Reforms, not change, needed: Governor
SHIMLA, Sept 18 — Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, today said a presidential form of government was not a panacea for ills plaguing the parliamentary system and called for reform in the existing system.

Riverbeds' auction
yields 2.7 crore
SHIMLA, Sept 18 — The auction of four riverbeds for quarrying minor minerals in Sirmaur district yesterday, yielded Rs 2.70 crore.

BDOs oppose move to abolish post
SHIMLA, Sept 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Block Development Officers Association has opposed the move to abolish the post of Project Officer in district rural development agencies. The post was held by senior BDOs.

Congress launches mass awakening drive
MANDI, Sept 18 — Mr Vir Singh Chauhan, DCC president, announced here today that a mass awakening campaign had been launched in the district against the misrule of the BJP, and its failure to control the prices of essential commodities.

Three killed in mishap
SHIMLA, Sept 18 — Three persons were killed and three injured when a truck fell into 30 ft gorge at Boothmari village in Sirmaur district on Tuesday, a delayed police report said here today.

Reforms, not change, needed: Governor
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 18 — Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, today said a presidential form of government was not a panacea for ills plaguing the parliamentary system and called for reform in the existing system.

Addressing the concluding session of a three-day orientation course for legislators organised here by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training in collaboration with the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, she said in the recent past, the country was forced to go to the polls frequently as no party could get a majority. This problem could be resolved by adopting the "list system" under which the parties were required to submit their lists of candidates before the election.

This system was in vogue in Germany and some other countries. Such a system would go a long way in providing stable governments and to a large extent eliminate splinter groups.

Mrs Rama Devi advised the members to refrain from discussing judges or individuals in the House who were in no position to defend themselves.

Mr Justice D. Raju, Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court, said the three organs of the state — legislature, judiciary and executive — must act in unison to ensure that the basic structure of the Constitution was not mutilated, defiled or destroyed.

He said even the courts were not above the law and they had to act strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the laws enacted by the legislature.

He said the concentration of powers in any one of these three organs was likely to upset the fine balance and even destroy the democratic set up. Precisely for this reason, checks and balances had been imposed.

Successful democratic functioning demanded tolerance, understanding, mutual respect, trust and adjustment. The legislators must not forget that legislative bodies were not a congress of ambassadors from different hostile interests but a "deliberative assembly of one nation or state with one interest".

Justice Raju lamented the decline in public standards and said it had become absolutely necessary to cleanse public life. There had been several instances of misuse of power by men in authority. "Politics without principles, education without character, science without humanity and commerce without morality were not only useless but positively dangerous".

Mr Gulab Singh, Speaker, said that the course was organised to train members, particularly the new entrants, in parliamentary procedures and rules of business so that they could perform their duties effectively.

Riverbeds' auction yields 2.7 crore
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 18 — The auction of four riverbeds for quarrying minor minerals in Sirmaur district yesterday, yielded Rs 2.70 crore. These had been given on a lease for a meagre Rs 15.90 lakh last year by the previous Congress regime.

The Yamuna, from which huge quantities of sand and boulders are supplied to Uttar Pradesh, fetched the highest revenue of Rs 1.60 crore a year. Similarly, the revenue increased from Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 76 lakh for the Giri river, from Rs 78,000 to Rs 25.50 lakh for the Tons river and from Rs 1.62 lakh to Rs 9 lakh for the Dadahu river.

The massive increase in revenue indicates that the miners had been virtually minting money while the government was losing revenue. More so because the parties which were given lease had secured the mining rights in auction.

The mining rights of these rivers were last auctioned in 1995. Thereafter the parties concerned had sought long term lease for setting up stone crushers. The Congress government had obliged them and a lease grant order was issued to them in December last.

However, before a lease agreement could be signed, the Congress Government lost power. The BJP-HVC government decided to review the lease granted by the outgoing regime on the plea that the revenue was unjustifiably low, despite the 30 per cent annual increase provided in the grant order.

Some of the lessees had opposed the decision and moved court.

It has now been decided in principle that while granting fresh mining leases, the mines will be first put to an open auction to ensure realistic returns.

The Industries Department plans to auction riverbeds in Hamirpur, Kangra and Bilaspur next month. The annual income of the state from mining is about Rs 18 crore. The bulk of it comes from the cement plant which accounts for about Rs 13 crore. The minor minerals contribute about Rs 3 crore.

The Industries Department will be in a position to auction more riverbeds as under a government order, land classified as "gair mumkin" and "charagah-bila-drakhtan" will no longer be deemed as forest land.

