Tie-up with BJP to continue: HVP
SHIMLA, Jan 5 — The Himachal Vikas Congress President Sukh Ram today said his party’s alliance with the BJP would continue "irrespective of what happens in Delhi".

Postal Dept asked to pay Rs 4,500
NAHAN, Jan 5 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Postal Department to pay Rs 4,500 to an engineer in the Irrigation and Public Health Department as compensation for failing to deliver his post to his daughter at Ganganagar, Rajasthan.

Ayurveda doctors seek parity
CHAMBA, Jan 5 — The Himachal Pradesh Ayurveda Chikitsa Adhikari Parishad has demanded the status and scale of allopathy doctors for ayurveda doctors.

• Widow for probe into daughter's death
• 18 office-bearers of NSUI resign

Shugden controversy
Tibetan govt flays Chinese official
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Jan 5 — The Tibetan Government-in-exile today, for the first time, accused an official in the Chinese embassy of "hobnobbing" with Shugden activists, who have been at loggerheads with the Dalai Lama and his supporters.

Sources in the Department of Information and International Relations in the Tibetan Government, today said the visit of the First Secretary in the Chinese embassy, Mr Tau Wenching, and his wife to the Tibetan settlement at Mundgod, in South India, on December 24, was another indication of the alleged links that exist between the Shugden supporters and the Chinese embassy. "The fact that the First Secretary was accompanied by Thupten Palsang, who is an active member of the Shugden group is a clear indication that the Chinese embassy has close links with the Shugden activists," commented an official. Palsang, also known as Nagpo Chenpo, is a former monk of Pomra House of Sera Mey College in the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe in South India.

A release by the Tibetan Government said that they had concrete evidence of the links between the Shugden supporters and the Chinese authorities. The latest visit of the Chinese embassy official, was another indication of the "close links" they shared.

For the past some time, the Tibetan Government has been alleging that China was trying to rake up the cult controversy, to divide the Tibetan community, and was even funding the Shugden Society. The cult controversy amongst the Tibetans grew very intense last year, when the Dalai Lama warned against the worship of the Shugden Dorjee deity.

The Deputy Secretary in the Department of Information and International Relations, Mr Thupten Samphell, when contacted said that the Shugden issue was dying down and the Tibetan Government did not wish to blow it up again. At the same time he added that they have evidence that China has maintained close links with the Shugden supporters. "There are very few Tibetans at Mundgod, who propitiate the Shugden deity but we have reports that there are a handful of them who are hardcore Shugden supporters," he commented. When asked if the Tibetan Government would take up the matter of the alleged links of the Chinese embassy official with the Shugden people at any forum, he said that there was no such proposal at the moment.

The General Secretary of the Dorjee Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society, New Delhi, Mr Chime Tsering, when contacted at Delhi, said that the latest allegations levelled by the Tibetan administration, were nothing more than a desperate gamble to misinform the public "These allegations are nothing but a part of routine Tibetan smear campaign from Dharamsala to destroy any Tibetan who openly questions any wrongdoings on the part of the exiled administration", asserted Chime Tsering. He added that these allegations were totally baseless and the Tibetan administration was once again trying to invent a connection between the Shugden Society and the Chinese Government.

Chime Tsering clarified that Thubten Phelgye, who is learnt to have accompanied the Chinese First Secretary, was not an office-bearer of the Society or any of its branches. On the contrary all these allegations are in fact carefully orchestrated smokescreen, to cover up the the religious persecution and harassment taking place openly, within the settlement in Mundgod, on the eve of the surprise visit of the Dalai Lama to the place on January 9. "This action is a part of the religious repression within the exiled Tibetan community in India, and is very carefully hidden from the Indian or international media", alleged Chime Tsering. He further warned the Tibetan administration to refrain from making such irresponsible, self-damaging baseless allegations.

Mr Chime Tsering said that the office of the Representative, at the Mundgod Tibetan settlement, had issued a circular that during the teaching of the Dalai Lama, it was imperative that those present there should be confirmed non-believers in the Shugden Dorjee deity. It has been ordered that the lists of those attending the teachings should be carefully scrutinised.

A fresh controversy has generated with the Shugden supporters and the Tibetan Government making counter allegations, over the issue of the Shugden deity.

Tie-up with BJP to continue: HVP

SHIMLA, Jan 5 (PTI) — The Himachal Vikas Congress President Sukh Ram today said his party’s alliance with the BJP would continue "irrespective of what happens in Delhi".

There was no question of the HVC merging with any other party or extending support to the Congress, Mr Sukh Ram told reporters here.

The former union minister denied that he was wrecking political vendetta by demanding a CBI probe into charges of corruption against former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

The demand had been made by the BJP and other parties also but it was not conceded, Mr Sukh Ram said adding that it was preposterous to allege that he was pursuing the demand in order to settle political scores with Mr Singh.

He recalled that the Himachal Krantikari Morcha comprising all the non-BJP Opposition parties had submitted a memorandum to the then President R. Venkataraman in 1988, seeking a high-level probe into the corruption charges against the Virbhadra Singh Government.

The BJP had also been raising this demand from time to time.

He urged all the political parties which had been demanding probe against the former Chief Minister to actively extend their support for such a probe.

Migratory birds add colour to Pong lake
From Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR: Sprawling over an area of about 24,000 hectares in Jawali, Dehra and Nurpur subdivisions in the foothills of Kangra district, the Pong Dam lake has become a cynosure to tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh. The foreign migratory birds, which throng the lake with the onset of winter, make it eco-friendly. As many as 11 types of migratory birds from Siberia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Pakistan and Iraq start descending on this wetland in November after flying thousands of miles. The birds arrive in abundance in the beginning of December.

