Chamba Hamirpur Dharamsala Mandi Shimla Una

Pak balloon lands near Nurpur
DHARAMSALA, Aug 14 — Residents of the tiny hamlet of Nihal, near Nurpur, were in for a surprise, when a balloon bearing the Pakistani flag and the photograph of the Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif, landed there this afternoon.

Doctors hold protest against beating
PARWANOO, Aug 14 — In protest against the alleged beating up of a private practitioner, Dr V.M. Kaul, yesterday, by the residents of Taksal village, about 4 km from here, the doctors here and in Kalka shut their clinics today.

Expose BJP’s misdeeds: Congress Seva Dal
HAMIRPUR, Aug 14 — The Congress Seva Dal will actively work for the victory of party candidates in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

ARTRAC commendations
SHIMLA, Aug 14 — On the eve of Independence Day, the GOC-in-C of the Army Training Command, Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, has awarded commendations to 46 Army personnel for dedication to duty.

Non-Congress govts "don’t survive"
MANDI, Aug 14 — A former Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Congress candidate for Mandi Parliamentary seat, Mr Kaul Singh, claimed here today that the Congress could provide a "strong and stable" goverment at the Centre on its own.

3 persons 'head' YC unit
UNA, Aug 14 — The District Youth Congress has the rare distinction of having three chiefs at the same time. These days the three are holding meetings of their supporters and issuing statements claiming to be the 'real' DYC president.

NCP to contest Mandi, Shimla seats
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 14 — The Nationalist Congress Party of Mr Sharad Pawar has decided to contest the Mandi and Shimla (Reserved) seats of Himachal Pradesh in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

This was stated by Mr Shyam Behari, Observer of the NCP, while talking to newsmen here today.

Mr Shyam Behari, who has come here to organise the party set up here, said that 61 applications for the party ticket for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state had been received. However, the NCP will contest only two seats.

He hinted that Mr Ravi Thakur might be fielded as the NCP candidate for Mandi and Mr M.L. Tomar for the Shimla (Reserved) seat.

He claimed that seven former legislators, including Mr Dinanath Shastri and Capt Minhas have joined the NCP.

Mr Shyam Behari said that Congressmen were disappointed with Mrs Sonia Gandhi who, he alleged, was surrounded by sycophants.

He said that there was public resentment against the BJP government of Mr P.K. Dhumal.

He said that the NCP would support Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief, in pulling down the Dhumal government.

ARTRAC commendations
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 14 — On the eve of Independence Day, the GOC-in-C of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, has awarded commendations to 46 Army personnel for dedication to duty.

They are Brig G.J. Gonsalves (Maratha Li), Brig Raj Krishan Sehgal (AEC), Col Prashant Kumar Gupta (Guards), Col J.P.S Ahluwalia (Arty), Col Mehar Singh Dahiya (JK Li), Col Jagdish Singh Verma (EME), Lt-Col C.M. Rodrigues (J.K Rif), Lt-Col C. Sandeep Kumar (Maratha Lt), Major Sanjiv Dhar (Armed Corps), Major Araresh Kumar Singh (Bihar), Major Parkash Vaishnav (AD Arty), Major Aditya Datta (AD Arty), Major Tejinder Jeet Singh (ASC), Capt Neeraj Sharma (AD Arty), Capt Amrit Talwar (Armed Corps), Capt Ajoy Mukherjee (Para), Lt-Col Raghubar Sharan Kala (Signals), Capt Pravakar Das (Signals), Sqn-Ldr Sanjay Dhir (Air Force), Cadet Tajinder Sharma (IMA), Ris Maj Bhagoti Prasad Sukla (RVC), Sub Balakrishnan TV (Madras), Sub Surendra Kumar Badola (Garhwal), Sub/Rt Ravindra Narayan (AOC), Nb Sub Manok Kumar Bora (AEC), Nb Sub Likhma Ram Chaudhary (EME), Nb Sub Ratti Ram (Arty), Hav Gurmukh Singh (Engineers), Hav/Clk Srinivasan P (Madras), Hav Lalengliana (Assam Regt), Hav (Pazhavara Udaya Kumar (Madras), Nk Syed Mahaboob Basha (Engineers), Nk Om Bir (Rajput), Nk Om Pal (Rajput), Sigmn J.S. Yadav (Signals), Sep Shekar Mt (Maratha Li), Steno Usha Rani Sood (CIV-ARTRAC), LDC VS Shikarwar (Civ MCTE), UDC Gracy Mathaikutty (CIV, CME), Lab Attendant KP Jayaraman (CIV, OTA), gestatenor operator Ved Parkash (CIV. C of C), casual porter Abdul Razak (CIV Haws), Subhash Chand (CIV. INI), Mr Narkewal Bedi (CIV. INI) and Mr Anees Chisti (CIV. INI).

Non-Congress govts "don’t survive"
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 14 — A former Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Congress candidate for Mandi Parliamentary seat, Mr Kaul Singh, claimed here today that the Congress could provide a "strong and stable" goverment at the Centre on its own.

He said past experience had proved that no non-Congress government had survived for more than two-and-a-half years and there had been seven Prime Ministers in six years of non-Congress rule.

Mr Kaul Singh, who was talking to mediapersons, said the people had been disillusioned with the short rule of the BJP and its alliance partners.

When asked if the Congress had not been playing a "villain’s role" in knocking down the non-Congress governments, he denied the allegation as "baseless", adding that these heterogeneous combinations of different parties fell under their own weight and due to inner contradictions.

The experiment of coalition governments had proved a "dismal failure" and the Congress party this time was poised to attain absolute majority. Asked if it failed to get the requisite number would it form a coalition government, he said Mrs Sonia Gandhi had said time and again that the party would prefer to seek outside support from the secular and Left parties in that event.

