H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

HP Cong not to give ticket to criminals
Dharamsala, August 23
The vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister, Major Vijay Singh Mankotia (retd), announced here today that if the Congress returned to power it would declare Dharamsala the winter capital of the state and winter sessions of the Vidhan Sabha could be held here.

HVC planning to quit coalition?
Shimla, August 23
By launching an attack on the BJP in the presence of Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, at a public function on his home turf of Mandi, Mr Anil Sharma, President of the Himachal Vikas Congress, has sent clear signals that the party is preparing the ground for walking out of the coalition.

CM orders probe into cadets’ death
Shimla, August 23
Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal has taken a serious note of the incident in which two NCC cadets died in a camp at Rehan in Nurpur on August 20 and 22 and ordered an inquiry into the incident.

HP Vidhan Sabha session from Aug 27
Shimla, August 23
Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, Speaker, today called on Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, at Raj Bhavan and apprised him of the business to be conducted during the monsoon session of the HP Vidhan Sabha commencing on August 27.

Widespread rain, 2 die in house collapse
Shimla, August 23
Two persons were killed in a house collapse in Himachal Pradesh as overnight widespread rain triggered landslides on certain link roads in the region.

Shanta silent on dist issue
Kangra, August 23
The Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Shanta Kumar, today refused to comment on the proposal to create six districts.

2 die in house collapse
Shimla, August 23
Two persons were killed in a house collapse in Himachal Pradesh as overnight widespread rain triggered landslides on certain link roads in the region. The death toll in rain related incidents has risen to 15 in the state. 

Tribunal notice to Secy (Home)
Shimla, August 23
The HP Administrative Tribunal has issued notices to the Secretary (Home), HP Public Service Commission, Presiding Officer, HP Sales Tax Tribunal, and Mr J.K.Verma on a petition filed by two advocates, Mr Mahesh Gupta and Mr Surinder Tegta, wherein they have challenged the appointment of the Deputy Advocate-General.

• SFI’s HP executive panel dissolved

• 193 pirated CDs seized in Mandi

HP Cong not to give ticket to criminals
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, August 23
The vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister, Major Vijay Singh Mankotia (retd), announced here today that if the Congress returned to power it would declare Dharamsala the winter capital of the state and winter sessions of the Vidhan Sabha could be held here.

Major Mankotia while talking to media persons also said corrupt persons and those with a criminal record would be denied the ticket for the coming Assembly elections.

Reacting to the filing of a criminal case against former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Major Mankotia said this was a clear case of political harassment.

He criticised the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, and his associates for involving senior Congress leaders in false cases.

Terming the state government as corrupt, criminal and crises ridden, the senior Congress leader said the much-hyped issue of creation of new districts was nothing but an attempt to divert the attention of people from problems like corruption, unemployment and rising prices, which had become unmanageable for the state government.

HVC planning to quit coalition?
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 23
By launching an attack on the BJP in the presence of Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, at a public function on his home turf of Mandi, Mr Anil Sharma, President of the Himachal Vikas Congress, has sent clear signals that the party is preparing the ground for walking out of the coalition.

Ever since he took over the reins of the party from his father, Mr Sukh Ram, about two months ago, the young leader has adopted a belligerent posture towards the BJP. Unlike Mr Sukh Ram, who has been blowing hot and cold, he has not mined words while criticising the Dhumal government.

The party had been consciously distancing itself from the BJP for the past quite some time. It has been raising issues like the alleged irregularities in recruitments, particularly the functioning of the subordinate services selection board, to embarrass the government. It also opposed the imposition of user charges, creation of new districts and the power tariff hike.

However, it was for the first time that the party’s President attacked the government in the presence of top BJP leaders, including Mr Dhumal, Mr Shanta Kumar, Mr Suresh Chandel and Mr Maheshwar Singh. He openly charged Mr Dhumal with discriminating against the Mandi constituency and said he had to spend as much as Rs 2 crore from his MP’s Local Area Development Fund to maintain the pace of development. He even took Mr Shanta Kumar to task for making “uncharitable” remarks about Mr Sukh Ram when he was convicted.

Mr Sukh Ram had all along maintained that his party had extended support to the BJP for the five-year term and it would honour its commitment. However, while stepping down as the party chief he made it clear that a decision on the withdrawal of support would be taken by Mr Anil Sharma.

The rank and file of the party has been pressing the leadership to walk out of the coalition. Mr Anil Sharma seems, to be slowly but surely moving in that direction.

On the other hand the BJP has so far not shown any inclination to break the alliance, though it has been giving pinpricks to the alliance partner off and on.

CM orders probe into cadets’ death
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 23
Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal has taken a serious note of the incident in which two NCC cadets died in a camp at Rehan in Nurpur on August 20 and 22 and ordered an inquiry into the incident. He asked the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, to get a detailed investigation conducted into the incident by the SDM, Nurpur, besides ascertaining the reasons which caused the death of the cadets. He also ordered the closure of the camp with immediate effect.

KANGRA: The police on Friday came out with the probable cause of the “mysterious deaths” of two National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets who died during the combined annual course of NCC cadets at Rehan in this district during the intervening nights of August 20-22.

Kangra district police chief Sanjay Kundu said Narian Singh (17), resident of Sulana of Chamba, and Pankaj Verma (16), of Hathha village of Solan probably died of organic poisoning. A post-mortem examination of Pankaj Verma was performed at Nurpur today and Narian Singh’s body, after a post-mortem examination, was handed over to his parents yesterday. 

