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6
killed as truck falls into gorge Flood alert in HP districts HP to
follow Punjab on composite fee cut HP to
fill 2,341 posts of teacher 7
medical college students held |
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Rain
washes away Rs 15 lakh hydel project machinery Minister
“responsible” for lathi-charge Four of
family held in suicide case Relief
to IPS officer 5 fresh
cases of gastroenteritis in Bilaspur dist Himalayan Institute
booked for cheating Large-scale
water theft detected
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6 killed as truck falls into gorge Nahan, July 31 The mishap occurred when the driver of the truck lost control over the vehicle. The bodies were brought to the Dadahu hospital last night and after conducting a post-mortem examination were handed over to their families today. The Dead have been identified as Pawan Kumar, driver, resident of Devnei village (Nahan tehsil, Bablu, cleaner, Katola village (Nahan), Subhash Chand and Yogesh Kumar (both brothers), resident of Ullah village Nohra Dhar), Virender, Thanla village (Nohra Dhar) and Vipin Kumar, resident of Takasana village, Sangrah tehsil. The police has registered a case in this connection. UNI adds from Shimla: In another accident a person was washed away while the driver was injured when an oil tanker fell about 100 feet down into the Beas near Aut in Mandi district on Friday, the police said on Saturday. An eye witness said the tanker went out of control and plunged into the Beas. It was swept away up to 2 km and got finally stuck against a rock. The police said the driver was rescued by some people who lifted him out from the tanker. In another mishap, two scooter riders were seriously injured when they were hit by a car at Lawasa Chowki, about 25 km from Nahan in Sirmaur district last evening, the police said. |
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Flood alert in HP districts Shimla, July 31 According to information reaching here a 350-m-long, 800-m-wide and 15-m-deep lake had been formed which, if breached, could cause devastating floods in the villages along the banks of the Sutlej. The lake has already started overflowing as a result of which the water level in Pirchu, a tributary of the Sutlej, has started rising rapidly. The river enters Kinnaur from Tibet at Kaurik. The authorities lost no time in alerting the people living downstream as the pace at which the discharge was rising, flash floods could be caused even if the lake remained intact. The reason for formation could not be known, as Tibet is a rain-shadowed area and the monsoon does not reach the region. Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam has immediately shut down the 1500-MW Nathpa Jhakri project, the generation in which was resumed only this afternoon. The project had been closed down to protect the expensive electro-mechanical machinery from being damaged by the silt-laden water of the Sutlej. Flash floods in the Sutlej on August1, 2000, had caused widespread devastation in Kinnaur, Kulu and Shimla districts. |
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HP to follow Punjab on composite fee cut Shimla, July 31 Addressing a press conference here today, he said the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) will soon increase the number of buses plying within the town. “On the lines of the 10-seater solar cars being run in Vaishno Devi we too will explore this possibility and depending on the feasibility these could be introduced,” he said. “We are also considering introducing CNG-run buses in Shimla if the experiment proves to be successful,” he added. Terming the protest by some Punjab taxi depots against the increase in the composite fee by Himachal to Rs 2,400 as uncalled for, the Transport Minister said he could consider reducing it in case Punjab agreed to do so. Mr Bali said vehicles were being prevented from entering Himachal from various entry points into the state on the border of Punjab, which was illegal. “In fact, we have increased the composite fee from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,400 whereas in Punjab it is already Rs 3,000,” he said. In case Punjab reduces it, Himachal too could consider making a cut in this fee, he added. He stated that the HRTC had generated revenue of Rs 4 crore during the past three months while there had been an increase of 30 per cent in the income of the Directorate of Transport from Rs 20.44 crore to Rs 26.03 crore from April to June. Referring to the row with the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) which had detained some HRTC buses, Mr Bali said the CTU was plying buses on some routes in Baijnath area unauthorisedly and some buses had been impounded. The CTU also wrongly stopped some HRTC buses in retaliation which were later released. He said a meeting with the CTU authorities had been convened on August 3 to sort out the issue. Meanwhile, the state Cabinet is learnt to have given a go ahead for the withdrawal of 53 HRTC buses, being run on uneconomical routes. |
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HP to fill
2,341
posts of teacher Shimla, July 31 The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, presided over the meeting held here today. In order to fill the vacancies in schools, especially in the rural areas, the Cabinet approved the filling of 1597 contract teachers under the “Para Teacher Policy — 2003”. This would include 258 lecturers, 496 TGTs, 830 craft and language teachers and 13 DPEs. The Cabinet also gave its nod for the promotion of 1492 teachers in various categories. All these decisions pertaining to the Education Department would provide employment to 3,833 persons. An official spokesperson informed the three hydropower projects in the private sector which were cleared by the Cabinet includes 100MW Tidong, 60 MW Sorang, both in Kinnaur and 70 MW Budhil in Chamba district. The two projects of 6.1 MW Sal-I and 13 MW Suil, both in Chamba district would be executed by the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board (HPSEB). The decks have also been cleared for disinvestments of four cafes of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) on sale for a sum of Rs 88.27 lakh. The cafes are Aabshar, Pancham, Jaldhara and Shradhanjali. A decision was also taken to give on lease the two newly constructed hotels at Khara Pathar (Shimla) and Nurpur (Kangra) on an amount of Rs 54.60 lakh. In order to ensure fair prices to the fruit growers of the state, the Cabinet has decided to grant S-I license/LOI for producing fruit and vegetable based cider and wine to M/S Green Valley Cider Pvt Ltd, Taradevi, Shimla at Shoghi, M/S Golden Agro Winery Ltd,
