Herb that can help in economic growth
MANDI, Aug 23 — The plantation of a precious wild herb dioscorea, locally called Shingli-Mingli by the village forest development committee in Seraj forest division, has opened up new vistas of economic growth for the hilly people.

30-year-old man drowned
DHARAMSALA, Aug 23 — A 30-year-old Bihari labourer was drowned in the Chambi Khud, near Shahpur, last night.

Ravi Thakur NCP nominee for Mandi

Uproar over admission fraud
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 23 — Yet another case of irregularity in admissions has come to light in Palampur Agriculture University, with a candidate being admitted without even appearing for the interview.

In the latest controversy rocking the university, a student was admitted to the M.Sc. (Vegetable Sciences) course, without her even appearing for the interview conducted on August 18. The university authorities have directed the Dean, PG, to lodge a police complaint in this regard. The Registrar of the university, Mr.S.S. Guleria, said apart from the police case, a departmental inquiry would also be made into the matter.

The university, had initially kept the date for admission to M.Sc (Vegetable Sciences) on August 2, but later postponed it to August 18. One of the students whose name was first on the waiting list after the admissions, lodged a complaint with the Registrar, that one of the students had been given admission without her actually appearing for the interview. She pointed out that a student, Ruchi Sood, had been admitted even though she did not appear for the interview, and was at the Solan University of Horticulture, where she is presently studying.

The Registrar, on receiving the complaint, got in touch with his counterpart in Solan and asked him to inquire if the girl in question was in the hostel and university on the day of the admission. "Mr Srivastava, confirmed to me through a written message that Ruchi Sood was present in the university and the hostel on the day of the admission to the Vegetable Sciences course", disclosed Mr Guleria.

People in the university allege that the admission of the girl could not have been possible in her absence, without the connivance of those involved in the admission process. Moreover, as the girl has done her B.Sc. from Palampur Agriculture University and is known to most of the teachers, which is another reason why there couldn't have been a mistake.

Eversince, the fraud in admission has come to light, the officials concerned have been trying to absolve themselves of the irregularity and all efforts are being made to put the blame on the lower clerical staff.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Mr P.K. Khosla, is already facing an inquiry regarding the admissions of four students, who were wards of former employees of the university. The government and the court had taken a very serious view of this irregularity in admission.

Students strike partial
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 23 — Ignoring the call for an indefinite strike by the SFI, a large number of students of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) attended classes here today.

Most of colleges, including HPU, are virtually closed for the past over one week following the call for an indefinite strike given by the SFI.

The police was deployed in strength in the campus and a couple of activists were rounded up while allegedly stopping students from going to class.

A spokesman of the HPU said that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof S.K. Gupta, took a round of the campus and assured the students that full protection would be provided to them for attending classes.

The ABVP and NSUI have not associated themselves with the strike.

Boys colleges in the town, however, remained closed even today as adequate police was not deployed there for their uninterrupted functioning.

The initiative for normalising the functioning of the HPU has been taken by the Vice-Chancellor, with the government reportedly yet to apply its mind to the issue. Most of the students were not in favour of the strike.

The main demand of the SFI is to hold elections for the Students Central Association (SCA) which have not been held for the past three years.

The Governor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Chancellor of the university, was reportedly of the view that the elections should be held only when there was a congenial atmosphere.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the issue was under active consideration but SCA elections cannot be held at an early date as these would clash with the Lok Sabha polls.

The NSUI and ABVP are demanding that the election process itself be reformed. However, the SFI wants the elections to be held without further delay.

Unemployment lands youth in jail
Tribune News Service

SOLAN, Aug 23 — Desperation born out of unemployment and want landed a 30-year-old man into prison here.

Keshav Verma, an alleged CITU activist, was arrested on 10 different charges of arson involving government property and attempted disruption of rail and road traffic with criminal intent from his home in village of Basal, about 3 km from here, on Saturday.

These criminal acts, according to the SP Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, had been perpetrated between March 1998 and May 1999 in and around the town. The first two were linked to a March 1998 violent quarrel between Verma and the local mining officer following the latter's refusal to grant him permits for transporting and sand quarried near his village. He had allegedly assembled the official and later Verma had allegedly assaulted the officer and had later launched the ransacked building of the District Industries Centre (DIC), from where the mining officer functioned.

