Himachal situation eases
SHIMLA, Nov 30 — With a recoverable advance of Rs 104 crore coming from the Centre, the financial position of Himachal Pradesh eased a little today when the authorities lifted the ban on encashment of the provident fund bills of employees and also payments of PWD works.

HP Govt for change in cropping pattern
DHARAMSALA, Nov 30 — With a view to improve the economic condition of the farmers in the state, the government will encourage them to bring about a change in the cropping pattern.

Threat to boycott emergency duties
KANGRA, Nov 30 — Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers yesterday threatened to boycott the emergency duties at the hospitals if the government failed to retain the 10 per cent house rent allowance or the rent-free accommodation given to doctors in the state under the new pay scales.

Dalai Lama not to shift quarters
KANGRA, Nov 30 — The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the Tibetans and head of the Tibetan government in exile, today ruled out moving from here to Faridabad.

Ayurvedic centre inaugurated
SOLAN, Nov 30 — The Education Minister, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, inaugurated an ayurvedic health centre at Gohri village of Palania panchayat in Arki sub-division of this district yesterday.

Judge denies report
KANGRA, Nov 30 — The District and Sessions Judge, Kangra Division, Mr V. K. Ahuja, today denied a news report carried in The Tribune on November 27 that the court of the Sub Judge Dehra was to be inaugurated by the District Judge, Kangra, at a function to be presided over by the Deputy Commissioner quoting official sources.

Employees hold rally
SHIMLA, Nov 30 — The Himachal Employees Confederation has expressed concern over moves of the government to create divisions among employees and warned that it would not take things lying down.

Himachal situation eases
Gets Rs 104 cr advance from Centre
From S. P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 30 — With a recoverable advance of Rs 104 crore coming from the Centre, the financial position of Himachal Pradesh eased a little today when the authorities lifted the ban on encashment of the provident fund bills of employees and also payments of PWD works.

Payment of all bills, except salary and wages, had been stopped since November 6.

A highly placed source said another advance payment of Rs 110 crore was expected within a day or two. The advance of Rs 104 crore was received last week, but the authorities maintained the ban to build up the ways and means account.

However, these payments are expected to bail out the state from the current acute financial crisis only for the time-being. It will not come as a permanent solution as the amount will be deducted from various central grants payable in March next. The state government has been demanding a financial package from the Centre to bail it out of the financial crisis.

The financial position of the state is going from bad to worse with the budgetary deficit fast increasing. The deficit, which was Rs 705.67 crore in 1998-99, is expected to touch a cumulative deficit of Rs 1511 crore during 1999-2000 and about Rs 3350 crores during 2004-2005.

The sources said sometime ago Himachal stood sixth in the country in case of per capita income, but now its position was 21.

The authorities were managing day- to-day financial affairs by raising loans from the open market and securing advance payments from the Centre.

It is learnt that in order to build up its resources and improve its ways and means situation, grants to various boards and corporations have been frozen by the state government. Although steps have been taken to cut expenditure, this will not be sufficient and some drastic fiscal reforms are required for the purpose.

Various measures are being considered for raising resources. One of these is to grant autonomous status to Snowdon and Tanda Medical College to enable these institutions to fix payments for medical services and reduce financial dependence on the government.

Another reason for the worsening financial position is stated to be the "unrealistic" fixation of annual Plans by successive governments. The Plan amount has been increased from about Rs 1000 crore to Rs 1600 crore in the past two years without any increase in resources.

Over 62 per cent of the Budget is spent on salaries and the pension component. Of the 25 boards and corporations of the state government, 16 are constantly running in a loss.

HP Govt for change in cropping pattern
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Nov 30 — With a view to improve the economic condition of the farmers in the state, the government will encourage them to bring about a change in the cropping pattern.

Disclosing this at a press conference here today the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidyasagar, said that the government would encourage the farmers to take to the non-traditional crops, so that they could get better earnings."What is most essential to bring about a change in the cropping pattern, is to provide sprinkle irrigation to the farmers, as 80 per cent of them depend on rain water," he stated. He said that a 25 per cent subsidy would be given by the Agriculture Department to the farmers for installing sprinkler irrigation schemes.

