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Thursday,
January 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Differences persist in Shanta, Dhumal camps Local issues dominant: Virbhadra Virbhadra Singh asked to tender apology Mass contact programme launched 12 towns being developed |
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Apple growers await snowfall Villagers fell 200 pine trees, 3 held HIGH COURT Five die in mishaps
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Differences
persist in Shanta, Dhumal camps Shimla, January 15 However, the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, is averse opposed to even holding talks with them. His supporters have been cut up about the contents and tenor of these friendly meetings. The issue was discussed at meeting of senior leaders of the BJP and the RSS recently. Mr Shanta Kumar and Mr Dhumal were present at the meeting. The Shanta Kumar camp feels that there was no harm in reconciling differences with old partymen, in view of the fact that the party had prostrated before tainted Sukh Ram, and a rebel Ramesh Dhwala, who won as an independent, to form a coalition government. Moreover, such an approach will forge unity at the grassroots level. The two camps also differ on the issue of denying tickets to tainted ministers and legislators. The Shanta camp wants that some of the sitting legislators, who were facing charges of corruption, should be axed to blunt the attack of the Congress, which has made corruption as its main poll plank. The rival camp does not agree with it and maintains that the charges were politically motivated and corruption was not an election issue. The party high command is likely to convene another meeting of senior leaders to ensure that candidates for all 68 Assembly seats were decided by consensus. The Congress is also facing a similar problem on the issue of electoral alliance with the Himachal Vikas Congress of Mr Sukh Ram. While Mr Virbhadra Singh, the convenor of party’s poll campaign committee is opposed to any kind of understanding with the HVC, the Vidya Stokes camp feels that an alliance will help prevent division of anti-BJP votes. In the last elections the HVC participation led to the defeat of the Congress in 20 seats. The BJP got 31 seats with 37 per cent votes whereas Congress also got the same number with 42 per cent vote share. The HVC which secured 12 per cent votes got only five seats but played the spoilsport for the Congress. Mr Sukh Ram is currently in Delhi holding talks with the Congress high command for an alliance. The outcome of the talks would clear some of the haze from the emerging election scene.
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Local issues dominant: Virbhadra The forthcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh, says Mr Virbhadra Singh, are going to be crucial as much for the state as for the nation. The elections are as much a question of “survival” for the incumbent P.K. Dhumal-led BJP Government as extinguishing the in-fighting in the Congress. The two main rival parties have a tough task on hand when it comes to sorting out internal squabbles. The “Raja” from Rampur Bushair, who has been the Chief Minister three times, knows his state like the backyard of his “estate”. He effectively articulates the aspirations/sentiments of the people. During a brief halt in Chandigarh Enroute to Shimla, on Tuesday evening, Mr Virbhadra Singh shared with TNS his perceptions about the elections scheduled for February 26. He believes that local issues will carry the day in Himachal Pradesh, which nestles in the lap of the great Himalayas. “These mighty mountains are known to dwarf even the tallest of men, what to talk of Mr Narendra Modi. Our state is not Gujarat. On every basic aspect, may it be culture, socio-economic or political, there is no parallel between the two states. Despite the best of efforts by the BJP Government to introduce the culture of schisms and isms, the state people neither responded nor were provoked. They remained engrossed in their vocations”. Mr Virbhadra Singh, who heads the state Congress campaign committee, is confident of romping home with an impressive tally of at least 50 seats in a 68-member House despite the discernible ‘infighting’ in the Congress, which he outrightly denies. He said: “I have no differences with Ms Vidya Stokes” and in the same breath admitted that the Congress’ organisational elections two years ago, have had a cascading effect. ‘However, there are no fundamental differences among political groups”. The present elections are for 65 seats. For the remaining three seats in the tribal belt—Kinnaur, Bharmour, Lahul-Spiti—polling will be in June. The allotment of the party ticket to candidates is likely to be finalised by January 26 with sitting MLAs getting preference while “winnabilty” and
suitability” will also be the criteria. Mr Virbhadra Singh ruled out any electoral alliance or seat adjustment with the Sukh Ram-led HVC, arguing that such a tie-up would not be of any political advantage to the Congress. It would be of interest to watch if Mr Sukh Ram was able to retain even his own seat, he remarked without sarcasm. As an ardent fighter, Mr Virbhadra Singh knows what he is talking about when he lists the “local” issues that will expose the BJP Government when the electioneering hots up. With a faint smile, he compared the HP BJP with the previous Punjab SAD-BJP Government when he referred to “rampant corruption” that had been “institutionalised” in the state also and the cult of “jobs on cash” the BJP had now introduced in Himachal. The BJP policies had dried up avenues of revenue, affected development, shrunk job opportunities and squeezed the economy. Administrative costs had increased and revenue expenditure on development had decreased. The industry was languishing, the BJP had succumbed to big business houses that funded it, new hydro-electric projects were in a limbo and Himachal interests stood ignored and eroded. Consequently, the youth was frustrated, the veteran Congress leader remarked. He also alleged that for the first time the virus of caste and religion had been injected into the services. He denied that his party had asked the high command not to send Punjab ministers for campaign in the wake of the Gujarat episode. “All we said was that “observers” should be from other Congress-ruled states also and not from Punjab alone.” Mr Virbhadra Singh, who was confident that the Congress would form the next government, showed broad contours of what the party would embark upon in the interest of Himachal. He emphasised the need for “regional co-operation” for larger socio-economic benefit and uplift of the neighbouring states. Such an approach would be cost-effective and generate the friendly next-door neighbour syndrome rather than engaging in competitive economic and political pursuits. Since the Congress believed in “economic-driven politics” and not vice-versa, Mr Virbhadra Singh said several inter-state projects could be taken up jointly to enrich the people in the region as a whole, besides representing their case with New Delhi in a better way. |
