Illegal felling of trees alleged
BILASPUR, April 11 — Mr Kanshi Ram, president, gram panchayat, Salwaad, 80 km from here, has filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of the Cr PC against the local Divisional Forest Officer, range officers of Jhandutta and Kalol forest ranges and some forest contractors alleging "complicity and nexus" between them in allowing illegal felling of precious khair trees worth crores of rupees from government forests.

5 houses gutted in fire
UNA, April 11 — Five houses in lower Basal here were destroyed in fire today at 12 noon. According to information, fire engines reached the spot immediately and prevented the fire from further spreading.

YC threat to stage dharna
CHAMBA, April 11 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress has threatened to stage of dharna here if the six persons held captive by militants since August last year are not traced soon.

Employment scheme a failure
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 11 — The employment assurance scheme, which was launched in the state in October, 1993, to provide gainful employment to rural people during the lean season, has turned out to be a failure.

The manner in which the scheme was implemented can be gauged from the fact that funds for it were not fully utilised from 1993 to 1998. In the first year (1993-94) of the total Rs 43.75 lakh, a sum of only Rs 2.47 lakh was spent. The percentage of unspent funds was as high as 94. Of Rs 576.28 lakh allocated the following year, the amount actually spent was Rs 115.02 lakh. The trend continued until 1997-98 and the unspent balance increased to Rs 17.51 crore.

The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India in his report, has also pointed out glaring lapses in the implementation of the scheme which was funded by the Centre and the state in the ratio of 80 to 20.

The unspent funds each year were much more than the state's share. Thus, the unspent funds, mostly of the central government, helped boost the cash balance of the state government.

No shelf of projects was prepared at the district and block levels. Contrary to the provisions of the scheme, low priority was accorded to water and conservation works and top priority was given to link roads.

While no physical targets were fixed for the execution of the works, project officers of the district rural development agencies (DRDA) of Chamba, Una and Kinnaur showed inflated figures of expenditure by the Government of India.

In many cases, the DRDAs and block development officers diverted funds to different schemes, like mid-day meals, operation blackboard, purchase of vehicle and the Gandhi Kuteer Yojna.

For instance, the agencies of Solan and Una diverted Rs 2.59 lakh and Rs 2.70 lakh, respectively. Similarly, the BDOs of Amb (Rs 9 lakh), Bilaspur (Rs 10 lakh), Ghumarvin (Rs 7.98 lakh) and Bangana (Rs 6 lakh) also diverted funds. In all, Rs 52.96 was unauthorisedly diverted.

In Bilaspur, Kinnaur, Solan and Una districts, neither the names of workers were registered nor family cards issued to the 74,947 persons reported to have been provided employment under the scheme.

No records were maintained at the district or block levels to indicate that 100 days' assured employment had been provided.

The shortfall in the generation of employment in terms of mandays ranged between 58 and 84 per cent during 1994-98. Against the assured 100 days, employment was provided for 16 to 42 mandays per person over the period.

While inflated figures of employment generation were reported by the BDO, Ghumarvin, the names of 78 workers in Bilaspur, Dharmpur, Kunihar and Jhandutta blocks did not appear in the voters' list.

Although assets worth Rs 10.31 crore were created in five districts under the scheme, no inventory was maintained and the funds were also not transferred to the departmental bodies as required under the scheme.

Besides, the payment of Rs 2.97 crore made during 1994-98 in five blocks was not supported by a certificate to the effect that these had been made to actual payees. There was also a delay of 46 months in the constitution of the District Employment Assurance scheme committees.

Tourist season yet to take off
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, April 11 — With the flow of tourists being diverted to Srinagar, after a long period of militancy, hoteliers and others associated with the tourism industry here are a worried lot.

As compared to last year the tourist season this time has not really picked up, nor do the bookings for the coming summer season look very encouraging. A majority of the hoteliers in McLeodganj and Dharamsala admit that with the return of normalcy, the tourist rush to Srinagar has greatly affected business in Himachal.

Most people say it is the lack of vision and planning on the part of officials that Himachal has failed to attract tourists on a permanent basis. No doubt nature has endowed. Himachal with ample scenic beauty, but there is hardy anything that the government has done to promote the state as a popular tourist destination." Compelled by terrorism in Srinagar "tourists were left with little choice and they kept coming to Himachal, but with better options very few would like to return here," commented a hotelier.

Hoteliers say had it not been for the Tibetan spiritual leader. the Dalai Lama, they would have suffered huge losses. There are a lot of people who have constructed hotels, after taking huge loans, but are now disappointed. Owing to the presence of the Dalai Lama, here, a large number of foreign tourists arrive here year after year.

However, there is very little effort that the government has put in to develop the place. Till date, even basic facilities like proper roads, lighting, parking and garbage disposal remain neglected. McLeodganj continues to look like a slum. There is no check on the construction of multistoreyed hotels, which make the place look like a concrete jungle. points out an official of the Tourism Department. "The contribution of hoteliers has been nil, as they should have gone in for resorts with open space and hill architecture, which is in harmony with the surroundings," he says.

