H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

 Miffed Dhumal loyalists to approach high command
DHARAMSALA, July 12 — Having to bear with criticism not only from the Congress, but also from the Shanta camp within the party, supporters of the Chief Minister , Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, will soon approach the high command to complain against the activities of the Shanta loyalists.

Seminar on fodder management
PALAMPUR, July 12—A national-level meeting on planning research on grassland improvement and management of fodder resources in the Himalayan region was organised here yesterday at HP Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (HPKV).

Kangra cooperative bank to get award
DHARAMSALA, July 12 — The Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank has been selected for best performance award by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for furtherance of its institutional and development role for the third consecutive year.

ABVP activists hold dharnas
SHIMLA, July 12— The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today organised dharnas all over the state in support of its demands.

Miffed Dhumal loyalists to approach high command
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, July 12 — Having to bear with criticism not only from the Congress, but also from the Shanta camp within the party, supporters of the Chief Minister , Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, will soon approach the high command to complain against the activities of the Shanta loyalists.

According to sources, the video tapes and newspaper clippings of the function held by the Shanta camp at Indora, in Kangra, where a Shanta loyalist and MLA, Mr Des Raj, was honoured and given a Tata Qualis has already been sent to the BJP high command. Mr Des Raj, who represents the Gangath Assembly segment had resigned from the chairmanship of the State Finance Commission, in protest against the discriminatory attitude of the Chief Minister and the party high command.

As factionalism within the BJP continues unabated, the stepping up of attack by the Congress against the government has added to the woes of the Chief Minister. As if this was not enough, the tug of war between the two warring facions of the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC), the alliance partner of the BJP, has only accentuated the problem of Mr Dhumal.

What kind of signal is the Shanta camp trying to send , by rewarding an MLA, who has openly revolted against the Chief Minister and the central party high command, “quipped a Dhumal loyalist. The Dhumal camp claimed that it was after the denial of the party ticket to Shanta loyalist, Mr Mohinder Sofat, in the Solan byelection, that a campaign had been launched by the dissidents to embarrass the Chief Minister and the government. They alleged that even during the Solan poll, some of Shanta loyalists, including two ministers, worked against the party candidate, Mr Rajiv Bindal.

The sensitive issue of corruption and the call given by Mr Shanta Kumar for self introspection, has already caused embarrassment to the Dhumal government. “Since the governments both at the Centre and in the state are of the BJP, who is Mr Shanta Kumar, trying to point fingers at ”, contents a Dhumal loyalist.

The Dhumal camp feels that it is only after the criticism of the state government, indirectly, by Shanta loyalists that even the Congress, which had so far been lying dormant, has started attacking the government, “the holding of the rally at Indora, in the Gangath constituency, by Shanta men, clearly reflects the intention of the group to weaken the Chief Minister, Mr Dhumal,” stated an MLA belonging to the Dhumal camp.

Interestingly, it is the home district of Mr Shanta Kumar, Kangra, which has become the hotbed of the offensive launched, against the Chief Minister, in the recent past. Though there had been simmering discontent among the supporters of Mr Shanta Kumar, for being sidelined by Mr Dhumal, ever since the formation of the BJP HVC government in the state, but it is only lately that they are manifesting themselves by holding their own functions.

On the other hand even the Dhumal camp has not missed the opportunity to hold counter shows, especially in Kangra district. One such function was held in the Nurpur Assembly segment, in the presence of the state BJP chief, Mr Jaikishan Sharma. As a part of this fight for supremacy in Kangra district, the Shanta camp organised a function at Shahpur,which was attended by the local MLA, Mrs Shraveen Chaudhary.

Seminar on fodder management
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, July 12—A national-level meeting on planning research on grassland improvement and management of fodder resources in the Himalayan region was organised here yesterday at HP Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (HPKV).

Inaugurating the meeting, Prof V.P.Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pussa (Bihar), emphasised the importance of cultivating nutritious fodder as more and more forest area was being brought under cultivation and dairy industry was expanding.

He said state departments should make efforts to develop fodder resources in various regions.

Ploughing and reseeding could rejuvinate pastures, Prof Gupta said, adding that cultivation should be systematised and qualitatively improved. Similarly, inter-cropping, mixed farming and emerging cropping systems needed due consideration. Fodder development boards should be created to coordinate work in various departments, he said.

Prof. P.K.khosla, Vice-Chancellor, HPKV, informed that the university had set up a separate fodder centre and the regional fodder research centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural research would be integrated with the new centre to give impetus to fodder research and grassland management.

Kangra cooperative bank to get award
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, July 12 — The Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank has been selected for best performance award by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for furtherance of its institutional and development role for the third consecutive year.

The trophy and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh will be presented by the Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, in Delhi today.

The General Manager of the bank, Mr Ashok Dhiman, said the bank had advanced a loan of Rs 20.53 crore among the small, marginal and big farmers and village artisans during 1999-2000, and achieved 80.71 per cent recovery.

ABVP activists hold dharnas
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 12— The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today organised dharnas all over the state in support of its demands.

Activists of the parishad assembled on the Himachal Pradesh University campus and took out a procession to the Vice-Chancellor’s office where they staged a dharna for two hours. Representatives of the parishad held talks with Dr S.K.Gupta Vice-Chancellor, and submitted a memorandum to him.

Dharnas were also held in various degree colleges at Dharamsala, Hamirpur, Rampur, Palampur, Solan, Nalagarh and other places.

The main demands include holding of elections to the students’ central association, extending the last date for admission to colleges, withdrawal of fee-hike, early declaration of re-evaluation results and construction of a hostel for students of tribal areas on the campus.