R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Jalandhar
2 killed in mishap at railway crossing: Two persons were killed as a tempo collided with the Ahmedabad-bound Jammu-Ahmedabad train on an unmanned railway crossing in Fauji colony, near Sultanpur Lodhi city in Kapurthala district on Monday evening. The deceased have been identified as tempo driver Gurdev Singh of Rampur Jagir village and Sarabjeet Singh of Fauji colony. According to an eyewitness, the tempo suddenly stopped in the middle of the track. The police reached the spot and bodies were sent to the civil hospital for autopsy. Rail traffic remained disrupted for about two hours. 

Tributes paid: Tributes were paid to Swaraj Mohan, adviser-cum-director of BD Arya Girls College, Jalandhar Cantonment, during a condolence meeting on the college campus today. She breathed her last on July 15.

CHANDIGARH

DC to meet leaders today: DC Brijendra Singh will hold a meeting with PU student leaders tomorrow to urge them to hold peaceful elections. The administration is also planning to warn them against any violent attack. 

HARYANA

Chandigarh
61 convicted for graft: As many as 61 officials have been convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act during the first half of this year in cases filed by the State Vigilance Bureau. A bureau spokesman said here on Monday that the convicts included five SDOs, six junior engineers, 10 revenue officials, 11 policemen and three each from HUDA and the Electricity Department. The highest number of persons convicted belonged to the Police Department, closely followed by those from the Revenue and Electricity Departments. He said a five-year jail term had been given in three cases. 

Kurukshetra
Traffic blocked: Old-age pensioners of Barwa village on Monday blocked traffic for about half an hour at Mohan Nagar Chowk here in protest against the non-payment of their pension for the past four months. The blockade was lifted only after SS Kundu, SDM, and DSP Bhupender Singh assured them that their demand would be forwarded to the authorities concerned. 

Mathana
11-KV feeder: Capt Ajay Singh, Power Minister, on Monday claimed that the state power utilities were geared up to meet the power demand during the paddy season. Speaking to mediapersons after inaugurating an 11-KV feeder at Mathana village in Kurukshetra distict, the minister said adequate arrangements had been made to provide required power to all sections of society. He said the utilities had been asked to ensure 24-hour power supply to domestic consumers, 12-hour supply to domestic rural consumers and eight-hour power to agricultural connections 

Rewari
Three arrested: Naresh Gujjar, Deepak, Gulshan Kumar, local residents, have been arrested for the alleged gang-rape of a young woman (30), a resident of Pooran Nagar Colony here, on July 5. Som Dutt, president of the Rewari Auto-rickshaw Operators' Union, has also been arrested for alleged collusion with the trio. They were on Monday produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Shashi Bala Chauhan, who remanded them in 14-day judicial custody. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

SHIMLA
Grover elected Chairman, IEI: Suneel Grover has been elected unopposed as Chairman of the state chapter of the Institution of Engineers, India (IEI) for the 2011-13 term. Dinesh Kashyap is secretary. The new team, along with executive committee members, will take over during the annual general body meeting to be held on October 15. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
3 killed, 2 injured: At least three persons were killed and two others injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley since Monday.The police here said Muzaffar Ahmad Kawa(15) died on the spot when he was hit by an oil tanker near Shadipora in Baramulla district. Another youth, Shabir Ahmad Dar, who was injured in a road accident at Mirgund, near here, on Friday, succumbed to his injuries in the SKIMS hospital here.A pedestrian, Ghulam Nabi Rather, died on the spot when he was hit by a tanker at Upper Bazar in Qazigund, Kulgam. 

Woman’s bid to commit suicide : A woman of Nowgam, Anantnag, made an attempt to commit suicide by sprinkling kerosene oil on herself at her house on Monday.The police said she received burn injuries and was shifted to hospital for treatment. 

DEHRADUN

Health Directorate transfers await govt nod: The Health Directorate is awaiting the government’s nod regarding the transfers of senior medical officers. At least 20 per cent of the transfers have to be made at the senior level and the remaining at the junior level. The Director-General (Health and Family Welfare) has already transfered 87 paramedics and promoted 42 pharmacists to chief pharmacists.

Three booked for damaging property: Three persons have been booked for indulging in a fight during an encroachment drive on New Cantonement Road. According to the police, Alok Thapa has filed a complaint against the three brothers for allegedly attacking him and damaging his property. A case has been registered against the trio at the Kotwali police station. 

Case registered against two: The police has registered a case against Rani Bhatt and Ramesh Uniyal on the basis of a complaint filed by Kumud, a resident of Lakshmi Road. In her complaint, she alleged that Rani Bhatt and Ramesh Uniyal forcibly entered her house and beat her up. They also warned her of dire consequences. She alleged that the duo also damaged her property over an old dispute. A case under Sections 504, 506, 427, 447 of the IPC has been registered at the Ranipokhri police station. 

Kumaon Briefs

Factionalism in Haldwani Cong surfaces: Factionalism in the Haldwani Congress came to the fore on Monday when it came out in the open in the front of the party observer, Om Bishnoi, on the issue of selecting a candidate for the Haldwani seat. The trouble began when the supporters of the Haldwani Municipality chairperson, Renu Adhikary, created a scene alleging that preferential treatment was being given to the camp led by former Cabinet minister Indra Hridayesh. The latter reportedly stunned everyone by stating that she would support Adhikary’s candidature for the party ticket and advised party men to beunited. Adhikary is also learnt to have told the coordinator that senior party leaders had not come forward to help her on the issue of the state government resorting to an abrupt establishment of a corporation in the city.

Residents register protest against Forest Dept’s move: Residents of Gudmi, Garhigoth, Nai Basti, Majhgaon and Devipura Gram Sabhas in Tanakpur have expressed resentment against the attempts of the Forest Department to plant bamboo on the tip of the village boundaries. They said this would lead to wild animals frequenting their villages which would threaten their security and also lead to wild animals destroying agricultural produce. They have threatened to launch an agitation on the issue. They have suggested that the department should grow other plants on the tip of the village boundaries and bamboo should only be grown at a considerable distance from the villages.

12-yr-old succumbs to accident injuries: A 12-year-old boy, who had sustained injuries in a road accident in the Dineshpur area of Udham Singh Nagar district on Sunday, has died. According to information, Rahul’s motorcycle was hit by a tractor-trailer coming from the opposite direction. While his friend, Suresh, who was riding the pillion, had fallen at a distance due to the impact, Rahul had been seriously injured.

Demand for relocation of post-mortem house: Residents of Bageshwar have demanded the relocation of a post-mortem house situated in a residential area. They said it was also close to a bus stand and it is in a state of dilapidated. They claimed that despite having constructed a new post-mortem house near Government Hospital, it is not being utilised. They said even the new post-mortem house was in the vicinity of a residential area close to the hospital. They want the post-mortem house to be relocated at a considerable distance from the residential zones. They have also sought the intervention of the administration in the matter.

Stir against illegal sale of liquor in Nanakmatta: Women residents of Nanakmatta have launched an agitation against the illegal sale of liquor in their area. They also staged a protest in Sitarganj on Monday and demanded that immediate steps be taken to stop the illegal sale of liquor in the area. They said liquor was being sold at eating joints and other shops in villages like Bichua, Bhud, Vichai, Kaithuliya, Haraiyya and Tukdi. They submitted a memorandum to the administration, which has promised to take steps to check the menace.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)