The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, August 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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

HP medical officers threaten agitation
Dharamsala, August 3
The Himachal Medical Officers Association has threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the transfer orders of senior vice-president of the association Dr Gian Chand are not cancelled and the charge sheet issued to the vice president, Dr Sanjay Pathak, is not withdrawn forthwith.

Work on bypass to begin by year-end
Hamirpur, August 3
The work of constructing a bypass for the Hamirpur town will be taken up later this year after the acquisition of land. This project would cost Rs 10 crore and it would become a part of the National Highway-88, said Mr Girja Ram Kaundel, Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department, here today.

2 held in Baddi robbery case
Shimla, August 3
The Solan police has detained two persons in connection with yesterday’s robbery at Baddi,120 km from here, in which three scooter-borne youths wearing masks had robbed the cashier of a local industrial unit of Rs 6 lakh.

Insurance company told to pay Rs 1.84 lakh
Shimla, August 3
Mr P.D. Goel, President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, has directed the Divisional Manager of New India Insurance Company to pay Rs 1,84,000 as compensation to a complainant, Ms Savitri Devi of Arki, for the damage caused to her truck in an accident.

Flashflood claims three lives
Bilaspur, August 3
Three persons were drowned and five tractors and a truck were washed away in Sarhali Khud, near Bahadoliyan bridge, about 50 km from here today due to flashflood near Shah Talai in Hamirpur district.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

YOUR TOWN

Bilaspur
Hamirpur
Dharamsala
Shimla

EARLIER STORIES

	Cong for all-party meeting on drought August 3, 2002
	Work on irrigation project soon August 2, 2002
	SC, ST Corpn vice-chief removed August 1, 2002
	NDA govt blamed for anti-employee steps July 31, 2002
	Govt to conduct special girdawari July 30, 2002
	Financial crisis grips Shimla MC July 29, 2002
	Kainthla files complaint against Virbhadra July 28, 2002
	Virbhadra tells Dhumal to focus on dry spell July 27, 2002
	CM: adopt new road strategy for HP July 26, 2002
	Hydel projects: HP invites pvt investors July 25, 2002

Showers lash Shimla
Shimla, August 3
Shimla and the adjoining areas were lashed by showers this evening, breaking a prolonged dry spell. Dense fog, preceding the brief spell of rain, enveloped the town and reduced visibility considerably.

Consumer Forums get new heads
Shimla, August 3
The state government has appointed presidents of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums for Shimla, Mandi and Kangra at Dharamsala for two years under the Consumer Protection Act.

Panel to monitor BSL project
Shimla, August 3
The Himachal Government has set up a state-level steering committee for the Beas-Satluj Link project, Sundernagar, under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment.

‘Post HAS officers in new dists’
1 killed as truck falls into khud

HP medical officers threaten agitation
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, August 3
The Himachal Medical Officers Association has threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the transfer orders of senior vice-president of the association Dr Gian Chand are not cancelled and the charge sheet issued to the vice president, Dr Sanjay Pathak, is not withdrawn forthwith.

In a press statement, Dr Sushil Sharma, press secretary, HMOA, alleged that the state government was trying to harass the office-bearers of the association so that the genuine demands of doctors serving in Himachal Pradesh were “scuttled”.

Dr Sharma said advance increments to postgraduate doctors had been announced by the Chief Minister in his Budget speech this year, but these had not been released so far. He demanded rural allowance on the Punjab pattern so that more doctors agreed to serve in rural areas where no facilities were available.

He appealed to the state government to release the allowance immediately.

Work on bypass to begin by year-end
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, August 3
The work of constructing a bypass for the Hamirpur town will be taken up later this year after the acquisition of land.

This project would cost Rs 10 crore and it would become a part of the National Highway-88, said Mr Girja Ram Kaundel, Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department, here today. He was addressing mediapersons during the monthly press conference of the district administration, Ms Anuradha Thakur, Deputy Commissioner was also present.

He said the work of providing an alternative bypass to the town from Anu to Baru would be undertaken under the NABARD scheme. Necessary funds had already been allotted for the project.

