M A I N   N E W S

Pak diplomat gives fake note

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (PTI) — The police today registered a case against a Pakistan High Commission official for allegedly giving a counterfeit currency note of Rs 500 while paying the school fee of his son in a school here.

The official Muzaffar Ali Khan deposited the fee of his son, studying in Mount Carmel School in Anand Niketan in South West Delhi, of which one Rs 500 denomination currency note was detected as fake by the bank where the school has its account, police said.

School Principal V.K. William said he immediately informed Khan who expressed readiness to replace the note. “But we refused to return the fake currency and informed the police.”

India today expressed surprise at the Pakistan High Commission’s outburst over the reported involvement of a diplomat paying school fees through counterfeit currency.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman said the report has been lodged by Mount Carmel School Principal with the police. The matter will be investigated.

G. S. Sohal is new PSEB Chairman
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 13 — After dithering for about two months, the government has reconstituted the Punjab State Electricity Board by appointing its new chairman and three technical members.

According to information available here today, Mr Gurcharan Singh Sohal an executive director of the National Thermal Power Corporation, has been appointed chairman for two years.

Mr Suresh Kumar, Chief Engineer (Enforcement), Mr Kirpal Singh, Chief Engineer (Central), Ludhiana, and Mr A.K. Kundra, another Chief Engineer, have been appointed as members Generation, Operation and Transmission, respectively, of the of the board for two years.

Mr Kirpal Singh Gill and Mr Kirpal Singh Dhillon, two members of the board, who were continuing on an ad hoc basis since February have not been given an extension and consequently cease to be members of the board.

By appointing all technocrats as members of the board, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has conceded the main demand of the PSEB Engineers Association headed by Mr Padamjit Singh, who had made a public statement, urging the Chief Minister to appoint technocrats as chairman and members of the Board.

Expressing satisfaction over the appointments, Mr Padamjit Singh said this would improve the board’s functioning.