With the thrust being on adventure tourism, there is a lot that the Kangra valley can offer. The Regional Mountaineering Institute at McLeodganj is attracting a large number of tourists from Gujarat and Maharashtra every year. The centre offers courses in high altitude trekking, rock climbing, adventure camps and skiing. Foreigners love to explore the majestic Dhauladhars and trek from here to Chamba.

Over the past three years the Tourism Department has failed to hold the paragliding event. There is a craze among foreigners for paragliding, and Billing, near Baijnath, is known to be one of the finest aerosports site in the world. It appears unlikely that this year too the department will hold the event in May.

The Pong Dam, which remains an undeveloped site, could have been turned into a major tourist attraction. Thousands of rare migratory birds descend on this place during the winter months, but proper facilities for tourists are lacking. Though the government has announced a number of projects for the area, it remains to be seen if these will materialise.

‘Register case against Virbhadra Singh’
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 11 — Mr Sukh Ram, President of the Himachal Vikas Congress, today said the Supreme Court verdict rejecting the claim of Raja Mohinder Pal that his right over the Kutlehar forest was equal to that of the state government had vindicated his party's stand and put Mr Virbhadra Singh in the dock.

Addressing a Press conference here he said it was a fit case for a CBI probe to expose the role of Mr Virbhadra Singh in showering "undue benefits" on the erstwhile Rajah who was also his close relative. The HVC had not included it in its charge sheet against Mr Virbhadra Singh as the matter was sub judice, he added.

He urged the government to register criminal cases not only against Mr Mohinder Pal but also Mr Virbhadra Singh who tacitly allowed the former ruler to "plunder" the forest wealth of Kutlehar. He also demanded immediate steps to restrain Mr Mohinder Pal from disposing of his assets so that the excess money paid to him following the high court judgement could be recovered as per the order of the apex court.

Mr Sukh Ram alleged that certain land records were forged and changed by officials to help Mr Virbhadra Singh. A high-powered tribunal should be set up to reconstruct and rectify the whole record of land belonging to him and members of his family so that criminal cases could be filed against him and land retained illegally could be restored to the government.

The HVC leader said the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India had proved that the payment of commission in raising loans was illegal and attracted criminal action. While Rs 7.90 crore was paid as service charges and commission, the rate of interest was exorbitantly high and much more than the market rates. A thorough investigation was required to expose the end-user of the commission.Referring to the political developments at the Centre he said there was no "stable" alternative to the Vajpayee government and if it felt a mid-term poll would be inevitable. However, he said it would not affect the Dhumal government.

Indo-Canadian conference today

SHIMLA, April 11 (UNI) — A four-day international conference on the "Twentieth century in retrospect: India and Canada’’ will be organised by the Centre for Canadian Studies Development Programme of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, in association with the Indian Association of Canadian Studies here from tomorrow.

The conference will have six plenary and six special sessions and as many as 60 general sessions. The participants in the conference, numbering 220 and including 25 foreign delegates from various parts of the world, will deliberate on various issues of concern to India and Canada.

The issues include environment and ecology, globalisation, multi-culturalism, federalism, gender, ethnicity, race, human rights, mass-media, sports, trade relations and their implications.

The conference will be inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Governor VS Rama Devi while university Vice-Chancellor S.K. Gupta will preside over the inaugural function. Dr Don Waterfall, Canadian Deputy High Commissioner in India, will grace the occasion.

Illegal felling of trees alleged
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, April 11 — Mr Kanshi Ram, president, gram panchayat, Salwaad, 80 km from here, has filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of the Cr PC against the local Divisional Forest Officer, range officers of Jhandutta and Kalol forest ranges and some forest contractors alleging "complicity and nexus" between them in allowing illegal felling of precious khair trees worth crores of rupees from government forests. He filed this complaint through his counsel, Mr R.K. Raghu, in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr D.K. Sharma, here. He has urged the court to summon the respondents and order investigation for initiating legal action against those who are guilty. Mr Kanshi Ram said his panchayat had requested the Divisional Forest Officer and the Conservator of Forests here on December 24,1998, that the panchayat should be given demarcation lists of marked khair trees on private lands of farmers here. But the department refused to give these lists. The panchayat leaders also met the Deputy commissioners in this connection.

5 houses gutted in fire
From Our Correspondent

UNA, April 11 — Five houses in lower Basal here were destroyed in fire today at 12 noon. According to information, fire engines reached the spot immediately and prevented the fire from further spreading.

The total loss due to the fire was said to be more than Rs 4 lakh. Premchand, who was to construct a new house, had kept the cash for the purchase of raw material which was also destroyed.

Mr Arvind Shukla, SDM, reached the spot immediately and gave interim relief.

YC threat to stage dharna
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, April 11 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress has threatened to stage of dharna here if the six persons held captive by militants since August last year are not traced soon.

In a press note issued here today, Mr Mohinder Handa, president of the district unit of the HP Youth Congress, alleged that the Himachal Government had failed to find out the whereabouts of the hostages.

He also alleged that the government had failed to fix accountability for lapses which led to the Kalaban-Satrundi and Suppa Choli carnages.