World Bank asked to extend project
SHIMLA, Dec 27 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the World Bank to extend the integrated watershed development project to areas which have not been covered under it so far.

MCI team visits Tanda college
KANGRA, Dec 27 — The Medical Council of India (MCI) team today visited Dr Rajender Prasad Medical College at Tanda for granting the approval for the second year of MBBS which was scheduled to start from January 5.

Pensioners seek higher medical allowance
CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — The Dharamsala Government Pensioners' Welfare Association today urged the Himachal Pradesh Government to consider the "genuine" demands of pensioners.

Consensus over clearing fiscal mess
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA: The financial crisis deepened in Himachal Pradesh this year. The BJP-HVC combine government raised loans from the open market. Both the parties had criticised the last Congress government on the same issue.

The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, had criticised the former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, for raising loans from the open market. But by the mid-year he followed the way shown by his predecessor. The Dhumal government has raised loans amounting Rs 450 crore during the year.

By yearend, the ruling BJP-HVC combine and the Opposition Congress reached a consensus on how effectively to meet the financial crises. Mr Dhumal also hinted that fresh taxes might be imposed. However, the Congress has made it clear that it will not support any such move.

The State Government pleaded before the Finance Commission in June for a financial package. The demand was also endorsed by most of the Opposition.

A milestone was crossed when the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, announced a package of Rs 400 crore. He also laid the foundation stone of the much-delayed 2051 MW Parbati hydro-electric project in Kulu district. However, environmentalists have criticised the denotification of the Himalayan National Park for the project.

Mr Dhumal led campaign defeated the Congress in all the four Lok Sabha seats. Mr Shanta Kumar, who won the Kangra Lok Sabha seat defeating the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, was inducted into the Union Cabinet.

The Congress suffered another setback with its MLA, Ms Krishna Mohini, being unseated by the Supreme Court.

The Lok Sabha elections came as a blow to the Congress which not only lost all the four seats, but managed to secure lead in only four of the 68 Assembly segments.

The Kargil conflict took toll of nearly 60 Himachali soldiers. However, the Dhumal government was perhaps the first to provide employment and financial assistance to dependants of the martyrs. The Border Roads Organisation kept the Leh-Manali road open while the Srinagar-Leh road remained closed due to the conflict.

The government hiked bus fares by 20 per cent. It announced measures for cutting down its expenditure.

The hope of the State Government to net about Rs 820 crore from the Punjab State Electricity Board by imposing a cess on the hydro-electric projects through the Pollution Control Board was dashed by a high court order.

Terrorism continued to cast its shadow on the State. Twelve rail passengers were killed and 50 injured in a bomb blast at Damtal.

The State perhaps again topped the number of casualties in bus accidents. As many as over 55 persons were killed in three major bus accidents at Shillai, Kotkhai and Sarswati Nagar.

Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri replaced Mrs V.S.Rama Devi as Governor.

Cracks appeared in the BJP-HVC combine when the BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, said the alliance with Mr Sukh Ram was a compulsion for keeping the Congress out of power.

The HVC strength waned when the Speaker, Thakur Gulab Singh, allowed the cross-over of two ministers, Mr Mansa Ram and Mr Prakash Choudhary, to the BJP.

Himachal Pradesh took a lead by banning the sale of lottery tickets in the State.

The Dhumal Government's three ministers close to Shanta Kumar went public. They alleged certain events had undermining their status.

The production of apple remained low due to bad weather. Allowing the import of apple under the open general licence (OGL) was resisted by apple growers.

A CBI probe was ordered into certain actions of the former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh. Mr Dhumal referred the so called charge sheet of the HVC against Mr Virbhadra Singh to the CBI. The premier investigating agency began probe into these allegations. However, no case has been registered against the Congress leader.

The much hyped White Paper on financial matters released by Mr Dhumal did not contain any alarming allegations against Mr Virbhadra Singh.

The year began with the State Government banning recycled polythene bags. However, the ban was not seriously implemented as a result such bags surfaced towards yearend.

Clashes between the local residents and Tibetan refugees marred the calm in Manali, where 125 shops of Tibetans were burnt down. A magisterial inquiry held the police laxity responsible for these incidents.

There was talk of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, shifting the headquarters of his government in-exile form McLeodganj in Dharmsala to Faridabad.

Over 10,000 illegal constructions, including 175 government buildings, were detected.

Theft of detonators: police alerted
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 27 — The police has been put on alert following a theft of as many as 68,400 detonators from the store of the PWD in the tribal area of Karcham in Kinnaur district.

The police had registered a case and an inquiry is being conducted into the theft of the explosives. The DSP of Kinnaur is personally looking into the matter. The theft was recently detected by the chowkidar who has filed an FIR at the Sangla police station.

The DC, Kinnaur, Mr J.P. Singh, confirmed the theft when contacted on the phone.

