Hamirpur, March 24
In a major jolt to the Congress in the Hamirpur constituency, Narender Thakur, Congress candidate in the last parliamentary elections, has quit the party and joined the BJP.

He had contested the last election in 2009 against BJP candidate Anurag Thakur and the last Assembly election against PK Dhumal from the Hamirpur Assembly constituency on the Congress ticket, facing defeat in both elections.

Narender had not been happy with the Congress for some time as his aspiration to get a post in the state government was not fulfilled by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and refusal of the Congress ticket to him had soured his relations with the party.

Moreover, Rajender Rana’s entry in the Congress and Congress decision to field him from Hamirpur had compounded his antipathy to the Congress.

Narender Thakur, who remained the Hamirpur district BJP president and is son of BJP stalwart late Jagdev Chand Thakur, was a bete noire of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Anurag Thakur and had joined the Congress in 2008 after quitting the BJP.

Narender has contested four elections unsuccessfully, three Assembly elections and one parliamentary election. First time, he had contested the Hamirpur Assembly seat on BJP ticket after the death of his father Jagdev Chand Thakur and later as an Independent and last time on the Congress ticket.

There are reports that Narender may get a BJP ticket to contest the Sujanpur Assembly seat, where byelection is due after the resignation of Rajinder Rana from the Assembly, where his sister-in-law Urmil Thakur was the BJP candidate in the last election.

Talking to The Tribune, Narender Thakur confirmed joining the BJP, saying that, “Though I had fought elections against Anurag and Dhumal, the Congress had not given me my due and was feeling ignored in the party and will now work for the success of Anurag Thakur and the BJP.” 

Nalagarh, March 24
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the re-entry of Congress candidate Narender Thakur into the BJP would have no impact on the prospects of the Congress in Hamirpur.

Addressing mediapersons in Nalagarh after addressing a public meeting here, he said Narender was accorded due respect in the Congress and he had gone back into the BJP fold from where he had emerged.

He said this decision would hurt the soul of his father who had been given a shabby treatment by Dhumal. He said since Narender was a relative of former BJP minister Ravinder Ravi, it was not surprising that he had taken such a step.

Virbhadra said since they had always fielded a weak candidate, they could not win this seat and added that Rajinder Rana was a strong candidate.

In response to a question on the Kangra seat where BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar was contesting, he said defeating Kumar was not an impossible task and the BJP had been defeated several times in Kangra.

Virbhadra said he had never used foul language in politics and those levelling false allegations on him and his family would be dealt with.

He said Shanta Kumar was a gentleman while PK Dhumal was a dictator and he advised him to use decent language in politics.

The CM said Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Dharamsala was far more successful than the rally of Narendra Modi and the development works of the state government would be the main poll plank.

Refuting the allegations of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal that new machinery for tapping phones had been bought, he said they were not indulging in any such mischief and added that the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau would file a chargesheet in the phone tapping case within a week.

Others present included Congress nominee for Shimla Mohan Lal Bragta, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment DR Shandil.

Nalagarh, March 24
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said there was no Modi wave in the country and it was merely propaganda launched by the media.

Virbhadra, who kickstarted the poll campaign in Solan district by addressing rallies at Nalagarh and Baddi, said the BJP was trying to mislead the masses by professing that there was a wave in its favour while on the contrary, the Congress would win and form government at the Centre.

He also condemned the BJP for transforming the slogan of "Har Har Mahadev" for PM nominee Narendra Modi.

Virbhadra said Modi could never attain the stature of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP's dream of capturing power under his leadership would fall flat. He said the party that could not accord due respect to senior leaders such as LK Advani, Jaswant Singh and MM Joshi would fail to understand the sentiments of the people and it was living in a fool's paradise.

Castigating the BJP for creating an undue hype about the Gujarat developmental model, he said it was not worth emulating and a state where the peasants suffered and people lost their lives in the 2002 Godhra carnage was not acceptable to anyone.

Optimistic of the Congress winning all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal, the CM said Himachal had emerged as a model state in development among all hilly states and this was attributed to the Congress which remained in power for most of the time in this state.

Virbhadra Singh launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and said his knowledge about the Constitution appeared to be limited as he had been professing that the Congress governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal would fall soon after the formation of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He said a democratically elected government could not be suspended and it smacked of his dictatorial attitude.

He urged Congress workers to fight in unison and ensure the victory of Mohan Lal Bragta from Shimla. He said Rahul Gandhi's rally at Dharamsala had given a new lease of life to the Congress which would work wholeheartedly for victory.

