Dharamsala, May 13
Reacting to the invitation from the Chinese government to participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Dalai Lama today said the invitation was aimed not at inviting but excluding him from the ceremony.

In an interview posted at the official website of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama has alleged that in the past few weeks, he has been termed as criminal, traitor and separatist by the head of communist party of the Tibetan autonomous region.

“I can provide my blood sample to determine weather I am beast or human,” he said reacting to the harsh language used against him by leaders of the Chinese communist party.

The Chinese authorities are forcing the Tibetans in Lhasa to denounce him in writing. “They are also accusing me of inciting violence in Tibet. If such were the case, I would request the Chinese government to go to Oslo and demand that the Nobel Prize for Peace be taken away for me. I have never incited anyone for violence. The Chinese government is free to examine the records of my speeches to verify the facts,” he has said.

“While on the one hand, such steps are being taken by the Chinese authorities, on the other hand they are issuing public statements to invite me to the opening ceremony,” he said.

He said the reaction of Tibetans in Lhasa was the result of deep-rooted disillusionment and despair at being treated as second-grade citizens.

About the talks held with the Chinese government by his emissaries, he said they had agreed to hold seven more rounds of talks.

He also said that he had never opposed holding of Olympics in China. “I would once again appeal to Tibetans not to hold protests when the Olympic torch passes through Lhasa on June 20,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile has decided to hold prayers for those killed in quake in China and Nargis Cyclone in Myanmar.

Mandi, May 13
The case pertaining to the sale of “disputed royal property” took a new turn today after Indira Mahindra, daughter of the last king of Mandi, “faxed a letter to the DC requesting him to freeze the sale deed made in her name by Devinder Jamval, who was given a power of attorney by her”.

Sources in the DC office said Indira, sister of Ashopal Sen, the present scion of Mandi’s former king Joginder Sen, who is married in the Mahindra and Mahindra family based at Pune, faxed a letter to the DC, requesting him to stop the transaction and freeze sale deed registered on April 24.

However, she has admitted in the letter that she had given “power of attorney to Devinder Jamval, a resident of Mandi.

Jamval could not be contacted as he was under treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh. He is also the president of the Mandi BJP Sadar Mandal.

The issue has put the BJP on the defensive as residents have expressed concern over the sale of historic buildings connected with Rajmadhavrai, the presiding deity of the international Shivratri festival.

As the CM has taken cognisance of the matter, the district administration has launched a probe to bare the truth and “expose those behind the controversial sale of property”.

The buyers of the property, including one Khub Ram of Chachiot, have also come under the scanner.

Efforts are on to find Khub Ram to ascertain his credentials. He has remained elusive to the Press and officials so far, though his lawyer has claimed that he will cooperate with the administration.

Meanwhile, the administration has decided to charge “full fee and stump duty of 5 per cent on the sale of 6659.69 sq m land” as per law.

“The total value comes to around Rs 6.65 crore as per the prevailing rate of land in Seri mohal, where property is located. However, the government has got stump duty on Rs 2 crore only as the property has been undervalued in the sale deed,” officials said.

DC Onkar Sharma confirmed that his office had received a faxed letter from
Indira Mahindra.

Jawalamukhi, May 13
Rajya Sabha member and former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar today initiated
election campaign for the BJP candidate from the Hamirpur parliamentary
constituency Anurag Thakur.

He addressed a series of election meeting in the Jawalamukhi area. He launched attack on the UPA government alleging that corruption was responsible for price rise in the country.

The prices of essential commodities have increased as private companies have been allowed to purchase foodgrains and export them to foreign countries.

While private companies have made profit the UPA government imported foodgrains at double the prices. It can only be termed as corruption.

Kumar, who is also former Union minister for food and civil supplies, said the law existed with the Union Government to check the prices of essential commodities.

During his stint in power he never allowed the prices of essential commodities
to rise.

The country had so much surplus grain stocks that Antothaya and Anapurna schemes were launched to provide free and subsidised prices to people.

The also criticised former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for alleging that the state government was responsible for price rise. The state government has very limited authority to check price rise. The power to control prices in interests of general public lies with the Union Government.

Ramesh Dawala, minister for food and civil supplies, who accompanied Shanta Kumar, accused the Union Government of going soft on terrorists like Afzal, who were masterminds of attack on the Parliament.

