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| Wednesday, January 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Virbhadra loyalist’s concern at Congress affairs Virbhadra tells Dhumal to mind his flock Raise Tibet issue with Li Peng: TYC Training of NE recruits at 14 GTC Kisan rally — a Stokes show |
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| Winter carnival in Manali from today Horse-trading in civic poll alleged Moves to empower panchayats: Dhumal BDC poll put off BJP wins panchayat samiti elections Rescue post at Marhi closed Special buses for Kumbh Mela
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| Virbhadra loyalist’s concern at Congress affairs CHAMBA, Jan 9 — A former Himachal Education Minister and a Virbhadra loyalist, Mr Sagar Chand Nayyar, has expressed concern over the way the Congress party was being managed in Himachal Pradesh. Instead of taking all party workers into confidence, they were being sidelined and this action was weakening the Congress party, he said. In a hand-out issued to the press here today, Mr Nayyar accused Mr Hanumantha Rao, Central Observer and Mr Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri State Observer of being partisan in the Pradesh Congress Committee elections and condemned both of these observers for their irresponsible part they played during the elections and afterwards. Instead of conducting themselves with dignity, they behaved as the representatives of the person who were against Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Congress Lagislative Party (CLP) leader in the Assembly, he commented. Mr Nayyar came down heavily on the self-proclaimed president of the Chamba District Congress Committee (DCC) who had never been elected as such and described the formation of the present DCC as “unconstitutional”. Mr Nayyar was for unity in the Congress party and underlined the need for giving proper representation to staunch Congress activist whether young or old right from the block committees level to Pradesh Congress Committee level, in order to prevent their drifting away from the Congress fold because of selfish leaders. Mr Nayyar said that the latest episode of tearing up the photograph of Mr Virbhadra Singh in the Pradesh Congress Committee office at Shimla was ‘shameful’. Mr Nayyar asserted that Mr Virbhadra Singh could not be sidelined by rootless persons as Mr Singh was ‘a leader of the masses’ and would remain so by virtue of his hardwork and sincerity towards party rank and the file. |
| Virbhadra tells Dhumal to mind his flock SHIMLA, Jan 9 — The CLP leader and a former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has asked the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, to keep his own flock together instead of meddling in the affairs of the Congress party. Reacting to the statement of Mr Dhumal accusing Mr Virbhadra Singh of trying to split the Congress, the latter said that Mr Dhumal has yet to overcome the setback which he suffered from the recent revolt by his three ministers and three legislators who not only withdrew support to him but also levelled serious charges of corruption, nepotism and favouritism against him and the government. He said that the statement of Mr Dhumal saying that the Congress was at the verge of a split was nothing more than a figment of imagination and wishful thinking on his part. Mr Dhumal is suffering from a sense of insecurity caused by the ongoing fighting in his BJP in the state which now has assumed serious dimension. Mr Virbhadra Singh said that though the revolt in the BJP had been patched up, but it is at best a temporary truce which will again erupt with greater vehemence due to the simmering discontent brewing not only in the BJP legislature party, but rank and file of the party. It would be better if the Chief Minister looked after his own flock rather than issuing baseless statements about the Congress which is capable of looking after its own affairs. |
| Raise Tibet issue with Li Peng: TYC DHARAMSALA, Jan 9 — Urging India to raise the issue of Tibet with the visiting Chinese leader, Li Peng, the Tibetan Youth Congress, (TYC), today said it was in the national interest of India to ensure that negotiations were held between the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama and China. In a statement issued here today, the Dharamsala Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, said the solution to the Tibetan problem was in the larger interest of India as it would be relieved of maintaining huge army right from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. The TYC said India could play a major role in facilitating negotiations between Dharamsala and Beijing, and the visit of Li Peng was one such opportunity. The TYC urged the Indian Government to raise the issue of human rights violation with Li Peng, who is the Chairman of the National People’s Congress of China, equivalent to a Parliament. ”The flight of the 17th Karmapa, is the most potent sign of the deteriorating human rights violation in Tibet apart from over 1,000 Tibetans risking their lives to flee to India every year”, it stated. The