Mr Vidyasagar said that the farmers would be encouraged to set up small scale irrigation projects, as it is only with the help of these that they could grow the non-traditional crops like off season vegetables. The farmers would also be asked to adopt the latest technology in farming. "The small power trailor tractors, which have been found to be very successful in hilly areas, will be introduced on a large scale, as their cost is also less, at Rs 45,000," he informed. Apart from this the government would also give a subsidy of Rs 30,000 per tractor, on the 46 big tractors to be sold by it.

Mr Vidyasagar said that the employees of the department had been directed to carry out soil testing, so that the farmers could adopt the cropping pattern accordingly. He said that a target of 16 lakh tonnes of grain production had already been achieved during the current year. The target for grain production for this coming year had been set at 17.20 lakh tonnes, 5.30 lakh tonnes for vegetables and 1.55 lakh tonnes for potatoes.

Mr Vidyasagar said that a Rs 20-crore World Bank project had already been cleared for transfer of new agriculture technology. "The districts of Kangra, Shimla, Hamirpur and Bilaspur will be covered under this project," he stated.

The Agriculture Minister said that a total of Rs 23 crore subsidy will be given by the Centre and the state for better seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides.

Dhumal govt lacks will to check graft
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 30 — The Himachal Employees Confederation today fired the first salvo against the Dhumal government, alleging that it lacked the political will to take action against the corrupt.

Mr Subhash Sharma and Mr Om Prakash Sharma, president and general secretary, respectively, of the confederation, expressed surprise over the reaction of various BJP ministers to the Congress allegation that the office of the Chief Minister had become a "fountain head" of corruption.

The Ministers’ allegation that there was corruption during Mr Virbhadra Singh’s tenure was ridiculous as not a single case of corruption had been registered over the past 18 months and no one had been booked for corruption. Such assertions did not carry weight.

The leaders said the confederation had highlighted the transfer scam and other cases of corruption during the Congress regime but the BJP and the HVC, which had also raised these issues, had not taken action after coming to power. It was obvious that the present government either lacked the political will to take action against the corrupt or was incompetent to do so.

The two employee leaders criticised the decision of the government to shift the offices of various boards and corporation. The decision was "arbitrary, untimely and influenced by political considerations" rather than sound administrative reasons, they said. While it would do no good to the financial health of these public undertakings running in losses, employees would be severely hit.

They also disapproved of the manner in which the government had announced the grant of enhanced house rent allowance without issuing any notification. They demanded that all allowances be revised in accordance with the new pay scales in one go.

They also urged the government to implement a uniform pension scheme in all boards and corporations.

The "indifferent" attitude of the government, which had failed to even discuss the demand charter submitted to it a year ago, had left the confederation with no option but to adopt a "course of action."

The leaders would tour the state upto January 25, to create awareness about the issues. Thereafter, a mass contact programme would be launched from March 10 to 25 to mobilise the employees for further action, they added.

Teething troubles of town's sole college
From Bijender Sharma

JAWALAMUKHI: Notwithstanding unfavourable circumstances, financial hardships and lukewarm support of residents, the local Degree College was opened in this academic session. In fact, the Herculean efforts of the Shiksha Samiti, which is managing the college affairs, have been crowned with success. Shiksha Samiti has proved that running a college is not insurmountable.

The Irrigation and Power Minister, Mr Ramesh Choudhry, who is the local MLA, during his election campaign had made a commitment to the people of the area to open a degree college, if elected. His electoral victory and subsequent induction into the state Cabinet paved the way for opening the college.

The Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Mr B.K. Aggrwal, has done an excellent job as chairman of the Shiksha Samiti. It was at his initiative that the public was successfully mobilised to contribute to the degree college. To his credit, he provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 5 lakh in raising basic infrastructure from the Temple Trust, Jawalamukhi. To every one's surprise, this made it easy for the college to be affiliated to Himachal University within three months.

