Art 356 not misused in Bihar: Dhumal
From Our Correspondent

SUJANPUR TIRA, (Hamirpur), Sept 23 — Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, HP Chief Minister, has justified the decision of the Central Government to recommend President's rule in Bihar.

The Chief Minister was talking to mediapersons here last night. He said by making such recommendation, the Central Government had not violated any provision of Article 356. He said he was also not in favour of use of this Article for bringing down democratically elected governments but the situation in Bihar was an exception.

The Chief Minister said there was no need to invoke this Article in Delhi, Utter Pradesh and Maharashtra as in these states the activities of law-breakers had increased due to the support to them by foreign powers not due to the failure of the state governments.

Prof Dhumal criticised various opposition parties for their stand on the use of Article 356. He said these parties were demanding the removal of governments in all states where the BJP was in power and opposing the removal of those where they were in power.

Reacting to the demand by the Election Commission that the four state governments where elections were to be held this year should not take any important decision, the Chief Minister said the demand was 'purely to remain in the press".

He said if the Election Commission had felt strongly on the issue, it should have demanded from the Central Government to make amendments in the Constitution, making it mandatory for all state governments to resign three months before the elections. He said if this demand was accepted, the entire democratic set up would be derailed and there would be a constitutional crisis.

Prof, Dhumal denied differences with HVC leader Sukh Ram on the issue of a CBI inquiry against former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

On the Baijnath by elections, he clarified that the BJP would contest this seat with the full support of the Himachal Vikas Congress. He denied differences within the BJP on the allotment of ticket. He said the selection of the party candidate would be by the high command and all would abide by the decision.

The Chief Minister said the BJP-HVC combine would contest the election on the issue of a stable and clean government. Moreover, his government had been able to emotionally integrate the people of the state and maintain good relations with the Central Government.

He said no previous Congress government in the state had good relations with successive Central Governments. As a result, the state failed to get any relief or help from the Centre.

The Chief Minister ruled out immediate change or expansion in his Council of Ministers. He claimed his ministry was "functioning well". One of his colleagues had found of cases of corruption in his own department. The report of the minister was awaited and whenever it was received, it would be studied and action taken against the defaulters.

Replying to a question on the formation of a corporation for carrying out road and bridge construction in the state, he said the matter was under active consideration of the government. If it was found that the corporation was a viable proposition, it would be created for accelerating development in the state.

The Chief Minister said the state government was aware of the onslaught of the weather on crops. Instructions had been issued to revenue agencies to submit reports on crop losses in various parts of the state. He said the state government had already reserved a sum of Rs 1 crore in this year's Budget for providing its share towards the crop insurance scheme to be started by the Government of India.

Prof Dhumal said he had received a number of reports on malfunctioning in the Department of Agriculture. He said if anything wrong was found, strict punitive action would be taken against the erring persons. He, however, clarified that there was no move to change the Director of Agriculture from his post simply because he was related to a Senior Congress leader.

The Chief Minister said his government would not tolerate indiscipline in government offices and ensure that justice was done to the people at their doorstep.

BJP infighting comes to fore
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Sept 23 — Even as the issue of seat adjustment between the BJP and the HVC for the Baijnath byelection remains unresolved, infighting in the ruling BJP has intensified with rival groups backing their own candidates.

Though the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has announced that the two ruling alliance partners will jointly contest the election, chances of seat adjustment appear bleak. However, more than the issue of seat adjustment between the BJP and the HVC, it is the tussle between two factions of the BJP which is coming to the fore.

The recent tour of the Chief Minister to the area left the issue unresolved. In fact, the visit only brought to the fore the factionalism in the party with the rival groups displaying their strength. Separate dinners were arranged for the Chief Minister during his one-day tour of Baijnath by a claimant for the party ticket, Mr Dulo Ram, and his rivals.

Mr Dulo Ram is backed by a former Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar. He lost the previous three elections to the Congress stalwart, Mr Sant Ram, whose death has necessitated the Baijnath byelection. Apart from being a senior leader, he hails from the Gaddi community, which constitutes a major chunk of the electorate in Baijnath.

His critics, however, say that a new face must be put up as Mr Dulo Ram has lost too many elections. They point out that he failed to win the recent election in spite of the fact that the BJP fared well in Kangra district.

Though the party has not yet named its nominee, Mr Shanta Kumar has been publically introducing Mr Dulo Ram as the BJP candidate. The supporters of Mr Dulo Ram say that in case he is denied the party ticket, he will contest as an Independent. In such a situation, the Congress will be the gainer making the going tough for the BJP's official nominee. The Chief Minister, too, is learnt to have expressed displeasure over the 'propaganda' that Mr Dulo Ram will contest as an Independent if denied the party ticket.

The other claimant for the party ticket is Ms Indu Goswami, who claims to have the blessings of the Chief Minister and good links in the party high command. She remained in the forefront during the tour of the Chief Minister.

The scene in the Congress too seems to be similar, with a large number of persons staking a claim for the party ticket. A large number of party workers, especially from the Rajput community, are opposed to the idea of giving the party ticket to the son or wife of Mr Sant Ram. In case this happens, the Rajput community has decided to put its own candidate as an Independent. Then the Congress too may suffer due to the infighting.

