Security sought against Shugden activists
DHARAMSALA, Dec 14 — The Tibetan government-in-exile, has sought security from the Kangra police, for its officials and religious heads on the hit list of the Shugden activists.

Dhumal for exposing fund-grabbing NGOs
MASHOBRA, Dec 14 — A two-day state-level symposium of NGOs (non-governmental organisations), funding agencies and the government was inaugurated here, today by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal
Mr Dhumal said Himachal had set an example in hill area development in the country.

Engineering unit ransacked
SOLAN, Dec 14 — Unidentified miscreants ransacked the premises of Messrs Engineering Innovations Limited at Parwanoo and burned down a computerised multi-station power press today.

Pro VC gheraoed for seven hours
SHIMLA, Dec 14 — Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad gheraoed the Pro Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, Mr N. Sharda, for over seven hours on the university campus here today.

Skeletal remains of couple found
DHARAMSALA, Dec 14 — The police has found the skeletal remains of husband and his wife, who had been missing since October, from the Gheori forest, near Dehra.

Employees welcome transfer policy
HAMIRPUR, Dec 14 — The Hamirpur District Non-Gazetted Service Federation has welcomed the decision of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to formulate a rational transfer policy for employees in the state.

Security sought against Shugden activists
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Dec 14 — The Tibetan government-in-exile, has sought security from the Kangra police, for its officials and religious heads on the hit list of the Shugden activists.

In a letter to the Superintendent of Police, Kangra, the Joint Secretary, Department of Security, in the Tibetan government, Mr Tashi Namgyal, has asked for special security for Khamtul Rinpoche, who is a religious guru, Khamtul, Rinpoche, is a highly venerated monk of the Nyingmapa tradition and a strong critic of the Shugden group. He is learnt to have received threatening letters from activists of the Shugden cult, as he is one of the most vociferous opponent of the Shugden Dorjee cult.

The Joint Secretary, Security Department, has said that in view the extreme threat from the Shugden group lives of several Tibetan officials, including the Dalai Lama, continue to remain under threat. He has requested the Kangra police, to provide a personal security gunman to Khamtul Rinpoche, who faces grave threat to his life as he is an important religious figure amongst the Tibetans. He has pointed out that earlier a gunman had been provided to him by the Himachal government, but now he had been withdrawn, due to shortage of manpower.

Last year in February, the Principal of the Dialectics Institute, Mr Lobsang Gyatso, had been murdered along with his two pupils. At that stage officials of the Tibetan government had alleged that the Shugden activists were behind the triple murder. Since, Khamtul Rinpoche, is also an important religious head and a critic of the Shugdens, it is feared that an attempt might be made on his life. It has also been requested that Mr Abhan Tulku, son of Khamtul Rinpoche, may be provided with a licence arm for his self protection.

Prior to this also the Tibetan government has been requesting for security for some of its ministers and officials, reportedly on the hit list of the Shugdens. Last year the then Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Rimpoche, Mr Sonam Topgyal and Alak Taayi, who were ministers had been on the hit list of the Shugden activists. The S.P. Kangra, Mr K.C. Sadyal, said that providing individual security to the Tibetans officials was not the duty of the district police and in this regard the CID or the state government should be approached.

Eversince the cult controversy has raged the Tibetans, there has been an increased threat to the life of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. The police, has in the past few years, arrested a number of spies, who had come here with the intention of gathering information about the residence and the security set up of the Dalai Lama.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the security of the Dalai Lama, which are reviewed from time to time. While sophisticated equipment like explosive detector, X-ray baggage scanner, deep search metal detector, have been installed. Work on the construction of the nine-foot concrete wall around the palace of the Dalai Lama is still underway. Though there is a proposal to buy a bullet-proof Mercedes car for him, but the funds required for it are not available.

Keeping in view the large number of fresh arrivals from Tibet to Mcleodganj, there is no full proof method by which the police or the Tibetan officials can themselves keep a watch on any spies or Shugden activists, who can infiltrate into the Tibetan set up. The Chinese trained spies arrested from Mcleodganj earlier, had managed to get jobs in the Tibetan government, without anyone suspecting them.

