Jethmalani sees no threat to govt
DHARMSALA, March 31 — The Union Minister for Urban Development, Mr Ram Jethmalani, said today that there was no threat to the coalition government at the Centre as Ms Jayalalitha, would continue giving support, as she had no other option.

Timber worth Rs 1 cr seized
SUNDERNAGAR, March 31— The police here seized deodar logs and other timber worth more than Rs one crore from a tourist resort situated 18 km from here today which falls in the Assembly segment of Mr Rup Singh, Forest Minister, Himachal.

7 arrested for murder
SOLAN (HP), March 31 — The police today arrested seven persons on the charge of beating to death a 40-year-old man at Bhatoli Kalan village under Barotiwala police station in this district on Tuesday night.

Girl killed in freak accident
SUNDERNAGAR, March 31 — Purnima (17) was killed and two other girls were injured when the seat of a giant wheel fell on them yesterday.

Army recruitment from April 8
NAHAN, March 31 — The Branch Recruiting Office, Shimla, will commence recruitment for the Army from April 8 at Annadale Ground, Shimla, according to a press note issued here today. Recruitment will be done districtwise.

HP amends order on unauthorised structures
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, March 31 — The Himachal government has approved a policy for retention/regularisation of the construction activities undertaken without permission in various parts of the state. This order will be applicable to the buildings and other structures constructed up to December 31, 1996. This order has been issued under provisions of the HP Town and Country Planning Act, 1977.

The state government is reported to have taken this decision following pressure by a lobby which had raised many big buildings in various parts of the state from time to time. Cases against such persons/organisations are pending in various courts of law for final disposal. This lobby was apprehensive that if these cases were decided by the court, the matter would be decided against them and they thought it fit to get the old order amended by the government. The lobby succeeded and got the new order issued.

Highly placed sources in the administration disclosed here today that all buildings for which conditional "no-objection-certificates" had been issued would be eligible for retention. Retention will be allowed, subject to minimum availability of path. However, no retention will be allowed on encroachments on the land of neighbours.

The Town and Country Planning Department or the local civic body will be the authority for the retention of the buildings or any other construction activity undertaken by anyone in the state. The quantum of demolition of structures will be decided as per the policy of the authority allowing retention and the demolition work be undertaken or entrusted to the Nagar Nigam, Nagar Parishad, Nagar Panchayat or the Gram Panchayats.

Those seeking retention will have to apply on a plain paper and submit their existing line building map and other documents like Sale deed/Jamabandi/Tatima showing access to his plot, location plan, site plan showing set backs access to the plot, copy of the sanctioned plan, if any and sectional elevation showing details including all projections.

An urban development fund may be created which should be managed by the local authority or the Town and Country Planning Department as the case may be. The funds would be used for providing basic amenities and carrying out demolitions.

It has been made obligatory on part of the person to contribute Rs 5,000 towards the "Urban Development Fund" where regularisation or retention was allowed.

The order says that the government may consider allowing the retention of two extra storeys over and above that admissible under the IDP/DP/Rules under Section-16. For the first additional storey, the owner shall be required to pay Rs 200 per square feet towards the Urban Development Fund. For the second additional storey, the owner shall be required to pay an amount @ Rs 400 per square feet towards the UDF. The order clearly states that an additional storey would have to be demolished.

Regarding coverage of the area up to 50 per cent deviation in set back may be permitted subject to the condition that the owner should pay towards UDF an amount @ Rs 1,000 per square feet of the area deviated. If the builder has constructed over other’s land, the builder should pay to the owner the cost of the land at the market rate, mutually decided. The portion of the land should be got transferred through revenue authority concerned.

Plots measuring one and half biswas and above purchased by the owner shall only be considered for retention. Plots below one and half biswas will not be allowed for retention or regularisation. The owner shall pay Rs 5,000 towards the UDF in lieu of retention/regularisation.

However, shops or houses built by allottees under any of the government schemes will be considered for retention, irrespective of the size of the plot. Such retention’s will be allowed without any contribution towards the UDF.

Those who had approved maps/plans and have deviated from such plans will also be considered for retention subject to the clauses enumerated above for those who have no approved plan at all. In case where electricity supply and water supply stand released, but no proper plan stands approved or NOC issued by the Town and Country Planning Department or otherwise, the retention may be allowed.

The order clearly states that in all such cases where, no retention is allowed under any case, the permission given for the installation of power and water supply, sewerage shall be withdrawn.

Town and Country planners and Executive officers of various civic bodies and Commissioner for Municipal Corporations will be prescribed officers for doing the needful under the provision of the HP Town and Country Planning Act, 1977.

Himachal Budget passed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 31 — The Himachal Assembly today passed the 1999-2000 Budget and also adopted the related appropriation bill authorising the government to spend Rs 4720.64 crore from the Consolidated Fund of the state.

The House discussed the demands for grants pertaining only to Excise and Taxtation, Health and Family Welfare, Education, and Public Works Departments. The Speaker applied guillotine when demands of Irrigation and Public Health Department were being discussed.

