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R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Kidnapped boy recovered: The Amritsar Rural police has recovered 7-year-old Lakhbir Singh, a native of Khiala Kalan village from Beas railway station, near here. The accused had kidnapped the boy for ransom of Rs 2 lakh. The police said Shiv Babu, a resident of Bihar, had been arrested, while a manhunt was on to nab the other accused Ranjit.

Accused rearrestedAmritsar: Rajesh Pardhan, who was accused of smuggling and had escaped from Maqboolpura police station lock-up on April 13, was nabbed by the police while he was trying to leave the city disguised as a truck cleaner on Monday night. Rajesh, a native of Jagadhri, Haryana, was earlier arrested along with his associate Kishori Paswan with 5.5 kg opium.

Bathinda
SME business services: The Intel Corporation will shortly sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SME Business Services, a joint venture company of the state-owned Punjab Infotech, benefiting about 2 lakh small and medium enterprises in Punjab. It will help those units become more efficient through e-enablement and market theselves better internationally using the Internet.

Yuva Beopar Mandal: The Punjab Yuva Beopar Manda, in a press release issued here on Tuesday reiterated its demand for ending inspector raj. It said if the government had cared enough, they could have reached a record target of Rs 10,000 core annually against Rs 5,700 crore, which is the present return of sales tax.

Chandigarh
Entertainment tax goes: The Punjab government has exempted 100 theatres in the state from the payment of entertainment tax. State excise and taxation commissioner A. Venu Prasad said the government had bought the theatres on a par with multiplexes which were also exempt from entertainment tax. The state’s exchequer is likely to lose around Rs 8 crore due to this exemption.

Jalandhar
Spa opens in city: Phytomer Wellness Spa, a first of its kind day spa, beauty and nutrition centre, was launched at Cleopatra’s at New Jawahar Nagar here on Tuesday. Launched by model-actress Sakshi Gulati, the spa offers various components like de-stress clinic, lifestyle, diet clinic, detox and fitness therapies that would focus not only on exterior beauty but also enrich the inner self.

Cultural programme: “Bajre Da Sitta”, a cultural programme to mark Baisakhi, was organised by the Gymkhana Officers Wives at Gymkhana Club. The programme showcased the typical rural culture of Punjab with officers’ wives hitting the stage in complete traditional colourful attire. The wives of the city’s top administrators used various props that are part of the state’s culture, including “pakkhis”, “gagars” and old musical instruments items.

Office-bearers: Jeet Singh Miglani has been elected president and Hardev Singh Bharaj chairman of the Bhai Jaitaji (Baba Jeevan Singh) Welfare Society.

Mansa
Open darbar on April 17: An open darbar would be held at Bhainibhaga village on April 17. Deputy commissioner Surjeet Singh Dhillon would preside over the function. The DC said public grievances would be redressed at the darbar.

Sangrur
Farmers block traffic on NH: On the issue of non-procurement of wheat by a government procurement agency, farmers of the area blocked traffic for more than an hour on the national highway at Khetla village, 7 km from Dirba. They lifted the blockade only when Markfed manager from Sunam Amrit Pal Singh Grewal assured the protesters that their wheat crop would be procured.

TARN TARAN
Rs 100 cr for better roads: The Road and Transport Ministry has agreed to release Rs 100 crore, backlog of the Central Road Fund (CRF), to the state government to improve the condition of roads. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, PWD minister, Punjab, stated this on Sunday at Naushehra Dhalla village where he had come to attend a social function organised by the villagers.

Farmers gherao PSEB office: Farmers, under the aegis of the Zamhoori Kisan Sabha, gheraoed the office of the Superintendent Engineer (SE) of the PSEB for hours together to stress on the demands of the farmers of the area. The SE left the office on hearing of the gherao programme of the farmers.

Abduction: 3 booked: The Valtoha police has registered a case under Sections 363 and 366, IPC, against three youths of Harike village for allegedly abducting a teenaged girl of Varnala village. The police said on Tuesday that the accused had been identified as Satnam Singh, alias Satta, Ranjit Singh Rana and Angrej Singh.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Appointed: The Haryana government has appointed Naresh Sharma of Yamunanagar as the chairman of the Yamunanagar Improvement Trust with immediate effect for a period of three years.

Solar streetlighting: The Haryana government has decided to install solar photovoltaic streetlighting systems in all villages of the state, which have more than 50 per cent Scheduled Castes population to raise their socio-economic status. While disclosing this here on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan said Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency had prepared a first of its kind project for the installation of SPV streetlighting systems in the Scheduled Castes dominated villages in three districts, Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar.