Others present included DR Shandil, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, former MLAs Lajja Ram, Lakhwinder Rana, Hardeep Bawa, chairman, Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. 

Nurpur, March 24
Congress candidate from the Kangra contituency and former Lok Sabha MP Chander Kumar held a meeting of party workers at Indora near here last evening and finalised the election strategy.

He exhorted workers to put up a united fight against the BJP. Infighting in the local Congress unit had resulted in the defeat of the Congress candidate during the last Assembly elections. BJP rebel Manohar Dhiman had won the election who later supported the Virbhadra government.

He said the BJP had announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministrial candidate, but now he was facing a struggle in the party after denying party ticket to senior leaders. He claimed that the Congress would sweep all four seats in the state.

Chander Kumar appealed to party workers to disseminate pro-people policies and programmes besides made people aware about development works undertaken by the state government.

He alleged that BJP leaders had always indulged in negative politics whereas the Congress had stood for development and played the role of constructive opposition while out of power.

Kamal Kishor, Congress candidate from the Indora Assembly segment, called upon the party’s rank and file to work hard for the victory of Chander Kumar in the area.

Chander Kumar also met the local MLA Manohar Dhiman. 

Shimla, March 24
True to his reputation of being unpredictable, a miffed Major Vijai Singh Mankotia, former Congress minister, can upset the ruling party's calculations in Kangra as he is planning to contest the election.

“My supporters and well-wishers are upset over the manner in which I have been treated since my return to the Congress almost year-and-a-half ago. They want to me to contest the election,” says Mankotia, a five-time MLA from Shahpur and currently the president of the Ex-Servicemen League, which boasts of a membership of 70,000.

He intends holding a meeting of his supporters within a week to decide his plans.

The man, who made his political debut by winning as an Independent in 1982, says: “I will go by what my supporters decide for me as they are my strength and I will honour their sentiments,” says the man who had served the Army for 16 years before taking to politics. He has remained a four-time Congress MLA but also had an unsuccessful stint with the BSP, losing his own Assembly seat.

The man, who shares a love-hate relationship with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is upset that he was not given any recognition in the party to serve his people and the area despite contesting the Assembly election in 2012.

“On the contrary, the people, who are wheeler-dealers and non-entities, have been given prominent position,” he rues. He says he is a senior leader and not a bonded labourer of the party.

He says his loyalists are keen that he contests as an Independent from Kangra. “I have offers from other political parties to contest from Mandi which I would not like to spell out at this stage, but I am open to all these options,” he says.

He admits that though he had not applied for the ticket from Kangra, many senior party leaders and intelligence reports had projected him as the strongest candidate.

There had been speculation about the possibility of Mankotia again parting ways with the Congress eversince he stayed away from the interaction that AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi had with ex-servicemen in Kangra on his visit to the state on March 20. Having kept his cards close to his chest, he is now gradually spelling out his plans. There is talk that he could also join hands with the BJP, but he is not willing to divulge much.

Mankotia, against whom Virbhadra had filed a defamation case, was also the one who had released the audio CD containing voices of the Chief Minister and his wife before the Lok Sabha elections in 2007. After remaining entangled in two legal battles, Mankotia and Virbhadra made truce, but it seems they will be on opposite sides of the fence.

“He has betrayed me each time I took his word and trusted him, but no longer are my supporters willing to take this humiliation,” he declares.

Shimla, March 24
Even as the BJP has opened its doors for all rebels, the ruling Congress has not taken any decision on re-admitting 25 expelled leaders, including four former MLAs and the 73 leaders, who had been issued notices during the last Assembly elections.

A large number of former BJP leaders, some of whom had joined the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), are expected to join the BJP tomorrow at a function in Dehra in the presence of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal. The BJP has already taken back several leaders, including Rakesh Pathania, Roop Singh Thakur, Dulo Ram, Des Raj, all former MLAs along with many other leaders.

On the other hand, the Congress seems to be going slow. "We have received replies from a majority of the remaining 73 leaders who were issued show-cause notices for disciplinary action and soon most of them will be taken back," said Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president. He added that it was taking some time as the party was keen to take the block and District Congress Committees (DCC) into confidence before re-inducting these leaders.

The case of 25 leaders, most of them former MLAs and prominent leaders who were expelled from the party for contesting the Assembly elections against the official party nominee, is yet to be decided.

The State Disciplinary Committee which had met here on March 15 had authorised the PCC chief to take a final call.

