Ridge water tanks being cleaned
SHIMLA, Oct 24 — It is after a period of about 21 years that the water tanks at the Ridge here are being cleaned by the Shimla Municipal Corporation.

Walkout in civic body
SOLAN, Oct 24 — Five Congress members along with an Independent walked out of a meeting of the general house of the local 13-member Municipal Council convened to pass a resolution concerning the allotment of a tender for the setting up of musical fountains here yesterday.

Two acquitted of murder charge
SUNDERNAGAR, Oct 24 — The Sessions Judge, Mandi Division, Mr Kuldeep Chand Sood has acquitted both accused of the charge of murdering Dilip Kumar of Jangelhi of Gohar subdivision.

Probe ordered into certificate scandal
SHIMLA, Oct 24 — A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the "fake" certificate scandal following fast by some students of the Government College, Sanjauli.

One killed in group clash
KANGRA, Oct 24 — A 25-year-old local businessman was murdered on Friday in a clash between a group of pilgrims and certain members of a marriage party in the Gupt Ganga locality in the town.

Pope will be shown due respect: RSS
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 24 — The regional organiser of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and a former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Jitendervir Gupta, has said that the RSS will give due respect to Pope John Paul during his visit to India next month.

Mr Gupta was addressing a large gathering of RSS volunteers who took out a march in the town this afternoon.

He said that there was no question of showing disrespect to the Pope as India had the tradition of holding its guests in high esteem.

He said that the RSS was neither against the Pope nor against Christianity, but against forcible conversions by anyone.

Mr Gupta warned that a systematic campaign was being carried out to defame Hindus and the media had to play a responsible role in highlighting the reality.

He made it clear that everyone had the freedom to follow the religion of his choice, but forcible conversions would be resisted.

The people had rejected the concept of political untouchability which had so far been propagated by the so-called "secular" parties.

During its 75 years of existence, the RSS had grown into the largest voluntary organisation in the world, he claimed. The organisation was banned thrice, but had re-emerged with greater strength.

He expressed satisfaction that nationalism had come to the fore after the conflict between India and Pakistan in Kargil. He appreciated that for the first time the bodies of the soldiers who laid down their lives during the conflict were taken to their native places for cremation.

He pleaded that primary education should be imparted in the mother tongue instead of English. The mushrooming of English schools was a sign of ‘slave mentality’. It was unfortunate that instead of remembering the real freedom fighters, certain elements were still projecting the Nehru family as the foremost in making sacrifices for the country.

Among the prominent RSS volunteers present were Mr Indresh, Mr Bodh Raj Sood and Mr Dev Krishen Negi.

Car parking lot for Shimla
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Oct 24 — The Urban Development Minister, Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, said here today that the Himachal Pradesh Government had decided to construct a computerised car parking lot adjacent to the HPTDC lift connecting Cart Road with The Mall in Shimla.

Mr Kashyap, who was talking to newspersons, said a memorandum of understanding was likely to be signed shortly with a Japanese firm which specialised in such work.

He said the parking lot which would have a capacity of 400 cars at a time, would help ease the parking problem in the state capital. Such parking lots would also be constructed near the IGMC Hospital and Sanjauli after appraisal of the Japanese model.

Replying to a question, the minister said the Japanese firm would provide 100 per cent finance along with complete knowhow while the land would be made available by the Shimla Municipal Corporation. The profits would be shared between the civic body and the Japanese partner.

He said the government would be willing to sanction similar projects for all Himachal towns facing the parking problem provided the civic body concerned was in a position to offer suitable land for the purpose. He directed the local Municipal Council president to offer a piece of land for constructing such a parking lot here.

The Himachal Government proposed to approach the Union Government for a review of the population criterion for upgrading a municipal council to a corporation. The existing norms which were uniformally applied to towns in the plains and hills worked to the determent of the latter category. If the Union Government accepted Himachal's proposal, towns like Solan would be provided with municipal corporations. The main benefit of such a move would be that it would ensure a larger flow of Central funds.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated a "baby train" facility at Jawahar Park.

The Municipal Council president, Dr Rajiv Bindal, said the ‘‘baby train’’ facility was constructed at a cost of Rs 3.3 lakh. The council proposed to install musical fountains in the park shortly. Both projects would enhance the tourist attraction of the town.

Dhumal lays stone of health centre
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Oct 24 — The Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, laid the foundation stone of a Primary Health Centre building here today. He also inaugurated a rest house at Samirpur, his native village, earlier. This is the first rest house in the Bamsan Assembly segment of the district.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a bridge over Kunah Khud at Rangas Kaswa on the Hamirpur-Dharamsala highway last evening. A sum of Rs 1.20 crore would be spent on its construction.

Addressing a public meeting at Rangas, the Chief Minister said a sum of Rs 205 crore was being spent for the construction and upkeep of roads in the state during the current financial year. He said the Centre had declared the Shimla-Kangra national Highway as NH-88 and construction work on it would be started shortly.

The Chief Minister lashed out at the previous Congress government for neglecting development in the Hamirpur district during its regime. He said the dilapidated Rangas Bridge was a clear example of it. He said the new bridge would be completed in one year. He said a sum of Rs 50 lakh would be spent on its construction.

