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Guler defeat to intensify infighting in Congress
End to parking woes
in sight
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Hike sought in calamity relief fund
Poor health services concern experts
1 killed, 3 hurt in bus-car collision
Plea to anganwadi workers on ventures
Five held for beating up driver
Shankaracharya of Badrinath to visit Pandoh
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Guler defeat to intensify infighting in Congress
Shimla, October 18 While Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, will come under increasing pressure to reconstitute his ministry to give due representation to Kangra, the biggest and politically most important district in the state, the rival faction headed by Ms Vidya Stokes, the State Congress Chief, is likely to become more assertive in organisational matters. The two senior leaders have been expressing divergent opinions on several issues and the differences will only widen as reasons for the electoral debacle are debated in the party. The decision of Ms Stokes to set up a four-member panel under the Chairmanship of Mr Shiv Kumar, head of the party’s disciplinary committee, to probe the reasons of defeat, has already provided an indication about the direction in which things were moving. The move has come after Mr Virbhadra Singh attributed the defeat of the party to the sympathy wave in favour of the BJP candidate, Mr Harbans Rana , due to death of his wife on the eve of poll. Obviously, Ms Stokes wants to put pressure on the Chief Minister and make the best use of the opportunity provided by the defeat to corner him within the party. Differences between Mr Virbhadra Singh and Ms Stokes came to the fore during the recent downsizing of the ministry in which Kangra was given a raw deal. Ms Stokes had opposed the decision to axe all three ministers from Kangra and was particularly keen on retaining Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, an influential Rajput leader from the area, to balance regional and caste equations. Major Mankotia has been alleging discrimination against Kangra and posing inconvenient questions regarding the downsizing exercise to embarrass the party ever since he was dropped from the ministry. Mr Virbhadra Singh had termed his open criticism of the Congress Government as an act of indiscipline and some party leaders from Kangra had also come out against him publicly. However, Ms Stokes did not consider Major Mankotia’s outbursts against the government as anti-party activity. The party’s defeat in Guler could put the Virbhadra Singh camp on the defensive on the Mankotia issue. A section of party workers has been openly saying that the high command had taken serious view of Major Manokita’s utterances and action would be taken against him after the election. It remains to be seen whether the party addresses the issues raised by Major Mankotia or takes a disciplinary action against him.
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Poll loss no reflection on work: ministers
Shimla, October 18 In a joint statement here today, the two ministers said the BJP candidate got only 0.6 per cent votes more than the Congress candidate, and the narrow margin was also on account of the sympathy generated due to the death of the wife of the BJP candidate, Mr Harbans Rana. They maintained there was no anti-establishment wave and the result was no reflection on the developmental works carried out by the government in the area. They said before raising such a demand the BJP leaders should have asked the BJP Chief Ministers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to resign as the party had lost Balaghat and Merta assembly seats, respectively, in the two seats. The ministers said the BJP charge regarding discrimination was also uncalled for as the Congress government had always given priority to the development of Kangra district. They claimed it was due to the efforts of Mr Virbhadra Singh that Dharamsala had emerged as the second most important town after Shimla in the state. The Congress government had opened a number of regional offices in the town.
