops camps. Students of various schools also visited door-to-door to spread message about administration of polio drops to children.

Father kills daughter

JALANDHAR, June 2 (PTI) — A father yesterday murdered his young daughter for having an affair while a woman received serious burns in a bid to commit suicide after a quarrel with her husband, the police said here.

Harjit Kaur (20) of Patti Mange Ki village in Goraya was killed by her father Satnam Singh with a sharp-edged weapon when she was asleep. Satnam Singh had serious objections to her affair with a boy whose identity was not revealed by the police.

In a separate incident, Ms Baljit Kaur, who was married to Baldev Singh of Kang Khurd village near Shahkot following the death of Baldev Singh's first wife, yesterday attempted suicide by setting herself on fire after pouring kerosene on her body.

Baljit was admitted at the civil hospital here with serious burns, the police said.

3 held for selling spurious petrol
From Our Correspondent

GURDASPUR, June 2 — The police has arrested Surinder Pal Singh, alias Shinda, Raj Kumar, alias Raju, both of Dina Nagar, and Om Parkash, alias Doja, from Begowal but now settled at Taragarh of their alleged involvement in the manufacture and sale of spurious petrol.

Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, said here today that as many as 161 lt of spurious petrol was recovered from the business premises of the accused at Taragarh, 18 km from here.

The district police chief said that on specific information received on May 31, Sub-Inspector Dev Dutt conducted a raid at the shop of the accused and caught them red-handed. Spurious petrol was seized from the premises. A case under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act had been registered against them at Narot Jaimal police station in the district.

The accused, during interrogation, admitted that they mixed yellow and red colour in a mixture of MT oil and a chemical named solomat to prepare spurious petrol. MT oil is used for dry cleaning clothes whereas solomat is used for manufacturing rubber. The spurious petrol was being sold to people at cheaper rates, he added.

Surinder Pal Singh was previously arrested in a chemical case registered at Dina Nagar police station for alleged preparation and sale of spurious petrol and was later released on bail.

Couple dies of food poisoning

JALANDHAR, June 2 (PTI) — A young couple died of food poisoning after they reportedly dined at an acquaintance's place yesterday, the police said.

Suraj Parkash, an electrician, and his wife Kirabla, residents of Rasta Mohalla after returning from the residence of one Mr Joshi complained of vomiting, their nine-year-old daughter Ranni told the police.

She said they died before medical aid could be summoned.

The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.

Stability of govt 'biggest challenge'
Tribune News Service and agencies

JALANDHAR, June 2 — Stability of the government was stated to be the biggest challenge before the nation, according to political leaders and editors of newspapers.

A consensus to this effect emerged at a seminar on "Challenges before the coming Lok Sabha" held here in the memory of BJP leader Manmohan Kalia, on the occasion of his 13th death anniversary.

Mr K.L. Sharma, BJP leader, said the challenge could be met only if the people gave a clear verdict in the coming mid-term poll.

Addressing the seminar Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal advocated federal structure of the government and said decentralisation of power was the only way out to revamp the present political structure.

Stressing that the presidential system is better suited to our polity, Mr Badal said a presidential system, formulated on our requirements should be constituted.

BA (Philosophy) re-examination
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, June 2 — The re-examination of Philosophy, Paper-A of BA part II of regular students of Guru Nanak Dev University will be held on June 5 (Saturday) at the same centres of examination from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m., according to Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar of the university.

This paper, earlier held on April 27, was cancelled due to certain administrative reasons, he added.

Monsoon likely from mid-June
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, June 2 — Dr Gian Singh Mahi of the Department of Agrometerology, Punjab Agricultural University, has said that due to a long dry spell this year, early monsoon is expected.

The long dry spell has led to more evaporation, Dr Mahi said, adding that the monsoon is expected around mid-June. Before the on set of monsoon, duststorms may occur.

As per the data available regarding the monsoon map in the country, there is a possibility of a heavy monsoon.

