The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
Advisory panel: The state government has reconstituted the project advisory committee for the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), Pangi. The MLA elected from the project area will be the chairman, while the Additional District Magistrate, Pangi, and members of the Himachal Pradesh Tribes Advisory Council representing the project area will be the members.

DALHOUSIE
Workshop: To mark a decade of its establishment, the Yog Manav Vikas Trust (YMVT) has decided to organise a two-day workshop on acupressure on September 10 and 11 on the trust premises at Banikhet near Dalhousie, the trust chairperson, Kiran Dodeja, said here on Friday.

KANGRA
Best polytechnic: The local government polytechnic has been adjudged as a the best polytechnic in nine states of northern India. The Principal of the polytechnic will receive the “Best Polytechnic Award -2011” on September 7 during a function of the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research in Chandigarh.

MANDI
‘Illegal’ room: The HP RTI Bureau, Mandi, on Friday accused the local Deputy Commissioner of constructing a room on the porch of the collectorate office without seeking approval from the Town and Country Planning and the municipal council. It has demanded that the work on the room should be stopped.

Thief arrested: The police on Friday arrested Ranjit Singh, an accused in the Rs 1.91 lakh burglary case under Sections 454 and 380, IPC. According to the complainant, Beena Devi, working as a water carrier at the local school, she had gone to attend duty when the accused decamped with her jewellery worth Rs 1.91 lakh on August 1. The SP, Mandi, said the police had arrested Ranjit, a resident of Pingla, and recovered the jewellery from his possession.

NURPUR
Relief sought: The Congress has asked the state government to sanction a special package for the flood-affected Mand area in Kangra district. Talking to mediapersons on Friday, state Congress general secretary Ajay Mahajan, who visited the affected Mand area, said the water released from Pong Dam reservoir by the authorities of the BBMB into the Beas had played havoc with the low-lying areas of Mand.

SHIMLA
Girl, woman raped: A 16-year-old girl of Malandi village in Kumarsain was allegedly gang-raped by three boys. All the accused have been arrested. A case was registered at the Kumarsain police station on the basis of the statement of the girl who said that on Friday at 8.30 am the boys - Pankaj, Sunny and Dinesh - took her to the fields and raped here. In another case, a married woman of Devdhar village in Chirgaon tehsil was raped by Dinesh Kumar of Mangjara village on the intervening night of August 31 and September 1. A case has been registered.

HPU to sign MoU: Himachal Pradesh University will sign an MoU with the University of Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic, for scientific co-operation in the near future. Preliminary discussions have already been held between Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai and the Syrian Ambassador to India, Dr Riyad Kamel Abbas in this regard.

SOLAN
Relay fast: Residents of Pacchad, led by local MLA GR Musafir, have started a relay fast demanding the opening of a college in their area. Musafir said the then Congress government had issued a notification for opening a college in October 2007, but the BJP government de-notified this college after coming to power in 2008.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Poisonous gas kills 2 brothers: Two brothers died after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a well in Baramulla district on Friday, the police said. Ali Mohammad (40) and his younger brother Mohammad Sidiq fell unconscious while cleaning the well at Sagipora village. Both were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were declared brought dead. — PTI

DEHRADUN

Dehradun
Drive to remove illegal kiosks: On the second day of its drive of removing illegal kiosks, the team of DMC on Friday seized as many as 38 food counters that were running in open. The team also seized 16 kiosks from the Chakrota Road and helmets from 35 street vendors near clock tower and Dharampur. Additional Executive Engineer HS Rawat said nine vehicles were used to take these kiosks and other items to the corporation.

Training programme: The Forest Research Institute will organise a one-week training programme on “Ecological restoration of mined lands” from September 5 to September 9. Training will be imparted to officials of Eastern Coalfields Limited (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited). The main emphasis will be on giving knowledge about the integration of ecological components in ecological restoration of mined lands in the country.

Demanded Members of 161 families who have been affected due the construction of the 304 MW Maneri Bhali Phase II project in Uttarkashi on Friday staged a demonstration at the project site. They raised slogans against Uttarkhand Jal Vidhyut Nigam Limited and the administration and demanded a rehabilitation package.

Blood collected A blood donation camp was organised by the IMA Blood Bank of Uttarakhand, at B-ABLE here on Friday. As many as 11 units of blood were collected. Neha Dhingra, social marketing officer of the IMA blood bank, led the blood donation camp.

Kumaon Briefs

Ambedkar chaupals from September 15:A series of Ambedkar chaupals will be held in four blocks of Champawat district from September 15 onwards. Vice-chairman of the Women’s Commission Geeta Thakur will be responsible for the holding of these chaupals. The chaupals will be organised in villages which are dominated by the SCs. The aim is to address the concerns of the residents of these villages on the spot. Action District Magistrate JC Kandpal has asked nodal officers for the programme to prepare a report regarding the decisions taken at these chaupals and submit the same to the Chief Minister office at regular intervals.

No house tax for martyrs’ wives: District Sainik Welfare Officer, Champawat, Col Amitabh Negi (retired) has said the wives of those soldiers who sacrificed their lives will not have to pay house tax imposed by the Uttarakhand Government. In a statement, Colonel Negi said those women who are not getting this benefit must approach the District Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation office at the earliest so that they were not deprived of the facility meant for them.

Three hurt in mishap: Three persons were injured when they fell off from the roof of a moving train going from Kathgodam to Kashipur. The accident rook place near the Rajpura barrier in Haldwani. The trio had climbed on top of the roof of the bogey as there was too much rush in the train. No one had noticed the first victim falling off the roof. It was only when two more fell that there was a commotion and the train was stopped. They are residents of Haldwani.

Two bodies found: Two bodies have been found in the region over the past 24 hours. The body of a woman was spotted by some villagers near a primary school in Richi village in the Betalghat area of Nainital district. She is yet to be identified. The villagers told the police that the victim had been roaming in the village for over the past four days and seemed to be mentally upset. In another incident, the body of a youth, who had been missing from the Staff House area, Nainital, since August 26 was recovered from the Bhotia Bend area. The deceased has been identified as Balwant Ram Arya. He had left his house stating that he was going to get his examination card for the TET examination. The body was found from a seasonal drain.

Accident victim dies: A Nepali youth who had been injured in a collision between two motorcycles succumbed to injuries. The deceased has been identified as Chandra Bahadur (35) of Ambika Vihar, Haldwani. His motorcycle was reportedly hit by another motorcycle on August 13. He died while being treated in a private hospital. A case has been registered in this regard.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)