CM keen on houses for poor
Mohali, March 29
Punjab will soon have a state housing and habitat policy. A meeting of leading builders of the state and chief administrators of various urban development authorities was held here recently under the chairmanship of secretary, housing and urban development, Arun Goel to discuss the policy.
No promotions for docs even after 20 yrs
Unavailability of ACRs cited reason
Ropar, March 29
Doctors in the state are ruing lack of promotions and poor pay scales. Many have not been granted any promotion even after more than 20 years of service. Lack of promotion is also leading to exodus of doctors from the Punjab Civil Medical Services.
Bias adds to woes of HIV-positive patients
Chandigarh, March 29
Fifty persons living with HIV/AIDS yesterday showed how the issue of stigma and discrimination was deeply rooted in a debate on the pandemic. Each one of them has at some point in his life suffered discrimination during treatment. Naturally, they seemed desperate to know what legal recourse could be taken to battle biases.
Fraud marriages: UK to back police
Chandigarh, March 29
The British government is working out an arrangement with the Punjab police to provide it access to public records of immigrants with a view to check growing marriage frauds. There is already an arrangement to share information between the police of the two countries, but keeping in mind the rising number of fake marriages by
NRIs, the Punjab police will soon be provided an access to public records, especially areas that reveal the marital status of a person.
New visa norms from April 1
Chandigarh, March 29
The new UK visa system will come into force from April 1 making the process more transparent and simple for genuine visitors to the UK. All five categories under the new visa system will, however, not be introduced in India yet as the UK does not need low skilled migrant workers, the requirement for which is fulfilled from the European Union countries, deputy high commissioner Creon Butler has said.
Rs 3 cr to develop Maharaja park
Ropar, March 29
The union government has sanctioned Rs 3 crore for the development of the site of historic meeting between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then Governor General Lord William
Bentick, as Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bagh situated on the banks of the Sutlej at Ropar as tourist and cultural
centre.
SGPC ready to pay any price for Guru’s relic
Amritsar, March 29
The SGPC has decided to pay any price for the rare relic of Guru Gobind Singh to be auctioned by UK-based Sotheby's after ascertaining its authenticity.
Pak woman prisoner may walk free
Amritsar, March 29
Farzana Sheikh of Lahore, who has already completed her seven-month sentence in Central Jail here, may be released shortly even as the state government has asked the Central government for providing her consular access at the earliest. She was arrested at the Attari railway station on April 26 last year on charges of bringing fake currency in the
Samjhauta Express.
Punjabi: Bains seeks report in a week
Chandigarh, March 29
Harcharan Bains, media adviser to the Chief Minister, Punjab, today asked the director, Information and Public Relations, Punjab, to submit a report in a week after studying the language policies of Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
