Jail managers seek promotions
Nahan, June 24
With the change of guards in Himachal Pradesh, employees of the Department of Prisons have expressed hope that the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal would fulfil their long pending demands.

Supplementing income through diversification
Hamirpur, June 24
Women of Baloh panchayat and surrounding areas have a reason to smile. They are not only supplementing their income by diversification in agriculture, but are also making a name for themselves in the market by selling their products.

Riot of colours at IIAS
Shimla, June 24
Even as the Indian art is being increasingly appreciated and valued at the international level due to the ongoing process of globalisation, the artists are concerned about the abject lack of knowledge about art among the countrymen, particularly the scholars.

Surjeet Singh, a renowned artist from Shimla and Tejinder Kanda from Delhi, during the five-day national painting workshop held in Shimla — Photos by S. Chandan

Cement Plant
Villagers fear displacement
Pollution will render 759 farmers landless, 361 homeless
Sundernagar, June 24
The state government’s claim that “it would not acquire agriculture land for any project in the state” sound hollow here as the controversial 1.7 million capacity Sundernagar cement plant will render over 759 farmers landless and over 361 farmers homeless spreading in nine villages as and when the plant is set up near here.

BJP govt failed to curb prices: HPCC
Chamba, June 24
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has reproached the ruling BJP’s failure in the state for curbing the mounting prices. Talking to mediapersons here at the local Circuit House on Sunday, HPCC president Viplove Thakur said: “Withdrawing its support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre by the Mayavati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had no effect on the UPA-led government and it would survive till its full term of five years.”

Lavish spread at Gaiety
June 24, Shimla
It might not be back to the good old days of the British grandeur and ballroom dancing, but there is a lot to look up to at the refurbished Amateur Dramatics Club (ADC) at the historic Gaiety Theatre, which is all set to enliven everyone with its dance parties, food festivals and theatrical activities.

shimla diary Hirani gets a ‘jaddu ki jhappi’ Shimla, June 24 Noted Hindi film director, Rajkumar Hirani has been honoured by the All-India Artists Association with its “People’s National Award” at the 53rd All-India Drama and Dance Competition held here at the Kali Bari Hall. An artist performing a traditional dance during the 53rd All-India Dance and Drama competition organised by the All-India Artists Association at Kali Bari hall in Shimla on Monday. — Photo by S. Chandan

Now scouting activities in private schools Hamirpur, June 24 Hamirpur district unit of Bharat scouts and guides has taken an initiative to enroll students from the private schools as scouts and guides. A scout trainer and school principal of Him Academy Public School interacting with the scouts on the school campus. — Photo by the writer

Education board detect 4,266 copying cases
Dharamsala, June 24
The education board authorities have detected 4,266 cases of copying in the board examinations conducted this year. However, an interesting data in this was that out of the caught students, 322 were later found to be innocent.

Unique hobby of collecting currency notes Nurpur, June 24 Promod Jain, an assistant engineer in the irrigation-cum-public health department, who died a few months back, had a unique hobby of collecting currency notes with particular serial numbers ending with digits 786. Collection of currency notes ending with the same digits — Photo by Rajeev Mahajan

Man on a mission
Nurpur, June 24
68-year-old Ballav Dass Churasama, who hails from Baroda in Gujarat, has been spreading a message of national unity, peace and tranquility by travelling on foot. On way to Amarnath, taking a halt at Kotla, Churasama said he started his journey in July 2003 from Baroda and had so far visited 27 states covering 47,300 kilometers.

CITIZEN FIRST
Khajjiar changed beyond recognition
I was in Khajjiar near Dalhousie recently and was shocked to see how the place had changed over the years. Till a few years back, the tourist spot was a saucer-shaped meadow, surrounded with lush green deodar trees with a small lake.