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Irregularities in TA, DA Claim
Ex-Dean’s case sent to govt
Amritsar, January 25
Guru Nanak Dev (GND) University has sent the case of Dr AS Dua, a former Dean, College Development Council, to the state government for appropriate action for allegedly claiming excess TA/DA. Dr RS Bawa, Registrar, today confirmed that the case was sent following the recommendation of the Syndicate. For the first time such proceedings have been initiated against a former official of the university.

Bickerings in Congress refuse to end
Chandigarh, January 25
For the Punjab Congress where does the ultimate chain of command rest? While most senior Congress leaders are unanimous that it flows from the party’s central leadership, the ongoing developments in the state Congress suggest otherwise. In a recent meeting of the coordination committee held in Delhi, the central high command spelt out the role in the coming parliamentary polls for each leader, yet the internecine conflicts are far from over.

Cong readies to counter Sukhbir
Chandigarh, January 25
The Punjab Congress has launched an attack on the SAD-BJP alliance following the induction of Sukhbir Badal as Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, accusing the alliance of elevating a person against whom “charges of corruption” are pending in court. A detailed strategy has been worked out by the party leadership in consultation with the high command to check what it calls “impact of Sukhbir on the coming parliamentary polls”.

Deputy CM’s theory on corruption disputed
Chandigarh, January 25
In his own sarcastic manner, Qila Raipur legislator Jassi Khangura, while congratulating Sukhbir Badal on his elevation as Deputy Chief Minister, has questioned his theory of corruption. Reacting to Sukhbir’s “corruption starts from the bottom” theory, he has written a letter to Sukhbir

Panel to probe Rs 18-cr loss to Agro Food Grain Corpn
Chandigarh, January 25
The Punjab Finance Department has directed the Punjab Agro Food Grain Corporation to probe Rs 18 crore loss by the corporation by exporting wheat through private parties four years ago.

POLITICS

SAD, BJP differences in district resolved
Sangrur, January 25
Year-long differences between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on certain issues have been resolved. The BJP had boycotted or did not attend some programmes of the SAD and of the government due to differences.

Badal’s pact demand anti-national: Raninder
Balianwali (Bathinda), January 25
Criticising Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for harping on the implementation of the Anandpur Sahib resolution, Congress general secretary Raninder Singh today said he was raising such “anti-national” slogans before the Lok Sabha elections to divert people’s attention from criticism of induction of his son Sukhbir Badal as Deputy Chief Minister.

Congress general secretary Raninder Singh addressing party workers at Ballianwali village in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera

COMMUNITY

Permanent contraception may hamper family planning: Study
Chandigarh, January 25
A study on the trends in family planning acceptance in Punjab has shown that temporary methods of contraception can prove to be far more effective in population control than permanent methods of contraception.

Staff crunch haunts Ayurvedic College
Patiala, January 25
Government Ayurvedic College, Patiala, is facing an acute shortage of teaching faculty and some teachers had already opted for greener pastures.

‘Climatic changes may dry Punjab rivers’
Chandigarh, January 25
Soon inhabitants of Asian countries would become environment refugees as large percentage of land would submerge in water due to increase in water level by climatic changes. Bajinder Pal Singh, a senior journalist, revealed these facts while addressing members of Kadam — a forum for social justice — on the issue of “Garam hawa, climate change

SAD (A) seeks money from Rajasthan for water
Sangrur, January 25
Strongly opposing the flowing of water from the state to Rajasthan free of cost for the past about 40 years, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) yesterday said it would highlight the issue in its Lok Sabha (LS) election campaign by demanding money from Rajasthan for using the state’s water for a long time.

Policy envisages 15% area under forests
Sangrur, January 25
The Punjab government has drawn up a forest policy for the state for approval by the Centre. This was stated by Forest Minister Tikshan Sood at PWD Rest House here today.

Freedom fighters for more memorial halls
Sangrur, January 25
Freedom fighters have asked the Punjab government to declare a gazetted holiday every year on the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23. They also asked the government to construct freedom fighters’ memorial halls at all district headquarters of the state.

Ex-servicemen to gherao Parliament
Sangrur, January 25
In support of their demands, including one-rank one-pension, ex-servicemen from Punjab will gherao Parliament on February 8.

Punjab officer tipped to succeed Saji Mohan
Chandigarh, January 25
The arrest of the 1995 batch officer of the Jammu and Kashmir police, Saji Mohan, by the ATS of the Mumbai police today on the charges of carrying huge quantity of heroin has come as a shock to the agencies engaged in anti-drug operations.