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Tree felling: forest officials deny knowledge
Forest contractors protest against The Tribune
Pathankot, December 31
Senior officials of the Forest Department, including the DFO, Pathankot division, deny having any knowledge about contractors being involved in the felling of trees. The contractors, however, seep into the tree felling work taking advantage of the ignorance of the poor farmers. Most of them are illiterate and poor. Taking advantage of their handicap, these contractors take up the role of middlemen between the department and farmers.

Hawara arrest: Delhi sleuths await award
Chandigarh, December 31
Seven months after laying their hands on the Babbar Khalsa International chief, Jagtar Singh Hawara, sleuths of the inter-state cell of the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police are still waiting for the cash award to be released by the Chandigarh Administration.

PSEB official found innocent after 26 years, awaits job
Barnala, December 31
There seems to be no end to the 28-year ordeal of Mr Jagtar Singh, who worked as a Junior Engineer with the Punjab State Electricity Board at Piareana in Ferozepore district in late 70s. Despite coming clean in an inquiry in 1993, after 26 years of his being held guilty in a corruption case, he has been running from pillar to post to get reinstated.

Dense fog on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana road on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Crime up in six districts
Bathinda, December 31
Cases of abduction, theft, attempt to murder, fatal accidents and culpable homicide witnessed an increase in six districts of the Bathinda zone in 2005. This has been revealed in the annual crime report released by the Police Department here on Thursday.

Virk claims decrease in crime
Chandigarh, December 31
The Director-General of Police, Punjab, Mr S.S. Virk, yesterday claimed that incidents of crime during this year were fewer than last year. Shockingly, changing social norms had resulted in more women taking to crime. In 135 murder cases, out of a total of 723 during the year, women were the perpetrators of the crime.

COMMUNITY

Telecom staff hold rally
Patiala, December 31
On a call by the National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE) of BSNL (headquarters), a rally was held at the main gate of Telecom Bhavan complex yesterday against harassment allegedly meted out by the administration by transferring certain NFTE members in different divisions and circles at an all-India level.

Badal urges PM to stop farmers’ eviction
Chandigarh, December 31
The Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to intervene and stop the forcible eviction of 400 poor Sikh farmers from 1,100 acres in the Kanshipur area of Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttaranchal Pardesh.

Badal’s old-age home gets 15 inmates Badal, December 31 Multipurpose Old-Age Care Home, which has been set up by former Chief Minister and SAD president Parkash Singh Badal here, yesterday came alive with the arrival of 15 elderly persons on its premises. Inmates of the Multipurpose Old-Age Care Home at Badal village in Bathinda district interact with each other on Friday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

CM, Dullo greet people
Chandigarh, December 31
Greeting people on New Year’s Eve, the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Deputy Chief Minister, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and the Punjab Pradesh Congress president, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, in separate statements sought the cooperation of the people to make the state a modern and progressive one in which all Punjabis could lead a life of dignity and self-respect.

CRIME

Four cops held on graft charge
Faridkot, December 31
Four policemen have been arrested on the charge of releasing a rape accused after getting money.

EDUCATION

Dept lists errant govt teachers
Bathinda, December 31
The Education Department has prepared a list of government school teachers who are running schools opened in the name of their relatives. The department’s survey reveals that 40 such cases were traced in a neighbouring district.