H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

11 killed, 19 hurt in HP bus mishap
Shimla, December 17
As many as 11 persons were killed and 19 injured, nine of them seriously, when a private bus (registration number HP 07-5049) fell into Baruni khud near Jhakri, about 145 km from here, today. 

Himachal session begins on stormy note
BJP stages walkout on price rise issue
Shimla, December 17
The week-long winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on a stormy note today with the opposition BJP staging a walkout on the issue of price-rise.

CM clarifies on Nalagarh rally
Shimla, December 17
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, today asserted in the Vidhan Sabha that the public rally at Nalagarh held recently was organised by the Congress and the charge of the BJP that its legislator, Mr Hari Narain Singh, was asked to leave the dais at an official function was misplaced.

CMO orders probe against doctors
Kangra, December 17
The Chief Medical Officer has ordered an inquiry into the alleged negligence and dereliction of duty by two doctors of the local subdivisional hospital who had allegedly refused to treat an emergency patient during lunch hours yesterday.

Child killed in road accident
Solan, December 17
A nine-year-old child, Shalini, was killed and six others were injured when a Santro car (HP-16-5580) and a private bus ((HP-51-0579) collided head on near Dedghrat on NH No. 22 today. 

11 killed, 19 hurt in HP bus mishap
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17
As many as 11 persons were killed and 19 injured, nine of them seriously, when a private bus (registration number HP 07-5049) fell into Baruni khud near Jhakri, about 145 km from here, today. The ill-fated bus of the Bageshwari Transport Service was on its way from Rekong Peo in Kinnaur to here. There were about 35 persons on board when the mishap occurred.

While 11 injured have been hospitalised at Rampur, eight seriously injured persons have been referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here. There were five women among those killed.

The driver of the bus, Ashok Kumar of Hamirpur, conductor Chet Ram of Arki were among those injured. So far three deceased have been identified — Deepak Rana of Dhangipul (Pathankot), Jwala Prasad of Bheuli Thaili-Jagti village (Rampur) and Shiv Ram of Manjaveti (Rampur).

The cause of the mishap could not be ascertained. The police has registered a case and investigation has been started.

The Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, and the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, have expressed grief over the accident and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.

Injured persons are: Ashok of Hamirpur, Sapna of Nang (Karsog), Surma and Abhishek of Barot (Nankhari), Chet Ram of Bakhlog (Arki), Kala Devi of Dev Nagar (Rampur), Kehar Singh of Jindi (Kullu), Sarla Devi of Manjholi (Rampur), Jag Devi of Miru (Nichar), Pawan of Manchar (Jaisinghpur), Shankar Negi of Sangla (Kinnaur), Harish Chander of Rogi (Kinnaur), Sher Singh of Majhgaon(Rampur), Nisha Devi of Bhabhabnagar (Kinnaur), Dushish of Jhakri (Rampur), Sushma of Rogi (Kinnaur), Joginder Singh of Saklha (Kinnaur) and Kapoor Negi of Narot (Shimla). One injured could not be identified.

Himachal session begins on stormy note
BJP stages walkout on price rise issue
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17
The week-long winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on a stormy note today with the opposition BJP staging a walkout on the issue of price-rise. The trouble started when Mr Singhi Ram, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, started giving figures pertaining to the 1998-2003 period to drive home the point that prices had risen sharply during the BJP rule. Mr P.K. Dhumal, leader of the BJP group, immediately got on his feet and objected to the selective quoting of figures by the minister. He said the minister should give figures pertaining to the past two years and apprise the House of the steps taken to contain prices.

Dr Bindal also joined him and urged the minister to respond to specific points raised by the members during the discussion. As the minister resumed his reply quoting figures, the entire BJP group walked out in protest.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the BJP members were not relying on official figures given by the department concerned as they wanted to make an issue out of a non-issue.

