In Side

Amitabh Awasthi to join Nilekani’s UID team
Senior Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services officer Amitabh Awasthi is all set to join Nandan Nilekani’s team for the national Unique Identification (UID) number project. Awasthi has been selected to head one of the eight regional offices of the UID project at Chandigarh. The officer went through a series of selection criteria set out by the selection team. His appointment is considered to be crucial as the project is being taken up under direct supervision of the prime minister. Awasthi is currently serving as Secretary,Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board,and has held many important positions in the past,including that of Shimla municipal commissioner.

HP Chief Justice to take oath today
Governor Urmila Singh will administer oath to new Chief Justice Kurian Joseph at Raj Bhawan on Monday. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal will attend the swearing-in ceremony at 1 pm and thereafter preside over a Cabinet meeting before leaving for Delhi. He flies to Costa Rica on February 9.

Industrial security force for HP
Himachal Pradesh proposes to raise its own industrial security force on the pattern of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to exclusively cater to the security needs of industrial establishments in the state. Speaking at the chief ministers’ conference on internal security in New Delhi on Sunday,Forest Minister J P Nadda,who was representing Prem Kumar Dhumal,said the state had registered massive investment in industry,hydel power and tourism sectors in recent years and a need had been felt to create a force exclusively for maintaining law and order in the industrial townships of the state.

Dhumal administers polio drops to child
Chief Minster Prem Kumar Dhumal administered polio drops to a child at Manali to mark the launch of the second phase of the Pulse Polio campaign in the state on Sunday. Dhumal appealed to every family with children in the age group of zero to five years to take them to the nearest Pulse Polio booth and get them vaccinated against the virus.