SFI takes out procession to support demands
HAMIRPUR, Aug 28 — SFI activists of the local Government Postgraduate Degree College took out a procession through the main bazaar here today in support of their demands. The students are observing "education bandh" these days.

More contributions for Kargil fund
KULU, Aug 28 — Contributions are still pouring in for the Kargil martyrs in the district. Cheques for Rs 29,360 by the staff and students of the Our Lady of the Snows High School, Rs 9,002 by industrial section of the Cooperative Societies, and Rs 1,300 by the President of the Mahila Mandal, Katagla, were presented to Mr Ashwani Kapoor, Deputy Commissioner here, yesterday.

ABVP plea to Governor
SHIMLA, Aug 28 — The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has urged Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, to direct the university authorities and the administration to take action against the members belonging to the Students Federation of India who had vitiated the academic atmosphere on the university campus.

Nadda bereaved
SHIMLA, Aug 28  — Mrs Krishna Devi, mother of Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda, Health Minister, died of cardiac arrest here last night. She was 68.

Freedom fighter passes away
MANDI, Aug 28 — Freedom fighter Fagnu Ram (82) of Banog village of Jogindernagar sub-division, died at his village after a short illness.

‘Non-performance’ vs Kargil victory
Star campaigners yet to visit state
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — Rampant corruption, nepotism, saffronisation of educational and official institutions, discrimination in development, irregularities in employment and inclusion of apple in the OGL are the main issue which the opposition Congress party is highlighting in its election campaign in Himachal Pradesh.

The Congress leadership is accusing the BJP-HVC combine government as a “non-performance” which has brought to halt the development of the state.

Although the party has already launched its election campaign, but its star campaigners are yet to come here as the state goes to the polls on September 25.

The Election Commission has not accepted the demand of the Congress to hold polling here along with the other northern states.

On the other hand, the BJP-HVC combine is highlighting the report of the official committee on “recruitment scam” during the Congress regime and also accusing the Congress of promoting regionalism.

With 53 soldiers of the state having laid their lives in the Indo-Pakistan conflict, both parties do not miss the opportunity of mentioning Kargil in their respective campaigns.

While the Congress alleges that the BJP government at the Centre was guilty of intelligence, diplomatic and security failure in Kargil, the BJP on the other hand is trying to take credit of the “victory in Kargil and the diplomatic success”.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Minister and leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), says Mrs Sonia Gandhi will be the star campaigner in the state. He himself will be campaigning in all four Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.

He says that credit for victory on the Kargil front goes to the armed forces and those soldiers who laid their lives while fighting the Pakistani intruders. The intrusion by the Pak Army regulars and mercenaries in the Indian territory amounts to “collosal negligence and dereliction of duty on the part of the BJP government.

Mr Virbhadra Singh says that “non-performance” of the BJP-led government in Himachal will also be a major issue. He claims that the people are “totally fed up with the government, rampant corruption and nepotism”.

He says corruption and nepotism will be main issues in these elections.

He remarks that the Congress will also highlight the issue of “irregularities” in employment particularly in various departments. Norms and procedures have been thrown to winds and employment has been given by the BJP Government on political considerations, he alleges.

On the other hand, the BJP is expecting several central leaders to come here for campaigning. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has already made a couple of rounds of various parts of the state.

He is likely to focus on the “recruitment scam” of the Congress regime and “all-round” development of the state under the BJP rule. Clearance of power projects worth 4000 MW capacity during the past 17 months will also be highlighted by the BJP-HVC combine.

Reacting to the BJP allegation of having provided employment on the basis of “chits”, the Congress campaigners deny this and point out that as many as 3700 daily wage-earners have been employed in a single division of the PWD in violation of rules. They offer to face an inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court provided the recruitments during the BJP-HVC combine rule were also included in the scope of enquiry.

They allege large scale irregularities in recruitments in Kangra Central Cooperative Bank.

While in a bid to win over the apple growers, the BJP is blaming the Congress of having allowed apple to be included in the list of open general licence (OGL). On the other hand, the Congress points out that apple was included in the list on May 30 shortly before the apple season started in the state.

