Chowgan cries for care CHAMBA: The Chamba Welfare Association (CWA), a registered non-governmental organisation is scathing about the apathy of district authorities towards the conservation and preservation of the lush green belt Chowgan — despite protests from all law-abiding and senior citizens of Chamba town.

Malangar is Himachal Dy Speaker
SHIMLA, Aug 20 — Mr Ram Das Malangar of the BJP was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha.

Cable operator's office ransacked; 7 arrested
SHIMLA, Aug 20 — Activists of the National Students Union of India today ransacked the premises of a local television cable operator for allegedly having screened the controversial film "Kohram".

2 killed, 4 hurt in road mishap
SOLAN, Aug 20 — Two persons were killed on the spot and four injured when a Shimla-bound private truck bearing No. HP30-1172 rammed into a group of labourers returning to their homes near Dedgharat, 10 km from here, on the Kalka-Shimla national highway in the evening today.

Rajiv Gandhi remembered

Cloudburst causes heavy damage
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 20 — Property worth several lakhs of rupees was washed away and several heads of cattle perished in a cloudburst in Rehandhar village in Mandi district last night, official sources here said.

The cloudburst was localised in the village near Nagwain on the Mandi-Kulu-Manali national highway , 60-km from here, and rescue works were hampered as the road was blocked near Kotinallah due to heavy landslides.

Senior BJP leader and a member of the planning board, Mr Romesh Sharma, told mediapersons after visiting the spot that the impact of the cloudburst was so severe that it created a 50-feet-deep and 200-feet-wide pit.

The cloudburst raised the level in Silh and Mori nallah near Arsu from three to four feet to 20 feet in just 15 minutes, completely washing away whatever came in the way of gushing waters. The debris carried along with flood water was spread in villages in 5 km distance, damaging 120 acres of cultivated lands.

A primary health centre, doctors residences, eleven shops, vegetable market, were flooded and a 11-kv transmission line of HPSEB and pipelines of Irrigation and Public Health Departments were also washed away affecting the water and power supply,

Meanwhile the Kulu valley had been cut off from rest of the state following numerous landslides on the Kiratpur-Manali national highway.

Continuing intermittent rain in the region has caused widespread damage, particularly in Sarkaghat and Sundernagar sub-divisions.

Unprecedented rain last night damaged over 12 shops in Takoli on the Mandi-Kulu road when flood water from Shilla, Magshoi and Arsu Nullas entered the shops and houses causing estimated loss of over 15 lakh. Mr Prabodh Saxena, Deputy Commissioner, said no loss of life has so far been reported.

He said a report of sinking three houses at Dharampur in Sarkaghat subdivision has also been received. The SDM, Sarkaghat had rushed to the affected village.

Seven houses and over 12 cowsheds in Sundernagar sub-division have been damaged. All SDMs have been directed to give a daily report of damages to the district headquarter and also to provide immediate relief to the affected families.

Heavy rain in the region has paralysed normal life disrupting traffic, telecommunications, power and water supply in parts of the district. Newspapers are also received late.

Appointments issue generates heat
Himachal Assembly
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 20 — Pandemonium prevailed in the Himachal Vidhan Sabha today following a wordy clash between the Transport Minister, Mr K.K. Kapoor and a Congress member, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, over the issue of the appointment of 365 employees on a contract basis in the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).

The issue came up during question hour while the minister was answering a question tabled by Mr Kuldeep Kumar.

Tempers ran high when Mr Kuldeep Kumar wanted a specific reply as to who were the 13 other appointed persons whose separate list was attached in reply to the question, besides 365 others.

The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, intervened and informed the House that the 13 persons were kith and kin of those employees who had lost their lives. Their cases for appointment were pending for the past many years.

Provoked by the remarks of Mr G.S. Bali (Cong) that the list contained names of certain persons from outside the state, Mr Dhumal said members should not twist the facts or try to unnecessarily politicise the issue.

Mr Kapoor said the candidates were duly sponsored by the employment exchanges.

The PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, was grilled by Congress members over the issue of the purchase of bitumen emulsion through middlemen and not through the manufacturers directly.