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Virbhadra
Singh asked to tender apology Shimla, January 15 Addressing a press conference here today, he said it was strange that the Congress had entrusted the command of the campaign to a leader whose “disastrous” policies had plunged the state into a perennial financial crisis and widened the regional divide. Moreover, Mr Virbhadra Singh was himself involved in a number of corruption cases, he added. Mr Randhir Singh said Mr Virbhadra Singh had caused irreparable damage to the state’s interest by concealing the actual fiscal deficit before the Ninth Finance Commission. His government had projected a deficit of only Rs 8.70 crore for 1988-89 as against the actual deficit of Rs 200 crore as a result of which the state received about Rs 1,000 crore less from the Centre for the 1990-95 period. |
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Mass contact programme launched Shimla, January 15 Mr Chauhan told the people of Shalan that the road had been constructed under the MP Local Development Fund and the credit should go to Mr Dhani Ram Shandil, MP, who belonged to the HVC. The HVC leader called upon people to vote for their party as the Congress and the BJP had failed to fulfil their aspirations, adding that his party’s support will be crucial for forming the government in the state. |
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12 towns being developed
Shimla, January 15 A project report for the development of six more towns had been sent to the Central Government for its approval, according to an official spokesman here. The Tenth Finance Commission had sanctioned Rs 30 crore for the water supply schemes at Dharamsala, Jawalamukhi and Hamirpur with Rs 10 crore to be spent on each scheme. The scheme at Hamirpur had been completed. Besides, the water supply schemes in all major towns in the state were being augmented to cater to the increasing demand for water. Similarly, the sewerage had been started and the existing ones were being improved. To cope with the alarming problem of solid waste, which was posing a serious threat to all urban areas, the solid waste management project for scientific disposal of biodegradable solid waste had been started with state government and the Pollution Control Board funding. To tackle the garbage problem a project under the Norwegian Government had been started for urban local bodies. The main objective of the scheme was to provide various equipments to urban local bodies to handle garbage problem in a scientific manner. A solid waste management project for Shimla had been completed at a cost of Rs 7 crore. A garbage treatment plant had been installed at Darni-Ka-Bagicha which would solve the problems of solid waste in the capital town. Another project was being executed for Kullu-Manali. UNI
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Apple growers await snowfall Shimla, January 15 Mr Prakash Thakur, orchard Retreat owner, says “The absence of snow has led to a drastic fall in number of tourists visiting Shimla and earlier we used to get bookings from New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, but now our occupancy level is very less”. The famous Narkanda ski slopes sans snow and cattle can be seen grazing over there. The hoteliers and shopkeepers of Narkanda are also waiting for snow. The apple growers have started pruning. Mr Jitender Sirkeck, progressive apple grower of Shathla village says, “The latest technology or sprays cannot compensate for the snow factor and if snowfall does not occur, we are doomed”. Mr Satish Bhalaik of Bahli village says, “Why will the tourists come here when it is more foggy and chilly in the plains and hills have bright sunny days?” |
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Villagers
fell 200 pine trees, 3 held Mandi, January 15 According to an FIR, villagers of the two panchayats felled the trees in the reserved forest for the construction of a Jadron-Masog link road. After having failed to get permission to fell trees from the Forest Department, the villagers led by the panchayat pradhans and up-pradhan took law into their hands and felled all trees which came in the way of the construction of the road. The incident happened in the constituency of the Forest Minister. The matter which was kept secret was leaked to the police which swung into action. A police team headed by DSP Prem Chand went to the spot and seized 57 felled trees and arrested the main accused. Rest of the trees had already been removed. |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, January 15 In his petition, Hamirpur district resident Jeewan Kumar had earlier claimed that he was called for the medical examination, but was not checked. The petitioner, subsequently, appeared before the High Court and expressed willingness to get his chest measured. The medical officer of High Court’s civil dispensary was, called and directed to do the needful. After taking the doctor’s report on the record, the High Court directed the issuance of notices. The court also fixed March 3 as the next date of hearing in case.
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Five die in mishaps Shimla, January 15 Those killed have been identified as Ashok Kumar of Matiana village and Urmil Thakur and Sita Devi, both of Chhachhru. The injured have been admitted to the IGMC hospital here. In another accident two persons — Gopal Singh and Gauri Lal — were killed and five injured when a van carrying them fell into a gorge at Vaisar village in Kulu district yesterday.
TNS, UNI
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D.D. Sharma Shimla, January 15 |
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