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Cong panel to probe into
poll defeat
Shimla, October 18 The committee will be headed by Mr Shiv Kumar, Chairman of the party’s Disciplinary Committee, and will have Mr Kuldeep Singh Rathore, general secretary of the PCC, Mr Milkhi Ram Goma, president of the Kangra District Congress Committee, and Mr Ishwar Dass, MLA, as members. |
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Caged Rani is still queen
RENUKA: Rani, a baby leopard, may be in captivity, but true to her name she is still the queen. Young and ferocious, she rules the enclosure with her fiery eyes. Her foster parents, who have been feeding her from the day they rescued her from the jaws of death, are now afraid of her predatorial instincts. But she still remains the darling of forest guards and their family members. Rani was brought to Renuka, near Nahan, in February this year by forest guards from the Rajgarh area when she was just one-and-a-half-month old. Noticing a visitor coming towards the cage, she first hides behind a water pitcher. Then she rushes towards him and growls. “Earlier, Rani was a friend. We used to take her out for a stroll. Now we are afraid of her behaviour,” says forest guard Kamal. Dr Lalit Mohan, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Shimla, attributes the straying of predators into agricultural land to declining prey-predator ratio and human interference. He says since the leopard falls under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, its hunting and captivity is banned. He says most of the baby leopards are killed due to human ignorance and fear. If some baby leopard is noticed near a human habitation, the villagers should inform the area range officer rather than catch it themselves. “These days the department is facing a shortage of cages. Most of the cages are overcrowded. Secondly, for each fully grown leopard, the department needs Rs 50,000 per annum for its diet and medical care. In most of the cases when a baby leopard is separated from its mother, the mother becomes aggressive and starts attacking humans”, explains Dr Mohan. Regarding the release of Rani in the forest, the conservator says now chances of her survival in nature are very less. She might die of hunger or could be killed by other leopards. So she will soon be shifted to the Tutikandi rescue centre, near Shimla. The centre has 15 leopards at present, he adds.
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End to parking woes
in sight
Dharamsala, October 18 Giving details of the project, Mr Mahesh Dutt
Sharma, Executive Engineer, Municipal Corporation, said the parking area
would come as a big relief for those visiting the market. “Although no
overnight parking would be allowed, parking fee of Rs 5 would be charged
for parking cars upto six hours,” he said. The parking lot, he
added, has been divided into two parts, one for outsiders to the market
and one for those coming to attend functions organised at the community
centre. “While nearly 40 cars can be parked in the outer parking area,
the users of the centre can also have nearly 30 cars in a separate lot.
Five taxis can also be parked in a separate lot earmarked for them,”
he said. This first community centre in the city also has provision
for holding marriages and seminars in the two halls constructed for this
purpose. “The corporation would charge Rs 15,000 for each hall. A set
of six rooms has also been constructed,” he said. Welcoming the move, an official of the Tourism Department said the parking lots would go a long way in easing the problem of traffic congestion in the city due to their apt location. Balwant
Sharma, a travel agent from the area, said it had been a long pending
demand of the shopkeepers and travel agents of Dharamsala that proper
parking should be provided so that there is no congestion during peak
hours. “Most people prefer to wait for late evening to come shopping
to avoid parking problems,” he said. Mr Sharma further said that the
community centre could be eventually auctioned to ensure its proper
upkeep. “But initially, we would maintain it ourselves. As it is, the
corporation is overstaffed and some employees can easily be spared for
running the community centre. The centre has been built under the Aid
for Intermediary Development of Small and Medium Tourist Places,” he
said. |
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Hike sought in calamity relief fund
Shimla, October 18 The state Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, met the 12th Finance Commission Chairman, Mr C. Rangarajan, at New Delhi today and requested him to increase the calamity relief fund and provide it as 100 per cent grant to the state. He also urged him to grant Central assistance of Rs 52 crore for the drinking water scheme for Solan town and adjoining about one hundred villages. He also sought Rs 40 crore for the augmentation of Shimla water supply scheme. He requested Central assistance for the inter-state bus terminal, phase-II, at Bhatta Kuffar, public parking at Tara Devi, foot bridges in Shimla town, widening and improvement of motor road in Shimla town, Sanjauli bypass road and construction of tunnels to ease traffic congestion in Shimla. He also drew attention to the fact that the state had imposed complete ban on felling of green trees in the state as a result of which it was losing revenue to the tune of Rs 150 crore annually. He asked the Union Government to formulate suitable mechanism to compensate the state for its contribution in protecting the environment. He pleaded that the state be allowed to impose generation tax on hydro power projects which would help generate revenue of Rs 200 crore annually.
