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Monday,
January 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India   
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HP forests being combed for militants
Women join hands to make sauce Kangra awaits CM’s announcements Crops damaged due to dry spell |
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Sack Nadaunta BJP chief: workers CM announces
prize for
PWD men Parking lot contractor asked to pay Rs
75,000
Stir threat by
HP drivers
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HP forests being combed for militants Dharamsala, January 6 Yesterday, one company of the ITBP was rushed to seal all possible escape routes from the Nurpur forests to Punjab or
Kathua. The police is now working on the theory that being on foot the militants would use the jungle routes to cross back into Kathua area of Jammu and Kashmir. During the past two days the police had received information from villagers about the reported movement of the suspects in the Rehan forests. “An ex-serviceman reported to us that he saw six men carrying guns and wireless sets, attired in black clothes in the Beh Pandora forest area near
Rehan,” Mr Sanjay Kundu, SP, Kangra stated. The same evening, three persons with similar description had asked for food and shelter from a woman at Jharadi village near Mainj
Gra, close to Jaunta area. “Since there is heavy deployment of forces on the Punjab side, we feel that the ultras will use the Khairi-Dunati route in Chamba to gain entry to the Bani area of Kathua after crossing the Ravi,” a senior police official said. The police is mainly focusing on the Chotti
Dhar, Badi Dhar and Hathi Dhar forest area, south of Chakki Khud. Inputs from the Punjab police indicate that the militants who attached the Army personnel at the Damtal firing range were on a bigger mission. “The fact that maps of the air force station and the Army cantonment of Pathankot had been recovered from the militants killed in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, indicates that the ultras could have planned bigger strikes in the area,” one of the officials said. The police has sounded an alert even in the Chamba area. The Himachal police has now set up a police post at the temple near the firing range, where the militants had struck on January 1. CHAMBA: Mr Kashmir Singh Rana, Inspector-General
(IG) of Police (Law and Order), Himachal Pradesh, has categorically denied the
rumours about strangers spotted by villagers in some parts of the border district of Chamba. He described these reports as baseless, which were merely aimed at creating panic among the people. The
IG, who was on a visit to some parts of the border areas of the district today, also ruled out any possibility of infiltration of terrorists into the borderland of Chamba district. He regretted that certain persons were linking theft and burglary incidents with militancy, which was causing panic among people and confusion among the security forces operating in this area. The IG said a case of sedition and promoting enmity between different groups or religion was registered under Section 124-A and 153-A of the IPC against a person under Tissa police station of the district. |
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ITBP to stay in Chamba:
Dhumal Hamirpur, January 6 Talking with mediapersons, he said that the ITBP would continue to work with the Himachal Armed Police to manage the state borders with Pubjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The HP Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs Urmila Thakur, and an MLA, Mr Baldev Sharma were also present. Mr Dhumal said militancy was a serious threat to the society and people should cooperate with the authorities to keep the situation under control. Denying the holding of mid-term elections in the state, he said the elections would be held in time. He described as baseless the allegations of Congress leaders that funds for various gram panchayats were being given on political considerations. The Chief Minister said that he would speak to the IT Minister about the malfunctioning of telecom services in the state. He, however, added that with the completion of the work of laying of OFC in the state, this problem would be solved completely. He denied the closing of the chemist shops being run by the HP Civil Supplies Corporation for providing medicines on less rates to the people. Contrary to allegations, he said reports had revealed that road work was done as per specifications. Talking about the regularisation of the services of the employees of the cooperative sector, the Chief Minister said that the state government had already released set guidelines about new pay scales and recruitment and promotion rules for the employees. He said that the completion of the sewerage scheme for Hamirpur town during the current year would be a gift to the residents. |
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BJP ‘alive to’
security needs Shimla, January 6 Mr Ganesh Dutt, the party spokesperson, said apportioning blame would not help as terrorism found feet in the country and thrived while the Congress was in power. The Congress lacked the political will to take effective action to contain terrorism and the country was today paying a heavy price for its acts of omission and commission. He said while the Congress pursued a weak-kneed policy against militants, the BJP Government had given a free hand to the security forces to deal with them. It was during the Congress regime the state witnessed the worst-ever massacre at Kalaban in which 35 persons were gunned down by Kashmir militants. The then Congress Government did not take any effective measures even after the massacre as a result of which militants kidnapped six villagers whose whereabouts were still not known. In contrast, the BJP Government, which took over subsequently, pursued the state’s case for more security forces with the Centre as a result of which a battalion of the India Reserve Police was sanctioned. The government had taken all possible steps to check the spill over of militancy into the state from Jammu and Kashmir. Militants could strike anywhere, as was evident from the destruction of WTC towers, but the government was alive to the security needs of the state, he adds.
Chamba, January 6 Lieut Col Ravi Vaid, district
convener of the samiti in a press note issued here today said the villagers should also be imparted training in arms so that they could face any eventuality. Colonel Vaid said this step would also help in coordinating with the security forces in combating the anti-national forces on border.
