Army patrolling Chamba areas
Tribune News Service
DHARAMSALA, July 21 — The Army has launched extensive patrolling in the border areas of Chamba district, where four persons from Himachal were killed by Kashmiri militants, recently.
It is learnt that the Army is also undertaking aerial surveillance in the bordering areas of Chamba and Doda districts. Army helicopters are being used to detect the movement of militants in the region, following the killing of four persons, from Himachal, who had crossed over to the Jammu and Kashmir territory to collect herbs.
This is not the first time that people from Himachal have been made targets by the militants. Last year 23 persons from the Kehar area of Chamba were held hostage by terrorists in the J & K forests adjoining the Himachal border. They were later released on payment of ransom by these people, who earn a livelihood by selling herbs collected from the high forest ranges. The largely unmanned border between Himachal and J & K enables the militants to enter the Himachal areas. An Afghan militant was killed in an encounter a few years ago near Khundi Mural, in Chamba.
Despite the recent killing of the four residents of Kehar and kidnapping of 23 persons last year, people of this area still go to the J & K areas to collect herbs. The possibility of some more persons becoming target of militants cannot be ruled out as a stretch of about 20 km on both sides is totally unmanned with no habitation. It is only the wandering nomads, who move around in the area, in summer.
The recent killings indicate that this area has virtually been turned into a "no man's land", as neither the J & K police, nor the Himachal police keeps check on the area. Despite the Doda police being informed about the recent killings, there was reluctance on the part to go to the spot and recover the bodies. Ultimately a party from Chamba reached the spot and recovered the bodies. In fact the J & K police was not even sure whether the area where the incident took place fell under the jurisdiction or was part of Himachal. The incident took place at Pathri ka Drabbs, situated at the top of the Baju ka Baga road.
The last police post on the Himachal side is located at Langhera while on the J & K side the police station is situated at Bhaderwah. Even the J & K police apprehends that militants, mainly foreign mercenaries have been using the area whenever the need arises.
The DIG (Northern Range), Mr I.D. Bhandari, said residents of the Kehar area had been warned by the police time and again, not to enter the J & K forests as they could be killed by the militants. "Since it is a question of livelihood, as they earn up to Rs 500 daily by selling herbs, the people will continue to frequent the forests despite the threat", he observes. He added that there were eight police posts of the Himachal police along the Chamba border with Jammu & Kashmir and a constant vigil was being kept to check the infiltration of militants.

Placer deposits found
Tribune News Service
SHIMLA, July 21 — Placer deposits have been indicated in a number of rivers in Himachal Pradesh but the contents were too meagre for commercial mining.
This was stated by Mr Kishori Lal, Industries Minister, while replying to a question of Mr Kaul Singh. He said a survey carried out by the Geological Survey of India indicated presence of gold deposits in Soan khad near Ghumarvin, the Beas river and Baner in Kangra and near Shamshi in Kulu, near Dharampur in Mandi and the catchment area of the Markanda river in Sirmour. The contents in streams varied from six to 20 parts per billion.
Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, told the House that seven cases of fraud involving an amount of Rs 50 lakh were detected in the state Agriculture Department during past five years.
Answering a question of Mr Praveen Sharma, he said that FIRs had been lodged in all the cases and the investigations were in progress. The Agriculture Development Officers, Jagdish Ram, Hans Raj Mehta and Hari Dutt Sharma, Gurdas Ram, a senior assistant, Gurdev Singh, a clerk, Sada Nand Pundeer, a senior assistant and Alam Chand, Agriculture Extension Officer, were involved in these cases.
The Minister of State for Primary Education, Mr Karan Singh, told Mr Gangu Ram Musafir that 1769 posts of JBT teachers were lying vacant and these would be filled after the 1444 trainees in various institutions completed their training in December this year.
Replying to another question of Mr Kaul Singh and Ms Asha Kumari (Cong), he said that 4033 teachers were recruited on a contract basis against the post of JBT teachers, which included 2348 trained graduate teachers and 1685 classical and vernacular teachers.
Replying to another question, he said that there were 10,484 sanctioned primary schools in the state of which 10,384 were functional. As many as 35,548 posts of teachers had been created in these schools of which 3670 were vacant.
Mr Roop Singh, Forest Minister, told Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, that as many as 10,908 cases of illicit felling were detected from 1995-96 to 1997-98. While the culprits were convicted by a court in one case, the forest officials compounded the offence in 7,277 cases. He said in order to check illicit felling three flying squads had been set up and wireless set had been provided to ensure quick action.

Dalit seeks protection
From Our Correspondent
MANDI, July 21 — Rup Singh, a Dalit of Doogh village in Jogindernagar subdivision, has appealed to the state human rights commission seeking protection for himself and his family.
In a lengthy petition to the commission, he alleged that the Jogindernagar police was in collusion with certain miscreants who were threatening to burn his family alive. "Save me and my family", he begs the commission.
The petitioner says that he was working in the Public Works Department as a daily-wage earner along with Roshni Devi, at Ahju. Roshni Devi's husband had been missing for the past couple of years.
The petition states that on June 3 four persons of Roshni's village came to Ahju and forced him to accompany them to the village. He was taken to a solitary room in the village, beaten up and asked to admit that he had an affair with Roshni Devi. Later he was dragged to another room where Roshni Devi was also being tortured.
He was left unconscious in the room. On regaining consciousness he escaped and came to know that Roshni Devi had died.
The petition alleges that the Jogindernagar police did not record the facts about the death of Roshni Devi.
An FIR was registered at the intervention of Mr Khajan Singh, president, Progressive Farmers Union, who accompanied him to the police station.
Mr Sanjay Kumar Kundu, SP, when contacted said no relative of Roshni Devi had alleged that it was a case of murder, and she had already been cremated when Rup Singh came to the police station.