Inquiry marked into cop’s suicide
Amritsar, August 24
Inspector general of police (IG), Border Range, R.P. Meena has marked an inquiry into the alleged suicide of sub-inspector Shiv Kumar who was posted at the Police Lines falling under the Amritsar (Rural) police district here, accorrding to sources.

Probe against SHO ordered in torture case
Hoshiarpur, August 24
After receiving report from the DSP (H) with regard to the torture of Ravinder Kumar of the local Bahadurpur Mohalla by the CIA staff on August 22, SSP, Hoshiarpur, Anita Punj today ordered a department inquiry against the then SHO, Parveen Kumar Kanda, who was recently transferred from the city police station in another case.

DGP’s clean chit to Patiala cops irks Amarinder
Patiala, August 24
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today criticised DGP N.P.S. Aulakh for giving clean chit to the Patiala police for its role during the recently concluded municipal corporation elections.

16 IAS, 14 PCS officers get new postings
Chandigarh, August 24
The Punjab government today ordered fresh postings for the 16 IAS and 14 PCS officers. Three districts will get new deputy commissioners while five subdivisions will have new SDMs.

Hippo fossil found from Shivaliks

Patiala, August 24 Nowadays hippopotamus are only found in Africa. However, about 5 million years ago they used to roam in the Shivalik ranges of Patiala. Former principal, Government Mohindra College, Dr V.S. Soni, has found fossils of hippopotamus from these ranges.While talking to The Tribune Dr Soni said fossilised upper jaw of a hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon Sivalensis) had been found in the Miocene era rocks (more than 5 millions year old) of the Shivalik ranges. V.S.Soni displays the fossilised upper jaw of a hippopotamus found from the Shivalik ranges.— Tribune photo by Rajesh Sachar

Intelligence wing to report on graft
Chandigarh, August 24
Adding a new dimension to policing in Punjab, the intelligence wing of the state police — long known to provide political inputs to the government — has now been asked to provide specific information relating to corruption in departments, especially public-dealing ones that collect revenue.

Cong, Independent candidates win
Amritsar, August 24
Navdeep Singh Goldy of the Congress and Kailash Kaur (Independent) won the MC elections the results of which were announced here today.

COMMUNITY

Best Village of India
Working hard to remain number one
Nurpur Sethan (Ferozepur), August 24
Even as nearly three and a half decades have passed since this village was declared the best village of India for not reporting any dispute, its panchayat and senior citizens work hard to maintain its reputation. According to villagers, Indira Gandhi and Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh had visited the village to bestow the honour.

Licence of 8 ration shops suspended
Bathinda, August 24
The district food and supply controller suspended the licence of eight ration depots today. A criminal case has also been registered against a salesman of a cooperative agriculture service society at Dhade village and the other for allegedly diverting the wheat meant for those living below the poverty line in the open market.

Occupants of civic body property to get ownership
Chandigarh, August 24
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the state government had taken a decision to transfer the ownership of property belonging to municipal corporations and committees to occupants who had been in possession of the property for a considerable period.

Sukhbir promises water, power
Moga, August 24
Even after 60 years of Independence there is shortage of basic amenities like potable water and electricity in most of the villages in this district. SAD’s officiating president Sukhbir Singh Badal came to know about this after listening to the grievances of panchayats of a few villages falling under this district today.

Unit-based assessment of house tax soon: Kalia

Chandigarh, August 24 Punjab will follow Gujarat in weeding out the “inspector raj” in urban local bodies.Hinting at a major shift in system to charge house tax, Punjab local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia today said the state government was planning to introduce a new system of unit-based assessment system to charge the tax, a major source of income for the civic bodies.

Students of the Hotel and Catering Management Institute at the inauguration of a food festival at Chandigarh Press Club, Sector 27, Chandigarh, on Friday.— Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Draft Gurdwara Bill
Badal convenes meeting for discussion
Chandigarh, August 24
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will preside over a meeting to discuss the draft All India Sikh Gurdwara Bill-1999 sent for the Punjab government perusal by the union ministry of home affairs. The meeting is scheduled for August 28.

Free transport proposed for AIDS patients 
Doctors instructed against denying HIV treatment
Chandigarh, August 24
The Punjab Health Department will take up with the Transport Ministry the issue of free transport facility for AIDS patients on treatment at its antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres. About 2,162 patients from Punjab are on treatment at present.

Punjab’s factfile

Gill opposes golf course project
Chandigarh, August 24
Opposing the setting up of a golf course by acquiring 250 acres belonging to small and marginal farmers of Chappar Chiri village, near Mohali, member of the Rajya Sabha M.S. Gill said the project should be scrapped immediately.

Cigarettes sold at Teej mela
Health minister was chief guest
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 24
Gutkha, cigarettes and pan masala were sold openly at Aam Khas Bagh where Teej celebrations were held under the presidentship of Punjab health minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla.

50 donate blood

CRIME

Firing outside Sunam college
Sangrur, August 24
In the wake of the on-going tussle between two groups of the students of Government College, Sunam, over the issue of the students’ union presidentship, an uneasy calm has been prevailing on the college campus for the past two to three days.

Peddlers smuggle poppy husk in trucks
Mansa, August 24
Even as the police has intensified its drive against drug peddlers, smugglers have started adopting a new modus operandi to smuggle narcotics into the district by hoodwinking police authorities.

EDUCATION

Teachers not paid salary
Bathinda, August 24
A large number of teachers, working in the state government-run senior secondary schools, seem to be doubly cursed as they have not been paid salaries for the past three months. They have been left with no other option other than borrowing money from their contacts and relatives to meet their daily expenditures and depositing the monthly installments of loans taken from various financial institutions.

State to have civil aviation varsity
Chandigarh, August 24
Punjab will soon have a civil aviation university, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here today.

Four copying cases detected
Bathinda, August 24
As many as four cases of copying were detected when the flying squad led by Parminder Kaur Sandhu, member, Academic Council, Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) conducted checks at two examination centres at Jaitu and Faridkot towns today.

Dhillon may be new school board head
Chandigarh, August 24
Dalbir Singh Dhillon, former dean, colleges, Punjabi University, Patiala, is likely to be the next chairman of the Punjab school education board.