Shimla, Aug. 14 -- The Himachal Pradesh High Court has permitted the state government to hold the official State-Level Independence Day function at the playground of Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Barsar in Hamirpur district, but imposed a condition that Rs.5 lakh be deposited in the school's Students' Welfare Fund.

The order was passed on August 12 by a division bench comprising Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C Negi, just days before the August 15 celebrations, which are scheduled to be presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The High Court, however, expressed strong displeasure over the manner in which the state government approached it for permission at the last minute, after preparations ...