R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Gurdaspur
Lending support: The Rashtriya Raksha Dal (RRD) has decided to observe one-day fast on October 20 to express its solidarity with the armed forces personnel who are striving for better salaries. In a press note issued today, Dharam Singh, president of RRD, said the government should set up a separate pay commission for the armed forces so that injustice done to them by the 6th pay panel can be rectified. 

Hoshiarpur
Girl raped: A girl was raped by a youth of her village Ajram last evening. Mehtiana police last night booked Rajan Sharma of Ajram under section 376 of the IPC. According to police sources, Rajan allegedly took the girl to the nearby fields of his village last evening and raped her.

Nawanshahr
NGGEO meet: A meeting of the state executive of the Punjab Non-Gazetted and Gazetted Employees Organisation ( NGGEO) was held here. The conference was aimed at chalking out a strategy for the state-level convention to be held at Mukerain on Nov 8 and 9.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Staff to get incentives: The Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) has decided to give generation incentive to the staff of Thermal Panipat plant for achieving monthly and daily generation targets. It was decided in the meeting of Board of Directors of the HPGCL. The decision would help in boosting morale of the employees, said a spokesman in a note issued here. Earlier, the BODs had approved the generation incentive scheme for 2008-09. He said the generation incentive would be paid separately for four units of 110 MW capacity each and 210 and 250 MW units to reward the employees for their efforts and their endeavour to earn maximum incentive by putting in their best efforts.

FATEHABAD
2 killed in accident: Two persons were killed and two others injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck near Khara Kheri village on Friday. The injured have been admitted to Agroha Medical College for treatment. Dev Raj, a grain market trader, and Abhishek, residents of Hisar, were going towards Hisar from Sirsa when their car collided with a stationary truck. Dev Raj and Abhishek died on the spot.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
New ADM: Subhash Chaudhary has joined here as additional district magistrate (ADM) in place of P.C. Varma, who has been transferred elsewhere after a very short stay here. Chaudhary was earlier posted as registrar in the Himachal State Consumers Redressal Commission at Shimla. He has also served at Ghumarwin, Nadaun, Chamba and Amb as the subdivisional magistrate.

NAHAN
Student killed: Nadeem (16), a resident of Mohalla Rani Ka Bagh of Nahan town, was killed on spot after the motorcycle which he was riding rammed with a truck while trying to overtake it on the busy Mall road here on Friday. The police said after the accident Nadeem was immediately rushed to district hospital where he was declared dead. He was a student of class X. The police has sent his body for a post-mortem. His friend Sarthak, who was riding on the back seat of the motorcycle, received nominal injuries and was discharged after first aid.

Woman dies: Sunita (22), a newly married woman, died on Friday evening by consuming some poisonous substance. She was a resident of Chadew village and was married to Suresh of Dabra village of Shillai tehsil just a month back. On Thursday she had come to her parental home along with her husband where she consumed some poisonous substance and died while on way to the hospital. The police said post-mortem report confirms death due to consumption of poisonous substance. The body has been handed over to her parents.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
New GOC of 16 Corps: Lieutenant-General R.K. Swamy on Saturday assumed command of the prestigious Nagrota-based 16 Corps from Lt-Gen R.K. Karwal. Swamy, a recipient of Vishist Seva Medal and Ati Vishist Seva Medal, was commissioned into the Mahar Regiment in November 1971, immediately after which he participated in operations in Rajouri sector. Swamy has had coveted instructor and staff tenures at Infantry School, Mhow and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. 

Two held with heroin: Two persons, including a government official, were arrested along with 1 kg heroin in Jammu on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, two persons were intercepted in the Railway Chowk area near Bahu Plaza belt and seized the heroin worth Rs 1 crore in the international market. The duo were identified as Maqsood Ahmed from the Fire Service Department and Shakeel Ahmed, a cloth merchant in the Surankote tehsil of Poonch district.

Jawan commits suicide: A jawan committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Reasi district on Saturday. Official sources said Mehask Singh Tomar, a CRPF havaldar of the 191 Battalion, posted at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine University at Tirthi village in Katra tehsil, shot himself last night. After hearing the gunshots, Tomar’s colleagues rushed him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. Tomar, who hails from Moriana village of Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) had come back after a three-month-long leave. A probe has been ordered.

Srinagar
1 killed, 38 hurt in accidents: One person was killed and 38 others injured in separate road accidents in the Kashmir valley overnight, official sources said on Saturday. They said five people injured when a vehicle in which they were traveling turned turtle at Hanger Kulgam in south Kashmir. The injured were admitted to hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries. Twenty-six passengers were injured in similar road accident at Hayan in the frontier district of Kupwara.

Civilian hurt: A civilian was injured on Saturday when the service rifle of a CRPF jawan went off accidentally in Sopore town of Baramulla district. Abdul Rehman Ganaie was hit by a bullet fired accidentally from the gun of the CRPF constable who was on duty at a market in the town, a police spokesman said here. Ganaie has been hospitalised.