R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Rain damages wheat:Heavy rain damaged 16 lakh wheat bags here on Saturday. Farmers said the authorities had failed to act strictly on private contractors to ensure lifting of wheat.

Five kidnappers held: The police arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping the son of Kotkapura-based businessman Sadulshehar and demanding ransom of Rs5 lakh  on Saturday.

Chandigarh
Bridge opens:A 284-feet-long bridge constructed on the offshoot of the Sutlej at Bela Ramgarh near Anandpur Sahib was inaugurated by Baba Labh Singh on Saturday. It will reduce the distance between Anandpur Sahib and Bela Ramgarh, Bhallan and several other villages by 7 km.

Patiala
Suspension ordered:Principal secretary Vini Mahajan has ordered suspension of five employees of Government Ayurvedic Pharmacy here for consuming liquor and meat on campus. The employees are Om Prakash, Krishan Kumar, Daata Ram, Subhash and Rajiv Kumar.

Phagwara
Fire breaks out in club: Goods worth more than ~50 lakh were damaged in a fire that broke out in Club Cabanna on Saturday. It took the fire tenders of the Phagwara Municipal Corporation four hours to control the fire. A short circuit is said to be the cause of the fire.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Export award:The government has invited applications for the State Export Award for 2013-14 by June. Eighteen awards under various categories have been instituted. The Women Entrepreneur Exporter Award and 19 consolation prizes will also be given.

DEHRADUN

 

haldwani
Rs 80 cr for road upgrade:The Nagar Nigam, Haldwani, has received Rs 80 crore from the Union Urban Development Ministry for upgrade of roads and underground drains in the town. "Besides beautifying squires, we have decided to metal underground drains in the town and make all nullahs go undergroun," said JP Singh, Mayor, Haldwani.

Pithoragarh
Ex-Navy chief to settle in Ranikhet: Admiral DK Joshi, former Indian Navy chief, has said he is willing to settle permanently in the Majhkhali area of Ranihket in the Kumaon region. However, he will keep distance from politics in his retired life. Admiral Joshi, who took voluntary retirement from service following naval accidents during his tenure, was talking to local mediapersons on his reaching Kaushani on a day visit today. "I have decided to work for promoting advance patterns of agriculture and tourism in the hill region as hills have unlimited potential for tourism development," said Admiral Joshi.

Villagers stopped from voting:Four persons have been booked under Section 136 of the Representation of the People Act for restricting villagers from casting their votes at the Jhaudhunga polling booth at Munsiyari in the district on May 7. While the villagers wanted to vote, Ratan Singh, Radheshyam, Dan Singh and Kunwar Singh did not allow them to do so in the name of enforcing the election boycott call given in protest against the non-construction of road to their village. The villagers have complained to the Election Commission.

Ramnagar
Two poachers arrested:A special operation group of the state police on Saturday arrested two poachers from the Jhirna range of the Corbett Tiger Reserve and recovered from their possession a trap and a chain to be used for trapping tigers. On a tip off, the police arrested Satbir and Jhile Ram, residents of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, respectively, for alleged poaching of tigers at the reserve. A case was registered against them, said Samir Sinha, Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve.

(Compiled by BD Kasniyal)