Hamirpur: Addressing a series of public meetings to garner votes for BJP candidate Anurag Thakur at Bhukad, Karer, Dhaned and Jhaniari in the Hamirpur assembly constituency on Tuesday, Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said the government is trying to legally fight out the issue of allowing green felling in the state.

“After successfully pleading the case for opening of 318 sawmills in the Supreme Court, the government is now pleading for allowing green felling.”

Dhumal said the government had announced a support price of Rs 5 per kg for mango. To provide drinking water the government had allocated Rs 1000 crore in the current budget, besides sanctioning 2000 hand pumps.

Dharamsala, May 13
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal yesterday organised a string of rallies in the region in support of his son and BJP nominee from Hamirpur parliamentary constituency Anurag Thakur and blamed the UPA of being biased against the state.

He alleged that the Union Government has reduced the sugar quota for the state that led to increase in its prices in the state and had put financial burden on poor residents.

During the stint of the NDA government the sugar quota for Himachal residents was increased to 1 kg per person per month under the public distribution system (PDS).

The rational behind increasing the sugar quota in the state was that the people here have to climb hills and in the process need more calories.

However, the Central Government once again reduced the sugar quota for Himachal residents to just 750 gm per person per month.

This clearly illustrates the biased attitude of the Union Government towards the state, he alleged.

While talking to The Tribune at Churu village, about 10 km from Jawalamukhi, the Chief Minister said the Congress was a divided house. The leaders of party are fighting with each other at the state and national level.

BJP candidate Anurag Thakur campaigned in the Jaswan area of the district. While addressing the rallies he accused the Congress of resorting to negative politics.

Hamirpur, May 13
Congress candidate O.P. Rattan launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and the BJP government during his election campaign here today.

Addressing public meetings at Dhaned and Nalti, he said, “Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal is behaving like Dhritrashtra in the love of his son Anurag Thakur.”

Taking the attack further, he said, “After nominating Anurag for the Lok Sabha seat, he might now nominate his younger son for a Rajya Sabha seat.”

He said, “The state government is claiming credit for several schemes like sanctioning of three IRBs, NREGA etc, which are basically Central Government schemes.”

“Even the much publicised scheme of providing four CFL lamps to residents is a Central Government-sponsored scheme. The state government has not even called tenders for supply of these lamps so far.”

Manali, May 13
A one-storey building of Lady Willingdon Hospital, Manali, was completely destroyed in a devastating fire that broke out this afternoon.

A store, canteen, STD booth and the library of the hospital were reduced to ashes. Two fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the flames.

These managed to save the adjoining building that housed the operation theatre. Residents struggled hard with fire brigade officials to control the fire and managed to save the main building.

Hospital administrator Ranjit Christopher said, “Dr Philip Alexander and Alka Walter were conducting an operation when we informed them about the fire. They told us to inform the fire brigade and continued with the surgery in spite of the chaos in the hospital.”

They came out of the operation theatre only after they had completed the surgery. Dr Philip thanked the people who struggled hard along with fire brigade officials to control the fire.

The estimated loss was around Rs 10 lakh. However, there was no loss of life. The cause of fire was not immediately known.

Shimla, May 13
The HP High Court has issued show-cause notices to 117 shopkeepers of The Mall and Lower Bazar area for not removing unauthorised projections despite the court orders on a petition filed by Neelam Sharma.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Deepak Gupta and Mr Justice Kuldip Singh directed the Heritage Advisory Committee to finalise the guidelines for maintaining uniform and proper facades of the buildings on The Mall within six weeks.

The court had earlier directed the commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation, to remove all unauthorised projections on The Mall and Lower Bazar and also give the names of those who were not complying with the court directions.

The court had also directed the commissioner to frame a policy in consultation with the Mayor for maintaining uniform and proper facades of the buildings on The Mall.

Pursuant to the order the commissioner filed an affidavit before the court stating that the matter with regard to the policy had been referred to the Heritage Advisory Committee, which is looking into the matter and as soon as guidelines are received from the committee further action will be taken in this behalf.

The commissioner also filed a list of 117 persons who have made encroachments in Lower Bazar.

Shimla, May 13
The State Electricity Board Employees Union has taken exception to the recent statements of Union Minisnter for Power Sushil Shinde regarding the unbundling of the board.

It warned the government that any move to unbundle the board would be opposed tooth and nail by the employees.

The union said unbundling was not in the interests of the employees, pensioners and the unemployed.

