Inside Babudom
Maini elevated as secy to Central scale
Chandigarh, January 4
Of the eight officers of the 1974 batch given the rank and pay of the secretary to the Government of India (GOI) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet a few days ago, Dr Jivtesh Singh Maini is from the Punjab cadre.

‘Sammelan should focus on ideological problems’
Chandigarh, January 4
The Punjabi NRIs Sammelan to be held on January 5 and 6 in Chandigarh and Jalandhar, respectively, apart from social, economic and legal problems, should also address the ideological problems being faced by the diaspora, all the more in the post-9/11, USA. 

Protesters force halt of Amritsar-Jaipur Express
Sangrur, January 4
A large number of local traders and residents held a protest at the railway station here yesterday against the non-halting of the Amritsar-Jaipur Express even for one or two minutes. This train passes through Sangrur on every Tuesday and Thursday.

City Centre Scam
VB spent Rs 2 lakh on paper
Patiala, January 4
The quantum of documentation in the Rs 1,150-crore City Centre scam is so enormous that the Vigilance Bureau had to use “tonnes” of paper in preparing cases against the accused.

Rs 398 lakh for developing tourism in Hoshiarpur
New Delhi, January 4
The tourism ministry has sanctioned almost Rs 398 lakh for integrated development of Hoshiarpur as a tourist destination under the Integrated Development of the Tourist Circuit Scheme.

Aroosa treads narrow lanes of Patiala bazar Patiala, January 4 Capt Amarinder Singh’s journalist friend Aroosa Alam and her six Pakistani companions appreciated artefacts like chandeliers in the historic Quila Mubarak and seemingly enjoyed her brief stint of shopping in Bhaandianwala Bazar. Aroosa Alam at the Bhaandianwala Bazar of Patiala on Friday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Govt asked to frame policy to modernise industry
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 4
Concerned about the bleak future being faced by production houses in the state, some leading manufacturers have called upon the state government to come out with a policy to modernise the industry in Punjab.

Guv stresses on value-based education
Amritsar, January 4
Punjab Governor Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) today impressed upon the educationists and intellectuals to combine academic excellence with a sense of social responsibility to produce good citizens.

PM House Row
Tehsildar suspended
Amritsar, January 4
The state government today suspended the services of tehsildar Rajesh Sharma in the fake registration of power of attorney of Prime Minister’s property in New Delhi.