Shimla, March 6
Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh has accused the BJP government of indulging in a large-scale violation of the model code of conduct. He has urged the Election Commission to take notice of such blatant acts like transfers of employees by issuing backdated orders, carrying publicity material in the state roadways buses and distributing compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) packs with picture and message of the Chief Minister.

Addressing a press conference here today he said nearly 120 employees of the State Cooperative Bank had been transferred after the enforcement of code of conduct on backdated orders. The achievements of the government had been published on tender forms of the Public Works Department and the Irrigation and Public Health Department. Even hoardings publicising achievements of the government had not been removed.

He said the party had sent a complaint to the Election Commission and demanded immediate withdrawal of tender forms and appropriate action in the misuse of state roadways buses for electoral purposes. He said keeping in view the large-scale violations the party had decided to set up a cell at the headquarters, which would promptly file complaints with the commission regarding instances of violation received from all over the state.

The Dhumal government had done little over the past 14 months and it was only trying to take credit for the projects sanctioned by the UPA government which included a central university, an ESIC medical college, an IIT, an institute of fashion technology, two national highways and the Rs 3,800 crore ADB loan (90 per cent grant basis). All roads were being constructed under the central scheme- Bharat Niman Yojna and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme was providing succour to the poor people across the state.

The Dhumal government only burdened the people by increasing electricity tariff by 20 per cent and water charges by 30 per cent. It increased the bus fares by 25 per cent when the diesel prices rose by Rs 3 per litre, but reduced these only by 10 per cent when its prices came done by Rs 4 per litre.

He also inaugurated the website of the state unit with which the process of modernisation and computerisation of the PCC office had been completed.

Kangra: The state government is violating the model code of conduct by transporting party’s campaign materials on HRTC buses and Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his cabinet colleagues are allegedly misusing official vehicles while campaigning for the candidates in the state. This was stated by Nardev Kanwar, member of the Pradesh Congress Committee, at Jawalamukhi at a press conference today.

Nardev said they would bring the matter to the notice of the Election Commission.

He further alleged that the Chief Minister’s decision to review the functioning of departments himself was also a breach of the poll code conduct . The state government was also still making announcements to allure electorates, he added.

Shimla, March 6
Suspense regarding the Congress candidate from the Hamirpur parliamentary seat is likely to continue for some more time as the high command has yet to announce candidates for the hill state. Earlier this week, the screening committee of the party had cleared candidates for the Mandi, Kangra and Shimla seats, but recommended a panel of three candidates for the Hamirpur seat. The Central Election Committee of the party will decide the final name from among Narinder Thakur, OP Rattan and Sanjay Bittu.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency Virbhadra Singh has launched his campaign from his hometown Rampur. He has won the seat four times before entering the state politics in 1983. It will be a battle between two former ‘rajas’ as the rival BJP candidate, Maheshwar, also hails from the erstwhile princely state. The seat is currently held by Pratibha Singh.

Sitting Congress MP from the Shimla seat Dhani Ram Shandil will take on Virender Kashyap of the BJP, who has been contesting elections since 1980. 

Shimla, March 6
The HP High Court has upheld the decision of the state government to cancel the allotment of 261-MW Kuther power project to the DSC Himal Company and award it to the second highest bidder, JSW Energy. Upholding the decision, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Kuldip Singh dismissed the petition filed by the DSC Himal Company, wherein the petitioner company challenged the decision of the state to award the Kuther power project, Chamba, to the JSW Energy.

The petitioner company alleged that firstly the project was awarded to it but later on the same was allotted to the JSW Energy, which was lower than the petitioner in terms of bid, and the state without further advertising the project, allotted the same in favour of the JSW Energy in an illegal manner.

The state contended before the court that the petitioner company failed to deposit an upfront amount of Rs 64 crore within the stipulated period. Advocate-General RK Bawa further contended for the state that the re-tendering of the project and finalisation of the tender would have taken more than a year in normal circumstance. This would have escalated into the cost of the project. The hydel projects are of utmost importance to the state and it was not in larger public interest to delay the matter more particularly when the JSW Energy had offered the execution of the project on the same term, which was offered by the petitioner company.

The court upheld the contentions of the state and dismissed the petition filed by the DSC Himal Company.

Dharamsala, March 6
Himachal is the only state that has affected 10 per cent reduction in bus fares after the reduction in fuel prices. Even the Railway has affected just 2 per cent cut in fares. However, the transport department of Himachal as people friendly measure has decided to pass the entire benefit due to cut in fuel prices to the consumers.

The minister for transport and urban development Kishan Kapoor said this while talking to newsmen here today.

While responding to a query Kishan Kapoor admitted that the state government had to resist pressure from the private and public transport sector to affect the fare cut. Since none of the other states has affected the bus fare cut, it illustrates the decision was not supported by economics. The union government had affected very little reduction in diesel prices that decide the bus fares. However, the Himachal government decided to pass the entire benefit to consumers, Kapoor said.

He also said that the town and country planning department of the state was just acting as house plan passing department. However, the department has now been given the real task of preparing master plan of urban areas across the state.

The minister further said in another revolutionary measure out of the total area falling under the town and country planning act, in about 85 per cent area the people have been exempted getting house maps approved for residential purposes. Most of these areas were rural areas but were falling under the town and country planning act. The people had to undergo unnecessary hassle of getting the maps of their houses approved.

However, now under the new act the government has allowed the people residing in rural areas to construct up to two storey houses without getting any approval from the town and country planning department. This has benefited large number of poor people in the state, the minister said.

