Nahan, August 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh presided over the state-level function at the historic Chowgan in Nahan on Friday and hoisted the Tricolour on the 68th Independence Day. He took the salute of an impressive march past by the police, Home Guards and NCC contingents.

He also paid tributes to martyrs at the Shaheed Samarak. While addressing a gathering later, he announced that a branch of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) already cleared by the Centre would be set up at Dhaulakuan in the Nahan constituency. Besides, he announced a government engineering college at Kotla near Jeuri in Shimla district. He gifted state government employees a 10 per cent DA with effect from January 2014.

He said people of the state played a pivotal role in the struggle for Independence. Remembering the first CM of HP, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, Virbhadra said he had played a significant role in the constitution of the state.

He said the Samman Rashi of freedom fighters and social security pension of widows, old aged and physically disabled had been enhanced.

He said a Rs 500-crore Skill Development Allowance Scheme had been started in the state, wherein an allowance of Rs 1,000 was being given to the educated, unemployed youth to acquire employable skills.

He said the government had launched an ambitious Rajiv Gandhi Ann Yojana under which as many as 37 lakh people were being provided ration at subsidised rates. He said the Rajiv Gandhi Digital Yojana, under which 7,500 meritorious Class X and XII students were being provided Net-books for free was also another key scheme.

He said the government was also giving an added priority to the health sector and the opening of three new medical colleges at Nahan, Hamirpur and Chamba had been announced by the government. A provision of ~190 crore had been made for the medical college to be opened at Nahan for which land had also been selected, he said.

“To ensure improvised medical services to people, 638 posts of doctor and other paramedical staff has been filled and the process was on to fill the remaining 719 posts. The CM said the new campus of IGMC was coming up near Ghanahatti in Shimla at a cost of ~150 crore.

He said a super specialty wing had been established at Tanda Medical College in Kangra and efforts were on to make it a pioneer institution.

Around 4,700 polyhouses would be constructed in as many as 8.30 lakh square metre land under the scheme. He said an investment promotion cell had been created in the Industries Department to invite more entrepreneurs and the state government had fixed a target to harness 2,000 MW additional power during the current financial year.

He said to ensure adequate employment to the youth, as many as 93 industrial units had been given clearance to set up their industries in the state, which would provide employment to as many as 8,500 youths. Besides Una, Kangra and Solan districts would be developed as new industrial townships, he said, adding that the daily wages of labourers had been enhanced to Rs 170. He said three new sub-tehsils — Haripurdhar, Pajhota and Narag — had been sanctioned by the government besides opening an SDM office at Shillai.

“Besides, the government is committed to give tribal status to the Trans-Giri area and will strongly pursue the matter with the Centre,” he said.

The CM also distributed Civil Service Award to the State Election Commission for making innovation in preparing electoral rolls by using the primary data of the Election Commission of India. The award was received by Anupam Kashyap, secretary, HP State Election Commission. The award comprised Rs 2,50,000 cash besides a citation.

He gave Prerna Srot Award to Anju Devi for donating the body of her husband to PGI, Chandigarh, where he breathed his last. She was awarded Rs 51,000 besides a citation. The CM awarded Himachal Gaurav Puraskar to Om Prakash Sujanpuri in the field of art and promoting Kangra and pahari school of paintings and gave him cash reward of Rs 21,000 besides a citation.

He also honoured Vikas Thakur for winning a silver medal in the recently held Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. He was given a cheque of Rs 10 lakh, besides a citation. 

Una, August 16
Forest and Fisheries Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, who was the chief guest at the district-level Independence Day celebrations at the government school ground here, announced a string of welfare schemes for the fishermen families in the state.

He said under the Fishermen Insurance Scheme, the insured amount, in case of the death of a family member, had been enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The minister further announced that the closed fishing season allowance of Rs 600 per month, paid as compensation to fishermen’s families during the yearly fishing ban period owing to fish breeding season, had also been enhanced to Rs 900 per month.

The minister unfurled the national flag and inspected a guard of honour presented by the contingents of the Himachal Police, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, Scouts and Guides. He later took the salute at the march past.

A colourful cultural programme was presented by students from DAV Centenary School, DAV Senior Secondary School, Rockford School, Government Boys School, Government Girls School and differently abled children from Prem Ashram.— OC

Shimla, August 16
The state government has decided to open medical colleges in two relatively interior districts of Chamba and Nahan so that people residing in these areas get access to quality healthcare.

Kaul Singh Thakur, Health and Family Welfare Minister said this while presiding over the district-level function in Shimla on Friday.

He said the opening of a third medical college at Hamirpur will further help in brining specialised health services to the doorstep of people. He said the government had taken several historical decisions aimed at the welfare of all sections of the society in the past one-and-a-half years.

“Since the formation of the Congress regime, a total of 638 posts of doctor and other paramedical staff has been filled and the process is on to fill 719 more posts to ensure that there are no vacancies,” he said. He said the new Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) campus worth Rs 150 crore would come up near Ghanahatti in Shimla district which would have 100-bed facility for patients besides nursing and dental colleges.

He said Rs 323 crore was being spent to upgrade the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road, which would facilitate apple growers and others.

Palampur, August 16
The 68th Independence Day function was celebrated with enthusiasm in Dharamsala yesterday.

The main attractions of the celebrations included the unfurling of the national flag, impressive march past by police personnel, Home Guards, National Cadet Corps (NCC) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and cultural programmes.

A large number of people participated in the event. Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, was the chief guest. Stokes unfurled the national flag and paid tributes to the martyrs at Shaheed Samarak.

