Power boost to Bathinda rail link
Cabinet nod to electrification of Rohtak-Bathinda-Lehra section
New Delhi, January 21
The freight and passenger traffic on Rohtak-Bathinda-Lehra Muhabat section of Northern Railways is set to increase with the government today approving the electrification of the stretch at a cost of Rs 215 crore.

Extra wheat, rice on ration card
New Delhi, January 21
The government today decided to step up ration supplies of wheat or rice by 10 kg per eligible family during January and February to ease prices. The allocation would be over and above 35 kg of rice or wheat being supplied to each eligible family at present and is expected to cost the national exchequer around Rs 340 crore.

Travel only if you must!
Dense fog wreaks havoc in North India l Over 175 flights, 185 trains hit l No let-up in conditions anytime soon
New Delhi, January 21
Dense fog - the worst in seven years - resulted in near zero visibility sending rail, and air traffic in a tailspin over large parts of North India beginning last night. Chaos and confusion prevailed at Indira Gandhi International Airport and railway stations across the north while even as clueless officials tried to alleviate travellers’ misery.

A view of the fog-engulfed domestic airport in New Delhi. Thick fog across North India disrupted over hundred flights on Thursday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Marathi Cabbies
Day after, Chavan does a U-turn
Mumbai, January 21
A day after the Maharashtra government made it mandatory for taxi drivers to possess working knowledge of Marathi to obtain permits, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today bowed to protests and promised to modify the rules.

Editorial: Playing to Marathi gallery

NRI brides from region face max desertions
New Delhi, January 21
Punjab continues to top the list of states witnessing bride desertions by their NRI spouses. When it comes to foreign lands from where maximum harassment of married Indian women is being reported at the hands of their husbands, the USA leads the pack, with 130 of the 331 cases recorded in the last one year by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. (Detail on Nation page)

Ban on six Indian lifters
Gurdaspur, January 21
The International Weightlifting Federation has come down heavily on Indian weightlifters and has slapped a life ban on a top woman lifter while at the same time it has handed down four year ban terms to five other lifters who were found to be using banned drugs. With this development the decks have been cleared for the International body to clamp a ban on the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) as six of its lifters have been caught using IOC banned substances in a space of 12 months.

Krishna: No role in Pak players’ rejection New Delhi, January 21 With the IPL snub of Pakistani cricketers threatening to escalate into a diplomatic row, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today unequivocally stated that the government had no role to play in the auction of players for the upcoming T-20 tournament. “The government has nothing to do with IPL, selection of players and various exercises connected with it,’’ Krishna told reporters here.