In another incident he smashed the window pans of the DIG building and set the curtains on fire. Before leaving the place he pasted a note, hand written on the letter pad of "Solanky tiger force (next light)". The note, among other things, warned that unless the corrupt and guilty mining officer was punished the ‘Solanky tiger force’ would resort to more drastic action. These were followed by felling of a huge pine tree and placing it across the Solan bye-pass with a view to disruption traffic during the general strike of municipal council employees, in January 1999. He also blocked the Solan-Kalaghat road in similar fashion in March 1999.

He followed this acts with burning telephone terminal boxes at Saproon and Chambaghat localities of the town in April. This resulted in the disruption of over 25000 telephone connections for several days.

Later, he tried to block the Kalka-Shimla rail line, near Kandaghat, by throwing two huge oak trees across the track. He had felled these trees from the hillock overlooking the track.

Verma was arrested from outside a dhaba in the Chambaghat area on Saturday after the police had gathered positive evidence of his being the main culprit behind the series of criminal acts. The police zeroed in on Verma after taking into possession various notes pasted on the sites of his violent acts.

Mr Aggarwal said some incriminating material, including letter heads of ‘Solanky tiger force’ were recovered from his house.

Verma told mediapersons that he resorted to crime as he had been rendered jobless after the refusal of the sand transport permit by the mining officer.

He said he wanted to draw public attention to the plight of jobless youth like him and the system that leads to their exploitation.

Register case against Virbhadra: BJYM
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 23 — The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has urged the government to register a case against former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh for large-scale irregularities committed in recruitments during his regime.

Mr Aseem Ahluwalia, secretary of the morcha said that the Shukla Committee set up by the Dhumal government to prove into the irregularities in the recruitments, had indicted the previous government and proved the BJP charge that jobs were given on "chits". He said action must be taken against the persons responsible for the irregularities as their action deprived thousands of deserving youth of jobs.

He complemented the Dhumal government for getting four national highways for the state in one year and starting work on Chamera-II and Parbati Hydel Projects which had hanging fire for the past over a decade. He also lauded the government for coming out with the best possible package for the families of soldiers who laid down their lives in Kargil.

Herb that can help in economic growth
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 23 — The plantation of a precious wild herb dioscorea, locally called Shingli-Mingli by the village forest development committee in Seraj forest division, has opened up new vistas of economic growth for the hilly people.

Mr P.L. Chauhan, DFO, Seraj, who pioneered the propagation of herbs, told this correspondent that planted in a hectare of land it produced 350 quintals of the herb the value of which was Rs 5 lakh.

He said commercial production of this and other herbs by the forest development committees and co-operative societies could go a long way in raising the living standards of the people.

Of the 2000 species of the medicinal plants found in the country 150 species are found in the Western Himalayas. Mr Chauhan says unscientific collection of medicinal flora has posed a threat of extinction of many precious herbs.

The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn up a Rs 8.27 crore plan for the herbal plantation in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The Forest and Horticulture University will also be involved in implementation of the project.

30-year-old man drowned
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 23 — A 30-year-old Bihari labourer was drowned in the Chambi Khud, near Shahpur, last night.

According to the police the victim, Lakshman Ram was working at a stone crusher at Rait. He is survived by his widow and three children.

In another incident, the police found the body of a sadhu, aged about 50 near Chamunda, today. The body has been sent to the Zonal Hospital here for post-mortem.

In third incident an 18-year-old girl consumed poison at Baliana village, near Jwalamukhi. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

Ravi Thakur NCP nominee for Mandi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 23 — Mr Ravi Thakur, a prominent youth leader from the Tribal area of Lahaul and Spiti, will enter the fray from the Mandi constituency as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate.

Mr Sharad Pawar, president of the party, had allotted the party ticket to Mr Thakur keeping in view his political background, according to Mr S.S. Jamwal, chief coordinator of the party in the state. He claimed that the entire tribal belt and youth would support him.