REWARI
Man crushed to death: A junk dealer, Mehboob (24), was crushed to death while his wife Haseena (21) and brother-in-law Mansoor (13) were seriously injured by a private bus of the Vimal Co-operative Society at Malesiawas turn in Kosli on Monday. The bus, which was allegedly being run by an inebriated driver, also intruded into Mehboob’s shop-cum-residence, which also got demolished by the raging bus. The police has registered a case.

SIRSA
Rs 4 lakh looted: Some unidentified persons decamped with Rs 4 lakh after breaking open door and almirah of Sudarshan Kumar of Guru Nanak Nagar on Monday. Sudarshan here on Tuesday in his complaint stated that the incident occurred when he along with his entire family had gone to attend a programme. He said he had arranged Rs 5 lakh for procuring a piece of land. Meanwhile, the thieves left behind Rs 1 lakh scattered.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
Building gutted: A three-storeyed building was damaged in a fire that broke out at Tanui village on Monday evening. The loss was estimated to be around Rs 10 lakh. Jaram Singh, Nidhia Ram and Lindu Ram were rendered homeless due to the fire.

Cattle electrocuted: Four cattle were electrocuted at Kangla village in the Bagheigarh belt of Churah subdivision in Chamba district on Monday. The dead animals, two goats and two sheep, and belonged to local resident Ibrahim.

Ram Navami celebrated: Ram Navami was celebrated with religions fervour at Sita Ram temple here. A heavy rush of devotees was witnessed at the temple, said Major S.C. Nayyar, organiser of the celebrations. A “langar” was also arranged.

KANGRA
Yoga camps: The week-long yoga camps for men and women organised by the Vivekananda Kendra concluded here on Monday evening. A large number of people participated in these camps. The camps were held at a local school and the Arya Samaj temple. Yoga experts Sumant and Deepa from Kanya Kumari held these camps.

Body found: The body a person was found hanging from a tree in the Palwana forests on the outskirts of the town on Tuesday. The deceased was later identified as Vijay Kumar, 30, a resident of Palwana village. He had been missing since Sunday morning. He was last seen during a marriage party at Palwana. The body was spotted by some shepherds. It has been sent for a post-mortem examination. No suicide note was found near the body. However, villagers told the police that Vijay was in depression.

NURPUR
Education Dept flayed: The Himachal Pradesh School Teachers Confederation and the Intellectual Forum have flayed the Education Department for its alleged failure to fill 500 vacant posts of school cadre principals in the state. In a written statement, confederation president M.S. Pathania said on Tuesday that senior secondary schools without principals were facing utter chaos and indiscipline. He said the list of promotions of school cadre principals which was scheduled to be released in October last year, was shelved without any valid reason. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene into the issue and direct the Education Department to fill these posts at the earliest.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Accidental killing: Army hawaldar Kashmira Singh was killed in an accidental fire from his own service rifle yesterday. According to the police, Kashmira Singh, a hawaldar with the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, received serious injuries at his camp in Charar-i-Sharief. He was rushed to 92 Base hospital in Srinagar but he succumbed to injuries.

2 die, 25 hurt in accidents: Two women were killed and 25 wounded in Kashmir road accidents overnight, official sources said on Tuesday. They said a woman Farida was critically injured when she came under a pick-up van at Muminabad Batmaloo. She was rushed to hospital where she died. Several students also received minor injuries, they said adding the injured were given first-aid.

BSF recruitment rally: The Border Security Force will hold a special recruitment rally in the state to recruit candidates to fill over 100 vacancies. “We will hold a recruitment rally for youths from the Kashmir valley in June or July this year,” Director General A.K. Mitra said here on Tuesday. “The target is to recruit nearly 100 youths but that can be increased if we find more people suitable for the job,” he said.

Brown sugar, charas seized: The Jammu and Kashmir police recovered brown sugar and charas worth crores of rupees in the valley overnight, official sources said on Tuesday. The police at Utrsoo in Anantnag laid a trap and arrested two smugglers identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, Lolab Kupwara and Farooq Ahmad Malik. Two kg and 750 grams of brown sugar worth about Rs 3 crore in international market was recovered from them.

Property saved in fire mishaps: The Fire and Emergency Service (FES) in Badgam has saved property worth Rs 838 crore during 350 fire accidents, an official spokesman has said. He said this information was given at a function organised in connection with FES week being observed in the district from Monday. Development Commissioner Khawaja Farooq Ahmed Renzu was informed that main idea of organising the FES week was to educate people about the preventive measures.