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Crop
damage
due to ‘spurious seeds’
Jalandhar, October 29
Farmers of the cotton belt of the Doaba region are in for a trouble
this time as cotton crop over about 3000 acres has been destroyed. Though cotton is mostly grown in the Malwa region of Punjab, but
due to dwindling income from the traditional paddy crop, a number of
Doaba farmers, particularly, those of the Mand area of Jalandhar and
Kapurthala, took to cotton cultivation about two years ago. As a
result a small cotton belt developed in and around the Mand area and
parts of Phagwara sub-division.
Power cuts hit
cotton industry
Abohar, October 29
The Punjab Government appeared determined to ruin the cotton industry,
Mr Krishan Nagpal, secretary, Cotton Ginning and Pressing Factories
Association, has said. Mr Nagpal regrets that the factories were facing seven-hour power
cuts besides weekly shutdown on Saturday.
UGC
disapproves
of institutes
Patiala, October 29
Two recently launched high profile institutes of the Punjabi
University established on the campus here under the name of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh Institute of Infornmation Technology and the Talwandi
Sabo Institute at Damdama Sahib in Bathinda district have come under a
cloud with University Grants Commission Chairman Dr Hari Gautam
today saying no University could involve a private party to set up
such institutes.
PPCC to deal firmly
with dissidents
Abohar, October 29
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to deal firmly with
the growing dissidence in the party. Steps taken during the past few
days have sent a signal not only to the dissidents but also to their
abettors. Ms Gurkanwal Kaur, president, Punjab Pradesh Mahila Congress, has
confirmed that the nomination of Ms Rajni Mehta as the state
vice-president has been cancelled.
SHSAD’s
poll pact with BSP
Sangrur, October 29
The Panthic Morcha was having informal talks with Leftists for
electoral alliance for Punjab assembly elections, said the Sarb Hind
Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra here
today.
SHSAD
youth
wing rally on November 1
Bathinda, October 29
Members of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Youth Akali Dal will hold
a rally here on November 1 to express resentment against the failure
of successive governments to punish those responsible for the 1984
anti-Sikh riots.
Drive against dera
system
Amritsar, October 29
Taking cognizance of heightened public sensitivity towards the acts of
sacrilege, activists of the Dal Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle
and Sikh scholars today launched an awareness drive against the
“dera culture” and gurudom on the concluding day of the
two-day panthic convention held at Patti, 15 km from here.
IN FOCUS
Groping through dark
streets
Patiala
Lack of proper street lighting in several busy areas of Patiala has become a driver’s nightmare and has also caused a number of accidents. Recently a 12-year-old boy had a miraculous escape when he was cycling home on his bicycle along the road that passes through Leela Bhavan and Rajindra Hospital. “There is not a single street light in this stretch of road which is one of the busiest roads of the city”, said Mr Naresh Jain, a resident of the adjoining Income Tax Colony.
Group loans for unemployed youth
Patiala, October 29
Groups of unemployed youth will now be entitled to a loan of Rs 3 lakh, while individuals can start their own business by availing a loan of Rs 50,000.
This was said by Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir, while presiding over a meeting to review the Self-Employment Scheme with District Coordinators and district development authorities at Red Cross Hall here today.
Chakreshwari
Devi fair opens today
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 29
Fatehgarh Sahib is the land of martyrs, saints and gods. Gurdwara
Fatehgarh Sahib, Rauza Sharif and Mata Chakreshwari Devi Jain Temple,
the highly respected religious shrines of Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus,
respectively, are situated here. Two kilometres from here on the
Sirhind Chuni road lies the religious shrine of the Jains, “Mata
Chakreshwari Devi Jain Temple”. Thousands of pilgrims from all over
the country and abroad converge on this shrine every year on the full
moon of Kartika. This year the annual fair will be held on October 30
and November 1.
Preet
Nagar
to be centre of culture
Amritsar, October 29
The Guru Nanak Dev University would develop ‘Preet Nagar’, a
historic village near here, as centre of literacy and cultural
activities. This was announced by Dr S.P. Singh, vice-chancellor of
the University while inaugurating ‘Punjabi Week’ celebrations here
today.
‘Anthrax
letters’ being examined
Faridkot, October 29
The microbiological laboratory of the local Guru Gobind Singh Medical
College has been receiving letters suspected to be containing
anthrax powder from Bathinda Cantonment and the city for chemical
examination.
Powder
sent for testing
Sangrur, October 29
The district health authorities, Sangrur, have sent a sample of powder
suspected to be containing anthrax spores to the Microbiology
Department of Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, for conducting an
examination.
5
jaundice cases in Sangrur locality
Sangrur, October 29
At least five children have been suffering from jaundice for the past
several days in the local Khalifa Mohalla, causing panic among
residents of the area. A Medical Officer working in the local Civil Hospital said he had
information about the spread of jaundice in the mohalla as he had met
some patients suffering from the disease.
Japan
shouldn’t have lifted curbs: Mann
Phagwara, October 29
Condemning the killing of Christians in a Pakistani Roman Catholic
church yesterday, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president, SAD (A), sought
UN intervention for the protection of minorities in Pakistan and
India.
Farmers given loans
worth Rs 640 cr
Patiala, October 29
Punjab Public Health Minister Raja Narinder Singh today said farmers
had been given loans amounting to Rs 640 crore under the Revolving
Cash Credit Card scheme. Presiding over a sports mela at Paleya Khurd village in Nabha
subdivision, the minister said farmers possessing upto two acres would
be given a loan of Rs 2 lakh and those possessing land less than five
acres would be given a loan of Rs 3 lakh.
Arhtiyas
observe strike
Sangrur, October 29
More than 100 arhtiyas of the local grain market today observed a
complete strike against the non-payment for procured paddy by
different procurement agencies. Due to the strike, no auction of paddy
was done in the grain market.
PSEB guidelines
‘anti-employee’
Bathinda, October 29
Thermals Coordination Committee, Punjab State Electricity Board
has decided to wear black badges and to hold protest rallies in the
state to show their anger over ‘anti-employee policies’ of PSEB.
Protest
by thermal plant employees
Bathinda, October 29
Hundred of employees of local Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant
held a rally at the main gate of thermal plant today to oppose the
anti employee polices of the PSEB.
Ministerial
staff resent ACR-linked promotions
Bathinda, October 29
The Punjab State Ministerial Services Union has condemned the
decision of Punjab Cabinet to promote employees on the basis of a
confidential reports of past five years of their performances.
Sale
of
high-noise crackers banned
Ropar, October 29
The Ropar District Magistrate, Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, has banned
the manufacture, storage and sale of high-noise fire crackers in the
district. However, he has exempted the sale of small crackers like
“phuljharis” at 25 places stipulated by him.
Councillor held on
cheating charge
Mansa, October 29
The police has registered a case under Sections 467, 468, 471, 120-B
and 420 of the IPC against Mr Harpal Singh Pali and Ms Santosh Joga,
both councillors, Mansa, belonging to the SAD and the BJP,
respectively, and Jagjit Singh, a resident of Mansa. The police has
arrested Mr Pali and Jagjit Singh.
Mystery
shrouds man’s death
Ludhiana, October 29
Mystery shrouds the death of a middle-aged man Gurpal Singh, who was
found hanging from a hook in his house in Gurpal Nagar Shimla Puri
last evening. The police believes it to be a case of suicide but no
suicide note has been recovered from the house so far.
VCs’ stress on quality
education
Patiala, October 29
The Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Dr Hari
Gautam, today said that Punjabi University could open training centers
in any discipline on its campus but could not work with any franchisee
or enter into a joint venture with a private company.
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