Press biased against
Cong: Virbhadra
DHARAMSALA, Aug 1 — Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh, has alleged that biased and unfavourable reporting of the Congress role in Vidhan Sabha proceedings by a section of the press was giving a very distorted picture of the session.

Desert development
plan — a failure
SHIMLA, Aug 1 — The desert development programme has failed to achieve its objective of transforming the cold desert areas of Spiti and Kinnaur into a greenland.

Youth HVC workers to get I-cards
KANGRA, Aug 1 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has decided to issue identity cards to its workers in order to avoid exploitation by certain vested interests.

Dairy project helps double income
SOLAN, Aug 1 — An innovative dairy development project launched with a one-time central grant of Rs 2.2 crore under the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna in 1995-96 has already doubled the income from the sale of surplus milk of the district's farming community and promised to triple it by the end of current financial year.

One-month jail for defying injunction
NAHAN, Aug 1 — Mr Manoj Kumar Bansal, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Sub Judge, Nahan has ordered that Parmod Singh an employee in the court of Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM)-cum-sub judge Rajgarh shall be sent to civil detention for one month for wilful disobedience of the injunction order of the court.

Press biased against Cong: Virbhadra
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 1 — Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh, has alleged that biased and unfavourable reporting of the Congress role in Vidhan Sabha proceedings by a section of the press was giving a very distorted picture of the session.

Talking to reporters at Baijnath today, he alleged that barring a few exceptions, majority of the press was biased against the Congress, and ignoring speeches of the opposition members during important debates. The statements of the Congress leaders were not being given due coverage as all attention was being paid to the Chief Minister and the Treasury Benches", he lamented. He added it was the duty of the Assembly Speaker to ensure that fair coverage was given in the newspapers to the opposition members also, otherwise a distorted picture of the proceedings is given to the people.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said that the Congress would expose the BJP by countering the false propaganda that is being made on the issue of misuse of tribal funds and commissions in taking loans. "The Chief Minister has himself given a clean chit to the Congress on the issue, though under pressure he later tried to sidetrack the dilute the matter", he stated. He added that the efforts of the Chief Minister to sidetrack the issue had not diluted the earlier reply given in the Assembly. He regretted that all this was being done to tarnish his image among the people.

To a question about Mr Sukh Ram being readmitted in the Congress party, he said that there was no such move at the moment, as he was facing serious corruption charges. "Till his name is cleared of all such charges he cannot be taken back in the party", he clarified. He however added that the other Himachal Vikas Congress MLA's were welcome to join the Congress party."

Mr Virbhadra Singh announced that whenever there was the need to reorganise any DCC or the BCC, it would be done, as the real motive is to strengthen the party. He made it very clear that indiscipline would not be tolerated at any cost and appropriate action taken against those who were found to be guilty.

Mr Virbhadra Singh arrived in Baijnath to address a party workers meetings, which was attended by the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan also.

Over 400 party workers from 82 polling booths attended the meeting which also discussed the issue of allotment of party ticket during the forthcoming byelection. A verbal dual was witnessed during the meeting between the local partymen and some ticket seekers as there were allegations and counter allegations. Mr Sudhir Sharma, son of Mr Sant Ram also attended the meeting.

Mr Virbhadra Singh later said that no decision had, so far, been taken regarding the allotment of the party ticket. He added that it would be done after consulting all the partymen of the area.

Desert development plan — a failure
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 1 — The desert development programme has failed to achieve its objective of transforming the cold desert areas of Spiti and Kinnaur into a greenland.

Funded liberally by Government of India, the programme has been plagued with serious deficiencies in planning, implementation and monitoring in almost every component of the integrated scheme. The failure of the state government to take corrective steps to remove the deficiencies pointed out in the evaluation study conducted by the Centre and its own appraisal committee only made things worse.

The lackadaisical approach of the government not only resulted in huge shortfall in achieving annual targets from 1991-92 to 1996-97 but also led to criminal waste of funds due to serious financial lapses, embezzlement and other irregularities.

While the physical targets in irrigation and subsidy to beneficiaries fell short by a whopping 51 and 68 per cent, respectively, during 1991-97 period the achievement of financial targets in agriculture, horticulture and fisheries ranged between 27 and 68 per cent in Kaza and Pooh blocks. The inordinate delay in approvals of plans, ranging from 5 to 15 months had been one of the main reasons for the short fall in achievement.

Under the project six 'kuhls' were constructed in Pooh at a cost of Rs 34.04 lakh in barren areas to create irrigation potential for 44.26 hectares of land. However, irrigation facility could actually be provided only for 12.15 hectares of land and remaining 32.11 hectares (73 per cent) could not be brought under irrigation due to failure of the authorities to develop land and allot it to beneficiaries. The Comptroller and Auditor General has brought to fore this lapse in the latest report and attributed it to poor planning and lack of coordination between different departments of the government. Similarly, a sum of Rs 71.56 lakh spend on the construction of Changchimo kuhl in Hango village was rendered infructuous as the scheme, designed to irrigate 324 hectares of land, could not function due to excessive seepage.

