Dharamsala, February 10
An embarrassing situation was created in the office of the municipal council here today when newly elected president Kamla Patial reached the office of the executive officer this morning. She found it locked. When she asked the officials present there to open the office, they said they did not have the key. The president then called newsmen and expressed resentment against the action.

She had earlier requested in a written communication that her office should be shifted to the ground floor in the office of the executive officer. Kamla said the office of the president was shabby and located on the first floor of the council building. It was not an appropriate place for meeting people.

“I had requested that my office should be shifted to the ground floor. Probably suspecting that I might occupy his office, the executive officer had locked his room, she alleged.

She further alleged, “The executive officer should have informed her before leaving the station. I have written to the Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, and director, local government, against the misconduct of the executive officer”, she said.

Executive officer RS Verma said he was in New Delhi to attend a meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

“I am here along with 17 other executive officers on the orders of the director, local government.” The executive officer denied having locked his room.

He said his room might have been locked by sweepers. Vital documents were kept in his room and these were unsafe in his absence. There is no harm if the room is locked in his absence, the EO said. The standoff is the first between the newly elected president and the administration of the municipal council. However, sources said many more encounters may follow. Kamla Patial, who is a BJP rebel, has won the post of president of the Dharamsala municipal council. 

Dharamsala, February 10
The newly constituted commando unit of the Himachal Police will get training in reflex shooting from the Special Task Force (STF) of Tamil Nadu that is credited with the killing of the dreaded dacoit Veerappan.

Sources here told The Tribune that a 10-member STF team of Tamil Nadu would arrive in Himachal on February 15. The team would be headed by an additional SP of the Tamil Nadu Police. It would give 10-day training to Himachal commandos at Police Training Centre near Palampur in Kangra district.

The STF Tamil Nadu has a wide experience in carrying out encounters with the gang of Veerappan in the forests adjoining Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Since they had encounters with the Veerappan gang many time, the team is considered among the best police teams in the country in reflex shooting.

The commando unit of the Himachal Police that is named as Special Action Group has been formed under the state CID wing. It has been made operational only a year ago and has a strength of 75 personnel.

The personnel of the commando unit have been selected from the Himachal Police. They have been imparted special training at Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur. They have been kept in a constant training mode. The maximum period of a police personnel in the commando unit has been fixed as three years or up to 40 years age, after which they would be redeployed in the state police.

The commando unit of state police has been trained for tackling emergency situations such as hostage crisis or anti-terrorist operations in view of the increased threat.

In the recent past, 12 Himachal police commandos were sent to Doda along with a Kangra police team that carried out search operation there. The newly formed commando contingent of the Himachal Police was also put into service for the first time during this operation.

The commando team was deputed to protect the raiding party from accomplices of a Hizbul terrorist who was arrested from Kangra.

The commandos have also been deputed on duty to guard Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Shimla, February 10
An inordinate delay in approving the list of co-opted members to be inducted in the Pradesh Congress Committee is holding back the announcement of the new state executive body of the party.

More than three months have passed since Kaul Singh was handed over the reins of the party for the second consecutive term but he has still not been able to constitute his team of office-bearers. He had earlier announced that he would carry out the exercise after the panchayat and local body polls but the process has been completed last month.

According to party sources, the main reason for the delay is that the process of co-opting members to make for the shortfall in representation of women and inability of the some deserving leaders to make it to the PCC has not been completed. Only four women have been elected and to increase their representation to 33 per cent, as per the policy of the party, 21 more would have to be inducted by co-option. Similarly, some important leaders, who have been left out, will also be given a place.

With election to Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti yet to be held, the total strength of the house is 82 which will increase to 115 after co-option of women and other members. The list of members to be co-opted has been submitted to the in charge of party election Oscar Fernandes for approval. Currently on tour, Fernandes is likely to discuss the matter with state leaders after his return to Delhi next week.

Kaul Singh said he would constitute the new body after taking into confidence the senior party leaders and in all, 24 office-bearers, including vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries, would be appointed.

Meanwhile, the party president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a coordination committee under the chairpersonship of national general secretary Mohsina Kidwai and having Kaul Singh, Vidya Stokes, Gangu Ram Musafir, G.S.Bali, Chander Kumar, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Harbhajan Singh and Mukesh Agnihotri as members. Normally, those on the panel are not given any office in the Pradesh Congress Committee. It will be interesting to see if Kaul Singh follows this principle as most of the senior leaders figure in the committee.

