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TOP STORIES

Cabinet nod to liquor price hike
13,998 teachers to be appointed on contract
Chandigarh, February 27
Punjab’s new Excise Policy approved by the Cabinet here today provides for generation of a total revenue of Rs1,728 crore (approx), which is an increase of Rs 72 crore over last year. This will be made possible by an increase of Rs 5 per bottle of country liquor and Rs 10 per bottle of Indian Made Foreign liquor.

Tribune Special
UPSC declines to recruit PCS officers
Chandigarh, February 27
The Union Public Service Commission has declined the Punjab government request to recruit officers for the Punjab Civil Service and allied services.

Akal Drug De-addiction Centre
A boon for addicts
Cheema (Sangrur), February 27
The local Akal Drug De-addiction-cum- Rehabilitation Centre has been proving to be a boon since July, 2004, for drug addicts of not only the Malwa belt and other parts of the state, but also for drug addicts of neighbouring states.

Baba Jaivinder Singh (with white beard in white clothes) with inmates of the Akal Drug De-addiction Centre at Cheema, near Sunam. — Photo by writer

POLITICS

News Analysis
Rally brings Sukhbir ‘insaaf,’ Centre trouble
Chandigarh, February 27
The SAD-BJP Insaaf Rally that mobilised an unprecedented gathering in the national capital has serious ramifications both for Punjab and the Centre. Originally intended to draw the union government’s attention towards issues of grave concern to Punjab, it ended as a watershed for the state and for national politics.

Ads: MLA disputes govt claims
Chandigarh, February 27
Congress legislator from Ludhiana Jassi Khangura has written a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal questioning the authenticity of the claims made by the Punjab government with regard to SAD’s fight for a higher minimum support price of wheat and paddy for farmers.

COMMUNITY

Round-up
Sops for mega projects
Chandigarh, February 27
In a significant move to boost urbanisation and industrialisation in the state, the Punjab Government’s Empowered Committee on mega projects, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, here today approved a standard package of incentives and conditions for super mega mixed-use integrated industrial park projects.

Speaker seeks Amritsar DC’s appearance
Chandigarh, February 27
Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon wants that deputy commissioner of Amritsar K.S. Pannu should appear before him on February 29. Secretary of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Madan Mohan has written a letter in this regard to chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh.

Vigilance visits Nabha MC
Nabha, February 27
On the complaint of Nabha MLA Kaka Randeep Singh, a Vigilance team, led by chief vigilance officer Vijay Kanwar, today visited the local Municipal Council office and investigated the irregularities in tenders related to development projects.

Miller exposed scam
Moga, February 27
It was the presence of mind of businessman Ranjit Singh Baghike that helped take lid off the Moga sex scandal involving police officials. Baghike, who owns a rice mill at Nihal Singhwala, received a call from inspector Amarjit Singh, SHO of police station (city I) for making available Rs 50,000 otherwise his name would be entered in the FIR No. 82. Making an excuse for being preoccupied, he promised the inspector to call back soon.

2-day remand for Garcha, Sandhu
Patiala, February 27
The special CBI court here today remanded in CBI custody for two days former SSP Davinder Singh Garcha and SP Ropar, Paramjeet Singh Sandhu in the Moga sex scandal case.

Mobile connection scheme for farmers
Rajpura, February 27
The Punjab government today launched a scheme of marketing mobile phones, its connections and recharge coupons by the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the state.

Panchayat poll to be over by April 17
Chandigarh, February 27
The Punjab government today notified to complete the election process of all panchayats, zila parishads and block samitis by April 17.