R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Phagwara
Liquor shops open on Dry Day: In violation of the state government’s declaration of the Independence Day as a Dry Day, liquor was allegedly being sold throughout the day. Several liquor vends were open.

CHANDIGARH

50-year-old electrocuted: A 50-year-old man was electrocuted in Colony No. 4 here on Monday night. Sahir Husain died after he accidentally touched a live wire. He died on the spot. The police has ruled out any foul play behind the incident and has initiated inquest proceeding.

HARYANA

Sirsa
Jail inmate commits suicide:An undertrial committed suicide by hanging himself in the District Jail here this morning. The jail authorities found Ramesh, a resident of Kelnian village, hanging near the toilets in the morning. Ramesh had used a scarf to strangulate himself to death.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
US Senator calls on Governor : US Senator John McCain met Governor N. N. Vohra at Raj Bhawan here on Tuesday. Senator McCain and the Governor exchanged views on various important issues of mutual interest. The Governor hosted a lunch for the Senator and other members of the US delegation, which comprised Christian Brose, Foreign Policy Adviser; Vance Serchuk, Foreign Policy Adviser, HSGAC; and Lt Lawrence Heyworth, USN, Military Escort.

DEHRADUN

Uttarkashi Butter Festival: Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva has sent greetings to the organisers of the Butter Festival of Dayara Bugyal in Uttarkashi which is to be held on August 17. The festival is being organised by the Dayara Paryatan Utsav Samiti of Raithal village in collaboration with the state government. In her message to the festival organisers, Alva said the festival was deeply linked to the conservation of ecology and was a symbol of the rich cultural and religious heritage of the state. The Governor has provided financial support to the festival from the Governor’s Discretionary Fund. 

Convocation on Aug 17: Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natrajan will attend the convocation of the Indian Forest Service Probationers (2009-11) Course at the Indian Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, on August 17. Director-General, Forests, the Special Secretary, Dr PJ Dilip Kumar, and the Secretary to the Union Government, Dr T Chatterjee, will also be present.

Kumaon Briefs

Students at the Independence Day celebrations at The Heritage School in Dehradun on Monday.A Tribune photograph

Shammi Kapoor’s death mourned
The Herakhan Temple Trust has mourned the death of Shammi Kapoor. “He had come to the temple with his sister-in-law Leela Kapoor in 1969 during the shooting of “Dil De Ke Dekho”. And since then, he had been associated with the trust. He also solemnised the marriage of his son in the temple in 1980,” said Trilok Singh, in charge of the trust.

Protests in Anna’s support
Protests were organised in the Kumaon region in support of Anna Hazare. According to reports from across the region, workers of various organisations staged dharnas to extend their support to Anna Hazare. In Nainital, workers of the Kumaon Lok Kalyan Samiti and the Khatima Jan Lok Pal Samiti staged dharnas. UKD workers also held demonstrations at Pithoragarh and Tanakpur while the Peoples’ Union of Civil Liberties staged a demonstration at Bageshwar and Almora. Teachers of Pantnagar Agriculture University also held a dharna to extend their support to the campaign launched by Anna Hazare at Pantanagar.

Two killed in mishap
Two persons were killed while one was seriously injured when they were allegedly mowed down by a car on the Rudrapur- New Delhi highway on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Lakhwinder Singh (16) and Mitlesh ( 45). The injured, Kuldip Singh, has been admitted to a Jaspur hospital.

Nine pilgrims unfit to travel further
Nine pilgrims of the 12th batch of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra have been found unfit to travel beyond Gunji. They were examined by doctors of the ITBP. “These pilgrims, mostly from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, will be sent back with the 10th batch,” said Bacchi Ram Arya, yatra officer of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam.

Nanda Devi festival from Sept 2
The annual Nanda Devi festival will begin from September 2 in Nainital. “We have constituted 25 committees for preparations for the festival,” said Yashpal Singh Rawat, an organiser of the festival. A similar festival will also be held at Almora in the first week of September.

(Compiled by BD Kasniyal)