She said the nation would be grateful and remain indebted to the valiant soldiers who had shown us the light of freedom by sacrificing their lives. She said the state government would give priority to provide safe drinking water. “Out of a total 53,604 habitations, 32,416 are being provided with drinking water facility with 70 liter per person per day,” she added.

To provide safe drinking water to tourists and public, six water ATMs were being set up at various places in the state. Two such ATMs would be set up in Kangra district, she said. — OC

Kullu, August 16
The Independence Day was celebrated at Dhalpur Maidan here yesterday. Sujan Singh Pathania, Multi-Purpose Projects and Power and Agriculture Minister, hoisted the national flag.

He took the salute from the contingents of the Himachal Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Home Guards, SSB, National Cadet Corps and Guides and Scouts.

He said over ~50 crore would be spent to strengthen the electricity infrastructure of Kullu district. He said the work of the 66-kv electricity sub-station at Nagan near Ani in Kullu was about to get finished. He presented awards to persons for their achievements. — OC

Solan, August 16
The alumni of Pinegrove School, Dharampur, gifted the school with a 90-foot-high national flag on the occasion of Independence Day yesterday.

The Tricolour waved majestically on a pole and could be seen from Barog, Koti, Dagshai and Kasauli.

Arozepal Sandhu, an alumnus of the school and a national shooter, hoisted the flag. A red carpet welcome was laid out for the alumni. Students threw light on the sacrifice made by freedom fighters. “The school strives to attain its mission of giving back to the community,” Headmaster Capt AJ Singhsaid.— TNS 

Shimla, August 16
The long weekend on account of government holidays has brought cheer to hoteliers in Shimla even during the off season, as hotels remained packed to capacity.

The unanticipated rush in the town resulted in the traffic arrangements going haywire. Usually August is a lean period with tourist rush being confined to mostly foreigners. However, with Friday and Monday being government holidays, on account of Independence Day and Janamashtami, people tried to make the most of it to escape the sultry heat of the plains.

Not just hotels in the state capital, but those in the suburbs are also packed to capacity as tourists from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh have made a beeline to the Queen of Hills. All government guest houses too are fully occupied.

The tourist rush, however, resulted in long traffic jams. As thousands of visitors thronged the town, there was utter chaos on roads which remained choked due to inadequate parking facility.

All parking lots near the Lift and Hotel Holiday Home were fully occupied, resulting in vehicles being parked haphazardly along the roadside.

Despite a large number of police personnel, including senior officers, trying to manage traffic, the situation remained bad as vehicles were stuck for hours and traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

Many roads in the town have been dug to lay cables, which has made the situation worse. Notwithstanding the heavy rainfall that lashed the town, there has been no letup in the tourist rush. 

Shimla, August 16
Incessant rainfall in the past two days has wreaked havoc in the state leaving eight persons dead. Not only this, extensive damage has been caused to houses, roads and crops.

The threat looms large as the Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rainfall all over the state in the next week.

Sanjeev, his wife, a son and a daughter hailing from West Bengal were washed away in a khud in Hamirpur. Only one body has been recovered so far.

Another person was buried under the landslide at Dhamol village in Bhoranj. A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was swept in a rivulet at Sanire village in Hamirpur, while she was crossing it with her parents.

Two persons lost their lives after their jeep got buried under the debris near the Larji hydro power project tunnel in Mandi. The deceased have been identified as Devi Singh (Jogindernagar), Yash Pal (Khauli). The number of deaths due to rain in the past three days has shot up to 13. However, there was some respite from rain today.

Houses have been flooded in Mandi, Hamirpur, Kangra and Bilaspur areas, while extensive damage has been cause to maize, tomato and other vegetables.

Vehicular traffic on several roads, especially link roads, has been disrupted due to damage to roads.

The rain has left behind a trail of destruction with several houses being damaged and trees getting uprooted. The massive landslides triggered due to heavy rain have posed threat to several houses at various places in the town and suburbs.

A family of three had a miraculous escape in the Chakkar area in Shimla as three trees fell on the house of one Kamal Lohia. Neighbours somehow pulled them out of the debris.

Similarly, several houses in the Ghanahatti area face threat as heavy rain has caused massive landslides here.

Mandi was the wettest in the state as it recorded 135 mm rain followed by 131 in Sundernagar, Bhoranj 120 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 116 mm, Amb 92 mm, 90 mm each in Renuka and Una, Bangana 85 mm, Jubbarhatti 84 mm, Dehra Gopipur 78 mm, 75 mm in Nahan and Dharampur and 62 mm in Shimla.

Rivers in spate in Kangra, vehicles stranded

Kangra: Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the Dharamsala-Hoshiarpur national highway after the Dhaliara Khud flooded due to rain.

The night-long rain blocked the highway for more than five hours and the traffic could be restored only after 8 in the morning.

Manji, Banner and Manuni rivers passing through Kangra town were also flooded. Normal life was disrupted following heavy showers in different parts of the valley yesterday.

The rain left Pragpur, Chunoor and Dhaliara Khud flooded in Dehra subdivision disrupting traffic on the highway. — OC

Shimla, August 16
A World Bank team, headed by Manivannan Pathy, met Horticulture Minister Vidya Stokes here today. They discussed various issues, including the Rs 1,000-crore horticulture project, for the state.

The project will be completed in six years. The team also apprised the minister of the discussions they had with senior officers of the state government, growers, fruit traders and cold chain operators in private sector.

They visited the Agriculture Marketing Board auction yard, the HPMC cold storage and pack houses, besides apple orchards in Shimla district.

Stokes assured the team that the state government would extend full cooperation for the successful implementation of the project. Animesh Shrivastava and Soujanya Kirshna, members of the World Bank team, were also present.