The PWD officer informed reporters that a sum of Rs 49.88 crore were spent on the construction of new roads, cross drainage work, metalling and tarring, annual surfacing of roads and construction of bridges in the district during the past four and a half years.

	2 held in Baddi robbery case Shimla, August 3 The Solan police has detained two persons in connection with yesterday’s robbery at Baddi,120 km from here, in which three scooter-borne youths wearing masks had robbed the cashier of a local industrial unit of Rs 6 lakh. The Solan district police chief, who returned from Baddi early this morning, said one of the youths, identified as Harminder Singh, was on employee of the same industry while the other person, Tej Pradeep Singh, was an ex-employee. He said that Harminder Singh was detained at Baddi while Tej Pradeep Singh was detained at Moga and was being brought to Solan for interrogation. The third person was still at large. He said nothing could be said about the involvement of these persons till the investigations were over. The cashier of the industrial unit was returning after withdrawing cash from the Baddi branch of Punjab National Bank in Tata Sumo when the three scooter-borne youths stopped the vehicle and decamped with the cash. PTI
	Insurance company told to pay Rs 1.84 lakh Legal Correspondent Shimla, August 3 Mr P.D. Goel, President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, has directed the Divisional Manager of New India Insurance Company to pay Rs 1,84,000 as compensation to a complainant, Ms Savitri Devi of Arki, for the damage caused to her truck in an accident. According to the complainant, the truck was insured with the company and the policy was valid from August 18, 1998, to August 20, 1999. The vehicle met with an accident on June 25, 1999, near Basantpur, Shimla district. After the accident, the necessary information was given to the company and a police report was also lodged. While disposing of the complaint, Mr P.D. Goel directed the company to pay Rs 1,84,000 as compensation with 9 per cent interest.
	Flashflood claims three lives Our Correspondent Bilaspur, August 3 Three persons were drowned and five tractors and a truck were washed away in Sarhali Khud, near Bahadoliyan bridge, about 50 km from here today due to flashflood near Shah Talai in Hamirpur district. Eyewitnesses said Bittoo (18) was washed away near Talai and his body was recovered about 1 km downstream near Daslehda. Efforts were on to search the bodies of Naresh (16) of Samoh village and Prakash of Materi Balghaal village. Congress leaders Dila Ram Dhiman and Kanshi Ram said from the incident site on the phone that Lekh Ram of Bhadoliyan saved the lives of Avtar Singh, Bakhtawar Singh and two others by jumping into the water with a tyre tube and rescuing them.
	Showers lash Shimla Shimla, August 3 Shimla and the adjoining areas were lashed by showers this evening, breaking a prolonged dry spell. Dense fog, preceding the brief spell of rain, enveloped the town and reduced visibility considerably. Upper areas of Shimla district, including tourist places of Wildflower Hall and Kufri, also experienced rainfall, reducing the temperature. Reports of rain were also received from Dharamsala, Hamirpur and Solan. UNI
	Consumer Forums get new heads Tribune News Service Shimla, August 3 The state government has appointed presidents of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums for Shimla, Mandi and Kangra at Dharamsala for two years under the Consumer Protection Act. The District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.L. Raghu, has been appointed president of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal forum, Mandi, with jurisdiction extending to Mandi, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti districts. The District and Sessions Judge, Mr J.N. Barowalia, has been made president of the forum in Shimla covering Shimla, Kinnaur, Sirmaur and Solan districts. Mr B.R. Chandel, District and Sessions Judge, takes over as president of the forum, Kangra, at Dharamsala with jurisdiction extending to Kangra and Chamba districts.
	Panel to monitor BSL project Tribune News Service Shimla, August 3 The Himachal Government has set up a state-level steering committee for the Beas-Satluj Link (BSL) project, Sundernagar, under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment. The member-secretary of the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (SEP and PCB) will be its member-secretary. The committee will attend to inter-departmental issues relating to relief and rehabilitation and coordinate inter-departmental issues.