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Cabinet shuffle: Hooda may meet Sonia tomorrow
Chautala backs September 20 bandh call against FDI
2 cases of dengue detected in Rohtak
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Officials to visit Tarapur plant as Gorakhpur N-project cleared
Pay more, get uninterrupted power
Overflow of ash dykes damages crops
Violent Protests by Shopkeepers
Ansal API plot holders not to pay enhanced EDC
SC verdict leaves brick kiln owners jobless
SP orders murder case
Cop held for extortion bid
Parents beat up teacher for ‘molesting’ girls
Three cattle thieves nabbed
CRPF recruit run over by train
Indo-Pak mushaira to be revived after 13 yrs
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Cabinet shuffle: Hooda may meet Sonia tomorrow
Chandigarh, September 17 After the resignation of Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda following the suicide of his employee, Geetika Sharma, the Cabinet has two vacancies. The first vacancy occurred when transport minister Om Prakash Jain had to quit the Cabinet after his name cropped up in a murder case. Jain was promised by Hooda that if his name was cleared of the charge, he would again be again inducted as a minister. However, now the case against Jain has been referred to the CBI by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Since the agency is likely to take a long time to complete the investigation, Hooda has to fill the vacancy. Jain and Kanda were Independent MLAs who had extended their support to Hooda immediately after the Assembly elections, providing much needed majority support to the Congress in the House. They were rewarded with berths in the Ministry. While expanding his Cabinet, Hooda will have to make a tight rope walk in a bid to keep a balance between demands of various communities, sections of the party and individual aspirations of the MLAs. Since the two vacancies have occurred following the resignations of representatives of the Aggarwal community, one vacancy was set to go to the community. But the situation changed after the coalgate scam. The business community would have been represented by Hisar MLA Savitri Jindal. However, it may be difficult for Hooda to induct Savitri now because her son, Naveen Jindal, who is MP from Kurukshetra, has been projected by the Opposition as one of the biggest gainers of the Coalgate. Her induction would invite criticism from the opposition parties. Hooda also needs one or two members in his Cabinet, who can take on the aggressive INLD politically. The Cabinet expansion, in a way, is also linked with the presidentship of the Haryana Congress. The issue has been lingering for past several months. AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana B.K. Hariprasad says efforts are being made to reach a consensus-a difficult proposition in the faction-ridden party. When Kuldeep Sharma was made Speaker of the Assembly, sources say, Hooda was told by the high command that the next president of the Haryana Congress would not be a Brahmin. Hence Sharma was made the Speaker to give representation to Brahmin MLAs of the party in the government, though the Assembly post is technically not a part of the government. The lone Brahmin member of the Cabinet, Shiv Charan Sharma, is an Independent MLA. Then there is the issue of "disciplining" recalcitrant ministers. No Chief Minister can assert his authority if any of his colleagues violates the principle of collective responsibility. Going by that logic Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav should be in the firing line. Earlier also, his portfolios were changed. However, after the marriage of his son to a daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav, Ajay Singh has acquired a strong advocate for himself. Lalu supports the UPA government and often comes out in its support whenever the government finds itself in a tight spot. When asked, Hariprasad said all concerned had been advised to keep restraint. |
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Chautala backs September 20 bandh call against FDI
Sirsa, September 17 “We cannot allow our small traders and farmers to perish in the face of competition from multi-national companies like Walmart and we will oppose every move to allow these companies to enter our markets,” Chautala said while talking to mediapersons. He said India has a retail business of Rs 27 lakh crore and small retail traders did nearly 85 per cent of this business. “How can we allow the UPA government to snatch the bread and butter of such a large number of shopkeepers?” Chautala asked. He said his party has extended support to the Bharat bandh call given by the Samajwadi Party, BJD, JD-D, TDP, CPI, CPM and Forward Block and the INLD would ensure that not even a teashop opened on September 20 in Haryana. Earlier, addressing the rally, Chautala alleged that the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda had set a record of sorts as criminal charges had been levelled against 10 ministers and chief parliamentary secretaries of this government. Bali Sharma, a Haryanavi folk singer from Bhiwani, evoked thunderous applause for his rendition of a “ragni” on the recent controversies surrounding former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda. Chautala also castigated the UPA government for the hike in diesel and LPG prices. The INLD secretary-general, Ajay Singh Chautala, who organised the rally, said the people of Haryana had made up their mind to change the Hooda government in the next election. Ajay Singh reached the rally in a cavalcade of
