Solan, November 1
Five persons, including six-year-old Pankaj, were killed and nine injured when a private bus (HP-14-4149) collided head-on with a motor cycle coming near Kandaghat around 7:50 a.m. today.

Additional SP Ajay Bodh said the bus was on its way to Chail from Solan when it fell into a gorge after hitting the motorcycle. Police officials said it appeared that the speeding bus could not steer clear of the motorcycle coming from the Kandaghat side. The impact of the collision was so great that the bus rolled into a deep gorge.

The deceased include motorcycle rider Pritam Singh, a junior engineer in the state Electricity Department. The new motorcycle was yet to secure a registration number. The other deceased included Sunita, wife of an employee of Chail Military School, her son Pankaj and husband. Kamlesh(42), an employee of Government Polytechnic, Kandaghat; and Meena, a resident of Shantli village, were also killed. The police has registered a case against the driver.

The injured persons were given preliminary treatment at the Primary Health Centre, Kandhghat, from where the critically injured were referred to the regional hospital at Solan. One of the injured, Sukanya Negi, was later referred to the PGI in a serious condition. 

Bilaspur, November 1
Political parties will have tough time keeping their warring packs in check as ticket seekers in both the Congress and the BJP here in the district have sprung several surprises and have left their respective parties seeking green pastures elsewhere.

There are 39 applicants for the Congress ticket in four segments, including largest number of 18 applicants in the Ghumarwin constituency and 10 applicants in Bilaspur Sadar and 9 in the Geharwin constituency, but only 2 in the Kot-Kehloor constituency where candidature of Forest Minister Ramlal Thakur has been challenged by former district party president and now zila parishad vice-chairman Hoshiyar Singh Thakur advocate.

The Congress faces double dilemma, in both the Ghumarwin and Bilaspur Sadar constituencies, where it can not afford to annoy important party leaders, who have now become applicants and its choice can only fall on one leader and the job to keep the pack together behind him would be a daunting taskb the party to ensure his victory.

Petitioners in Bilaspur Sadar who are demanding the Congress ticket against present sitting MLA Tilak Raj Sharma include former MLA Dr. Baboo Ram Gautam and 3 zila parishad members Bumber Thakur, Jitender Chandel and Bhagat Singh Verma, a former zila parishad member Rajinder Pal, district youth Congress president and Bilaspur nagar parishad president Kamlendera Kashyap, state seva dal organiser Pratap Kaundal and two others Tejasavi Sharma advocate and Tilak Raj Thakur.

Those seeking Congress party ticket at Ghumarwin are former parliamentary secretary and last time defeated Congress candidate Kashmir Singh Thakur, his son, Dalbir Thakur, district Congress vice president Amar Singh Thakur, former youth congress general secretary Rajesh Dharmani, former district president Ratanlal Soni, son of a former district president Dinesh Sharma, former zila parishad member I D Sharma, former BDC chairman Gyan Chand Rattan advocate, former district party general secretary Lekhram Nadda advocate, zila parishad member Anjana Dhiman and Colonel Malkeet Singh (retired.), Bhupender Singh Pinki, Rakesh Chopra and Balbir Singh and district mahila Congress president Pawna Sharma.

Geharwin reserved constituency has nine applicants have also applied for the ticket.

Similarly, conditions in the BJP are equally grim as Suresh Chandel a former MP has sprung a surprise by demanding a party ticket from the Kot Kehloor constituency though he belongs to the Bilaspur Sadar constituency and up till now has been demanding a ticket from Bilaspur Sadar. Here Randhir Sharma, party state spokesman, who unsuccessfully fought this election last time, also has his party ticket rivals in zila parishad member Chaman Thakur, state legal cell former chairman Daulat Ram Sharma, District Kissan Morcha former general secretary Roshan Thakur and another women leader Niru Vaid.

BJP’s stalwart and former health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda’s candidature has been challenged by four other prominent party leaders, including former district finance secretary Geeta Ram Sharma, former Yuva Morcha leader Shiv Pal Manhans advocate, district party secretary Bhim Singh Chandel and former district yuva Morcha president Dhyan Singh Thakur.