SCA poll in HP varsity
VC invites students for talks
Tribune News Service and PTI

SHIMLA, Aug 28 — The contentious issue of holding elections to the Students Central Association in Himachal Pradesh University took a new turn with principals of various degree colleges unanimously opposing any such election.

The principals of 25 colleges, who were here to finalise the sports calendar of the university, discussed the issue in light of the ongoing agitation by a section of students in the state here yesterday. They were of the view that the present system of election had outlived its utility and had led to intense factional rivalries, rowdyism, violence and gross indiscipline among students. They said over the years educational institutions had become playgrounds for political parties and in the process the students groups had also been politicised.

They said the system of direct elections had already been dispensed with in the neighbouring states. The Supreme Court had also taken a serious view of the situation created on the campus due to prevailing indiscipline and violent activities of students and directed the central and state government to enact a suitable legislation to curb such activities.

Dr S.K. Gupta, Vice-Chancellor who addressed a press conference at which principals were also present, said he would take a final decision on holding of elections after taking into consideration the views of all students, principals and administration.

He said the main point was whether it was essential to hold elections and, if so, on what pattern. The present system of direct election had to be discontinued because over the past 30 years the long drawn out election process to constitute the state council had been completed only once. There was no unanimity among the student groups regarding the pattern to be adopted, he alleged.

Dr Gupta said he had invited the agitating students for talks but he also expected them to call off their stir and create a congenial atmosphere for serious discussion on the issue. He said a committee could be set up for the purpose.

Meanwhile, the NSUI, which had been demanding elections on Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) pattern, today changed its stand and declared to fight the elections under the existing pattern but making DUSU pattern as main poll issue. Sandeep Kumar, advisor of the NSUI, in a statement here said any attempt to scrap the election system would warrant statewide agitation and alleged that there was a nexus between the Vice-Chancellor, ABVP and BJP to snatch the democratic rights of the students.

The elections to the SCA were discontinued during the congress rule four years ago following violence leading to murder of an ABVP leader and the NSUI had not made the demand for holding the elections during past three years with its own government at the helm of affairs.

During past 10 years three murders took place in the university and some SFI activists were convicted and some others were on probation.

White paper on MP’s development fund sought
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 28 — The Himachal P.W.D. Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh today demanded a White Paper on allocation of M.P’s funds to Mr K.D. Sultanpuri, former M.P. and Congress candidate for the Shimla parliamentary constituency for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Mohinder Singh, addressing a press conference here, alleged that Mr Sultanpuri was guilty of gross bungling and discrimination in the matter of disbursement of the Rs 2 crore M.P. Developmental grant. He further alleged that Mr Sultanpuri spent Rs one crore out of a total two crores on a particular and favourite segment of his constituency last year.

The minister however did not name the particular and favourite segment. He also parried a question as to how could a M.P. bungle the developmental fund, especially when the actual disbursement and monitoring of the fund allocations were done by the Deputy Commissioner concerned with the M.P.'s role being limited to allocating funds for specific schemes. He merely said that everything would become clear once Mr Sultanpuri released the asked for White Paper.

Mr Mohinder, who earlier had formally inaugurated the election office of the ruling BJP-HVC combine here, said that the two parties had formed coordinating committees down to the 'mandal' levels for ensuring involvement of grass root workers.

He said that the various workers meetings, which he addressed in this district recently, looked more like public meetings as each was marked by massive attendances.

He claimed that this was indicative of the people's disillusionment with the Congress candidate and approval of the achievements of the BJP-HVC government's 16-month rule.

The District President of the HVC, Mr Amar Nath Kaushal, said that Mr Sultanpuri, who represented this constituency in the last six consecutive Lok Sabhas had failed to solve certain burning problems like the granting of the tribal status to the Hatis of Sirmaur district and Gujjars of Solan.

BJP not a divided house: Pathania
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 28 — Mr Rakesh Pathania, a sitting MLA of the BJP and Vice-Chairman of the HPTDC had said that there was no groupism in the ruling BJP and the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal and all BJP members of the Kangra area were campaigning for Mr Shanta Kumar, the party's candidate for the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

Mr Pathania, who was talking to mediapersons here today, alleged that the Congress was trying to create a false impression of the BJP being a divided house in Kangra.

He said the election campaign of Mr Shanta Kumar would receive a further boost when Mr Dhumal would personally tour the constituency soon.