The Budget proposals were scrutinised by seven departmental Standing Committees of the House during the eight-day recess.

Intervening during discussion on cut motions pertaining to the Public Works Department Mr P.K Dhumal, Chief Minister, announced that $ 200 million project for the improvement of state highways and strategic roads was under negotiation with the World Bank. Talks were on for another project involving an amount of $ 150 million for the improvement of rural roads.

Replying to the discussion on cut motions Mr Mohinder Singh, the Public Works Minister, said the government would explore the possibility of rational deployment of machinery.

Speaking on the cut motions Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, said funds for maintenance should be allocated keeping in view the length of roads. He said the Sarahan-Chandigarh road should be completed on priority.

Mrs Asha Kumari called for a uniform policy for the recruitment of beldars. She said the BJP-HVC government had engaged about 4000 beldars out of which as many as 3387 were recruited in Mandi district alone with Dharampur division accounting for 2260 of them.

Mrs Viplove Thakur expressed concern over the delay in the transfer of forest land which stalled construction of roads and suggesting the setting up of committees comprising local subdivisional engineers and forest rangers to prepare the cases expeditiously.

Earlier Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister announced during the question hour that the government would not cancel any of the three memorandums of understanding signed by the previous government for the setting up cement plants in the state.

Mr Kishori Lal, Industries Minister, said the government would not review the agreement it was only coming out with new policy for the grant of incentives to industries. The three cement plants would provide direct employment to about 1500 persons and indirect employment to over 15000 persons.

Mr Ram Lal Markanday, Rural Development Minister, informed Mr Tek Chand that there was no move to make panchayat chowkidars into part-time workers. Their wages had already been increased from Rs 300 to Rs 400 per month from March 17.

Mr Praveen Kumar, Minister for Sports and Youth Services, told Mr. Raghu Raj that the job quota for sportspersons had been increased from one to three per cent.

In a written reply the Forest Minister, Mr Roop Singh, informed the House that forest settlement operations were being carried out in Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Sirmaur, Solan, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti. So far forest area of 5,25,539, hectares had been settled and entered in revenue records. It was not possible to fix any time limit as the forest settlement was a statutory procedure and the progress was subject to availability of skilled personnel and financial resources.

HP Day function to be held in Rajgarh
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 31 — The state-level Himachal Day function on April 15 will be held at Rajgarh in Sirmaur district.

Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, will preside over the function.

Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha will preside over the function at Dharamsala and Mr Kishori Lal Vaidya, Industry Minister at Shimla. Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture, and Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, Minister of State for Urban Development, would also attend the function at Shimla.

Mr Mohinder Singh, Public Works Minister, will preside over the function at Hamirpur, Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister, at Una. Mr Kishan Kapoor, Transport Minister, at Bilaspur and Mr Ramesh Chand, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, at Chamba.

Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Supply Minister, will preside over the function at Solan.

Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, will preside over the function at Mandi, Mr Vidya Sagar. Agriculture Minister, at Kinnaur, Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Minister of State for Corporation, at Keylong and Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda, at Kulu.

April 7 as Age Care Day in HP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 31 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to observe World Health day as Age Care day this year with a view to extending better health facilities to elderly persons above 60 years.

Announcing this here today, Mr J.P. Nada, Health Minister, said the theme for the day, to be observed on April 7, would be 'Active ageing makes a difference', to ensure active participation and involvement of the aged in society.

Special OPDs would be set up in all zonal, district and 200-bedded hospitals of the state exclusively for the aged. Test would be conducted for diseases related to old age.

The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal would preside over the state-level Age Care Day programme at a special OPD centre of Indira Gandhi Medical College here. Health cards would be issued to aged persons which would carry the detailed history of their ailments and diagnosis required. This card would also entitle them for out-of-turn, priority check-up in all health institutions. Aged persons would no longer have to stand in queue for availing themselves of medical and health care.

Mr Nadda said the first Tuesday of every month would be dedicated for the care of the aged and special clinics would be arranged for them on that day. All chief medical officers had been issued directions to hold such clinics in the districts. Health care facilities would be further strengthened in the rural areas.

A special health awareness and consciousness campaign was being launched in the state from tomorrow. During the week-long campaign, effort would be made to inculcate a spirit of respect and care towards elderly people among the young generation.

Jethmalani sees no threat to govt
Tribune News Service

DHARMSALA, March 31 — The Union Minister for Urban Development, Mr Ram Jethmalani, said today that there was no threat to the coalition government at the Centre as Ms Jayalalitha, would continue giving support, as she had no other option.

Mr Jethmalani came here to meet the Dalai Lama and also paid a visit to a Tibetan monastery at Bhattu, near Baijnath. He said that the government was fairly stable and in a coalition one has to respectfully listen to the demands of the various coalition partners. Commenting on the demands of Ms Jayalalitha he said. "Some people think that every little thing that they do is an earthquake and they are entitled to magnify themselves."

