8 persons killed in mishaps
SHIMLA, Oct 16 — Eight persons were killed and two injured in two road accidents in Himachal Pradesh since last night, the police said today.

7-year RI for raping minor
CHAMBA, Oct 16 — The Sessions Judge, Chamba, today sentenced Prem Chand, alias Premu of Chamuni village in Bharmour police station to rigorous imprisonment for seven years and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 for raping of minor girl under Section 376, IPC.

Governor: simplify bank procedures
SHIMLA, Oct 16 — Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, today called upon bankers to provide liberal loans to women entrepreneurs and members of the weaker sections on easy terms.

Protest rally by HPSEB staff
SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union organised a rally here today to protest against the "failure" of the board to give bonus to employees on the pattern of last year.

Snow in Kulu areas

Vigil on ‘madarsas’ stepped up
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 16 — The Himachal police and intelligence agencies have stepped up vigil on the mushrooming "madarsas" in Kangra and Chamba districts following reports that Kashmiri militants have been taking refuge in these Islamic institutions.

Though there had been apprehensions about the militants making use of these madarsas as safe hideouts earlier also but the latest disclosure made by arrested ISI-trained militants has put the police on the alert. "Under threat and pressure from various militant outfits, these madarsas, could become harbouring ground for militancy in Himachal, observed a top official.

What is all the more alarming is that fact that majority of madarsas in districts of Chamba, Kangra and Una have been set up during the past two to three years. According to sources there are 41 madarsas in these three districts with the highest number, 14 in Chamba. Out of these 10 have come up in 1996-97, while the oldest one in Chamba town was set up in 1991.

In Kangra district, there are eight madarsas out of which five have been opened in 1997. Only two madarsas at Harnota and Mand Miani, in Nurpur were opened way back in 1985. Una district, too, has nine madarsas, out of which three were set up in 1997, while the rest were opened in early 90s. The one in Badhuni, is the oldest one, which was opened in 1983.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr I.D. Bhandari, said an eye was being kept on the activities of the madarsas. "We are checking all details, as to who all are coming here from outside, and with what motive," he observed. He added all possible steps were being taken to check the infiltration of militants into Himachal, through Chamba.

Mr Bhandari said that it was only the Gujjars, Gaddis and herb collectors who had been frequenting the Chamba areas, bordering the militancy-infested Jammu and Kashmir. "Ever since the recent massacre took place, herb collectors have virtually stopped going to these border areas", he revealed.

Recent massacres have clearly indicated that it was the information supplied by "local links" which helped militants in killing a large number of people in Kalaban and Satrundi area. The police has reportedly identified certain Gujjar families who are having links with the Kashmiri militants. Muslim Gujjars living in these areas visit border areas in Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir. These Gujjars have their houses in border areas and have relations with Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir.

It was a well-known fact that militants had been using the border areas of Himachal in Chamba as safe hide-outs whenever the security forces would mount pressure on them in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact 23 herb collectors from the Kehar area were held hostages and were left only after the payment of ransom.

Only recently the Kangra police had arrested a Kashmiri militant Saif Din, from a remote village of Baijnath. Last year also the police had arrested a Kashmiri militant belonging to the Harkat-ul-Ansar outfit from the Jwali area of the district. Keeping in view these incidents, the Kangra police will also have to watch against the infiltration of militants into the area.

With reports indicating that the ISI-trained militants have been directed to establish bases in Himachal and strike on a wider scale, the various security agencies have been put on the alert.

8 persons killed in mishaps

SHIMLA, Oct 16 (UNI) — Eight persons were killed and two injured in two road accidents in Himachal Pradesh since last night, the police said today.

Four persons were killed and one was injured when a tanker rolled down into a 400-foot-deep gorge near Kalakund in Bilaspur district last night.

The injured were admitted to a hospital. The tanker was going from Bhakhra to Naina Devi.

According to our Solan correspondent in another accident, four persons died on the spot and one was injured when a private truck rolled down into a nearly 300-metres deep khud along the Kaushalya rivulet, near Datyar, in Solan district on the Kalka-Shimla national highway, at about 1.30 a.m. today.

The deceased has been identified as Mohit, the driver of Chail, Prem Singh and Baldev Singh of Tikkar village near Chail and Sunjay alias Rinki of Balog, also near Chail.

The lone survivor, Suneel, who was seriously injured. He said he reached the national highway from the site of the mishap after scaling the almost perpendicular hillside in over six hours.

World symposium on hill farming
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 16 — To address the emerging problems of hill agriculture, Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University is for the first time holding a three-day international symposium at Palampur from October 29.