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Women join hands to make sauce Shimla This cooperative society, was established in 1995 with the support of the Indo-German Changar Eco-development project. The society is operating at Thakurdwara near Palampur in Kangra district. Inputs apart from technical guidance worth about Rs 10 lakh were provided by the project to the cooperative society for creating the infrastructure required for its functioning. The project involved two voluntary organisations under the eco-income generation programme. These were—New Hope of Kangra and the Himalaya Bachao Samiti of Chamba. These NGOs helped the women groups in conceiving Samridhi. The Changar and Bhatiyat regions have fruit trees in mixed forests. These trees have been supporting nutritional, medicinal and fodder needs of the local. The fruit trees include amla, bil, mango, dheiun, harad, behera etc. The Indo-German Changar Eco-Development Project identified the surplus fruit of the area that having an income generation potential. The women were involved in the cooperative belong to the weaker sections of the society. The women bring in fresh and graded hand picked wild fruit process those at their production centres Then the fruit is taken to the apex unit at Thakurdwara. The products being made by Samridhi include chutneys of amla and mango, pickles of mango, dhiun, garlic-gandhiali, green chillies, amla, garlic and sweetlime. Even candies of amla, citrus and ginger are being produced. In the year 1995-96 the number of women members were only 16 and the production was 375 kg. During the year 2000-2001 the production of the society touched 28,000 kg. While the number of women members rose from 16 to 182. Today the number of women production groups has enhanced to 15. The wages earned by the members of the society stand at Rs 4,35,103 during the current year. The products are marketed under the brand name of Changar. The cooperative is setting up literacy centres. Each group runs a savings and credit scheme and the member’s social security through insurance cover is being negotiated. |
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Kangra awaits CM’s announcements Dharamsala The Chief Minister might begin his tour somewhere around the middle of this month. There is a possibility that Mr Dhumal may visit the district twice. Once before the Punjab polls and again after the poll. Kangra district has the maximum number of 16 Assembly segments. It is also the home district of the Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar. The majority of the MLAs from here are his loyalists. The people are hopeful that apart from the inaugurating the completed projects and reviewing the progress of the ongoing schemes, Mr Dhumal would make some major announcements. The accusation of discriminating with the Kangra region in development works that cause maximum discomfiture to Mr Dhumal. “It is not just the Congress which has been harping on the issue of discrimination with Kangra but our own party men feel that it is due to the Shanta-Dhumal rivalry that the area was being ignored,” admits a BJP leader. The talk of carving out new district in Kangra has once again gained momentum as Mr Dhumal prepares for his winter tour. In the past the Chief Minister had spoken of according district status to Palampur and Nurpur. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rahul Anand, said that though no specific date of the Chief Minister’s visit had been conveyed, but the district administration was fully geared up for the same. District officials said that the Chief Minister would inaugurate the completed projects including Tanda Medical College, started by the previous Congress regime. Work on the Rs 2 crore mini secretariat here has been speeded up. There is a possibility that the long-pending demand of the people of Kangra and Mandi regarding the construction of the Harsipattan bridge over the Beas river, would be accepted. It is a major project which would cost over Rs 10 crore. |
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Crops damaged due to dry spell Kasauli, January 6 During the dry spell, the maximum temperature recorded was 3 to 4 degree above normal and the minimum 2 to 3 degree below the normal night temperature in the region. This wide variation in the diurnal temperature damaged the plant system affecting both flowering and fruit setting. High temperature breaks the dormancy and triggers off the process of bud breaking and the extremely low night temperature stops it. The farm scientists feel that if the present vagaries of temperature continue for the next 10-15 days, buds will die causing huge losses to farmers. The farmers have been advised to take immediate steps to prevent this. Fruits like litchi, mango and other subtropical plants have already been damaged by frost. The university Agromet Advisory Council has suggested smudging, light irrigation, fogging and mulching of orchards. As 80 per cent of the area in the state is rainfed, only mulching and smudging are the feasible options for the farmers, suggest the farm scientists. The standing rabi crop has also started withering for want of rainfall. The farm scientists, however, hope that if snowfall or rainfall take place in February, the apple crop can be saved from widespread damage. The farmers have been advised to burn small fires at short intervals in their orchards after midnight to create smoke. Wet sawdust, cow dung and farm waste can be burnt for this purpose. |
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Sack Nadaunta BJP chief: workers Hamirpur, January 6 Mrs Anita Garg, former member of the Hamirpur Zila Parishad, led the women protesting against the MLA. A large number of policemen were also present at the rally held on the occasion. Speakers at the rally warned the party of its complete rout in Hamirpur if it didn’t remove Mr Baldev Sharma as district BJP chief. They alleged that the local MLA has dug the grave of the party by ignoring the grassroot party workers and taking the help of turncoats. They demanded action against Mr Baldev Sharma. Mr Dhian Chand Sharma, convener of the manch, said that the manch would expose the MLA and compel the leadership to sack him from all posts. Meanwhile, the dissidents decided to meet the party MP, Mr Suresh Chandel, at Hamirpur tomorrow. Mr Chandel is visiting Hamirpur in connection with the inauguration of the branch of the Himachal Gramin Bank. |
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CM announces
prize for PWD men Hamirpur, January 6 He also took part in the meeting of the local Gram Sabha and appealed to the people to take part in these meetings. He said that gram panchayats were the grassroots of
democracy. Mr Kuldip Singh, pradhan, chaired the sabha meeting. Later, the Chief Minister visited the house of the late Subedar Ramesh Chand of Chhamb village, who was killed in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir. He presented cash relief worth Rs 3 lakh to his next of kin. |
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Parking lot contractor asked to pay Rs
75,000 Shimla, January 6 According to the complainant his son had parked a Maruti taxi at the ISBT parking lot managed by a contractor, Mr Davinder Pal. He further alleged that Rs 100 was paid to the contractor who issued the receipt. But on January 29, 1998, the complainant and his son who had gone to the parking lot for taking the vehicle found the taxi missing. Thereafter, FIR was lodged. The Consumer Forum has directed the contractor to pay the full amount of the vehicle to the complainant with 12 per cent interest.
Stir threat by
HP drivers Shimla, January 6 The federation, which met here today, warned that it would not allow the Vidhan Sabha to function during the Budget session. The main demands of the federation include promotional avenues for drivers and conductors, special pay of Rs 50 per month for conductors, a pay scale of Rs 3320-6200 to compressor operators. |
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