M A I N   N E W S

5 labourers buried alive
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 31 — Five Bihari labourers were buried alive and six others were injured when a portion of hillock above a cluster of jhuggis in Sector 5 of Parwanoo township gave way this morning. The victims hailed from Champaran district of Bihar and were in their twenties. They were: Umesh, Moharrah, Nagina, Salah-ud-Din and Ishwar Chand.

The injured have been identified as Hanif, Sudhir, Promila, Sonu, Puja and Aarti. Hanif who was buried up to the neck cried for help. He and the five deceased lived in the same shack while other five, all members of a family, lived in the adjoining shack when Hanif cried for help, other jhuggi dwellers were alerted.

The Additional District Magistrate, Mr G. C. Kalgotra, said the jhuggi dwellers had been asked to vacate the place after a heavy spell of rain between July 15 to 19 last. Engineers had declared the area unsafe for habitation, he added.

An eye witness said small chunks of debris from the hillock had started falling at 7 a.m. while many jhuggi occupants noticed this, none thought of leaving. The hillock is almost bereft of trees. Nearly 500 persons lived in the jhuggis.

Rain claims 31 lives

LUCKNOW, Aug 31 (PTI) — Thirty-one persons were killed in house collapses and landslides triggered by heavy rain in UP in the past two days, raising the death toll this monsoon to 226. Six rain-related deaths took place in Kaushambhi, five each in Shahjehanpur and Rae Bareli, four each in Pratapgarh, Hardwar and Lucknow, two in Kheri and one in Moradabad during the past two days, officials said.

Vishnu Bhagwan new Haryana Chief Secy
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 31 — Mr Vishnu Bhagwan will be the new Chief Secretary of Haryana. He replaces Mr Ram Sahai Varma, who retired today on superannuation.

Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, who belongs to the 1965 batch of the IAS, was earlier Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. His place as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister will be taken by Mr Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi, an IAS officer of the 1971 batch currently posted in New Delhi as Liaison Commissioner, Industries.

Haryana has two more IAS officers of the 1964 batch at present on deputation with the Union Government. They are Mrs Kiran Aggarwal and Mr Surinder Kumar Sharma. Another officer, who belongs to the 1965 batch, Mr Ashok Pahwa, is also on deputation with the Centre.

According to an order issued by the state government, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan will be the Chief Secretary and Secretary, Protocol, Hospitality, Training, Grievances and Vigilance. He will also look after Plan Coordination and will be a Financial Commissioner.