H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Islamic outfits focus on Chamba
DHARAMSALA, July 20 — A sudden spurt in the visits of various Islamic religious outfits to Chamba district, bordering the militancy infested state of Jammu and Kashmir, has put the police and intelligence agencies on the alert.

HVC men seek PWD Minister’s arrest
SOLAN, July 20 — Three HVC senior leaders, coalition partner of the BJP in Himachal Government, today demanded immediate arrest of the PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh and institution of legal proceedings against him.

DD to launch Punjabi channel 
SHIMLA, July 20 — Doordarshan will launch a round-the-clock Punjabi channel from Jalandhar TV station next month. This was announced here today by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, in an informal chat with newspersons.

HP transfers 14 officers
SHIMLA, July 20 — The Himachal Pradesh Government today ordered transfer of three IAS and 11 has officers.

Maharashtra move ‘illogical’
SHIMLA, July 20 — Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley today questioned the logic behind the move of the Maharashtra Government to prosecute Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for his alleged inflammatory write-up in “Samana” eight years ago.

Water rates doubled in Shimla
SHIMLA, July 20 — The water tariff within the limits of the Shimla Municipal Corporation has been doubled to Rs 4 per kilo litre.

Tourist safety reviewed
MANALI, July 20 — A meeting of local travel agents, was convened by the Department of Tourism yesterday. It was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, Mr Ashwani Kapoor.

Himachal teachers demand increment
KANGRA, July 20 —Himachal Pradesh government teachers have demanded grant of two increments to all the Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) in the state who have not been promoted for the past 20 years, on the pattern of classical and vernacular teachers.

CM urged to probe temple affairs
KANGRA, July 20 — The Himachal Pradesh unit of the All-India Hindu Mahasabha (AIHM) has expressed concern over deteriorating conditions in the management of the different temples controlled by the government which, they said, was affecting the pilgrim trade.

Drive for promoting tourism in Kangra
DHARAMSALA, July 20 — In order to promote Kangra as a tourism destination, the Tourism Department has launched schemes costing Rs 3 crore in the district.

Govt politicising transfers: teachers
NURPUR, July 20 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has been violating norms in the transfer of the teachers.

20 hurt as 2 buses collide
MANDI, July 20 — Twenty persons were injured, five of them seriously, when two private buses (HP-31-0283 and HP-31-3655) collided on the National Highway 21, 6 km from here, near Gutkar today.

• Landslide disrupts train service
• HAS exam results
  

Islamic outfits focus on Chamba
From Pratibha Chauhan

DHARAMSALA, July 20 — A sudden spurt in the visits of various Islamic religious outfits to Chamba district, bordering the militancy infested state of Jammu and Kashmir, has put the police and intelligence agencies on the alert.

During the last one month teams of the Tablique Jamat faith from Jammu and Kashmir and Miserwala in Sirmour district, have made extensive tours of Chamba district. After spending 40 days visiting even the remote areas of Sahu, dominated by the Gujjars, 13 persons of the Tablique Jamat returned.

Taken by surprise, the police interrogated these persons from Jammu and Kashmir who had basically come here with the aim of propagating their religion. Having its headquarters at Deoban in Uttar Pradesh the Tablique Jamat, has started focusing on Chamba area only recently.

After spending 40 days here initially, they will return to camp here for four months.

It is only two days back that a team of Tablique Jamat people from Miserwala, near Nahan, in Sirmour district landed in Chamba. They too will be camping here for 40 days to return back for four months’ period.

Apart from this people of the Anjuman Islam faith, who have their headquarters at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, too keep frequenting Chamba. They too come here to meet the people in the madrasas and at their religious shrines.

While confirming the arrival of these teams of various religious outfits to Chamba district, the SP, Mr R.M. Sharma, said through interrogation it appeared they did not seem to be having any other motive except religious propagation. “The possibility of a long-term planning and hidden programme cannot be ruled out and as such we are keeping an eye on these people,” he stated.

He admitted that the spurt in visits of these religious outfits and their focus on Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh was an important development, which needed to be monitored. He added that to carry out any sort of activity in the area the assistance of the local people was a must.

The mushrooming of madrasas in the districts of Chamba, Una and Kangra during the past four years, has caused much concern to the Himachal police. There are a total of 41 madrasas in these three districts, with the highest number of 14 in Chamba. Out of these 10 were opened in 1996-97, while the oldest one was established in Chamba town in 1991.