There have been huge cost overruns in the irrigation schemes and as many as Rs 2.84 crore was incurred in the construction of 11 kuhls three in Kaza and 8 in Pooh, against an estimated cost of Rs 1.75 crore. Further, the department failed to charge abiana (water cess) on 8 new kuhls despite assurance given to the Public Accounts Committee in August 1994.

The result of the afforestation schemes implemented under the programme have also not been very encouraging. The mortality rate in plantations had been very high because of faulty choice of species. Selection of wrong sites and lack of coordination between the Forest and Irrigation and Public Health Department. The mixed plantations raised over 40 hectares in Changchimo and along the bank of river Sunam was a total failure because the Irrigation Department failed to commission the kuhl which was to irrigate the area in time. The plantation of the river bank was washed away in floods in 1994. In Pooh block, despite assured irrigation facilities the mortality rate in 10.85 lakh saplings planted at a cost of Rs 99.82 lakh ranged from 18 to 57 per cent. The department spent another 40.75 lakh on beating up operations and re-plantation of 4.62 lakh saplings.

In Kaza block seven plantations covering 42 hectares were a total failure as the department chose wrong species. These plantations had not been taken again. The survival rate in 34 plantations covering 195.25 in the two blocks was less than 20 per cent, rendering the entire expenditure of Rs 47.33 lakh as infructuous. Instead of getting works executed through the local people, the Forest Department irregularly employed labourers from outside the project area for 2.53 lakh mandays and paid Rs 1.21 crore as wages.

The pasture development taken up in 103 hectares in Kaza and 56 hectares in Pooh also turned out to be a failure because of the failure of department to provide irrigation. The project authorities reported fictitious financial and physical progress to Government of India in March 1995 regarding soil conservation works. While the BDO, Kaza, claimed hundred per cent achievement with an expenditure of Rs 16.64 lakh during the year, a sum of Rs 11.24 lakh was lying unspent with him.

A sum of Rs 41.04 lakh given to the two farm universities of the state for research activities turned out to be unfruitful expenditure as they failed to introduce any new variety of seeds or cash crops.

The evaluation study conducted by the Government of India recommended that emphasis should be on propagation of indigenous species, which grew well locally and had high ecological and commercial value and that instead of constructing new irrigation schemes the existing should be repaired and restored. The state appraisal committee's strict action against officials responsible for financial lapses and various other irregularities in the implementation of projects. However, the government has, so far, not taken any action on these recommendations.

HP corporation sustains Rs 27 lakh loss
From S.P.Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 1 — Serious irregularities causing a loss of Rs 27.28 lakh to the Himachal Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (HPSEDC)in printing of photo-identity cards have been pointed out in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG).

The HPSEDC had baggd the controversial contract to print photo-identity cards for an electorate of 35.09 lakh in the state in 1994. Granting of the contract to the HPSEDC by ignoring the offer of certain private parties to print the identity cards at a lower rate had generated a controversy. However, the management of the company had all the time been justifying the assignment of the work to it.

The CAG has pointed out the HPSEDC sustained a loss of Rs 11.79 lakh in respect of 1.31 lakh cards rejected by the Election Department. I could prepare only 26.60 lakh cards against 29.60 lakh voters videographed, thereby rendering an expenditure of Rs 9.81 lakh on videography of the remaining three lakh unproductive.

An amount of Rs 4.78 crore was due from the state Election Department for the supply of 25.16 lakh cards at the rate of Rs 19 per card. However, the department released a sum of Rs 3.60 lakh and the balance payment of Rs 1.17 crore was withheld as the government had not decided the volume of penalty leviable for delay in supply of cards.

The unprofessional functioning of the HPSEDC is highlighted with the fact that although the company had a vacant space of 8400 sq.mts.at Solan due to closure of the television factories, a space of 3727.62 sq.mts was hired at Shimla at the rate of Rs 3.50 per sq. metre per month for processing photo-identity cards and employees of these factories were asked to work at Shimla.

This resulted in an avoidable expenditure of Rs 3.59 lakh from December 1994 to March 1997 on hiring the space here. Besides, an additional expenditure of Rs 3.71 lakh was incurred on the payment of travelling and daily allowances to the staff for commuting between Solan and Shimla every day.

The valuation of the closing stocks during 1994-95 was inflated by Rs 97.68 lakh due to charging of two-thirds profit on the cost of photo-identity cards.

The HPSEDC sustained a loss of Rs 5.58 lakh on the preparation of identity cards of 2.59 lakh of the IRDP families to claim benefits under the public distribution meant for poor families.

Despite the rates having been increased for printing of additional format with the identity cards, the company failed to do so as such the delivery was not taken by the Rural Development Department and meanwhile the validity of these cards expired.

