R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

chandigarh
Management course:The government has appointed Punjab Technical University (PTU) as the competent authority to make admission to Masters of Applied Management five-year dual-degree course. The course will be available at the Sai Institute of Management, Mannawala, Amritsar, and the Punjab Institute of Management and Technology, Mandi Gobindgarh.

Fatehgarh Sahib
Youth held on rape charge:The police have arrested Rajvir Singh of Mianpur village for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl. The victim alleged Rajvir offered her sugarcane juice laced with some sedative and raped her. She said the accused also threatened her of dire consequences if she narrated the incident to anyone.

Hoshiarpur abohar
PSPCL staff threaten stir:The Council of Junior Engineers has criticised the police for inaction over incidents of violence during which a sub-divisional engineer and two junior engineers of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) were attacked by consumers in Abohar and Fazilka last week. Council general secretary Jai Chand Maheshwari said demonstrations would be organised at all divisional offices if the accused were not arrested by this week-end.

Ludhiana
I-T officials conduct raids: The Income Tax Department conducted raids at Major Height Infrastructure, Abohar, Naturway Marketing, Abohar and Nature Media Private Limited, Chandigarh. The raids were conducted under I-T Joint Director Sanjeev Kaushal. The raiding teams sealed five bank lockers and seized incriminating documents.

patiala
Patwari held for graft:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested patwari Gurmail Singh, posted at Hadana in Patiala district, while accepting Rs 5,000 as bribe from Beant Singh of Udaypur Dewanwala village. “Beant had complained to the Vigilance Bureau that Gurmail was demanding bribe for demarcation of land,” VB sources said.

CHANDIGARH

World Population Day@@Chandigarh: World Population Day was celebrated at AKSIPS-45. The students of classes VI-VIII took part in the event. The students were sensitised on burning issues such as over-population and its effects. The authorities claimed that the competition helped the students update their knowledge on world population. The students were judged on the basis of expression and pronunciation. — TNS

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Health conference:Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Navraj Sandu on Friday said Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) would be observed in the state from July 28 to August 3 for the prevention of diarrhea and from August 4 to 9 to promote breastfeeding in the state.Sandhu was presiding over the first meeting of the State Steering Committee on breastfeeding and Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight-2014 at Panchkula. She said Health Minister Rao Narender Singh would launch the breastfeeding and the IDCF activity from Narnaul district in which about 25 lakh children of below five years would be covered.

Hooda to administer oath: Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the chairmen and members of the Right to Service (RTS) and the Haryana Food Security Commission. While the RTS Commission would be headed by SC Chaudhary, outgoing chief secretary, the Haryana Food Security Commission would be headed by RS Doon, Deputy Principal Secretary to chief minister.

Kaithal
Teachers burn Hooda’s effigy, lock DEO’s office:Guest teachers of Kaithal on Friday took out a procession in support of their demands and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. They reportedly locked the office of the DEO. Ramesh Guliana, district president of the guest teachers’ union said they would continue their protest till all teachers with three years’ service were regularised.

Karnal
Engineers protest:Engineers of the state power utilities on Friday staged a demonstration in front of the circle office in Sector 12. They demanded withdrawal of the new policy of appointment of directors through open advertisement. They said a new promotion policy should be drafted immediately. They also sought revision of pay scale of assistant engineers and assistant executive engineers.

Rohtak
Congress launches membership drive:The Congress launched a membership drive in the state on Friday. The campaign will continue till August 12. This was stated by coordinator Deepak Vaidya and former district Congress committee president Jaideep Dhankhar at a news conference. They said the membership drive had been launched from Rohtak and would cover the entire state in the coming days.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Dalhousie
Driver booked for beating up conductor: The driver of a private bus was booked at the Chowari police station for beating and abusing a conductor of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) here last evening. The conductor was performing his duty on the bus that was going from Pathankot to Dadriada. Chamba SP DK Chaudhary said a case was registered under Sections 353, 332 and 504 of the IPC on a complaint by HRTC bus conductor Dharmender Kumar against driver Sham Singh.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Eid bonus: Employees to be paid salary in advance: In view of Eid, the state government has decided to pay salary of the employees for July in advance. It will now be paid on Monday (July 28). During the last two days, around Rs 400 crore have been paid through the treasuries across the state, while contractors and supplies payments have been made up to date.

Teenage girl commits suicide in Baramulla: A 16-year-old girl committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance in Baramulla district. The teenager consumed the poisonous substance at her residence at Dangiwacha on Thursday. Her relatives rushed her to the district hospital, where she was declared brought dead, a police spokesman said.