Dharamsala Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, clarified that it was committed for complete independence of Tibet. Training of NE recruits at 14 GTC SABATHU, Jan 9 — Recruits enrolled into Assam Rifles will be imparted basic military training at an Army regimental centre here. This is for the first time that this centre will be undertaking the task of training recruits for the paramilitary force. According to the Commandant, 14 Gorkha Training Centre (GTC), Brig Kamal Sood, the centre is expecting at least 150 recruits from the North-East next month. They will be imparted basic military training alongside Army recruits. Though under the purview of the Home Ministry, Assam Rifles mainly has Army officers and is said to be better trained than the Border Security Force. With a strength of at least 52,500 men in 31 battalions, the force was created to combat insurgency and provide security in the north-eastern states. According to officers here, Assam Rifles recruits are being sent here as the centre is fully geared to impart counter-insurgency training. Sources add that another reason for the recruits being sent here is that the Assam Rifles centre is unable to cope with the number of recruits. Besides training its own troops, 14 GTC has also been conducting courses in counter-insurgency operations for some armoured regiments prior to their induction in the valley. Training for Assam Rifles recruits would be on the same pattern as the Army recruits . Under the current 45-week training curriculum at 14 GTC, the first week is devoted to teaching Gorkha recruits Hindi language and information technology besides physical training. The next 19 weeks, forming the basic level, include education and map reading, drill, weapon training, field craft, field engineering, route marches, swimming, rock climbing and hygiene and first aid. The last 15 weeks involve advanced training in arms and ceremonial drill, weapons, field craft, tactics, commando run, counter-unsurgency operations, camping and close quarter combat, followed by tests and the final attestation parade. At present, the centre is conducting basic training for 833 recruits with 395 recruits belonging to 1 Gorkha Rifles and 438 belonging to 4 Gorkha Rifles. Besides, other courses for in-service troops are also being run. The centre has also introduced hi-tech computer-based and laser-based training aids, which, besides reducing training costs, also give a realistic feedback to instructors on the performance levels of recruits. |
| Kisan rally — a Stokes show THEOG (Shimla), Jan 9 — Unruffled by the absence of Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the Congress Legislative Party, at the first ever public meeting organised by the party after her taking over as the PCC chief, Mrs Vidya Stokes, today gave a call for maintaining unity in the party and reiterated her resolve to strengthen the party by taking everybody along. The kisan rally held under the aegis of the District Congress Committee, here, in fact turned out to be a show of strength by Mrs Stokes who purposely decided to launch the party’s ‘Jan Jagaran Abhiyan’ from her own constituency. While the supporters of Mr Virbhadra Singh, who yet has not reconciled to the appointment of Mrs Stokes as the PCC chief, were conspicuous by their absence, party stalwarts including Mr Ram Lal, a former Chief Minister, Mr J.B.L. Khachi, an ex-PWD Minister and Mr K.D. Sultanpuri, a former party president, addressed the rally. The heads of the front organisations Mr Sukhwinder, president of the state Youth Congress, Mrs Krishna Mohini, state Mahila Congress chief, Mr Kewal Pathania, president of the state unit of the NSUI, besides Mr Harbhajan Singh, district Congress President (urban) and Mr Sudhir Bhaik, district Congress President (rural), were also present at the rally. Most of the speakers, particularly Mrs Stokes, exercised restraint, while referring to the absence of the rival group. However old guards like Mr Khachi and Mr Ram Lal, without making any direct reference to Mr Virbhadra Singh, made it clear that the days of one-man rule in the Congress were over. Mr Khachi minced no words while criticising those who stayed away from the rally. He said the PCC chief must be respected by all partymen, particularly when she had been elected unanimously. If certain disgruntled leaders cry foul and continue to grumble it, did not reflect the popular opinion of the Congress men at large. He cautioned those toying with the idea of deserting the Congress and floating a new political outfit and advised them to learn a lesson from the plight of the former PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, who recently was forced to quit the Cabinet. Mr Ram Lal said that he had no vested interest in the election of the PCC chief and he had repeatedly stressed upon the high command to appoint a leader who could take everybody along. He said the changed political scenario parties could not be run by individuals. He claimed that two-thirds of the PCC delegates were in favour of Mrs Stokes and a majority of the remaining wanted to support her but had their own compulsions. He said the massive response of the people to the kisan rally should open the eyes of those who were unwilling to accept the leadership of Mrs Stokes. Mrs Stokes cautiously avoided any reference to the rival camp and instead targeted the Dhumal government for its various acts of omission and commission. The coalition both at the Centre and in the state, she said, had failed on all fronts. The policy of liberalisation had ruined the rural economy and farmers had been forced to commit suicides. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, is pre-occupied with the internal bickerings of alliance partners and had no time to address to pressing problems of the people. The performance of the state government was equally dismal. There was much publicity of the plans being formulated by the government for the uplift of the people but nothing had been done on the ground. The roads were in bad shape, the people were crying for water and other basic amenities which seemed to be the last priority of the government. The farmers had been the main sufferers with the government failing to ensure adequate and timely supply of farm inputs. Spurious insecticides and pesticides had flooded the market and there was no control. Traders were minting money at the cost of farmers which was not surprising as the BJP had been a party of capitalists with little concern for the farmers. She said the farmers would be forced to launch a statewide stir if the government failed to mend its ways and too effective steps to resolve their problems. Earlier, Mrs Stokes was given a rousing welcome along with Mr Ram Lal and Mr Khachi, by the local people who turned up at the rally in strength. There was a fair sprinkling of women in the gathering and folk musicians regaled the gathering. |
| Winter carnival in Manali from today MANALI, Jan 9 — The stage is set for the state-level winter carnival which will be held here from January 10 to 14. The annual winter carnival will begin after the worship of Goddess Hadimba at Dhungri Temple, near here. The cultural procession by the participating teams from different states will start from Hadimba Devi Temple in the morning and terminate at Nehru Park, popularly known as Ram Singh. According to Mr Rajnesh, SDM, the Minister of State for Primary Education, Mr Karan Singh, will inaugurate the five-day winter carnival. The Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, Mr Praveen Sharma, will preside over the concluding function on January 14. Mr Rajneesh, who is also Vice-Chairman of the Winter Carnival Committee, Manali, said about 25 teams would take part. As many as 700 participants would enthral the crowds that are expected to gather at the carnival. Each year the winter carnival has been gaining importance with the number participants also increasing. The carnival has been successful in promoting winter tourism in Kulu and Manali by attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists who can watch the different cultures and rich heritage presented by the participating teams from all over the country. Horse-trading in civic poll alleged SOLAN, Jan 9 — The secretary-general of the Himachal Vikas Congress, Mr Chaman Lal Gachli, has accused the local BJP MLA, Mr Rajiv Bindal, of indulging in horse-trading and also of misusing official machinery for installing a BJP man as president of the local municipal council, elections to which were held on December 20. The BJP, which was the only party that had released an official list of candidates supported by it, could get only four seats in a House of 13, while the Congress claimed that four of the elected councillors were known Congress workers of long standing. The Sukh Ram lead HVC could get only one seat. Mr Gachli, who addressed a press conference here late last evening alleged that the local BJP MLA had summoned the HVC councillor-elect Mr Roop Chand by sending a police officer to him for holding parleys to seek his support from the BJPs candidate for the council presidency, twice last week. He also alleged that the local BJP leadership had also tried to use the services of a local industrialist for luring the HVC councillor into their fold. He said that the BJP was following the same kind of horse-trading as was earlier done by the Congress. Mr Gachli said the HVC would take up the issue of Mr Mohinder Singh former PWD minister, joining the Lok Jan Shakti Party with the Election Commission and the Speaker of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha. The latter had declared Mr Mohinder Singh as an unattached member after his expulsion from the HVC. He said that the joining of any party by Mr Mohinder Singh “has disqualified him as MLA of the present House.” When contacted, the local BJP MLA, Mr Rajiv Bindal, denied indulging in horse-trading and exerting any kind of pressure on the HVC councillor. He said Mr Gachli’s outburst was typical of a person politically oriented in the Congress culture, Mr Gachli is a former Congress leader. Mr Bindal said before levelling such allegations, Mr Gachli should have resigned from his post of vice-chairman of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Corporation, a political post, conferred on him courtesy the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal. “It is immoral on the part of Mr Gachli to attempt to weaken the very government which has bestowed on him this privilege”. Mr Bindal claimed that the BJP stood for clean politics. He said that today’s election of BJP nominee Ms Kamla Sharma as chairperson of the Solan Panchayat Samiti was proof of this. The BJP members who were elected on the smiti were in a minority. Even then they had managed to get the requisite support for Ms Sharma. Similarly another BJP nominee for the post of samiti vice-chairperson Mr Om Prakash Sharma, was declared elected. |