The grilling came while the minister was replying to supplementaries to a question tabled by Mr Ram Lal Thakur (Cong).

The leader of the Opposition, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and many other members said the product should have been purchased directly from the manufacturers rather than placing the supply order with "middlemen".

They were not satisfied with the minister's reply that the bitumen emulsion was purchased on rate contract which was duly approved.

The minister said that 1110 metric tonnes of bitumen emulsion has been purchased so far. Of this 1060 metric tonnes was for the central zone, Mandi and 50 metric tonnes for the national highway.

Mr G.S. Bali (Cong) pointed out that the product was being manufactured only by the Bharat Petroleum and the Indian Oil Corporation and its purchase from other parties was not justified.

Congress members were on their legs on the issue demanding a satisfactory reply from the minister. Nothing was audible in the din.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said while the government was the single largest buyer of the product, it should have been procured directly from the manufacturers instead of going through the "middlemen".

The issue of the failure of tomato crop in Solan district also figured in the House with a question having been tabled by Ms Krishna Mohini (Cong).

Intervening in the matter, Mr Dhumal said the government would examine the possibility of initiating criminal proceedings against the private firm which had supplied the seed for tomato to the growers.

Ms Krishna Mohini said that substandard tomato seed worth about Rs 35 lakh was sold to the growers by the firm.

Mr JBL Khachi (Cong) said it was a clear cut case of fraud and a criminal case should be registered against suppliers of the seed.

Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, said the licence of the firm which supplied the seed to the farmers had been suspended.

He said that the seed was sold by Messes Kavita Seed Co, Solan, without the Agriculture Department in the picture.

The Revenue Minister informed Mr Kaul Singh and Mr Raghu Raj (Cong) in a written reply that 28 persons had lost their lives in the current rainy season in the state and property worth Rs 356.94 crore had been lost.

He said that 12 lives were lost in Kulu district followed by nine in Kangra district.

Through a personal explanation, Mr Harshwardhan Chauhan (Cong) told the House that the Transport Minister, Mr Kapoor, had tried to mislead the members while replying to a question pertaining to the recent bus accident near Shillai by claiming that the local MLA did not visit the accident site.

Mr Chauhan pointed out that he himself visited the accident site and accused the minister of having never gone to the hospital at Shillai where the injured passengers were being treated. The minister only visited the hospital at Paonta Sahib, he said.

In a suo motu statement, Mr Dhumal criticised those who were trying to create an impression that this government had not initiated any development project in the state and the government was trying to take credit by inaugurating those projects which were started during the previous Congress regime.

He placed on the table of the House a list of development works which had been completed or were under execution.

Quoting figures, the Chief Minister said 293 works were sanctioned in Chamba district out of which 153 had been completed, of the 1047 works sanctioned in Una district, 605 had been completed.

Giving the district-wise figures, he said of the 436 works sanctioned for Hamirpur district, 148 had been completed, in Kangra district of the 587 sanctioned works 369 had been completed, in Sirmour district 1441 works were sanctioned and 261 had been completed, of the 3448 works sanctioned for Mandi district, 328 had been completed and in Shimla district 1320 works were sanctioned and 204 had been completed. He also gave figures of other districts.

Malangar is Himachal Dy Speaker
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 20 — Mr Ram Das Malangar of the BJP was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha.

Two resolutions proposing his name were moved. The first was moved by Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, and was seconded by Mr Mohinder Singh, PWD Minister, Sukh Ram of the HVC moved the second resolution which was seconded by Mr Kishori Lal, Industries Minister.

The resolution of Mr Dhumal was taken up first and was unanimously adopted by the House. Mr Malangar was escorted to his seat by Mr Dhumal. Mr J.P. Nadda, Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Rangila Ram Rao.

It was a birthday gift for Mr Malangar who is the fourth Legislator from Una district and second from the Kutlehar constituency to become the Deputy Speaker.

He was first elected to the state Assembly in 1993 and again in 1998. The leaders of three parties in the House, Mr Dhumal, Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Sukh Ram, congratulated Mr Malangar and expressed confidence that he would maintain the dignity of Chair.

