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Rs 2,000-cr plan to upgrade road network
Shimla, October 1
The Himachal Pradesh government is implementing a Rs 2,000-crore crash programme to improve and upgrade the road network in the state. Under the programme 800 km of roads are proposed to be upgraded with the assistance of the World Bank.

Freedom fighters’ appeal to HP Govt
Chandigarh, October 1
The Himachal Government has allowed 2 per cent reservation in direct recruitment to class I, II, III, IV, posts to freedom fighters. The recruitment agencies, however, are not implementing it in its true spirit. This 2 per cent reservation has been further divided between general and S.C. freedom fighters.

Govt to strengthen health services
Shimla, October 1
The Himachal government will soon provide 1000 MA (mili-ampere) X-ray machines and multi slice CT scan facilities to strengthen the health network in the state. This was revealed by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day north zone conference organised under the Continuing Medical Education Programme.

Ved Sharma is BJP block chief
Sundernagar, October 1
Mr Ved Sharma, member of the Zila Parishad, was elected president of the Nachan block of the BJP unit last evening. It was for the first time that the president was elected by voting and that too in the presence of the police. As many as 19 candidates filed nomination papers for the post of president.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

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Shimla
Sundernagar
Nurpur

EARLIER STORIES

	Missing files hit probe October 1, 2006
	Finally, work on Karcham-Wangtoo project to start September 30, 2006
	IT revolution eludes Himachal September 29, 2006
	21 in line for setting up private varsities September 28, 2006
	Two Tribune journalists awarded September 27, 2006
	Vigilance probe into Larji project cost overrun September 26, 2006
	Mayor’s name figures in MC land encroachers’ list September 25, 2006
	Protection for interests of tribesmen sought September 24, 2006
	Rupees 736 crore Zirakpur-Solan-Shimla road gets approval September 23, 2006
	CM for separate soil conservation dept September 22, 2006

Devotees carry hill gods to the site of the International Dasehra Festival beginning in Kulu on Monday. As per traditions, the hill gods are taken to the festival site after covering a long distance on foot. This picture was taken by Mahesh Chander Sharma on National Highway-21 near Kulu on Sunday.

4 killed as car falls into gorge
Kumarhatti, October 1
Four persons were killed and one was injured when an Alto car ( HP-52A-0716) carrying them rolled down into a 350-foot, deep gorge near Arki on the Shimla- Bilaspur road this morning . The accident took place near Bhangora village, 11 km from Arki, at around 6.30 am. Three persons died on the spot, while one was declared dead at the IGMC, Shimla.

Two killed, three injured in road accidents
Nurpur, October 1
Pradeep Kumar of nearby Batka village died on the spot when his motor cycle dashed against a truck parked on roadside on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway at Jachh, near here, last night.

Rs 2,000-cr plan to upgrade road network
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 1
The Himachal Pradesh government is implementing a Rs 2,000-crore crash programme to improve and upgrade the road network in the state.

Under the programme 800 km of roads are proposed to be upgraded with the assistance of the World Bank. The detailed project reports are being prepared by consultants for the Mehatpur-Una-Amb, Una-Agahar Barsar-Jahu-Rewalsar-Mandi, Ghumarwin-Sarkaghat- Jogindernagar, Theog-Kotkhai-Rohru, Kumarhatti-Sarahan-Nahan roads.

Besides, 400 km of roads will be taken up for double-laning after receiving the feasibility report from consultants. The roads being considered for double-laning include the Solan-Yashwantnagar Sainj road. In addition to this, the Mubarakpur-Chintpurni- Dehra-Dharamsala road will also be widened to double lane.

The government has also posed some more road project involving an expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore, including five major road upgradation project to the world bank for funding.

Similarly, some other important roads were also being proposed for world bank funding.

There is also a proposal to bore tunnels at different places in the state to shorten distances. The tunnels are proposed at Garha-Mora under Swarghat hill in Bilaspur, below Jalori pass in Kullu connecting the Banjar and Ani valleys with all weather connectivity and under Kharapatthar in Shimla district.

The roads in and around the state capital will be upgraded under the Rs 1,000 crore Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission.

Freedom fighters’ appeal to HP Govt
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1
The Himachal Government has allowed 2 per cent reservation in direct recruitment to class I, II, III, IV, posts to freedom fighters. The recruitment agencies, however, are not implementing it in its true spirit. This 2 per cent reservation has been further divided between general and S.C. freedom fighters. There is hardly 1 per cent strength of freedom fighters in Himachal, said Mr Tan Sen Kayastha, President of the Freedom Fighters Association of Himachal, in a statement.

