R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Khamano
Another tests positive for dengue: Panic spread after a resident of the town tested positive for dengue. Darshan Lal was undergoing treatment in a private hospital. Later, he was referred to DMC, Ludhiana, where he tested positive for dengue. Harbhinder Singh, former president of nagar panchayat, Khamano, is still undergoing treatment. His platelets count reduced to 29,000. Dr Amar of Amarvir Hospital, Khanna, said more and more dengue cases were being reported from the area. 

LUDHIANA
SAD (A) to challenge Badals’ acquittal: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) will challenge the decision of the court in a corruption case involving Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family in the High Court. This was stated by SAD (A) supremo Simranjit Singh Mann while addressing the media here on Sunday. Mann said once they procured a copy of the court’s decision exonerating Badal, they would move the High Court. He went on to add that Badal and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh had joined hands and effect a sort of compromise. 

MALERKOTLA
Two prisoners escape: Two prisoners managed to escape from the Malerkotla sub-jail situated opposite to the DSP office on the Dhuri road here on Sunday.DSP ( Jail) Vikramjit Singh said Bawa Singh and Raju Kumar scaled the boundary wall of the jail and fled away. He added two cops, Mohinder Singh and Ram Singh, had been suspended for negligence of duty. 

Mandi Gobindgarh
Workshop: A three-day workshop on entrepreneurship awareness was organised by the Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (RCED) at RIMT-Maharaja Aggarsen Engineering College (MAEC) here. RCED principal Paramjeet Singh enlightened students about various career options. Experts dwelt on availability of various support systems, their roles, functions, incentives and other facilities to start cottage/tiny/small-scale industries. Director Dr DS Taneja and RIM-MAEC principal Dr Pritpal Singh said such workshops should be held on a regular basis. RIMT Group of Institutes chairman Dr Hukam Chand Bansal lauded the efforts of RCED. — OC

Phagwara
Panel sought: Rajesh Rudra, senior vice-president, Independent Schools’ Federation of India, has urged the Union and state governments to constitute screening committees to check content of textbooks before they are published.

HARYANA

Karnal
Lochav is state NSUI chief:The National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Wednesday held its elections for state universities and district college committees.In the first-ever such election in the state, Rakesh Kumar Lochav of the MDU, Rohtak, was elected as the state NSUI president while Abhimanyu Singh of Rajiv Gandhi College and Virender Jaglan of Karnal Vinayak College were elected general secretaries and Kumari Rama Nadal of Lal Nath Hindu College, Rohtak, was elected secretary. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Mild earthquake jolts Valley: A mild earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale rocked the Kashmir valley on Monday. The earthquake jolted Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, said Amir Ali, coordinator of the Disaster Management, Kashmir. He said the epicentre of the earthquake was in Pakistan and the coordinates were 33.94 degree north and 72.84 degree east. Amir said no loss of life or property was reported. 

CRPF Inspector commits suicide: A CRPF officer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in a CRPF camp in Pulwama district on Monday. Inspector Ramjeet Ram, belonging to the 183rd battalion, pumped bullets into his chest from his service weapon inside the camp, some 33 km from here, the police said. He died instantly, they said adding the motive behind the officer taking the extreme step was not known. 

2 killed, 7 hurt in road mishaps: Two persons were killed and seven others, including a special police officer, were injured in road accidents in the Kashmir valley on Monday. A bus, which was on its way to Srinagar, hit and injured a motorcyclist, Khurshid Ahmad Bhat, of Lawaypora. In the second accident, a Tata Sumo overturned on the national highway near Lethpora, Awantipora, resulting in on-the-spot death of the driver, Habibullah Bhat, and injuries to five passengers. In another accident, a tipper hit a boy, Rashid Hamid Ganie, (13) at Hamambal, Handwara, killling him on the spot. Meanwhile, a motorcyclist was injured on Boulevard road, near Shanker Achariya Crossing, when he was hit by an Alto.