R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Nawanshahr
Medical camp organised
The District Homeopathy Department in collaboration with an NGO Eknoor Sewa Sanstha, Pathlawa, organised a free medical check-up camp at Pandit Waryam Singh Khalsa Model School, Jabbowal, here in the district. Dr Dalbir Singh, District Homeopathy Officer, Dr Hardeep Singh, Dr Harjinder Singh examined 228 patients suffering from various ailments.

Sangrur
Body found: The body of a 52-year-old unknown person was found at the rail track near Harerri road level crossing here on Saturday. Manjit Singh, Head Constable, Government Railway Police, Sangrur, said the victim had committed suicide by jumping in front of the Ludhiana-Hisar passenger train. He said proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC had been initiated.

90-year-old prisoner dies: A 90-year-old old prisoner Sukhdev Singh, from Tallewal village in Barnala district, died on Friday evening when he was being taken to the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. He was an asthmatic patient.

Dealer's licence suspended:Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Rajinder Singh Sohi on Saturday suspended the licence of a fertiliser dealer M/s Aggarwal Traders, Sangrur, for 15 days. Dr Sohi said he along with his team caught the dealer while selling insecticide was tagged it with urea. He said a notice had been issued to the firm in this regard.

PDS wheat seized: The Sunam police on Saturday seized three quintals of wheat meant to be sold under the public distribution system (PDS). The police has registered a case under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B of the IPC against two persons, including depot holder Sanjiv Kumar.

CHANDIGARH

Mohali
One arrested for sending obscene SMSes: A resident of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, was arrested today on charges of sending obscene messages and intimidation to a girl of Mohali. A case under Sections 294 and 506 of the IPC and Section 66A of the IT Act had been registered.

HARYANA

In protest against the minimum support price (MSP) of sugarcane, activists of Bharatiya Kisan Union on Saturday burnt sugarcane outside the residence of local MLA Sumita Singh in Karnal and warned to lock up all the suger mills in the state if the price was not increased by January 5.  Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

Chandigarh
Discoms to do repair work: The Haryana power distribution corporations will start special distribution system maintenance programme in 900 sectors, urban wards and villages of the state in January next year. Two teams of staff in each operation subdivisions have been assigned the responsibility to complete the improvement works in their respective areas. Devender Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of the two power utilities, said here on Saturdday that the survey of the works to be carried out during the six-month long campaign had already been completed by both the power distribution utilities. 

Rewari
Flesh trade racket busted: With the arrest of six persons, the police on Saturday claimed to have busted a flash trade racket in Rewari. The police raided a hotel on the Railway Road and arrested a woman, three youths, hotel manager Shishpal and pimp Dinesh Kumar for their alleged involvement in the flesh racket. The police has registered a case under the Immoral Trafficking Act against them. The arrested youths have been identified as Mahesh, Rahul and Lokesh, all residents of various colonies in the town.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Body found
Chamba: The body of a woman was recovered from the Chamera reservoir near Rajnagar in the district today, according to an official report received here today. The body was floating in the reservoir. The deceased was identified as Neetu, a resident of a nearby village. The body was handed over to the next of kin of the deceased, the report added. A case has been registered.

DEHRADUN

Bageshwar
One-day lockout: PWD employees have called for a one-day lockout in all offices of the department on January 31 in protest against the non-arrest of the culprits in the engineer manhandling case. The congress workers have finished their four-day long agitation at Kapkot after the assurance of inquiry by CB CID. “We have taken this decision on the instistence of our senior leader and MP Pradeep Tamta and Manoj Tiwari,” said Lalit Farswan, local MLA who led the dharna.

