R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda
Polytechnic students selected for 108 ambulance service: Eleven students in the final year of the Diploma in Pharmacy course at the Government Polytechnic College have been selected for the 108 ambulance service of the Punjab government as emergency medical consultants. A team from the Amritsar-based company headed by HR executive Ritika Abrol conducted the placements. The 11 selected Polytechnic students include Atul Garg, Amritpal Singh, Munish Kumar, Tushar Arora, Pankaj Singh, Johnny Kumar, Sandeep Singh, Iqbal Singh, Amandeep Kumar, Amandeep Grover and Kuldeep Singh. 

Phagwara
New SP warns careless officers: In his first step to streamline the police force in Phagwara, SP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh on Friday addressed a meeting of all police officers belonging to City, Sadar, Rawalpindi, Satnampura, and Traffic wings. He instructed them to maintain law and order. Khakh warned careless officers and encouraged the honest officers. Khakh said adequate traffic arrangement in the town is the need of the hour. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

MANDI
Jail for patwari: The District and Sessions Judge, Mandi, on Friday sentenced Basant Ram, a patwari posted at the Sehali patwar circle in Kotli, Mandi, to two years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him after he was found guilty under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Judge ruled that if the convict failed to pay the fine, he would further undergo imprisonment for six months. A Vigilance team had caught the accused on August 30, 2008, while taking a bribe of Rs 2,000. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Skandan calls on Governor:K Skandan, Joint Secretary (Kashmir), Union Ministry of Home Affairs, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan here this evening. During their meeting, the Governor and Skandan discussed various issues related to internal and external security management and economic development in the state. 

Cloudburst kills woman: Sara Bano (43) was killed and two others, Shakeela (36), and Bihishti (15), were injured after they were hit by a cloudburst in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday. The victims were working in a field when the cloudburst hit Lolipora village. The injured have been shifted to a hospital for treatment. 

CRPF jawan electrocuted: A CRPF jawan was electrocuted on Friday in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Constable Govinder Singh got electrocuted after he came in contact with a live wire at a camp at Shahkar Cinema in Sopore. The jawan died on the spot. The Sopore police has initiated inquest proceedings in this regard.

Body recovered: A body was fished out from the Nallah Narbal Ghat in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday. The police has initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC. 

DEHRADUN

Kumaon Briefs

Public Distribution System to be strengthened: The District Magistrate in Almora Akshat Gupta has ordered to strengthen the Public Distribution System in the district. According to the District Supplies Officer DR Raj, while the ration card holders from BPL families are provided 10.50 kg of wheat and 24.50 kg of rice, the quota of APL consumers has been cut. They are being provided 2 kg rice and 10 kg wheat. He has further stated that on account of the decrease in the state quota of sugar, only 450 grams of sugar is being made available on every card.

Health check-up camp tomorrow: The Almora administration plans to organise a health check-up camp at the District Hospital for Men on May 13. According to District Magistrate Akshat Gupta, the camp is being organised by the Uttarakhand Government in collaboration with the Brijlal Hospital of Haldwani. Experts from the field of cardiology, neurology, ENT, plastic surgery and orthopaedics will be available for providing consultation to the people. Gupta has called for giving a publicity to the initiative so that a large number of people can avail the benefit.

Tractor-trolley overturns, three killed: Three youths were killed when a tractor trolley in which they were travelling overturned in the Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district. The accident took place in the Vamanpuri area on Thursday. It is learnt that the youths were on the way from Bhauni Amaraiya in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, to the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttaranchal (SIDCUL) hub in Sitarganj. The deceased have been identified as 14-year Prem Pal, 16-year Kamal and 17-year Dheerendra.

Gas compressor bursts, youth dead: A youth was killed in Haldwani when a gas compressor in his shop burst, injuring him seriously. The deceased has been identified as 20-year Bablu Pal who was a resident of Indiranagar. It is learnt that he was running a shop where he carried out cycle and gas welding works. He had opened the shop a couple of months back. The compressor is being assumed to have burst on account of exceeding pressure.

Student dies after his cycle falls into drain: A student died after his cycle fell into a seasonal drain in the Kathtauliya Pul area of Someshwar in Almora district. It is learnt that 11-year Vijay Singh and 18-year Rajendra Singh of Kagrad village were riding a bicycle when they lost control over the cycle and fell into a drain on late Wednesday evening. They were rushed to a hospital in Almora where Vijay Singh was declared dead. He was a student of Class six.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)