Bathinda at Dochi in Solan, M/S Green Hills Cooperative Society Ltd, Mohal, Kullu and M/S Hygeia Fruit and Vegetable Processors at Ner Chowk in Mandi district. A license to produce ready to drink beverages and fruit based cider and wine at Arotiwala has been approved for M/S Aarddvirk Beverages Pvt Ltd, Friends Colony, New Delhi. The Cabinet also gave approval to exempt the stamp duty and fixed a nominal registration fee of Rs 10 on the deeds of hypothecation. This is mortgaging without possession in favour of the HP Regional Rural Banks by the state government employees, employees of the autonomous bodies and government undertaking, for securing loans for constructing or buying houses. |
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7 medical college students held Kangra, July 31 Station House Officer Sanjeev Chauhan told The Tribune that the arrested students were from second year and were identified as Narinder Kumar, Roshan Lal Thakur, Rajat Mangla, Kranti Vir, Pardeep Kumar, Sachin Sharma and Ashok Kumar. He said they were arrested in connection with rioting and damage to property which was committed on Thursday night in which two persons were injured. He said a case under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323 and 451 of the IPC was registered against these students. On Thursday night, the medical college students and the workers of a canteen clashed when the workers of the canteen had refused to serve them food. In the clash college and canteen property was damaged. The Principal, Dr Suresh Sankyan, said the police had not taken any action as yet against those who were involved in damaging the college property and breaking the windowpanes of para clinic and anatomy department. He said the police was informed that the employees of the canteen were allegedly involved in damaging the property but despite requests no action was taken against the guilty. Dr Sankayan said he had informed the police about the incident that night but no action had been taken in this regard. |
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Rain washes away Rs 15 lakh hydel project machinery Dharamsala, July 31 Eight sets of flats in the Housing Board Colony were got evacuated by the administration after the adjoining rain-fed rivulet overflowed, flooding the area with knee-deep water. It is believed that the sudden flow of water could be caused due to a cloudburst in the area. The bridge connecting Rakkar with
Khaniara, besides the Aganjar temple in Manauni khud area were also damaged by the water. No loss of life was, reported. The building of the housing board colony was damaged and the estimated cost of the machinery lost in the floods at Majhi Hydel Power Project is said to be around Rs 15 lakh. A resident of the housing board colony said that the water level started rising and parts of the building were damaged by the flow. “All families in the eight sets of the four-storeyed building have been moved out,” he said. |
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Minister “responsible” for lathi-charge Bilaspur, July 31 Addressing mediapersons here yesterday Randhir Sharma alleged that the Industries Minister was playing in hands of a foreign contractor and was damaging the interests of local people and Kol Dam oustees. As their representative he should have supported their genuine demands. Mr Randhir Sharma asked Industries Minister to study the Kol Dam agreement which was signed between Professor Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP Government and National
Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and then comment on it. He claimed that this agreement had fully protected interests of Himachal Pradesh and its people as also the dam oustees and was the “best-ever document” signed by Himachal Government with any agency or private company for executing power projects in Himachal Pradesh. He asked Ramlal Thakur to desist from “playing politics” only because the present agitation at the Kol Dam was being spearheaded by BJP supported Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh. He said that the minister should look into his primary responsibility and should ensure implementation of this agreement by the NTPC and all construction companies contracted for construction of this dam at
Harnora. Meanwhile, member of Parliament from this Hamirpur constituency Suresh Chandel also visited Harnora area and met most of the people — both oustees and labourers and women who were injured in this police lathi-charge. He described lathi-charge as “totally undesirable and unwarranted police action which smacked of a political conspiracy”. Addressing mediapersons, Mr Chandel pointed towards judgement of Supreme Court which specifically said that labourers should be paid equally for equal work and even at Kol Dam BMS was only demanding enforcement of this law. |
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Four of family held in suicide case Dharamsala, July 31 District police chief S.Z.H. Zaidi said, Chanda Singh, the victim’s father, had lodged a complaint with the Nurpur police station that his daughter Veena Kumari(35) who was married at Ramdoh was allegedly tortured by her in-laws. The bereaved father further complained that his daughter was fed up with the torture by her father-in-law Kahar Singh, mother-in-law Krishna, brother-in-law Ravinder and sister-in-law Parvesh Kumari and committed suicide by consuming poison at her home and died on July 25 last. As per the complaint, the body of his daughter was cremated without informing him and his family. The police have registered a case under Sections 498-A, 306, 201 and 34 of the IPC and arrested all the accused persons in this connection.
