06 March 2004	Saturday	14 Muharram 1425

SIALKOT, March 5: Several people, including children, were injured on Basant in Daska and its outskirts on Friday. The festival started on Thursday night and continued on Friday despite a ban on it imposed by the Punjab.

Basant revellers played music loudly on the roofs of their houses, besides firing shots in the air. Several enthusiastic youths performed Bhangra. Electricity outages were frequent as people used metal wire for kite flying. Meanwhile, police arrested 27 shopkeepers for selling metal and chemical wires used for kite flying.

POLICEMAN FINED: A special magistrate imposed on Friday Rs25,000 fine on Sub-Inspector Irfan Aslam besides issuing him a show-cause notice for raiding the residence of Dr Nasir in Malakey Kalan without warrants.

The magistrate ordered the Sialkot DPO to take action against the sub-inspector and fixed March 7 next date for hearing of the case.

EDUCATION GRANT: The Punjab government has decided to enhance grant for education of all the district governments from Rs150 million to Rs500 million in the next budget.

Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood stated this at a function held at the Islamia Degree College, Narowal, on Thursday. According to a press release issue here on Friday, the minister said the Punjab government had allocated Rs33 billion for the provision of advanced technical and quality education to the young generation.