tractors. The rally was unique for participation of women in a large number and Krishna Fogat, district president of women wing of the party, was seen making comfortable arrangements for them. An elderly woman danced in the space in front of the dais as a folksinger rendered “ragnis” eulogising Chautala and his party. Rajya Sabha MP Ranbir Singh Gangwa, MLAs Krishan Kamboj and Charanjit Singh and former MLAs Sita Ram and Bhagi Ram and district president Padam Jain also addressed the rally. |
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2 cases of dengue detected in Rohtak
Rohtak, September 17 The health department has claimed to have taken various measures to tackle the problem. A majority of the residential areas in the city are faced with the problem of waterlogging and stagnation of rainwater. Sunil Kumar of Housing Board Colony (Old) has been diagnosed with dengue fever. He has been admitted to the PGIMS Hospital. Earlier, 17-year-old Akshay, a student also of the same locality, was found to be a victim of this disease. It is, perhaps, the first time this monsoon season that two persons have been found to be suffering from dengue. “More cases are likely to surface in the next couple of weeks as not only are the climatic conditions favourable but also the stagnation of water in residential colonies has resulted in the germination of the malaria larvae, resulting in mosquito bites,’’ said sources in the health department. While the authorities concerned appear to be in the process of acquiring reports from the various areas regarding the issue, it is reported that the number of malaria cases has already crossed 1,000 and it could be more than double of the number last year as the rainy season is not yet over and the measures taken by the civic and health department to check the outbreak of malaria and water borne-diseases are adequate. “Improper disposal of garbage and accumulation of filthy water in and around the residential and commercial areas are the main reasons for the sharp rise in the cases of fever and water-borne diseases in the town,’’ said a physician based here. Hundreds of patients complaining of fever may be reporting at the OPD of the civil hospital, the PGIMS and the private hospitals everyday, but many of them go unrecorded as there is no system which could reveal the exact number of patients suffering from a particular disease, it is revealed. Over 71 water samples have failed in the past six months. Blaming officials of the civic body, Virender Kumar, a local resident, said unless the problem of poor drainage system, waterlogging and dumping of garbage in the open was addressed properly, malaria and other diseases would continue to haunt the residents as cleanliness and hygiene pose a major challenge. |
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Officials to visit Tarapur plant as Gorakhpur N-project cleared
Fatehabad, September 17 Among those going for the three-day tour that includes a visit to the Tarapur Atomic Power Station are Sirsa Member of Parliament Ashok Tanwar, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera, Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik, Superintendent of Police P Satinder Kumar Gupta, Deputy Superintendents of Police Shamsher Singh Dahiya and Devender Sharma and the District Information and Public Relations Officer Sahib Ram Godara. Earlier, the authorities had announced that the NPCIL would take a group of farmers and some local residents to the nuclear power plants to allay their fears regarding such plants. The officials will see the functioning of nuclear power project at Tarapur, Kaushik said, when contacted. The Deputy Commissioner said the farmers would be taken to Narora in Uttar Pradesh at a later stage. Meanwhile, drama was witnessed at the dharna site of Gorakhpur farmers, where senior district functionaries like the Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police and others garlanded Hans Raj Siwach, who has since been removed from his post of president if the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti for ending the farmers’ two-year old agitation. However, another group of farmers, who had yesterday removed Siwach and installed Balbir Singh Nain as their new president, announced that their dharna would continue as usual. “We, the owners of over 102 acres from Gorakhpur village, are not going to accept the compensation at any cost as we are not ready to part with our lands,” said Nain. He said they were unable to find an alternative land at this price. Later, when Kaushik was congratulating farmers for their support at a meeting held in the mini secretariat, Suman Lata Siwach, president of the women’s wing of the INLD, alleged that the farmers had been coerced to accept the compensation cheques. “My husband Rajbir Shastri, a college lecturer, was transferred to Narnaul to pressurise him accept his cheque. He had to take recourse to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get his orders cancelled,” Siwach alleged in the meeting. Rajbir’s family has accepted cheques towards the compensation after the transfer orders. Meanwhile, District Land Acquisition Collector Ram Singh Bishnoi said the owners of 1,366 acres out of the total 1,503 acres of land acquired for the nuclear power plant had accepted their payments. |
