R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

DORAHA
Foundation Day: Green Grove Public School celebrated its 17th Foundation Day with enthusiasm on Monday. The day was dedicated to Late Prahlad Singh, the trustee of the school. JPS Jolly, president of the school, presided over the function. Chairperson Satinderjeet Kaur Jolly was also present along with committee members. The programme started with “Shabad Kirtan” by students followed by “Ardas” to invoke God’s blessings. Ramneek, Karaanveer, Navpreet and Jaskiran enunciated their journey with the school.

CHANDIGARH

Zirakpur
Checks conducted at hotels: To keep an eye on anti-social elements, the Zirakpur police today laid special nakas and conducted checks at hotels, PGs and slum areas ahead of the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab at the PCA stadium tomorrow. A team led by Zirakpur SHO Yogi Raj carried out a search operation in hotels and restaurants here. Owners of the hotels were asked to maintain a record of each and every visitor. Nakas were laid near Paras Down Town Square, Kalka T-point, Patiala-Zirakpur light point and Harmilap Nagar, besides other spots.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
Office-bearers elected: The Himachal Pradesh State Veterinary Class One Services Pensioners Welfare Association unanimously elected Dr SD Sharma (Shimla) as its president, Dr Hargopal Kapoor (Mandi) as vice-president, Dr RP Sobti (Solan) as general secretary and Dr Gopal Dass Bhardwaj (Solan) as treasurer in the general house held here on Monday.

DEHRADUN

DEHRADUN
Snow in higher reaches, rain in plain areas: Snow in higher reaches and rain in plain areas brought the temperature down by 4 degrees in Dehradun and nearby areas here on Tuesday. Light showers continued throughout the day accompanied by thunder, forcing people to remain indoors. Anand Sharma, Director, Dehradun Meteorological Office, stated, “Today Dehradun received rainfall of 4.9 mim, while Mukteshwar received 7.9 mm, the highest in Uttarakhand. Also, the higher belts of Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts received snowfall”. Sharma forecast that the sky will become clearer from Wednesday, while a few areas in the plains might receive minimal showers of rain on Wednesday.
Two girls walk on a road as rain lashes Dehradun on Tuesday morning.  A Tribune photograph

Governor extends Baisakhi greetings: Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva has greeted the people of Uttarakhand and the country on the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi. In a message on the eve of the festival, the Governor has said: “I extend my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to all residents of the state, especially those associated with agricultural activities. May this harvest festival spread the message of prosperity and peace to all our people”.

Kumaon Briefs
2 groups clash for control over gurdwara: Ramnagar town witnessed violence on Monday as two groups clashed over the issue of control over a gurdwara at Bandarjuda nearby. Former Mahant Ravisher Singh, alias Tarlochan Singh, alias Locha, and his supporters were prevented from taking control over the gurdwara by residents of the village. Locha and his five supporters were badly injured in the clash and taken to hospitals in Ramnagar and Haldwani for treatment. Locha had been arrested in May last year by a team of the Punjab Police from Mansa. Besides there being allegations of his being an activist of the Bhindrawale Tiger Force, Locha had been arrested in connection with the Lily murder case of Mansa in Punjab. Lily Kumar, a follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, had been murdered in Mansa in 2009. The murder had created a sensation in Punjab given the ongoing Sikh-Dera row. Heavy police deployment has been ordered at the gurdwara at Bandarjuda.

Body recovered from Naini Lake: A body was recovered from the Naini Lake in Nainital early Tuesday morning. The deceased is learnt to be a young man in his early 20s. It is learnt that the youngster had jumped into the lake early Tuesday morning from the Thandi Sadak end. His body had surfaced near the Pashan Devi temple. A sum of Rs 520 has been recovered from his pocket. The police is trying to establish his identity and ascertain the cause of his death. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. His body has been sent for postmortem.

21 male buffaloes let off by devotees: In a beginning of sorts with regards to doing away with animal sacrifice, 21 male buffaloes were offered to the gods and let off alive by devotees at the Deghat temple during the annual Chaitra Ashtami fair. The administration and certain other groups had carried out a massive awareness drive persuading the masses to stop sacrificing animals at the altar of religious institutions. The drive paid off as 21 of the 29 buffaloes brought for being sacrificed were let off alive after customary rituals.

Decomposed body found: A badly decomposed body was recovered from the Rawainkhal area in Bageshwar district on Sunday evening. The body was buried in mud. It was found when villagers throwing down slabs of wood heard one of the slabs hitting something which was eventually found to be the skull of the deceased. The deceased is learnt to be about 45 years of age. He has not been identified as yet. The police has sent the body for postmortem.

Three shops gutted in fire: Three shops located near the Saryu Bridge in Bageshwar were gutted in a fire on the night intervening Sunday and Monday. The shops were in the business of selling books and stationery, readymade garments and sports goods. The cause of the fire is assumed to be a short circuit. The losses incurred in the fire are being pegged at more than Rs 20 lakh. This is the second major instance of fire in Bageshwar town in the past two months. Earlier, a historical building housing shops was gutted in a fire said to have resulted from a short circuit on February 26. The losses in the incident had been pegged at Rs 40 lakh.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)