Hamirpur, June 1
The police here today categorically denied that Swami Ramdev’s stalker, Gaurav Kapoor, had links with any terrorist organisation.

Meanwhile, a local Magistrate granted bail to Gaurav against a surety of Rs 20,000 and ordered that he would remain in judicial custody till it was paid. His four-day police remand expired today.

The DIG, Mr Jog Raj Thakur, said Gaurav took to crime with issuing fake cheques from the passbook of his deceased maternal uncle to his friends from whom he used to frequently borrow money.

He had made fake identity cards of Intelligence Bureau and various newspapers to avoid traffic challan or influence his creditors.

Meanwhile, his articles started appearing in Jalandhar-based Divya Times and he found a new identity of a press correspondent.

He covered yoga camps of Swami Ramdev in Jalandhar and spent time with Sheetal Vij, the owner of the newspaper, and his son, besides the organisers of the camp. However, these people were unaware of the notorious activities of Gaurav.

When he came to Hamirpur, along with Swami Ramdev, he began throwing his weight around, claiming that he was the in charge of his security.

When he was questioned by the local police, he told them he was an Intelligence Bureau official and showed an I-card, with the designation Sub-Inspector.

Little did he know that no such designations existed in the bureau.

When someone in the crowd at the yoga camp venue asked if he had links with a militant organisation, he answered in affirmative, under pressure.

Mr Thakur said it had also come to light that he had also gone to Delhi with a friend sometime ago and both of them had been frequenting call girls. For this, Gaurav borrowed money at a very high rate of interest. When it came to paying back, he again issued 
fake cheques.

During interrogations, Gaurav had said that he had only gone to drop some luggage into the chopper, when he got an opportunity to find a seat for himself and decided to travel to Hamirpur. He had planned that he would go back after a day of
stay there.

Hamirpur SP Daljeet Thakur told The Tribune that the simple case of impersonation and forgery got blown out of proportion because the accused kept changing his statement, also claiming that he had links with a militant organisation. 

Shimla, June 1
The government has decided to shift the headquarters of the Himachal Jal Vidyut Vikas Nigam(HJVVN) to Jogindernagar and that of Pabbar Valley Corporation(PVC) to Rohru to ensure speedy execution of the hydroelectric projects being executed by these subsidiaries of the state electricity board. It has also decided that the third special purpose vehicle to be set up shortly for the execution of the 401 MW Shongtong-Karcham project will be based at Reckong Peo, the headquarters of the tribal Kinnaur district.

According to sources, the board has been asked to implement the decision immediately. However, the engineers of the board point out that the decision will not help in speeding up work. The two special purpose vehicles have not been provided functional autonomy. In fact, the chairman of the board is also the chairman of the two corporations and all the members of the board are on their respective boards.

The Managing Directors have to approach the board for routine matters and in such situation they would have to shuttle between Shimla and their respective headquarters. This will cause further delay in taking decisions. Further, once shifted out these corporations will find it difficult to pursue matters with various government agencies like the pollution control board, revenue and forest departments, Survey of India, Geological Survey of India and Power Finance Corporation.

The two corporations were making do with skeletal staff. None of them had a chief engineer and each of them required at least two superintending engineers, six executive engineers and other lower staff. Senior engineers maintain that instead of having three emasculated special purpose vehicles the government should set up an autonomous generation corporation with headquarters at Shimla on the pattern of the National Hydroelectric Corporation and the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam so that there was complete functional autonomy.

Shimla, June 1
The schools for the deaf and dumb at Sundernagar and Dhalli will be upgraded to senior secondary level and vocational training for disabled will be introduced in select industrial training institutes of the state shortly.

This was announced by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while interacting with the media after distributing mobile public call offices (PCO) to five physically challenged persons of Shimla district here yesterday. A Delhi-based non-government organisation, Ehsaas Foundation, had collaborated with the government to help the physically challenged earn their livelihood.

He said during the previous year itself, 3290 new cases for relief to physically challenged were sanctioned. Keeping in view the difficult terrain of the state, motorised PCOs would be provided to the needy. The government would allow mobile PCO tricycles to ply on restricted roads in Shimla.