However, it is very difficult for the Kangra police to deploy special personnel, as they were already hard pressed, and providing security to Tibetan officials would make things even more difficult for them.

Dhumal for exposing fund-grabbing NGOs
From Our Correspondent

MASHOBRA, Dec 14 — A two-day state-level symposium of NGOs (non-governmental organisations), funding agencies and the government was inaugurated here, today by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal
Mr Dhumal said Himachal had set an example in hill area development in the country. After Kerala, Himachal can be called the second fully literate state having achieved 70 per cent literacy rate. According to a UNICEF report, Himachal has fertile land and conducive atmosphere for development, working and functioning of the NGOs.

Mr Dhumal requested representatives of all NGOs to come forward in a big way for the betterment of the state. Only 50-60 NGOs are functional in the state out of 700 organisations registered. The government programmes are not proving very effective and output is not proportionate to input, said Mr Dhumal.

He suggested reducing of gap between government organisations and NGOs as both aim at benefit of society. With limited opportunities in government service sectors the youngsters should be encouraged to work in various NGOs and become part of the development process, he said.

Mr Dhumal pointed out that certain NGOs in the state were headed by wives of bureaucrats and high officials, who had just changed their family status rather than doing something for people of the state. The NGOs, which existed just for grants should be exposed and the genuine NGOs should be strengthened he said.

Instead of copying certain western models or the IMF and the World Bank for loans, he said self evaluation and self-appraisals were required at every step and the government organisations could also learn from various NGOs' experiences. A large number of government officials were present at the symposium, including some state cadre trainees along with a few NGO representatives.

Only Rs four crore is spent, so far, in the NGO sector in Himachal by Capart, informed a Capart representative. About Rs 2000 crore is spent by international organisations, Rs 200 crore by the Government of India and Rs 450/500 crore by Capart is being spent in the NGO sector. Himachal NGOs required more funds in future, it was felt.

Meanwhile, Mr Kulbhushan Upmanyu from Himachal Bachao Samiti, Chipko Suchana Kendra, Chamba, a NGO working for environment protection in Himachal felt minimum funding was required for these organisations. Character and function of NGO is lost once if it was funded by the government. He said with minimum support and interference by the government the NGOs should by and large left free, so that these could gain inherent strength and act as a pro-people pressure group, he added.

All government ills and undesirable practices will infed the NGOs if these were funded heavily, felt some other NGO activists. The NGOs should remain as community-based organisations (CBOs) and area-specific developmental paradigms should be developed by these, they felt.

Many national-level NGO activists, including Mr Anna Hazare from Maharashtra are expected to participate in the symposium.

An area dogged by half-done roads
From Kanwar Yogendra

CHOPAL: Nowhere else is there such a big gap between the ruling and the ruled as in Chopal, an upper Shimla constituency. It is one of the most backward constituencies in the state, though it is studded with one of the richest and finest pine forests in the sub-continent.

The forest mafia, which was very active here during the eighties, is now again poking its nose and meddling with every administrative and government decision, according to residents of this area. It is now the turn of the Public Works Department, which is mainly responsible for widening the road network, to be swayed and pressurised by this mafia. The only difference this time is, that the mafia is operating via politicians now, they say.

The locals allege a raw deal from successive state governments to this area over the decades. The regularly budgeted funds for sanctioned roads were often diverted and even stopped by vested interests. Many times oak, chil and deodar trees were cut en masse, affirm a number of people.

The villagers of Dewat and Tiari-Tipra panchayats are among the victims. A proposal for a Chopal-Shantha-Zhiknipul road, which could have connected four panchayats, including two of Bamta and Matal, has been scuttled from time to time due to political reasons. This 15 km road was cleared by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on August 18.

In lieu of 2.04 hectares of forest land the PWD had to pay Rs 72,000 to the Forest Department. But the PWD delayed this payment at the instance of leaders of a certain party who felt the area had voted against them in the elections, say sources. Now by chance the PWD Ministry is headed by the same party leader.