That is why, the degree college has a got a massive response. Over 200 odd students have been admitted to the college. The college has proved to be a boon to girl students, whose parents were hesitating to send their wards to other districts for higher education. According to a student, Sunita, her parents would not have allowed her to be admitted to a college located far away from her home. As of now, the environment has altogether changed.

On the other hand, Ajay has different opinion. He feels that the co-educational system can provide an opportunity to boys and girls to understand each other.

The college is also facing problems which must be solved on a priority basis so that teaching can be streamlined. First and foremost is that a building with basic infrastructure is needed. The institution have its own building. Moreover, the people of the area have started asking for a science faculty. It is quite incomprehensible how this expansion could be done without funds.

Threat to boycott emergency duties
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Nov 30 — Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers yesterday threatened to boycott the emergency duties at the hospitals if the government failed to retain the 10 per cent house rent allowance or the rent-free accommodation given to doctors in the state under the new pay scales.

Dr Susheel Sharma, spokesman of the Himachal Medical Officers Association, said yesterday that the doctors in the state were given the only benefit of free accommodation or 10 per cent house rent in lieu of attending emergency duties, and with the new pay scales this benefit should be retained. He described the 24-hour duty given by the doctors, without break, amounted to gross human rights violation. The association demanded that the duty hours of the doctors be defined uniformally throughout the state.

The association criticised the government for withholding the revised pay scales notified by the Finance Department in September, last year, on flimsy grounds. This was despite meetings of the association with the Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, this year. They said despite his assurance nothing concrete had been done.

The medical officers demanded that the allowances on the revised pay scales be immediately released.

Dalai Lama not to shift quarters
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Nov 30 — The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the Tibetans and head of the Tibetan government in exile, today ruled out moving from here to Faridabad.

He told the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Mr B.K. Agrawal and the district police chief, Mr K.C. Sadiyal, who called on the Dalai Lama on specific directions of the Chief Minister that he had no plan to shift from this place. He however, said the "Tibetan Government" had early decided to shift the rehabilitation and education departments to Delhi for administrative efficiency.

Mr Agrawal informed the Dalai Lama that the government of Himachal Pradesh as well as residents of Dharamsala wanted him to continue to stay here.

The Dalai Lama said he was aware of the feelings of the government as well as its people who had always shown high regard to him and the Tibetan community.

Ayurvedic centre inaugurated
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Nov 30 — The Education Minister, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, inaugurated an ayurvedic health centre at Gohri village of Palania panchayat in Arki sub-division of this district yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that government proposed to spend Rs 8 crore for educating the state’s farmers in the growing and extraction of medicinal herbs next year.

Conceding a local demand, Mr Dhiman said that the government primary school at Gohri would be upgraded to a middle school from next session. He announced a grant of Rs 50,000 towards the construction of 1.5 km long Shilaru-Gohri link road.

The district ayurvedic officer, Mr D.R. Heer, said that 75 ayurvedic health centres and dispensaries were currently functioning in this district.

Judge denies report
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Nov 30 — The District and Sessions Judge, Kangra Division, Mr V. K. Ahuja, today denied a news report carried in The Tribune on November 27 that the court of the Sub Judge Dehra was to be inaugurated by the District Judge, Kangra, at a function to be presided over by the Deputy Commissioner quoting official sources.

In a corrigendum issued today Mr Ahuja described the news report as absolutely incorrect and said no such function was being organised. He, however, added that Sub Judge (I) Dehra has been posted and was presently undergoing training at Dharamsala and on the completion of training, he is likely to start working independently from December 6 this year.

Employees hold rally
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 30 — The Himachal Employees Confederation has expressed concern over moves of the government to create divisions among employees and warned that it would not take things lying down.

The confederation held a state-level meeting to chalk out its programme to pressure the government to accept long-pending demands of the employees and discuss the situation arising due to divide and rule policy.

It also launched its statewide "awareness" campaign to mobilise employees by holding a rally here last evening. The leaders called upon all employees' bodies to come under one banner to fight for their demands. At present the bureaucrats were taking advantage of the division among employees and delaying implementation of the demands.