This is not the first time that explosive material has been stolen from the PWD stores in the state. Earlier, large quantities of explosives were reportedly stolen from a power project which was being constructed in the area.

The detonators could also be used by terrorists for blowing up bridges and vital installations. However, the possibility was being described as remote.

The chowkidar of the store, located 2 km away from the main road, is learnt to have told the police that he was tied by four unidentified men who looted the store. However, he changed his statement later and said that he detected the theft when he visited the store a few days ago.

The police is enquiring whether any senior engineer of the PWD inspected the store of explosives at all or not. Further details were not known as the earlier chowkidar reportedly died in an accident on November 23 and the Junior Engineer was hospitalised due to injuries.

Governor, CM mourn death
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 27 — Seven days official mourning has been announced in Himachal Pradesh following the death of Dr Shanker Dayal Sharma, former President of India.

An official announcement said that there would be no official entertainment from today to January 2, 2000.

The Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri and the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, have mourned the death of Dr Sharma and said that he would be remembered by the people.

The state Cabinet held a meeting under the chairmanship of Mr Kishori Lal, Industries Minister, to mourn the death of the former President.

The Cabinet adopted a resolution describing Dr Sharma as an outstanding statesman and freedom fighter.

The state Congress President, Mr Sat Mahajan, and the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, described Dr Sharma as a great scholar and parliamentarian.

The committee on privileges headed by Mr Ram Dass Malangar, Deputy Speaker, and the Committee on Agriculture and Horticulture headed by Mr J.B.L. Khachi in the Vidhan Sabha observed two minutes' silence.

Our correspondent at Solan adds: The District Congress Committee today held a condolence meeting to mourn the death of the former President. HPCCC general secretary Viplov Thakur, who chaired the meeting paid glowing tributes to the departed leader.

Mr Kul Rakesh Pant, vice-president, state Samajwadi Janata Party, said that the former President's demise marked the end of a glorious chapter of India's long history of struggle for political and economic freedom.

Una man on the hijacked plane
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Dec 27 — Iqbal Singh (30) of Dhamandri village, 12 km from here, is one of the passengers aboard the hijacked plane. His parents are living at Rakkar Colony, near here.

When this correspondent visited their house sympathisers were present in the house.

Gurdev Singh (70), father of Iqbal Singh, said he (Iqbal) had gone to Kathmandu to represent Himachal Pradesh at a workshop organised by an international agency on "Developing Women Entrepreneurship in Hill Area". He said Iqbal Singh had been awarded recently for being the best trainer by the Etrepreneurship Development Institute of Lucknow. Rajni (27), wife of Iqbal Singh, with their four-month-old son, Aadil, and tears in the eyes said with chocked voice that her husband was a social worker and was working as Director of Society of Advancement of Village Economy — a voluntary organisation in Kulu.

They all wished that the central government may be able to get the release of all those hijacked.

World Bank asked to extend project
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 27 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the World Bank to extend the integrated watershed development project to areas which have not been covered under it so far.

This was stressed by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, at a meeting with senior officers of the state government and officers of the World Bank here recently to review the progress of the second phase of integrated watershed development project.

The World Bank appreciated the state government for releasing its share in time enabling an effective implementation of the project. The World Bank also lauded the role of the state in bringing a social awareness regarding rural development activities and urged for making trained staff available for the effective implementation of the project.

Dr T.C. Jain, World Bank, agriculture specialist, the Himachal Pardesh Secretary, Forest and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests attended the meeting.

MCI team visits Tanda college
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Dec 27 — The Medical Council of India (MCI) team today visited Dr Rajender Prasad Medical College at Tanda for granting the approval for the second year of MBBS which was scheduled to start from January 5.

The two member-team comprising Dr Kak and Dr Bansal visited the college during their two-day inspection tour. State Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, said today that all requirements had been completed in accordance with the conditions of the MCI.

He said seven operation theatres had started working at the college hospital. He said all OPDs had been given double space and four teaching areas had been specified at the college hospital.

Mr Nadda said Departments of Community Medicines, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Science and Pathology had been set up and the classes would start from the next session.

The Health Minister while addressing a press conference at Dharamsala said all CMO offices in the state would be computerised and provided with e-mail facility.

He said the doctors’ cadre would be rationalised and announced that one more cadre at the BMO-level would be created. He said all district hospitals would be made self-sufficient.

Pensioners seek higher medical allowance
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — The Dharamsala Government Pensioners' Welfare Association today urged the Himachal Pradesh Government to consider the "genuine" demands of pensioners.

Their demands include an increase in medical allowance from Rs 40 per month to Rs 250 per month, clearance of reimbursement bills, increase in the basic pension from 5 per cent to 10 per cent, creation of a state welfare fund for the aged and the constitution of an advisory committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to discuss their day-to-day problems.

Mr Shanti Swaroop Sharma, secretary of the association, said they had made repeated representations to the government which had remained unacknowledged.