The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	SC verdict triumph of truth: Virbhadra Our Correspondent Dalhousie, May 14 “My stand has been vindicated by the verdict of the Supreme Court setting aside the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the previous BJP government regarding the much-publicised Sagar Katha case’’. This was stated by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, who was in Dalhousie recently to attend the wedding of the daughter of Ms Asha Kumar, an MLA from the Banikhet Assembly constituency. The Chief Minister said the Supreme Court had rejected the PIL filed by the previous BJP government in the state as the PIL had been found to be concocted, false and baseless. The judgment of the court was a triumph of truth, he added. The Chief Minister said the apex court of the county had exposed the BJP which had engineered a plot against him by framing a charge-sheet involving 26 charges. He said the charge-sheet had been submitted to the CBI, which had given a clean chit to him after conducting a thorough probe. Condemning the mean and shallow designs of the BJP aimed to disparage his reputation, the Chief Minister said he had a 45-year-long meritorious political record, which had ultimately been justified by the court. He also criticised BJP leaders for drawing political mileage out of this whole issue. Commenting on the issue of the office-of-profit, the Chief Minister said an Act in this regard had already been enacted by the Himachal Pradesh Government in 1971. According to the provisions of the Act the posts of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chairpersons of boards and corporations and other similar posts did not come within the purview of the office-of- profit. The hue and cry raised by the BJP regarding this issue was just to disturb the political stability in the state and to create an atmosphere of chaos for petty political gains, alleged the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister stated that since the matter was now in the Supreme Court so his government would honour the decision of the court whatsoever. He, however, pointed out that the posts of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries were there in the BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and were operational during the BJP regime in Himachal Pradesh also. Quoting the names of the Parliamentary Secretaries during the BJP rule, the Chief Minister disclosed that that Ms Urmila Thakur, Ms Sarveen Choudhary, Mr Roop Das Kashyap had served as Parliamentary Secretaries. He added that it was ironical that forgetting all this the BJP was now terming these posts as office-of-profit. The Chief Minister flayed the BJP for being ignorant about the Act of 1971. He criticised the planned move of the BJP to undermine the political existence of the Congress government in the state.
	India to get sugar from Mauritius Ambika Sharma Solan, May 14 India would soon import Mauritian fine crystalline sugar to bail out Mauritius from incurring huge losses after a World Trade Organization (WTO) withdrew the preferential price offered to it. This former French colony which was selling its cane sugar to the European Union has been severely affected by this WTO directive with price difference of as much as 36 per cent making its sugar unviable for the European markets. Informing this the vice-president of Mauritius, Mr Abdul Rauff Bandan in an exclusive interaction with The Tribune at Hotel Pinewood at Barog yesterday said that he had received an indication to this effect from the senior dignitaries, including the President and Prime Minister of India. He said this fine sugar, locally known as “demerara” was one of their main cash crop which fetched maximum economic gains. Withdrawal of preferential price has thrown open the European market to cheaper beet sugar and they could not compete with the lower rates. The vice-president, who would complete 40 years in politics next year, was also associated with the nation’s freedom struggle. Lauding the efforts of India in supporting their nation in this deal, he said the future belonged to the South-Asian region even though the USA always endeavoured to exert its dominating position globally. He emphasized that nations like China, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius ardently supported India in procuring a permanent seat for itself in the United Nations Security Council. This demand was significant to promote the South Asian region he observed.
	Docs threaten to launch stir Our Correspondent Kangra, May 14 Himachal Pradesh medical officers yesterday threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the HAS cadre Additional Director, Health, and Director, National Rural Mission Programme, were not removed and an assurance was given by the Chief Minister in the Assembly regarding fulfilling the demands of medical officers of the state. Dr Gurdharshan Gupta and Dr Ajay Dutta, President and General Secretary, respectively, of the Himachal Medical Officers Association ( HMOA), Kangra unit, said in a statement here that the government’s decision to appoint HAS cadre officers as Director, National Rural Mission Programme and Additional Director, Health, by ignoring the seniormost doctors available for the posts was deplorable. The HMOA gave an ultimatum to the state government to remove both the HAS officers from these posts within 15 days failing which they would boycott the National Rural Health Programme and would not cooperate with the Additional Director, Health. Both the doctors said the association members had criticised the Chief Minister for not sticking to the promise made to doctors that 75 promotional posts of the BMOs would be filled during 2005-06. They said if the list of BMOs was not issued immediately then they would be forced to resort to a statewide agitation. They said the Chief Minister had done nothing to allow four increments to the specialist doctors and because of this these doctors had been forced to leave government jobs and join the private sector. HMOA leaders also denounced the state government for not regularising the ad hoc and contractual doctors despite repeated assurances by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh in this regard. The HMOA has decided to have a state-level meeting in Shimla on May 17 to discuss the future course of action.
