09 January 2005	Sunday	27 Ziqa'ad 1425

FAISALABAD, Jan 8: The Anti-Corruption Establishment on Saturday rounded up three MCB officers on charges of clearing forged cheques in connivance with the defunct deputy commissioner office staff, causing about Rs1.5 million loss to the national exchequer.

An ACE spokesman told the press that grade-I officers Asadullah Khan, Khalid Mahmood Khan and grade-II officer Ghulam Yasin cleared the cheques bearing bogus signatures. During investigation, the accused were found guilty and the ACE team arrested them.

He said raids were being conducted for the arrest of DC office staffers Khalid and Liaqat Ali.

According to insiders, the cheques were signed by the then senior officials of the district administration who after unearthing the scam took the plea that the subordinate staff had withdrawn the amount worth Rs1.5 million with the connivance of the bank officers.

Scientists: Agricultural scientists should explore every opportunity to extend cooperation among the agricultural research institutions at personal and institutional level to boost research programmes.

This was stated by Punjab Agriculture Secretary Fayyaz Bashir while speaking to participants of a meeting of agricultural scientists at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute here on Saturday.

The secretary said the government had allocated sufficient funds for the uplift of agriculture sector and it was the duty of scientists to make appropriate use of them for increasing per acre yield in the country.

He asked the scientists to prepare research projects for enhancing agricultural productivity. The improvement of agriculture marketing and raising production of major crops was the major challenge faced by agriculture scientists.

Mr Bashir emphasized the need of discarding the routine projects making and highlighted the importance of devising innovative projects with appropriate government intervention.