R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Two women hit by train, one dies: Two women were hit by a passenger train while they were crossing the passage near the railway platform here on Tuesday. While one of them died on the spot, the other was referred to Faridkot hospital due to her critical condition. Sources said Shakuntala Devi of Jain Nagari and her tenant Renu Soni were on their way to a temple in Nai Abadi. Shakuntala failed to spot the train approaching the platform. Renu tried to save her. But both were hit by the train. Shakuntala died on the spot.

Amritsar
Farmers call for  Punjab bandh: The joint body of various farmers' associations has called for Punjab 'bandh' on October 5 in support of their demands. During a meeting held under the presidentship of Baba Arjan Singh on Tuesday, the farming community demanded a relief package for drought, damage to crops, exemption from power tariff, rollback of diesel price hike and hike in minimum support price for various crops.

Bathinda
Dist Red Cross defers meet: The district unit of the Indian Red Cross Society and its related associations today postponed the annual general meeting scheduled for September 27. The new date for holding the meeting has not been decided yet.

Chandigarh
Capt, Bajwa hail relief to ex-servicemen: PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh and Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa have welcomed the Centre's decision to implement the "one rank one pension" scheme for all ex-servicemen in the country. In separate statements, the leaders expressed gratitude to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister AK Antony.

Sangrur
25-yr-old killed, 2 injured in mishap: A 25-year-old boy died on the spot while two sustained injuries in a road mishap that took place near Kherri village, 7 km from here, on Monday. They were going on a motorcycle from Mehlan village to Kanjhla village. Police said Makhan Singh, a resident of Kanjhla village, died on the spot while Buta Singh and Satnam Singh sustained injuries when the motorcycle hit a roadside tree. The injured have been admitted in local Civil Hospital.

Sunam resident dies in mishap: A 20-year-old mechanic, Malkiat Singh, a resident of Bishanpura village near Sunam, died on the spot in a road mishap that occurred on Ranbir College road here on Tuesday. The police said Malkiat died during a collision between the motorcycle he was driving and a jeep. The police has registered a case against jeep driver Som Nath, a resident of Mangwal village. However, the accused managed to escape.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Alumni association of IIT-Kanpur: Alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, have decided to form a Chandigarh Chapter of the association. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Dharam Vir, an alumnus of the IIT, Kanpur, and former Chief Secretary of Haryana. The area of jurisdiction would be Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh, said Dharam Vir.

Gurgaon
Four trucks with liquor seized: The Excise and Taxation Department along with the local police on Tuesday seized four trucks laden with liquor from Sheetla Colony in Sector 5 of the city. Though the police arrested a person in this regard, it refused to divulge the exact value of the seized items. Sources said nearly 2001 cartons worth lakhs were seized.

Kurukshetra
Six POs arrested: The police has arrested six proclaimed offenders (POs), - Ishak, Navaab, Afzal alias Afsaal, Ishaar alias Billu, Ijaad and Ansaar - all residents of Kukra Mandi village in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. A case under Sections 420, 379, 406, 120 B of the IPC was registered against them at Babain Police Station on May 15, 2008, and the court had declared them POs on December 2, 2008.

Sirsa
E-muster roll system in Sirsa: To bring transparency in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), e-muster roll system will be started in the district from October 1. Sirsa will become the second district of the state to start this system after Jind. Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan said initially the system would be started as pilot project in 14 villages.

Sonepat
SUV looted, driver injured in firing: Two car-borne armed miscreants on Tuesday looted a Fortuner SUV on the National Highway-1 near Pritampura village in the district after firing at SUV driver Anil Chauhan of Karnal. The incident took place around 1.50 pm. Chauhan, who is reported to be a manager in Toyota company at Chandigarh, was injured in the firing and has been admitted to a private hospital in Delhi.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Chamba
Bhatia is regional secy of SBI Staff Assn: Nakit Singh Bhatia has been elected regional secretary for Region-V of the State Bank of India (SBI) Staff Association, Chandigarh Circle, in its triennial general council elections held in Chandigarh on Sunday. Chamba district is regional delegate for the welfare of employees of all the branches of Una, Hamirpur and Chamba districts.

Kangra
Woman dies of burn injuries:A 25-year-old woman of Kohala village of this district succumbed to her burn injuries at the DRPGMC at Tanda today. The police said Ashu, wife of Gulshan, was suffering from fever last night. When she went to the kitchen to get hot water, she sprinkled kerosene on the firewood to light the fire. Her clothes caught fire and she received 90 per cent burn injuries.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
New timings for govt offices: A circular issued here today by the office of Divisional Commissioner Jammu stated that the working hours in the state government offices located in Jammu division would be observed from 10 am to 4 pm with effect from October 1, 2012, to April 30, 2013.