SAARC car rally returns to India Wagah, March 31 Overwhelmed by the hospitality of Pakistan, participants of the first SAARC car rally, who returned here today after a three-day visit to Pakistan, had numerous anecdotes to narrate on the common culture of the two neighbouring countries. After getting a warm welcome of garlands and “tilaks” at the Wagah joint check post, the over 100 participants, who are travelling in 26 cars, didn’t take much time to describe the inherent ties binding India and Pakistan. SAARC car rally participants who came back from Pakistan at Wagah joint check post on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Battered by husband, police let her down, too
Chandigarh, March 31
Women in distress situations continue to face difficulty in invoking the provisions of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (DVA).

POLITICS

SAD plans Malwa’s development
Moga, March 31
Unhappy by the performance of the party in the Malwa segment in the recent assembly elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is now all set to come up with a series of developmental works in the area to restrengthen its base in the region.

Task before Sukhbir: Maintaining Sikh character
Ludhiana, March 31
The nomination of Sukhbir Singh Badal as acting president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by the political affairs committee of the dal is an event to be watched seriously by the observers of the Sikh politics.

PSB union secy flays Khera
Chandigarh, March 31
Reacting to a news-item, "Union defends bank director", carried in these columns on March 30, the All-India Punjab and Sind Bank Officers Union has disassociated itself from "such act".

COMMUNITY

Nanakshahi calendar: Change raises eyebrows
Amritsar, March 31
SGPC chief Avtar Singh yesterday sought the approval of the General House to change the date of martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur that clashed with the Gurpurb (birthday) of Guru Nanak Dev on November 24 as per the Nanakshahi calendar.

2 buffaloes electrocuted
Abohar, March 31
Two buffaloes were electrocuted this afternoon outside 132-KV station of the PSEB on the national highway No.10 within municipal limits.

MC elections by June
Phillaur, March 31
All municipal corporations were working as “kar- pareshan” during the Congress regime in Punjab, but now the SAD-BJP government would “co-operate” with every one. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia stated this to The Tribune here on Wednesday. He was on his way to Chandigarh.

Land for Trident: BKU presents viewpoint
Sangrur, March 31
The top leadership of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) on Thursday presented its point of view on the aquisition of lands of farmers before the government by way of seeking scrapping of notification, related to the acquisition of land, especially 376 acres acquired by the punjab government for the Trident Group in Fatehgarh Chhanna, Dhaula and Sangherra villages, near Barnala. The union also termed the acquisition of land “illegal”.

Call to adopt eco-friendly techniques
Sangrur, March 31
A two-day national symposium on “Green chemistry-application in science and technology” was on Thursday inaugurated by Vice Chancellor of Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Prof S.K. Salwan at the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, about 20 km from here.

Committee condemns expulsion of students
Patiala, March 31
In a significant move, the joint action committee of the Punjabi University, while strongly condemning the expulsion of certain student leaders by vice-chancellor Boparai, today decided to bring the expelled students to the university campus on April 2.

COURTS

Illegal Patiala zoo: HC issues notice to govt
Patiala, March 31
The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a notice of motion to the government of Punjab on the basis of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the establishing of an unauthorised zoo in the Baradari area of Patiala by PUDA.

ADMINISTRATION

DC launches credit plan
Patiala, March 31
Deputy Commissioner of Patiala D.S. Grewal launched the district credit plan, prepared by the lead bank office of the State Bank of Patiala, for 2007-08, here today, with participation of the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD banks and government agencies.

CRIME

Recruitment scam: 3 booked
Bathinda, March 31
In a significant development which can expose the malfunctioning of the local Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology (GZSCET), a criminal case was registered against Narinder Singh, its former principal, deputy registrar Gurdeep Singh and lecturer Sumen Bala for their alleged involvement in recruiting a lecturer on the basis of false and forged documents at the city police station.

Fake currency notes seized
Rajpura, March 31
The police today busted a gang manufacturing adulterated ghee and seized fake currency notes worth Rs 18,800 from them.

18 kg of heroin seized; two held
Amritsar, March 31
The Special Narcotics Cell (SNC) today seized 18 kg of heroin said to be worth Rs 18 crore in the international market and nabbed two persons identified as Jagjit Singh, alias Jaggi alias Dr Balwinder Singh of Jammu (now residing in Moon Avenue here) and Dilbagh Singh, alias Baga, of Sohian Khurd village.

Minor raped by landlord
Medical examination fails to establish crime
Bathinda, March 31
A nine-year-old minor girl was allegedly raped by the landlord of her house when she was alone in her house, located in the thickly populated area of this town on Thursday afternoon.

EDUCATION

Rs 300 cr for 2 varsities, medical college

Chandigarh, March 31 In order to improve the standard of education in Punjab, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal today announced a package of Rs 100 crore each for two universities and a medical college for the state. Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal gives away the trophy to the winners at the annual sports function of Panjab University in Chandigarh on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

PSMS fest 2007 concludes
Patiala, March 31
Students and faculty members of the Punjab School of Management Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, organised a rich feast of cultural bonanza on the concluding day of the two-day “PSMS Fest 2007” at Kala Bhawan, here, today.