With the byelection due in November, political activity is hotting up in Baijnath. The HVC wants to contest the seat. In the previous election, its candidate, Mr Kishori Lal, had polled over 5,000 votes. In case the HVC does not contest the poll or Mr Kishori Lal is denied the ticket, he may return to the Congress. This could prove to be a major jolt for the BJP and the HVC as he has a strong base among the Scheduled Castes.

Minister promises fair price shops
for remote areas
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, Sept 23 — In order to check the rising prices of essential commodities, the government will open more fair price shops in such areas of the state where people have to cover vast distances to get ration from depots. This was stated by Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Supply and Women Social Welfare Minister, at Sarsoo village in Pachhad tehsil of Sirmaur district.

On the occasion of a rural fair on Monday, he said inspection work of depots was also being carried out effectively with a view to control any chance of black marketing.

He said more than 2.5 lakh children and 93,000 pregnant women were being provided diet under the nutrition programme in the pradesh. The government had enhanced the rate of diet from 95 paise to Rs 1.30 per child, and granted Rs 1.75 against Rs 1.15 paise to every pregnant women and Rs 2.25 to every women after delivery against Rs 1.15, he added.

The minister said the government had introduced a new scheme, Ambedkar Medgavi Chatra Yojna, for poor and talented students belonging to the Scheduled Castes. Under the scheme 1,000 such students would be provided free education up to the plus two level.

Referring to the local demand for a road up to Sarsoo village, the minister assured the people that the matter would be taken up with the government. He also sanctioned the construction of mahila mandal bhavans at Sarsoo, Saroj, Kasar and Banar villages.

DNA test confirms child's paternity
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, Sept 23 — For the first time, the HP police has taken the help of DNA fingerprinting to establish the paternity of a child and thus strengthen a case against a rape accused.

Stating this here today, the Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, said Kubja Devi, a housewife of Sharma village in Renuka subdivision lodged an FIR in 1995 stating that Krishan Kamal, Virender and Bhupinder had forcibly entered her house in the absence of her husband and raped her. She also alleged that she had become pregnant by one of the alleged rapists. However, the three accused contended that she was trying to black mail them and they had nothing to do with the child.

Kubja Devi gave birth to a boy and the police sent samples of his blood to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, along with the blood samples of the three accused. The report received from Hyderabad established that the child's father was Krishan Kamal.

Sanctuary for monkeys sought
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 23 — The HP Education Minister, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, has demanded a sanctuary for monkeys to help the farmers in protecting their crops from the monkey menace.

He presented this demand to the Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, during a public meeting at Utpur village in the district last night. The local speakers wanted the state government to come to their rescue from the onslaught of monkeys. They said they were forced to remain outside their houses throughout the day to shoo away the monkeys.

Mr Dhumal said monkeys were our "forefathers" and even religiously we could not harm them. However, it would be good that they were kept at a secluded place to help the farmers and their crops.

Bajrol-Dehradun bus service soon
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 23 — A bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation will soon start plying between Bajrol in the Bamsan area of Hamirpur district and Vikasnagar, near Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh.

The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal said this last night while addressing a gathering at Bajrol here.

It was his first visit to this area of his Bamsan assembly segment. The Chief Minister said the Bamsan area of the district had faced an utter neglect during the last 50 years.

He assured residents that a major priority of his government in the Bamsan area would be to develop roads, bridges and culverts. He said a sum of Rs 3.30 crore had already been allocated for strengthening the Sujanpur-Sandhol road and an additional sum of Rs 3 crore had been earmarked for the Tounidevi-Jangelberi road.

Despite heavy rain, hundreds of people gathered at various places of the Bamsan constituency to greet the Chief Minister.

Judicial remand for Tibetans

DHARAMSALA, Sept 23 (UNI) — Two Tibetans who were charged with spying for China and arrested at Mcleodganj, headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, were remanded to judicial custody till September 28 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate here yesterday.

Twentynine-year-old Chomphel, alias Sonum Choetse, a resident of Chamde district in Tibet, was arrested along with Migmar, a resident of Shasur in Lhasa, on September 15 for spying at Mcleodgang, the abode of spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

Meanwhile, the Kangra police today arrested a Tibetan youth carrying a fake registration card which he managed to get for Rs 2800.

Sources said the police was keeping a vigil at Bir, Paprola, Mcleodgang and Dalhousie following the arrest of the two spies from whom strategically important maps and vital sketches of Dalai Lama’s palace and that of the Army installations were recovered.

Centre placating Samata: CPM
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 23 — The state committee of the CPM has condemned the Vajpayee government for recommending the dismissal of the Rabri Devi government in Bihar.

The party alleged that the Centre had used the breakdown of law and order as a pretext to dislodge a duly elected government. This act had brought to the fore the hidden agenda of the BJP.

There was no justification for the politically motivated decision which had been taken to placate the Samata Party, an ally of the BJP and create a Uttar Pradesh like situation to pave the way for the formation of an alternative government through horse trading, it alleged.

It also showed that the party had scant respect for democratic values and that was dancing to the tune of the RSS, the party said.

It urged the President to reject the recommendation and help save democracy.