Girls walk through a storm in Shimla on Tuesday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Fruit growers said the hailstorm was so severe that the apple crop could not be saved despite the presence of hail nets. Areas worst affected in Kotgarh on April 14 include Kotgarh, Thanedhar, Shatla, Lauga, Pamlai and Mangsu.

Heavy rain in Palampur

PALAMPUR: The Palampur region received heavy rain on Tuesday with a hailstorm lashing some areas. There was snowfall in the upper reaches of the Dhauladhars and the Chhota and Bara Bhangal.

High-velocity winds accompanied by heavy rain damaged fruit and wheat crops in the region. Power supply was hit and plucking of tea leaves was affected. The hailstorm caused losses at many tea gardens.

Residents were forced to wear woollens as there was a considerable fall in temperature. Agriculture experts termed the rain as harmful to crops.

Hailstorm in Kangra

KANGRA: The Kangra valley was lashed by rain accompanied by a hailstorm on Tuesday, damaging crops and throwing life out of gear. Vehicles were being driven with headlights on.

Pilgrims visiting shrines in connection with the Chaitra Navratra were the worst sufferers. Reports of rain were received from Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Chamunda, Gaggal and Nagrota Bagwan.

Panchkula, April 16
In a big jolt to Doon MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary, his bail plea was rejected by the court here today. Chaudhary had applied for bail on the grounds that the documents in the charge-sheet filed by the Panchkula police were incomplete and missing.

The case had come up for hearing before Chief Judicial Magistrate Bhawna Jain.

This is the second time that Chaudhary has been denied bail in the case. Earlier, when he was evading arrest, his anticipatory bail had been rejected by the court.

Sources said on the grounds that even if the challan was incomplete, the police was empowered to submit a supplementary charge-sheet, that the bail was rejected.

“Whatever the decision may be, I can just say that the evidence against Chaudhary is too shaky. We will move the higher court against the decision,” said defense counsel AS Sukhija.

In the last hearing of the case, Chaudhary’s counsels showed the court a list of over 40 documents that these were missing from the challan.

However, the Panchkula police had contended that the charge-sheet which they had filed was totally complete and there were no lapses.

Recently Chaudhary, the main accused in the Jyoti murder case, had moved an application in the court under Section 167(2), CrPC, stating that as the police had not filed the complete documents in the challan and the stipulated period of 90 days had already passed, he may be granted bail on these grounds.

Earlier, the court had also snubbed the police saying that despite repeated directions, the police did not comply and supply the requisite copies of charge-sheet to the accused.

Chaudhary has been accused of killing a 24-year-old girl Jyoti who hailed from Hoshiarpur. Jyoti was found murdered on a road in Sector 21, Panchkula.

Shimla, April 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said there was no proposal on creating of a new district anywhere in the state as the thrust of his regime was on accelerating the pace of development. Addressing a public meeting at Rampur Bushahr today, he claimed that health, education and roads had been badly hit during the previous regime.

“The previous government tried to lure voters by making lofty promises ahead of the Assembly elections. We are thankful to the people for voting in favour of the Congress for a stable and honest government,” he stated.

The Chief Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had denotified many schools and opened many colleges without adequate infrastructure.

He said the college at Nankhari in Rampur Bushahr had been opened at a school building just before the elections and the college at Dharampur in Kasauli had been made functional from the Block Education Office.

He reminded the gathering that the Congress government, during its previous tenure, had made a budgetary provision of Rs 5 crore for opening each college.

Virbhadra Singh said technical education was being promoted in the state to benefit the youth and his government had taken the decision to give skill development allowance to help them get employment.

He said his government was committed to overall development of the state and emphasis was being laid on areas which had remained ignored.

He said more schools would be opened as per the requirement and all vacancies would be filled on a priority basis in Health, Education, Irrigation, Revenue and other major departments so that people got better facilities at their doorstep.

He announced metalling of the Tikkar-Khamadi road and added that all villages left out would be provided roads in a phased manner. He was earlier given a warm welcome by people en route to Sarahan and Rampur Bushahr.

Kangra, April 16
Over 1,600 medical officers under the banner of the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) today wore black badges as a mark of protest against the alleged victimisation of association’s office-bearers by the state government.