Pong lake, which has been renamed Maharana Pratap Sagar, has Ransor island in the middle of the lake. The migratory birds fly over the lake in flocks during the day and add to the glamour of the lake. They stay at night on the isle in the middle of the lake.

In view of their frequent and seasonal stay the state government has declared the lake as a wildlife sanctuary.

The arrival of the migratory birds attracts nature lovers. But some greedy foes poach on these lovely and innocuous birds. Even though poaching is strictly prohibited under the Wildlife Act, poachers kill them with impunity.

No doubt, the Wildlife Department has tried to check poaching but violators adopt new methods. They serve poisonous foodgrain to the birds which die after consuming it. They sell such killed birds at the rate of Rs 30 to Rs 50 each.

According to Mr K.S. Pathania, Range Officer (WildLife Protection), Nagrota Surian, four poachers were nabbed last year against whom cases were registered.

Social organisations and environmentalists have demanded action against poachers. These migratory birds which throng the lake in November and December every year return to their native places in March. Their strength is reduced due to poaching.

The migratory birds include pintails, coots, black and white ducks, brahminy ducks and pochards.

Shyama Sharma presents interim report, resigns
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 5 — In a surprise development, Ms Shyama Sharma, Chairperson of the State Finance Commission, resigned from the post today.

She submitted her resignation to the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, after presenting the interim report of the commission in the afternoon.

An official spokesman said that her resignation had been accepted.

Ms Sharma was not available for her comments.

She had come here from Nahan in the morning and she submitted her resignation to the Chief Minister in his Secretariat chamber.

Ms Sharma was appointed Chairperson only a few months ago and there was no apparent cause for her sudden resignation.

Ms Sharma had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election from the Nahan constituency last time. She was made Chairperson when the present BJP-HVC combine government came into power.

Postal Dept asked to pay Rs 4,500
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, Jan 5 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Postal Department to pay Rs 4,500 to an engineer in the Irrigation and Public Health Department as compensation for failing to deliver his post to his daughter at Ganganagar, Rajasthan.

According to an order passed by consumer forum president Mrigender Singh today, Mr S.P. Goel, Assistant Engineer (Distribution) in the Irrigation and Public Health Department, bought Indira Vikas Patra worth Rs 3,000 on April 12 last. He sent these to his daughter in Ganganagar on April 16,1998. But the Patra were found missing from the envelope his daughter received in Ganganagar.

Mr Goel tried several times to get a response from the Postal Department on the issue but in vain. Mr Goel even approached the Director-General of Postal Services at New Delhi but could not draw the desired response.

Finally, he filed a complaint before the consumer forum charging the Postal Department with deficiency in service. Taking note of the complaint, the forum issued summons to the Postal Department. In response to the summons, the department filed an affidavit questioning the legality of the complaint and complainant's locus standi as a "consumer".

The forum, however, brushed aside the objections, defining the complainant as a "consumer" under the appropriate provisions of the Consumer Protection Act.

In a detailed order, the forum directed the department to pay Rs 3,000 as cost of the lost Patra, Rs 1,000 as damages for deficiency in service and Rs 500 as cost of litigation to Mr Goel.

Further, the department was directed to conduct a "proper detailed and comprehensive inquiry" into the incident and fix responsibility for dereliction in duty. The enquiry was directed to be completed within 40 days of the passing of the order.

Ayurveda doctors seek parity
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Jan 5 — The Himachal Pradesh Ayurveda Chikitsa Adhikari Parishad has demanded the status and scale of allopathy doctors for ayurveda doctors.

Addressing a news conference here yesterday, Dr Satish Sharma, district president of the parishad, requested the state government to fill the vacant post of ayurveda doctors and paramedical staff so that the working at the ayurvedic dispensaries and hospitals was not hampered and the people could avail of better health services.

He also demanded the removal of anomalies in the pay scales of ayurveda doctors.

Meanwhile, the following have been elected office-bearers of the district unit of the parishad: President — Dr Satish Sharma; Senior Vice-President — Dr Arvind Asit; Vice-President — Dr Bhuvnesh Kumar Sharma; General Secretary — Dr Yog Raj Sharma; Joint Secretary — Dr Ramlok Rao; Organising Secretary — Dr Rajiv Vatasayan; Cashier — Dr Anil Garg; and Adviser — Dr Shakti Prasad.

Widow for probe into daughter's death
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Jan 5 — Mrs Rajo Devi, a poor widow of Panol Amarpur village near here has urged the Chief Minister, to order high-level inquiry into a murder of her elder daughter Sharda Sareen who was found dead in a field near Jangloo village on the afternoon of December 13 with blood coming out of her mouth and nose. In a detailed memorandum given to the Chief Minister Rajo Devi has named some persons who were responsible for her daughter's murder and who were even threatening her and other members of the family and were not even allowing them to get water from a public tap. She said that all this was being done under the patronage of a police officer who belonged to one of these families. Rajo Devi has also demanded that she and her family should also be provided security.

18 office-bearers of NSUI resign
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 5 — Eighteen office-bearers of the Himachal Pradesh unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) today revolted against the party chief, Mr Atul Sharma, by resigning their posts and seeking his ouster.

They submitted their resignations to the Vice-President, Mr Nardev Kanwar. They alleged that Mr Sharma had failed to build up the organisation.

Mr Kanwar said that he would personally submit these resignations to Ms Alka Kapoor, President of the NSUI, at Delhi shortly.