R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Plantation drive: The Sarhad-E-Punjab Sports Club has started a week-long drive to plant saplings and to create awareness among masses on rainwater harvesting. Brig Harcharan Singh (retd), also hockey Olympian and Arjuna awardee, inaugurated the awareness drive. Gurinder Singh Mattu, president, sports club, planted a sapling on this occasion.

Hoshiarpur
Girl raped: A girl of Barapur village was raped by two youths of her village. The Garhshanknar police last night booked Sahil and Satnam Singh, both of the same village under Sections 376 and 34 of the IPC. The victim's mother alleged that the duo had raped her daughter for about a week. 

Phagwara
Drug peddler held: The police has arrested a drug peddler, identified as Mandeep Singh, resident of Bhakhriana village, and recovered 110 gm of opium from his possession Monday night. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Hamirpur
Waiters seek promotion:Diploma-holder waiters working with the HP Tourism Development Cooperation (HPTDC) have urged the management of the corporation to give due consideration to their qualification while granting promotions. They said they had not only obtained diplomas but were also recruited by adopting a proper procedure through employment exchanges. While officers and other staff were being promoted after three years, they were waiting for promotions for years, they added.

New Delhi
Sonia okays appointment:Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday approved a proposal for appointing Ram Nath Sharma, former Deputy Speaker, Himachal Pradesh, as the chairman of the Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect, said Janardhan Dwivedi, a spokesperson for the AICC.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Akbar Jaipuri remembered: Urdu poet and educationist Akbar Jaipuri was remembered during a function held here at the auditorium of Radio Kashmir yesterday. The event was organised by the Akbar Jaipuri Memorial Committee in collaboration with Commercial Broadcasting Service of Radio Kashmir. Several literary figures presented papers on the occasion highlighting different shades of writings of Jaipuri. 

DEHRADUN

Power situation improves in state: With the arrival of the monsoon, power situation has started improving in the state. According to Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, only two-hour cut was witnessed in the rural belt of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar and Doiwala, Vikasnaar, Kashipur and Rudrapur. On Monday, there was difference of only one MU between availability (31.69 MU) and demand 32.66 MU.