Mr Malangar thanked the members for his unopposed election.

Earlier, the House passed the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 1999, after rejecting the amendments proposed by Mr B.B. Butail. The suggestion of some Congress members to refer the Bill to the select committee was also turned down.

Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Dr Rajan Sushant, Revenue Minister, said over the years various anomalies had been created as the existing Act did not provide any exemption to industrial units, hydel projects, statutory bodies like the farm universities and development agencies such as the housing board, the Shimla Development Authority, Wakf Board and municipalities.

Besides, the land under tea estates, which were taken out of the ambit of the Act, was being diverted for other uses. Consequently the area under tea cultivation was shrinking with each passing day. Thus to prevent the diversion of land and to encourage the tea industry, there was an immediate need to make the provisions concerning exemption from ceiling of holding more stringent.

Referring to the amendment proposed by Mr Butail he said, if the Act was not amended retrospectively its purpose would be defeated.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said people had been allowed to sell land in the tea estates. Colonies had come up on such land and it would not be proper to unsettle the people by amending the Act retrospectively. Mrs Asha Kumari said the Bill should specify how the cases of diversion land from 1973 to 1986 would be dealt with.

Mr J.B.L. Khachi said lacuna in the Bill must be removed first rather than passing it in haste.

Mr Dhumal said if the intention of the opposition members was to seek blanket exemption for whatever happened in the past, it would not be possible. However, he assured that cases of isolation of the Act would be dealt on merit.

The four-day Monsoon Session concluded today and the Speaker Mr Gulab Singh, adjourned the Assembly sine die.

Party time at the PWD store
From Jai Kumar

BILASPUR, Aug 20 — Once upon a time birthday parties and dinners were thrown either at homes or hotels. But now such bashes are arranged and organised at a PWD store here. One such party was even attended by officers of the department itself.

Confirmed reports here said that in a dinner party organised by a clerk at the PWD store at Dholera some nights ago a drunken employee of department attacked and seriously injured another employee and even wrecked the stores property in the brawl.

The incident would not have come to light had not the store incharge, a junior engineer of the PWD store, not ticked of the employee in question, a clerk, for going berserk the night before and damaging government property.

His action resulted in another brawl, this time between the clerk and the junior engineer, with the latter, being well-built, giving a 'shoe-beating' to the clerk.

But his action only resulted in other clerks joining ranks with their aggrieved mate and, complaining to the superintending engineer SE against the junior engineer and threatening a pen-down strike. Intimidated the SE ordered a transfer of the junior engineer out of the PWD store Dholera to the circle office in the design section here. The SE's action is being resented by junior engineers and the entire technical staff which has in turn threatened an agitation of its own if the transfer is not reversed and a full inquiry held into the whole incident.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that this was not the first party of its kind organised at the PWD store which is quite spacious and is at one corner of town. This ensures that even drunken bashes and the occasional brawl here can be papered over.Hence its popularity among the local party-going crowd.

Chowgan cries for care
From Balkrishan Prashar

CHAMBA: The Chamba Welfare Association (CWA), a registered non-governmental organisation is scathing about the apathy of district authorities towards the conservation and preservation of the lush green belt Chowgan — despite protests from all law-abiding and senior citizens of Chamba town.

In a representation to the Chief Minister Prof P.K. Dhumal, the association has alleged that this very verdant lawn is gravely mutilated, damaged extensively dug up and burnt during the Minjar days merely to earn money in spite of the fact that Chowgan being located in the heart of Chamba town serves as a purifying lung for the 25,000 souls of the hill town besides lakhs of residents.

The association has pointed out that the week-long Minjar carnival, which starts on the second Sunday of Sawan and culminates on the third Sunday of Sawan every year, is now extended to more than three to four weeks and this unnecessary extension has been proving detrimental to the health of Chowgan promenade and the people of Chamba.

It has urged the Chief Minister to issue directives to the district authorities not to extend the duration of the fair beyond eight days in any case as extension leads to destruction, and breeds corruption.