Sonia stand on Kargil lauded
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 2 — Mr Satya Dev Garg, earlier Vice-President, District Congress Committee, Fatehgarh Sahib, in a statement here today said Mrs Sonia Gandhi had taken a correct and politically mature stand on the Kargil crisis by supporting the government action and asserting at the same time that the present government owned an explanation to the nation for delayed action against the infiltrators.

Mr Garg today met Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Mrs Ambika Soni and requested them to visit Mandi Gobindgarh to launch the poll campaign.

Project progress reviewed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 2 — Mr Mohan Lal, Forest minister, Punjab, held a meeting to review the progress of the Japan-assisted Punjab Afforestation project with senior officers of the Forest department here today.

He said against the total demand of 109 lakh plants for the project, the department had raised over 150 lakh saplings in nurseries.

Engineer promoted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 2 — Mr S.K. Bansal, Deputy Chief Engineer, Mechanical Maintenance Circle-II of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar, has been promoted as Chief Engineer by the Punjab State Electricity Board.

He has been posted at the Ropar plant as Chief Engineer, Operations and Maintenance.

Two unions not to join strike
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, June 2 — The district unit of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation (INTUC) and the Technical Officers Association of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) today decided not to participate in tomorrow’s strike called by four employee unions.

In separate press releases, PSSF (INTUC) president D.C. Sharma and vice-president Kuldeep Sharma said the federation had decided not to participate in the strike following an appeal made by the PRTC authorities. They also appealed to like-minded unions not to go on strike for the welfare of the corporation.

The Technical Officers Association said the strike call given by INTUC, the Scheduled Caste and Backward Class Association, the Karamchari Dal and CITU was unwanted and unjustified due to which they had decided not to join it.

Carcass plants for Bathinda, Halwara
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, June 2 — The Punjab Government has decided to set up carcass plants near the civil airport and Air Force stations in the state to check plane mishaps due to bird hits.

Stating this here today, the Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister, Dr Rattan Singh, said one such plant would be opened shortly near Adampur Air Force station, while three other plants would be located at Amritsar international airport, and Bathinda and Halwara Air Force stations.

The carcass plants would save people from various types of skin diseases and check pollution near ‘Hadda Rori’.

The minister said the scheme of model veterinary hospitals and dispensaries had been started in this district on in experimental basis and would also be launched in other districts.

Veterinary doctors in the state would be sent to other states for training, he added.

Panel on quality education set up

MOGA, June 2 (PTI) — The Punjab Government is determined to bring about qualitative improvement in the educational system in the state and for this the state government has constituted a high-level committee of educational experts, which has been asked to submit its report at the earliest.

This was announced by Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union Minister of State for Industries, while inaugurating Adarsh School at Kotbhai village of Muktsar district yesterday.

He said the steps include introduction of English from the primary classes.

He claimed that Punjab achieved distinction in foodgrain production, in industry and other fields, but was lagging behind in the field of education.

The Punjab Government had decided to set up Adarsh Schools for providing qualitative education, which is essential for the economic development of the state. In every block of the state, rural peoples' wards would be provided qualitative education on a par with the public schools.

Employees’ threat to oppose candidates
From Our Correspondent

FEROZEPORE, June 2 — The state president of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, Mr Raj Kumar Arora, has said that if the state government fails to revise the pay scales of employees of different categories, including clerks, stenographers, senior assistants and auditors, it would oppose SAD-BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha poll.

Alleging that the Badal Government was behaving like a step-mother, Mr Arora today claimed that the employees’ demands which had been met by the Punjab government were not being implemented.

Earlier, he addressed a divisional level rally of the union held in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here. Union members from Ferozepore, Faridkot, Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa participated in the rally.

Sale of cigarettes banned
From Our Correspondent

PHILLAUR, June 2 — The Northern Railway has decided to ban the sale of cigarettes and bidis on all railway platforms and passenger trains with effect from Environment Day on June 5.

Stating this railway sources told this correspondent here today that suitable alternative items would be allowed for sale in lieu of bidis and cigarettes.