Dehradun
Five held in theft, loot cases: The police has arrested five persons in three theft and loot cases in various parts of the district. SSP, Dehradun, Kewal Khurana said here on Saturday that a special team arrested two youths moving on a scooter. The arrested youths, Raju and Kapil, who are rag-pickers, have confessed to their involvement in four theft cases in the area. In another case, the Raipur police arrested Mobeen, alias Aslam, of Saharanpur and recovered gold and silver jewellery from his possession. Mobeen told the police that some of the stolen items were with his accomplice, Nasir, alias Ninha, and some had been sold to a jeweller, Irfan of Saharanpur. The Rishikesh police arrested Shiva and Mustaqueem when they were planning to loot someone.

Health camp:Union Minister of Water Resources Harish Rawat on Saturday inaugurated a two-day health camp in Margoobpur village in Haridwar. It is being organised by Mahant Indresh Hospital, Dehradun. More than 300 patients were examined on the first day of the camp. Harish Rawat thanked the hospital authorities for holding the camp.


                          Union Minister of Water Resources Harish Rawat

Football tourney: The 20th Indian Institute of Technology Staff All-India Football Tournament began at Roorkee on Saturday. In the opening match, Guwahati beat Roorkee 1-0 with Umesh Bhatt scoring the goal in the 35th minute. The second match was played between Bombay and Kanpur which ended in a draw 1-1. In the third match, Delhi won against Guwahati 2-1 and in the fourth match, Roorkee defeated Madras 3-0.

Lohani re-elected: PC Lohani has been re-elected president of the Uttarakhand Roadways Karmchari Sanyukt Parishad. Vijay Kumar Mamgain has been elected general secretary, Mohan Singh Bhandari and Dinesh Gusain vice-presidents, Shivnarain Tiwari general secretary and Narendra Luthra treasurer.

Memo submitted: The Uttarakhand Sanitary Workers Association has demanded the recruitment of sanitary workers in Dehradun. In a memorandum submitted to the state government, the association said no sanitary worker had been recruited in Dehradun for long and this was affecting cleanliness arrangements in the city. The association has also demanded the regularisation of services of contractual sanitary workers.

Employees' protest: Hiltron Corporation employees continued with their boycott of work on Saturday. They are demanding immediate release of long-standing allowances. The employees threatened to intensify their agitation if the government did not fulfil their demand.

PCS Mains: A total of 496 candidates, who had cleared PCS Prelims, did not appear in the PCS Mains Examination held at Haridwar and Haldwani on Friday. According to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, nine centres were made in Hardiwar and Haldwani for the  examination. 

Haldwani
Bridge to be ready by June: The new bridge on the Gaula river will be completed by May 30 and from the first week of June, the transportation from this bridge will be started. The information in this regard was given by Harish Chandra Durgapal, Minister of Labor in the state Cabinet. “As most of the main works on the bridge have been completed with an expenditure of Rs 7 crore, the bridge will be operational from the first week of June after three base pillars gets completed,” said the minister.

Kashipur
Monitoring of gutka ban: Several teams have been formed in Udham Singh Nagar to look into the violation of government orders regarding ban on the sale and consumption of tobacco, gutka and other nicotine containing edible items as these items are being banned in the state from January 1. “As the state government in its three-months back decision has ordered the sellers of edible items containing nicotine to finish their stocks before the New Year. Those found violating these orders after December 31 will be dealt strictly and a fine of Rs 2 lakh will be imposed on them,” said RS Kathrayat, nodal officer, Food Safety, US Nagar.

Khatima
NCP stages dharna: Workers of the NCP have started a dharna at the subdivision headquarter here, protesting the declaration of sanctuary status to the Naudhaur forest area. They termed it as violation of people’s rights given in the Forest Rights Act, 2006. “Due to the already existing six sanctuaries and the same number of bio-reserve areas in the state, the traditional rights of villagers have been curtailed. This has resulted in lack of development of basic infrastructure in these villages,” said Ramesh Chandra Gahtori, organiser of the protest.

Nainital
Court notice to GMVN GM: The Nainital High Court has issued a contempt notice to the Principal Secretary and General Manager of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) for defying court orders of July 20 of not permitting mining on the Ganga riverbed without permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

(Compiled by BD Kasniyal)