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Rs 300 cr for OrissaNEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday announced it would provide Rs 300 crore as ex-gratia assistance to Orissa for repai...

Rs 300 cr for Orissa
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday announced it would provide Rs 300 crore as ex-gratia assistance to Orissa for repairing houses and other relief operations in the State’s cyclone-hit areas. Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha gave this assurance to Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang.

Haryana A-G quits
CHANDIGARH: Mohan Jain, Advocate-General of Haryana, has resigned from his post. Jain said here today that he had sent his resignation to Governor Mahabir Prasad last night. He, however, did not state any reason for his resignation. Jain was appointed Advocate-General in place of H S Hooda after the installation of the Chautala Government recently.

UP portfolios
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta on Saturday allocated portfolios among his 91-member ministry, keeping to himself 19 departments including Home, General Administration and Elections. In a departure from convention, the seniormost minister in the Cabinet Harish ChandraSrivastava was entrusted with Finance in view of the financial crisis in the State.

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Brain fever toll 133
HYDERABAD: The toll in the Japanese Encephalitis (brain fever) in Andhra Pradesh rose to 133, with ten more children succumbing to the disease today in various districts. Kurnool district accounted for the maximum of 37 deaths.

Prisoners escape
ETAH: Two prisoners escaped Saturday from the district jail here. Three guards have been suspended in this connection. Jail superintendent Sriram said here the escaped inmates Mahesh Yadav and Raj Kumar were accused in separate cases of murder and violation of the Arms Act. A search has begun for the escapees, he added.

Lahore blast
ISLAMABAD: Six people, including two children, were killed and 15 injured in a powerful bomb blast in a congested locality of Lahore city today. The blast occurred in the morning at a bicycle repair shop in Sottar Mandi bazaar inside Lahore gate and the device was suspected to have been tied to abicycle brought there for repairs, official APP news agency reported. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the blast and local police are investigating.

Soldiers killed
SRINAGAR: Four soldiers who were part of an Army convoy were injured when militants detonated a powerful Improvised Explosive Device at Pattan on Srinagar-Uri highway, while a militant was among three persons killed in the Kashmir Valley since last evening. The vehicle in which the soldiers were travelling was damaged in the blast, an official said.

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Rajasthan blast
JAIPUR: Eleven people, including eight of a family, were killed and four injured in an explosion that brought down half of a haveli at Amwara village in Sawaimadhopur district yesterday, police said today. A team of forensic experts has been sent to ascertain the cause of the explosion, but local people said some hidden explosives lying underground had caught fire, a police report said.