He said the Congress would raise the Kargil issue in the forthcoming elections and expose the government for the sacrifice of the lives of 1000 jawans and officers besides loss of thousands of crores to the state exchequer.

Helipads for Churah planned
From Balkrishan Prashar

CHURAH VALLEY (Chamba): Despite disturbed conditions arising from militants' activities and the massacre of 35 persons last year in the Churah valley bordering Jammu and Kashmir, a series of steps has been initiated by the Himachal Pradesh Government to promote tourism in the valley.

Recently, two hotels were registered at Tissa and a guest-house at Bhandal under the H.P. Tourist Trade Act by the Department of Tourism. The tourism department is in touch with local residents encouraging and motivating them to construct small lodges, guest-houses and hotels, particularly for budget tourists.

The Churah valley unfolds scenery for the artist, high mountains for the adventurous, countless species of vegetation for botanists, and a salubrious climate for the invalid. The valley, comprising Tissa and Salooni tehsils, is rich in forests and fascinating waterfalls.

Snowy landscapes, scenic islands and orchards offer vast scope for adventurous activities which, in turn, are a perennial source of tourism.

Besides revitalising the economy of Churah valley, tourism can act as a major force for the conservation of fauna and flora, and cultural heritage.

Of late, the Tourism Department has proposed building four helipads at Satrundi, Bhanjraru, Salooni and Khundi Mural in the valley. The sites for Satrundi and Bhanjraru helipads have been selected and land acquired.

The department has sanctioned about Rs 39 lakh for these two helipads on which construction is likely to be taken up shortly. The process to acquire land for two other helipads at Salooni and Khundi Mural is on.

The department has also allocated funds to the tune of Rs 4.87 lakh for the renovation and upkeep of an old Shiva temple at Bhanjraru and for attracting pilgrims to the Churah valley.

Doctors hold protest against beating
Tribune News Service

PARWANOO, Aug 14 — In protest against the alleged beating up of a private practitioner, Dr V.M. Kaul, yesterday, by the residents of Taksal village, about 4 km from here, the doctors here and in Kalka shut their clinics today. The mob had alleged that the boy, Harjit Singh, had died due to wrong medication administered by the doctor on Thursday.

The doctors also held a meeting this afternoon to decide whether they should take up emergency cases at night, "looking at the risk factors involved."

In a press note issued today, Dr Kaul has said Harjit Singh was already under treatment from some other doctors for the past four to five days. "Extra care was being taken for this boy, since he was the nephew of my personal driver", he added.

Dr Kaul has also said that the local police has registered an FIR under Sections 417, 148, 149, 323, 427, 451 and 506 of the IPC against those who "attacked him and and his family".

Expose BJP’s misdeeds: Congress Seva Dal
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Aug 14 — The Congress Seva Dal will actively work for the victory of party candidates in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Stating this here today the HP Seva Dal chief, Mr Sat Prakash Thakur, said the people of Himachal were fed up with the false promises and misdeeds of the BJP governments both at the Centre and in the state.

He said Seva Dal workers had been trained to manage all polling booths in the state to ensure that there was no rigging during the elections by BJP activists.

He accused the state government of mismanagement on all fronts. The one-point programme of the government, he said was to mint money through unfair means.

Mr Thakur demanded a high-level inquiry into the functioning of the Malana Hydel Project in the Kulu valley. He alleged that BJP workers were harassing the poor there in connivance with the contractors.

He gave a clarion call to the workers to go to the people and expose the misdeeds of the BJP governments both at the Centre and in the state.

He said the Kargil conflict was the result of wrong policies of the BJP and people should teach it a lesson for its anti-people policies.

The meeting was also attended by Ms Anita Verma, Vice-President of the state unit of the Congress, Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, ex-MLA, Mr Suresh Kumar, DCC chief and Maj Bidhi Chand (retd), President of the district Seva Dal.

Pak balloon lands near Nurpur
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 14 — Residents of the tiny hamlet of Nihal, near Nurpur, were in for a surprise, when a balloon bearing the Pakistani flag and the photograph of the Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif, landed there this afternoon.

On being informed by the villagers, the police reached the village, about 15 km from Nurpur, and took possession of the plastic balloon. It is believed that this could be the part of the balloon released during Pakistanis Independence Day celebrations today somewhere near the border close to Pathankot.

The police said that the balloon was about a metre long and white in colour. It bore pictures of about 20 Pakistani flags all over in green colour and a red photograph of Mr Sharif was imprinted on it. It also bore the slogan, "Pakistan azadi zindabad", written in Urdu.

The police, on the other hand, suspects that it could be a mischief by some local residents or those belonging to the adjoining areas. It pointed out that since the distance between the Pakistani border and the Nurpur area, was great, a thin plastic balloon, could not traverse such a long distance.

However, the news of the landing of the balloon spread like wild fire and a large number of people gathered there to have a look at it. The deflated balloon is now in the possession of the police.

3 persons 'head' YC unit
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Aug 14 — The District Youth Congress (DYC) has the rare distinction of having three chiefs at the same time. These days the three are holding meetings of their supporters and issuing statements claiming to be the 'real' DYC president.

Mr Vijay Angra was appointed the DYC chief in April 1999. While he has not been reportedly removed from the post, two more persons have been appointed DYC chiefs.

Mr Rajesh Prasher was appointed the DYC chief by state chief of the Youth Congress Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu about a week ago. Another person, Mr Jagroop, has been appointed as DYC chief reportedly by orders of the president of the National Youth congress.

Due to three 'chiefs', there is confusion among rank and file of the organisation.