POLITICS

Probe into high-rise buildings likely Amritsar, April 1 Multi-storey buildings have mushroomed in gross violation of building bylaws in various parts of the Holy City during the five-year rule of the Congress government. NGOs and city planners have said that the sky-rise buildings would result in traffic chaos in the vicinity of Golden Temple, The Mall, Ranjit Avenue and Lawrence road in the coming days. The new government is contemplating to order a high-level probe into the change of land use in alleged connivance of Municipal Corporation and Improvement Trust. Six-storey building constructed in violation of bylaws at Kabir Park opposite Guru Nana Dev University on the Amritsar-Wagah road.—Photo by Rajiv Sharma

COMMUNITY

More HIV infected at Ludhiana, Amritsar
Chandigarh, April 1
The third phase of the National Aids Control Programme (NACO) starting this month has brought hope of a comfortable and prelonged life with help of free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) to nearly 40,000 children between the age groups of 0-15. Besides them, NACO proposes to bring another 3 lakh adults under the free multi-drug regime during the third phase.

Resumption of train hailed
Amritsar, April 1
All-India Hindu Shiv Sena (AIHSS) president Surinder Kumar Billa has welcomed the decision of the Northern Railway to resume the Bathinda-Amritsar-Jammu train.

Breakfast at Chandigarh, lunch in Jalandhar, dinner in Lahore, literally
Ludhiana April 1
They had their breakfast at Chandigarh, lunch at Jalandhar and dinner in Lahore. Literally. But this is about a few lucky car rallyists from SAARC countries who could move so fast and hassle free. They wish this becomes a routine.

Birth affidavit preparation drive
Sangrur, April 1
Koshish Welfare Club, Sunam, an NGO, launched a week-long birth affidavit preparation programme for admission to primary class in the Sainsi basti at Sunam, about 13 km from here, today.

Gadar Party veteran turns 101 Bilga (Jalandhar), April  A shining star in the freedom movement, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, popularly known as Baba Bilga, is one of the revered patriarchs of the Gadar Party. Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, a Gadar Party veteran, recuperates at his native village, Bilga, in Jalandhar district.—Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Sangrur MC passes budget
Sangrur, April 1
The local Municipal Council (MC), at its meeting held here Friday under the presidentship of president of the council Simrat Rana Punia, passed its budget of Rs 12.06 crore for 2007-08. However, the MC has shown expenditure of Rs 12.12 crore in the budget, to be spent under various heads in the financial year.

SGPC chief 'denigrated' Takht
Amritsar, April 1
Dr Pritpal Singh, coordinator, American Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, (AGPC), today condemned the change the date of Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur during Budget meeting of the SGPC.

COURTS

Abduction: Case filed after 3 weeks
Tarn Taran, April 1
A tantrik living in the border township of Patti abducted a teenaged girl allegedly in connivance with his wife and a follower. Even though the incident took place three weeks back, the police registered a case of abduction under section 363,366 IPC last night.

Permission to fell trees violates SC directions
Hoshiarpur, April 1
the Punjab government will be violating the management plan of the forest department and Supreme Court (SC) directions if it permits felling of trees in the forest area and amends the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).

ADMINISTRATION

Toll on BOT roads: Sangharsh panel members walkout of DC’s meeting
Hoshiarpur, April 1
Members of the District Sangharsh Committee led by chairman Vikram Kumra, vice-chairman Dr Raman Ghai, president Harish Khosla, vice-presidents Ashvani Sharma, Ranjit Rana and Ravinder Chadha, general secretary Krishan Gopal Anand and Bharat Bhushan Verma, President Rashtriya Vikas Party, walked out from the meeting convened by the deputy commissioner, Hoshiarpur, here yesterday.

CRIME

Quack dupes AIDS patients
Patiala, April 1
AIDS patients in the district are being duped by quacks. They are selling herbal remedies to them at hefty prices on the plea that they would be fully cured of the disease.

Debt-ridden farmer commits suicide
Bathinda, April 1
A young farmer, Jagtar Singh, of Kotda Kodiana village of this district, who was under debt, committed suicide here by consuming insecticide after he came under tremendous strain following his failure to repay the money borrowed by him from various sources to meet his daily liabilities.