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Dadupur-Nalvi canal a bane
Yamunanagar/Ambala, September 17 It was to benefit more than 18 lakh farmers residing in around 2,500 villages located downstream. The state government was to spend Rs 267 crore on the construction of the 375-km which would carry 590 cusecs of water. Later, the cost of construction had increased to over Rs 400 crore. However, the canal has created more problems for the farmers than solutions. The farmers having their fields along the canal lament that accumulation of seasonal water in the canal results in frequent breaches, inundating their fields and causing damage to the crop. Rajeshwar Singh, from Sabaga village, said that during the trial discharge of water from Dadupur head into the canal in 2010, it had been found that the slope was improper as it obstructed the flow of water. The canal has been lying defunct for the last three years. Vikram Singh of Langar Channi village in Ambala district who has fields adjacent to the canal, said during rains water gets accumulated in the canal and as the flow was obstructed, the water finally enters his fields. The SE of the Irrigation Department, Yamunanagar, Sanjeev Garg, said the gradient problem, due to which the flow of water had been obstructed, had been resolved and the department was releasing 200 cusecs of water into the canal daily. However, as no irrigation outlets had so far been made in the canal, the farmers were unable to use the water, he said. However, a visit to the canal in Yamunanagar revealed that only rain water had accumulated in the canal. Nirmal Singh, a former minister in the Congress government, who had played a crucial role in getting the course of the canal diverted so that more farmers from Ambala district could benefit, said during the trial discharge of water, the canal had developed some cracks which needed to be repaired. He said the irrigation department had been asked to revive the canal. The canal, which was to carry surplus water of the Yamuna from Dadupur headworks to Nalvi village in Kurukshetra district, was first planned in 1987 but the project was scuttled by the Union government. The local political leaders again raised the issue and finally managed to get the project approved by the Union government. It had also remained a major political issue in the area, with both Congress and INLD claiming credit for getting the project approved from the Union Ministry For Environment. Matter raised in state assembly Bishan Lal Saini, INLD legislator and district president of Yamunanagar, had raised this issue in the state assembly during the February session, this year, seeking a reply from the Irrigation Minister about the status of the canal. |
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Pay more, get uninterrupted power
Gurgaon, September 17 Devender Singh, the newly appointed Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Haryana power corporations, has suggested a formula in which the residents can ensure round-the-clock electricity supply even in the peak summer season. “The power consumers will have to pay more for this luxury, but not as much as they have to spend on getting electricity through generator sets,” maintained Singh, who was addressing a meeting of people’s representatives here today. Referring to Pune model, the state power utilities chief said during summers, when the power supply had to be cut, many residents depend on generator sets, which costs them Rs 14 to 15 per unit of power. “If the consumers are ready to pay liability surcharge, they can get uninterrupted power supply at rates cheaper than the average price of the Power Utilities’ tariff and cost incurred on getting electricity through generators sets,” he asserted. Singh added that if the residents were agreeable to the proposal, electricity could be arranged from other states during the peak-load time. He observed that the consumers of Gurgaon were prestigious for the power utilities as the line losses in the area were nearly 16 per cent, as against the state average of 30 per cent. “We will try to improve monitoring and technological mechanism here,” he added. In reply to another question, he said installing power infrastructure as per load requirement was the duty of the HUDA authorities in HUDA sectors and of builders in private colonies. Afterwards, the Power Utilities are responsible for maintenance. Pointing out that a scheme for voluntary disclosure of extended electricity load was on till September 30, Singh appealed to the power consumers to avail themselves of this opportunity. He sought cooperation from the consumers and officials to revamp the financially sick power utilities and improve electricity supply. Addressing RWAs’ representatives and Municipal Councilors, Singh candidly admitted that the power utilities’ grievance redressal system was poor. He, however, maintained that the situation was largely due to staff crunch and was likely to improve soon as the recruitment of more than 4,000 employees was in the final stages. |