The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, would also address an election rally at Rehan near Nurpur in the third week of September.

He accused Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief and Congress candidate for the Kangra Lok Sabha seat, of trying to mislead the electorate on the issue of development of the Kangra district under the BJP rule.

Mr Pathania said all round development was taking place in Kangra ever since the present BJP government came to power, but Mr Mahajan was trying to mislead the electorate on the issue.

He said he was contemplating to file a defamation suit against Mr Mahajan whom he accused of making objectionable remarks against the Prime Minister concerning the Indo-Pak conflict.

Mr Pathania said besides several other development works in the Kangra district, a group centre of the CRPF was being constructed near Nurpur at a cost of Rs 100 crore, 60 hectares of land had already been earmarked for this purpose. A timber depot had been set up at Badni in Nurpur at a cost of Rs 10 crore which had also revived the carriage transport industry.

He alleged that during his stint as MP, Mr Mahajan did nothing for the Kangra area. On the other hand, Mr Shanta Kumar, had always strived for the development of the area.

SFI takes out procession to support demands
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Aug 28 — SFI activists of the local Government Postgraduate Degree College took out a procession through the main bazaar here today in support of their demands. The students are observing "education bandh" these days.

They were demanding the immediate announcement of dates for the Students Central Association elections, withdrawal of fee hike and proper educational facilities for the students of the college.

The strikers also resorted to road blockade on Hamirpur-Shimla highways for half an hour and held a demonstration at Devpal Chowk. They also held a rally at Gandhi Chowk where they blamed the present state government for their sufferings.

A spokesman of the strikers said here today that if their demands were not met with shortly, they would further intensify their agitation.

Meanwhile, activists of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad held a sammelan here, yesterday at which Mr Bihari Lal, Joint Organising Secretary of the parishad, was the chief guest. He discussed in details the working of the parishad and its motives.

The sammelan through a resolution demanded the immediate announcement of dates for the SCA elections and filling of vacant posts of teachers in various colleges of the district.

The parishad denounced the "education bandh" action of the SFI in the state. It felt that the SFI was trying to pollute the atmosphere in the educational institutions for personal gains. It decided to help the student community in getting their various demands conceded from the state government and the HP University authorities.

More contributions for Kargil fund
From Our Correspondent

KULU, Aug 28 — Contributions are still pouring in for the Kargil martyrs in the district. Cheques for Rs 29,360 by the staff and students of the Our Lady of the Snows High School, Rs 9,002 by industrial section of the Cooperative Societies, and Rs 1,300 by the President of the Mahila Mandal, Katagla, were presented to Mr Ashwani Kapoor, Deputy Commissioner here, yesterday.

Earlier, Rs 22,550 were contributed to the Prime Minister’s Kargil Relief Fund by the staff and students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sultanpur, through the Deputy Commissioner here on Wednesday.

ABVP plea to Governor
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 28 — The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has urged Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, to direct the university authorities and the administration to take action against the members belonging to the Students Federation of India who had vitiated the academic atmosphere on the university campus.

In a memorandum submitted to the Governor here today the parishad drew here attention to the violent activities of the federation which had led to the four murders on the campus since 1979.

It demanded immediate action against such elements so that common student could feel secure and attend classes.

Meanwhile, the NSUI has opposed the stand of the college principals and said that it would contest the elections under the existing system. It also threatened to launch a statewide stir if elections to the Students Central Association were scrapped this year.

Nadda bereaved
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 28  — Mrs Krishna Devi, mother of Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda, Health Minister, died of cardiac arrest here last night. She was 68.

She is survived by her husband, Mr N.L. Nadda, two sons and three daughters. The body of the deceased was taken to her native village in Bilaspur for cremation.

Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, visited the residence of Mr Nadda to offer his condolences.

Freedom fighter passes away
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 28 — Freedom fighter Fagnu Ram (82) of Banog village of Jogindernagar sub-division, died at his village after a short illness.

He served in the Azad Hind Fauj for a few years and was imprisoned for two months.

A large number of people participated in his cremation on the bank of the Beas near the village.

Mr Rup Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, and Pt Gauri Prashad, former minister, mourned the demise of Mr Fagnu Ram.