Professor Dhumal justified the shifting of many state-level offices from Shimla. He said it was being done to prevent Shimla from becoming a concrete jungle.

Mr Mohinder Singh, the PWD Minister, claimed that the BJP-HVC combine had succeeded in its mission to make Himachal a modern state of India.

Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, Mrs Urmila Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary and Mr Babu Ram also addressed the function.

People decry power cuts

BILASPUR, Oct 24 — A large number of citizens here has criticised the failure of the Electricity board to maintain regular power supply, the absence of which has been causing harassment to thousands of residents of the town here led by A.K. Sharma, convener Bilaspur Vikas Sabha, 24 prominent citizens and leaders of various organisations and political parties said that power cuts for hours and irregular power supply almost daily had become a common feature and no-body explained the reasons for these repeated power failure nor there was any advance information regarding these powercuts which are causing losses to industrialists traders and others. The leaders said that this was new for Bilaspur town as it never happened earlier here.

Citizens also feel that appointment of Mr A.K. Goswami, chairman state electricity board who also is the Chief Secretary was telling upon the health of electricity board as Mr Goswami hardly has any time to look into affairs of the electricity board. Citizens have urged the Chief Minister who is also in charge of the electricity department to spare time and ensure proper functioning of electricity board or at least ensure regular power supplying Bilaspur town adjoining areas of the district.

Ridge water tanks being cleaned
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 24 — It is after a period of about 21 years that the water tanks at the Ridge here are being cleaned by the Shimla Municipal Corporation.

The actual cleaning of the tanks, which store drinking water for the town, will begin on October 26.

These underground tanks were constructed by the British about 120 years ago.

The tanks were last cleaned in 1978. Drinking water is supplied to the town, including Boiluganj, Kaithu, Kelston, the Mall and U.S. Club areas.

The municipal authorities have no idea of the exact depth of the tanks which are 150 metres long. It is a concrete structure with at least 10 partitions.

One of the inlets dug up by the authorities for the cleaning operations was found to be about 20 feet deep.

Walkout in civic body
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Oct 24 — Five Congress members along with an Independent walked out of a meeting of the general house of the local 13-member Municipal Council convened to pass a resolution concerning the allotment of a tender for the setting up of musical fountains here yesterday.

The six, who staged the walkout, were sore at what they perceived as an irregularity in the placement of the order. The leader of the Congress group, Mr Hem Raj Goyal, told newsmen that two parties had been shortlisted for the work. One of them had quoted a price of Rs 18 lakh whereas the other had quoted a price of Rs 12 lakh. The ruling party group had decided to place the order with the party which had quoted the higher price.

Two acquitted of murder charge
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, Oct 24 — The Sessions Judge, Mandi Division, Mr Kuldeep Chand Sood has acquitted both accused of the charge of murdering Dilip Kumar of Jangelhi of Gohar subdivision.

The body of Dilip Kumar was recovered from road side at Nagraon village, Karsog Sub Division on July 1, 1991 and police after registering a case under Section 302, 201, 34 of the Indian Penal Code arrested the two accused Bihari Lal and Dabar both residents of Pangna village of Karsog sub division. Later on these accused were released on bail.

The police filed chargesheet against the two accused for the alleged murder of Dilip Kumar. The prosecution examined 23 witnesses including eye witnesses, expert witness and official witnesses. The prosecution also examined one Parvati Devi as eye witness whose statement was also recorded by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mandi.

The court in its 17-page order held that prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. The court accepted the plea of defence counsel that testimony of Parvati could not be relied upon as she has deposed before the police and as well as before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate after a lapse of three years. Further her father was earlier interrogated in this case and what prevented her earlier to depose before the police when she was herself joining the investigation. The court acquitted the accused on this legal lapse of delayed statement.

Probe ordered into certificate scandal
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 24 — A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the "fake" certificate scandal following fast by some students of the Government College, Sanjauli.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr P.C. Katoch, issued the order to the SDM (Urban), Mr Amitabh Awashy, yesterday to inquire into the alleged scandal and submit the report within 15 days.

Thirty-five students of the college have so far been expelled on the charges of having obtained admission on the basis of "fake" certificates of the Bihar School board and the CBSE. These certificates were allegedly sold to these students by a private coaching institution.

Two of the fasting students were admitted to the Medical College Hospital here.

The SDM has been asked to check the veracity of the certificates.

The scandal first came to light when two "fake" certificates were noticed by the college authorities at Saraswati Nagar in Shimla district. The Education Department authorities asked the colleges throughout the state to be vigilant about the "fake" certificates.

One killed in group clash
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 24 — A 25-year-old local businessman was murdered on Friday in a clash between a group of pilgrims and certain members of a marriage party in the Gupt Ganga locality in the town.

The Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr Ram Lal, said a group of pilgrims and certain members of the marriage party had a violent clash with one another near Yatri Sadan in the Gupt Ganga locality late Friday night.

He said Rakesh Kumar a businessman and a resident of Purana Kangra was injured in the clash. He succumbed to his injuries at the Sub-Divisional Hospital.