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IPL Match
New vistas of opportunities await Dharamsala
Dalai Lama desires to visit quake-hit Tibet
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Water shortage fear rings alarm bells for MC
Tourists to get paper bags at Khajjiar
6 hurt in steel plant blast
Two shops gutted
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IPL Match
Dharamsala, April 17 President of HPCA Anurag Thakur said about 300-400 spectators failed to enter the ground. The onus for the poor management at the main gates of the stadium was on the managers of Kings XI Punjab and the police. The role of the HPCA was limited to just providing the stadium facility to the visiting teams. He, however, added that we are stressing on the Kings XI management to provide free tickets for next match to all affected spectators of yesterday’s match. Meanwhile, chaos ruled on entry of the main gates of the Dharamsala cricket stadium yesterday. Long queues of spectators were seen at almost all gates. Since the entry at the main gates was being controlled by the police, large number of spectators were left reeling outside the stadium at the start of the match. There was two-tier checking, one at the main entrance of the stadium and second at the entrance to respective stands. This double-checking was causing delay. However, youths at many places got restive and broke the blockades raised by the police. At some places there were scuffles between the spectators who were having tickets and were being denied entry and police officials deputed at the main gates. The police officials were also not aware about the location of various gates and schedule they had to follow. There were no signboards that could have helped the spectators in identifying the gates from where their entry was allowed. One gate of the stadium was broken by restive youths. This created mismanagement as some people with medium range tickets managed entry into premium class. It remains to be seen how the managers of the event take lessons from the yesterday’s match and facilitate the process for the spectators in tomorrow’s match. |
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New vistas of opportunities await Dharamsala
Dharamsala, April 17 He said the Kings XI owner and Bollywood star Preity Zinta had liked the stadium to such an extent that she had expressed the desire to hold four matches of her team at Dharamsala in the next IPL season. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had also expressed the desire to shift some other matches at Dharamsala keeping in view the cool climate in the area as compared to other parts of the country in this season. “We would try that the IPL season at Dharamsala continues for one month next year. This would mean good one-month business for the tourism industry in the area,” he said. He added that top BCCI officials, including president Shashank
Manohar, vice-president Chirayu Amin, Arun Jaitley and Rajiv Shukla skipped the ICC meeting scheduled in Dubai to attend the match at
Dharamsala. When asked about the criticism by the Congress regarding Rs 3 crore spent by the state government for improving facilities at Dharamsala in view of the matches, Anurag Thakur said it was a criticism for the sake of criticism. “If we take into account the amount of publicity Dharamsala has got through IPL matches, an investment of Rs 3 crore was a meagre amount,” he added. About the HPCA hotel that has also been in controversy, Anurag said the event had also exposed lack of a good hotel in the Dharamsala area for catering to high-end tourism. “We had to create the facility within three months. All guests who have stayed in pavilion hotel created by the HPCA have praised the facility. We would try to improve upon that during the next season,” Anurag said. |
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Dalai Lama desires to visit quake-hit Tibet
Dharamsala, April 17 While addressing a press conference here today, the Dalai Lama said he was deeply saddened to know about the devastating earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan:Kyigudo) of Qinghai Province which resulted in the tragic loss of many lives and left many injured. “Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected. However, I would like them to know that I am praying for them,” he said. He commended the monastic community and many others from the nearby areas for their support and assistance to the families of those who had lost everything. “I also applaud the Chinese authorities for visiting the affected areas, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who not only personally offered comfort to the affected communities, but also oversaw the relief work. I am very appreciative of the fact that the media has been free to report on the tragedy and its aftermath,” the Dalai Lama said. The Tibetan community-in-exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work, he added. “When Taiwan was struck by a typhoon last year, I visited the affected families and prayed with them for those who had perished in that disaster. In providing some solace to the people concerned, I was happy to be able to do something useful,” he said. “This time, the location of the earthquake lies in Qinghai Province, which happens to be the place where both the late Panchen Lama and I were born. To fulfil the wishes of many people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort,” he added. The Dalai Lama also met the players of Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi also met the Tibetan spiritual guru. |
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Water shortage fear rings alarm bells for MC
Shimla, April 17 Commissioner of the local Municipal Corporation, AN Sharma, today took up the matter with the Shimla Deputy Commissioner to provide adequate compensation to farmers of several panchayats in the catchment area so that they could be requested
not to use natural water sources for irrigation purpose. Farmers residing in the catchment area of the Gumma water supply scheme had been extended monetary assistance even in 2002-03 so that they did not use the local water sources to irrigate their crop of vegetables. They could grow vegetables with dependence only on rainwater but not by
irrigating their crop as it would affect supply to Shimla. Residents of several panchayats, including Khatnol, Nehra, Sarog, Bhakhelti, Mashobra and other adjoining areas, are into vegetable cultivation in a big way. The use of water from natural sources for irrigation purpose had considerably reduced water supply at Gumma from almost 15 MLD to 10 MLD, which could worsen the
water shortage in the state capital. “The ban on new connections and use of water for construction purpose has already been enforced so that every single drop of water is put to proper use,” said Sharma. He said this ban would continue till monsoons arrive and the positions eases out. Against a requirement of 42 MLD water daily, the MC is being supplied with 33 MLD and the demand is likely to escalate further as temperatures rise. About 8 MLD of water is being received from the Giri water scheme which is keeping the situation
under control. A sum of Rs 72 crore has been approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for rejuvenation of the existing water supply system in the state capital which will be utilised for plugging the leakages. With almost 15 to 20 per cent wastage due to leakages, the relaying and repairing of pipes would help save almost 5 MLD, which goes waste. With water level in most of the IPH schemes showing a decline, there is apprehension that this time the water situation could turn grave in case the rains are delayed. Meanwhie, floating population of tourists in the town is steadily increasing as the mercury is soaring
in the plains. |
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Tourists to get paper bags at Khajjiar
Dalhousie, April 17 The DC asked the concerned officials to ensure the availability of paper bags to the tourists thronging Khajjiar lake daily during the peak tourist season in the summer. The tourists should also be advised to put garbage in the dustbins put at different locations around the Khajjiar lake, he added. On their way back from Khajjiar, the tourists would hand over these paper bags to the officials on duty at the Kalatop barrier, the Deputy Commissioner stated adding that the process would foster scientific disposal of garbage. He further stated that these arrangements had been made so that the ecosystem of the Khajjiar area surrounded by
dense deodar forests was not polluted. |
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6 hurt in steel plant blast
Kangra, April 17 Kangra District Police Chief Atul Fulzele told The Tribune that the blast took place in a steel plant at Kandrodi while the scrap was being melted. He said preliminary investigations revealed that there was some procedural deficiency while melting the scrap which resulted in the blast, damaging the furnace and leaving six persons injured. The three critically injured persons were admitted in the ICU of a hospital at Pathankot. The SSP said there was some explosive material in the scrap which, when put to melting procedure, resulted in the blast. No causality was reported till the filing of this report. |
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Two shops gutted
Bilaspur, April 17 According to reports, the fire was detected late at night by a woman and she immediately raised an alarm. However, all efforts of villagers to bring it under control failed and the entire merchandise kept in the shops was destroyed. — OC
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Dharamsala, April 17
