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ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
Noisy protests mar proceedings
Dharamsala, December 21
Much like it commenced, the six-day winter session of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha ended in pandemonium with the Opposition BJP staging a noisy protest throughout the proceedings.

Members of the Opposition BJP come out of the House after the Assembly session near Dharamsala on Saturday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Govt cornered during session: Dhumal
Dharamsala, December 21
Blaming the Congress for the happenings in the House during the winter session, Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal today said there would not have been any protests if the adjournment motions had been allowed.

Firms told to replace computer within 7 days
Sundernagar, December 21
The Consumer Forum, Mandi, today directed Pathania Infotech and Hewlett Packard (HP Sales Pvt Ltd) to replace a computer purchased by Kavita Kapoor, a resident of Mandi town, within seven days failing which the opposite parties (firm proprietor and company owner) will undergo imprisonment for two months.

HC notice to govt for replacing women commission chief
Legal Correspondent
Shimla, December 21
The HP High Court has issued a notice to the state government on a petition filed by Dhaneshwari Thakur, former chairperson of the HP State Women Commission. In her petition, she alleged that she had been removed from the post of the chairperson of the commission without any prior notice. A Bench comprising Justice DD Sud and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary directed the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary (social welfare) to file their replies in this regard. She alleged that her removal without any notice and before the completion of a three-year term showed the illegal act of the government.

No illegality in share purchase: CM
Dharamsala, December 21
Terming the allegations levelled by the BJP against him during the winter session as an “exercise in vilification”, CM Virbhadra Singh said the party was targeting him personally to stall the investigations into the 'chargesheet' submitted against the Dhumal regime by the Congress high command to the President of India. Reacting to the charges made by Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal and other leaders after the session, he said he was pained by the malicious propaganda and personal attacks on him and his family members. — TNS

Pending Motor Vehicle Act cases to be heard
Legal Correspondent
Shimla, December 21
With over 2,800 cases of the Motor Vehicle Act pending in the High Court, Acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir has decided that such cases would be taken up on a weekly basis to expedite their disposal and grant compensation to litigants. He said cases under the Motor Vehicle Act would be heard by the HC every Friday. Justice Mir heard these cases yesterday so that dependants of deceased could get monetary relief at the earliest. A total of 17 cases were heard.

ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
Noisy protests mar proceedings
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 21
Much like it commenced, the six-day winter session of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha ended in pandemonium with the Opposition BJP staging a noisy protest throughout the proceedings.

The protesting BJP members remained in the well of the House even during the national song which marked the end of the session. Trouble began as soon as the House assembled as senior BJP member Mohinder Singh was on his feet, urging the Speaker BB Butail to take up the adjournment motion seeking to discuss reported statement of Congress MLA from Doon seat, who was facing trial in Jyoti murder case in Haryana, that he was falsely implicated at the behest of CM Virbhadra Singh.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Agnihotri raised an objection, stating that as per the rules, no matter under adjudication in any court in the country could be discussed in the House.

As the Speaker did not allow the motion, the BJP members started raising slogans and the treasury benches responded with counter-slogans. After waiting for some time, the Speaker went ahead with the Question Hour, which infuriated the BJP members, who trooped into the well. The House was adjourned sine die.

Govt cornered during session: Dhumal
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 21
Blaming the Congress for the happenings in the House during the winter session, Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal today said there would not have been any protests if the adjournment motions had been allowed.

Addressing mediapersons after the session, he said today that the party wanted to discuss the charge made by a Congress MLA from Doon, Ram Kumar, in the High Court that he was implicated in the murder case at the behest of the Chief Minister. It was an important matter as the allegation was levelled by a Congress member. However, the adjournment motion was rejected.

The party had, on the very first day, raised the issue of loans raised by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his family members from Wakamulla and asked him to clarify his position, said Dhumal. It also raised the matter pertaining to purchase of shares of a company of Wakamulla and there were several points, which warranted an explanation on these issues, but the adjournment motion was not allowed, he stated.

He said the government was cornered in the House as was evident from the debate on the implementation of the Food Security Yojna. He said Virbhadra Singh had been blaming the BJP for his woes but he was always targeted by his own party leaders.

The controversial audio CD was released by a senior Congress leader and now a sitting MLA of the house had alleged that he had been implicated in a case of murder at his behest.

Firms told to replace computer within 7 days
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, December 21
The Consumer Forum, Mandi, today directed Pathania Infotech and Hewlett Packard (HP Sales Pvt Ltd) to replace a computer purchased by Kavita Kapoor, a resident of Mandi town, within seven days failing which the opposite parties (firm proprietor and company owner) will undergo imprisonment for two months.

Kavita Kapoor had purchased the computer from the opposite parties in 2009. After some defects detected in the computer, she decided to approach firms and later, she filed a complaint before the forum.

The forum directed the opposite parties to repair the computer within 30 days and pay Rs 3,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 as cost of complaint to the complainant.

Despite many opportunities given by the forum to repair the computer, the firms failed to do so. So, Kavita Kapoor filed an execution petition before the forum.

The forum today passed a conditional order vide saying that the computer should be replaced within a week failing which the firm proprietor and the company owner will undergo imprisonment for two months.

The forum has fixed the next date of hearing on December 30.