Opinions page: Power
crisis can be avoided
Caught between
the devil and the deep sea
Morinda, August 2
Apprehensive eyes scan your visage for
signs of compassion before Harvinder Singh — lying on a cot outside his house
in Makrona village — grabs your arm, firmly. Looking deep into your eyes, he
questions, “Will the Kuwaiti company send Sukhdev Singh back to India after he
is released by the captors?”
Sukhdev’s kin
remain on tenterhooks
Morinda, August 2
Even as the negotiations to ensure the
release of three Indians along with others being held captive in Iraq resumed
today, the family members of Sukhdev Singh remained on tenterhooks in Makrona
Kala village, 20 km from Ropar.
SAD men accused
of murder, rape
Roam free due to ‘police patronage’
Bathinda, August 2
Even as about two and half years have
passed since the SAD-BJP alliance has been ousted out of power from Punjab, a
section of SAD members of this district, has allegedly been indulging in some
heinous crimes.
Jathedars on the
warpath
Amritsar, August 2
Giani Iqbal Singh and Giani Joginder Singh
Vedanti, Jathedars of Patna Sahib and Akal Takht, respectively, are on the
warpath again even as the former has threatened to boycott meetings of the Sikh
clergy if he is not consulted on important religious issues before the
pronouncement of ‘hukmnamas” (edicts).
Students with
minus marks get into Thapar
Patiala, August 2
Students scoring minus marks, with the
lowest being minus 50 in the 675-mark All-India Engineering Entrance Examination
have been given admission to the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
here under the sports quota.
CPI accuses CM of
creating fear psychosis
Bathinda, August 2
CPI leader Hardev Arshi today
alleged that Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh had been creating fear
psychosis among the people of the state by making a statement that if
the SYL canal was completed, terrorism would resurface.
Faridkot sugar mill
on the verge of closure
Faridkot, August 2
The Cooperative Sugar Mill is on
the verge of closure here. The mill, which has been running in losses
for the past many years, is to pay over Rs 10 crore to the farmers.
Owing to delay in getting their dues this year, the farmers have
decreased the area under the sugarcane crop.
12 pc
area of state to be brought under forest cover
Fazilka, August 2
Mr Hans Raj Josan, Punjab
minister for forests, was felicitated at a function here on Sunday by
Kanwal Dhuria, former sarpanch of Mamu Jahia village. Dr Mohinder
Kumar Rinwa, MLA, Fazilka, Mr Ashok Aneja, president, Municipal
Council, Jalalabad, the Rice Millers Association, Ferozepore District
and the Pukka Arhtiya Association.
Defacement
of public property continues
Patiala, August 2
There may be a ban on the pasting
of posters on government buildings and putting up of hoardings and
banners, but this does not seem to have any effect in this city where
government buildings are being defaced with impunity. Hoardings and
banners have also been put up along the major roads and also in
markets with regularity. No attempt has been made to take action
against anyone on this issue.
Posters outside the main gate of the hostel of State College of Education
in Patiala. |
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Johl
agrees to continue
Chandigarh, August 2
After a one-to-one meeting with
the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh today, Dr S.S. Johl
has agreed to continue as the Vice-Chairman of the Punjab State
Planning Board.
Celebrations
for Chetak AWWA day begin
Bathinda, August 2
If a lady is aware about health,
the entire family will be healthy. So, the wives of Army personnel
should be aware about all aspects of health. This was stated by
president of Chetak AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association) Kiran
Nandrajog, while addressing the wives of Army personnel during an
inauguration programme in context with the 38th raising day of Chetak
AWWA.
Classical
recitation of Gurbani stressed
Patiala, August 2
Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder
Singh Vedanti today lamented that ‘shabad kirtan’ was not taking
place in the classical style even in the Harmandar Sahib, adding that
efforts should be taken to propagate the purity of the ‘ragas’.
Preparations
for 400th ‘Parkash Utsav’ begin
Patiala, August 2
The general secretary of SAD Capt
Kanwaljit Singh said that the SGPC had started preparations for
celebrating the 400th “Parkash Utsav” of Guru Granth Sahib and a
big function would be organised on September 1 at Amritsar.
Patiala areas flooded |

Bishan Nagar area of the Patiala city flooded with rain water on
Monday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar
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Dalits
to boycott ex-MLA
Gidderbaha (Muktsar),
August 2
Dalits have decided to boycott Mr
Raghubir Singh, former Gidderbaha MLA, allegedly for using derogatory
remarks against Scheduled Caste (SC) women. Dalits at a rally here
under the aegis of the Dalit Samaj Action Committee, recently led by
Mr Parkash Doshi, general secretary of the Punjab Congress SC/ST cell
resolved this.
