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Governor paints grim picture
Chandigarh, March 22
The Governor, Lt-Gen J F R Jacob (retd), today presented a grim economic and financial picture of the state to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and outlined only the broad contours of what the government proposed to do.

• SAD-BJP members boycott Address

• Tributes paid to Balayogi, Serla

SAD, Congress on collision course
Chandigarh, March 22
What happened inside the Punjab Assembly and later outside the House clearly indicates that confrontation has started between the Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal and the Congress government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh.

Index page: A tale of unkept promises Shahidon ki chitaon par lagenge har baras mele, Vatan par mitne walon ka yahi baaki nishan hoga..... These blood curdling lines that remind us of the tales of bravery of the Independence struggle barely hold significance any more.

VC fails to turn up on campus
Patiala, March 22
Despite expectations, Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia did not reoccupy office on the campus after a prolonged absence in the wake of registration of two criminal cases against him even as the Joint Action Committee, which is agitating against him, claimed it would not tolerate his re-entry into the campus.

Their land is not theirs, officially!
Jalandhar, March 22
The orders of the state government to allot government land in the Mand area, which is in possession of small and poor farmers as per the girdawari records up to 1994, notwithstanding, about 200 poor farmers of the Mand belt falling in the Nakodar subdivision are insecure in view of the alleged alterations in their land records and are fighting to get the land transferred in their name.

Quality education her endeavour
Samrala, March 22
Mrs Kulwinder Kaur Benipal, an NRI from Australia, has taken upon herself the onerous task of taking quality grass root level education to rural Punjab.

S.Yorkshire police chief meets CM
Chandigarh, March 22
Mr Michael Hedges, Chief Constable, South Yorkshire Police, United Kingdom, today called on the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, in his chamber at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

• Ludhiana page: British police recruiting more Asians

DGP for amnesty to ‘tainted’ cops
Phillaur, March 22
With the new political establishment in the state remaining a votary in the past for general amnesty to a number of police officers, facing charges of fake encounters and killing of innocent youth during militancy in the state, a fresh move seems to have been initiated to get amnesty for at least some of the ‘tainted’ officers.

POLITICS

SHSAD not opposed to sehajdhari Sikhs
Phagwara, March 22
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal today took an off beat stance on the controversial issue of sehajdharis and declared that the party was not opposed to genuine sehajdhari Sikhs but to the intrusion of non-Sikhs under the garb of sehajdharis for capturing Sikh institutions, including the SGPC, jeopardising Sikh “maryada” and “panthic parampara (Sikh tenets and traditions).

COMMUNITY

PESCO budget approved
Chandigarh, March 22
The Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation has approved a Rs 51 lakh surplus budget for the financial year 2002-03, envisaging a threefold increase in the profits vis-a-vis the previous year. The budget was adopted formally at a meeting of the Board of Directors of PESCO held here today under the chairmanship of Mr K.B.S. Sidhu, Secretary, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab.

• Punjab package for ex-servicemen

Cops suspended for freeing convicts
Tarn Taran, March 22
The Tarn Taran district police chief today placed SHO, Sarhali and Assistant Sub Inspector (chowki in charge), Chohla Sahib, for releasing three culprits who had allegedly brought a truckload of poppy husk, reportedly from Rajasthan.

Sikh jatha’s Pak visit from April 8
Ferozepore, March 22
Sikh pilgrims have shown little interest in visiting gurdwaras of Pakistan on the occasion of Baisakhi following the growing tension between India and Pakistan after the December 13 attack on Parliament.

Train blast was terrorist act: DGP Phillaur (Ludhiana), March 22 Virtually ruling out the possibility of a blast due to a short circuit in the Dhanbad Express near Doraha last week, which left three persons dead and 28 injured, the DGP Punjab, Mr M.S. Bhullar, said today RDX was used in the blast and a terrorist organisation was suspected to be behind the incident.

MC passes motion to give free water
Amritsar, March 22
The Corporation House meeting today passed unanimous resolutions to give free water supply and sewerage facilities to residential buildings. It also approved a resolution on redeployment of all transferred employees of the municipal corporation and the Improvement Trust who were transferred during enforcement of the election code to their home districts without further delay. 

SAD to oppose removal of staff
Bathinda March 22
Former minister of Science and Technology, Punjab Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, today said the SAD-BJP alliance would oppose the removal of employees of aganwaris in villages done by the Punjab Government.

Court sends sold woman back home Mansa, March 22 A police party from West Bengal recovered Dolly Mandal of Balughat town, West Bengal, from Chainewala village in the district yesterday and produced her in the court of Ms Gurdarshan Kaur, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) here.

More facilities to employees sought
Bathinda, March 22
Mr Surinder Singla, MLA, said in order to bring more efficiency in the government offices, the employees should be given more facilities and more avenues be opened for promotions.

Protest against Sekhon’s retirement
Phagwara, March 22
The issue of forced retirement of Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon is hotting up in Punjab with the Akali Dal deciding to hold a black flag protest on March 24 at Issewal village, his ancestral village in Ludhiana. 

• Rise in revenue from vends’ auction

• It’s vengeful transfers : Badal

All set for Malout poll, Sec 144 imposed
Muktsar, March 22
Mr Babu Lal, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, today said all arrangement for elections to the Malout Assembly constituency, to be held on April 4, have been completed.

Work on DAC in full swing
Bathinda, March 22
Work on much criticised multistory District Administrative Complex is in full swing and after its completion by the yearend 43 offices of the civil and police departments will shift here.

CRIME

Barnala MLA Keetu booked
Barnala, March 22
Mr Malkiat Singh Keetu, MLA, Barnala, belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), has been booked by Bahadaur police under Sections 406, 408 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code in Barnala police district funds’ misappropriation.

Youth commits suicide
Amritsar, March 22
Panic gripped the Gokul Nagar locality here when one Anil Sharma of the locality was found dead in a hotel room last evening. According to reports, he committed suicide after alleged mental harassment by his employers.

EDUCATION

PG courses in engg college approved
Bathinda, March 22
The authorities of the local Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology have initiated efforts to start postgraduate courses in the college from the next academic session. If things materialise, the college will become the first government institution in the state which will offer postgraduate course in different engineering trades.

BUSINESS

BSNL celebrates consumer week
Hoshiarpur, March 22
The Consumer Rights Week was celebrated by the BSNL here from March 15 to 22. A telephone adalat was held in the chamber of GMT(D), in this regard on March 15 and cases were decided on the spot. An open house session was held in the conference hall here today.