H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

BJP favours more districts
Shimla, July 12
Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, the state BJP chief, today said that his party was in favour of creating more districts in view of the difficult topography of the state and it had urged the government to undertake an exhaustive exercise to reorganise the districts. Addressing a press conference here today, he said there was a need to correct the imbalance in sizes of the district.

ONGC officials to inspect well
Dharamsala, July 12
The district administration has contacted Oil and Natural Gas Commission officials in Dehra Dun to visit Jwalamukhi and check the well from which gas leakage has been reported.

HVC chief to contest from Mandi Sadar
Mandi, July 12
The newly elected President of the Himachal Vikas Congress and Rajya Sabha member, Mr Anil Sharma, today said that he would contest election from the Mandi Sadar constituency, now represented by his father, in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in case the decision of the Delhi High Court on the appeal filed by Mr Sukh Ram, former Union Minister, was not announced by that time.

Shanta fed central funds to his trust: Goma
Dharamsala, July 12
The Kangra District Congress Committee president and former MLA, Dr Milkhi Ram Goma, has criticised the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Shanta Kumar for spending central funds for the benefit of a private trust of which he was the chairman.

Thousands take part in Jagannath yatra Hamirpur, July 12 Thousands of men, women and children took part in the rath yatra of Lord Jagannath here today. The yatra was organised by the local Sri Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu Gauriya Math karara. People taking part in the rath yatra of Lord Jagannath at Hamirpur on Friday. — Tribune photo Chander Shekhar Sharma

Landslide threat to Lech areas
Chamba, July 12
Residents of hamlets falling in an interior pocket of Lech in the district have appealed to the state government to draw up a plan for the conservation of slopes on the right bank of the Ravi river as their cultivable land and hamlets of Lech are gradually sinking.

Govt warns striking drivers, cleaners
Shimla, July 12
The Himachal government today threatened disciplinary action against the striking drivers and cleaners if they did not join duty by July 15. An official spokesperson said that those resuming duty by July 15 would be treated in service and their period of absence be regularised as “leave of the kind due”.

BJP favours more districts
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 12
Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, the state BJP chief, today said that his party was in favour of creating more districts in view of the difficult topography of the state and it had urged the government to undertake an exhaustive exercise to reorganise the districts.

Addressing a press conference here today, he said there was a need to correct the imbalance in sizes of the district. While three big districts of Kangra, Mandi and Shimla accounted for half of the 68 Assembly constituencies, the remaining 34 constituencies comprised nine districts. Hence, the need for reorganisation, including creation of new districts for administrative convenience.

Mr Sharma said the party was fully geared up for the Assembly elections and it planned to contest all 68 seats. The election would be held as per schedule as the party considered the present political environment most favourable and it had authorised the Chief Minister to take a decision when to hold the election.

He said besides the achievements of the party on the development front, the corruption of the previous Congress regime would be its main poll plank. Senior Congress leaders like Mr Virbhadra Singh had been exposed in the land scam. There was leadership struggle in the Congress and it was hopelessly decided.

Mr Sharma declined to comment on the statement of Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development, that some party leaders from the state had lobbied to get him dropped from the Cabinet and only said that Mr Shanta Kumar was an established leader and that he was not aware of any such efforts.

The BJP chief failed to give a satisfactory reply when asked why the party legislators failed to make their assets public within three months of their election as promised in the election manifesto. Mr J.P. Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who was also present at the press conference, spoke at length about the efforts made to bring a legislation to make it mandatory for the MLAs to declare their assets but failed to give a convincing explanation for the party’s failure to fulfil the election promise in this regard.

Replying to another question, Mr Sharma said there was no move to replace him as the state party chief. He said he was an elected President and had been doing well.

Regarding the possibility of the BJP entering an electoral alliance with the HVC, the coalition partner, Mr Sharma said it was a matter to be decided by the party high command. More so because the HVC was also a member of the NDA.

ONGC officials to inspect well
Tribune Reporters

Dharamsala, July 12
The district administration has contacted Oil and Natural Gas Commission officials in Dehra Dun to visit Jwalamukhi and check the well from which gas leakage has been reported.

Talking to this correspondent, Mr Prabodh Saxena, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, said he had been informed about some leakage of gas and liquid from one of the wells dug by the ONGC. He said the wells were dug about a decade ago to explore the possibility of finding oil and gas in the area. As the project was not feasible, the search was abandoned and the exploration wells were sealed.

Residents of the area saw some gaseous material coming out of the sealed well and got panicky. They then contacted the administration.

Mr Saxena said the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Dehra, Mr Gopal Sharma, who was deputed to visit the site, had submitted this reports. According to the SDM, some gas and liquid was oozing out from one of the wells.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, ONGC officials have been contacted in Dehra Dun and were informed about the leakage.

He said a team of officials from the ONGC was expected to arrive late tonight and would inspect the well tomorrow.