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Fuel costly, BPOs ask staff to use Metro
Gurgaon, September 17 Several companies are now mulling to confine the cab facility to drop night shift employees only and instead ask their staff to opt for the Metro. According to a proposed action plan, corporate firms, especially the BPOs, are planning to introduce a monthly travel allowance of Rs 800-Rs 1,000 for one-way commute and install Metro smartcard recharge kiosks on office premises. Corporates have also set high hopes on the upcoming intra-city Rapid Metro Rail, which is slated to become operational in the DLF Cyber City area from April 2013. “With diesel prices going up, our commuting costs have increased by almost 30 per cent and it is impossible to maintain a fleet cabs and provide transport to employees. We are now planning to limit the provision of cabs to just late night droppings and have already asked our employees to start using the Metro thrice a week on a trial basis,” said the CEO of Udyog Vihar BPO. Companies like WNS had launched an initiative called “WNS on Metro” in September last which proved to be a success and the company wishes to make it a regular feature now. “Fuel prices have gone up and we feel that cutting on cabs is environment friendly as well. As the nearest Metro station, Sikanderpur, is located 2 km away, the company provides a shuttle service. We also encourage the use of smart ride buses, an air-conditioned shuttle within the DLF City,” said an official of a BPO firm. Another firm, InterGlobe Technologies, which gave the Metro a try during the 2010 Commonwealth Games when traffic movement was restricted due to tight security, has decided to go for it full time now saying it suits company’s pocket the best. At present, more than 50 per cent of its employees use the Delhi Metro. |
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Overflow of ash dykes damages crops
Hisar, September 17 The affected villagers manhandled HPGCL officials after water entered their fields. The villagers had feared such an overflow as the dykes were full to the brim. They had met the HPGCL officials several times during the past one month with the plea that the dykes be cleared. The position of ash dykes at the thermal plant has been critical for the past three months. The chief engineer of the plant had informed the additional chief secretary (power) on July 18 that the position of ash dykes at the power station was critical as the ash had not been lifted by the designated agencies. Two dykes, seven metres in height and spread over 150 acres, had been designed for 20 per cent ash disposal and the same were being used for dumping more than 90 per cent ash, leading to complete filling of the ash dykes. According to official sources, the EPC contractor was to develop a system where 80 per cent of dry or solid ash was to be collected and the remaining 20 per cent was to be mixed with water and sent to the dykes. But the system has not been made operative till date by the EPC contractor. |
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Deteriorating Law and Order in Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra September 17 The workers demonstrated and raised anti-police slogans in front of the main gate of the Kurukshetra City Police Station. They dispersed after Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nirmal Singh gave an assurance to the demonstrating workers that their demands had been conveyed to the district police chief and the cases referred by them would be looked into by him. Earlier, they assembled on the premises of Sandhu Palace here from where they proceeded in a caravan on vehicles to the Kurukshetra City Police Station. Aalriya alleged that some persons had beaten up Vikas, son of Shiv Charan Saini, state in charge IBSP (Kanshi Ram), and snatched Rs 40,000 from him, but the case had been registered only under Sections 107 and 151 of the IPC against the culprits, despite Vikas sustained serious head injury. |
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Violent Protests by Shopkeepers
