15-yr-old gangrape victim kills self;

Govt failed to control law and order: Bajwa

Amritsar: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday said the SAD-BJP government in Punjab had completely failed to control law and order and people were living under constant threat of organised gangs of criminals. Addressing a meeting of party workers in Batala today,Bajwa expressed concern over the ‘deteriorating’ law and order and accused police personnel of being involved in incidents of theft in border districts.

Power panel want royalty withdrawn

SHIMLA: Himalayan Power Producers Association — involved in the execution of small hydro power projects in the state — on Monday asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to withdraw six per cent royalty on the use of water in the first 12 years of the project. They termed the clause as unfair in view of the delays and negative cash flow during the initial years of a project.

Poll officers need GPS enabled vehicle: SEC

CHANDIGARH: For effective management of the election process,Harayana Election Commissioner Dharam Vir on Monday stressed on the need to equip vehicles of officers managing elections with the Global Positioning System (GPS). He said the GPS-installed vehicles will enable the administration control any situation in the shortest possible time during elections. He was addressing a workshop.

Dal Khalsa: Consult all bodies on Jathedar

Amritsar: The Dal Khalsa has urged the SGPC to take all Panthic institutions and organizations,whether big or small,into confidence before finalising the name for the Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib. The coveted Sikh religious post fell vacant due to the sudden death of Giani Tarlochan Singh. Reports suggest that the head granthi of Harmandar Sahib,Amritsar,Giani Mal Singh is the frontrunner. In a letter addressed to SGPC president,Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh urged the SGPC to build consensus among Sikhs for the appointment so that it is free of all controversy. He,however,clarified that their letter should not be construed as if “they had any disliking for Gaini Mal Singh”.

Rs 2,767 cr loss due to rain in Himachal

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has suffered total cumulative losses of Rs 2,767.48 crore due to excessive rain this monsoon,the state government said on Monday. It has already submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Centre,which prompted a visit from a high-level Home Ministry team last month.

“41 people lost their lives in the state including 23 in Kinnaur,seven in Shimla,three in Sirmour,four in Kangra,one each in Chamba and Hamirpur and two in Mandi district. Besides,23,871 animals perished due to the excessive rainfall and snowfall. Loss on this account has been assessed as Rs. 5.51 crore as per NDRF guidelines,” a government spokesperson said.

He added that 3,802 pucca/kucha houses were fully or partially damaged in various parts of the state due to landslides with overall loss to private property worth more than Rs 100 crore.