The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

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BATALA
Appointed: Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President, SAD, has appointed Mr Ajaib Singh Randhawa as political adviser of the party.

Info sought: Mr Davinder Pal, president, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Batala, has sought information from the Regional Manager, Punjab National Bank, Kapurthala branch, under the Right to Information Act - 2005. He has asked for the income and expenditure details of the Kila Mandi branch of the bank in Batala during the past five years.

HOSHIARPUR
Loans disbursed: A meet was organised by Punjab Gramin Bank at its Baghpur branch on Monday in which sarpanches, panches, numberdars and members of Self Help Groups of the area participated. Mr K.C. Salota, Chairman of the bank, apprised the gathering about various loan schemes of the bank. He assured people of the area that ATMs would be opened in certain branches. Loans worth Rs 1.20 crore had been distributed among 120 persons so far.

Protest: Members of the Panchayat Secretaries Union, led by their president, Mr Sabjinder Kedar, and the general secretary, Mr Mann Singh, staged a dharna and rally before the office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Garhshankar, on Tuesday in protest against the alleged corruption made by the BDPO. Addressing the rally, Mr Sabjinder Kedar and other speakers alleged that the BDPO had broken all records of corruption while performing his duty. They said the BDPO had come on deputation from the Fishery Department. They warned the state government that if the said BDPO was not transferred before December 15, 2006, members of the union would intensify their agitation.

Pistols seized: The Dasuya police has seized three country-made pistols from the fields of Davinder Singh of Bodal village on Monday. According to the police, while digging in the fields Davinder Singh found the wapons. A case under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered.

JALANDHAR
Celebrated: The Department of Soils and Water Conservation and Waste Land Development, Punjab, organised National Land Resources Conservation Week from November 14 to 25. Various activities were organised by the department in two senior secondary schools of Jalandhar district and one in Kapurthala district, says Mr Lupinder Kumar, Soil Conservation Officer with the department. Farmers were also educated on pollution.

PATHANKOT
Meeting: A meeting of Abhinaye Kala Mandir, an organisation of artistes, held here on Monday. At the meeting, names of new office-bearer of the organisation announced in which Mr Shammy Choudhry, Mr Vijay Verma and Mr Anil Aneja have been elected president, general secretary and treasure, respectively. Mr Choudhry said on December 16 to 17 a two-day function would be held in which more than 200 artistes would participate.

Girl shot: A “spurned lover” murdered a student of Class XII of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force station, here yesterday. The police has registered a case under Section 302, IPC, against L. Dey, an employee of 18 Wing, Air Force. DSP Karamjit Singh said the accused pressurised the girl to marry with him. When she refused, he allegedly stole a revolver from the armoury of the Air Force and shot her.

PHAGWARA
One killed: Palwinder Singh (38), a local resident, was killed on the spot when a PRTC bus collided with hit his motor cycle near Chachoki locality here on Monday. The police has arrested the bus driver, Sukhdev Singh. The body was sent to the Civil Hospital.

Exporters seek IT exemption: Various export associations and federations, including the Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters, today appealed to the Centre to consider providing income tax exemptions on export profits for the export units located in the Domestic Tariff Area so that common platform was assured for all irrespective f 100 per cent EOUs or are located in SEZ. Exporters also demanded that there should be no service-tax on export production as export units are registered with the Central Excise Department. They also reiterated their demand regarding the exemption of any service tax on foreign agent commission paid by Indian exporters to procure export orders. “Export houses should be given straightway exemptions from VAT as first paying VAT and then getting refund is very cumbersome and resulting in blockage of working capital,” rued the exporters. They urged the state government to simplify the procedure and reduce unnecessary paper work for filing monthly returns.

Teachers protest: As part of the state-wide agitation, hundreds of teachers of government-aided private schools took out a march and held demonstration in support of their demands here on Monday. The demonstrators also blocked the national highway, raised slogans and burnt the effigy of the state government. Their demands included revival of the pension scheme revoked in May 2003, grant of medical allowance and a promotion scheme on the government school pattern. Later, they submitted a memorandum to SDM Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal.

NAWANSHAHR
Laurels: Manavdeep Singh, a student of the local Shivalik Public School, has brought laurels by bagging the second prize in the on-the-spot chart making competition at the state-level science exhibition on “Science and technology for sustainable growth” on Tuesday. The science exhibition is currently underway in Amritsar. Mr Gurmail Sahlon, District Education Officer, Mr Balihar Singh Bains, District Science Supervisor, and Dr Darshan Singh Bedi, Principal, have lauded the achievement of the student.