A Tribune Investigation
Grants go down the drain, centres double but children missing
Punjab takes poor children for a ride
Chandigarh, March 24
The number of anganwaris in Punjab has almost doubled in the last three years. While there were 14,370 of them in 2007, the number is now pegged at 26, 656. But paradoxically the number of children being attended to in these centres has gone down sharply, by as much as half by all accounts.

Kashmir, energy pop up in US-Pakistan talks
The U.S. and Pakistan on Wednesday embarked on a two-day effort aimed at reversing years of mistrust. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hailed the strategic dialogue as the "start of something new." She admitted the U.S. and Pakistan had "had our misunderstandings and disagreements in the past, and there are sure to be more disagreements in the future."

Sports page: Royals outshine Kings Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne and wicketkeeper Naman Ojha appeal against Kings XI’s Mohd Kaif at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday. Royals won the match by 31 runs. Tribune photo by S. Chandan

FM offers hope but no deal
Chandigarh, March 24
The Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on a flying visit to the Union Territory on Friday, was at his diplomatic best. Declaring that the Union government had the interests of both Punjab and Haryana in mind, the minister called upon the states to come up with ‘a concrete plan’ for debt restructuring.

Modi to finally appear before SIT on Mar 27
Ahmedabad, March 24
Ending suspense over his appearance before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT probing the 2002 Gujarat riots, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to present himself before the panel on March 27.

Govt employees can travel first class from April 1
New Delhi, March 24
With signs of economic revival becoming more pronounced, the government has relaxed the austerity drive undertaken last year and from April 1, government employees will be allowed to fly first class.

Promotion fundamental right: SC New Delhi, March 24 The Supreme Court has ruled that governments at the Centre and states should “act as model employers” and that all eligible employees virtually had a “fundamental right” to promotion as guaranteed under Article 16 of the Constitution. Govt employees can’t bypass CAT