Kangra district, where militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Harkat-ul-Ansar have been arrested in the past has eight madrasas out of which five were set up in 1997. Una district has nine madrasas out of which three were set up in 1997. The oldest one at Baduni was set up in 1983.

With earlier reports that people having links with various militant outfits had been taking refuge in these madrasas, the police had stepped up vigil on these educational institutions. “Under threat and pressure from militant outfits these madrasas could become places of refuge for anti-social elements,” admits a top official.

Keeping in mind the case of Jammu and Kashmir, where these madrasas became breeding grounds for militants, the Himachal police is maintaining vigil on these madrasas and outsiders coming here to prevent any militant activity.

DD to launch Punjabi channel 
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 20 — Doordarshan will launch a round-the-clock Punjabi channel from Jalandhar TV station next month.

This was announced here today by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, in an informal chat with newspersons.

He said the effort of the government was to encourage such channels in the non-Hindi speaking areas of the country. One such channel was launched in Srinagar last month.

Mr Jaitley said the policy of the government was to encourage regional telecasts.

He said Doordarshan was not in competition with other channels as its long-term plan was not merely entertainment but playing the role of a public service broadcaster.

Mr Jaitley said the intention of the government was not to interfere in the freedom of expression of private TV channels but obscenity and vulgarity would not be allowed.

He said he would review the functioning of Shimla TV station which had failed to start even after heavy investment.

He justified the disinvestment policy of the BJP government and said the opposition parties had no reason to criticise it as the policy was initially launched by Dr Manmohan Singh during the Congress regime in 1991.

It was continued by the United Front government which had listed disinvestment in public sector undertakings in its common minimum programme. The Disinvestment Commission was set up during the United Front regime.

He said most of the recommendations of the commission were very valuable.

Justifying disinvestment, Mr Jaitley said one could not expect taxpayers to continuously go on paying for business, particularly in those areas were the private sector had entered in a big way.

Answering queries about the move of the Maharashtra Government to arrest the Shiv Sena chief, Mr Bal Thackeray, he said the action of the state government does not appear to be supported by the rule of law. The mandate of law is that such cases should be filed within three years whereas Mr Thackeray was being accused of having written a provocative article eight years ago. 

HVC men seek PWD Minister’s arrest

SOLAN, July 20 — Three HVC senior leaders, coalition partner of the BJP in Himachal Government, today demanded immediate arrest of the PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh and institution of legal proceedings against him.

Mr Mohinder Singh had recently stated that he had proof about former Union Telecommunication Minister Sukh Ram’s involvement in the telecom scandal that rocked the country three years ago, adding that he was willing to become a CBI witness in the ongoing probe.

Describing Mr Mohinder Singh’s statement as a mere ploy to mislead the people of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Deepak Sharma, Mr P.D. Sharma and Mr Amar Nath Kaushal, state joint secretary, president, district HVC, Sirmour and president, district HVC, Solan, respectively, in a joint Press conference held here today, demanded that the minister be immediately arrested for concealing vital evidence from the CBI for three long years.

They, however, added that Mr Mohinder Singh’s claim of possessing vital evidence against Mr Sukh Ram could be part of a well-planned strategy to divert public attention away from himself “after having come under the preview of anti-defection law consequent to Vidhan Sabha Speaker’s recent ruling declaring him as an unattached member of the House.”

The three leaders also alleged that a section of the BJP leadership, alarmed at the growing popularity of the HVC, had been adopting the policy of ‘divide and rule’ and had sown the seeds of discord within the HVC. They cautioned the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, that the same group could be trying to weaken his hold within the BJP.They also demanded an independent inquiry into the collapse of some bridges in recent rains that had been constructed during the present tenure of Mr Mohinder Singh as PWD Minister. “In order to hold a fair and impartial inquiry, the PWD Minister should either resign or be expelled from the state Cabinet,” they said.

HP transfers 14 officers
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 20 — The Himachal Pradesh Government today ordered transfer of three IAS and 11 has officers.

Mr Subhash Chand Ahluwalia, Commissioner, Departmental Enquiries, has been posted as Secretary, Public Service Commission.

Mr P.C. Jassal, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Shimla, is transferred and posted as Managing Director, HP Agro-Industries Corporation.

Mr Rajneesh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dehra, is transferred and posted as SDM, Manali.

Mr T.C. Janartha, Editor, Gazetteer, will also hold the charge of Commissioner, Departmental Enquiries.

Mr Rajinder Singh, Managing Director Himfed, has been appointed Director, Primary Education.

