R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Staff resentment: All is not well with the Haryana Information, Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Department, the portfolio of which is held by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, as resentment prevails among those who are supposed to build the image of the government. Officials of the department are disheartened over the manner in which they are being denied their rightful claims with regard to promotions. The worst affected is the staff of the Technical Wing. Though they fulfil all requisite qualifications and Annual Confidential Reports, they are being denied their promotions due to dilly-dallying attitude of the authorities concerned.

Rewari
Boy killed: A 5-year-old boy Sandeep of Kund town was crushed to death by a Maxi Cab on the Narnaul-Rewari road on Friday. The boy, who was playing near the roadside, was killed by the vehicle that got imbalanced while overtaking some other vehicle. The driver of the Maxi Cab absconded after abandoning his vehicle there.

Sonepat
Recovered: The Sonepat police has recovered looted property worth over Rs 3 crore during 2011 by solving 882 cases of theft, loot and dacoity in the district. Besides, the police also challaned 92,496 vehicles and charged compoundable fee amounting to more than Rs 2.75 crore this year. According to a police spokesman, while busting 18 gangs of criminals, the police arrested 96 criminals involved heinous crimes and succeeded in solving 111 cases of murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, loot and thefts of oil from pipelines etc.

DEHRADUN

DEHRADUN
Local artistes flay Virasat organisers: The Jaunsar Bavar Scheduled Tribe Arts and Cultural Organisation on Saturday held a demonstration in front of the Gandhi Park in protest against the alleged discrimination against the local artistes by the organisers of the Virasat festival. Vinder Bist, president of the organisation, alleged that the local artistes of the state were ignored by the organisers of the Virasat festival and not given enough exposure. He further said the ONGC authorities had also been requested not to allow use of their stadium by the organisers of Virasat in the future for holding such festivals where local art and culture find no place.

Kumaon Briefs
Two temporary shops burnt: Two temporary sheds being run as shops were burnt in the Unchimahuvat area of Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district. It is learnt that the fire was a “deliberate” attempt by some unknown elements. The shops that were gutted were that of a barber and a cycle store that were being run by Rehan Khan and Bhagwan Singh. All material that was stored in the two shops was reduced to ashes within no time. The passersby saw the flames emanating from the two shops and informed their owners who have registered a complaint in this regard. Investigations are on in the matter.

Farm labourers stage protest: A large number of landless farm labourers and those employed in local manufacturing units staged a protest outside the Collectorate in Rudrapur. Having come together under the banner of the Bhoomiheen Evam Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti, the protesters submitted an 11-point charter of demands to the local administration. Their demands include the allocation of land to the landless farmers, the end of the contractual mode of employment in industrial units and strict implementation of labour laws in the factories that have come up in the district.

One held for stealing Rs 8 lakh: A person accused of having decamped with Rs 8 lakh from a house in South Delhi has been arrested by the Banbasa police on the Indo-Nepal border. It is learnt that the accused, Vikram Shahi of Kanchanpur district of Nepal, had left Delhi along with two of his accomplices, Navin and Vikas, after he allegedly stole Rs 8 lakh from his employer in the Kalkaji area of South Delhi. While Navin and Vikas managed to cross over to Mahendranagar district of Nepal with some money, Shahi was trapped during the random checking at the border. A sum of Rs 4.90 lakh is learnt to have been recovered from him.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)