New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm

These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm HARIDWAR DEL14 UKD-LD-HOOCH Haridwar/Saharanpur: The death toll in the hooch tragedy that hit two adjoining districts in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh has risen to 70 with more people dying of the spurious liquor they drank at a Haridwar village, officials said Saturday. SHIMLA NRG13 HP-LD BUDGET Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur focussed more on the rural population, which constitutes 80 per cent of the state, while presenting a Rs 44,388 crore 'populist' budget for the financial year 2019-20 in the state assembly Saturday. JAIPUR DEL13 RJ- GUJJAR AGITATION Jaipur: Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters continued their sit-in on the rail tracks in Rajasthan's Swai Madhopur district for the second day on Saturday, forcing authorities to cancel three trains and divert one.

CHANDIGARH DES3 HR-BSP-ALLIANCE Chandigarh: The Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday called off its nearly nine-month-old alliance with Haryana's main opposition INLD and announced to forge ties with LSP, an outfit floated by rebel BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini. ALLAHABAD DES8 UP-KUMBH-LD SHAHI SNAN Allahabad, Feb 9 (PTI) All roads led to Sangam city where devotees gathered ahead the third and the final shahi snan on Basant Panchami, falling Sunday, during which more than two crore people are expected to take a holy dip at the Kumbh Mela.

BHADARWAH DES10 JK-SNOW-ORCHARDS Bhadarwah (JK): About 50 per cent fruit orchards were damaged due to recent snowfall in this picturesque valley and adjoining areas in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior government official said on Saturday. JAMMU DES1 JK-HIGHWAY-SNOW Banihal/Jammu: The strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday as efforts were on to restore the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, officials said. PTI ASH ASH.