H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Plot to divide Cong: Virbhadra
SHIMLA, Nov 10 — The CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has said the “conspiracy” of the ruling BJP to divide the Congress should be thwarted by partymen.

HP efforts to revive silk route
SHIMLA, Nov 10 — Efforts are being made by the Himachal government to reopen the old Hindustan-Tibet road, passing through picturesque mountains and valleys, which completes 150 years now. This was also known as the silk route.

Dry fruits aplenty at Lavi Fair
SHIMLA, Nov 10 — After years the traditional produce of tribesmen like pashmina wool and dry fruits will be available in plenty at Lavi Fair beginning at Rampur tomorrow.

Keep promise, JEs urge Dhumal
MANDI, Nov 10 — The Himachal Pradesh Junior Engineers Association yesterday urged the government to implement the Chief Minister’s assurance to their delegation on November 1 that junior engineers with 16 years service or more would be promoted as assistant engineers and granted a scale of Rs 7220-11320.

HP Govt “appeasing BJP workers”
JAWALAMUKHI, Nov 10 — Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, former Himachal Transport Minister and MLA from Jawalamukhi constituency, has condemned the state government for stalling development activities in this area for political reasons.

Lecturers decry minister’s statement
SHIMLA, Nov 10 — The State Government School Lecturers Association has condemned the statement of Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, terming the appointment of lecturers in schools as an unfortunate decision.

Quota for women in samiti posts
HAMIRPUR, Nov 10 — Mrs Anuradha Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, through a notification, has reserved the posts of chairperson of Bijheri and Nadaun Panchayat Samitis of the district for women.

• Demand to end quota system
• Landslide threat to village

Plot to divide Cong: Virbhadra
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 10 — The CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has said the “conspiracy” of the ruling BJP to divide the Congress should be thwarted by partymen.

Mr Virbhadra Singh and the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, who addressed a joint news conference here today, said the partymen should not allow the BJP leadership to interfere in their party matters.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said he stood by his earlier statement that some partymen were out to wreck the Congress. He had accused them of playing into the hands of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Both leaders said the victory of Mrs Sonia Gandhi for the post of AICC president was certain and they appealed to partymen to vote for her.

They said the candidature of Mr Jitendra Prasada indicated there was more inner party democracy in the Congress than the BJP or any other party.

Mr Virbhadra Singh appreciated Mr Sat Mahajan for having strengthened the Congress during his tenure as PCC chief and hoped that Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who had been authorised to nominate his successor, would select a person who was capable of bringing all partymen on one platform and was acceptable to all sections.

Both Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Mahajan have in writing requested Mrs Gandhi to nominate the new PCC chief.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said he was hopeful that the nearly two dozen appeals against the organisational elections in Himachal Pradesh would be disposed before nominating the new PCC chief.

He said as the CLP chief, he had suggested to Mrs Gandhi that the regional and caste balance should be maintained while nominating the PCC chief.

Mr Kuldeep Kumar, MLA from Una district, has said legislators belonging to weaker sections OBCs met Mrs Gandhi earlier this week and have demanded that someone from among them should be nominated as the PCC chief.

Meanwhile, Mr A.N. Bazwaria, permanent secretary of the PCC, has said the electoral college for the Congress president will comprise of 94 votes in the state. This includes, seven former PCC chiefs, 13 presidents of District Congress Committees, 6 CLP representatives and 68 members of the PCC. However, the PCC members had not yet been elected in Karsog, Kinnaur and Dharampur, he added.

HP efforts to revive silk route
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 10 — Efforts are being made by the Himachal government to reopen the old Hindustan-Tibet road, passing through picturesque mountains and valleys, which completes 150 years now. This was also known as the silk route.

Work on the road was started during British regime in 1850 by Lord Dalhousie to provide a road link with Tibet with which Rampur and other princely states had trade ties before the former’s annexation by China.