Hamirpur, February 10
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the state government’s innovative Atal Bijali Bachat Yojna had contributed significantly in protecting the environment of the state, besides saving 270 MU electricity worth about Rs 100 crore during the one year after free distribution of CFL bulbs among the people by the state government.

The Chief Minister said this while addressing the gathering at Bari Pharnol today after holding the Prashashan Janta Ke Dwar programme during his two-day tour to Hamirpur district.

He also laid the foundation stone of a primary health centre at Dhaned.

Dhumal said: “The government had spent Rs 65 crore on this scheme and it had received overwhelming response from consumers by replacing their old bulbs which led to reduction in their electricity bills.”

Talking about health schemes launched by the state government, Dhumal said the Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Yojna had been launched for medical check-up of students and through the Muskan Yojna senior citizens above the age of 65 were being provided free dentures.

He said the state had launched the Atal Swasthya Sewa Yojna on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee through which free ambulance service was being provided to patients.

He said a Rs 8-crore off-season vegetable project had also been launched in Hamirpur district by constructing small check dams, which had provided water for the irrigation and also resulted into rise in the groundwater level getting appreciation from Asian development Bank and other agencies.

He said the elected representatives needed to be extended the best cooperation by all quarters of society and play an important role in rural development.

Earlier, local MLA Urmil Thakur welcomed the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated Hatli Bridge and Applied Science Block at the NIT.

Paonta Sahib, February 10
One labourer was killed and six others, including two women, were injured when metal racks holding bags of compost fell on them while they were working in an industrial unit, Himalayan International Private Limited, at Gondpur village in Paonta Sahib subdivision of Sirmaur district last evening.

The mishap occurred when one of the racks cracked and fell on another rack lying in the front. Several large racks had been kept one above the other in a hall and heavy compost bags had been placed on the racks.

As soon as one of the racks broke and bags fell on the rack lying in the front the entire row toppled and fell on the about 12 workers present there.

Officials of the administration, including SDM Manmohan Sharma, rushed to the spot and helped in the rescue operation. He said since the compost-filled polythene bags and metal racks had broken owing to the weight, the labourers were buried. He said the police had been instructed to take samples of the metal racks and ascertain if these could hold ample weight as it appeared that the excessive weight was loaded on the substandard racks which were loosely lined up in the hall.

The rescue team had to cut the metal frames of the racks with gas cutters before the workers could be rescued. Though the labourers were rushed to the Civil Hospital at Paonta Sahib, one of them, Shamim, who hails from Saharanpur, was killed on the spot.

Those injured included Naushad, Khalid, Harun, Zulekha and Ruksar. The labourers hail from Vikas Nagar in Uttrakhand and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Ruksar and Harun (18) were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, with grievous injuries.

DCMeera Mohanty, who visited the spot, said the labour officer had been directed to inquire the incident and submit a report within three days.

Nurpur, February 10
The rampant thefts of telephone cables during the past over one month in Nurpur subdivision has not only irked telephone subscribers, but also put the BSNL authorities in trouble.

There are reports of a number of cable thefts in the Kotla area for which the BSNL authorities are facing trouble in lodging FIRs due to the alleged apathy of the police.

According to information, in Bhali telephone exchange, in Kotla exchange and in Nadolli exchange, telephone cables were stolen during the past fortnight, throwing 150 telephone lines out of gear.

In this connection, Tilak Thakur, SDO, telephone, Nurpur subdivision, alleged that when he approached the Kotla police chowki for lodging a complaint, the police had shown its non-cooperative attitude.

He revealed that from January 1 till today, about 9,415 metre telephone cable had been stolen causing a loss to the BSNL to the tune of Rs 3.15 lakh and over 450 telephone lines had gone silent due to these thefts.

However, Umapati Jamwal, additional SP, Kangra, said the police was taking action in cable theft cases and a number of thieves had been nabbed in different cases in the past.

Dharamsala, February 10
The district police has arrested seven more students in the examination scam. The students included three from class 10+2, three from class X and one from class VIII class. Two of the arrested students are juveniles.

The students are accused of clearing board examinations through the main accused in the case. The state police had identified about 208 students across the state who passed the examinations through dubious means. Only a few of them have been arrested as yet.The students have been accused of hiring the services of Ashwani Dogra, the main accused in the case, for clearing the board examinations.

They allegedly paid money to Ashwani Dogra. The role of students was just limited to filling the examination forms. Dogra along with his accomplices used to receive the roll numbers of accused students at his study centre.

The accused solved their papers in the study centre. The answer sheets of the accused students were sent by the main accused directly to evaluation centres. After evaluation, the students were declared pass by the board.