HT Punjab news digest: ‘First gau rakshaks, now GST’, ‘Badal favourite’ in graft case, and Sikh-American wins orator contest
Been away? Need the news in one go? Here’s a wrap-up from Punjab, the neighbourhood and the diaspora for July 3.
punjab Updated: Jul 07, 2017 23:21 ISTHindustan Times

‘First gau rakshaks, now GST’: Animal skinners go on strike in Ludhiana
Protesting against 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on raw hides and leather, animals skinners are on strike and not lifting carcasses, leading to inconvenience to residents for the past four days, in Ludhiana. The municipal corporation has no system for disposal of dead animals; its carcass-utilisation plant project is hanging fire for three years now. Read full story here
Punjab: Booked for graft, ‘Badal favourite’ lands in row over date of birth
First, he was booked for amassing properties worth hundreds of crores, and now he finds himself on the wrong side of the law over his age. A former chief engineer of the Punjab Mandi Board and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), Surinderpal Singh, has been booked by the Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) for getting the government job by submitting a forged birth certificate, a VB spokesman said here on Monday. Read full story here
Sikh-American student wins top original orator contest in US
An Indian-American student in the US has won this year’s National Speech and Debate Tournament, considered to be the most prestigious high school competition in the country. Read full story here
Punjab militants killed father in 1991, left 3 kids insane, chained for life
A 60-year-old woman in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district has kept two of her children chained and locked for almost 26 years after they developed a “mental illness” following their father’s murder by militants in 1991 when the state was in the grip of an insurgency. Read full story here
Not battle-ready, Captain govt defers civic polls in Punjab
The Congress government in Punjab has decided to defer elections to four municipal corporations and 32 municipal councils and nagar parishads scheduled this year. Read full story here
Golden Temple fears Rs10-crore hit on ‘langar’ meals, seeks exemption from GST
The Golden Temple faces an extra financial burden of Rs 10 crore a year with the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST). Read full story here
Day after doctor’s death in Shimla, IGMC on swine flu alert
A day after Dr RG Sood, 62, the head of the radiology department at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), died of swine flu, the hospital put its staff on alert and implemented preventive measures. Read full story here
Watch | Blaze at Chandigarh’s Bank Square in Sector 17, fire safety up in flames
In yet another blaze at the Sector-17 Bank Square, the Punjab treasury and accounts office — located on the fourth floor of Punjab Financial Corporation building — went up in flames on Monday. Read full story here
Medical admissions: Punjab students can apply for all-India seats online
Students of Punjab competing for the all-India 15% seats for MBBS and BDS courses other than the 85% seats of state category can apply online on the health ministry’s website for which counselling began on Monday. Read full story here
For more stories, visit www.punjab.ht