Faridabad, September 17 Four members of the demolition squad received minor injuries whereas a JCB machine and a police vehicle were partially damaged during the protest. The shopkeepers threw stones at the MCF team, which was accompanied by nearly 100 police personnel. After the demolition drive was halted, shopkeepers of all the markets of the NIT area, led by Faridabad Vyapaar Mandal, closed their establishments and blocked the Neelam Chowk in the heart of the city and sat on a dharna at the Chowk for about three hours. Activists of the INLD and the BJP also took part in the dharna. The protesting shopkeepers alleged that the demolition squad was directed to demolish only illegally buildings but it took action against commercial establishments too. They said they were not informed about the drive. They lifted the dharna when Faridabad Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sunil Sarwan accepted their demand for an inquiry into the incident. The demolition squad left the NIT-I area after two hours when the shopkeepers raised a banner of revolt against the drive. The squad then started the drive in the NIT-V area where it had to retreat after demolishing about 30 structures. Jagdish Bhatia, president of the Faridabad Vyappar Mandal, said the shopkeepers had constituted an 11-member committee to help the authorities inquire into the incident. He said the MCF had demolished about 100 structures in the two markets. Anita Yadav, Joint Commissioner, NIT Zone, MCF, said the structures demolished were the encroachments on roads outside the existing shops. The shopkeepers were several times asked to remove the encroachments, but they did not pay any heed, she said. DCP, NIT, Ramesh Kumar Vashisth said no one had been booked. |
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Ansal API plot holders not to pay enhanced EDC
Kurukshetra, September 17 In a meeting held under the chairmanship of Subhash Chander Dhul here yesterday, the residential plot holders said they had already paid the EDC at the time of buying the plot. Moreover, the firm had already collected interest on the EDC from the plot buyers vide their letter dated December 22, 2010. They alleged that the Ansal (API) did not deposit the collected EDC along with interest with HUDA. HUDA had imposed now interest on the firm, which it had passed on to the buyers. “But even then, subsequent enhanced EDC, if any, is to be paid by the buyers that should be in proportion to other areas like plots for hospital, school, roads, garden, etc,” they said. They also asked the Ansal (API) to give them break up of all areas and pro rata distribution of the enhanced EDC on each of them. When HUDA had asked for additional EDC on February 03, 2011, then why there was a purposeful delay of 16 months on the part of Ansal for demanding the enhanced EDC from the plot buyers, they questioned. The amount demanded by the Ansal (API) was to be paid by August 14, 2012, while their letters reached the plot owners after August 18. Meanwhile, Dheeraj Malik, deputy manager, Ansal (API), Kurukshetra, said the enhanced EDC had been levied by HUDA and a call notice to this effect had already been served on the plot holders. He said, “The money collected from the plot holders has already been paid to the state government.” |
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SC verdict leaves brick kiln owners jobless
Panipat, September 17 The SC passed the orders on February 27, which covered all mining activities and excavation of clay for manufacturing bricks also came under the purview of the order. Brick kiln owners said in case some relaxation was not given, it would be difficult to start manufacturing of bricks immediately after the rainy season. After the verdict of the apex court, manufacturing of bricks this year virtually was closed down and prices of bricks which were already in the range of Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,200 per thousand further increased up to Rs 4,800 to Rs 5,000 per thousand. The Haryana Brick Klin Owners Association deliberated on the problem at length at its meeting in Panipat and decided to submit a memorandum to the government through DC in all districts of the state on September 29 to seek exemption for brick kilns from prior environment and forest clearance at it was a season activity and owners could not wait for clearance. Since the problem was not only confined to Haryana, Gulshan Narang, president, Punjab State Brick Kiln Owners’ Association, office-bearers of the All-India Bricks and Tiles Manufacturers’ Federation and 2,000 brick kiln owners from Haryana, Punjab and UP participated in the meeting. |
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SP orders murder case
Hisar, September 17 The directive followed the death of a youth, Parveen Kumar hailing from Dariyawala village of Jind district, in police custody in the Sadar Police Station here last evening. He had been taken into custody three days back. The police had taken him away, saying that his life was in danger as he had transported a boy and a girl who had eloped from a nearby village to Delhi. The police claimed that he had committed suicide by hanging himself in the bathroom of the police station. They said he had gone to there on the pretext of taking a bath. When he did not come out for half an hour, the police opened the door and found him hanging. The sarpanch of Dariyawala was informed about the death. He informed the youth’s family. Several relatives of the deceased arrived at the police station, but refused to lower the hanging body, saying that they wanted a panchayat to arrive on the scene. Meanwhile, several villagers gathered there and blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh road. Senior police and civil officers arrived on the scene. The body was lowered seven hours later. It was decided to get the post-mortem conducted at the medical college in Rohtak. His family members said they had been seeking Parveen’s release for three days, but the police had refused on the pretext that he might be killed by the girl’s family. |