Documents showed that the Chopal-Shantha-Zhiknipul road had been built till Jaigarh — a 5 km distance. Whereas it was illegally extended to Bambrarh on lobbying during the last regime. The forest cover between Bambrarh and Chowkia was removed without permission from the Ministry of Environment, say the villagers. "Now what we fear is another extension to this illegal road till Pauria as new orchards and farmhouses of some high-ups are coming up there," they added.

The villagers claim to have cleared hurdles from the Environment Ministry themselves. But instead of legally constructing this Chopal-Shantha-Zhiknipul road, which was conceived by the BJP regime in 1978, the government again appears to be influenced by a few people of "nuisance value" there by ignoring the interests of the majority.

The sick and ailing have to be carried piggyback to the Civil Hospital at Chopal. The bulk of the apple produce, estimated at five lakh boxes, sometimes perishes in the absence of transport and it costs a lot in reaching the roadhead due to paucity of roads. The people remain poor instead of growing cash crops. At least 50,000 people would stand to benefit if this road is constructed, says Mr H.S. Thakur, a resident of Shantha village.

Similar is the plight of roads like Sakroti-Tikri, Nerwa-Kupvi, Sanj khud-Kupvi, Guma-Pabaan, Kuthar-Gian, Sainj-Banawit, which have been hanging fire since the seventies and eighties. The main reason given by most of the people is politicking, village ego and self-interest on the part of leadership. People are even divided on regional and caste lines, with abject poverty in some of the villages. On the other hand, people representing the area are multi-millionaires.

It takes a day and night walk to reach the tehsil headquarters and it is only possible if the "kuchha" bridge on the Nerwa-Chopal road is usable. No pains are taken by the PWD to build a proper and permanent bridge here but they have left everything at the mercy of outpouring streams. "We are deliberately kept backward", declare most people in Chopal.

Engineering unit ransacked
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Dec 14 — Unidentified miscreants ransacked the premises of Messrs Engineering Innovations Limited at Parwanoo and burned down a computerised multi-station power press today.

According to the police, 40 to 50 persons entered the building and went on the rampage destroying valuable property.

The mob poured some petroleum product on the main machine of the factory and set it on fire.

The management of the factory had been facing labour unrest for the past several months. It's labour union, affiliated to CITU, had organised a strike earlier. This was called off following an amicable settlement in August. In which 13 workers were chargesheeted and their services terminated subsequently.

The CITU labour union had been pressing for the cancellation of termination orders concerning these workers.

The police has rounded up seven persons for interrogation in this connection.

Pro VC gheraoed for seven hours
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 14 — Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gheraoed the Pro Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, Mr N. Sharda, for over seven hours on the university campus here today.

They were protesting among other things against the increase of the successive examination fee to Rs 500 from Rs 100 and alleged that the fees collected under the Non-Resident Indian students account were misused.

Skeletal remains of couple found
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Dec 14 — The police has found the skeletal remains of husband and his wife, who had been missing since October, from the Gheori forest, near Dehra.

According to the Superintendent of Police, Mr K.C. Sadyal, some boys, who had gone to the forest to get firewood yesterday saw the skeletal remains and informed the police. A police party had gone to the spot to fetch the remain. Other details were still awaited.

In another incident, a 29-year-old woman, Saroj Kumari, of Khatred village, near Paprola, died after she consumed poison by mistake. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared dead.

Employees welcome transfer policy
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Dec 14 — The Hamirpur District Non-Gazetted Service Federation has welcomed the decision of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to formulate a rational transfer policy for employees in the state.

Mr Prem Kumar Verma, district president of the federation, said here today that the announcement made by the Chief Minister was a right step. He said that once this policy was formulated and came into being, all problems of the employees would be solved on their own. It would also help the government to focus its attention on the development of the state.

Mr Verma appealed to the Chief Minister to sanction at least Rs 4 lakh for the construction of an employee bhawan at Hamirpur. He said the proposed bhawan would be helpful to all those employees visiting Hamirpur.

Mr Verma also demanded immediate release of the allowances to them on the Punjab pattern.