— UNI |
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Relief to IPS officer Shimla, July 31 While discharging Mr Virbhadra Singh and others accused of this case the Special Judge observed that a serious action was required to against the officer responsible for such highhandedness and framing a false case without any base. Aggrieved by the observations made against him by the trial court, Mr Prasad who is presently posted as Director-General of S.S.B, filed this petition before the high court with a prayer to quash and set aside the aforesaid observations. While issuing this interim direction Mr Justice K.C. Sood further directed the Chief Secretary to file its reply with in two weeks. |
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5 fresh cases of gastroenteritis
in Bilaspur dist Bilaspur, July 31 Dr Verma said cases of this water-borne disease were reported at Ghwandal on July 27. Meanwhile, the IPH Department Executive Engineer I.S. Chandel said potable water was being supplied to the surrounding villages from the Naina Devi potable drinking water supply scheme. He said the department had already made available bleaching powder to the panchayat presidents concerned. — UNI |
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Himalayan Institute
booked for cheating Solan, July 31 Established in 2001, the institute was running various courses like laboratory technician, ayurvedic pharmacy and art and craft and had as many as 250 students on its rolls. Despite the fact that the state Legal Department had earlier dismissed the institute’s case for affiliation after it found neither its infrastructure nor its staff fulfilling the prescribed norms, the newspaper advertisements claimed the institute was to be affiliated to HP University. Earlier, the students were compelled to pay fee of Rs 5,000 apart from Rs 23,000 deposited as first installment for getting the institute affiliated. The students finally lodged an FIR today after a communication from the UGC, informed the institute was not authorised to run any off-campus centre, apart from its original centre at
Sardarshahr. |
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Large-scale water theft detected Solan, July 31 A former committee employee who had two houses located on either side of the tank was the main beneficiary of the leakage. The committee chairperson, Ms Poonam Grover, has ordered an inquiry into the leakage. |
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Two die in accident Chamba, July 31 The deceased had been identified as Om Prakash Chowla, a resident of Chanju, and Ishar, a resident of Faulgat village. Local MLA Surinder Bhardwaj visited the accident scene and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families, and directed the Revenue authorities to provide relief to the kin of the deceased, besides other help.
— UNI |
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Firm fined for defective water heating system Sundernagar, July 31 The complainant had purchased a solar water heating system from Him
Urja, an HP government undertaking (for non-conventional energy). The system was manufactured by M/s Laljee Solar, Mandi. After the installation of the system, the complainant found that it was not functioning properly. The complainant alleged that it did not function properly even after the repairs. |
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One arrested
for rape Nahan, July 31 According to the FIR registered on the report of the girl, on July 28 the accused Bittu picked the girl forcibly in Maruti van (HP-14-7112), driven by Pinku, resident of Kalaghat. At that time she was on her way to a stitching centre at Ganya Dhar. The van was stopped in a jungle and she was raped by Bittu, while the driver disappeared after leaving the van for some time. They dropped her near her village after committing the offence. Confirming the arrest of Bittu, Sirmour SP S.R. Sharma said the medical examination of the girl had been done in the Nahan hospital and further investigation was going on in the case. |
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JBT interviews Hamirpur, July 31 He said a three-member committee consisting of SDM, a member of the education board and the Primary Education Officer concerned would select the candidates. |
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Ex-MP dead Kangra, July 31 Major Khanooria joined the Army as a sepoy at the age of 16 and got commission in 1954 and retired as Major. He joined the BJP in 1982 and was elected to Lok Sabha in 1990.
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