"Some leaders, who have been habitual of deserting the party to suit their convenience, will not be taken back but others will soon be taken back," said a senior party functionary.

Those likely to be taken back include Ishwar Dass, seven-time former MLA from Ani in Kullu, who was denied the Assembly ticket, and Mast Ram (Karsog), Yog Raj (Pragpur) and OP Rattan, all former legislators.

A majority of the candidates feel that the Congress should not be too rigid in taking back the rebels. "It is but natural that the return of these leaders will make a difference in the party prospects," admitted a senior party leader. It is expected that the Congress could also take a decision on re-admitting the rebels within a week after the Sukhu returns from Delhi.

Kangra, March 24
Heavy rain lashed the Kangra valley while a fresh snowfall was received at the Dhauladhar mountain range, dropping down the minimum temperature considerably.

The cold wave was back as rain lashed the valley since last night. People were seen burning bonfires along the roads to fight the biting chill.

Kangra town and its suburbs received 30 mm rain during the past 24 hours.

Reports of rain were also received from Shahpur, Dhraman, Nagrota Bagwan, Icchhi, Gaggal, Mallan, Palampur, Trilokpur, Jwalamukhi, Dehra, Ranital, McLeodganj, Bagsu Nag, Naddi and Dharamsala.

Fresh snowfall on the Dhauladhar mountain range has dropped down the mercury considerably.

The cold wave and continuous rain in March are harmful for the standing crops. Scientists from the Oil Seed Research Station, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (CSKHPKV), said wheat, oil seed and pulses nearing the maturity stage were the worst-affected crops under the present climatic conditions. They said fruit crops at the flowering stage were also affected, particularly due to hailstorm.

Shimla, March 24
Icy winds and rain lashed the capital city throughout the day while other parts also experienced rain plunging the mercury by 2°C to 3°C.

As per reports from Lahaul, the Chandra valley in Lahaul received about 3 inch snow. However, as per the local Met office, the weather will remain dry tomorrow. Palampur recorded 13 mm rain, Mashobra 11 mm, while Theog and Jubbarhhati received 6 mm rain.

Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of 6.6°C. But the lowest temperature was recorded at Bharmour at -5°C while Una recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8°C.

The Met office said widespread rain and snow in the higher reaches were triggered by the western disturbance and would ease by tonight.

Shimla, March 24
A recent spell of avalanches triggered in the snowbound Lahaul-Spiti has buried snow-clearing machineries worth crores of rupees on the Keylong-Koksar stretch of the Manali-Leh national highway, bringing restoration works to a grinding halt.

Though the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has restored the highway stretch between Sissu and Keylong, engineers are clueless about the fate of the dozer and L and T machines that got stuck near Kuth Bihal since last week.

As many as 103 avalanches have been triggered at different points this season in the land-locked Lahaul valley.

It was last week that a massive avalanche had brought down a huge rock that landed straight on the dozer kept on the highway, sources revealed.

But the fate of other big L and T machine remained uncertain. The machine disappeared from the highway as it was either buried deep under the avalanche debris or had been pushed into the flowing Chandra, the sources said.

As per the snow and avalanche map prepared by Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Manali, the avalanche had struck a non-avalanche point. “We have not been able to locate the spot where machines were kept due to snow and avalanches,” said Yogesh Nair, a BRO Commander.

But locals pointed out the entire area from Gramphu-II, Kuth Bihal, site office of the north portal of the 8.82-km-long Rohtang tunnel was avalanche-prone.

“We have been advising the BRO not to build bridges at the avalanche point or park machineries, but they did not pay any heed,” said Himal Thakur and Prem Lal, residents of Sissu.

Even the site office of the contractor firm of the Rohtang Tunnel project was almost washed away by the avalanche last year, the locals claimed.

The Bailey bridge worth crores of rupees raised on the Gramphu-II nullah was also washed away by an avalanche two years ago, the sources added.

Nair admitted that the Bailey bridge was damaged, but they had enough technology and professional acumen to control the avalanche.

The snow-clearing work on the Manali-Rohtnag Pass had come to a standstill due to recent snowfall. “We will resume operations once the weather clears up,” Nair said.

Nair said they could not give any deadline to open the Rohtang pass as it had been snowing regularly in the high mountains. The restoration work from Sissu side through Koksar and Rohtang Pass was yet to begin, added BRO engineers. 

Kullu, March 24
The cold wave is back after continuous rain in lower regions and snowfall in higher reaches since morning.