HMOA spokesman Dr Sushil Sharma said over 1,600 doctors across the state worked at their hospitals wearing black badges today. He alleged HMOA general secretary Jiwa Nand had been placed under suspension and HMOA senior vice-president SL Sharma had been transferred from training institute Parimahal, Shimla, to TB Sanitarium, Dharampur, Solan, without justified reasons.

The spokesman said they would intensify the protest if the suspension orders of Jiwa Nand and transfer orders of SL Sharma were not revoked.

The association has demanded removal of the Managing Director of the National Rural Health Mission and other administrative officers from the Directorate of Health Services. Sharma said senior doctors should be posted in their place.

Sharma said, “It is unfortunate that Director, Health Services, has been made a dummy post and all the powers are being taken from him in a phased manner to post an IAS officer as Director, Health Services.”

He said the HMOA strongly resented the policy of the government to decrease postgraduation seats for GDOs from 90 per cent to 67 per cent. The association demanded that it should be increased from 67 per cent to 100 per cent.

He said, “No-objection certificate should be immediately given to doctors for taking up post graduation from institutes like the PGI, Chandigarh, and AIIMS, New Delhi, as the state is facing acute shortage of specialist doctors.”

Sharma said the HMOA strongly resented the rationalisation policy of the government due to which the strength of doctors in three Zonal Hospitals of the state had come down from 37 to 26. He said the seniority list of doctors should be issued according to the seniority of the commission and a Chief Medical Officer should be strictly promoted on the basis of that list.

Hamirpur, April 16
The Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) has strongly condemned the suspension of association general secretary Jiva Nand Chauhan and urged the state government to immediately revoke it.

Giving this information at a meeting here recently, press secretary of the association Sushil Sharma said the HMOA had condemned the attitude of the secretary, Health, and demanded his removal from the post for allegedly creating a fear psychosis among their community through mass transfers. He demanded the cancellation of transfers of the senior vice-president and the president of Mandi and Sirmour districts, respectively, of the association.

The association suspended its state president Sushil Chander for his alleged anti-association activities. The HMOA further demanded that all IAS and HAS officers be removed from the posts in the Directorate of the Health and Family Welfare Department and the restoration of 100 per cent reservation for GDOs for pursuing postgraduation courses.

The association directed its members to wear black badges from Friday to press their demands and threatened to launch an agitation.

Sundernagar, April 16
It has taken more than eight years to fill the 167-m-high main dam of the 800-MW Kol Dam hydroelectric project being constructed by the NTPC on the Sutlej.

Public Relations Officer Parveen Nandan said filling the dam was completed a few days back and 21 lakh cubic metres of clay had been transported to the dam site.

According to officials, Himachal Pradesh will get 12 per cent free power as royalty, 15 per cent as bus bar tariff and 2.75 per cent as grid distribution share from the project which will start production by the end of March next.

The top layer is yet to be covered with concrete slabs and the surface has to be tarred to be used as a road. The project has been delayed by over five years for various reasons.

Due to this the cost of the project has gone up by 20 per cent causing financial losses to the NTPC and the state government. No penalty clause had been incorporated in the agreement between the state government and the NTPC.

The Sutlej had been diverted through twin tunnels Lav and Kush. The NTPC had worked out the cost and handed over the work on lower rates to the Italian Thai Development Corporation.

Palampur, April 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has felicitated non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in the US on the occasion of the 66th Himachal Day, becoming the first Chief Minister of the state to address them in this manner.

He was addressing NRIs through video-conferencing last night. A function to mark the occasion was organised at the Indian Community Centre in California.

He told NRIs that people of the state had again reposed faith in him. He expressed gratitude for their support. He said they were not far from people’s hearts.

He said, “You have grown in reputation and brought pride to the country. You have expanded and extended. I am happy that you have maintained your roots. Your roots will be nurtured, nourished and taken care of in your absence.”

The Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh was a land of peace, potential, progress and prosperity. He said people of the state had carried forward the legacy of honesty, sincerity and hard work.

He said Himachal Pradesh was ranked among top states in the country and had emerged as a role model of hill development. He said many countries were emulating its model of development.

