Worker's death sparks unrest
SOLAN, April 1 — Following the death of Suraj Kumar, a worker of Winsome Textiles Mills Ltd in Baddi, after an accident inside the mill on Tuesday, a mob of over 700 enraged workers threw stones at the mill buildings, causing heavy damage, yesterday.

Daroh college still incomplete
PALAMPUR: Work on Police Training College, Daroh has slackened for want of funds. The differences between the two top BJP leaders, Mr Shanta Kumar who hails from the village and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, have put a question mark on the completion of the college.

WTO imposed patent laws: Expert warns of famine
SHIMLA, April 1 — Dr Vandana Shiva, a noted environmentalist and Director, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, Dehradun, has warned that the country might have to face a Bengal-like famine over the next five years if the people failed to fight the laws being imposed by the WTO in the name of globalisation of trade.

Khalsa March
SHIMLA, April 1 — The local Sri Guru Singh Sabha is organising Khalsa March as part of the celebration of the 300th birth anniversary of the Khalsa.

Rs 1 cr timber seizure case
Block Forest Officer held
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, April 1 — The Block Officer of the Forest Department posted at Larji Forest Check-post was arrested today following the seizure of deodar timber valued over Rs 1 crore in the premises of Midway Tourists Resorts Ltd at Slapper in this district.

Mr Sanjay Kundu, SP said the owner of the hotel who had been remanded in police custody, was being interrogated.

He said search was on to nab Om Parkash alias Omi of Banjar and Mangat Ram Khanna of Bali Chowki, the suspected mafia members, who were absconding. Sanju son of the hotel owner and two forest guards of Larji check-post were also missing to evade arrest, he said.

The driver, conductor and the owner of the truck No HP-33-2372 which had been seized by the police on Tuesday with contraband timber valuing over Rs 4.5 lakh were also at large.

Meanwhile, Mr S S Guleria, Income-tax Officer Mandi, served summons on Bhardwaj in Sundernagar police station last night for explaining the source of investment in the multi-crore hotel.

Mr Prithvi Lal, Deputy Director Income-tax (Investigation) Shimla is reportedly inquiring into the huge investment in the Resort.

The seizure of illicit timber has exposed the futility of forest check-posts as timber worth crores of rupees has been smuggled out of Himachal allegedly in connivance with officials of the Forest Department.

In a series of raids made jointly by Kataula and Panarasa Forest ranges over the past three days deodar timber worth over Rs two lakh was seized.

Mr Vineet Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, said here today 56 logs of deodar were captured from the house of Kishan Chand of Tihri village. Timber was also recovered from the house of Gopal of the same village in the shape of frames besides logs.

Forest officials also took into possession 12 deodar logs lying on the roadside.

Timber is also being smuggled in vans by converting it into frames and cut pieces.

It is believed that the timber sanctioned under TD at a nominal price to right-holders is being smuggled on large scale.

Claim on UT ‘closed chapter’
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 1 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today said the issue of Himachal's claim on Chandigarh was a closed chapter as far as the Centre was concerned.

Replying to a debate on a private resolution moved by Mr Chandra Sen he said no Himachali would oppose any resolution seeking 7.19 per cent share in Chandigarh in accordance with the Punjab State Reorganisation Act. But the fact was that the Centre had never accepted the state's claim.

The Himachal government had made several representations on the matter over the past 30 years. The House had even passed a resolution to this effect but the Centre had maintained that the state had no ground to be dissatisfied on this account.

Chandigarh had been given to Punjab in lieu of transfer of Abohar and Fazilka to Haryana and as such Himachal had nothing to do with it. He said there was no point in adopting a resolution on a dead issue.Mr Chandra Sen withdrew the resolution after the reply of the Chief Minister.

Replying to another resolution moved by Mr Kaul Singh seeking wages for workers in backward areas on a par with tribal areas, Mr Dhumal said the state did not have resources for the same. The government was making efforts for speedy development of backward areas so that these could become part of the mainstream. However, it could consider giving higher wages as and when ample resources were available.

Earlier moving the resolution, Mr Kaul Singh said that the people in backward areas were very poor and deserved higher wages. While employees were getting compensatory allowance, workers were not being given any additional benefit.

Mrs Asha Kumari said the geographical and socio-economic conditions in backward and tribal areas in Chamba were similar. Since the state's request for according these areas the tribal status had been rejected, it should take steps at its own level to grant the people living in these areas additional benefits.

The resolution moved by Mr Rangila Ram Rao, seeking unemployment allowance for the jobless in the state and formulation of a comprehensive plan for solving the problem of unemployment in a time-bound manner, was also rejected.

Replying to the debate, Mr Dhumal said the government was making all possible efforts to generate more employment opportunities. Last year 1.30 lakh jobs were created and in the ensuing year 1.5 lakh persons would be provided jobs.

