Two pilgrims killed, 22 injured in road mishap
Rupnagar: Two women pilgrims were killed and 22 others injured, seven of them seriously, in a head on collision between a truck and a mini-truck near Nangal village in Sirsa on Rupnagar-Nangal road. The incident occurred when the mini-truck, carrying pilgrims, was on its way from Delhi to Dera Baba Badbhag Singh in Una district of Himachal Pradesh, police said. The other truck coming from Nangal on way to Rupnagar collided head on with it. The deceased have been identified as Shobha Jain (52) of Uttam Nagar and Raj Rani (70) of Jagat Puri in Delhi, police said. The seriously injured persons were admitted to the PGIMER in Chandigarh. The other injured were admitted to a civil hospital.
Death toll in Theog building mishap reaches 4
Shimla: Death toll in the HRTC building collapse at Theog went up to four, when two bodies were recovered from the debris on Saturday morning. Himachal Transport Minister GS Bali said that two bodies were found from the rubble in morning. The mishap at HRTC bus stand in Theog occurred on Friday when the old building of bus stand caved in after rains on previous day. Two people including a conductor with HRTC, Roshan lal had died on the spot. Six people were injured in the mishap. The state government on Saturday announced to pay ex-gratia to the deceased. After the mishap, state government had ordered magisterial probe in to the mishap.
Nodal agency constitutes in Haryana for SCSP
Chandigarh: Haryana Government has constituted nodal agency under the chairmanship of the Minister, Social Welfare (Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes) for implementation and monitoring of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP). The nodal agency would include as members Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments concerned with SCSP, and Director, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department. Administrative Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department would serve as Member Secretary. This would evaluate and appraise SCSP proposed by the Departments and recommend for sanction by the State Scheduled Castes Development Council such schemes which would confer direct and measurable benefits to Scheduled Castes.
HP govt releases 2% interim relief to staff, pensioners
Shimla: With the sixth Punjab Pay Commission report applicable to Himachal Pradesh employees still awaited, the State Government has decided to grant two per cent interim relief to its employees and pensioners. The interim relief would be paid from August 1, 2017 and over 3.5 lakh employees and pensioners would be benefited to the tune of about Rs 350 crore annually, additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Srikant Baldi said. As Assembly elections are due in the next few months, the government is keen to give sops to employees but since the pay scales of state employees are linked with Punjab and the Punjab pay panel has not submitted its report, the government has released the interim relief which would be absorbed in the revised pay scales.