Shimla, Feb 27 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the police authorities have been directed to confirm how many persons out of a total of 889 missing people have return home about whom they have not received any information.

Replying to a question by Mahinder Singh (BJP) during question hour, he said of all the missing people in the state during the last three years, 543 were children, 585 youth and 876 women.

Ruling out the presence of any group responsible for the missing people and any connection in the state to Nithari case, he said 1,115 people have been traced or found out, while efforts were on to locate the remaining missing.

Mr Singh said the police authorities have been directed to find out how many people from the missing people had returned home without their information.

Replying to question by Rajiv Bindal (BJP) on the rationalisation of wildlife sanctuary at Chail, State Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur said the issue was pending with the Centre.

He said the state government has proposed that the Chail market should be kept outside the wildlife sanctuary, while the proposal to keep 84 villages outside the sanctuary would be taken up during the second phase of the rationalisation process with the Central Forest People Board.

Since the tenure of the last team that visited the area had expired a notification for the constitution of a new team would be made soon and the state government would represent it on the issue, he said.

Horticulture Minister Singhi Ram, in reply to a question by Ishawar Dass and Surinder Singh (both Congress) said a sum of Rs 41 crore had been spent in the state during the last two years.

While a sum of Rs 11 crore was spent during 2005-06, Rs 30 crore was spent during 2006-07 under the Mission, he added.

UNI