Chandigarh, Sep 24 : With an aim to earn public goodwill ahead of state elections, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has resolved to give free bicycles to high school students.

Talking to reporters here, Badal said: "All students of higher secondary schools will be given (bicycle for free) because they have to travel, often four to five miles, to reach their schools. How can they can go on foot? Generally poor people study in village schools."

Chandigarh, Sep 2 (IANS) The ruling Akali Dal Friday sought a probe as to why a senior lawyer misled the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs in the SGPC elections of Sep 18.

The Akali Dal demand came just after Home Minister P. Chidambaram told parliament that no changes had been made in the norms of the SGPC election and that the exercise would be held according to schedule.

Chandigarh, Aug 24 : Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Prakash Singh Badal has backtracked on his earlier stand of including the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the Lokpal Bill.

"Judiciary should be in its ambit. The Prime Minister should also be in its ambit, so that an effective Lokpal bill is made so that everyone should be scared to indulge in such acts (of corruption)," said Badal.

Chandigarh, Aug 23 : Pro-Anna Hazare agitators Tuesday held a protest outside the private residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the upscale Sector 11 here.

The protesters openly defied prohibitory orders enforced Monday by the additional district magistrate outside the house.

Nearly 25-30 protesters, including women, carried the national flag and posters and banners and staged a sit-in outside the house.

Mumbai/New Delhi/Chandigarh/Ranchi, Aug 15: The humiliating loss of the Indian cricket team in the third test match at Edgbaston against England, which ended on Saturday, has disappointed fans across the country.

India has lost the series three nil and also its number one test ranking.

Fans across India were disappointed with India''''s performance and blamed Coach Duncan Fletcher for the team''''s loss.

Mumbai/Lucknow/Chandigarh/New Delhi, Aug 11 : With the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Government banning Prakash Jha''s latest release ''Aarakshan'' (Reservation) in Uttar Pradesh, the security has been stepped up for the casts of the film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister Punjab said on the closing ceremony of rural games on Sunday that centre should develop a progressive formula for equitable distribution of the state’s share in Central taxes.

He said that Punjab has saved the nation two times in 1965 and 1971 from Pakistan’s attack but instead of appreciating Punjab for its contribution, the Union government was squeezing the revenue of Punjab by giving it a meager 1.29 per cent.

A plan to offer healthcare at the doorstep of villagers suffering from illnesses such as cancer and water-borne diseases was introduced by the Punjab administration on Saturday.

The state administration along with Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited made announcement about the 'Sanjeevan Swasthya Sewa' by flagging off 10 specially-designed healthcare vans from Mirjeana village adjoining the Haryana border.

Six days after Rekha Gohil (27) gave birth to a baby on the pavement after being turned away by a civic maternity home at Mahim, the municipal corporation suspended a physician and a senior nurse until pending inquiry gets completed.

Rekha's husband, Kishorilal, who works a conservancy worker with the ward office in Dadar, said, "We are thankful to the civic authorities that they took our complaint seriously."

Chandigarh, July 11 : The floods in parts of Punjab and Haryana has led to a spate of angry exchanges between the two states, each accusing the other of causing the flooding on their side.

Ruling political leaders of Haryana and Punjab are accusing each other for releasing water into the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which has led to breaches in parts of the canal causing widespread floods in both states.

The Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal was built to link the waters of the two rivers, but has left the neighbouring states completely divided.

Chandigarh, July 11 : Moderate to heavy rainfall greeted Chandigarh and its surrounding areas Sunday morning, making the weather somewhat cool and pleasant.

However, it was soon followed by bright sunshine.

Weathermen have predicted more rainfall in various parts of Punjab and Haryana.

"We are expecting light to moderate showers in various parts of this region till Sunday night. We also expect heavy rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms at many places in Punjab on Monday. It could bring a marginal dip in the mercury during the day," a Met official said.

Vodafone Essar, one of the country's top cellular service providers, has made announcement about the launching of India's most economical Bonus offer for its prepaid customers.

Available at Rs 4, it is the lowest cost denomination offer presently available in the market.

Eyeing to enable many more individuals at the grass root level to stay linked, the Rs 4 Bonus reiterates Vodafone's commitment towards speeding up tele-density in India and enhancing affordability.

Recently sown paddy crop has been destructed in around 4 days of flood fury in some regions of Haryana and Punjab, the states, which are the largest food grain contributors to the national kitty.

Thus far, 11 fatalities have been reported including six in Punjab and five in Haryana, with 4-5 people missing after being washed away in both states.

Heavy rain accompanied by breaches in rivers and irrigation canals in some regions of both states resulted in flooding since Tuesday.

Asset financing company Magma Fincorp Ltd has announced that it would offer up Rs 532 crore in retail loans in Punjab and Haryana during the existing fiscal year (2010-11).

In a declaration, Sanjeev Chandhok, regional sales manager stated, "By penetrating deeper, we will focus on providing asset finance to the economically disenfranchised in the state."

Construction equipment and tractor finance have been the major growth drivers this year for the company.

In a major recovery along the border with Pakistan, the Border Security Force (BSF) today seized 31 kg of heroin in Punjab.

The stock of heroin, said to be worth over Rs 31 crore in the global market, was discovered by the intelligence group of the BSF near Channa post in Gurdaspur, 275 km from Chandigarh.

The consignment was concealed along the bed of Ravi River, which flows along the border between India and Pakistan.

The BSF launched a search in the region following a tip that a drug consignment was being delivered.

The Punjab administration has given in-principle nod to announced Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala region as a holy town considering its religious and historical value.

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal took the decision on Friday during a meeting of the Sultanpur Lodhi development board.

According to a government representative, "Badal has directed the revenue department officials to finalise the modalities to declare Sultanpur Lodhi as holy town at the earliest. He has also asked the chairman of Punjab Powercom to provide 24-hour uninterrupted power supply in the town."

Three-year-old Dilnaaz Kaur, who had fallen into a 200-foot borewell at Dhira village in Gurdaspur region of Punjab on Wednesday, died even before the rescue group could reach her.

The body of baby was taken out from borewell afternoon 21 hours today. But, the doctors declared her dead.

The physicians said that Dilnaaz died around 3-hours before the rescue team reached her.

The rescue operation was conducted by both the Army and local administration.

Indian Army officials are making attempts to save three year old Dilnaz Kaur, who fell into a 200 feet deep borewell near Batala town in Punjab's Gurdaspur region on Wednesday.

The reports said that the baby accidentally fell into the borewell when se was playing in the courtyard of her maternal uncle’s house.

The police officials said that the baby had got stuck around 30 feet deep into the borewell, but the definite position was unclear as no clear view of the kid is available.

Zirakpur (Punjab), June 1  : Two traffic police constables have been suspended in this Punjab town on charges of harassing people and extorting money from drivers of outstation vehicles, officials said here Tuesday.

Kulbir Singh and Gurvinder Singh were suspended Monday night.

The traffic in-charge of this town in Mohali district, Manjit Singh, has also been transferred to police lines.

According to reports, the Chandigarh government has decided to spend around Rs 48 crore during the existing financial year to promote facilities and infrastructure in subsisting schools.

Moreover, the report also said that the administration will also set up new schools in the union territory.