H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Snow in Kinnaur and Dalhousie; lakes freeze
Shimla, November 18
The entire tribal belt comprising Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi and Bharmaur continue to reel under intense cold wave conditions even as the middle and lower hills had some relief from rain and sleet.

Plea against CM in land scams dismissed
Shimla, November 18
The HP High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Mr Baldev Sharma, spokesman of the state unit of the BJP, urging the court to direct the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the CBI to expedite the investigations into the land scams allegedly committed by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and his family.

298 join ITBP after passing-out parade
Kulu, November 18
The ITBP inducted 298 jawans in the force as these recruits were taken as constables after an impressive passing-out parade yesterday at the ad hoc Training Centre at Babeli near here. Mr SC Nayar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Himachal Pradesh inspected the parade and took the salute.

India urged to help free Tibet
Hamirpur, November 18
The Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society has demanded an early solution of Tibet problem. The society urged the Indian government to take steps to stop China from do further aggression in the Chinese occupied Tibet. The Himachal Pradesh unit of the society here on Sunday elected Mr Kamal Kant Minocha as new State President.

Protest by unemployed trained teachers
Nurpur, November 18
The Himachal Pradesh Unemployed Trained Graduates Teachers Association organised a silent procession in town in protest against the interviews of parateachers held at subdivisional level.

3 die in accidents
Kangra, November 18
Three persons were killed and one person received injuries in two accidents in the subdivision last evening, the police said here today.

• One convicted for outraging modesty

• Govt gets notice over helipad

• Bus falls into gorge, 11 hurt

Snow in Kinnaur and Dalhousie; lakes freeze

Shimla, November 18
The entire tribal belt comprising Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi and Bharmaur continue to reel under intense cold wave conditions even as the middle and lower hills had some relief from rain and sleet.

The higher reaches in the tribal areas had another spell of moderate snowfall last night, causing further fall in the minimum temperature.

The tribal valley of Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi had freezing cold wave conditions as minimum temperature stayed between -7°C to -10°C.

The tribal valleys were cut off from the rest of the state by road due to the closure of passes following snowfall. All natural lakes in high altitude areas, including Mani Mahesh, Sjraj Tal, Chandera Tal and Noko and 30-km stretch of Chandra-Bhaga river were frozen.

Meanwhile, some officials and three journalists who were stranded in land locked Dodra-Kwar area of Shimla district were evacuated as weather cleared partially to facilitate helicopter flight.

All persons stranded between Rohtang and Marhi in Kulu district have been brought to Mandi, official sources said.

The maximum temperature at Bhuntar in Kulu district was 18°C, while the minimum went down to 4.4°C. The maximum in Sundernagar in Mandi district was 22.1°C and minimum was 6.6°C.

Srinagar: Mobile phone services in the Kashmir valley have been cut off since last night owing to a technical snag in the system caused by incessant rains, snowfall in some areas and shortage in electricity supply, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd said here today.

Dalhousie: The town had the first snowfall on Tuesday, which is attracting tourists from the plains, according to official reports.

The Saach Pass, situated at an altitude of 4,390 metres in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, has been closed following the season’s first heavy snowfall. Reports said it would remain closed till May.

Plea against CM in land scams dismissed
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, November 18
The HP High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Mr Baldev Sharma, spokesman of the state unit of the BJP, urging the court to direct the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and the CBI to expedite the investigations into the land scams allegedly committed by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and his family.

While dismissing the petition, a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr V.K. Gupta, and Mr Justice K.C. Sood observed that the petitioner had sought basic and primarily relief against the CVC with respect to the alleged acts of omission and commission on the part of Mr Virbhadra Singh.

The court further observed that being the Chief Minister of the state the alleged acts committed by Mr Virbhadra Singh did not come under the domain and purview of the CVC

The petitioner had alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh and members of his family had violated various land reform Acts in connivance with state government officials, causing loss worth crores to the state exchequer.

He had further alleged that the relevant revenue records were destroyed during the earlier tenure of Mr Virbhadra Singh as the Chief Minister.