SHIMLA: The administration has warned residents of Baggi village, near Jwalamukhi, to stay away from the abandoned exploratory well as emissions became more vigorous accompanied with occasional flashes of flame.

According to reports reaching here, a pool of thick black liquid has been created near the well and it is overflowing into a nullah. The warning was issued after a few residents touched the slurry developed rashes on the skin.

HVC chief to contest from Mandi Sadar
Our Correspondent

Mandi, July 12
The newly elected President of the Himachal Vikas Congress and Rajya Sabha member, Mr Anil Sharma, today said that he would contest election from the Mandi Sadar constituency, now represented by his father, in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in case the decision of the Delhi High Court on the appeal filed by Mr Sukh Ram, former Union Minister, was not announced by that time.

Talking to the mediapersons he claimed that the conviction of Mr Sukh Ram in a corruption case had not tarnished the image of his father and he was still held in high esteem by the people of Himachal Pradesh as was evident from the huge gathering at the Ghumarwin rally of the HVC.

He said he took over the command of the party to strengthen the party which could have disintegrated had he not accepted the challenge to ensure that the HVC emerged as a third force in the politics of the state.

Shanta fed central funds to his trust: Goma
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, July 12
The Kangra District Congress Committee president and former MLA, Dr Milkhi Ram Goma, has criticised the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Shanta Kumar for spending central funds for the benefit of a private trust of which he was the chairman.

Talking to mediapersons here after a meeting organised to mourn the death of Thakur Ram Lal, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Dr Goma said Mr Shanta Kumar recently laid the foundation stone of the Rs 6 crore Saliana Water Supply Scheme, the major beneficiary of which was the Vivekanand Medical Research and Trust of which the union minister was the chairman. He alleged that Saliana will not benefit from the scheme. However, despite claims about unity in the Congress at all levels, the DCC meeting revealed how fractured the party actually was. None of the four Congress MLA from the district participated in the meeting dominated by the supporters of the HPCC president, Ms Vidya Stokes.

However, Mr Sujan Singh Pathania, a former MLA from Mr Virbhadra Singh’s camp was present. All India Mahila Congress President, Ms Chandresh Kumari, who is a front runner for the party ticket from Dharamsala also did not attend the meeting.

Thousands take part in Jagannath yatra
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, July 12
Thousands of men, women and children took part in the rath yatra of Lord Jagannath here today. The yatra was organised by the local Sri Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu Gauriya Math karara.

People had gathered at the Shiva temple in the morning to take part in the yatra which was led by Swami Balram ji Das and Swami Bhakti Prashad Vishnu.

Earlier, the week long Mahabhagwad “katha” concluded and bhandara was organised for devotees.

Landslide threat to Lech areas
Our Correspondent

Chamba, July 12
Residents of hamlets falling in an interior pocket of Lech in the district have appealed to the state government to draw up a plan for the conservation of slopes on the right bank of the Ravi river as their cultivable land and hamlets of Lech are gradually sinking.

According to residents, large-scale destruction caused due to the digging up of slate quarries some years ago has posed an imminent threat of landslides along the riverbed of the Ravi.

They have sought immediate remedial measures to tackle the situation by protecting the right slopes of the Ravi along their land.

Govt warns striking drivers, cleaners
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 12
The Himachal government today threatened disciplinary action against the striking drivers and cleaners if they did not join duty by July 15.

An official spokesperson said that those resuming duty by July 15 would be treated in service and their period of absence be regularised as “leave of the kind due”. He said all Deputy Commissioners and police authorities concerned had been instructed to provide protection to the drivers and the conductors apprehending threat from the striking employees while performing their duty.

He said that going on indefinite strike without giving any notice was not only illegal, ill-advised and unreasonable but also an attempt by certain vested interests to disturb cordial relations of the government with all sections of employees for the four years.

Drivers, cleaners block traffic
Our Correspondent

Kulu, July 12
Members of the district unit of the Himachal Pradesh Government, Semi-Government Drivers and Cleaners Federation, blocked traffic on the National Highway-21 at Dhalpur for 30 minutes today. Earlier, the members marched in procession and raised slogans against the state government in the town. They also held a meeting opposite the Deputy Commissioner’s office here. The district unit of the Government, Non-Government Employees Organisation expressed concern over the alleged indifference of the government towards the demands of drivers and cleaners.

Novel irrigation scheme for Solan
Our Correspondent

Solan, July 12
Deputy Commission Bharat Khera said here on Wednesday that the state government had sanctioned 30 hydraulic rams for this district under the Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana.

Hydraulic rams operated without power and were suitable for hill conditions. A hydraulic ram could lift water up to height of 150 to 200 metres and was meant to be installed on natural water resources.

He said the hydraulic rams would initially be made available to those below the poverty line for providing them with avenues for self-employment.

He said the government would be giving a subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh on each ram. The Union Government had also sanctioned Rs 1.27 crore for the construction of 579 houses for those below the poverty line.