M A I N   N E W S

Kanwar Durga Chand dead
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 18 — Kanwar Durga Chand, a veteran politician and former Power Minister, died after a protracted illness at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here today. He was 80 and unmarried.

His body is being taken to his native village of Vijapur in Kangra district. The cremation will take place tomorrow with full state honours. A longtime activist of the RSS, Mr Durga Chand started his political career by joining the Jan Sangh in 1951. He was elected to the state Assembly from the Sulah seat in 1967 and 1972 and won the Kangra Lok Sabha seat in 1977 as a Janata Party candidate. Subsequently, he joined Lok Dal (Charan Singh). He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha from the Thural seat in 1990 on the Janata Dal ticket and in 1993 as Congress candidate. He was made Minister of State for Power months before the last Assembly poll.

Expressing sorrow over his demise, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, said that he was a simple and honest politician whose services would be remembered by the people of the state for long. The Union Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, also mourned the death of Mr Durga Chand.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Leader of the Congress Legislative Party, Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief, and other Congress leaders, including Mr Kaul Singh, Mrs Viplove Thakur, Mrs Vidya Stokes and Mrs Asha Kumari, expressed sorrow and appreciated his services to the state.