Briefly State

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare minister Azam Khan on Sunday said curtailment of Haj pilgrims’ quota of Uttar Pradesh could lead to “law and order problem” in the state. Azam,who is also Haj minister in the state,said that the Haj Committee of India should ensure that quota of UP was not affected following Saudi Arabian government’s directive to reduce quota of Haj pilgrims by 20 per cent. Instead of curtailing quota the central committee should request the Union government to exert pressure on the Saudi government to follow the agreement between the two countries,the minister said in a statement.

Monsoon patrol to begin at Dudhwa

lakhimpur: Special preparations have been made by Dudhwa Tiger Reserve authorities to protect wild animals from monsoon and poachers,who take advantage of these weather conditions. Field Director Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Shailesh Prasad said that after a hectic visit to the reserve and serious discussions with field staff,sensitive areas of the same have been identified with enforcement of monsoon patrolling strategy. He said that 49 patrolling teams have been formed,which will patrol the entire reserve areas on elephants.