Dharamsala, September 30
The first meeting of the standing committee formed for redressing the grievances of Pong Dam oustees has thrown some options for solution to over 40-year-old problem. The meeting was held in Bikaner on September 27 under the chairmanship of the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Rajasthan.

Sources told The Tribune that at the meeting, the Rajasthan government had once again offered about 3,500 muraba land in Bikaner district to the Pong Dam oustees. The land included 2,400 murabas in the Satya Barani area, 600 murabas in the Mohangarh area and about 500 hectares in the Nathana area.

The land is 1,100 murabas more than the land required for the 2501 leftout oustees. However, it is without any proper irrigation facility and is generally arid.

The Pong Dam oustees were, however, demanding land in the canal irrigated area of Ganganagar district. They were alleging that the Supreme Court in an order delivered in 1996 had ordered the allotment of 1,188 muraba land to them in Ganganagar district.

However, most of the land earmarked for the oustees in Ganganagar district had been encroached upon by locals. The Rajasthan government had not mustered courage to dislodge the encroachers in the past 40 years despite the Supreme Court order.

Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, RS Gupta, who participated at the meeting, said: “We also raised the issue of allotment of land in Ganganagar district with Rajasthan counterpart. They have maintained no land is available in Ganganagar district. Non-officio members of the standing committee, however, maintained at the meeting that ample land was available in Ganganagar district that could be allotted to them. The committee then decided to arrange a visit of the affected Pong Dam oustees to Ganganagar district in the next month. The oustees have been asked to suggest the lands that could be allotted to them in the district. The proposal will then come up for discussion before the standing committee in its next meeting.”

Meanwhile, the members of the standing committee from Himachal Pradesh have also urged the Rajasthan government to provide basic facilities like drinking water in the areas being suggested for allotment to the Pong Dam oustees.

The Deputy Commissioner said the chairman of the committee had ordered the officials to work out the viability of providing the basic minimum facility to the Pong Dam oustees.

The members from Himachal also presented before the standing committee 69 points raised by the oustees. The points generally referred to various problems being faced by the oustees who have already settled in Rajasthan.

The Deputy Commissioner also said the files of 1,700 leftout Pong Dam oustees had been handed over to the Rajasthan government for allotment of land. About 801 leftout oustees had yet to complete the formalities in the office of deputy collector, relief, and rehabilitation office, he said.

Dharamsala, September 30
In an interesting development in Aman Kachroo ragging death case, an anonymous letter has landed before the fast court conducting the trial.

The court has asked the prosecution and defence counsels to assist it in reaching a conclusion on the anonymous letter. Special prosecutor Jivan Lal Sharma admitted that they had been asked by the court to give a reply to an anonymous letter.

Sources here told The Tribune that the anonymous letter was that of a low-ranking police officer. In the letter, the police officer had stated that the statement of the girlfriend of Aman Kachroo should also be recorded.

The letter also mentioned about the heart disease of Aman Kachroo that had been the main point of defence in the case.

The court has directed the prosecution and the defence to file reply to the anonymous letter before the next hearing in the case on October 8.

Earlier, the high court cancelled the bail granted to the accused by the fast track court.

The prosecution also produced the CD of the postmortem examination of Aman Kachroo in the court.

Solan, September 30
A minor girl, aged 16, was allegedly raped by a youth Arun Kumar who, along with his two accomplices Sunny and Kamal, abducted the girl and took her to a forest area near Theora village in Ramshehar area of Nalagarh subdivision last evening.

According to Assistant SP Veena Bharti, the girl, who was a student of Class XII at Government Senior Secondary School, Chhachi, had gone to buy some snacks from the school during lunch. She was abducted by Arun and his friends and was taken to a forest area near the village. She was later taken to the vacant house of Kamal where an attempt to rape was made by Arun who remained in the house along with the minor girl till morning.

The door was opened by Kamal’s father who was amazed to find the duo inside. Kamal’s father then took the girl to her parents and they later lodged a complaint of her rape with the police.

The police has registered a case under Sections 363, 376 and 34 of the IPC against the three and Arun had been arrested. The girl’s medical examination had been conducted by the police.