The Chief Minister said out of the total 64,772 physically challenged persons in the state, 43,620 persons had been issued identity cards so that they could avail various benefits.

The government had sanctioned a rehabilitation centre at Una for economic rehabilitation of the physically challenged people. While district handicapped rehabilitation centres were functioning at Dharamsala, Shimla and Hamirpur, one more was likely to be opened at Chamba during the current financial year. As many as 73 physically challenged persons were provided government jobs during the preceding years.

Dharamsala, June 1
The Vigilance Department yesterday booked the Industry Manager, Sansarpur Tarace, Mr Raj Kumar Dogra, for demanding money for forwarding a PMT registration loan case to Dharamsala.

The complaint was received from Mr Ram Paul in the anti-corruption zone, Dharamsala, who had alleged that Mr Dogra was demanding a sum of Rs 2,000 for forwarding his case.

On receipt of the above report, an FIR was registered under the PC Act and a raid was conducted on the office of Mr Dogra on May 27 but he did not take Rs 2,000 on that day and demanded Rs 5,000 instead. The deal was then fixed for May 31 and he was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of Mr Rajiv Thakur, Tehsildar, Dehra, by a Vigilance team led by Mr O.P. Jamwal, DSP, Anti-Corruption Zone. — TNS

Chamba, June 1
The Chamba Welfare Association, while extending full support to the agitating doctors and others who are peacefully fighting battle for India’s prosperous future, has sought reservation based on economic conditions only and not on the basis of religion, caste and creed.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the association invited his attention towards enforcing the methods of adopting reservation through legislation. It was, they felt, an attempt to cash in on the vote bank, which could lead to chaos and confusion by dividing the masses on the basis of religion, caste and creed. This could play havoc with the democracy and secularism prevailing in the Indian society.

The association, in its memorandum, urged the Prime Minister to be sympathetic towards the difficulties and demands of the agitating doctors and students of professional colleges and higher learning. They demanded that the Prime Minister should not take any hasty and politically-motivated decision, which could divide the Indian society further and harm the cause of democracy and equality.

Shimla, June 1
The Himachal High Court today imposed a complete ban on the felling of trees and implementation of the timber distribution of rights policy, and directed the Chief Secretary to ensure the execution of the order.

While passing this interim direction, a Division Bench, comprising the Chief Justice, Mr Vinod Kumar Gupta, and Mr Justice Deepak Gupta, directed that neither “the state government or any functionary of the state shall permit the felling of any tree nor any timber be allowed to be given to anybody or to be used by anyone on the basis of timber distribution rights scheme or any policy with respect thereto.

The court also issued notice to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Conservator of Forest and directed them to file a reply within six weeks.

The court took suo motu note of illegal feeling of trees in the state on the basis of a letter written to the Chief Justice by Mr Rattanjeet Singh. In the letter it was stated that politicians, irrespective of their leanings, had failed to protect the forest wealth of the state.

It was alleged that there was lack of political as well as bureaucratic will to do away with the misuse of timber distribution (TD) rights policy. It was alleged that the influential persons in connivance with government officials, particularly of the Revenue, Forest and Police Departments misused the TD rights policy. It was further alleged that influential person were securing allotment of trees by giving different addresses just to flout the provisions of the policy.

It had been provided that a person would be allowed to fell a tree under the policy once in 10 years, but this provision was never strictly implemented. Not only this, in the garb of permit, people were cutting trees three or four times more than the allotment.

This timber was transported from the state by converting the same into rough furniture. It was also alleged that timber was kept in sawmills in connivance with officials and smuggled out of the revenue estate in night hours or through rivers or nullahs.

The court observed: “Until we adjudicate upon the issue, we have no intention of extinguishing the rights as such with respect of timber distribution but certain interim directions are necessarily required to be passed.

The court said the state government and all its functionaries, including the forest corporation would be responsible for the implementation and compliance of these directions in letter and spirit.”

Shimla, June 1
The Himachal Government will soon invite global tenders for the Chanshal Ski Resort Project in Rohru for development of longest ski slopes in the world.