	IMA to join anti-quota stir Dharamsala, May 14 The state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has expressed solidarity with the ongoing agitation of medical students against the proposed reservation. The IMA has decided to participate in the bandh scheduled for May 25. In a statement issued by the IMA here today, Dr Upendra Kumar said the government’s decision of additional quota for OBC was shocking. By extending reservation on caste basis and not on merit, the government was eroding the basic tenants of democracy, he said. — TNS
	Doctors oppose HAS officer as NRHM chief Tribune News Service Mandi, May 14 The Himachal Medical Officers’ Association (HMOA) has raised the tempo of opposing the appointment of an Himachal Administrative (HAS) Officer as the Project Director of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the state. Talking to The Tribune after the HMOA, Mandi branch, convened an emergency meeting of its members here today. HMOA president Dr D.K Arora said the appointment of the HAS officers as Project Director of the NRHM would block chances of promotion for the medical officers in the state. “We oppose the appointment and request Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to cancel appointment and instead appoint suitable medical officer to the post, which is a technical post, he said. The doctors said the appointment would block little promotional avenues available to them in the Health Services. For a cadre of over 1500 doctors, just 24 promotional posts were available, they complained. The doctors said that the Chief Minister had stated on the floor of the House during the last assembly session to fill the vacant posts of the block medical officer, but the decision was yet to be implemented. The HMOA stated they would convene a meeting of the central executive council in Shimla on May 17 to chart future plan.
	Staff absence halts anti-poppy drive Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service Mandi, May 14 Anti-poppy drive launched by the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) and Himachal Pradesh police team of 150 men in the Banjar subdivision suffered a jolt as the revenue staff posted in the subdivision vanished from the area following which the team could not book cases against offenders, who have cultivated the contraband poppy crop on their private land. Talking to The Tribune, after the team suspended the anti-poppy drive yesterday, Superintendent, NCB, Mr OP Sharma, said the joint team destroyed illegal poppy in over 542 bigahs of land in Sainj and Tirthan valleys in Banjar sub-division for the last five days. "The NCB has booked a case against one Atma Ram, a villager of Shalesh in Sainj valley. But in the Tirthan valley they could not book cases as the revenue staff fled from the place even as they have been asked to cooperate with the team", he claimed. The team destroyed a thick maturing contraband crop in Shalesh in Sainj and Bathahr, Thari, Tinder, Dingcha, Ghat, Wahi, Darang, Lagcha and Sinche Glingch in the uphill of the Tirthan valley. But the team could not book cases as the patawaris fled from the place and locked their offices, even as the revenue department has told the team to cooperate with the anti-poppy drive team. The NCB's Zonal Director, Mr Srikant Jadav, would take up the matter with state authorities soon as the operation was suspended briefly as the force was fatigued as they had had been climbing the hills on foot for days, said the team members. Mr OP Sharma and DSP Manali Mr Kushal Sharma, who led the anti-poppy drive, said that the poor people need alternative and motivation to switch over to the other crops. They do not have proper drinking water, roads, leave alone irrigation facilities, they observed. In the NCB-police spot investigation, the nexus of the cannabis-poppy smugglers and the field revenue staff has come to light as the revenue staff fled from the spot to avoid the wrath of local smugglers. Inspector-General of Police, CID, Mr ID Bhandari, who heads the anti-drug task force, said they have sought cooperation of forest and revenue departments. "It is their responsibility to report the detection of contraband crops to police, which they have not done so far", he added. The Deputy Commissioner, Kulu Mr Chamel Singh, said that he has instructed the revenue staff to cooperate. "I have received no written complaint from the team officials in this regard so far. But we face shortage of staff and the subdivisional administration is engaged in providing water and other local functions," he clarified.
	Unemployment on the rise Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Rampur Bushahar, May 14 The educated youth in Rampur Bushahar, the homeland of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, have no reason to smile. Rising unemployment has forced a majority of them to migrate to other areas, particularly to the plains, in search of jobs. Official records of the local employment exchange reveal that 18,407 educated youth had got registered their names till the end of 2005, but only 41 youth had got jobs. During 2004, only 299 youth had been provided jobs, as against the registration of 17,201 names. In 2003, a total of 16,924 names had been registered, but only 58 had been provided jobs. Only 43 educated youth had got jobs through the employment exchange here during 2002, as against the registration of 15,651 names. Only 31 educated youth had got jobs during 2001, as against the registration of 14,738 names. The figures indicated that only 472 educated youth had been provided jobs during the past five years through the employment exchange here. Naresh of Rampur Bushahar has been waiting for a call from the employment exchange for the past five years. With hopes of getting a job having almost faded, he has decided to start his own business with a meagre investment of Rs 2 lakh. This money has been raised through a loan from a local bank after mortgaging his ancestral house. Placement opportunities in the government and semi-government sectors have reduced during the past few years, but there has been a boom in the private sector. The Jaypee group of companies plans to invest more than Rs 10,000 crore in Kinnaur, adjoining Rampur Bushahar. The Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam and the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board have initiated work on many power projects in the area, but seem to be reluctant to provide jobs to the local youth. Even as the state government has come out with a policy to ensure 70 per cent jobs in the private sector in the area concerned to the local youth, practically nothing has been done in this direction.
