Upset over meddling in Sikh affairs: Jathedar

Muktsar: After the SAD warned the BJP against meddling in the religious affairs, acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Harpreet Singh on Thursday said the Sikh community was upset over the interference of the Maharashtra Government in the management of the gurdwara there. “Seventeen members of the Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara Board, Nanded, have the right to elect their head, and not the state government. It is an attempt to snatch the democratic right of members. It should not happen,” he said. TNS

SAD to contest polls in Haryana, R’sthan

Bathinda: Former minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Thursday said the SAD was gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Rajasthan too. The party would be holding two big rallies in Haryana in February, he said. “We are open to tie-ups with like-minded parties in these states. Party chief Sukhbir Badal will hold a rally in Ambala on February 9 and Sirsa on February 17,” he said. TNS

SIT quizzes six cops in Phagwara

Phagwara: Four members of the SIT probing sacrilege and police firing cases - ADGP Parmod Kumar, IG Arunpal Singh, SSP Satinder Singh and Commandant Bhupinder Singh - on Thursday questioned six police officials. They comprised one inspector, two head constables and three constables. Shamsher Singh, then gunman of the arrested former SSP Charanjit Sharma, is among those quizzed by the SIT in connection with the Behbal Kalan firing incident. OC

Invest in state: KP to Commonwealth 

Chandigarh: Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh on Thursday invited the Commonwealth countries to leverage state’s vastly improved industrial sentiment by exploring exciting investment opportunities in various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and textiles among others. He was interacting with a delegation of National Liberal Club- Commonwealth Forum (NLC-CF) led by Lord Diljit Singh Rana, a United Kingdom’s leading businessman. TNS

Panel seeks data to regularise services

Chandigarh: A committee comprising Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has sought data from various departments, boards and corporations to work out regularisation of services of ad hoc, contractual, daily wage and temporary workers, besides outsourced and those working on work charge basis. A press release said the data forwarded by different departments was not complete. TNS

Expedite GST refund, CM tells Excise Dept

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday directed the Excise and Taxation Department to post on its portal a list of all notices issued with prior approval of the competent authority. The CM met a delegation of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal. He also asked the department to further expedite the process of pending VAT and GST refunds to the industry. TNS

Man ends life at Fatehgarh Sahib village

Fatehgarh Sahib: A 50-year-old man reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on the outskirts of Kotla Bajwara village on Thursday. The deceased, Mann Singh, a tempo driver, could not repay loan and took the extreme step, it is learnt. Passerby informed the family about the incident. Amritpal Singh, elder son of the deceased, told the police that his father was upset. The body was taken to the Civil Hospital and handed over to the family after postmortem. A case has been registered. OC

SDM pays surprise visit to offices

Fatehgarh Sahib: Following the orders of Deputy Commissioner Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon, Fatehgarh Sahib SDM Dr Sanjiv Kumar conducted surprise checks at the sub-tehsil office in Chanarthal Kalan, market committee office at Chanarthal Kalan and the office of Senior Medical Officer. The SDM said 13 employees at the Senior Medical Officer's office and three at the sub-tehsil office were found absent, whereas at the market committee office, all employees were found present. He said more checks would be conducted, adding that the list of absent employees and officials had been sent to the Deputy Commissioner. OC

152 kg poppy husk seized

Abohar:  The police seized 152 kg poppy husk by intercepting a pickup jeep near Ratan Nagar terminal on the Hanumangarh mega highway on Thursday. The Rajasthan police team detected 10 bags of poppy husk concealed under onion bags. Paras Ram Jat and Afzal Qureshi of Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh were arrested under the NDPS Act. OC