In the Ghumarwin segment, present BJP MLA K.D. Dharmani has his ticket rivals in former BDC chairman Vikram Sharma, BJP state secretary Rajkumari Chauhan and three others while in Geharwin former Cooperative minister Rikhi Ram Kondal’s candidature has been challenged by a punchayat president Sukhdev who has demanded a party ticket from this constituency.

Shimla, November 1
The HP High Court has expressed serious concern over the lack of knowledge regarding judicial procedure among bureaucrats. The court has underlined the need for providing proper judicial training to them who are expected to discharge judicial or quasi-judicial functions.

Mr Justice Deepak Gupta made this observation while disposing of the appeal filed by Oriental Insurance Company, wherein, the company had challenged the order of Amb workman compensation commissioner, on the ground that he had not given adequate opportunity to the company to put forth its case.

According to the facts of the case, the son of the claimant had gone to Hardwar to perform his official duties and while crossing the river he was drowned. On this basis, a compensation was claimed before the commissioner. The commissioner did not frame any issues nor did he allow the parties to lead any evidence. Only on the pleadings of the claimants, he allowed the petition and directed the company to pay Rs 1, 95,000 to the claimant. Instead of deciding the claim properly he decided the same in a casual manner.

While deciding the appeal, the court observed that the commissioner had acted in a manner totally unbecoming of an officer exercising judicial functions and his order was liable to be set aside. The court further observed that it was apparent in this case that the commissioner totally forgot about the procedure to be followed by him.

He was either totally ignorant of the requirement of law or for reasons best known to him chose to ignore the legal position of law, whereby he was expected to ask the parties to file reply and if any issues arose from the replies, to frame issues and then permit the parties to lead evidence.

The court had also sent the copy of this judgement to the chief secretary and directed him to ensure that the same was placed on the service record of the concerned officer and appropriate action was taken against him.

Chamba, November 1
Since it has become an uphill task for the Congress to capture all five assembly seats of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh at this crucial stage when Animal Husbandry and Urban Development Minister Harsh Mahajan has refused not to contest ensuing Assembly elections owing to his personal as well as health reasons, the insiders of the party said the feedback of the Congress high command has indicated that the party could field Harsh Mahajan as a Congress candidate realising his political potential.

The insiders of the party said Harsh Mahajan, who being a high-profile politician, was known for his decency, humility, simplicity and good behaviour amongst the masses.

Harsh Mahajan is popular not only in Chamba district but also in the entire Himachal Pradesh. The Congress high command is too very well aware of the fact that Mahajan can easily win in any part of Himachal Pradesh. He is liked by the masses in every nook and corner of the state. Thus, he has the winning capacity.

Full of vigour and vitality and immense capacity to work for the people Harsh Mahajan it looks certain that high command may field him in the fray taking into account the present political scenario when the ruling Congress party is facing anti-incumbency factor in the ongoing assembly elections in the state. The insiders further divulged that the Congress high command wanted to retain this seat.

Bharmour, November 1
The Congress and the BJP, have kicked off their hectic electioneering in the constituency soon after the last date for withdrawal of candidature on October 31.

Now five candidates, Thakur Singh Bharmouri of the Congress, Tulsi Ram of the BJP, Balbir Pathania of the BSP besides two Independents, Manish Kumar and Chandu Ram have been left in the fray the tribal segment.

The chronic issues like corruption and dearness are being raised as the main issues by the candidates of opposition parties before the electorate.

There are issues like 10 panchayats having no tribal status, which has not been addressed by both the Congress and the BJP so far.Now the BSP will try to cash on on this issue, it could harm both the Congress and the BJP.

Canvassing in the Pangi valley, which is another part of the constituency, has not yet picked up but it appears that the Congress may harp on the development made in the tough terrains of the valley connecting the interior villages of the tribal valley with the tribal subdivisional headquarters and Chamba, the district headquarters.

The Independents are also asking for votes in their confined belts though it is a rough task for them to tour the rugged mountainous Assembly constituency of the district.

Shimla, November 1
The state unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) today ridiculed the statement made by former Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal that the BJP would cancel all appointments made by the Congress government.

It said instead of promising more employment opportunities, Dhumal threatened to deprive those already employed, of their jobs.

He said his organisation was in favour of regularising the services of those appointed on a contract basis and it would be included in the election manifesto of the Congress. He maintained that that there was nothing wrong in the appointments of para-teachers, anganwari workers and teachers recruited through the PTA.