Dharamsala, March 6
Former ruler of Guler state in Kangra district Brajesh Chander was duped. Sources said a superintendent in the SDM office at Kangra who was earlier posted as registry clerk in the Guler area had allegedly duped the former ruler of about 3.5 kanals of land.

Brajesh Chander while talking to The Tribune said that in recent past he was surprised to find that his 3.5 kanal of land was transferred in the name of Barjinder Guleria.

On inquiry from local revenue officials, the former ruler found that he had gifted the land to Barjinder Guleria about 15 years ago. I was shocked. Guleria is not related to me nor do I have any friendly relations with him. There is no reason that I should have gifted away my land to him. My only relation with Guleria is that he was posted in our area as a registry clerk about 15 years ago.

The former ruler of Guler said he suspected that the registry clerk might have taken his signatures on some papers and later got a gift deed drafted on those papers. Interestingly, he did not get the land mutated in his name for 15 years and kept the gift deed under close wraps.

As per the revenue rules, if mutation of a registered deed is not entered for 12 years, the original seller has to be called before affecting changes in revenue record. However, in the present case even after the lapse of 15 years the mutation was affected in the name of Barjinder Guleria without my consent, he alleged.

The former ruler of Guler has also moved his complaint to the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau at Dharamsala.

Accused official Barjinder Guleria has denied the charges. He said the gift deed through which he got the land transferred in his name was legal.

When asked why he did not get the mutation of land registered in his name earlier, Guleria said that he did not have the knowledge that land mutation had not been affected in his name. When I came to know, I moved an application before the concerned tehsildar who allowed mutation in my name. He also said he was ready to face any inquiry in the case.

Meanwhile, SP Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau Santosh Patial admitted that he has received a complaint from the former ruler of Guler.

Sundernagar, March 6
Six persons were killed and two injured when a Tata Sumo they were travelling in rolled down into a deep gorge at Kateru on the Karsog-Sundernagar road, about 28 km from here, today.

The accident took place when the driver of the vehicle, which was on its way to Ghaghas (Bilaspur) from Karsog, lost control over the vehicle and as a result of which it fell down into the gorge.

As at the time of the accident, it was dark so it could not be noticed by anyone. However, in the morning a passerby reported the matter to the police. Five persons died on the spot and one person Lila Parkash later died at the Subdivisional Hospital, Sundernagar.

The deceased have been identified as Lila Parkash, Jhum Dassi, Mangat Ram, Puran Chand, Budhi Ram and Moti Ram.

Driver of the vehicle Uttam Chand and one Bhubneshwar, who received injuries, were earlier admitted to the Subdivisional Hospital, Sundernagar, but later referred to the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, due to their serious condition.

The police has registered a case against the driver of the vehicle and started investigation into the matter.

The district administration has sanctioned a grant of Rs 10,000 each to next of kin and Rs 5,000 each to injured persons.

Dharamsala, March 6
The Tibetan Women Association (TWA) has decided to observe 2009 as the International Year of Tibetan Women. The spokesperson of the TWA said here today that the said decision had been taken to commemorate 50 years of unrelenting peaceful resistance against the illegal occupation of Tibet.

The world-wide campaign to highlight the plight of Tibetan women would begin on March 12 when the TWA would organise a formal function followed by a photo exhibition, multiple book releases, a documentary screening, art work campaigns, a peace march and a candle light vigil at McLeodganj. Thousands are expected to converge at the Tsuglakhang, the temple of the Dalai Lama, to participate and support this momentous endeavour of TWA, the spokesperson said.

We believe that Tibetan women have contributed major positive changes within social, religious, cultural and political affairs and feel that these achievements should not only be recognised, but also studied and documented for posterity. The exhibition of more than 100 politically and socially significant photos, the launching of six publications and the premier of a documentary film on TWA would allow, for the first time, a true portrayal of the role of “Fifty Years of Tibetan Women in the Tibetan Freedom Struggle”.

Following the Dharamsala premier of this showcase the photo and publications exhibition along with the documentary film would travel through Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia and would be displayed and screened at 49 regional TWA chapters across the globe.

The ‘International Year of Tibetan Women’ is being observed to honour the great sacrifices made by our Tibetan sisters.

We express our most sincere gratitude to the government and people of India who have entrusted us with a safe haven here and to the international community for their overwhelming support. However, there can be no respite till conditions within Tibet remain unchanged.

The repressive policies of the Chinese government remain unchanged and Tibetan women continue to be the victims of systematic oppression and state-sanctioned violence. The TWA would step up its efforts to address these violations of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular. We hope that this event would do much to raise awareness of Tibetan women’s struggles, and your support and attendance are greatly appreciated, the representative of TWA said.

Kala Amb, March 6
Dwelling on the need to enhance Institute-Industry partnership in view of the increasing competitiveness, the Kala Amb-based Himalayan Institute of Management is organising a management development programme on Achieving Corporate Excellence at its campus tomorrow.

The programme which has received an overwhelming response from the industry and various corporate houses would witness delegates from renowned groups like Ranbaxy, Reliance Communications, Pidilite, etc, sharing their views on this versatile theme.

Dr Vikas Arora said more than 200 delegates from various units, including industrial organisations of north India would participate in the programme. More such interactions would be held in the future to ensure better coordination between the technical institutes and the needs of the industry. This would provide versatile tips to the students from experienced professionals by providing a common platform of communication.