Talking to newspersons at Palampur yesterday, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr P.K. Khosla, said a special hill approach should have been adopted for the mountainous region as the needs and conditions there were totally different from those in the plains. "Had we incorporated this approach into our system right in the beginning, we could have achieved far better result", he stated. Due to lack of planning and insight, at times such projects were given to our university which were just not meant for hill areas, he added.

Dr Khosla felt that it was the moral responsibility of the states in the plains to contribute financially towards the conservation of the mountains. "In fact, there should be a separate Director General in the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) for hill farming as well as in the Planning Council", he observed.

The symposium will provide an excellent opportunity for the Vice-Chancellors from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region to deliberate upon the research, extension, infrastructure development and funding pattern for the institutions in the hill areas.

Over 400 researchers, planners, policy makers, farmers, educationists, horticulturists, environmentalists, NGOs and social workers from India and abroad will exchange their views to chalk out strategies for sustainable agriculture, overall development and improving the life of the people of the hills in general.

About 55 scientists from Germany, the UK, the USA, Ukraine, France, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Nepal, Bulgaria, Iran, Burma, China and Japan shall be attending the symposium. About 420 research papers will be presented during the three days.

The Organising Secretary of the symposium, Dr A.C. Kapoor, Dean, College of Basic Sciences, said the proceedings at the seminar would provide an important policy input to guide the destiny of the hill farmers.

Panchayat Parishad chief alleges
govt interference
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 16 — Mr Dile Ram Dhiman, Chairman of the state Panchayat Parishad, has contested the claim of the government that it was not interfering in the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions and alleged that ruling party ministers and legislators were getting schemes bypassing the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).

In a statement here yesterday, he said there was direct interference of the ruling party, and the government had also not released funds to the Panchayati Raj institutions. As per the award of the state Finance Commission, a sum of over Rs 23 crore was payable to these institutions. Even the honorarium to elect members was being paid in fits and starts. In some cases no honorarium had been paid for eight to 10 months. In contrast, the previous government had released more than Rs 8 crore, he added.

He reiterated the charge that the government was following the guidelines of the Government of India issued in 1995 regarding the restructuring of the DRDA.

Citing an example of interference, he said in Bilaspur district 25 schemes involving an expenditure of Rs 24 lakh were under the Employment Assurance Programme. These were sanctioned without the mandatory approval of the DRDA. Further, a sum of Rs 12 lakh, which was to be disbursed to the zila parishad, was placed at the disposal of block development officers.

The zila parishad has decided to launch an agitation in protest.

7-year RI for raping minor
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Oct 16 — The Sessions Judge, Chamba, today sentenced Prem Chand, alias Premu of Chamuni village in Bharmour police station to rigorous imprisonment for seven years and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 for raping of minor girl under Section 376, IPC.

In default of payment of fine, the convict has to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year.

The accused was employed as domestic servant with Dhani Ram of village Chamuni for the last 10 to 12 years. He raped a girl of about 10 to11 years who was employed as a new domestic servant with the Dhani family in a jungle last year.

When the girl reported the matter to the wife of the employer instead of taking any action she was sent to the house of her maternal uncle where she disclosed the facts to her maternal grandmother.

Governor: simplify bank procedures
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 16 — Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, today called upon bankers to provide liberal loans to women entrepreneurs and members of the weaker sections on easy terms.

Inaugurating the 17th review meeting of the state-level committee on banking, here, she underlined the need to simplify cumbersome procedures to ensure timely flow of credit to entrepreneurs.

She lauded the role of banks in the development of agriculture sector and advised bankers to come out with new schemes, she said bio-technology was one of the emerging areas which could revolutionise the agricultural sector.

She expressed concern over the declining credit-deposit ratio and called for special efforts to remedy the situation.

Mr K.V. Raghvan, general manager, RBI, said banks were providing effective infrastructural support for developmental activities. The credit-deposit ratio could be increased only by setting up big industries in the state.

Protest rally by HPSEB staff
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union organised a rally here today to protest against the "failure" of the board to give bonus to employees on the pattern of last year.

Mr Chander Singh Mandyal, general secretary of the union, said the decision to deviate from the established precedent for release of ad hoc bonus to "C" and "D" group employees and work charged employees on the Central pattern had caused resentment among 40,000 employees of the board. Last year, bonus was given to all employees beyond the permissible limit.

He urged the Chief Minister to review the decision.

Snow in Kulu areas
From Our Correspondent

KULU, Oct 16 — The mountain tops around here experienced the first snow of the season today.

The intermittent rains since yesterday evening has brought down the mercury to single digit.

It was also reported that the Rohtang pass has had heavy snow causing temporary closure of the highway to Lahaul.