Cultural
function turns chaotic
Nabha, August 2
Chaos prevailed at a cultural
function, Main Hoon Na, organised by the local Fire Dance Academy at
the college ground on Saturday night. The police had to resort to a
mild lathi charge to disperse the mob.
Statement
not justified, says Grewal
Chandigarh , August 2
Mr H.S. Grewal, Conservator of
Forests, in a written statement said yesterday that the statement
given by the Punjab Forest Officers Association was without any basis
as it wanted to protect certain officers against whom he had
complained to the government.
Kirtan
darbar organised
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 2
The District Cultural Society
last night organised a kirtan darbar at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Amloh.
It was dedicated to the 300th year of the martyrdom of younger
“Sahibzadas” of Guru Gobind Singh.
3 die
as jeep overturns
Amritsar, August 2
Three persons were killed when
the jeep in which they were travelling overturned after hitting a
roadside tree near Chohan village in the district this morning.
High
Court
Lab report
submitted on letter's authenticity
Chandigarh, August 2
The Punjab Government today
submitted in the Punjab and Haryana High Court a report sent by the
Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory.
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Affidavit filed
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B.Ed course
CMC
case hearing on Aug 9
Ludhiana, August 2
The Supreme Court today adjourned
the hearing in the petition filed by the management of the Christian
Medical College and Dental College to August 9.
Govt fails to
sanction grants for jails
Amritsar, August 2
While commenting upon the
deploring condition of jails in the state, Mr M.S. Birmi, Chief
Parliamentary Secretary and In charge, Jails said today that the
department had written a number of times to the state government for
sanctioning matching grant so that the annual grants issued by the
central government for jails could be utilised.
25
lakh birth certificates to be issued by Sept-end
Sangrur, August 2
Under the national campaign of
issuing birth certificates to children born between 1989 and 2004,
about 25 lakh birth certificates will be issued in Punjab by
September-end. In the first phase, more than 24.43 lakh birth
certificates had been issued.
SHO caught taking
bribe
Jalandhar, August 2
Mr Satnam Singh, SHO Begowal, was
today caught red-handed by the vigilance Bureau, while accepting bribe
of Rs 3000 while sitting in his office. Cash amount of Rs 3.5 lakh,
documents of property worth Rs 15 lakh and two cars were also
recovered from his official residence.
Youth
kills father
Sangrur, August 2
Angered by continual nagging, a
youth killed his father in a farmhouse in Bhaini Gandooa village under
Sunam Subdivision in this district today.
Contractor
selling govt cement arrested
Bathinda, August 2
Kulwant Rai, a civil works
contractor and supplier, who had been executing various works of the
Railways, was arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in
the sale of cement bags supplied to him by the government agency for
executing a civil work.
Women
held for fraud
Moga, August 2
The police has arrested two women
for duping a person of Rs 5 lakh under the pretext of sending him
abroad.
Thapar institute
honours NASA winners
Patiala, August 2
Today it was the turn of the
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology to honour the winners
of the NASA Space Settlement Design competition held in Florida, the
USA, last month.
Model
school only in name
Khamba (Moga), August 2
It is a Government Model Senior
Secondary School but the state of neglect it is in, raises doubts over
its status. The school was one of the nine announced by the Badal
Government in 1978 with much fanfare but after spending lakhs of
rupees the construction work was stopped due to “paucity” of
funds.
Govt
asked to refund hiked fee of students
Hoshiarpur, August 2
Tikshan Sud, leader of the BJP in
the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, condemned the Punjab Government for not
refunding the enhanced amount in their fees that had charged from
students during their admission in the last academic session.
Over
23,000 teachers have not been paid for 2 months
Fazilka, August 2
As many as 23,742 teachers and
other staff members in nearly 13,000 primary schools of Punjab and
1,404 middle, high and senior secondary schools upgraded in May, 2001,
have not been paid salaries for June and July.
Panchayat
closes school
Bathinda, August 2
Residents and panchayat members
of Sivian village in this district today locked the gate of Government
Senior Secondary School to lodge their protest against the falling
standard of education.
First
session of law courses opened
Faridkot, August 2
Mr Alok Shekhar, Deputy
Commissioner, today inaugurated the first session of the three-year
and five-year degree courses of law at the local Baba Farid Law
College.
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