R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Hoteliers to protest luxury tax hike: Amritsar: Taking a tough stand against rise in luxury tax on hotels from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, the Hotel Restaurant Welfare Association here has decided to go on an indefinite strike from September 5. Association president Surinder Singh said over 100 hotels would take part in the strike. "We are demanding total abolition of luxury tax on hotels, particularly on budget hotels, but the government has doubled the same," he said. He said a delegation of the association met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi on Thursday, but they didn't get any concrete assurance".

Chandigarh
Directorate of Maize Research in Ludhiana: Realising the significance of diversification of agriculture in Punjab, the Central Government has decided to shift the Directorate of Maize Research (DMR) from Delhi to Ladowal near Ludhiana. An official spokesperson said Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had informed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal regarding the decision. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) had been asked to shift the DMR to Ladowal adjoining the Borlaug Institute of South East Asia (BISA). 

Mullanpur extension plan okayed: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday okayed the extension plan of Mullanpur. Presiding over a meeting of the Punjab Urban Development Authority, Sukhbir asked GMADA to explore the possibility of setting up new townships near Zirakpur and Derabassi. He also asked PUDA to put up conceptual plans for extension plans for Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda so that people could be provided houses at reasonable rates. 

Ban on transfers in Education Dept: The government has imposed a ban on transfers in the Education Department. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said there would be no transfer in the department except for the adjustment of those teachers who would be identified as "surplus" during the ongoing rationalisation process. He said no teacher should approach his office for the purpose of transfer. 

Moga
Mother, son die of electrocution: A mentally challenged boy and his mother were electrocuted at Dhalleke village on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday night. Sources said the boy, Nirmal Singh, got electrocuted when he touched a grill on the stairs of his house. When his mother rushed to save him, she too got a powerful shock. Both the victims died on the spot.

HARYANA

Hisar
LPG agencies: The gas agencies will verify the identities of LPG consumers within two weeks to eliminate more than one connection per household. The consumers have been asked to get their address proofs verified by September 15 and to surrender excess connections. 

Kurukshetra
ASI killed: An ASI became a victim of liquor mafia on Wednesday night when he tried to stop them at a checkpost on the Yamunanagar-Kurukshetra border but the mafias ran over the ASI. Dharampal (46) was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. 

Rewari
5-year RI: District and Sessions Judge Sneh Parashar has sentenced Sonu and Sachin, both residents of Hapur town of UP, to five-year rigorous imprisonment each holding them guilty of a murderous bid made on the life of Satish Kumar here in 2011. 

Judicial custody: Manoj Yadav, an ITBP jawan, who was arrested for alleged plantation of a country-made pistol, along with two cartridges in his adversary’s motorcycle was on Thursday produced in a court at Kosli, which remanded him in 14-day judicial custody.

Paddy damaged: Huge stocks of paddy were damaged when rainwater from the neighbouring areas of Alwar district in Rajasthan entered the 100-acre paddy yard of a rice exporting company, REI Agro Limited, at Saban Chowk on the NH-8, near Bawal, on Monday. 

SONEPAT
Criminal shot: A hardcore criminal Manjit allegedly involved in two cases of murder was shot dead on Thursday in his village allegedly by three persons while he was collecting woods for the cremation of Tara Chand Balmiki of the same village. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Man’s body found on roadside: The body of Lekh Ram (30) of Kathpur-Jukhala village was found on the roadside here yesterday. The villagers who spotted the body in the morning raised slogans against the police and blocked traffic on the Shimla-Kangra National Highway-103 for its delay in reaching the spot. The victim worked as a driver. On the demand of the villagers, Additional Superintendent of Police Bhag Mall reached the spot. He assured the agitating villagers of a probe into the murder. The police also pressed a dog squad into service to locate the accused. The police interrogated three persons of the area. The body was handed over to the victim’s family after a post-mortem examination. 

Snakebite kills man: Suresh Kumar Rana (41) of Tambadi village, 65 km from here, was bitten by a poisonous snake while he was asleep in his room on Wednesday night. When Suresh’s condition deteriorated, he woke up other members and they rushed him to the Barthin Community Health Centre from where he was rushed to the Regional Hospital here. But he died there. 

