Briefly Region: YAD gives Rs 21 lakh for Uttarakhand

Chandigarh: Punjab Government has decided to conduct a special test for filling the left out NRI quota seats in Medical and Dental Colleges of the state for the session 2013-14. Chunni Lal Bhagat,Minister for Medical Education and Research,Punjab said that instructions in this regard have been issued to the Baba Farid University for Health Sciences,Faridkot. He said the NRI quota seats for MBBS,BDS,MD,MS and MDS courses in medical and dental colleges of the state would be filled strictly on the basis of merit after the special test.

Man gets 7-year RI for murder

Patiala: A Patiala court on Tuesday sentenced a murder convict to seven years rigorous imprisonment. The accused Honey,a resident of Patiala,was convicted for the murder of a truck driver. The incident took place in June 2012 when the victim Mohan Singh had come to Patiala to buy goods at a shop in Jattan wala Chauntra. Following an altercation Honey stabbed him using an ice-pick.

‘UPA policies will eliminate poor,not poverty’

Bathinda: Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and the Planning Commission’s joint decision of lowering the poverty line thereby showing a decline in poverty by 7.3 per cent over the past five years. “The UPA government is fooling the poor people by furnishing wrong details. The wrong anti-poor policies of the Centre will definitely eliminate the poor,not poverty,” she said.

Potable water in 1,385 Punjab villages

Hoshiarpur: As many as 1,385 villages in Hoshiarpur now enjoy safe drinking water facility,Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said on Tuesday. “Work is in progress at two villages of the district. All villages will have safe drinking water within this financial year. The facility,worth Rs 10.34 crore,was provided to 17 per cent of the villages in 2012-13. Likewise,the Punjab government has fixed a target to provide the facility to 48 villages in 2013-14,” he added.

Haryana teachers go on day-long strike

Hisar: Haryana Agricultural University teachers Tuesday went on a day-long strike demanding promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme of the Sixth Pay Commission and accused the government of having an “indifferent attitude” towards their long pending grievances.

1,200 school children honoured in Sonepat

Sonepat: As many as 1,200 rural school children from eight blocks of Sonepat district were honoured for clearing a competitive exam organised by Grameen Pratibha Vikas Samiti at Gohana Mandi. Satish Raj Deshwal,Chairman of the Samiti said the meritorious students were awarded with various prizes including laptops,bicycles,fans,emergency lights,ironing machines.

51,000 identified for housing scheme

Chandigarh: Haryana government has identified 51,000 beneficiary families from rural areas who will be provided financial aid under Priyadarshini Awaas Yojana to construct ‘pucca houses’,an official said Tuesday. The beneficiaries will get financial assistance of Rs 90,100 to Rs 80,000 for construction of the house and Rs 9,100 for construction of sanitary latrine,he said.

Haryana approves Rs 329 cr for EWS houses

Chandigarh: Haryana government has approved Rs 329 crore for construction of 8,799 houses for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society at different locations in the state. The state Housing Board has already called for registration of 10,215 eligible applicants as part of project for construction of 50,000 houses in urban areas,an official said Tuesday.

Cops appeal to people to file pleas under RTI

Chandigarh: In a move to check delays in providing information under Right to Information (RTI) Act,Haryana Police has urged people to address applications to the SPIO-cum-DSP (headquarters) of the district concerned. All DSPs (headquarters) and district SPs are working as State Public Information Officers (SPIOs) and First Appellate Authority respectively,an official said.

No decision on house tax yet: Surjewala

Chandigarh: Haryana government Tuesday said a three-member committee is currently studying various aspects of simplifying house tax rates,but no decision has been taken yet on the issue. Haryana Public Work (Buildings and Roads) minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said the committee constituted under his chairmanship has received views of different organisations and was meeting delegations with regard to house tax.

SC body seeks tax slabs for community

Chandigarh: The National Scheduled Caste Alliance (NSCA) on Tuesday urged the Centre to enhance income tax slabs for the SC community keeping in view their present plight. Paramjit Singh Kainth,president of NSCA,urged the government to hike the income tax slab from the current Rs 2 lakh per annum to Rs 5 lakh.

Haryana introduces adolescent girls award

Chandigarh: To encourage rural adolescent girls to pursue higher education,the Haryana government has introduced Adolescent Girls Award Scheme. Under this,awards will be given to six adolescent girls from each block who would bag first,second and third position in their matriculation and senior secondary examinations conducted by Haryana Board of School Education in rural areas.

2 of 3 girls kidnapped from Bhiwani recovered

Chandigarh: The Haryana Police on Tuesday recovered two of the three girls who were kidnapped from Bhiwani allegedly for human trafficking. While the girls were recovered from Rajasthan’s Sarbara village,two men and a woman were arrested. “While developing intelligence inputs,we traced the suspects’ location in Sarbara and raided the place. Two out of the three girls have been recovered,while the third one will also be recovered soon,” Sub-Inspector Sukhbir Singh said.