Briefly State

State’s toll plazas to go automatic
Jalandhar: Punjab’s Excise and Taxation department is going to replace data entry at toll barriers with an ‘electronic barrier’ concept by 2012,Excise and Taxation Commissioner A. Venu Prasad told The Indian Express on Friday. Prasad said this unique concept would reduce long queues of trucks and commercial goods carriers at the barriers as well as free up department staff,which is presently deployed at such barriers,for the enforcement drive against tax evasion. He said 100 per cent electronic barriers would be introduced in the state by the next year while 36 entry points will be abolished by early 2012.

Bir Devinder charges Sukhbir,Makkar with sacrilege,seeks Akal Takht action
Patiala: Former Punjab Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh has sought the Akal Takht’s intervention while seeking action against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar for their act of ‘sacrilege’ at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala,where they had hoisted flags of Akali and BJP parties during a recent public rally. In a communication to Akal Takht Chief Giani Gurbhachan Singh,Bir Devinder has sought punitive action as per the code of conduct of the Sikh religion for hoisting party flags in the holy precincts.

CID head constable found murdered
Jalandhar: A head constable of the CID wing of Punjab Police,who was posted at Chandigarh,was found murdered in the fields of Riahana Jattan village near Phagwara. Police have booked a woman and her accomplices on a complaint by the deceased’s brother. Police sources said the deceased had relations with the woman. Head Constable Jasbir Singh,48,resident of Purani Bassi village of Hoshiarpur district,had come on leave to attend a function in the family. However,a couple of days ago he went missing from his home and on Thursday night he was found murdered in the fields of Riahana Jattan.

US citizens arrested at Amritsar airport
Amritsar: The city police today arrested a couple,Paramjit Singh and his wife Surinder Kaur,former residents of Paragpur,Jalandhar,and now citizens of the United States,for going away from India on fake documents. When the couple arrived at the local Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport from the US on Friday,the immigration authorities verified their documents and found that both had travelled to the US many years ago on fake documents. The police booked them on the statement of Immigration Officer Prem Dass.