High-security jails likely to have jammers 
Chandigarh, January 18
The Punjab police will install jammers and close circuit cameras in highly-sensitive and high-security jails of the state to check the use of mobile phones by hardcore criminals lodged there.

Haryana welcome to invest in Punjab: Sukhbir Ropar, January 18 Taking a jab at Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, SAD working president Sukhbir Singh Badal has said he was welcome to invest in infrastructure projects in Bathinda. Sukhbir Badal, working president, SAD, lays the foundation stone of the Press Club in Ropar on Friday. — A Tribune photo

COMMUNITY

Power Subsidy Issue
Government in trouble
Chandigarh, January 18
Punjab is caught between the proverbial devil and the deep sea on the issue of free power. On the one hand, the union power ministry, in a latest development, has asked the government to either pay up for power subsidy or charge for power supplied to the farm and other sectors, and on the other hand, the state after doing furious calculations in the past few days, has realised that it does not have enough money to pay for the pending Rs 1,800-crore subsidy to the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

Security from Consumers
PSEB not to implement decision this year
Patiala, January 18
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) officials are finding it difficult to face the heat on the issue of taking security from power consumers across the state.

Badal to unfurl flag in Ludhiana 
Chandigarh, January 18
The state Republic Day function will be held at Patiala where the Punjab Governor, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), will unfurl the national flag and take the salute. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will unfurl the flag at Ludhaina, speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Nirmal Singh Kahlon at Gurdaspur and deputy speaker Satpal Gosain at Muktsar.

Revision of electoral rolls
Chandigarh, January 18
The revision of electoral rolls for the urban and rural local bodies which includes municipalities, panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishad started on January 14. 

Officers’ body for pension in rural banks
Sangrur, January 18
The All-India Gramin Bank Officers Association has urged the union finance minister to introduce the pension scheme without further delay for the employees and officers of regional rural banks, popularly known as gramin banks.

Ghuman is chairman of MSP panel
Patiala, January 18
Noted economist, Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Department of Economics, Punjabi University, has been appointed chairman of a three-member committee on minimum support price (MSP) and the price index by the Punjab government. 

COURTS

Free telecast of Gurbani
HC asks SGPC to clarify stand
Chandigarh, January 18
The Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday asked the SGPC to clarify its stand on allowing television channels to telecast Gurbani free of charge from the Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, allegedly against the present arrangement of exclusive rights given to ETC channel of Zee TV group.

Inspector Transfer Case
Order to make Bibi Jagir Kaur party
Chandigarh, January 18
If allegations in a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court are to be believed, an Inspector with the Bholath Cooperative Society in Kapurthala district was transferred thrice in five months at the instance of former MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur as his family had been supporting her rivals.

Agri board secy summoned
Chandigarh, January 18
Issuing a notice of motion for January 21 on a petition for restraining the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board from going ahead with the proposed auction of about 60 commercial sites in the new fruit and vegetable market at Ludhiana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked board’s secretary to be present in the court on that day.

Notice to PSEB
Chandigarh, January 18
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice K.S. Ahluwalia, on Friday issued notice to the Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala, for March 31 on a public interest litigation filed by advocate H.C. Arora for removing from service employees convicted on corruption charges.

High Court
Punjab DGP told to restore security to PPCC ex-chief
Chandigarh, January 18
Acting on a petition filed by former president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Santokh Singh Randhawa and his son former parliamentary secretary Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa alleging the withdrawal of Z-plus security, which had been provided to them since 1982, following the change of government in the state, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the state DGP to restore it forthwith.

EDUCATION

Salary of 30 school heads withheld
Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 18
Taking a serious note of the alleged non-compliance of guidelines regarding the submission of the monthly expenditure detailed report of the state-run schools, the district education officer (Secondary), Sangrur, has withheld the salary of over 60 officials at these institutes.