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VB seeks amendment to CrPC
Chandigarh, December 27
In an effort to get more teeth in controlling its own employees indulging in corruption, the Punjab Government has sought the intervention of the Central Government to amend the Criminal Procedure Code.

Tribune Impact
PHRC orders police probe into dowry case
Ludhiana, December 27
Coming to the aid of a girl, here allegedly cheated by a youth who was engaged to her but refused to marry as her family was not able to meet to his demand for dowry, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, has directed the SSP, Ludhiana to look into the case.

Elahi figures in Punjab calendar
Chandigarh, December 27

The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today released the State Government’s calendar for the New Year-2006. It has a beautiful photograph of the Golden Temple on its first sheet.
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, releases the Punjab Government calendar for 2006 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Also seen in the picture are Excise and Taxation Minister Sardul Singh and Adviser to the Chief Minister B.I.S. Chahal. — Tribune photograph

Rice millers launch stir against corrupt FCI officials
Patiala, December 27
A major section of rice mill owners of this district today launched a campaign against corrupt Food Corporation of India officials. Another section of millers of Ferozepore district have approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a writ petition seeking directions for FCI officials to accept rice from them in the levy quota scheme.

Contractors flout tree-felling rules with impunity
Gurdaspur, December 27

Felling rules have been flouted in the areas opened for felling of trees with impunity. As per the felling rules of the Department of Forest no tree having a girth of below 61 cm can be felled. However, when The Tribune team visited the areas opened for felling in the Donera range, under the Pathankot forest division, and the Mehengrowal range of Hoshiarpur district, many ‘khair’ trees having girth below 61 cm were found to be marked for felling. A tree with girth below 61 cm has been been marked for felling, in violation of the norms, by the forest contractor in the Donera range, Pathankot division. — Photo by Jangi

Survey not financed by govt, says CM
Chandigarh, December 27
The recent ORG-MARG-sponsored opinion poll survey that gave the Congress the edge over the Shiromani Akali Dal in terms of popularity was not financed by the Punjab Government, the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, said today. The survey was carried out at the instance of the ruling party.

COMMUNITY

‘Jugalbandi’ wins hearts of people Bathinda, December 27 In a rare musical extravaganza, Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan, son of legendary artiste Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, presented a programme along with tabla maestro Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari Khan after almost a decade during a charity show organised by the Community Police Resource Centre, Bathinda, at the Pukhraj Theatre here last night.
Pak classical singer Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan and tabla performer Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari Khan perform in Bathinda on Monday evening. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

FLASHBACK 2005: Dominant issues
Economy, unemployment, corruption in focus
Chandigarh, December 27
The foremost issue in Punjab at present is its economy. What new direction should be given to the economy, is an issue which has been persistently debated in government and private circles.

CM ignoring Gurdaspur, other areas: Mann
Chandigarh, December 27
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, has opposed the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh’s approach of focusing only on the development of Mohali and Patiala.

Probe sought into misuse of SGPC fund
Amritsar, December 27
The expenditure borne on bhog ceremony of the mother of an Akali leader and former member, Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board, Mr Virsa Singh Valtoha, allegedly under the SGPC’s account, came under criticism from Sikh leaders.

Assault case: PSEB engineers threaten stir
Ropar, December 27
The PSEB Engineers Association, Ropar, today threatened to launch an agitation if the police did not take action against contractors’ employees who had assaulted and manhandled a senior engineer in the thermal plant. After an emergency meeting, the regional secretary of the association, Mr Inderjit Singh, said despite the fact that a report about the entire incident had been lodged with the police, no action was taken in the matter so far. The inaction of police has demoralised the engineers, he added.

Pulse polio case: baby’s body sent for post-mortem
Ropar, December 27
A case of 28-day-old baby of Amrali village suspected to have died due to an over dose of pulse polio drops came to light here today. The body of the baby girl was sent to a laboratory in Patiala to find out the cause of her death by the authorities of the Civil Hospital, Ropar.

Stranded children reunited with father
Abohar, December 27
Members of the Nar Seva Narayan Seva Society today reunited the stranded children with their father after a night-long exercise.

ADMINISTRATION

83 posts of law officer okayed
Chandigarh, December 27
The Punjab Council of Ministers today gave approval to 83 posts of law officer in the office of the Advocate-General (AG). The number of law officers in the AG’s office has now come down from 108 to 83. Official sources said the 83 posts had been approved from July.

CRIME

2 units making synthetic milk unearthed
Shutrana (Patiala), December 27
The district Health authorities and the police here unearthed two factories at Shutrana town allegedly involved in the manufacture of synthetic milk and supplying it to consumers of Punjab and Haryana.

SAD leader arrested for possessing opium
Faridkot, December 27
The police today arrested the circle president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Sukhmandar Singh Mumara, for reportedly possessing opium, “lahan” and equipment for distilling country liquor.

Pak diplomat booked in accident case
Amritsar, December 27
After initial hiccups, the Majitha police today registered a criminal case against Counsellor of the Pakistan High Commission Mohammad Syrus Qazi on charges of crushing a woman to death in a road accident near border town Gharinda, near here, on December 10 .

SGPC gives nod to registration of theft case
Amritsar, December 27
Mr Avtar Singh, President, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), today gave his nod to registration of a case of theft of Rs 2.78 lakh from the cash collection centre inside Guru Nanak Nivas in the Golden Temple complex here last evening.

Child’s murder: accused held
Kharar, December 27
The police today arrested Rajinder Singh on the charge of murdering an 18-day-old girl child by throwing her into a well at Baroli village, near here.

Seven LPG cylinders seized
Kharar, December 27
Seven LPG cylinders were seized by officials of the Department of Food and Supplies during raids conducted here today on eating joints to check the misuse of cylinders supplied for domestic use.

EDUCATION

FLASHBACK 2005: BABA FARID VARSITY
PMET paper leak hit credibility
Faridkot, December 27
The Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) will not like to remember 2005, as its credibility plunged to an all-time low following the PMET paper leak in the middle of the year. While the university has often been in the news for wrong reasons, the paper leak came as a nightmare for PMET aspirants who underwent three-month trauma before counselling for medical colleges began.