Work on hydel projects was being taken up on a priority basis and this would help generate employment.

Worker's death sparks unrest
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, April 1 — Following the death of Suraj Kumar, a worker of Winsome Textiles Mills Ltd in Baddi, after an accident inside the mill on Tuesday, a mob of over 700 enraged workers threw stones at the mill buildings, causing heavy damage, yesterday.

Suraj Kumar, a migrant labourer from Orissa, was reportedly seriously injured in the legs when he tripped on to a running machine while on duty. He was rushed to the PGI immediately where he died last morning. Some of his fellow workers who had visited the PGI in the forenoon yesterday somehow gathered the impression that the factory management had tried to dispose of Suraj's body to avoid paying heavy compensation. Till that time, the factory management had not lodged any FIR with the police. In fact, the Baddi police station received information from the PGI itself.

Trouble started after the return of the workers to Baddi. Groups of workers started assembling outside the mills. Initially, the agitated workers confined their action to slogans and speeches. They resorted to throwing stones after a sizeable mob, numbering over 700, gathered. The workers' main demand was that their deceased colleague's body should be handed over to them for the last rites.

The Superintendent of Police, Mr M.L. Negi, said Suraj was indeed injured while working inside the mills and had died at the PGI. However, he could not furnish any more details as he claimed he was not posted with full facts of the case.

The mill management had lodged an FIR, naming 19 persons as the ones who had indulged in stone-throwing and causing heavy damage to the mill building. However, no arrests had been made till the time of filing this report.

Production in the mills, which employed at least 2000 workers, remained suspended yesterday but was resumed partially today. The situation was tense but seemed to be under control with policemen mounting a strict vigil.

Himachal to promote religious tourism

JAWALAMUKHI, April 1 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided in principle to promote religious tourism and provide elaborate facilities in all religious sanctuaries, the Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor told reporters yesterday.

He also said the Transport Department was committed to providing the required infrastructure in the state. He added that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) authorities were right in saying the HRTC would construct a bus stand only if the Jawalamukhi Nagar Panchayat provided the land needed for the purpose. He admitted that the present Jawalamukhi bus stand space was not enough as per the prevailing requirements.

Mr Krishan Kapoor said construction could not be taken in hand because of ownership dispute of the land of the present bus stand. He cleared that unless mutation of the land in question was done in favour of the HRTC, it would not be possible to go ahead with the project.

He said the state government was also looking for another piece of suitable land for the said purpose. With the increase in the numbers of pilgrims, the bus stand has become necessary.

Replying to a question, he said the government had decided to rationalise the transport policy with a special thrust on the improvement of bus service in rural areas. He said a plan was on the anvil to give new route permits to private bus operators with special emphasis on the rural areas.

Mr Kapoor maintained that people in especially remote and interior areas of the state were facing hardship due to poor transport services.

He further said the state government was also planning to ply buses on untarred and kutcha roads. Mr Kapoor said there were many kutcha roads where neither private nor the HRTC buses had been plying. The government would sanction routes on the tax-free basis for at least five years, he said.

Mr Kapoor said the government would soon induct about 30 new de luxe buses in its fleet. The HRTC has added 134 new buses in its fleet this year, he said. Expressing serious concern over the phenomenal rise in over-time payments to the staff, he said the government would try to check mismanagement in the corporation.

He said the government would ensure that rotational duties of the staff, including drivers and conductors, were regulated on weekly basis.

Missing child ‘killed’ by animal
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 1 — The police has sought cancellation of the FIR pertaining to disappearance of a minor girl in Solan district as investigations have revealed that she was killed by a carnivore.

This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, in the Vidhan Sabha today in reply to a question tabled by Mrs Asha Kumari (Cong).

Mr Dhumal said a laboratory report had said that the child was eaten by a carnivore. The child was reported missing in June last year and a case was registered in the police station at Kasauli.

Mrs Asha Kumari said the government had been giving different facts about the case on various occasions. Earlier, it was said a boy, Kamlesh, was arrested as he was suspected of having kidnapped the girl and handed her over to a "tantrik" for sacrifice. However, the government had now changed the version.

Mr Dhumal said the latest report had said that the child had been killed by an animal.

In reply to a question tabled by Mr Kaul Singh (Cong), Mr Dhumal said the government was genuinely interested in the speedy construction of hydro-electric projects. The HPSEB could be considered for executing the Uhal Stage III project by the HPSEB provided the board was in a position to raise finances.

Mr Dhumal said the state government had terminated the implementation agreement for the project with Ballarpur Industries which did not respond to the notices sent from time to time. It had been decided to execute the project through a central public sector undertaking of the HPSEB.