It alleged that while the Chief Minister was repeatedly saying that the board would not be trifurcated, the management of the board seemed excited about it. The government should exhibit the political will to retain the board as one entity.

It asserted that the results had not been encouraging in the states where the boards had been unbundled but still such moves were being pursued under pressure from international funding agencies.

The topographical conditions in the hill state were totally different form other states and the consequences of unbundling would affect not only the government and the employees but also the consumers.

Shimla, May 13
The B.Sc (Nursing) course will be started both in the private and government sectors to provide adequate nursing staff in hospitals and employment opportunities to jobless women.

Presiding over a function organised to mark the International Nurses Day here yesterday, health minister Rajiv Bindal said regular training of nursing batches could not be conducted for some reasons which had led to an acute shortage of nurses with 706 posts vacant.

The government was contemplating a uniform policy for the regularisation of contract appointees in all departments which would also benefit nurses.

Shimla, May 13
The state government has taken up the issue of strengthening the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, with the Centre so as to protect the interest of the employees and enhance its effectiveness, an official spokesman said.

The persistent efforts of the government had made the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assured all possible help in this connection.

“The Centre has informed the state that it was in the process of restructuring the CRI, Kasauli, in order to protect the interests of the employees.

In view of the dearth of testing facility, the Centre was planning to expand this facility in the CRI.

He added that since the laboratory of the Health Ministry was already functioning at Kasauli, it was proposed to expand this facility, besides providing requisite training to the employees.

While the LAO was hearing objections, touts of the company spread a rumour that it pay Rs 1 lakh per farmer to depose in favour of the Company.

Solan, May 13
With the idols stolen from the Shoolini temple having reached Nepal along with two Nepalese thieves, there is little likelihood of their recovery as the country does not have an extradition treaty with Nepal.

The Solan police verified the statement of Raju, one of three involved in the idol theft. The police said the movements of the two Nepalese, Nirmal and Besant, would be under watch as there was every likelihood of the two coming back here.

The district magistrate has already notifying section 144, Cr PC, making mandatory for the labour contractors to get Nepalese labourers registered.

The contractors had also been directed to issue identity cards to all migrant labourers so that their antecedents could be be known in the case of such crimes.

Solan, May 13
Aziz Mohammad (39), a havildar employed with the J&K Rifles who laid down his life fighting militants in the Sambha sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, was cremated at Bagh village of Kasauli tehsil with full state honours today.

The deceased is survived by his wife Zarina (28), 10-year-old daughter Nazma, eight-year-old son Aasif, father Ismail and mother Kashmiru. Emotional scenes were witnessed as his body was brought here. His wife was inconsolable.

Wreaths were laid on the body of the deceased by Lieut Jiwan Gurung and Subedar Rajinder Prasad, who accompanied the body to his village. A guard of honour was presented by an Army contingent and the local panchayat pradhan.

Other panchayati raj representatives were also present on the occasion. Tehsildar Bishamber Jhagta laid a wreath on behalf of the district administration.

Hamirpur, May 13
The Himachal Pradesh State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has awarded a compensation of Rs 50,000 in a case of causing mental torture and harassment. The commission also awarded Rs 10,000 as the cost of appeal.

The commission has directed Punjab National Bank, Hamirpur, to pay Rs 25,000 to Som Dutt, owner of Shivam hotel. The PNB’s Mumbai branch and the Village and Khadi Board have been ordered to pay another Rs 25,000 jointly to Som Dutt.

The Hamirpur branch of the bank has also been directed to pay Rs 10,000 as the cost of appeal to the applicant.

Shimla, May 13
Taking strong exception to the propaganda of ‘parivarvaad’ in the Hamirpur byelection by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, three senior Cabinet ministers in the Dhumal regime said this was being done to draw political mileage by diverting attention from important issues.

Revenue minister Thakur Gulab Singh, horticulture minister Narender Bragta and civil supplies minister Ramesh Dhawala said the propaganda of ‘parivarvaad’ and nepotism against the family of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal was unfounded and misleading.

“In the absence of any concrete issue against the BJP, the Congress is raking up the issue of ‘parivarvaad’, which reflects their frustration,” they said.

They added that Virbhadra Singh is the last person who should level allegations of ‘parivarvaad’ as he had himself fielded his wife Pratibha Singh from the Mandi LS seat.

They said former minister Kaul Singh Thakur’s daughter had contested Zila Parishad election from Mandi.