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Sunday,
July 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Virbhadra wants Dhumal to resign ‘Need to design special vehicles for hills’
Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrated
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Show-cause notice to YC chief
Vet hospital inaugurated DYFI to adopt 10 orphans Flesh trade
racket busted
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Virbhadra wants Dhumal to resign Shimla, July 6 Mr Virbhadra Singh said that now Mr Sukh Ram, who was an alliance partner of the BJP, stood convicted by the court, Mr Dhumal owning moral responsibility for the entire episode should resign. He said that the BJP had compromised with corruption for forming government in Himachal with the help of Mr Sukh Ram and his party. The Congress expelled Mr Sukh Ram from the party when he was accused of corruption. But it was the BJP which stalled proceedings of Parliament and the Himachal Pradesh Assembly to seek removal of Mr Sukh Ram from the Union Ministry on grounds of corruption, changed position in order to secure his support for forming government. The BJP thereby compromised with corruption for the sake of power. Meanwhile, Mr Dhumal said that the conviction of Mr Sukh Ram related to the period of 1992-93 when he was a member of the Congress and a minister at the Centre. Mr Sukh Ram has said that he will appeal in the high court against his conviction. He said that Congress leaders should remember that the former Prime Minister, Mr Narasimha Rao was also convicted and he too appealed in the high court. Mr Dhumal said that Mr Sukh Ram had joined the state cabinet as a coalition partner when the present government was formed in March 1998. He resigned the ministerial berth on the advice of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, when a chargesheet was filed by the CBI in May 1998. |
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‘Need to design special vehicles for hills’ Shimla, July 6 A one-day seminar organised by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association, here yesterday recommended the introduction of low RPM (rotation per minute) and high torque engines for heavy vehicles plying in the hills in place of the present high RPM and low torque engines which were more suitable for the plains. This was essential for ensuring fuel efficiency as low RPM and high torque engines were more efficient in the hills. Besides, the existing two axle vehicles should be replaced by the latest multi-axle vehicles. It also called for fixing separate emission norms for the hills where the consumption of fuel was higher due to low atmospheric oxygen. It was decided that the association in collaboration with oil companies would adopt a bus depot of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation and develop it as a model for vehicle maintenance. The technical staff of not only the corporation but also of private workshops would be provided training in maintenance. Every rupee spent on maintenance saved between Rs 2 and Rs 3 in operational costs, the expert explained. Other steps included strict checking of overloading of vehicles, providing training to drivers to improve fuel efficiency and bringing down the rate of accidents. Later, addressing a press conference Mr K.K. Kapoor, Transport Minister, said the steps taken by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation had helped improve fuel efficiency from. 3.41 km pe (kilometre per liter) to 3.55 km pe during the past four years. The incident of accidents had come down from 16 per lakh km to .11 (point one one) per lakh km. Besides proper maintenance of buses, the corporation was also conducting refresher training courses for drivers. The state was the first to introduce, turbo-charged engine driver buses in the region, which were highly successful in the hills. He said the country was producing only 29 per cent of its total fuel requirement and the total imports of petrol and diesel amounted to 72.5 million tonnes. Hence, the need to conserve the oil reserves which would not last forever. |
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Victoria Bridge under threat Mandi The excavation of rocks under which the ropes of the bridge had been embedded with concrete has made the foundation hollow which can make the historic bridge collapse. About 25 years ago the rock of this bridge had been reinforced by boring long holes into the rock which were plugged with steel rods and cement was injected with high-pressure sophisticated machines of the BSL Project. The Victoria Bridge had been handling all traffic from the Pathankot side to the Kulu, Lahaul-Spiti and Leh valleys till the construction of new bridge on the Beas in 1984. For a long time only empty vehicles were allowed to cross the bridge. Passengers were requested to get down from buses and a man wearing a hoarding on the back used to walk before the bus to ensure a low speed. The bridge was strengthened and reinforced at regular intervals to bear more load. The BSL authorities also utilised the bridge for carrying small machines. Heavy machinery of course, were brought from the Kiratpur Mandi highway No 21. Resentment prevails among people here over the construction of the road which has endangered the life of this bridge. It has been demanded that the work on the road should be stopped immediately so as to save this historic bridge. Prior to the construction of this bridge in 1877, people used to cross the Beas by boats. The water discharge in the Beas used to be so enormous during the days of Raja Sidh Sen (1684-1727) that a number of boats used to remained on the ghats. According to an account in the history of Mandi, Raja of Bhangal had attempted to escape from the prison of Raja Sidh Sen in a boat but ferrymen recognised him and he was again put behind the bars. He was the son-in-law of Raja Sidh Sen. His wife had come back to Mandi due to strained relations with her husband. Raja Sidh Sen laid a trap and called him to Mandi where he was made captive. Later, he was murdered. The rulers of Mandi state could not build a bridge over the Beas for centuries. Raja Bijai Sen built the Victoria Bridge with the help of the British Government which had granted protection to the state under a treaty after the Sikhs had invaded it in 1840. |
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Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrated Dharamsala, July 6 Followers of the spiritual leader, which included senior functionaries of the Tibetan government-in-exile, foreigners and many residents of the area gathered near the main temple at McLeodganj and participated in the special puja ceremony organised in this connection. The Tibetan government-in-exile declared a public holiday today for offices, institutions and schools. SHIMLA: Tibetans celebrated the birthday of the Dalai Lama with enthusiasm on Saturday. Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, was the chief guest at the function, which was attended among other by Mr Sohan Lal, Mayor. Earlier, Mr Kunga Dorjee, Tibetan welfare officer, stressed the need for the Tibetan community to follow the advice of the Dalai Lama. A colourful cultural show by schoolchildren, religious mask dance by the monks of the Tibetan monastery, Kasumpti, and traditional Tibetan dance by the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association here were also organised. |
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Show-cause notice to YC chief Hamirpur, July 6 Mrs Vidya Stokes, Himachal Congress chief, was the chief guest on that occasion. Party sources said Mr Sharma made derogatory remarks against the DCC chief at the meeting. Accordingly, it was decided to issue a show cause notice to him. Mr Sunil Sharma, when contacted, refused to say anything on the issue, but admitted having received a letter from the general secretary of the party. He refused to divulge its comments, saying it was an internal matter of the party. Mr Tej Nath, general secretary (Headquarters), also parried questions on the issue involving Mr Sunil Sharma and the Hamirpur DCC. |
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Vet hospital inaugurated Solan, July 6 He said the Kandi project had taken a lead in undertaking developmental work in the state. The Forest Department had been granted a British-aided project for integrated development of the department under which a sum of Rs 60 crore would be spent towards regeneration and exploring new techniques in forestry. He said there was no move to wind up flying squad in the state. |
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DYFI to adopt 10 orphans Shimla, July 6 According to Mr Tekinder Singh Panwar, general secretary of the DYFI, the decision was taken at a meeting of the state committee of the DYFI. A school kit will be given to the students who became homeless during the riots. He said it had been decided to launch a month-long campaign against the growing unemployment and corruption in Himachal Pradesh. Demonstrations and rallies would be organised throughout the state during the campaign which would be launched this month and culminate on Independence Day on August 15. |
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Flesh trade racket busted Dharamsala, July 6 On a tip off, the police today raided Ragini Guest House and arrested the manager, a waiter, two girls and six customers from the premises. The police registered a case under Section 41(2) and 109 of the Cr P.C. against them. |
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