	Rights panel sans chief Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, May 14 While a new Lokayukta has assumed charges, post of chairperson of the state Human Rights Commission is still vacant. The post fell vacant in July 2005 when Justice N.K. Jain quit to take over as chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Rajasthan. Meetings of the commission to take up complaints cannot be held and as a result, over 400 complaints have piled up. The government has written to the Centre to amend the Human Rights Commission Act so that the Lokayukta can be given the responsibility of the commission. Mr I.D. Bali, one of the two members of the commission, says the commission can be made functional only by appointing a chairperson.
	Water supply scheme opened Our Correspondent Bilaspur, May 14 State Forests, Youth Services and Sports Minister Ram Lal Thakur has said that the government has prepared Rs 2.44 crore drinking water supply scheme for the Bhakra area so that villages of this area get sufficient portable drinking water. Inaugurating Rs 29.50 lakh lift drinking water supply scheme at Bhakra village near Bhakra Dam, 90 km from here, last evening, the minister said this scheme would provide 60,000 gallons of water every day to this village. Mr Thakur declared that the government has formed a ministerial high-powered committee which would soon visit the Haryana area where oustees of Bhakra Dam of Bilaspur district had been rehabilitated and would try to solve their problems.
	Hailstorm lashes areas of HP Shimla, May 14 While the lower hills of Himachal continued to reel under the scorching sun, Dharamsala and its surrounding areas were lashed by a severe hailstorm disrupting life and damaging crops. The Dhauladhar mountain ranges, overlooking Kangra valley, had fresh snow while Palampur and its adjoining areas were lashed by rains causing considerable fall in day temperature. Shimla had partial clouded day but maximum temperature stayed three to four degrees above normal, the Met office said. Day temperatures also soared in Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, Solan and Bilaspur districts forcing people to stay indoors. — PTI
	BBMB’s raising day today Our Correspondent Sundernagar, May 14 The Bhakara Beas Management Board will celebrate its raising day here on Monday. Mr Rakesh Nath, Chairman BBMB, will be present at the function, which will be organised at Officers Club here, according to officials of the board. Meanwhile, local residents have been blaming the board for causing environmental hazard in the area. According to them, the BBMB has not been able to solve the problem due to throwing of silt into Suketi Khud which has destroyed the fertile land of farmers in Balh Valley. According to Mr Amar Chand Verma, an environmentalist, the BBMB has been throwing silt into Suketi Khud in violation of the Forest Conservation Act.
	64 students honoured Tribune News Service Dharamsala, May 14 The Sarv Kalyankari Society today organised a function at Khayali village in Hamirpur to honour 48 Mahila Mandals and Yuva Mandals. It also honoured 64 students from the adjoining Panchayats, who got top positions in the recent board examination. The chief guest for the function was Mr Pyare Lal Sharma, a former President of the Zila Parishad, Hamirpur. Mr Rajinder Rana, Chairman of the society, presided. Mr Rana said the purpose behind organising such a programme was to promote brotherhood.
	Youth dies of starvation Our Correspondent Nahan, May 14 A youth from Amritsar today reportedly died at the Paonta Sahib hospital due to starvation. The postmortem report of the youth, Ranjeet Singh, indicated that the deceased had not eaten anything for the past several days. In preliminary findings, doctors indicated starvation as the primary cause of death. On information being received from residents of the Bhooppur area here, the police picked up the unconcious youth from the Bhooppur bridge and admitted him to the hospital last evening. He breathed his last this morning. The body was handed over to the father of the deceased this evening.
	Miraculous escape for six Our Correspondent Kumarhatti, May 14 A major tragedy was averted at Parwanoo this evening and lives of six labourers were saved. The labourers were working on the construction of first floor of a building along the Kalka-Shimla national highway, opposite the Fire Brigade Station, Parwanoo. At 4.10 pm heavy debris come down all along from the hills. Someone among the labourers noticed the debris and sounded a warning. By the time debris fell the labourers reached safe place. However a labourer got minor injuries. Unscientific cutting of hill at the construction site was reason for the incidence. The earth was removed from hill a few months back for the building.
	Judicial officers’ association Tribune News Service Shimla, May 14 The following have been elected office-bearers of the Himachal Pradesh Higher Judicial Services and Presiding Officers of Fast Track Courts Association. President — Mr S.S. Thakur (secretary law), senior vice-president — Mr R.L. Raghu, (district and sessions judge), vice-president — Mr A.K. Sharma (Presiding Officer, Fast Track Court, Ghumarwin), general secretary — Mr D.K. Sharma (Additional District Judge, Shimla), treasurer — Mr J.L. Gupta (Distt. and sessions judge (forest) and press secretary — Mr S.L. Sharma (Additional District Judge (1), Kangra at Dharamsala).