The Tribune...Himachal

H I M A C H A L
P R A D E S H

Sunday, July 19, 1998

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Is arrested man a serial
killer?
PALAMPUR, July 18 — The Kangra police has detained a person on the suspicion of his being a serial killer and sought the help of Delhi Police for his identification...

Mobike expedition to Khardung La
KULU, July 18 — The first-ever biggest peace expedition on motor cycles halted here on Thursday and left for Keylong in Lahaul yesterday...

HVC plea to HP CM
KANGRA, July 18 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) yesterday demanded that the Himachal Government headed by Prof P.K. Dhumal should take HVC chief Sukh Ram into confidence while deciding policy decisions...

CM to review Kangra's progress
SHIMLA, July 18 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today promised he would frequently visit Kangra district to meet the people and listen to their grievances besides taking stock of the progress of various ongoing projects in the area ...

CM to review Kangra's progress
Tribune News Service
SHIMLA, July 18 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today promised he would frequently visit Kangra district to meet the people and listen to their grievances besides taking stock of the progress of various ongoing projects in the area as this district constituted one-fourth of the entire state.
During his visits to the district he would stay in subdivisional and tehsil headquarters so that people could meet him there and were not put to the unnecessary inconvenience of coming to Dharamsala for minor works. At Dharamsala, he would stay in the Circuit House or rest house to meet the people of the adjoining area, he said.
During the past four months, he had visited Kangra district for about 15 days and stayed at Dehra, Palampur, Jawalamukhi, Nurpur and Dharamsala.
Some Congress leaders and 'vested interests' were trying to make issue out of non-issues with some 'ulterior motives', he said and added that this was not going to cut much ice as people of the state were well aware of the factual position.
The Chief Minister, who was reacting to the controversy that has arisen following his move to revert Kashmir House to the HPTDC, said the decision was taken in the larger interests of the state as the decision of the previous Congress government to make it into Himachal Bhavan for the stay of the Chief Minister was nothing but a 'fraud and deception',
A burden of about Rs 17 lakh was annually put on the state exchequer, and Rs 50 lakh had already been spent on the maintenance, among other things, of Kashmir House during the past three years. Besides, the HPTDC had also been deprived of income of about Rs 10 lakh, which it was earning annually.

Is arrested man a serial killer?
PALAMPUR, July 18 (PTI) — The Kangra police has detained a person on the suspicion of his being a serial killer and sought the help of Delhi Police for his identification.
According to the police, one Vijay Giri, who claims to be a sadhu, was held at Dharamsala following complaints from residents who found him resembling the serial killer charged with 25 murders, mostly of foreigners, after they saw an episode, "Most wanted criminals of India", telecast by a private TV channel this week.
The residents frantically contacted senior police officials and confirmed having seen him. The police immediately swung into action and special teams fanned across the town.
Giri and his Italian wife Morsella Ydnia were rounded up at Tikka Gambra, a suburb of Dharamsala, the police said.
Giri, however, did not respond to the police inquiries, maintaining he had taken a vow of silence, they said.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr K.C. Shadyal, said the Delhi police had been contacted and a police party was likely to reach Dharamsala soon for his identification.

Mobike expedition to Khardung La
From Our Correspondent
KULU, July 18 — The first-ever biggest peace expedition on motor cycles halted here on Thursday and left for Keylong in Lahaul yesterday.
The expedition, organised by the Volplane Adventure Club, Ludhiana, was flagged off by Mr Arun Goel, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, on July 14.
The 16-member team will cover 2,000 km and reach Khardung La Pass in Jammu and Kashmir after driving on the world's highest motorable road.
Capt Sanjeev Kumar and Capt Rajesh Wadhwa, leading the team, said they got a very good response from the people who joined them in distributing hand bills carrying the message of peace and national integration.
They said the team would reach Ludhiana on July 26.

HVC plea to HP CM
From Our Correspondent
KANGRA, July 18 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) yesterday demanded that the Himachal Government headed by Prof P.K. Dhumal should take HVC chief Sukh Ram into confidence while deciding policy decisions.
The demand was made by Ms Veena Sharma, state HVC chief (Women's wing) at a press conference here yesterday. She said Mr Sukh Ram was the coalition partner of the government.
She also demanded that the BJP should allow the HVC to contest the Baijnath Assembly seat, which fell vacant due to the death of Mr Sant Ram, in lieu of the HVC's withdrawal from the Pragpur byelection.
She claimed that Ms Vinod Chandel of the Doon constituency along with her 13,500 supporters joined the HVC besides the vice-president of the Sirmour zila parishad of the Congress, Rameshwari Devi, and Tara Chowhan block president Raj Garh besides 2500 women workers of the BJP and the Congress joined the HVC in Bilaspur led by Ms Suman of Ghumarwin.
She also criticised Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav of the SP and Mr Laloo Prasad of the RJD for stalling the introduction of Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. They were dividing women, on religion and population, and casteist lines. She blamed the Congress for adopting double standards with regard to the Women's Reservation Bill.