Mr Jethmalani said that if Ms Jayalalitha had made any sensible demands, the government would have had no problems in accepting them. He said that the two statements made by her regarding removal of George Fernandes from the Defence Ministry and reinstatement of Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, seemed to be inconsistent", and he did not know which one was true. "Let there be a debate in Parliament so that truth can be known and a decision be taken after the debate," he said. He added that there was no major threat to the government, as the future of the allies who deserted the BJP was also uncertain.

Commenting on the role being played by Mr Subramaniam Swamy, he said that in a democracy every sparrow had the right to topple even the elephant. "He is one person whose name also I do not wish to take from my tongue," commented Mr Jethmalani.

Regarding the Tibetan issue, he said that the matter was complex.

Today there is precious little that the Indian government can do except exert moral pressure on China, to resolve the Tibetan issue," said Mr Jethmalani. He however added that Mr Jaswant Singh, was the right man to answer as to how much role India could play.

"We let down Tibet and brought abut 1962 humiliation, due to the inapt handling of the Tibetan issue right in the beginning only", he observed. He said that now we have to go by the advice of the Dalai Lama, as we have accepted him, the leader of the Tibetans. "Ultimately the solution that I see is autonomy in Tibet, with a technical Chinese suzerainty and the Dalai Lama too has given up his demand for total independence," he stated. He added that China should have no problem in giving complete cultural autonomy consistent with political autonomy in Tibet.

Mr Jethmalani, strongly felt that the defence frontiers should be far away from the political frontier. He said that North of Tibet should have been the defence frontier for India.

Mr Jethmalani, arrived here yesterday by a chartered flight at Gaggal Airport and drove to Bhattu monastery near Baijnath, to meet the head of the institution, Situ Rimpoche, who is his personal friend. After spending the night at Bhattu, he met the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, today morning. He was also accompanied by an Australian MP.

Timber worth Rs 1 cr seized
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, March 31— The police here seized deodar logs and other timber worth more than Rs one crore from a tourist resort situated 18 km from here today which falls in the Assembly segment of Mr Rup Singh, Forest Minister, Himachal.

According to Mr Sanjay Kundu, S.P. Mandi, yesterday the Aut police captured a truck from which 148 logs of deodar were seized. In this case one person was arrested who on interrogation revealed that logs were being supplied to a Tourist Resort at Slapper, on this the police raided "Mid Way Tourist & Resorts Ltd." and seized the logs and converted wooden material.

The S.P. Mandi and team of reporters visited the spot today separately and found there the tourist resort had more than 30 rooms and in one room the wooden material of worth more than Rs 3 lakh was used.

A case under section 32, 33, 41, 42 of the Indian Forest Act read with Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code was registered and arrested Rama Nand Bhardwaj, the owner of the Resorts, and a Forest Guard of Kangu Forest Beat, Nathu Ram today. A senior Forest officer has been deployed to measure the wooden material to know its price. According to an officer of the Forest Department the material is more than 10 truckloads. According to the police involvement of forest department officials could not be ruled and because vehicles had been passing through the forest barriers and it could not be possible with the connivance of forest officials. It is talk of town as the Forest Minister hails from this place.

7 arrested for murder

SOLAN (HP), March 31 (UNI) — The police today arrested seven persons on the charge of beating to death a 40-year-old man at Bhatoli Kalan village under Barotiwala police station in this district on Tuesday night.

According to the police, the assailants after beating the victim, took him to a private clinic at Baddi and later to the PGI at Chandigarh where he died last evening.

The police said that the cause of murder was old enmity over some financial dealings.

In another case, the police arrested one person and recovered 6 kg of silver, 12 grams of gold and Rs 37,500 in cash from his possession at Domeher near Bhumti under Arki police station in this district last evening.

The district police chief, Mr M.L. Negi said that police on a tip off intercepted a scooterist who managed to escape during a nakabandi near Batal village. A police party chased and overpowered him near Shanan village on the Arki-Bhumati road. During the search, the police recovered the silver, gold and cash from him.

A case has been registered and the scooter impounded.

Girl killed in freak accident
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, March 31 — Purnima (17) was killed and two other girls were injured when the seat of a giant wheel fell on them yesterday.

According to information the giant wheel was installed in the mela ground and was brought here for Nalwari Fair. When the three girls were passing by a seat got detached and fell on the girls. These were rushed to the Civil Hospital. Punima who was referred to the PGI died on way to the hospital.

The police has registered a case under Sections 337, 338 and 304-A of the IPC against the owner of the giant wheel. No arrest has been made so far.

Army recruitment from April 8
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, March 31 — The Branch Recruiting Office, Shimla, will commence recruitment for the Army from April 8 at Annadale Ground, Shimla, according to a press note issued here today. Recruitment will be done districtwise.

Candidates from Sirmaur district will be recruited on April 8 while those from Shimla and Solan districts will be recruited on April 9 and April 10 respectively. Sons and brothers of soldiers and ex-servicemen will be recruited on April 11. Candidates from Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti districts will be recruited from April 8 to April 11.