Tuesday, March 15, 2011, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

Punjab Budget
Eye on polls in tax-free budget
Chandigarh, March 14
Punjab Finance Minister Upinderjit Kaur today presented a near perfect “pre-election” budget for 2011-2012, with a please-all approach that provided for no new taxes. Even as the government tried its best to include several schemes for targeted groups like the poor and women, it left many others - which include industry and employees - disappointed.

Punjab’s Finance Minister Upinderjit Kaur walks in to present the budget. She is the first woman Finance Minister in the country. Tribune photo: S. Chandan

PUNJAB BUDGET REACTIONS: EXCLUSIVE TO THE TRIBUNE
Upinderjit: Education key catalyst to speed up growth
Surinder Singla: Govt bankruptcy has travelled to people
Manpreet Singh Badal: Lies, damned lies and statistics

Editorial:Gender-sensitive budget

Fiscal deficit a whopping Rs 8,801 cr
Chandigarh, March 14
Punjab’s revenue growth may have been robust this fiscal but the huge debt burden, servicing this debt and implementation of the fifth pay commission’s recommendations have resulted in the poll-bound Akali-BJP government being neither able to provide much relief to people nor to draw up a roadmap for fiscal growth in the state.

Dalai Lama firm on retirement
Dharamsala, March 14
The Dalai Lama seems to be firm on carrying out his wish to retire as temporal and administrative head of the Tibetan government in exile despite requests from Tibetan people and leaders. An indication to this affect was given in the message given by the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan parliament in exile on the first day of the session that began here today.

2nd blast rocks Japan N-plant
Tokyo, March 14
A second hydrogen explosion rocked the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant leaving 11 workers injured amid fresh fears of a 'meltdown' as Japan intensified efforts to contain radiation levels.

Japan crisis hits global N-sector

Indian student raped, murdered in Australia
Melbourne, March 14
A 24-year old Indian student Tosha Thakkar was allegedly raped and murdered and her body stuffed inside a suitcase was dumped in a canal in Sydney by a teenager who shared an accommodation with her. “On 11 March morning, construction workers found the suitcase containing the woman’s body in a water canal near Meadowbank Park and alerted police,” said a statement issued by the local police.

Navy nabs 61 pirates, frees 13 seamen
New Delhi, March 14
In an attempt to formulate a potent anti-piracy force in the Indian Ocean, New Delhi has expressed its readiness to operate its naval warships as part of an armada of ships controlled and monitored by the United Nations. However, it may not agree to be a part of any US-led force at the sea.

Pranab’s son joins Cong
Kolkata, March 14
Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit today formally joined the Congress. He was introduced to mediapersons by the WBPCC president Dr Manash Bhuiya at a press conference at Bidhan Bhavan here. The WBPCC will be fielding him as a candidate in the Assembly polls at Nalhati seat in Birbhum district.

Tiwari must undergo DNA test, rules SC New Delhi, March 14 The Supreme Court today made it clear that former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari should undergo DNA test for verifying the paternity claim of 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar in view of his advanced age of 85. “Why are you avoiding it? Can you give one good reason? It may be in your own interest to end all this,” a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha told the Congress leader, represented in the court by senior advocate Ashok Desai.