The Solang valley received 4 cm snow while rain lashed Manali town throughout the day. The Aut-Luhri road, which was opened to heavy vehicles yesterday, was again blocked today. BRO’s snow-clearance drive on the Manali-Rohtang road was also hampered. Kullu-Peej, Kullu-Malana, Kullu-Byasar, Ani-Rohachala, Manali-Kohti and many link roads of the district were blocked due to landslides.

DC, Lahaul and Spiti, Beer Singh confirmed that the Keylong-Sissu road was thrown open to traffic.

Una, March 24
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said the political responsibility behind the series of mishaps on various vessels of the Navy should be fixed. Addressing a party workers meeting at Thanakalan in Bangana block, he said the incidents had rendered the morale of the defence forces down.

Dhumal said a number of scams had been reported in the Defence Ministry during the UPA regime. He referred to the Augusta Westland deal, which had to be cancelled after reports of kickbacks in the media. He said China had entered 650 km into the Indian territory and Indian soldiers were beheaded by the Pakistani mercenaries, but the government remained a mere spectator to these issues.

The former CM charged that the announcement of one rank,one pension for ex-servicemen by the UPA government during the fag-end of its 10-year tenure was eyewash.

Dhumal asked party workers to move door-to-door to canvass for the BJP candidate and not bank on the "Modi wave" to ensure a win. State BJP president Satpal Satti, local MLA Virender Kanwar and former minister Parveen Sharma were also present.

Shimla, March 24
The HP High Court has ordered enhancement of the monetary relief awarded to one who suffered permanent disability in a bus accident caused by a private bus. The relief for the accident victim was raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh.

Allowing an appeal filed by the victim, the single Bench of Acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir held that the relief awarded to the tune of Rs 3 lakh by the Tribunal was meagre. Its enhancement was required keeping in view numerous factors.

The claimant met with an accident on July 30, 2001. She suffered multiple grievous injuries, backbone and spinal joint dislocation. Due to this accident, the claimant suffered permanent disability to the extent of 45 per cent.

Justice Mir observed that a housewife was the backbone of a home. She maintained the home and took all steps to keep her husband, children and other family members united, in good health and joyous mood. As a result of the accident, she was not only deprived of the income from domestic work and selling milk, but also had to engage a helper for domestic help.

Shimla, March 24
The HP High Court today directed the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) to file an affidavit indicating whether they have recovered house tax dues for 2012-13 and on what basis the recovery had been done.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu by the court on a news item regarding the non-realisation of house tax by the MC, Shimla.

In its earlier order, the court had directed the MC to collect house tax as per the old system subject to determination of the new system of levying tax, which was to be adjusted in case there was change in the methodology of tax collection. The court had also directed the MC to frame bylaws in this regard forthwith.

During the course of hearing, it was stated by the MC, Shimla, that the special House of the corporation had resolved to obtain views of the general public by way of public hearing for decision on proposed draft bylaws regarding levy of tax on the Unit Area Method.

A public hearing was held on January 17 and 18. A special meeting of the House on the subject was convened on January 22. It resolved that the tax system should be reasonable and there should be provision of exemption for certain categories like agricultural land, area classified as green belt, for single women, widows, senior citizens above 80 years and property occupied for self purposes. The matter was referred to the state government for amendment in existing provisions of the Unit Area Tax method by re-amending the HP Municipal Corporation Act 1994, which is pending before the state government.

The MC today filed an application in the High Court for permission to raise bills of House Tax for 2013-14 on old pattern till the time the state government took a final decision on the resolution of the MC House dated January 22. A sum of Rs 2.5 crore is due from various Central and state government departments, corporations, boards etc and MC is not in a position to realise this amount while the financial year is coming to a close on March 31, the date on which the budget would lapse, it was stated.

After hearing the matter, the court posted the matter to March 26 for further hearing.

Chamba, March 24
In the wake of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, SP, Chamba district, Dr DK Chaudhary has undertaken a visit to the border of Chamba district adjacent to Jammu and Kashmir stretching for about 215 km to take stock of the security arrangements.

After visiting the sensitive security zones on the Chamba borders, the SP said the security personnel deployed on the borders had been instructed be on their toes to keep vulnerable points under watch.

He said the election department had already declared 33 polling stations hyper-sensitive. These included 17 in the Churah Assembly constituency, 13 in Dalhousie, two in Bhattiyat and one in Bharmour.

"There are check posts at strategic locations along the border," the SP said. He added that jawans of the security forces were being assisted by special police officers in addition to village defence committees functioning in the border villages in close coordination with the security forces.

