Around Town

Haryana Secretariat hall inaugurated

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati inaugurated the newly renovated conference hall at the state’s New Secretariat Building in Sector 17 here on Wednesday. The work of renovation of the 6th floor Hall has been completed in two months at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. An audio and video-conferencing system has been installed in the hall and attached with the local area network.

12-year-old kills self

CHANDIGARH: A twelve-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself at her Colony 5 residence on Wednesday. The police said that Pinky,daughter of Vakil Singh,was found hanging by her neighbours in the afternoon and immediately rushed to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital,Sector 16 (GMSH-16),where doctors declared her brought dead. The cops said that the girl was alone at her home when she committed the act and ruled out any foul play.

CHA slams excise policy

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Hospitality Association (CHA) said on Wednesday that the UT Administration’s excise policy for 2011-2012 is “arbitrary and stands against the spirit of promoting the wine and beer culture in the city,as was decided a few years ago”. CHA Secretary Ankit Gupta said that instead of checking the menace of smuggling of cheaper liquor from the city to neighboring states,the Administration has increased taxes and charges on every front possible.

Dowry death: Victim’s kin beat up suspects

Ambala: The family members of Mamta Kumari,who was allegedly burnt to death for dowry four days ago,beat up her husband Mandip,his brother Sandip and mother Sneh Lata in the presence of cops at the police post Housing Board Colony,Ambala Cantonment,where they had been kept after their arrest. They also put shoe garlands around the necks of the three suspects,who have been booked under the Dowry Act.

11 held for gambling

Chandigarh: The UT police arrested 11 people for gambling at a public place and recovered Rs 60,190 from them at Dadu Majraa on Tuesday night. The cops said they had acted on specific intelligence information. “A police party from the Maloya police post laid a trap at a park at around 1 am and arrested 11 gamblers from the spot,” said a police officer.

Maruti trains UT cops

CHANDIGARH: Maruti-Suzuki has started a driving course for Chandigarh Police personnel under its CSR initiative. The training programme,which has covered 130 cops till now, will help to strengthen the role of PCRs in effective policing,said DSP (Communication) Roshan Lal.

‘No flour contamination’ at Panchkula

Panchkula: Amid reports of buckwheat flour (kuttu atta) contamination,the Panchkula health department has taken samples across the city but has found no case of contamination so far. “Every year we take these precautions near the Navratra fair and we have not found any case of contamination so far,” said Panchkula Civil Surgeon Dr V K Bansal.” We have also taken samples of prasad for devotees and food served at Mansa Devi,” he said.

‘Landlords must give info on tenants,helps’

Panchkula: District Magistrate Ashima Brar has directed residents of Panchkula district to submit information about their tenants,lessee and servants employed for commercial,domestic or other purposes,along with their home addresses and attested photographs,to their respective police stations under Section 144 of CrPC. The order comes into force with immediate effect and would remain till May,31,2011. The direction comes in the wake of reports of crimes in the state by tenants and domestic helps in the recent past,said Brar.