CHAMBA
235 intoxicants seized, one arrested: The police has arrested one person in Chamba town for selling intoxicants, and recovered 235 intoxicating capsules and 26 bottles of corex of 100 ml from the kitchen of his house where he had concealed these. Disclosing this here today, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kuleep Sharma said a team of police officials, including city police post in charge Thakroo Ram, security branch in charge Balbir Singh Jamwal and Head Constable Lekh Raj, searched the house. The accused had been arrested and a case under Section 21, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, had been registered against him. 

397 examined at free medical camp: As many as 397 patients were examined at a free medical camp organised by the Power Grid Corporation of India at Rajera village in the district. As per a statement here, experts in orthopaedics, plastic surgery, gynaecology, medicine, neuro-surgery and laparoscopy from Raavi Multi-Specialty Hospital, Pathankot, Punjab, examined the patients at the camp. Chief Medical Officer, Chamba, Rakesh Verma also deputed a medical officer for the general check-up of the patients at the camp. SDM, Chamba, Rohit Rathour, inaugurated the camp. Medicines were also distributed free of cost to the patients. The health check camp was organised by the Powergrid under the “corporate social responsibility” scheme for the well being of people of the area.

HAMIRPUR
Three-day Hamir Utsav from Sept 1: Chief Minister PK Dhumal will inaugurate the three-day Hamir Utsav on September 1. Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur, Rajinder Singh Thakur said the Chief Minister would inaugurate the exhibition and evening cultural programme, besides taking part in a shobha yatra of Hamir Utsav on Saturday. He said Education Minister ID Dhiman would be the chief guest on the second day of the function. He said Punjabi singer Faraj Khan and comedian Gurpreet Ghughi would perform on the first day and Arshpreet Kaur on the last day. Folk singers from the state would perform at a special Himachali night on the second day of the event.

NURPUR
Woman fired at, accused gets remand: Uttam Chand of Hatli village, who was arrested for allegedly firing at Shakuntala Devi (51) on Monday, has been sent to three-day police custody. The accused was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. DSP Rajinder Jaswal said the accused fired at the victim from his single-barrel .12-bore gun. “The victim, who is a widow and belongs to the same village, received injuries in her lower back. After receiving first-aid at the Community Health Centre, Indora, she was referred to the Civil Hospital, Nurpur, where her position is stated to be out of danger,” he said. A case under Sections 336 and 337, IPC, and Sections 25, 54 and 59, Arms Act, has been registered against the accused. The police has also seized the gun.

Driver gets two-year imprisonment: The Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Indora, sentenced Narinder Singh of Indora two-year imprisonment and fined him Rs 3,000 for causing a scooterist’s death due to rash and negligent driving. According to Vijay Rehaliya, Assistant District Attorney, the accused had been booked under Sections 279 and 304 (A) on October 13, 2006, when his speeding Mahindra Jeep hit a scooter at the Indora Mor. In the mishap scooterist Rakesh Kumar of Chhanni village was injured seriously and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. 

SHIMLA
Meeting of gram sabhas on Sept 2: A special meeting of gram sabhas will be held on September 2 to discuss nutrition and related issues. Stating this here recently, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur said instructions had been issued to all gram panchayats through district panchayat and block development officers to ensure the meetings of gram sabhas. The gram panchayats had also been asked to ensure participation of people in the meeting. Thakur said various issues pertaining to health, cleanliness, drinking water, agriculture, horticulture and public distribution system would be discussed in the meeting. 

Solan
60 children taken ill after eating food: As many as 60 schoolchildren were taken ill after consuming food at Korag Government Senior Secondary School in Rajgarh sub-division of Sirmaur today evening. The children had come from nearby schools to play school-level tournament at Korag. Reports said the children started vomiting soon after consuming food prepared on the school premises. SDM DK Negi made ambulances available to shift the children to the nearby hospital at Haripur Dhar. A team of doctors was rushed to the school to provide treatment to the ailing children. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
NHPC awarded: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has been adjudged as ‘‘Best Power Producer” at the IPPIA Power Awards 2012 in Goa on August 24.KM Singh, chief executive director, NHDC received the award. 

School magazine released: The management of ASN Higher Secondary School, Resham Ghar Colony and Channi Himmat, today released the seventh issue of its combined annual school magazine “ADARSH” at Adarsh College of Education, Tarore Bridge Samba. 

DEHRADUN

Veteran badminton player honoured: Deputy Inspector General, Dehradun Range, Sanjay Gunjiyal, felicitated international badminton player in veteran category Ramakant Sharma in his office today. Sharma won bronze cup in the category of players above 60 in the Kumpoo World Cup Badminton Championship held in Malaysia.