A large number of Tibetan traders used to participate in the Lavi fair at Rampur, which incidentally on these days in on however, not a single trader from China has participated in the fair although the trade agreement with China from the Kinnaur border was also opened a few years ago. Indian traders have been visiting the China occupied Tibet every year to sell merchandise following the signing of the trade agreement with China.

The road in the earlier times was used for carrying musk, borax, wool, livestock, dryfruit, precious and semi-precious stones to and from Tibet, Kashmir, Ladakh and Yarkand.

Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor General wanted to create trade ties with Tibet and this was one of the reasons for initiating work on the road.

According to the records a major achievement of the road was the construction of the Dhalli tunnel which even today is the lifeline for the higher hills. Some 18,000 convicts and labourers free of cost were employed in boring the tunnel through solid rock.

However, the road has changed its alignment at many places now, but the old one came to the rescue of people during the recent flash floods which devastated many areas of the tribal district of Kinnaur.

Before the annexation of Tibet by China, trade was done by road which followed the bed of the Sutlej and crossed high passes.

The road was transferred to the Border Roads Organisation in 1961 when some major changes in the alignment were made. However, the old track also continues to be there.

The upper Hindustan-Tibet road climbs the national highway 22 at Tapri and extends on an upper alignment of an average elevation of 2740 metres upto Shyaso khad where it drops down to rejoin the national highway.

It passes along the rivers Sutlej and Spiti for most of its length.

Dry fruits aplenty at Lavi Fair
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 10 — After years the traditional produce of tribesmen like pashmina wool and dry fruits will be available in plenty at Lavi Fair beginning at Rampur tomorrow.

With all sorts of modern goods invading the fair the availability of traditional items has been declining with each passing year. In fact, the 400-year-old fair has all but completely lost its identity as a traditional mela where the tribesmen found a ready market for their produce.

However, this year the complete disruption of road network by the flash floods in the Sutlej has changed the situation. With more than two-thirds of Kinnaur district remaining cut off the tribesmen could not send their produce to the market. The fair at Rekong Peo, which is held 10 days earlier, was cancelled precisely for this reason. While traders from the plains who made a beeline to Kinnaur during October could not reach, the cancellation of the Rekong Peo fair denied the tribesmen whatever little opportunity they had to sell off their produce.

Thus, the Kinnauri market, the section of the mela where traditional items are sold, is likely to do a roaring business this year. They tribesmen have arrived in Rampur with loads of chilgoza, pashmina wool, kala zira, chuli (dried apricot), almonds, walnuts and other produce. The tribesmen of upper Kinnaur, which is cut off, had to carry the produce of mules up to Karcham.

The Sutlej disaster will, however, certainly have an impact on the volume of trade. Over the years the complexion of the fair has changed and with little local produce to sell the tribesmen have been turned into buyers. More and more people from Kinnaur have been visiting the mela to buy modern gadgets like refrigerators, TV sets, music systems, readymade garments and kitchenware.

This year the flash floods in the Sutlej disaster shattered the economy of the tribesmen and they were not in a position to purchase costly gadgets. In fact, they have been struggling hard to make both ends meet and the government has been airlifting ration for them. Consequently, the volume of trade may come down.

The state government in a bid to revive the old glory of Lavi Fair accorded it the status of an international fair. However, that was not helped much. Even the resumption of border trade between India and China through the Shipkila pass had failed to restore the traditional character of the fair when large quantities of produce were brought to the fair from Tibet. The border had failed to pick up with Chinese traders virtually boycotting it for the past six years. The few Indian traders who went across to China with their merchandise brought back thermos flask, jackets, shoes and crockery.

Cultural programmes will be organised every evening during the four-day fair unlike previous years. The programme will be a low-key affair with no big performers to entertain the people.

Keep promise, JEs urge Dhumal
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Nov 10 — The Himachal Pradesh Junior Engineers Association yesterday urged the government to implement the Chief Minister’s assurance to their delegation on November 1 that junior engineers with 16 years service or more would be promoted as assistant engineers and granted a scale of Rs 7220-11320.

