R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Chandigarh
Aujla is PWD secretary:The Punjab Government issued posting and transfer orders of an IAS and two PCS officers. Paramjit Singh Aujla has been transferred and posted as Secretary, PWD (B&R). Manvesh Singh Sidhu, PCS, has been posted as MD, PRTC, Patiala and Ashwani Kumar Sharma, PCS, has been posted as Additional Principal Secretary. 

Fatehgarh Sahib
Finally, aided school teachers get salaries:The state government has cleared the salary bills of the government-aided school teachers. The bills were pending with the treasury offices all over the state since October 2011. Ravinder Joshi, president, Government-aided School Teachers' Union, said that the Finance Secretary had cleared the file and instructed the district treasury offices to clear the salary bills.

CHANDIGARH

Mohali
Two sent to Patiala jail: Two persons rounded up yesterday in connection with the protest and bandh for seeking clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, were today sent to the Patiala jail. The two persons, Paramjit Singh Sohali and Narinder Pal Singh Dhanoula, were rounded up under Section 107 and 151 of the CrPC. They were produced in the court of the SDM and later sent to the Patiala jail till April 2.

HARYANA

Yamunanagar
Talent Hunt: Seth Jai Parkash Polytechnic, Damla, organised the Annual Talent Hunt-2012 here on Wednesday. Principal Anil Kumar inaugurated the function. While Kavita presented solo song, Payal enthralled the audience with her dance. As many as 86 items were performed by the students, including skit by Neha and her group, mimicry by Prince Tyagi and dance by Pragya and Somya. 

Ambala
Placement drive: The Guru Nanak Institutions (GNI), Mullana, held a campus placement drive on Wednesday where over 600 students participated. BPO giant Genpact also visited the campus. The drive was conducted for all graduate/MBA students of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Chandigarh and Panchkula districts. The selected students thanked the management of GNI, especially Dr Sachin Chawla, Dean, GNI Group, for conducting the placement drive. 

Complaint against DPRO: Ambala Cantonment MLA Anil Vij, in a letter written to the Chief Secretary, Haryana, has alleged that the DPRO, Ambala, is functioning as a spokesperson of the Congress. He said a meeting of the district plan was organised at the ADC office on Monday where he (Vij) was sitting along with the Deputy Commissioner but while releasing the photograph of the meeting, his photograph was intentionally removed. He has demanded an inquiry into the matter.

DEHRADUN

Kumaon Briefs

Women demand closure of liquor vend at Chalthi: Women of the Chalthi area of Champawat have demanded that liquor vend in the area should be shut. The women have complained that the existing vend is located close to a school and is affecting the students. They also say that anti-social elements create nuisance at the shop and this has led to a sense of insecurity among women and children moving in the area. The women say that they had earlier agitated for the closure of the vend but the administration had just shifted it to a location just 50 metres away. The women residents have sent a memorandum to the District Magistrate on the issue.

Youth drowned in Gaula river: A youth drowned in the Gaula river near Haldwani. It is learnt that 23-year Danish of the Vanbhoolpura area had gone to the river bank along with his brother and some friends to take a dip in the river. He was demonstrating them how to swim when his breathing became abnormal and he drowned. Professional divers were pressed into service to retrieve his body but his body could be found only after half an hour from near the Gaula barrage. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Body of elderly person found: The body of an aged person who had been missing for over a week was found from near the Forest Training Institute (FTI) premises in Haldwani. It is learnt that 65-year Kishen Singh Bisht had left his house in CMT Colony on March 21 after a heated exchange of words with his wife. Bottles of alcohol, pesticide and a soft drink were found near his body. It is being assumed that he had committed suicide by consuming poison. Police investigations are on into the matter.

One killed as tractor falls from bridge: One person was killed and two others were injured when the tractor in which they were travelling fell from a bridge after being hit by a dumper from behind. The incident took place near Bazpur in Udham Singh Nagar district. It is learnt that the tractor was transporting mined material. The deceased has been identified as Shaukeen Ali of Kinnauri village. It is learnt that the tractor broke through the railing on the side of the bridge and fell down 50 feet.

Protest over irregular LPG supply: Residents of the Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar are agitated over the mismanagement in the delivery of cooking gas in the area. The residents have complained that despite the dealers charging them for home delivery, LPG cylinders are seldom delivered at their doorsteps. A large number of consumers went on to stage a demonstration outside a gas distributor’s office in the town on Wednesday. The residents have also charged that the cylinders are being sold in black market. They have sought an immediate redressal of the problem.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)