Mr Balbir Tegta, Additional Secretary (Urban Development and Transport), has been posted as Additional Director, Secondary Education.

Mr R.S. Negi, Director of Primary Education, has been posted as Managing Director, Himfed.

Mr Amitabh Awasthi, Sub Divisional Officer (Civil-Urban), Shimla, has been posted as Deputy Secretary to Chief Minister.

Mrs Urmil Bharti, Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, has been posted as Assistant Commissioner to Commissioner (Revenue).

Mr R.S. Rana, Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) Nadaun Hamirpur district, goes as Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur.

Mr Baldev Singh Jasrotia, under order of transfer as Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, is now posted as Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Nadaun.

Mr S.C. Pal, Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Shimla, has been posted as Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies.

Mr B.R. Kamal, Land Acquisition Officer, Talwara, under order of posting as Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Manali, has now been transferred and posted as Land Acquisition Officer (PWD), Kangra.

Mr Man Singh, Assistant Commissioner to Commissioner (Revenue), Shimla, has been posted as Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Shimla.

Maharashtra move ‘illogical’

SHIMLA, July 20 (PTI) — Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley today questioned the logic behind the move of the Maharashtra Government to prosecute Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for his alleged inflammatory write-up in “Samana” eight years ago.

Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Jaitley who himself is an eminent jurist, said the move of the Maharashtra Government appeared to be guided by considerations outside the mandate of law.

He said action should have been supported by solid reasons and the government must explain why the sena chief was not prosecuted during the past eight years.

Mr Jaitley said regional channels were being strengthened and a 24-hour Punjabi channel of Doordarshan would be launched from Jalandhar next month.

He said the Information and Broadcasting Ministry was encouraging non-Hindi regional channels and Doordarshan at Shimla would also be strengthened.

He said DD was not nearly an entertainment channel, like other private channels, but a public service broadcasting channel like the BBC whose primary function was to inform, entertain and educate.

He said Doordarshan with a viewership of about 7 crore was rendering remarkable service to the people by telecasting educational, health, environmental, agricultural, UGC and other social programmes even during Prime Time, ignoring commercial concerns.

Replying to a question he said instead of banning Pak TV, we should counter it effectively.

He hit out at the previous United Front government for criticising the NDA government on the issue of disinvestment. He said companies being shortlisted for disinvestment were the same companies which the UF government had referred to the Disinvestment Commission.

He said disinvestment was a part of economic reforms initiated by Dr Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government. Mr Jaitley said the tax-payer money could not be continued to be invested in the loss-making undertakings.

Water rates doubled in Shimla
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 20 — The water tariff within the limits of the Shimla Municipal Corporation has been doubled to Rs 4 per kilo litre.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet which was presided by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, here today.

Highly placed sources said the Cabinet rejected a proposal for increasing the water tariff for rural areas. The proposal for increasing the tariff for irrigation water was also rejected.

The Cabinet ordered that water consumers be made responsible for installing and maintaining meters within four months from now. Till such time a flat rate of Rs 40 per connection per month for four months would be charged. Thereafter, the rate would be increased to Rs 60 per connection per month and would be doubled every four months until the meter was installed.

The different slabs of water tariff had been discontinued and the new tariff would be uniform.

Besides, increasing the tariff, a security and connection charges of Rs 150 each shall be payable by domestic and commercial users. An application fee of Rs 10 for domestic water connections and Rs 50 for commercial connections had been imposed.

An increase in the water tariff in the state was done last eight years ago during the BJP regime in 1990.

Tourist safety reviewed
From Our Correspondent

MANALI, July 20 — A meeting of local travel agents, was convened by the Department of Tourism yesterday. It was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, Mr Ashwani Kapoor. The meeting discussed various issues relating to rescue and safety in adventure-related activities in the district. This was done in view of the recent killing and attack on German tourists.

Mr Kapoor assured the travel agents that the state government and district administration would extend all help and facilities to foreign and domestic tourists who would attend Kalchakra ceremony in August at Kee-monastery in Spiti valley.

He also suggested all foreign or domestic trekkers who wanted to trek without local assistance should get their names registered at the Manali police station and with the Department of Tourism as it would help to monitor their route and whereabouts. It would also facilitate the speedy action by the authorities concerned if any emergency arose.

The Deputy Commissioner said that a government sponsored nodal agency would be set up soon for the rescue and safety of trekkers and mountaineers in the district. The Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, and local tour operators would be involved in this. He said that the state government was committed to ensure full safety and protection to the foreign visitors.

