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TOP STORIES

Allowance for Kashmir, wife; son gets job
Chandigarh, March 7
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 each to Kashmir Singh and his wife Paramjit Kaur, besides a house and a job for their physically challenged son. Kashmir and Paramjit met the Chief Minister. He honoured the couple at his residence and said the two would get a special monthly allowance.

Rs 45-cr wheat scandal being probed
Chandigarh, March 7
Another scandal, which is being probed at the preliminary level, is with regard to sale of wheat. Sources said three state government organisations - Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation, Markfed and Warehouse - were involved in it.

Panchayat Poll
Model code’s shadow may eclipse Budget
Chandigarh, March 7
A unique situation has emerged for the Punjab government after the state Election Commission today announced the schedule for holding of elections to gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads simultaneously on April 7.

Left-ruled states have more unemployed
Chandigarh, March 7
The problem of unemployment among youth of 15-29 years is more severe in the Communist Party Marxist-ruled West Bengal than states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Punjab is much better placed than its immediate neighbours like Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

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EARLIER STORIES

	‘Fresh plea after Mush steps down’ March7, 2008
	Budget: Chaos in Amritsar MC March 6, 2008
	Agrarian politics rules House March 5, 2008
	We can’t do away with ‘black list’: PM March 4, 2008
	2 held for firing shots; 1 hurt March 3, 2008
	Stray animal leads to death of 4 March 2, 2008
	Congress MLAs’ walkout marks session opening March 1, 2008
	Service in rural schools must for new teachers February 29, 2008
	Cabinet nod to liquor price hike February 28, 2008
	SC resurrects Bhagat Singh February 27, 2008

POLITICS

4 Moga Congress leaders expelled
Chandigarh, March 7
Punjab Pradesh Congress president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has expelled Mahesh Inder Singh Nihalsinghwala, Amarjit Singh Manuke, chairman, Block Samiti, Bagha Purana, Sukhdev Singh Khema and Randhir Singh, sarpanch, Phoolewala village, Moga district, from the party’s primary membership for six years. Jagmohan Singh Kang, former minister, disclosed this here today.

COMMUNITY

Suicide-hit Families
Farmers submit 2,755 applications, reminders
Sangrur, March 7
In an effort to remind the district administration about 733 applications of suicide-affected families of farmers, submitted on January 21 last, and submitting 189 new applications of the same, members of these strife-torn families today gathered at the New Grain Market here to compel the state government to redress their debt-related problems.

Power crisis, who cares
Panel tells chemists to install ACs in shops
Ropar, March 7
The state is reeling under power crises. The PSEB has issued notice directing consumers to install low voltage lamps in their houses and government offices so that the power could be saved in summer. However, the state drug advisory committee seems to be unmindful of this.

New tender system in place
Chandigarh, March 7
While clearing several big construction projects, including railway over bridges, the Punjab government made drastic changes in inviting tenders for the construction of big projects to bring about transparency in the allotment of contract.

Dispute over freedom fighter’s land
Attari, March 7
Kin of freedom fighter Tarlok Singh Attari, a close associate of founding president of the Ghadar Party Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, and owner of B.M. Resorts on the Amritsar-Attari border today locked horns over the possession of a seven-acre orchard.

Amandeep Singh, grandson of freedom fighter Tarlok Singh Attari, shows the lock put on a tube well house following a land dispute at Attari on Friday. — Photo by Vishal Kumar

Probe into Agro scam begins
Chandigarh, March 7
The Punjab government has started a regular inquiry into the alleged irregularities by senior Punjab IAS officer Kirpa Shankar Saroj and others during his tenure as MD Punjab Agro Food Grain Corporation. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had signed the suspension order of Saroj yesterday, after he received a report indicating that the IAS officer had caused losses to the corporation to the tune of Rs 20 crore.

COURTS

Amarinder allowed to attend Assembly
Ludhiana, March 7
The Court of Sessions Judge, G.K. Rai today allowed the application moved by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh seeking permission to attend the state Assembly session on March 10.

Tension at murder case hearing
Ropar, March 7
There was tension once again on the local court complex today with supporters of both Rajbir Singh Padiala and Kiranbir Singh Kang coming face to face.

Humanitarian Punjab gets firm
Withdraws reinstatement orders of officer convicted for corruption
Chandigarh, March 7
In an unprecedented move, the Punjab government has withdrawn the reinstatement orders of a naib tehsildar taken back into service despite being convicted for corruption. Several such cases have recently surfaced in Punjab forcing the government to undertake a face-saving exercise.

No warning before tanks used: Brig Rao
Amritsar, March 7
The officer who executed Operation Bluestar, Brig D.V. Rao (retd), here today appeared in the court of Harjit Singh Khalsa, Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate (First Class), in connection with a case filed by some Jodhpur detainees, who were taken into custody after the operation, against the Union of India and others for compensation.