The association has also requested him to get all temporary kiosks, stalls, khokhas, dhabas, tents and vendors removed from the Chowgan by the time the festivities are over.

* * * *

An acute shortage of milk is prevailing nowadays in the Salooni, Tissa and Surgani areas where a hydroelectric project, Baira-Siul project is functioning. The problem is due to the fact that a few families of nomad Gujjars have repatriated to their alpine pastures from the plains as they do every year due to the ban imposed by the state government as a security measure on border land of Chamba district adjoining Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

It is Gujjar families which rear buffaloes to meet the demand of milk and ghee of this region, thereby earning their livelihood.

* * * *

The Dalhousie division of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) in Chamba district has been excelling in its performance and giving a facelift to the transmission lines network for the past six years.

According to official sources, the division has already set up six helpline booths for the convenience of consumers to lodge complaints. It has also decided to establish five more helpline booths at Lachori, Himgiri, Bhandal, Jot, and Ahla falling in Dalhousie, Salooni and Bhattiyat tehsils.

It is the only division of the HPSEB in Chamba which is having 33 kv sub stations in each sub division.

The division is having 55 transformers installed at different points in its jurisdiction which are the largest in number. The division is also organising consumer interaction meets to know and solve their grievances.

* * * *

Mr A.D. Mohile, Chairman, Central Water Commission, Government of India, has underscored the need for setting up of standard water resources in developing river valley projects and ensuring the quality and quantity of water resources in fields such as power development, irrigation and industries while delivering the keynote address at a two-day conference on "Utilisation and implementation of Indian standards in the sphere of river valley development" held at Banikhet near Dalhousie.

The conference was organised jointly by the Central Water Commission, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

* * * *

Residents of the Dalhousie area have demanded a probe into the Gutri Sia forest felling scandal falling in Osal panchayat near Dalhousie where a number of trees, including deodars had been cut by forest mafia a few months ago as the enquiry report of the tree felling has not come to light.

Likewise they have also demanded a high-level enquiry into the much-talked about benami land transactions by hotel magnates of Dalhousie.

Cable operator's office ransacked; 7 arrested
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 20 — Activists of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) today ransacked the premises of a local television cable operator for allegedly having screened the controversial film "Kohram".

The police said the NSUI activists beat two employees of the cable operator and smashed the windowpane.

The youth, thereafter, blocked traffic on the Cart Road at Sanjauli from where they hijacked an HRTC bus and reached Chhota Shimla. They, however, dispersed after seeing the police there.

The SP, Mr O.C. Thakur, said seven NSUI activists had been arrested.

The students were protesting against screening of the film by a cable operator in certain areas of the town. The operator on the Mall, whose premises was ransacked, denied having screened the film.

The youth were protesting against the film in which Danny had been named as Virbhadra Singh, alias Raja Sahib, and had played the role of a politician of a hill state like Himachal Pradesh. Incidentally leader of the CLP and the former Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh, is also popularly known as "Raja Sahib".

Mr Virbhadra Singh has already decided to file a suit against the film maker and to seek a ban on the screening of the film.

2 killed, 4 hurt in road mishap
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 20 — Two persons were killed on the spot and four injured when a Shimla-bound private truck bearing No. HP30-1172 rammed into a group of labourers returning to their homes near Dedgharat, 10 km from here, on the Kalka-Shimla national highway in the evening today.

The killed were identified as Om Parkash, son of Ram Saran of Dedgharat, and Nathi Ram, son of Kakhoo Ram of Sanehch, near Kandaghat. The injured were admitted to the District Hospital here. However, one of them was referred to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Shimla.

The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 304, IPC, according to Mr Prem Thakur, DSP.

Rajiv Gandhi remembered
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 20 — On the occasion of the 55th birth anniversary of the late Rajiv Gandhi, the Pradesh Congress Committee held a memorial meeting here today.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Mr Virbhadra Singh, Thakur Ram Lal, Mrs Vidya Stokes, and several party legislators.

Mr Virbhadra Singh asked Congressmen to uphold the traditions of the party and crush the forces of disruption raising their head in the country.