| Moves to empower panchayats: Dhumal MANDI, Jan 9 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, today claimed that for the first time, revolutionary changes had been made to make democracy functional at the grass roots level by arming the panchayati raj institutions with financial, supervisory and administrative powers. “The process of developing powers to panchayats will continue”, he declared while administering oath of office and secrecy to Pradhans and Up-Pradhans of Mandi and Kulu districts at the auditorium of the Postgraduate College here. Referring to the judicial role of the pradhans, Mr Dhumal said the main thrust should be on reconciliation and compromise and not on punishment with a view to generating goodwill in the villages. He said the government had drawn up a plan to impart training to the newly elected leaders so that they could play meaningful role assigned to them under the amended Panchayati Raj Act. He said a new cell had been opened in the Directorate of Panchayats where members could refer matters which they could not understand. The replies to all queries would be published in the weekly Giriraj, he said. Mr Dhumal said it had been made mandatory to hold four meetings of a gram sabha in a year and the dates had also been fixed. The meetings would be held on first Sundays of January, April, July and October. Eligibility in the old-age, widow and other pension cases would be certified by the panchayats. More than 1 lakh persons in the state were getting pension which was the highest per capita number in the country on the basis of population, he said. He said the government had decided to hand over the entire management and maintenance of buildings of primary schools to the panchayats. Similarly, the maintenance of link roads would also be handed over to the panchayats and government would only give grants and get the survey done by the PWD. The land revenue income would also be handed over to the panchayats. A sum of Rs 87 crore would be given to the panchayats for development works. |
| BDC poll put off NURPUR, Jan 9 — The election to the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of the prestigious Nurpur Block Development Committee (BDC) was again adjourned on Tuesday due to lack of quorum. Earlier, on January 4, the Congress-supported BDC members had announced their boycott to the election meeting. Mr Rakesh Pathania, the local MLA, and Vice-Chairman of the HP Tourism Development Corporation, however, along with 19 BDC member arrived at the meeting venue and registered his attendance. The SDM told mediapersons that absentees were being served on notices to attend the election meeting scheduled on January 14 or face the disqualification proceedings. |
| BJP wins panchayat samiti elections HAMIRPUR, Jan 9 — The BJP candidates have been unanimously elected as the chairmen and the vice-chairmen of the Bamsan and the Sujanpurtira panchayat samitis in the district. While Mr Rasd Singh Malkotia, general secretary of the district unit of the party, was elected chairman, Mr Ranjit Singh was elected the vice-chairman of the Bamson panchayat samiti. Similarly, Mr Birendra Singh and Mrs Pavna Dhiman were also elected as the chairman and the vice-chairperson, respectively, of the Sujanpurtira panchayat samiti. |
| Rescue post at Marhi closed MANALI, Jan 9 — Two rescue posts at Marhi at the base of the Rohtang Pass and Koksar in Lahaul-Spiti district which were set up by the Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, during November last year to help monitor the safety of pedestrians crossing the Rohtang Pass and meet any eventuality will be closed from tomorrow. In a press note issued here today by Capt Randhir Singh Salhuria, Deputy Director of the institute, it was stated that keeping in view the extreme cold weather conditions the number of pedestrians crossing over the pass is nil. |
| Special buses for Kumbh Mela SHIMLA, Jan 9 — The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has decided to run special buses for the Kumbh Mela from various places in the state with effect from January 13.The Managing Director of the HRTC, Mr R.D. Dhiman, said the divisional and regional managers of the HRTC had been asked to provide buses to every group of 44 to 52 passengers. The HRTC will also provide additional buses from other places in the state to Shimla, Delhi and Hardwar to cater to the additional rush for the Mela. |
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