The posts reserved for SC freedom fighters are being doled out to general SC candidates due to the non-availability of suitable candidates from the SC category, depriving general freedom fighters of their just and genuine right.

This practice needed to be checked forthwith so that the freedom fighters do not suffer further. Moreover, the total posts that fall in the share of SC freedom fighters but had been filled from among SC (general) freedom fighters should be worked out and general candidates adjusted accordingly.

Mr Kayastha hoped that the state government would take expeditious steps to undo the damage done to general freedom fighters.

Govt to strengthen health services

Shimla, October 1
The Himachal government will soon provide 1000 MA (mili-ampere) X-ray machines and multi slice CT scan facilities to strengthen the health network in the state.

This was revealed by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day north zone conference organised under the Continuing Medical Education Programme.

The Chief Minister said the government was committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities to the people. He said the facilities of MRI, open heart surgery, CT scan colour doppler and mammography had already been made available to the patients at Indira Gandhi Medical College.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said Himachal Pradesh was one of the three leading states of the country in terms of life expectancy, literacy rate, sex ratio and lower BPL percentage. — TNS

Ved Sharma is BJP block chief
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, October 1
Mr Ved Sharma, member of the Zila Parishad, was elected president of the Nachan block of the BJP unit last evening. It was for the first time that the president was elected by voting and that too in the presence of the police.

As many as 19 candidates filed nomination papers for the post of president. Ultimately, Mr Ved Sharma and Mr Vinod Thakur remained in the fray when the remaining 17 withdrew their names.

When the polling was on, some miscreants tried to take away the ballot box. They were thrashed by supporters of a former minister, Mr Dile Ram. The Assistant Returning Officer called the police in order to avoid any untoward incident and ultimately the elections were held under tight security.

Mr Sharma got 550 votes out of 681 and defeated Mr Vinod Thakur (126) by a huge margin. It is the fourth time that Mr Sharma was elected president of the Nachan block of the BJP. Meanwhile, Mr Hari Singh Verma was elected president of the Sundernagar block unit of the BJP.

4 killed as car falls into gorge
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, October 1
Four persons were killed and one was injured when an Alto car ( HP-52A-0716) carrying them rolled down into a 350-foot, deep gorge near Arki on the Shimla- Bilaspur road this morning . The accident took place near Bhangora village, 11 km from Arki, at around 6.30 am. Three persons died on the spot, while one was declared dead at the IGMC, Shimla.

The accident took place when the car driver failed to negotiate a blind curve. The car occupants were going to Sarkaghat from Shimla after the retirement of a kanungo at Shimla. The retired kanungo and his other colleagues were in another vehicle. Unfortunately, they failed to notice the accident and crossed the site.

One of the ill-fated car occupants, Vidya Sagar, somehow reached the road and informed the matter to locals. With the villagers’ help, he called up one of his colleagues going in another vehicle.

Those killed on the spot were identified as Bhagat Ram (44), a patwari from Haloi village, near Theog, Prem Raj (24) from Kairi, near Chargaon and Suchetean (24), a photographer from Ward No 10, Devi Nagar in Paonta Sahib. Sunil alias Anil (32) from Seema village in Rohru, died at the IGMC, Shimla.

Two killed, three injured in road accidents
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, October 1
Pradeep Kumar of nearby Batka village died on the spot when his motor cycle dashed against a truck parked on roadside on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway at Jachh, near here, last night.

Two other riders, Ashok Kumar, younger brother of the deceased, and Surjeet Singh, were injured in the mishap. They have been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

In another mishap, a scooter was hit by an Indica car at Chhatroli on Saturday, killing pillion rider Jasbir Devi on the spot. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Thanger village and son of the deceased who was driving the scooter, was injured in the mishap. The car driver, Vijay Katoch of Ramnagar (Mandi), fled after the accident. The police has impounded the car. Cases under Sections 279, 304(4) and 337 of the IPC have been registered in both mishaps.

Meanwhile, the Indora police has arrested Mangal Dass, Subash Chand, Roshan Lal and Gopal Ram of Chinor village who were accompanying a marriage party last night at Tipri village. They allegedly thrashed three members of the family of the bride under the influence of liquor and had altercation with them on the dinner served to them. They were produced before the Subdivisional Magistrate here today and bailed out.