Dharamsala, December 29
Both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP claimed credit for holding the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha here on its concluding day today.

Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said it was the BJP government that had promised to hold a session here in 2003.

For the purpose, he said, he had laid the foundation stone of the Mini Secretariat on February 9, 1999 with aim to making the session an annual feature here.

He said the holding of the session here was a historic decision. It was now for the government to show its efficiency by fulfilling the promise of setting up a Vidhan Sabha complex before the next session, as promised by the Chief Minister, he added.

Mahinder Singh (BJP) said since the Chief Minister had a special attachment with the people of Mandi, he should fulfil their hopes by holding a session there as well.

He also sought the declaration of a centrally located place in the state, either Sundernagar or Jahu, as the second state capital. This, he said, would reduce the distance between the capital and far-flung areas like Chamba.

Karamdev Dharmani (BJP) said it was a political decision and the people of the central region were feeling cheated.

He said since the unsatisfactory financial condition of the state did not allow holding of the session at places other than Shimla, the government should have ideally given an economic package to the region instead of setting up such massive infrastructure for the session.

Another BJP MLA, Damodar Das, said shifting the state capital to a centrally located place would get rid of the political crowd in Shimla, which would help in its development as a tourist spot.

Welcoming the decision, Ravinder Ravi (BJP) said Mr Dhumal had also taken significant steps during his tenure as the CM to bring the government closer to the Kangra region. He said the pace of development in the area would be intensified if the Vidhan Sabha sessions were held at Dharamsala.

On the other hand, local Congress MLA Chandresh Kumari said it had been a long standing demand of the people of the area to have Assembly sessions here and now the government should also consider the other demand of declaring it the winter state capital.

She also sought an economic package for the beautification and development of Dharamsala.

Earlier, moving the motion of thanks, Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan said no political party should undermine the historic decision of holding the Vidhan Sabha session here as it had brought the Assembly closer to the people of the area.

Heated exchanges were witnessed between Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress) and Mr Dhumal when the former listed newspaper reports, which had appeared in the run-up to the Assembly session, giving credit to the Congress from bringing the session to Dharamsala.

Sujan Singh Pathania (Congress) said MLAs from the Kangra region had stopped pressing for a place in the Cabinet ever since the decision to hold the Assembly session in Dharamsala was announced.

Kuldeep Pathania said the state had become only the third in the country, after Bihar and Maharashtra, to hold Vidhan Sabha sessions outside of the state capital.

Surinder Kaku (Congress) also termed it a historic decision.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh promised to find some viable mechanism to ensure that youth in the far-flung and interior regions of the state got information about employment opportunities.

This followed a resolution moved by Asha Kumari (Congress), who suggested that liaison officers be appointed in each district to facilitate the unemployed youth in getting jobs.

She said SDMs of BDOs could be designated liaison officers for this purpose.

She withdrew the resolution after an assurance by the CM and a statement by Labour and Employment Minister Raj Krishan Gaur that steps were being taken to solve the problem.

Pooh (Kinnaur), December 29
Tension prevailed in the area after agitated residents of Pooh in Kinnaur district ransacked the office of the Sutlej Jal Vidhyut Nigam (SJVN) here yesterday and injured a few of its employees in protest against the proposed Khab-Shasho hydel power project.

The district administration has invoked Section-144 of the CrPC and called for special forces from Shimla to tackle the situation. Army has also been asked to be ready for any unwanted situation.

Mr JM Pathania officiating District Magistrate of Kinnaur said that he was also manhandled by the agitated people. “I had to call up Army to save myself from the agitated people”, he said.

He said that agitated people had ransacked the local office of the SJVN and damaged its V-Set and wireless communication systems. The private building taken on rent by the SJVN in which it had set-up the office was also damaged partially by the people.

A senior official of the SJVN received injuries on his head besides a few other persons, who got minor injuries as agitated people attacked them with stones, confirmed the Officiating DM. He said that an FIR had been registered in this regard and a hunt launched to nab leaders of the agitating people.

A senior official of the SJVN said that the local office of the nigam had nothing to do with the proposed project. In fact, the local office and communication system was set-up to monitor the day-to-day level of water and silt in Sutlej and report it to the main office on the Nathpa-Jhakri Hydel Power Project site to take precautionary steps in case the level of silt was higher in the river.

Mr Pathania also confirmed that a preliminary survey on the proposed Khab-Shasho Hydel Power Project had been already stopped by the administration a few months back keeping in view the agitated mood of the people. “I had assured the local people that there was nothing going relating to the proposed project but a few leaders of the people misguided the people who turned violent”, he added. 

Shimla, December 29
The Congress today took serious exception to the statement of certain BJP leaders that Congressisation of their party had taken place.

Addressing a press conference here today, HPCC general secretary and spokesperson Kuldeep Rathore said the BJP, which had been completely exposed on the issue of corruption and morality, had no right to blame the Congress for its wrong doings.

“The BJP is trying to cover up its internal bickering and factionalism by saying that this is a result of the Congress culture creeping into their party,” he said. The Congress was one of the oldest political organisations in the world and had been headed by illustrious people, including people born on foreign shores.

“Never has any AICC chief been caught accepting bribe like Mr Bangaru Laxman. The BJP should stop posing as a party with morals and values,” Mr Rathore remarked. The maximum number of BJP MPs had been caught in the money-for-query scam and demanding money for giving funds from the MP Local Area Development Fund.

Mr Rathore said the latest controversy involving BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi had further exposed the transgression in the BJP, which had always tried to project itself as a party with a difference. “The BJP is plagued with severe infighting and bickering and its disintegration is bound to happen,” he said.

He termed as completely misleading and false the claims of BJP leaders that they had won majority of the seats in the panchayat elections. “The moment the Congress gains control over majority of the zila parishads, block samitis, nagar panchayats and nagar parishads, people will get to know as to who has won more seats,” he added.

Mr Rathore said 125 delegates from Himachal Pradesh would be attending the Congress plenary session at Hyderabad from January 21 to 23.