During the meeting the District Tourism Officer, Mrs Shashi Thakur, asked the trek and tour operators to get themselves registered with a detailed itinerary and name list of the foreign trekkers with the Tourist Information Centre, Manali, and with the local police station before leaving for the trek. Mrs Thakur further said that they should ensure the insurance of those groups and individual who would participate in the adventure activities being organised under the group insurance scheme. It could also help the department ascertain the exact figures of the adventure seekers particularly foreign nationals.

The travel agents also expressed concern on the proliferation of touts who were misleading the foreign tourists about adventure activities. They also suggested that prominent sign boards should be displayed giving important tips about trekking to important places around Manali by the Department of Tourism. They also assured that the local Travel Agent Association would provide expert volunteers for rescue purposes.

Even origin of Beas polluted
From M.C. Thakur

MANALI: The 13,050-ft — high Rohtang pass — the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti — is not only famous for its scenic splendour, snow-clad mountains, but the origin of the Beas at Beas Kund.

During the tourist season from early May to mid-November, thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit Rohtang pass, which provides welcome relief from the heat of plains. The tourists carry non-biodegradable material like mineral water bottles, food articles in polythene sheets, disposable tea cups. After taking snacks, the polythene and plastic wrappers are thrown here and there by tourists and small traders who put up stalls seasonally in this area to tap tourist traffic, unmindful of the fact that the hazards caused by this non-biodegradable material are well-nigh impossible to check.

The Beas, which quenches the thirst of lakhs and irrigates a large area of fields situated on its banks, is struggling to exist due to the increasing pollution at its origin. The local people consider Beas Kund or Rishi as most pious and drink this water on auspicious occasions.

Though the state government has taken remedial steps to keep the Beas pollution-free by not allowing the construction of buildings near its banks and checking the dumping of garbage away from river banks but nothing noteworthy has been done at the very source of the river.

The peak of the tourist season is over and a large quantity of non-degradable material like mineral water bottles, empty polythene wrappers and plastic cups and glasses are lying scattered at places en route like Kothi, Gulaba, Rahla falls, Beas Nullah and Marhi.

During the rainy season , the scattered plastic litter does not allow rain water to seep into the soil and causes flash floods, which destroy considerable forest area and fertile land almost every alternate year. This also causes land and soil erosion.

On the other hand, this non-biodegradable material comes under a thick sheet of snow in winter and when snow melts and spring comes the plastic buried below does not allow wild flowers to germinate. As a consequence, the slopes from Marhi to Rohtang pass, which used to be full of wild flowers, present a deserted look. The large variety of butterflies, seen in plenty in the past, now remains a memory.

Nature and ecology form the basic structure on which Himalayan tourism is based. Unplanned development in the name of tourism and exploitation of certain tourist destinations has, in fact, led to the destruction of ecology.

Environmentalists are having great concern for increasing pollution at the origin of the Beas. If nature and ecology is conserved, tourism will survive for generations to come. This work can be accomplished with the participation of the government and residents as well as tourists. 

Himachal teachers demand increment
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, July 20 —Himachal Pradesh government teachers have demanded grant of two increments to all the Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) in the state who have not been promoted for the past 20 years, on the pattern of classical and vernacular teachers.

Mr Kartar Singh Rana spokesman of the Himachal Government Teachers’ Union said this in a press statement here today. He demanded that the Education Minister intervene in the matter. He further said that the Trained Graduate Teachers (without B.Ed) recruited during the reorganisation of Himachal Pradesh in 1966 should be given seniority from the date of their appointment. Mr Rana demanded that the period between their date of appointment and their passing the B.Ed be treated as “study leave period”.

Mr Rana expressed concern over not giving promotions to the Trained Graduate Teachers who were on the verge of retirement.

HAS exam results
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 20 — The HP Public Service Commission today declared the result of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HAS) and Allied Services examination in which 13 candidates have been successful.

Those declared successful are: Ms Rupali Thakur (13936) HAS; Mr Ram Kumar Gautam (13615) HAS; Mr Pankaj Raj (30829) HAS; Mr Pradeep Kumar (30875) HAS; Mr Pyush Dogra (13153), ETO; Ms Kumud Pathania (11959) ETO; Mr Rajan Katoch (41120), DPO; Mr Vikas Jamwal (41976) PRI. P.R; Mr Piar Chand (12905) HAS; Mr Ashwani Raj Shah (40260) HAS; Ms Poonam Rai (12933), ETO; Mr Ravinder Kumar (41359), ETO; and Mr Udham Singh Kamal (15003), HAS.