Renuka Fair ends in Nahan

A large number of people witnessed the closing ceremony,as the deities of Lord Parshuram and other gods left for their permanent abodes.

Pilgrims from other states,including Punjab,Haryana,Uttar Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Delhi,Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir come here every year to take part in the fair.

Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department and Revenue Minister Gulab Singh Thakur presided over the closing ceremony.

Speaking to the media at Nahan on Tuesday,he said 100 units of power generated from the Renuka Dam project would be given to each family who gave their land for the project.

He said cash would be paid to those families,which would not be able to utilise 100 units per month.

The minister said the state government had sanctioned Rs 96 crore for the construction of 43 link roads in Sirmour district. He said Rs 148 crore had been awarded from the World Bank to widen the 75-km stretch from Kumharhatti to Nahan.

Meanwhile,the Sirmour District Congress Committee (DCC) has criticised the police for using force on pilgrims during the Renuka Fair on Monday night when a cultural programme was under way. In a statement,DCC chief Harshwardhan Chauhan said the police action left five people injured who were in hospital.

He demanded a probe into the cane-charge incident and warned of an agitation if no action was taken within a week. The pilgrims have alleged in their complaint that the policemen were under the influence of liquor.