The company deposited an advance income tax of Rs 30 lakh for 1995-96 although no tax was payable.

The HPSEDC has restricted its activities to trading alone although it was established 16 years ago with the objective of developing the electronics industry in the state.

One of the reasons for the failure of the HPSEDC to grow all these years is that it has become a virtual cooling place for IAS officers heading the corporation. Seven managing directors of the corporation were changed within a period of five years from April 1992 to March 1997. Four of them had a tenure of less than six months.

Meetings of the board of directors of the corporation were not held regularly.

The company incurred an expenditure of Rs 73.41 lakh on idle wages of the staff of two television factories at Chambaghat in Solan district during 1992 to 1996. An infructuous expenditure of Rs 3.31 lakh was incurred as the management did not take any action to surrender the 120 kw of power load which was provided to the TV factories.

The management has not formulated any plan or identified the areas of computerisation in the government.

The company is simply marketing equipment like electronic typewriters, FAX, EPABX, photocopiers, audio and video equipment, computers etc to the government on commission basis and has not paid any attention to the purpose for which it was set up.

Youth HVC workers to get I-cards
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Aug 1 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has decided to issue identity cards to its workers in order to avoid exploitation by certain vested interests.

Disclosing this at a press conference here today, Dr Anil Dogra, state youth HVC general secretary, said some vested interests belonging to other political parties exploited the situation to get favours from ministers and bureaucrats. He said HVC chief Sukh Ram had asked to issue identity cards to HVC workers to avoid further exploitation.

Dr Dogra was here to reorganise the youth wing of Kangra district in view of the forthcoming Baijnath byelection.

He said HVC youths would hold a district-level rally at Baijnath on August 15.

Dr Dogra said Mr Sukh Ram had taken up with the BJP leadership to allow an HVC candidate to contest from Baijnath.

CHAMBA (FOC): The HVC has launched a vigorous campaign to mobilise its workers in Chamba district to strengthen the party.

In a press release issued here on Saturday Mr P.C. Oberoy, president of the Chamba district unit of the HVC, claimed that during the membership drive a number of workers and supporters had left various political parties and joined the HVC expressing their faith in the leadership of Mr Sukh Ram.

Mr Oberoy said that Mr Nidhia Ram and Mr Sobbia Ram, elected members of the block development committee, Bhattiyat, and Mr Pardeep Kumar, and Mr Puran Chand, pradhan and up-pradhan, respectively, of the Palahuin panchayat had joined the HVC.

Dairy project helps double income
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 1 — An innovative dairy development project launched with a one-time central grant of Rs 2.2 crore under the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna in 1995-96 has already doubled the income from the sale of surplus milk of the district's farming community and promised to triple it by the end of current financial year.

The district's farming community before this project earned an average income of Rs 9 crore from dairy related commercial activities. But by the end of last year this figure had risen to about Rs 19 crore and is likely to cross the Rs 27 crore-mark by March next.

Keeping in view the fact that the per family holding of irrigated land was a meagre 0.17 hectares in this district and also the fact that 1,12,258 hectares out of a total land area of 1,80,547 hectares of the district was under forest cover, grassland and wasteland but adaptable to pasteur raising, the project planners decided that dairying provided a ready made answer to the problem of ameliorating the lot of the poor farmer.

Since a large part of the district fell under the milkshed area of the state capital, it meant little difficulty in marketing of surplus production. Top priority was given to improving the breed of animals and introducing high yielding fodder and grass.

Special emphasis was laid on providing healthcare cover to the milch cattle reared under the project.

These efforts resulted in a record production of about 80,000 tonnes of milk last year.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Balram Sharma, who briefed newspersons about the achievement of the project here on Thursday, said that the district administration now proposed to set up a 'Gau Sadan' for housing the infertile milch cattle.

One-month jail for defying injunction
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, Aug 1 — Mr Manoj Kumar Bansal, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Sub Judge, Nahan has ordered that Parmod Singh an employee in the court of Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM)-cum-sub judge Rajgarh shall be sent to civil detention for one month and his immovable property would remain attached for a period of six months for wilful disobedience of the injunction order of the court of September 12, 1994 where by he was restrained alongwith his wife from chaning the nature of disputed land by raising any construction or altering it till the disposal of the main case under order 39 Rule (2) ACPC.

Parmod Singh, despite due knowledge of the suit order, he and his brother Perminder Singh at Chakrepa in Nahan continued with the construction work even the court has granted police assistance to the applicant Bhupinder Singh (U/S 151) of the CPC when on report of Mr D.R. Sharma a local advocate appointed as local commissioner, the said employee and his family members were found to have raised construction after the injunction order was in operation the court has taken various acts of omission and commission of the said employee seriously. By observing in his 21 page order yesterday that it would not at all be harsh if the respondent and his brother are detained in civil imprisonment for a term of one month and their property is attached.