R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Muktsar
200-kg poppy husk seized: The police claimed to have recovered 200 kg of poppy husk from a car here. The car was lying abandoned in a damaged condition and its search led the police to the recovery of the contraband. A case has been registered against some unidentified persons under the NDPS Act, as the vehicle was without registration number plates.

Cancer detection camp: Roko Cancer, a UK-based organisation, on Saturday adopted 25 patients during the inauguration of a camp in the memory of former MLA Kanwarjit Singh Brar “Sunny”, who died due to cancer earlier this year. The charity will provide free medicines to the patients. Muktsar MLA Karan Kaur Brar was also present.

Ropar
Retd policeman held: The district police has arrested a retired Assistant Sub-Inspector while he was ferrying two tippers loaded with sand allegedly mined illegally from Hosharpur area. Dalip Singh failed to provide any documents related to the loaded material, following which the police arrested him and seized the vehicles. He was arrested at a naka set up at Bela Chowk here. Drivers Didar Singh and Amit Pal were also held.

Travel agent arrested: The police has arrested a travel agent for allegedly defrauding Gurcharan Singh, a Takhtgarh resident, of Rs 3.6 lakh. A case under Section 420 and 506 of the IPC was registered against the accused, Harmeet Singh of Pojelata village in Hoshiarpur, six months ago. In his complaint, Gurcharan alleged that the accused took the money from him on the pretext of sending him to Italy.

HARYANA

Kurukshetra
Protest held: Activists of the BKU protested outside the Regional Research Station of Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCHAU) here on Friday evening and burnt down the centre to show their resentment towards open air field trials of genetically modified (GM) corn in the state. 

Two killed:Two persons identified as Baljeet Singh of Dakala and Krishan Lal were  killed on the spot when a truck hit them on the Madanpur road in Shahabad on Friday evening. 

Rewari
Man dies: Ranjit Singh (35) of Tint village died after he was hit by a vehicle on the Rewari-Narnaul road on Friday. The vehicle sped away after the incident.

Sonepat
Spurious cheese seized: The police on Saturday seized three quintals of spurious cheese from a private vehicle and arrested three persons identified as Birmeshwar, Dinesh Yadav and Mukender Singh of Delhi. The accused confessed that the adulterated cheese was manufactured in the Nazafgarh sabzi mandi in Delhi and two quintals of seized spurious cheese was to be supplied at Sector 19 in Chandigarh and one quintal in Sonepat town. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
Himachal Swabhiman Party to contest 45 seats: The Himachal Swabhiman Party has reiterated its commitment to provide an alternative to the BJP and the Congress. State organising secretary of the party Baldev Raj Sood categorically stated this while addressing mediapersons here. He announced that the party would contest 45 seats. 

49 sector officers deployed in district: Fortynine sector officers equipped with latest devices have been deployed in the district. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner (DC), Chamba, Sunil Chaudhary, who is also the district election officer, here on Thursday. He said 2,750 polling personnel would be deployed in the 572 polling stations. In the district, 52 polling stations had been identified as hypersensitive, and 141 as sensitive. The Election Commission had also deployed four general observers and four expenditure observers in the district, the DC added. 

HAMIRPUR
Fresh guidelines on paid news issued: District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner (DC), Hamirpur, Rajender Singh Thakur said the Election Commission had issued fresh guidelines to all political parties and contesting candidates regarding paid news. He said contesting candidates and political parties had to reply to the notice issued by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state and district levels within 48 hours of the issuance of the notice. The DC added that any advertisement released by candidates and political parties during the elections would have to be certified from the MCMC. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Batote
Lineman electrocuted: A PDD lineman, Shanker Dass (50), was electrocuted when he climbed an electric pole for power restoration at Papdia in Ramban on Saturday.

Srinagar
Grant released: The state government has released Rs 20.86 lakh to be disbursed as pension to militancy-affected families in Kupwara district. The district-level committee on Friday released the amount as pension for distribution among 1,387 beneficiaries registered with the Social Welfare Department in Kupwara district, an official spokesman said. The department is providing financial assistance at the rate of Rs 750 per month to the widows, handicapped and the elderly of such families, he said.

DEHRADUN

dehradun
Nostalgic moments: During the 77th founder’s day celebrations of The Doon School, parents were seen clicking photographs of the exhibits put up on the premises of the institution. It was a moment of nostalgia for many fathers, mothers and other relatives who had come to cheer their wards on the occasion.

Blood donation camp: The Uttarakhand Social Welfare Board will organise a blood donation camp in Dehradun on October 31. According to Sitaram, Secretary, Uttarakhand Social Welfare Board, the blood donation camp will be held in association with the Indian Medical Association and the Indian Red Cross Society.

GMVN workers’ protest: Daily wage employees of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) decided at a meeting on Saturday to stage a demonstration in Dehradun on October 25 in support of their demand for the regularization of their services. The employees, who met GMVN chairman Dinesh Dhanai, asked him to fulfil their demand immediately.

Voter cards: Voter cards will be prepared in the Doiwala block of Dehradun from November 8 to 11. Block Development Officer Radhakrishan Raturi said a voter card preparation camp would be held at Government School Nakronda in the Doiwala block.