Shimla, September 30
In a reshuffle in the state judiciary, the HP High Court has transferred six District & Sessions judges.

According to a notification issued by the high court, SK Chaudhary, Registrar-General of the high court, will be the new legal adviser in the office of Lokayukta, Shimla. S.C. Kainthla, District & Sessions Judge, Bilaspur, has been transferred to the high court as Registrar. Sureshwar Thakur, president, District Consumer Forum, Shimla, has been transferred as the District & Session Court Judge, Nahan.

Sushil Kukreja, president, District Consumer Forum, Mandi, has been posted as District & Sessions Judge, Bilaspur, while R.L. Azad, legal adviser in the office of Lokayukta, has been posted as president, District Consumer Forum, Shimla.

Rajiv Bhardwaj, Additional District & Sessions Judge, Kangra, at

Dharamshala has been transferred and posted as president, Consumer Forum, Mandi.

Shimla, September 30
The Governor, Urmila Singh, today honoured 26 persons with President, Police, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home-Guard medals and Jeevan Raksha Padaks.

The investiture ceremony was held here today at Raj Bhawan. Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and other senior functionaries were present on the occasion. Atul Verma, Special Secretary, Home, conducted the proceedings of the ceremony.

Jog Raj Thakur, IGP (Training), and Roshan Lal Vashisht, retired ASP (Wireless), were decorated with President Police Medal on Independence Day 2009 and Republic Day 2009, respectively, for their distinguished services. Ashok Sharma, IG (Southern Range), was also decorated with President Police Medal on Republic Day 2010 for the distinguished services.

Anurag Garg, DIG (Vigilance), was decorated with Police Medal on Independence Day 2009 for his meritorious service along with K.G. Kapoor, Additional SP, Una. Inspector Ranbir Singh, Ist IRB, Inspector Hari Nand, CID, Chaman Lal, Sub-Inspector, Bilaspur, Surender Sharma, Additional SP, 3rd IRB, Inspector Narata Ram, Vigilance, and Parshotam Chand, ASI, CID, were other recipients of Police Medal on Republic Day and Independence Day, 2009-10 for their meritorious services.

B.R. Kakkad, ex-DSP (Prison), was awarded Correctional Medal on Republic Day-2009 for his correctional services in prisons. K.K. Panwar, Fire Officer (retd.), was awarded with fire services medal for Independence Day 2006 along with Natho Ram, sub-fire officer, Palampur, Rakesh Kumar, sub-fire officer, Hamirpur, Shambhu Lal, fireman, Shimla, Sohan Singh, sub-fire officer (retd.), Hari Singh Negi, sub-fire officer, Kinnaur, Devinder Singh, fireman, Shimla, were other recipients of Fire Service Medal on Republic Day 2007, 2008, 2009 for their meritorious services.

Ramala Ram, Company Commander (retd.), Shivi Ram, Company Commander (Home Guard), Chamba, Man Chand, Platoon Commander, Kullu, Bhup Chand, Platoon Commander, Kullu, and Sadh Ram, Platoon Commander, Kullu, were awarded Civic Defence and Home Guard Medals on Republic Day 2009 for their meritorious services.

Laik Ram, head constable, Kala Amb, Sirmaur, and Beli Ram, Raon Village, near Sundernagar, were awarded Jeevan Raksha Padak for the bravery shown in saving lives of people during 2009.

Nurpur, September 30
The Himachal Pradesh Congress has taken a strong exception of the new dress code enforced by the state government in the government schools.

State Congress general secretary Ajay Mahajan, while criticising the Dhumal government for ignoring the poor financial condition of the parents of the students studying in the government schools, asserted that forcing the parents to buy black and white canvass shoes in the middle of the ongoing academic session would burden them.

“Probably, the government has taken this decision to replace other shoes keeping in mind the pollution concerns, but it should also think over seeking alternative to polythene-packed items that are daily flooding the hill state from other neighbouring states,” he added.

He rued that earlier, too, the state government had enhanced the VAT rates twice in middle of the financial year, which had also burdened common man in the state.