Stating this at a press conference, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said it would be the second major project for the development of winter sports in the state after the Himalayan Ski Village Project. He said the government was keen to open up the unexplored interior areas of the state which had a vast potential for development of tourism.

Besides Chanshal the government also proposed to develop new destinations at Kalka Pattan and Basal Kanda which had some of the most enchanting alpine meadows. It had been noticed that the tourists, particularly foreigners, were more keen on visiting the interior areas. Last year over four lakh foreigners visited the state and most of them ventured into tribal areas.

He made it clear that the Himalayan Ski Company would not be given exemption under the Land Tenancy Act and it would have to take the permission from the government to sell or lease out cottages.

The Chief Minister said the recent hailstorms had caused extensive damage to agriculture and fruit crops. The apple and mango crops had suffered maximum damage. The exact loss was being assessed.

Shimla, June 1
The Himachal Government today lifted the ban on plying of official vehicles on Monday, imposed more than two years ago, but reduced the monthly quota of diesel and petrol for such vehicles by 5 litres.

According to official sources, the decision to reduce the quota has been taken in view of the impending hike in the prices of diesel and petrol. The monthly quota of diesel and petrol for government vehicles ranges from 45 litres to 75 litres depending the category of officer and the place of posting. As per the latest instructions issued by the government, the quota will be reduced to 40 litres and 70 litres.

The ban on plying of government vehicles has been lifted but the officers concerned will be required to make do within the curtailed quota strictly and there will be no laxity in implementing it.

There are about 2,500 vehicles with various government departments and public undertakings which are required to follow the instructions. The Finance Department has worked out that the reuction of 5 litres will completely offset the impact of the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

Shimla, June 1
The CPM today demanded that in view of the widespread damage to the rabi and apple crops, the government should waive off the pending loans of the farmers and expedite the survey to assess the extent of damage.

In a statement issued here today, a member of the state secretariat, Mr Tikender Singh Panwar, said the government should immediately declare the state as drought affected and disburse compensation to the farmers at the earliest. “Almost 60 per cent of the rabi crops have been damaged, while 75 per cent of the apple crop suffered huge damage in the recent hailstorm,” he said.

Mr Panwar said the worst-affected belt of apple is Jhanjheli in Mandi, Kotkhai, Rampur and Rohru in Shimla and some parts of Kullu. “Huge damages have been caused to the farmers growing tomatoes and vegetables in the Solan and Theog region,” he remarked.

He said the Horticulture Department should expedite the ongoing survey so that the extent of damage and the compensation can be worked out at the earliest. “With a large-scale damage to their crops the farmers are in no position to repay the loans, so the government must waive off the remaining amount,” he said.

Shimla, June 1
The patients today heaved a sigh of relief as routine OPDs were resumed at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) with the resident doctors returning to work.

The IGM students, who were on relay fast from May 8, would start attending classes tomorrow. A delegation of the Students Central Association (CSA) today met the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, who assured that no action would be taken and the cases registered against them would be withdrawn.

The doctors, however, said they had not called off the strike but were awaiting the reply that the government would give to the Supreme Court. Eversince the IGMC Resident Doctors Association and the Junior Doctors Association went on strike, medical services had been severely affected at the IGMC.

The resident doctors had only been attending emergency from 4 p.m to 9 a.m. All routine surgeries had been put off as the faculty was able to only undertake emergency surgeries.

Chamba, June 1
Residents of the Churah valley are up in arms against a private hydroelectric enterprise which has undertaken the construction work on the 5-MW Tarella project in the Tissa border sector of the district.

In a representation to the Union Minister of Environment and Forests, the residents alleged that the reckless construction activities on the project were not conducive to the green surroundings of the area.

They sought a thorough probe into the thoughtless digging and excavation on the project site.

Reckong Peo, June 1
Two persons were killed and two injured when a Maruti car (HP-25-0807) in which they were travelling fell into the Sutlej this afternoon. The car, however, fell on a rock and did not roll into the gushing water.

Local people saved the lives of Ramesh, who was driving the car, and his wife, Sandhya. They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Their condition was stated to be critical.

Those who died could not be identified immediately.