In his reply Mr Singhi Ram said the rates of diesel had increased from Rs 8.82 litre in 1998 to Rs 22.12 per litre in 2003 and that of petrol from Rs 24.20 to Rs 38.81 per litre over the same period. The poor were the worst hit as the prices of kerosene had shot up from Rs 2.90 to Rs 9.68 per litre. Further, the price of cooking gas refill had increased from Rs 138 to 258.

The present government, in a bid to provide relief to the poor, brought an additional 27,000 families under the below poverty line families taking the total number to 1,18,200. He said the NDA regime had even increased the rates of subsidised ration supplied to the poor through the public distribution systems. The price of PDS wheat had been increased from Rs 9.80 to 10.30 per kg and that of rice from Rs 9.00 to 13.50 per kg. In fact, prices of these essential commodities were lower in open market during the NDA regime.

Joining the discussion Mr Mohinder Singh said unlike the NDA regime, the UPA Government at the Centre and the Congress Government in the state had failed to check prices. Even the rates of power in which the state was surplus had been increased. There was a proposal to further increase the electricity tariff.

He also alleged that a family in Nalagarh had consumed poison because of poverty. Even the farmers were being supplied spurious fertilisers.

Congress members maintained that Himachal was a consumer state and it could do little to control the prices of commodities from neighbouring states.

Earlier, much heat was generated when the Speaker, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, rejected the adjournment motion of the BJP members on the issue and instead allowed a discussion under Rule 130.

CM clarifies on Nalagarh rally
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, today asserted in the Vidhan Sabha that the public rally at Nalagarh held recently was organised by the Congress and the charge of the BJP that its legislator, Mr Hari Narain Singh, was asked to leave the dais at an official function was misplaced.

He said Mr Hari Narain Singh accompanied him at various official functions which preceded the party rally organised to felicitate the new Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Kuldeep Kumar. He was shown due respect at all the functions.

He said later on reaching the venue of the rally he politely told Mr Hari Narain Singh that it was a party rally and he would not be able to address it. He said Mr Hari Narain Singh also realised this and quietly left the venue.

However, a controversy erupted after reports in the media that he was not allowed to speak at a public function. All the hue and cry raised subsequently and whatever the member said in the House was an afterthought.

The Chief Minister was making a suo motu statement in this regard.

Earlier, raising the issue Mr Hari Narain Singh said that it was an official function at which all the officers right from the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police to the Public Relations Officer were present. Being the local elected representative, he should have been allowed to address the rally.

Mr P.K. Dhumal, leader of the BJP group, said the line dividing the official and party functions was a thin one and there was need to clearly specify the status of such functions whenever party and official public meetings intermingled.

CMO orders probe against doctors
Our Correspondent

Kangra, December 17
The Chief Medical Officer has ordered an inquiry into the alleged negligence and dereliction of duty by two doctors of the local subdivisional hospital who had allegedly refused to treat an emergency patient during lunch hours yesterday.

Dr C.S. Rathore, Chief Medical Officer, today told The Tribune that Dr R.S. Chandel, Programme Officer, had been asked to inquire into the matter. The CMO received a complaint from Bhem Sain a resident of Dugyari village, whose son, Naresh (24) had poisonous bite and was referred by a private medical practitioner from Gaggal to Kangra subdivisional hospital for treatment in view of the seriousness of the patient.

Bhim Sen in his complaint alleged that he reached the Kangra hospital at 1.15 p.m. and two doctors were in the consultation room , but they refused to examine the patient as they were enjoying tea. He alleged both he and his wife requested the doctors to treat their son as he was vomiting badly and his condition was deteriorating but of no avail. 

Child killed in road accident
Our Correspondent

Solan, December 17
A nine-year-old child, Shalini, was killed and six others were injured when a Santro car (HP-16-5580) and a private bus ((HP-51-0579) collided head on near Dedghrat on NH No. 22 today. The injured were Shalini’s parents, Daulat Ram and Girja, hailing from Mashobra in Shimla, a Panchkula resident, Chandrika, Shashi Pal and his wife, Pratima, hailing from Batkasayana village in Sirmaur district, and a child, Shushant (9). They have been admitted to the local District Hospital for treatment.

A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered.