H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Schools closed in Shimla up to 
July 20
SHIMLA, July 18 — All government and private schools in Shimla district have been closed for two days because of landslides at many places due to incessant rain. The decision to order the closure of schools was taken by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr P.C. Katoch, at a meeting here today. He said the schools would remain closed on July 19 and 20.

Bridge sought on Sholding nullah
SHIMLA, July 18 — The Kinnaur district unit of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha has urged the government to immediately construct a temporary bridge on the Sholding nullah keeping in view the inconvenience being caused to people due to the collapse of the bailey bridge last week.

High Court pulls up Vigilance Dept
SHIMLA, July 18 — The Himachal Pradesh High Court has pulled up the Vigilance Department of the State for keeping a file pertaining to filing of a criminal appeal in its office for three months.

Schools closed in Shimla up to July 20
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 18 — All government and private schools in Shimla district have been closed for two days because of landslides at many places due to incessant rain.

The decision to order the closure of schools was taken by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr P.C. Katoch, at a meeting here today. He said the schools would remain closed on July 19 and 20.

He said Anil Sharma was killed this morning when a wall of a government house collapsed in Nabha Colony here. Other members of the family received injuries.

Efforts were being made to reopen all the roads which were blocked due to landslides.

Meanwhile, occupants of government houses in the Rippon Hospital area were asked to vacate the premises following the collapse of a retaining wall behind an endangered area.

Some houses in the Portmore area were also threatened because of a landslide. 

Bridge sought on Sholding nullah
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 18 — The Kinnaur district unit of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha has urged the government to immediately construct a temporary bridge on the Sholding nullah keeping in view the inconvenience being caused to people due to the collapse of the bailey bridge last week.

Mr Tejwant Singh Negi, president of the morcha, said in the absence of a motorable bridge the Kinnaur region had been virtually cut off and people were facing an acute shortage of essential commodities. Besides, the farmers were also not able to transport out their produce.

He said the exercise of using explosives for the construction of the tunnel of the Nathpa-Jhakri project passing underneath the bridge was mainly responsible for its collapse. Unscientific blasting for the tunnel loosened the entire hill strata and the rolling boulders snapped the cables supporting the bridge, he added.

High Court pulls up Vigilance Dept
From Our Legal Correspondent

SHIMLA, July 18 — The Himachal Pradesh High Court has pulled up the Vigilance Department of the State for keeping a file pertaining to filing of a criminal appeal in its office for three months.

This observation has been made by a single Bench of the high court consisting of Justice M.R. Verma while allowing an application of the State for condoning the delay in filing criminal appeal against the judgement of a special court passed on August 2, 1997 in a case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The high court observed that the period of limitation had been allowed to expire intentionally. The court directed to supply the copy of the order to the Chief Secretary for investigating into the matter.