'Associate' claims Netaji is alive
From Chander Shekhar

HAMIRPUR: Is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose dead or alive? But according to Mr Reloo Ram of Dobbar Patta village in this district, he is alive and is in hiding. He claimed that Netaji would reappear in the public in 1999.

Mr Reloo Ram (92) who returned to his native village after a gap of 52 years in August, claimed that he was a soldier in the Indian National Army and had fought the British under the command of Netaji in Burma and Japan.

He claimed that he had met Netaji about three years back somewhere in Muzaffarnagar (UP) but could not recollect the place and nature of his meeting with Netaji due to his fading memory. But he added that he spent about five days with Netaji in the house of common friend, whose name he did not remember.

He was brought back to his home village by Mr Mohakam Singh and Mr Vijay Pal Singh of Bhainswal village in Muzaffarnagar district. Both these persons were about 70 years old and they told village elders that Mr Reloo Ram was staying with them for many years. According to them, he was their "guru" as he used to teach them about the various skills in the use of weapons and discipline in life. Both these persons left the village after staying there for the night.

Mr Reloo Ram, known as Ramel Singh Rana in Bhainswal village, told this reporter that he had worked in a watertube company in Calcutta before coming to Muzaffarnagar. He alleged that while in Calcutta a Muslim colleague tried to poison him due to rivalry which affected his memory.

In reply to a number of questions, he stated that he was unable to give details about the period he spent in various parts of the country over the past 52 years. He also showed the reporter two sets of uniform with Netaji's badge. But he revealed that these uniforms were stitched a few years back by him and were not of World War II vintage.

When this reporter asked Prabhat Singh, his only son, how he re-cognised his father after 52 years, the former said he was only two years old when his father had left the village for an unknown destination and his father was recognised by elderly persons of the village. He believed the elders and accepted Mr Reloo Ram as his father. He informed the reporter that his father brought nothing back home except two pairs of clothes and a watch.

Several hundred people of the area have been visiting the village to have a glimpse of the old freedom fighter out of curiosity.

When this reporter asked questions about Netaji, Mr Reloo Ram showed ignorance and repeatedly gave the same reply that he had lost the memory. But from appearance, Mr Reloo Ram was looking hale and hearty and was quick in replying to questions like name of the day and the time on the watch but showed reluctance when asked about his past life, his profession, his companions and about Netaji's whereabouts.

When pressed, he referred to a poster issued by the head office of Netaji's "ambulance brigade" in Delhi. The poster carried 16 questions about Netaji and claimed that Netaji was alive and in hiding and even was present at Nehru's funeral procession in May 1964 and a photograph of the occasion was shown on the poster. These posters were handed over by Mr Mohakam Singh and Mr Vijay Palsingh to the villagers.

While returning from the village and even during the time of interview inside of Mr Reloo Ram's house, some women commented that the nonagenarian did not want to reveal anything about his past due to personal reasons.

There is general feeling among the people of the area that Mr Reloo Ram was hiding facts either to keep his past life secret due to reasons best known to him or he had lost his memory as he was over 92 years old. Local people were eager to know what was the compulsion for Mr Reloo Ram keeping away from his village for 52 years and then suddenly reappearing at the village to settle there. They feel that he might have been brought here from UP as his hosts found it inconvenient to look after him due to his advancing age.

BDOs oppose move to abolish post
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Block Development Officers Association has opposed the move to abolish the post of Project Officer in district rural development agencies. The post was held by senior BDOs.

The association, at its meeting held here today, said the move denied the BDOs the only avenue of promotion. It alleged that the government was keen to create a new post to pave way for appointment of Himachal Administrative Service officers.

The association expressed resentment over the downgrading of their scales.

Three killed in mishap

SHIMLA, Sept 18 (UNI) — Three persons were killed and three injured when a truck fell into 30 ft gorge at Boothmari village in Sirmaur district on Tuesday, a delayed police report said here today.

The deceased were identified as Meena Ram, Bansi Ram and Tula Ram.

Congress launches mass awakening drive
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Sept 18 — Mr Vir Singh Chauhan, DCC president, announced here today that a mass awakening campaign had been launched in the district against the misrule of the BJP, and its failure to control the prices of essential commodities.

He said besides rallies at certain places, meetings of mandal Congress committee would be organised in all 10 constituencies.

He said enhancement in the postal rates by the central government had led to resentment among all sections of society.

The proposed increase in telephone rates had also led to panic among people.

He alleged that the BJP in the state was misusing government funds for promoting party interests.