M A I N   N E W S

4 new districts for HP mooted
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 15— The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today indicated that four new districts might be created out of Shimla, Kangra and Mandi for better administration.

He said a mini-secretariat with rooms for ministers would be constructed at Dharamsala.

Mr Dhumal, talking to newspersons here, said he was in favour of increasing the number of districts to 16 or 17 out of the 12 existing ones as smaller administrative units were easier to manage.

He did not rule out the possibility of reorganising some districts but said it could be done only if people demanded it.

He said the unwieldy districts of Shimla, Mandi and Kangra might be split as the demand had been coming from residents of remote areas of these districts who found it difficult to reach the district headquarters for petty work.

The Chief Minister said by carving out Rampur, Jubbal, Kotkhai and Chopal, a new district might be created out of Shimla. Similarly, a demand for a separate district had been received from Palampur, Nurpur and Dehra in Kangra district. A separate district could be created with the areas of Sundernagar out of Mandi district, he said.

Mr Dhumal said the financial estimates for creating the new districts were being calculated.

The Chief Minister said a mini-secretariat was being constructed at Dharamsala where the government moved annually in winter for a fortnight. This time the government would move on February 1.

He claimed the state was going ahead with its information technology development plan and admissions to Information Technology Institute at Waknaghat in Solan district would be held this year. A software technology park would also come up here this year.

Mr Dhumal said the state would press its demand for appointing some local engineer as chairman-cum-managing director of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation whose selection would be done on Wednesday in Delhi.