HP Vidhan Sabha session from Aug 27
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 23
Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, Speaker, today called on Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, at Raj Bhavan and apprised him of the business to be conducted during the monsoon session of the HP Vidhan Sabha commencing on August 27.

He informed the Governor that the session would have four sittings in all. Many notices on various issues of public importance had been received for discussion, including those on drought and the regularisation of encroachments. He said resolutions for declaring the Labana community as a Scheduled Tribes and the areas of Chhota and Bara Bhangal of Kangra, Chuhar Ghati of Mandi, Dodra Kwar of Shimla, Giri Par of Sirmaur and Malana of Kullu as tribal areas had also been received.

Mr Gulab Singh also presented copies of the latest Vidhan Sabha publications to the Governor, which included an issue of Vidhan Mela magazine on women empowerment.

Widespread rain, 2 die in house collapse

Shimla, August 23
Two persons were killed in a house collapse in Himachal Pradesh as overnight widespread rain triggered landslides on certain link roads in the region.

The death toll in rain related incidents has risen to 15 in the state. Two persons, including a 5-year-old child, were buried alive and a woman was injured when a house collapsed under the impact of heavy rain at Sihole village near Bawarna in Kangra district this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Kumar (33) and his nephew Ajit Singh, a report from Dharamsala, quoting police sources said.

Shimla and its adjoining areas experienced intermittent rain since last night.

The Indian Airlines flight to Shimla and Kulu from Delhi was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

The Shimla-Kalka highway and the Shimla-Mandi road also remained shrouded in thick fog in the morning.

The entire Kangra valley had moderate to heavy rain, accompanied by thunders, throughout the night. Reports of rain were also received from Solan, Mandi and Sirmour districts.

Incessant rain have flooded low-lying areas in Una district. The rain caused flood-like situation in the town and water entered the residence of the Deputy Commissioner, the office of the Superintendent of Police and other government buildings, a report said.

Reports of electricity cables snapping due to fallen trees have come in from some places. The Swan river and almost all of its 73 tributaries are in spate. UNI

Shanta silent on dist issue
Our Correspondent

Kangra, August 23
The Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Shanta Kumar, today refused to comment on the proposal to create six districts.

He hoped that Vivekananda super specialities hospital and medical college and research centre at Palampur would be completed before the stipulated time of four years.

He expressed his gratitude to Dr Shiv Kumar, former MLA, who had decided to raise a contribution of Rs 68 lakh for the hospital.

2 die in house collapse

Shimla, August 23
Two persons were killed in a house collapse in Himachal Pradesh as overnight widespread rain triggered landslides on certain link roads in the region.

The death toll in rain related incidents has risen to 15 in the state. Two persons, including a 5-year-old child, were buried alive and a woman was injured when a house collapsed under the impact of heavy rain at Sihole village near Bawarna in Kangra district this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Kumar (33) and his nephew Ajit Singh, a report from Dharamsala, quoting police sources said.

Shimla and its adjoining areas experienced intermittent rain since last night.

The Indian Airlines flight to Shimla and Kulu from Delhi was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

The Shimla-Kalka highway and the Shimla-Mandi road also remained shrouded in thick fog in the morning.

The entire Kangra valley had moderate to heavy rain, accompanied by thunders, throughout the night. Reports of rain were also received from Solan, Mandi and Sirmour districts.

Incessant rain have flooded low-lying areas in Una district. The rain caused flood-like situation in the town and water entered the residence of the Deputy Commissioner, the office of the Superintendent of Police and other government buildings, a report said.

Reports of electricity cables snapping due to fallen trees have come in from some places. The Swan river and almost all of its 73 tributaries are in spate. UNI

Tribunal notice to Secy (Home)
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, August 23
The HP Administrative Tribunal has issued notices to the Secretary (Home), HP Public Service Commission, Presiding Officer, HP Sales Tax Tribunal, and Mr J.K.Verma on a petition filed by two advocates, Mr Mahesh Gupta and Mr Surinder Tegta, wherein they have challenged the appointment of the Deputy Advocate-General.

The petitioners have alleged that while appointing the Deputy Advocate-General, the selection committee had committed serious irregularities in constituting the selection committee. The chairman of the HP Sales Tax Tribunal was made member of the committee, who was a political man. He had selected a candidate very close to him because both were appointed Additional Advocate-General and Assistant Advocate-General, respectively by the BJP government.

Both had worked together in the High Court.

Issuing notices, the court directed the respondents to file their reply within four weeks.

SFI’s HP executive panel dissolved
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 23
Mr Kewal Pathania, president of the state unit of the National Students Federation of India, has dissolved the state executive of the federation in consultation with the Ms Meenakshi Natarajan, national president.

Mr Pathania said the decision had been taken with a view to accommodating those who worked for the victory for the federation in the recent university and college elections.

193 pirated CDs seized in Mandi

Mandi, August 23
The police has seized 193 pirated CDs from three shopkeepers during a raid conducted by the police and representatives of companies manufacturing CDs.

According to the police, the police party along with the representatives raided the premises of the shopkeepers dealing in audio and video CDs in the Indira Market complex here this evening and seized 193 CDs, including three CDs of adult films. One of the shopkeepers escaped. PTI