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Cop held for extortion bid
Rohtak, September 17 This is the sixth case in which a policeman has been found allegedly involved in corruption in the past about a year. Five policemen, including two assistant sub-inspectors, have been dismissed from service in the past about six months in the district. According to police sources, the accused, Rajender Singh posted as EASI (Exempted Assistant Sub Inspector) at Jhajjar, had allegedly tried to extort about Rs 1.5 lakh from a local resident in July this year after threatening to get him booked under various criminal cases. The complainant, identified as Rajender Singh of the Arya Nagar locality here, had alleged that the accused policeman had intercepted him in Shivaji Colony here, on July 25 night when he was carrying waste oil in a private vehicle for sale. In his complaint to senior officials, he claimed that the accused policeman and some persons accompanying him stopped him in an illegal manner and took away the cash of about Rs 8,000 lying in his pocket on gunpoint. He alleged the policeman threatened to get him booked under various Sections of the IPC if he failed to give him Rs 1.5 lakh soon. Though the complainant intially approached the local police station, the police did not register any case and the victim had to sought the intervention of senior officials, including the Director-General of Police. It is revealed that a probe was conducted on the directions of the office of the Director-General of Police and it was found that the complaint was 'genuine'. The police arrested the EASI and one another person identified as Sunil last night, according to the police spokesperson. He said the accused had been remanded to two days’ police custody and more persons could be arrested. The department has dismissed four policemen, including two assistant sub-inspectors and one head constable, on charges of corruption in the past few months. Enquiries against three policemen are under progress, it is claimed. The total number of policemen dismissed in the district during the past one year on this ground has reached five, claimed police officials. |
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Parents beat up teacher for ‘molesting’ girls
Gharaunda, September 17 The parents alleged that the teacher took 7-8 girls to a room on the pretext of a medical check-up and molested them. The girls were taken aback by the obscene actions of the teacher and some of them even started crying. When parents of the girls came to know about it, they rushed to the school and thrashed the teacher. Anganwari worker Chandra Kala said the parents beat up the teacher after their daughters informed them about the teacher’s alleged misbehaviour. Terming the incident as a serious matter, a villager, who was among the aggrieved parents, said parents would not send their daughters to schools if such things happen. Sheela, the mother of a student, said her daughter told them that the teacher tried to molest her in the room. However, the accused teacher dismissed all allegations as "false and baseless". Block Education Officer Ravinder Chowdhary said a complaint had been received and necessary action would be taken against the teacher if found guilty. Gharaunda police station in charge Naib Singh said the matter was under investigation and stringent action would be taken against the guilty. |
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Three cattle thieves nabbed
Rewari, September 17 Police personnel, who were patrolling in the Dharuhera area last night, intercepted a Tata 407 vehicle in which the gangsters were travelling. On seeing the police personnel, the miscreants pelted stones and opened fire at them. |
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CRPF recruit run over by train
Rewari, September 17 The Government Railway Police,
Rewari, said it was a case of incidental death. Pradeep is survived by his wife and an-year-old son. |
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Indo-Pak mushaira to be revived after 13 yrs
Chandigarh, September 17 To be organised under the aegis of the Haryana Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA) under its ongoing initiative, “jaffian”, an initiative to promote Indo-Pak friendship and
peace, the “Karvan-e-Adab” will feature 12 known poets from both sides of the border. Kumari Selja, Union Culture Minister, will be the chief guest at the function to be organized at SD College, Ambala
Cantonment. |
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Chandigarh, September 17
