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State civic body election in May
Chandigarh, March 20
The Punjab Government today dropped the idea of delimitation of the wards in the four Municipal Corporation. It has decided to hold the elections of these bodies straightway in second week of the May.

SHSAD’s volte-face on sehajdhari issue
Amritsar, March 20
In a volte-face, the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, has stated that the party was not against giving voting rights to sehajdharis during the General Elections of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Kanwaljit Singh presents witnesses in his favour
Amritsar, March 20
Dr Kanwaljit Singh, who had resigned from the post of Director, Sports, Guru Nanak Dev University, today presented five ‘eye witnesses’ before the media to press his point that at the time of the alleged sexual harassment, he was at the university grounds to conduct physical efficiency entrance test for M.P.Ed.

Activists of the Bharti Kissan Union (Punjab) hold a dharna outside Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi on Wednesday, demanding hearing of their views on the Sutlej-Yamuna canal issue by the Supreme Court. The writ petition is likely to come up for hearing on March 22.  — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS
41 IAS, PCS officers reshuffled
Chandigarh, March 20
In yet another major administrative reshuffle, the Punjab Government today ordered the transfer of 41 IAS and PCS officers. The fresh posting orders of the transferred officers are: Mr Mukul Joshi — Principal Secretary, NRIs and Industrial Liaison, New Delhi; Mr A. Didar Singh — Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare.

Akali MLAs’ plea on schemes
Chandigarh, March 20
A meeting of the Akali Dal Legislature Party was held here today. Mr Parkash Singh Badal, leader of the party, presided over the meeting.

COMMUNITY

From radio repair to Padma Shri
Bathinda, March 20
Struck by poverty and untimely death of mother, most of the people tend break down. But there are some who, braving all odds, achieve their goal in life and make the impossible happen with determination and hard work.

Who killed the girl child?
Villagers protest against administration’s inaction
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 20
Though the district has taken the lead in getting the first case of female foeticide registered, yet the menace itself is spreading through agents operating in rural areas. Strictness by the district administration has resulted in an increase in the fee that the clinics charges for carrying out ultrasounds. 

Harappan traces in Mansa area
Mansa, March 20
The recovery of pottery pieces, triangular baked-clay cakes, steatite disc beads a perforated jar, coins, paintings on pottery and other articles, reminiscent of the Harappan tradition, during excavation of a 20-acre mound at Dhalewan village in the district in the past two months and a half has archaeologists wondering whether the Harappan civilisation had roots in this area.

Polluting unit: MLA threatens to move HC
Bathinda, March 20
The issue pertaining to the pollution being caused by four units of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) in the city today took new turn when Mr Surinder Singla, MLA, said he would approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court if the officials concerned of the PSEB failed to take necessary steps in this regard.

Lifetime pension for War Decorated
Chandigarh, March 20
The Punjab Government today clarified that the monthly pension payable to the War Decorated soldiers would not cease after the expiry of a period of 30 years, from its inception, as reported in The Tribune dated March, 20.

Ex-Bar chief manhandled
Mansa, March 20
An official of the Government Fisheries Development Department trespassed into the chamber of a leading lawyer and former president of District Bar Association, Mansa and manhandled him.

• Lawyer manhandled

Shifting of XEN’s office demanded
Bathinda, March 20
About 30 employees of the Bathinda district soil conservation office, including subdivisional officers, have approached the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, for shifting the headquarters of the Executive Engineer, Mr Brahm Dutt, for harassing them.

Sarpanch suspended for keeping excess cash
Bathinda, March 20
Sarabjeet Singh, sarpanch of Doomwali village, has been suspended as he had kept cash-in-hand in excess of the prescribed limit on many occasions, thus violating the Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.

Health workers stage dharna
Chandigarh, March 20
Multi-purpose health workers from all over Punjab held a dharna and a rally outside the office of the Director, Health and Family Welfare, here today. Addressing the rally, the speakers said about 400 multi-purpose health workers were selected by the PSS Board but they were not being given appointment letters.

Khair trees uprooted: 11 lakh recovered
Mirzapur, March 20
The Punjab Forest Department today recovered a sum of Rs 11.31 lakh as price and compensation for the uprooted khair trees which were found in the Mirzapur forests from the contractor working there. The permit of the contractor to fell trees in the forests and adjoining khewat (cultivable) land was suspended after the forest officials discovered 554 khair uprooted trees.

Parents await relief from PSEB
Amritsar, March 20
Poor parents of a seven-year-old child who died due to electrocution have been awaiting compensation from the Punjab State Electricity Board for almost a year.

AGRICULTURE

Ban insecticides in cotton fields: expert
Ludhiana, March 20
Noted food expert Devinder Sharma has suggested a ban on the use of insecticides in cotton plantation. He argues that excessive use of insecticides is not in the interests of farmers in the long run as in the due course of time the bollworm, which harms cotton, develops resistance against these.

CM’s call to diversify agriculture
Chandigarh, March 20
The Punjab Chief Minister today stressed the need to chalk out a detailed strategy for the diversification of agriculture through cooperatives in a time-bound manner.

ADMINISTRATION

DC raids offices, finds 10 absent
Mansa, March 20
Ms Raji P. Srivastva, Deputy Commissioner, conducted raids on various offices in the District Administrative Complex here yesterday and found 10 officers of various departments absent from duty.

CRIME

Two arrested for duping Vigilance Bureau
Jalandhar, March 20
The Vigilance Bureau today arrested two persons, who had got arrested two officials, for demanding bribe. Each of the arrested persons had managed to get a cash reward of Rs 25,000 before turning non-committal’ and hostile in the court.

Couple foil robbery bid
Batala, March 20
In a daring display of courage a couple took on a group of thieves which raided their house in Rajda village under Qadian police station last night.

Two arrested on murder charge
Nawanshahr, March 20
The SSP, Dr Naresh Kumar, in a press note issued here today said the police had busted a gang involved in stealing scooter by arresting Kulwinder Ram alias Sonu and Sarabjit Singh alias Gian, residents of Ballon village, and with it also claimed to have solved a murder mystery. The police has seized two scooters from them.

Woman’s murder solved
Amritsar, March 20
The mystery of half-burnt body of a woman, Reenu Sharma, which was found in the residential quarters of the Railways at the Beas recently is claimed to be solved by the Majitha police.

• 3 held in fake currency racket
  

EDUCATION

Board cancels papers at 18 centres
SAS Nagar, March 20
On the basis of reports of mass copying given by flying squads, the Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board here today cancelled papers of matriculation and plus two examinations at 17 centres. At another centre, the chemistry paper was cancelled for administrative reasons.

Question paper sold on money-back offer!
Amritsar, March 20
Hundreds of students appearing for class XII examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board were defrauded of lakhs of rupees in lieu of question papers of physics examination to be held today.

Focus now on red light outside VC’s office
Patiala, March 20
The red and green lights installed by the Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, outside his office have come under focus with the local police investigating whether these were installed allegedly for purposes other than academic.