He said environment in the state was peaceful, healthy and conducive for investors, tourists, nature lovers, pilgrims and peace seekers. He said Himachal Pradesh was offering incentives to investors and urged NRIs to invest in the state.

He said quality of life in Himachal Pradesh was good and his government was committed to making it better. He said people of the state had been provided all basic amenities like education, health, water, electricity, communication, employment and strong social security cover.

Kullu, April 16
The 14-member Kullu Zila Parishad has bagged a national award worth Rs 40 lakh under the Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme. The civic body has been awarded for its performance in e-governance activities and for the promotion of government schemes in the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will give the award to Kullu Zila Parishad Chairman Harichand Thakur on the National Panchayat Day at Vigyan Bhawan on April 24.

Sources said the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development had shortlisted Zila Parishads of Shimla, Hamirpur and Kullu for the award this year. They said the Kullu civic body was adjudged the best among them after inspection by a Central team.

Kullu Zila Parishad members said the body had worked earnestly for the empowerment of panchayats and promotion of state and Central Government schemes. They said they had also made efforts to create awareness among people on issues like environment conservation and drug and alcohol menace. They said they put in place a mechanism for e-governance and held meetings from time to time.

The Zila Parishad Chairman said it was a collective achievement of all the members and officials. He said the award would boost the morale of the members and give an impetus to development of the district.

The Zila Parishad had bagged the award last year too and had got a cash prize of Rs 24 lakh with a memento.

Hamirpur, April 16
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has accused Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his Cabinet colleagues and Congress office-bearers of issuing unfounded and baseless statements to divert public attention from basic issues like price rise, corruption and failures of Congress governments in the state and at the Centre.

Addressing meetings of party workers of Bazuri, Khagal, Barnal and Anu today, Dhumal claimed, “The government has failed to give a satisfactory reply in the Assembly on the issues which Congress leaders are raising now.”

He alleged, “Performance in the last 100 days has been dismal. It has lost 100 days in victimising its opponents and transferring government employees while development has come to a standstill.”

Targeting the government, Dhumal claimed, “It has been the history of the Congress to rule by making false promises. It had promised unemployment allowance during elections but just gave skill development allowance. For that the age for eligibility has been enhanced.”

Dhumal alleged, “The state government has failed to supply rations to the public through public distribution system counters and ration depots have been lying empty for the last three months.”

He thanked voters for their support in the elections and appealed to them to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the general election to help return the National Democratic Alliance government to power at the Centre.

Shimla, April 16
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will prepare a roadmap for ensuring success of candidates from all four Lok Sabha seats during its three-day state office-bearers’ meeting at Kullu from April 20.

BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt said senior party leaders and state office-bearers would contemplate prevailing political scenario. “The party will prepare the roadmap so that the BJP wins all four seats,” he said.

He claimed that the graph of the Congress regime has gone down and development had come to a standstill. He claimed that there was disenchantment among the people.

“The government is busy ordering transfers and postings based on political vendetta and reviewing decisions taken by the previous BJP regime,” he alleged.

Shimla, April 16
State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Satpal Singh Satti today appointed Sunil Kumar Thakur as state chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

Satti also appointed Ritu Sethi as chief of the state unit of the BJP Mahila Morcha and Balbir Chaudhary as chief of the state unit of the BJP Scheduled Caste Cell.

Satti appointed Baldev Bhandari as state BJP Kisan Cell chief, Jia Lal as state BJP Scheduled Tribe Cell chief and Muhammad Raj Bali as BJP Minorities Cell chief. 

Nurpur, April 16
Arjun Singh, recently appointed president of Nurpur district BJP, today expanded party’s organisational unit by appointing six vice-presidents, two general secretaries and six secretaries.

In a statement here this evening, Arjun Singh said party workers from all four Assembly segments of Nurpur, Jawali, Indora and Fatehpur had been accorded proper representation in the organisation.

