M A I N   N E W S

HP shifts 7 IAS officers
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — In a minor reshuffle, the Himachal Government today shifted seven IAS officers. Mr Sanjay Gupta, DC, Lahaul and Spiti, has been posted as Director of Youth Services and Sports.

Mr J.P. Singh, DC, Kinnaur, takes over as DC, Kulu, vice Mr Ashwani Kapoor. Mr Kishan Singh Narang, Labour Commissioner-cum-Director of Employment, has been posted as Director Vigilance-cum-Special Secretary, Vigilance and Home. Mr A.V.P. Adithela, Director, Urban Development, will hold the additional charge of Labour Commissioner-cum-Director of Employment, Mr Onkar Chand Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, will be the new DC of Lahaul and Spiti.

Mr Bharat Khera, Additional DC, Shimla, takes over as DC, Kinnaur. Mr Tarun Kapoor, Director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, will hold the additional charge of Director, Town and Country Planning.

Centre invites Hizb for talks

NEW DELHI, July 28 (PTI) — In a significant development, the government tonight asked the Pakistan-based militant outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, which has announced a unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, to come overground for talks with the Centre in a bid to bring back normalcy in the state,

The government’s offer to the militants came at a high-level meeting presided over by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, which deliberated over the offer of peace talks made by the Hizb.

An official statement released after the meeting said, “The Government of India has already welcomed the move towards peace made by senior Hizbul Mujahideen leader Abdul Majid Dar.....The government will like to invite all militant groups and political leaders to come forward to restore peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir”.

The high-level meeting was attended by the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen V.P. Malik and the Home Secretary, Mr Kamal Pande.

The government’s overture came two days after Mr Vajpayee welcomed the announcement of ceasefire by the militant outfit and said the Centre was willing to talk to anybody within the framework of the Indian Constitution.

Welcoming the peace move made by Hizbul Mujahideen’s self-proclaimed chief commander in J & K Abdul Majid Dar on July 24, the statement said, “The government has also taken cognizance of the support extended to the peace initiative by the people of Kashmir.”