Shimla, March 24
Prof ADN Bajpai, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Vice-Chancellor, today said for any individual it was his motherland which mattered the most.

He was speaking while inaugurating a symposium on “Re-inventing Home and Homelands” and a creative writers’ workshop organised by the Centre for Australian and New Zealand Studies, HPU, here. The Vice-Chancellor said though creating writing was getting commercialised these days, it was an inborn talent.

He stressed home was the centre to the very being of a human and like one’s mother, there was no other place like it.

The main speaker was Dr Rashida Murphy, a poet, novelist and an academician from Edith Cowen University, Perth, Australia. Reading out her excerpts from her poems, short stories and novel, she said home could not be defined in terms of binaries, rather embracing of pluralities defines home for her.

She said she was born and brought up in India, but having lived in Australia for a longer period, she felt her home there.

The symposium-cum-workshop was attended by creative writers, young lecturers from colleges of Himachal Pradesh, research scholars and students from the Department of English. Prof Suresh Kumar, Dean, Studies, said such workshops help in inspiring young minds towards creativity.

Present among others were Prof Pankaj K Singh, Prof Girija Sharma, Deans, Directors and Chairpersons of various departments.

Palampur, March 24
Illegal sale and consumption of liquor in public has become a matter of serious concern in Palampur town and its adjoining areas. In the absence of any check by the police and the state Excise Department, liquor is openly served in private hotels, dhabas and other restaurants in gross violation of provisions of the HP Excise Act.

Despite the fact that it's all happening right under the nose of the police and the Excise Department, no step has been initiated to bring the culprits to book. Almost in every dhaba and restaurant of the region, liquor is provided illegally to customers, or they are allowed to bring liquor on their own. Provisions of the Act prohibit the sale of liquor in hotels and dhabas without licence.

Official sources said the situation had gone from bad to worse after November 2012, when the state government made certain amendments in the Act and withdrew powers from the police for inspection and conducting raids on public places. Later, these powers were restored to the police in 2013.

Earlier, only the state excise authorities had powers for inspection and conducting raids on public places to check illegal sale of liquor.

A senior officer of the Excise Department admitted that illegal sale of liquor in dhabas and restaurants of the Excise Department was on the rise, resulting in a huge loss to the state exchequer. He said things had worsened owing to an acute shortage of manpower in the Excise Department. He said the department was facing manpower crunch and many posts of Excise and Taxation officer and inspecting staff had been lying vacant for the past many years.

In Palampur, Paproala, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur, Maranda, Alampur and Thakurdwara towns of the region, liquor is openly served in almost every dhaba and restaurant. The police and excise authorities are aware of the scenario, but till date, they have failed to initiate any action. Not only in dhabas and restaurants, but also at other public places like parks, roadside places and riverbeds, groups of youth can be seen consuming liquor every day, inconveniencing tourists visiting these areas.

Forests near Sorabh Van Vihar and roads leading to Kandi, Jhakhni Mata and Bundla are the worst affected where groups of youth can be seen regularly consuming liquor during the day in the open.

Shimla, March 24
Over 150 students today staged a demonstration against the administration and the Vice-Chancellor for their failure to provide proper lab and classroom facilities for the Department of Computer Science.

The protest was led by the Students Central Association (SCA) of Himachal Pradesh University.

The students resented that the university had allotted two rooms of the International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL) to the Department of Computer Science to conduct classes. But ICDEOL staff disallowed them to enter the rooms as it was running its own classes.

“We have submitted a dozen of reminders and memorandum to the HPU Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Dean of Studies, but it fell on deaf ears,” said Piyush Sewal, general secretary, SCA. The most common reply by the university authorities is they were in process to enlarge facilities, he added.

The plight of students is understandable. “The department has increased its seats from 45 to 120 last year, but it does not have the facility to accommodate 45 students,” claimed the students.

“At present, the Department of Computer Science has enrolled 280 students in the Masters course, while another 60 are doing MTech,” claimed Piyush, who himself is a student of the said department. “But we have just two classrooms and 38 computers for over 340 students,” he said.

The university was charging an annual fee of Rs 55,000 as fee per student, the students said. The university gets about Rs 1.20 crore from the students, but they have just one computer lab so far, the students resented.

While Dean of Studies Dr Suresh Kumar was not available for comments, Registrar Dr Mohan Jharta said the building was ready and the university was setting up the labs and technical equipment. “We would provide them the space in the new building soon,” he added.