Replying to supplementaries pertaining to another question tabled by Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) regarding steps being taken by the government to remove water shortage in Shimla town, Mr Dhumal stressed on the need for conserving water as the problem this summer could be more because of little snowfall and rains. Several long-term measures were being considered for meeting the water crisis.

Mr Ramesh Chand, IPH Minister, said the water supply had increased to 62 lakh gallons per day following replacement of old pipes in the town.

The Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, introduced a Bill seeking to simplify the General Sales Tax Act by bringing within the ambit of the self-assessment scheme only those dealers whose annual gross turnover did not exceed Rs 25 lakh.

It also provides for setting up tribunals to hear appeals pertaining to sales tax.

Daroh college still incomplete
From Ravinder K Sood

PALAMPUR: Work on Police Training College, Daroh has slackened for want of funds. The differences between the two top BJP leaders, Mr Shanta Kumar who hails from the village and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, have put a question mark on the completion of the college.

The foundation stone of this institution was laid by Mr Shanta Kumar in 1991, as the Chief Minister. Initially, the state government had allocated a sum of Rs 13 crore on this project, which was to be partly financed by the Centre. There was a plan to construct over 60 buildings, including administrative, teaching , residential complexes and a mess, each for gazetted and non-gazetted officers and NGO barracks etc.

In the second phase a hospital, indoor stadium were also to be built. It was also planned that the basic structure of the institution would be on the lines of police training colleges at Madhuban (Haryana) or Phillaur (Punjab).

At present the state government sends its officers for training outside the state. It was also announced that the college would be functional within five year.

Out of the basic plan estimate of Rs 13 crore, till date only Rs 5.35 crore has been made available for the construction of buildings and other infrastructure. Over half dozen buildings are half way houses since the Public Works Department has no funds. In the last budget only Rs 14 lakh was allocated for this project, which was not sufficient to meet liabilities of previous year. As a result all construction activities were stopped. However, to maintain the pace of construction the PWD diverted Rs 18 lakh towards the project from other sources in the last financial year. The state government has not sanctioned additional funds for the project.

The post of deputy inspector general of police-cum-principal as in charge of the college has been created. In the past eight months DIGs were transferred every month on political considerations. Mr K S Rana, Mr R K Singh and Mr Vijay Pal Singh, all DIGs were shifted from here last year. In the past four years officers who allegedly offended their seniors or politicians were posted to the college.

7 arrested for murder

SOLAN, April 1 (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 Wednesday.

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 on Tuesday.

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.

WTO imposed patent laws
Expert warns of famine
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 1 — Dr Vandana Shiva, a noted environmentalist and Director, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, Dehradun, has warned that the country might have to face a Bengal-like famine over the next five years if the people failed to fight the laws being imposed by the WTO in the name of globalisation of trade.

Addressing a press conference here today, she said India and other developing countries should learn from the bitter experience of Indonesia where millions were facing starvation. The new patent laws and genetically engineered seeds would put farmers entirely at the mercy of multinational companies like Monsanto which controlled 70 per cent of the global seed market. The "terminator seed" developed by the company, which would make replacement of seed every year inevitable provided a glimpse of things to come.

Dr Shiva said the nefarious designs of multinationals companies which were operating through the WTO and the IMF, could be defeated only through public pressure. She had already launched a "nav dhanya' movement in the country to create awareness among the farmers about the dangers of globalisation of agricultural trade.

She said the free trade regime and patent laws if implemented in the present form would spell doom for bio-diversity.

She said apprehensions that India would be isolated if it did not join the WTO were misplaced as a countries with a billion people could not be left out.

Dr Shiva maintained that there should be no further rounds of negotiation and the focus should be on evaluating the impact of the Uruguay round. Meantime, the country should formulate an agriculture policy based on food security rather that one catering to the needs of multinationals.

She criticised the new exim policy announced by the government and said the decision to put 894 more items on the open general licence list would further open the Indian market for unrestricted import of junk from the West.

Expressing concern over the takeover of the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, by Monsanto, she said the institute would be used by the company to control the Asian market and carry out adaptation research for its already patented products.

She would organise a dharna at the institute with the cooperation of employees to oppose the surreptitious takeover and also launch a campaign to "expose" the scientist who had became a tool at the hands of multinationals.

Dr Shiva suggested that states should come out with legislations to preserve bio-diversity as agriculture and forestry were state subjects. "This would go a long way in preventing multinationals from exploiting our bio-resources", she emphasised.

Khalsa March
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 1 — The local Sri Guru Singh Sabha is organising Khalsa March as part of the celebration of the 300th birth anniversary of the Khalsa.

The march will commence from here on April 3 and after passing through Kandaghat, Solan, Dharmpur, Parwanoo, Pinjore and Nalagarh, culminate at Takht Sri Keshgarh — at Anandpur Sahib.