It said the BJP was upset that the Congress had provided jobs to 2.68 lakh unemployed youths through various modes. 

Shimla, November 1
The Congress will make economic resurgence of the hill state with a growth rate crossing 9 per cent, balanced development and all-round progress achieved over the past five years as its main election plank in the Assembly elections.

Spokesperson of the party O.P.Rattan said here today that the BJP was in no position to face the Congress as its image had been severely tarnished due to corruption, infighting and factionalism. The corruption-friendly Dhumal government had mismanaged the finances of the state and performed poorly on both governance and development fronts.

The Congress government had exposed BJP leaders involved in various scandals, including the infamous recruitment scam in connection with which a former chairman of the State Subordinate Services Selection Board had been convicted in three cases. The BJP miserably failed to fulfil the elections promises.

In contrast the performance of the Virbhadra Singh government had been ranked as the best by independent agencies.

A national weekly had ranked it among the top states in the fields of health, education, social welfare and other important sectors having bearing on the quality of life. Its good performance would enable the party to return to power.

Chintpurni, November 1
A gold necklace has mysteriously disappeared from Mata Chintpurni Temple Complex here. Even after seven days of the theft, the police has not been able to arrest the culprits nor have they been able to recover the necklace so far.

The police did registered an FIR at the Amb police station on the complaint of temple officer Madan Lal Sharma, who had provided the video footage of CCTV cameras installed in the temple complex as evidence of theft to the police.

Residents and shopkeepers here said on October 24, at about 4.35 pm, a group of NRI pilgrims from Jalandhar had come here to offer a gold necklace to the Goddess. On the video cameras two local ‘pujaris’ were seen following them, who took them inside through the VIP gate. The footage also showed that the pilgrim had handed over the necklace to one of the ‘pujari’, who went inside, while the other stayed out. It could not be ascertained whether the necklace was offered to the Goddess or was stolen from outside the temple. The two ‘pujaris’ were also seen jumping from the railing of the temple.

It is mandatory to issue a receipt to pilgrims, who offer valuables in the temple. But in this case no such receipt was issued. Sharma while talking to The Tribune said he was on leave on October 24, but when he resumed his duty on October 30, this matter came to his notice.

He immediately went through the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the temple complex and brought it to the notice of the police. Sharma said the video footage had established the involvement 

Shimla, November 1
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, ministers and other senior Congress leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 23rd martyrdom day .

The Chief Minister paid floral tributes at her statue on The Ridge. Devotional songs and patriotic songs were sung, besides taking out ‘prabhat pheris’ at different places. Virbhadra Singh also administered a pledge of national integration to all those assembled at The Ridge to pay tributes to the former Prime Minister.

Among those who paid tributes included power minister Vidya Stokes, local MLA Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, Mayor Narender Kataria, former MLAs and councillors.

Dharamsala: Employees of the state education board observed Monday as a Sankalp Diwas to mark the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Chairman B.R. Rahi and senior officers of the board paid tributes to her.

All employees of the board vowed to maintain peace and national integrity in the country and help strengthen democracy. Reports of Sankalp Div having been observed were also received from various other places in Kangra district.

Hamirpur, November 1
The two-day Hamirpur Utsav began today with Governor V.S. Kokje inaugurating the festival.

The main attraction of the utsav would be the cultural nights, in which film actors and playback singers would perform. Deputy commissioner Nandita Gupta also inaugurated the district-level kabbadi and volleyball competitions in the school ground. SP Asif Jalal was also present on the occasion.

Famous playback singer Hema Sardesai would be the main attraction of Thursdays’ cultural programme. The artists of north zone cultural centre Patiala, cultural troupes from Mandi and Kullu districts, local artists and students from local schools, would present their cultural items in the evening. The district administration has erected a huge enclosure to provide seats to people for watching the programmes. Stalls and exhibitions have been put up.

The district police has made elaborate security arrangements and more than 200 police personnel besides, home guard personnel, have been deployed.

Solan, November 1
The hill states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh today discussed sharing research in the field of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry for mutual benefit.

The ministers and officials concerned of the three states attended the two-day XXth regional committee meeting of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) that started at Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.

Over 140 scientists of leading agricultural universities of the three states participated in the meeting.

ICAR director-general Mangala Rai said policy guidelines for research and extension would be framed for the hill states. — PTI