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Poor health services concern experts
Kasauli, October 18 Addressing elected representatives during an advocacy programme on population and reproductive health here today, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, PGI, Chandigarh, stated this and stressed the need for creating awareness among the masses to ensure their participation in the health-related reforms in society. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Dharam Pal, inaugurating the session, dwelt on the need to make basic health facilities available at the grassroots level. Organised by the State Commission for Women, the seminar was attended by MLAs from various states like Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. Though there was a 50 per cent decline in the birth as well as infant mortality rates since 1952, the maternity rate had remained at an alarming 700 per 1000. As against the existing birth rate of 41 in the nation, a target of 21 was being worked out. Similarly, infant mortality, which stood at 70 per 1000, was proposed to be brought down to 50. Ms Viplove Thakur, Chairperson of the commission, expressed concern over the fact that despite providing incentives in the form of increments doctors did not wish to serve in the far-flung tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh. Another delegate said despite the retirement age having been raised to 60 for the doctors in Orissa, few opted for backward areas. This necessitated the creation of better infrastructure in such areas to allure doctors to serve there, they stressed. Delegates also stressed the need to chalk out a state drug policy to regulate the prices of medicines. They stressed that while generic medicines should be encouraged, the essential changes in the drug list should be brought about to curtail combination drugs, which put a strain on the poor. Issues like unutilised budgetary grants, tedious processes and the involvement of the Panchayati Raj institutes also figured prominently.
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1 killed, 3 hurt in bus-car collision
Sundernagar, October 18 The deceased Bhushan, a resident of Phagwara, was going to Bhuntar in Kullu along with his family, in a car (DL-8C-J-8576) which was hit by an HRTC bus (HP-33-3921) coming from the Mandi side at
Gutkar. Three injured, Sita Devi, Tarun Rana and Alka Rana, were admitted to Zonal Hospital, Mandi, in serious condition. The police has registered a case under Sections 279, 337, 338 and 304-A of the IPC. According to eyewitnesses the car was completely destroyed in the accident. |
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Plea to anganwadi workers on ventures
Mandi, October 18 Addressing a gathering of the anganwadi and party workers in connection with World Food Day at Ropa
Chehatgarh, about 60 km from here, he said over 3814 self-help groups were contributing to the empowerment of women and over 60,000 children were getting free meals in the district. He said the government had started the Balik Smridhi Yojna in the state for which it was giving Rs 300 per girl child as a scholarship. " A Rs 1.50 lakh sarai will be constructed at this village and a pucca road and a bridge will be built in the areas, " he added. |
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Five held for beating up driver
Mandi, October 18 The scuffle caused inconvenience to the passengers as the highway remained closed for half an hour, say police sources. The sources said that five persons had parked truck on the road. When the HRTC driver asked them to make way for the bus, they took the driver inside a house and thrashed him, creating inconvenience to the passengers, the police said. The police has arrested the five persons under Sections 332, 342, 147 and 506 of the IPC. |
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Shankaracharya of Badrinath to visit Pandoh
Mandi, October 18 The Swami said that Sant Seva Ashram of the Vishnath Mandir, Pandoh, would perform the Shri Durga Sahastra Chandi and Maha Rudra yajna for the first time in the state. He added that the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, was invited, but he could not come due to his other engagements. Mandi Congress Seva Dal first: The Congress Seva Dal, Mandi, got the first place in promoting party activities in the district, said Mr Sanjay Sharma, secretary, here today. Seva Dal members met under the chairmanship of Mr O.P. Thakur, former MLA, and charted its plan of action. The camps will be organised by the Seva Dal members in December to strengthen the party in the district. |
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HPTDC employee falls to death
Dalhousie, October 18 According to information from the hotel officials, Des Raj (25) was a “utility worker” in the hotel. The investigation by the police was in the process to register a case. |
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Protest against hike in cable charges
Shimla. October 18 The charges varied from Rs 100 to 220 per month. They demanded immediate intervention of the
administration. |
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Grievances panel member
Shimla, October 18 |
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