298 join ITBP after passing-out parade
Our Correspondent

Kulu, November 18
The ITBP inducted 298 jawans in the force as these recruits were taken as constables after an impressive passing-out parade yesterday at the ad hoc Training Centre at Babeli near here. Mr SC Nayar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Himachal Pradesh inspected the parade and took the salute.

Mr Nirbal Singh, Commanding Officer, 4 Battalion ITBP said that the ITBP was guarding the 2115-km-long Himalayan borders of the country and performing counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He further said that its five units were deployed in Himachal Pradesh, three on the Indo-China border, one in Chamba district and one as border reserve battalion.

Mr Nirbhal Singh added that ITBP officers and jawans were undergoing the disaster management training and after the completion of the training they would be inducted in North India including Himachal Pradesh.

A demonstration on disaster management was also shown during the passing out parade function.

India urged to help free Tibet
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, November 18
The Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society has demanded an early solution of Tibet problem. The society urged the Indian government to take steps to stop China from do further aggression in the Chinese occupied Tibet. The Himachal Pradesh unit of the society here on Sunday elected Mr Kamal Kant Minocha as new State President. The meeting was also attended by Dolma Geiri, Vice-Chairman of the Tibetan Assembly in exile. Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister was chief guest on the occasion.

Mrs Geiri said that all countries should work for getting Tibet freed from China’s control. National Convener of the society, Dr Kuldip Agnihotri blamed the then their Indian Government-led by Jawahar Lal Nehru for the 1962 Indo-Chinese war and attack of China on Tibet. It was due to wrong policies of the then Indian government that Tibet was still under the captivity of China, he added.

Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, said that the Himalaya was not safe without solving the Tibetan problem for ever. He sought the World pressure on China for handing over Tibet to Tibetans.

Protest by unemployed trained teachers
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, November 18
The Himachal Pradesh Unemployed Trained Graduates Teachers (TGTs) Association organised a silent procession in town in protest against the interviews of parateachers held at subdivisional level.

Later, a delegation of the association submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh through the SDM here, alleging that parateachers’ recruitment policy of the government had been promoting regionalism and earmarking 10 marks to the candidate at subdivisional level was unfair to the decried candidates.

The association has also deceived filling of vacant posts through regular postings a few hours before or after conducting interviews and termed it a ‘joke’ on the unemployed teachers.

The association gave an ultimatum of 15 days to the state government to repeal the present system of conducting interviews of the TGT candidates and enforce the recruitment system batchwise and through the State Public Service Commission.

The association threatened to launch a statewide stir if anti-teacher policy was not modified by the government.

3 die in accidents

Kangra, November 18
Three persons were killed and one person received injuries in two accidents in the subdivision last evening, the police said here today.

In another accident Mr Zaidi said that two persons Vijay Kumar resident of Dehan village and Chitoo died on the spot when their scooter (HP 40 1570) overturned at Tangh village last evening. Vijay Kumar was driving the scooter and the Chitoo was the pillion seat when the accident took place. — OC

One convicted for outraging modesty
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, November 18
Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, Dharam Chand Chaudhry convicted and sentenced Gaddi, alias Mahinder Singh of Bohni village to undergo two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 3000 under Section 363 of the IPC for kidnapping a four-year-old of the same village. The judge also sentenced him to one year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2000 under Section 354 of the IPC for outraging the modesty of the child. Both sentences would run concurrently. The amount of fine if realised should be paid to the victim as compensation, the judge ordered. The judge, however, acquitted the convict of the charge under Sections 376, 511 and 506 of the IPC.

Govt gets notice over helipad
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 18
The Satrundi helipad located on the border of Chamba and Doda districts, completed at a cost of Rs 45 lakh is still awaiting inauguration.

But surprisingly, it has not been accorded technical clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The ministry have already issued notice to the state government in this regard.

According to authoritative sources, the project cannot be inaugurated and commissioned unless it gets clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Bus falls into gorge, 11 hurt
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, November 18
A private bus of New Valley View Company (HP 39-7550) fell into 40 feet deep gorge at Khazian near here this afternoon. Eleven passengers out of five were injured seriously in this mishap. The seriously injured passengers were admitted in the local civil hospital. The driver and conductor of the bus are absconding.

According to the police the bus was bound for Pathankot from Sujanpur Tira.