The president of the association, Mr D.C. Bhardwaj, said the Chief Minister had assured the delegation that the relevant orders would be issued before their two-day convention at Una on November 18 and 19.

He expressed confidence that their other outstanding demands would also be conceded by the Chief Minister at Una. The ministers of the PWD and the IPH would also attend the convention.

Mr Bhardwaj lamented that JEs were stagnating for over three decades and called upon the Chief Minister to promote them and send them on deputation to various power projects now under execution or going to be taken up for execution shortly.

He said the state executive committe of the association would meet at Una tomorrow to finalise the charter of demands to be submitted to the Chief Minister.

HP Govt “appeasing BJP workers”
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, Nov 10 — Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, former Himachal Transport Minister and MLA from Jawalamukhi constituency, has condemned the state government for stalling development activities in this area for political reasons.

Briefing mediapersons here today, he said the construction of Jawalamukhi-Tehri, Gummer-Baggi-Khundian via Lagru link roads had come to a standstill. Not a single handpump had been installed in Chanba Pattan, Balera, Lagru, Daloh, Dola and Mahadav panchayats, headed by the Congress supported heads.

He alleged that taps had been installed near the houses of the local BJP workers without fulfilling official formalities, thus depriving common people of drinking water. “It is a matter of surprise that the area is represented by IPH Minister Ramesh Choudhary but he himself is not aware of the problems of the public, he said.

Mr Pathania demanded taht the local community health centre should be converted into a civil hospital by providing indoor facilities for at least 200 patients.

Mr Pathania, threatened to gherao the XEN concerned of the irrigation and Public Health Department if he continued to appease BJP workers.

Lecturers decry minister’s statement
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 10 — The State Government School Lecturers Association has condemned the statement of Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, terming the appointment of lecturers in schools as an unfortunate decision.

The association alleged Mr Dhiman, who was a school headmaster before joining politics, was prejudiced against lecturers and had always been pleading the case of headmasters. The lecturers were appointed as part of the new education policy under which plus two system was introduced in the entire country.

Mr Kamaljit Thakur, president of the association, said the lecturers, who were looking for a fair deal from the Education Minister regarding their demands, had completely lost faith in him. The association had now decided to fight tooth and nail against those trying to belittle the role of lecturers in teaching.

The association has urged the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to take notice of the statement of the Education Minister and intervene in ensuring a fair deal to lecturers.

Quota for women in samiti posts
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Nov 10 — Mrs Anuradha Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, through a notification, has reserved the posts of chairperson of Bijheri and Nadaun Panchayat Samitis of the district for women. Similarly Hamirpur Panchayat Samiti has been reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Bhoranj Panchayat Samiti for other backward classes. Only Sujanpurtira and Tounidevi Panchayat Samitis has been keep open for the candidates of general category. The order has been issued under Section 125 of the HP Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

Through another notification, the Deputy Commissioner has also reserved 33 per cent of the total seats for women and has made reservations for the Scheduled Castes and other backward classes for the various posts in all six blocks of the district.

Demand to end quota system
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Nov 10 — All-India Hindu Mahasangh, Swami Krishnanand Maharaj, has demanded ending the reservation system in the country. This system was harming the cause of intellectuals and was creating problems for them, he said.

In a strongly worded statement here today, he said it was a matter of shock that the BJP leaders were also adopting the policy of their Congress predecessors. He said the time had come for a casteless society and every thing should be decided on merit.

Landslide threat to village
From Our Correspondent

DALHOUSIE, Nov 10 — Group Captain B.S. Chauhan (retd.), chairman of the Ex-Services League, Bhattiyat area in the district, has urged the state government to take immediate preventive measures to save the fragile slopes causing landslides during the rains in Bhattiyat subdivision.

Speaking to TNS here today, he disclosed that Maghiana, Riyan, Chandrolbad, Saned and Bhallbad villages falling under the Garnota panchayat were under a constant threat of landslides. He said boulders kept falling towards villages from these hills putting at risk life and property. He requested the government to launch a treatment plan of stabilising the fragile slopes.