Vajpayee’s ashes immersed
An urn, containing the ashes of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was immersed in the Brahmaputra on Thursday. Three similar urns were immersed in Dhubri, Silchar and Dibrugarh. Hundreds of people paid their homage to the departed leader at a programme on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati. After the urn’s arrival in the city on Wednesday, it was taken to the BJP state head office in a procession. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Vajpayee was a world leader who had won the hearts of people from all walks of life.
Schoolgirl’s help to Kerala
A Class III girl in Guwahati donated her piggy bank savings in aid of the victims. The nine-year-old, Rishita Pathak, donated `1,127 through a demand draft. Her father said she had been saving the money for the past one year.
Viral disease scare at Guwahati zoo
The Assam State Zoo is in the grip of canine distemper virus. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the officials to vaccinate all vulnerable animals. Eight jackals died of canine distemper in last two weeks.
Hit-and-run case: Ex-judge’s son surrenders
Five days after a hit-and-run case, the son of a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court surrendered before the police on Sunday. The car of Abinash Sharma allegedly hit a pedestrian on the night of August 14 in Maligaon area. The pedestrian, Ganesh Rao, had died in the mishap. He was an employee of the Indian Railways. Sharma surrendered following a public outrage over the incident. Earlier, the police had issued summons to Sharma to give up by Monday.
Unhygienic conditions: Restaurants face heat
Kasturi, a popular food joint in Guwahati which specialises in Bangladeshi fish delicacies, has been shut down for a week. The restaurant was penalised by the authorities for not maintaining hygiene. A food safety team found food being stored and prepared in unhygienic conditions. The inspection was after complaints by some customers, who raised questions on hygiene. Another eatery, Quick Pick Restaurant, was also closed down for seven days based on the complaint of a customer who spotted traces of a cockroach in food. The order for its closure was issued after a food safety team had carried out an inspection.
Daily wage earner saves precious lives
A daily wage earner in Guwahati has hit the limelight after he single-handedly saved six people from getting drowned in the Brahmaputra. Nine people were returning home on Monday when their boat capsized at Panikhaiti on the outskirts of Guwahati. On hearing the screams of people, Jiten Namasudra, the daily wage earner, jumped into the river. After a lot of efforts, he rescued the six people, including two children. The police said they would felicitate the daily wage earner.