State to press arhtiyas to cap interest rate at 16%

Chandigarh : The state government plans to press private moneylenders, mainly arhtiyas (commission agents), to limit the rate of interest they can charge from farmers seeking crop loans at around 16 per cent. As of now, the rate of interest charged by these arhtiyas is 18 per cent. Recent studies have shown that over 20 […]

Swine flu claims 48 lives in two months, Health Dept alarmed

Chandigarh : The viral disease H1N1 (swine flu) has claimed 48 lives in the last two months in the state. Health Minister Brahm Mohindra has called it “a serious situation”. The first case of swine flu was reported in July and since then, 193 confirmed cases have been reported. The maximum deaths have been reported from […]

One survey on drugs not enough, says PGI expert

Chandigarh : As political storm brews over the latest survey on the drug menace, Dr Ajit Avasthi, head of the psychiatry department at the PGIMER, has said more studies are required to check the prevalence of addiction in the state. “One study is not enough and cannot give the final verdict on the prevalence of […]

NGT summons records on felling of trees along canal

Chandigarh : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has summoned the records on the controversial felling of 24,000 fully grown eucalyptus, ‘sheesham’ and ‘keekar’ trees under a project to widen the 800-km-long Bist-Doab canal during the SAD-BJP rule. Taking up the petition filed by Delhi resident Nishant Kumar Alag, a Double Bench of the NGT has […]

Gurugram murder sets alarm bells ringing in city

Chandigarh : The murder of a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School in Gurugram has set alarm bells ringing in the city. Taking a serious note of the incident, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has sought a detailed report on the safety measures being undertaken by private and government schools in […]