R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Chandigarh
Rs 95 cr released for cane growers: The Punjab Government has released Rs 95.60 crore to the State Cooperative Sugar Mills for further disbursement to the cane growers. An official press release here on Tuesday said against the total due cane payment of Rs 369.07 crore, cooperative sugar mills could pay Rs 273.47 crore from their own sources and the balance Rs 95.60 crore had been now provided by the government.

Utilise unused raw material, PWD told: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked the PWD (B&R), Punjab Mandi Board and the Irrigation Department to make optimum utilisation of 93.15 lakh tonnes of gravel, sand and boulder lying unused at various government construction sites for public works. The announcement came following appraisal of the CM on construction material stacked at different places in the state, including 88 lakh tonnes at the construction site of Ranjit Sagar Dam.

Fazilka
23-year-old woman abducted, raped: A 23-year-old woman in her complaint to the police alleged two motorcycle-borne youths abducted her on Tuesday when she was returning to her village from a local educational institution. She alleged Jora Singh of Salem Shah village and an unidentified man rendered her unconscious and raped her. Her parents took her to the local civil hospital where she was examined. Lekh Raj, Station House Officer (SHO) said the accused are still at large and a case had been registered.

Nawanshahr
Villagers protest as accused gets bail: Villagers and family members of a youth named Lally (21), who died in a road mishap, on Tuesday blocked traffic at Chandigarh Chowk after the accused was released by the police. The blockade was lifted when Deputy Superintendent of Police SS Bahia assured the agitating villagers. A case has been registered against the accused car driver Bhumit Singh of Jalandhar. Lally was allegedly hit by a speeding car at Langroya village on Monday evening.

Patiala
Rural pharmacists booked for protest: The Patiala police on Tuesday booked 24 pharmacists for defying the Deputy Commissioner's orders and protesting against the government for not regularising their services in the city on Monday. The DC had directed people not to gather and hold protest rallies.

Ropar
54 panchayats elected unopposed in Ropar: As many as 54 panchayats in the Roopangar assembly area were elected unanimously today. Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD secretary and spokesman, said this was the first time in the history of Rupnagar assembly segment that such a large number of sarpanches and panches were elected unanimously. Cheema said out of the total 703 wards in the Nurpur Bedi block, more than 400 panches were elected unopposed.

Sangrur
Gang of thieves busted, 3 held: The Malerkotla police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a gang of thieves and recovered 10 LCDs and LEDs from them. They arrested three gang members named Mohammad Kaleem, Mohammad Nadeem and Baldev Singh. They were produced in a Malerkotla court that sent them in one-day police custody. A case has been registered.