Palampur, March 24
Palampur's traffic woes are giving its residents a hard time. And the situation has gone from bad to worse in the past few months. The narrow Mandi-Pathankot national highway passing through the town has become a major bottleneck as heavy vehicles, including buses and trucks, have been passing through it.

There has been a manifold increase in the number of vehicles in the town, but the width of most of the roads is the same as 20 years ago. Peak hours are marked by traffic jams in many parts of the town. The flyover on the national highway is under construction for the past five years. Public pressure notwithstanding, the Public Works Department had failed to complete it.

Palampur has witnessed all-round development in the past few years. The town's population has gone up from 5,000 to 50,000. Many new housing colonies have come up in and outside the town, but the state government has failed to initiate any new plans for the town's development.

No efforts have been made for widening of roads and construction of parking places. Old parking places have been converted into new markets. At present, it is difficult even to move on foot in the town. Many a time, pedestrians are hit by vehicles.

The road pattern of this town suffers from inadequate and irregular road width, causing traffic bottlenecks and dead ends. The condition of most of the roads is deplorable. There is a common complaint that the roads are not repaired in accordance with the specifications laid down, which results in early damage.

There is no parking place worth the name in the town, causing harassment to tourists and others. Though there is a Municipal Council in the town, it has been facing lots of difficulties in handling the situation in absence of adequate funds. There is an addition of over 300 vehicles to the town every month. It has been stated that it is not possible for the council to provide parking place without any financial assistance from the state government.

Nurpur, March 24
The Yuva Shakti Sena and the Nurpur Press Club jointly organised “An evening for martyrs” on the occasion of the Martyrdom Day on the premises of Arya Government College here yesterday.

Satpal Kalia, father of Kargil war martyr Capt Amol Kalia, was the chief guest on the occasion.

He lit the traditional lamp to begin the function. Tributes were paid to Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Sabhya Lohtia, coordinator of the Yuva Shakti Sena, and Pradeep Sharma, president of the Nurpur Press Club, welcomed the guests and participants. Organisers first honoured Rajeshwar Pathania, the successor of the first freedom fighter of the country Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, and then honoured family members of the martyrs hailing from lower Kangra district. Patriotic songs were sung on the occasion.

Palampur, March 24
With the onset of tourist season in Kangra valley, prices of eatables in restaurants and hotels have gone up.

Tourists visiting McLeodganj, Dharamsala and Palampur are being overcharged by hotel and restaurant owners bringing a bad name to the tourism industry.

Since the state government, particularly the Tourism Department, have failed to keep a check on this issue, hotel and restaurant owners have increased the prices of eatables by 20 to 30 per cent.

Information gathered by this reporter revealed that medium-class restaurants were charging Rs 120 per plate for dal, Rs 150 for biryani, Rs 50 for single gulab jamun, Rs 30 per chapati and Rs 100 for green salad.

Besides, taxi operators were also overcharging tourists in the absence of meters. The market price of an ordinary mineral water bottle is Rs 15, but it was being sold between Rs 30 and Rs 50 per bottle in hotels and restaurants.

Similarly, a glass of soft drink is sold at Rs 40. The prices of eatables in the state government-owned hotels have also gone up as compared to last year.

There is a general complaint that the quality of food in hotels and restaurants goes down during the tourist season as the state Health Department fails to keep a check on this problem.

A number of food poisoning cases were reported last year, but no follow-up action had been initiated against the erring hotels.

Not only restaurants, even dhabas were busy fleecing tourists. A cup of tea is being sold at Rs 20, a simple parantha at Rs 50 while butter toast at Rs 40.

Kullu, March 24
Vishal Moudgil (21) of Rewari in Haryana was washed away in the Parbati river near Manikaran, 40 km from here, yesterday.

According to police, a group of 50 students of Rewari university was on a educational tour to Kullu. The ill-fated student crossed the nearby Galu bridge and stood on a rock beside the river, from where he slipped and fell into the gushing waters. In charge, Manikaran Police Post, Sub Inspector Raj Kumar said two teams were formed to carry out a search operation. — OC

Kangra, March 24
A 23-year-old woman of Kothar village was today admitted to the DRPGMC at Tanda in a critical condition following the consumption of poison by mistake.

Stating this here today, the police said Bindoo Bala was married to Rakesh Kumar of Kothar village and had a child, but for the last some time she was putting up with her parents at Kulthi village. Today she was to go to her in-laws' house. The police said investigation was under progress. — OC