Sanosh Sharma and Jagdev Pathania from Fatehpur, Atul Sudan and Veena Devi from Nurpur, Moti Lal Joshi and Ranju Bala from Indora have been appointed vice-presidents of the district party unit, whereas Ranvir Singh Nikka from Nurpur and Rakesh Bazwa from Jawali were given the responsibility of the post of general secretary. Daljeet Pathania and Shuv Lata from Nurpur, Mulkh Chowdhary and Sarishta Guleria from Jawali, Surinder Kaur from Indora and Veena Rana from Fatehpur have been appointed as secretaries of the party unit.

Barmana (Bilaspur), April 16
The number of diabetics is increasing in India like plague and there is an urgent need for people to be aware about it.

This was stated here yesterday by Dr Jitender Mokta, Associate Professor in Medicine with Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla. He was addressing local residents during a health check-up camp for diabetics.

Dr Mokta said, “It is not a disease of the rich. Every fifth Indian, whether in urban or rural area, is suffering from it. A large number of women and children are afflicted. Around 25 per cent children are obese making them prone to diabetes.”

He added, “The basic reason behind its spread is imbalance between calorie intake and calorie consumption. Sugar is an essential ingredient of human food, but quickly soluble sugar should be replaced with slowly soluble sugar.”

He suggested eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Talking about treatment, he urged people to undergo periodic check-up for sugar, blood pressure and lipid profile and get treatment regularly.

He also warned against adopting any alternative medicine as a scientific approach to life was the best method to remain healthy. At least 200 patients were examined and given free medicines.

Palampur, April 16
Cash, jewellery and other valuables worth Rs 5 lakh were stolen in five incidents of theft at Bheri village on Friday night.

An FIR has been lodged. In the recent past, over 20 houses have been targeted by thieves in the Thural area of Palampur subdivision. Earlier, cash and jewellery was stolen from a house at Rajpur.

Palampur, April 16
An action planning workshop of all the krishi vigyan kendras (KVKs) of the state was organised by the Directorate of Extension Education, CSK HP Agricultural University, in collaboration with the Zonal Project Directorate of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, here recently.

In his address to programme coordinators and subject matter experts of the KVKs, Dr KR Dhiman, Vice-Chancellor, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticultural and Forestry, said KVKs were the ultimate learning centre for agricultural and allied activities in each district and they should be made farmer-friendly and centre of excellence in their respective fields.

Dr Dhiman urged the scientists to identify reasons for gap between technology and production and accelerate the application of technology to avail desired results.

In his address, Dr AM Narula, Zonal Project Director, ICAR, said fieldwork should be presented with proper data as to judge the impact of such demonstrations in their respective areas and scientists must gather and compile data cautiously so that stakeholders might get the maximum benefit from KVK activities.

He said the Government of India had earmarked Rs 6,000 for all the KVKs in the current Budget. He urged scientists to provide proportionate results in anticipation to this financial allocation. He said the reports should be submitted timely.

Dr KK Katoch, Director, Extension Education, underlined the importance of KVKs in the eradication of poverty and security of food and nutrition.

Dr SP Sharma, Director, Research, appreciated the work being done by the KVKs of the state.

Kangra, April 16
The Kangra valley at 4.14 pm experienced an earthquake and lasted for 5 to 10 seconds. However, no loss of life and property was reported from any part of the valley.

This was stated by senior scientist of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geography, Dehradun, Susheel Kumar on the phone.

People in panic rushed out of their houses and shops following the earthquake.

The Kangra valley had experienced an earthquake on November 6, last year, with 3.6 magnitude on the Richter scale and eight times from October 2 to 4, 2012, with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner C Palrasu said there was no loss of life or property reported from any part of district following the earthquake.

The Kangra valley falls in the seismic Zone V and had experienced a devastating earthquake on April 4, 1905, in which 10,527 residents were killed and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed.

Bilaspur, April 16
Three houses of Pyar Chand,Tara Chand and Jagdish Chand were reduced to ashes,as a devastating fire broke out suddenly at Kapahada village last night.

Reports said hardly anything could be saved. Villagers,who has reached the spot immediately, took some four hours to extinguish the fire.

Several villagers alleged that though the Fire Brigade was immediately informed of the incident, yet it did not arrive even after the fire was extinguished by them.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani rushed to the spot with revenue staff and each family was given Rs 5,000 as immediate financial help while losses were being assessed. Short Circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire.