Amritsar, March 13 Mass copying in the Plus II exams of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) goes unchecked despite elaborate arrangements made by the board for checking the menace in this border belt. People jump over the boundary wall of Dashmesh Senior Secondary School at Kotla Sultan Singh to hand over slips for cheating in the Punjab School Education Board’s plus II physics examination on Tuesday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Inderjit Kaur new Mexico representative
Chandigarh, March 13
The government of New Mexico (USA) has appointed Bibi Inderjit Kaur as representative and ambassador to India.

POLITICS

BJP morcha seeks relief for ruined crop
Sangrur, March 13
In view of the heavy damage to the standing wheat crop due to the rain and hailstorm in several parts of the state, the All-India Kisan Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked the Punjab Government to announce compensation to the tune of Rs 10,000 per acre for those farmers whose wheat crop has been damaged more than 75 per cent.

3 held for attack on SAD supporter
Abohar, March 13
Three persons have been arrested for allegedly assaulting Bhanu Partap, a member of the village panchayat and an active supporter of the Balluana SAD MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana.

Brahm hails Bhattal’s appointment
Bathinda, March 13
Former Punjab minister and Samana MLA Brahm Mohindra today hailed the appointment of Rajinder Kaur Bhattal as leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Sabha. While talking to The Tribune, Mohindra said that with the appointment of Bhattal as the leader, the Congress, which was the main opposition party in the Vidhan Sabha, would now play the role of a responsible opposition.

Badal to head Ludhiana board
Chandigarh, March 13
The Punjab government today appointed the chairmen of district planning boards.

Dhindsa heads SAD parliamentary board
Chandigarh, March 13
Former union minister and Lok Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has been appointed the chairman of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) parliamentary board.

YC seeks Badal’s resignation
Chandigarh, March 13
The Punjab Youth Congress today submitted a memorandum to the Governor , Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

COMMUNITY

MCI poll process faulty, say doctors
Chandigarh, March 13
Even as the process of holding elections to the Medical Council of India (MCI) has taken off, medical practitioners across Punjab resent the ‘faulty poll procedure’. Less than a week before the commencement of the elections to the highest regulatory body of doctors, these practitioners have asked for an end to the practice of voting through postal ballots.

PRTC launches airconditioned buses
Patiala March 13
The Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) today launched its Gold Line airconditioned bus service from Patiala. The hitech all-weather airconditioned buses have been launched keeping in view the success of Volvo buses launched by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation and Haryana Roadways.

Increase in govt holidays draws assn’s flak
Barnala, March 13
The General Category Association has criticised the Punjab government’s decision for increasing the number of state holidays. The association is of the view that an increase in state holidays is not affordable for a steadily growing state like Punjab.

Seminar on folklore on March 15
Amritsar, March 13
The School of Punjabi Studies of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) will organise a two-day national seminar on “Folklore and Study of Folklore” from March 15 at Guru Nanak Bhavan.

Guru to be principal secy (PR)
Chandigarh, March 13
Darbara Singh Guru, principal secretary to the Chief Minister, is likely to get additional charge as principal secretary, public relations.

Admn secys to supervise damage assessment
Chandigarh, March 13
At a meeting of the Punjab cabinet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the chief secretary to depute administrative secretaries to undertake tours of the districts and supervise the assessment of loss to standing crops by inclement weather.

Prisoner chained to hospital bed Patiala, March 13 Handcuffed to the hospital bed, 60-year-old Gurdev Singh lies motionless in the general ward of the Government Rajendra Hospital. His sorry state is a clear picture of violation of Supreme Court orders that convicts can’t be handcuffed to the hospital bed without permission from court. Gurdev Singh chained to the bed at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. — Tribune photo by Rajesh Sachar

CRIME

DSP booked for accepting Rs 50,000
Faridkot, March 13
The district police today booked one of its own deputy superintendent of police on the charge of having demanded and accepted bribe to help the accused in a criminal case go scout-free.