P R A D E S H
Monday, July 19, 1999
|
H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
|
Monday, July 19, 1999 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
|
|
Virbhadra not in
candidates’ list |
 |
|
|
Panic among apple growers SHIMLA, July 18 — As the plucking in the lower heights has begun, there is panic among apple growers about the market prospects of their crop which shall face competition from the apple which has been imported under the Open General Licence. Patrolling in border
areas stepped up HP
to stand by recruitment quota: Chandel Attempt
to malign SDM condemned Rain
triggers landslides in HP NSUI
leaders stage protest New
Dharamsala, Delhi bus service Move
to convert hostel opposed |
|||||
 |
||||||
Virbhadra not in candidates’
list SHIMLA, July 18 — While Mr Sat Mahajan, President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, will be likely the party candidate for the Kangra parliamentary seat, the name of party strongman, Mr Virbhadra Singh does not figure in the list of candidates recommended by state election committee for the ensuing poll. The committee, which met here today, discussed the merits of the 58 candidates for the four seats and decided to forward all names to the central election committee after recording its observations. The name of Mr Sat Mahajan, who was not among the aspirants for the ticket, was recommended by the district Congress committees of Kangra and Chamba. Mr Virbhadra Singh, considered to be a strong candidate for the Mandi seat, was not discussed as he was not inclined to contest the Lok Sabha poll. Besides Mr Sat Mahajan Mrs Asha Kumari, legislator from Banikhet, Mrs Kanta Sood, President of the state unit of the INTUC were among the seven candidates whose names were recommended for the Kangra seat. The maximum number of aspirants (27) were for Hamirpur seat. Prominent among them included Mr N.C. Prashar, a former minister, Mrs Anita Verma, Mr Sukhwinder President of the state Youth Congress, Mr Ram Lal Thakur and Mrs Viplove Thakur, both sitting legislators and Mr B.R. Rahi, a trade unionist. The names of Mr Kaul Singh and Mr Rangila Ram Rao, both sitting legislators, and Mr Natha Singh an ex-MLA, have been recommended along with 12 others for the Mandi constituency. Mr K.D. Sultanpuri, a
member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, and Mr Gangu Ram
Musafir, sitting legislator, were among the nine
candidates whose names have been recommended for the
Shimla parliamentary (reserved) constituency. |
Reschedule poll, says HPCC SHIMLA, July 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has urged the Election Commission to reschedule the Lok Sabha poll and ensure that all states in the region go to the polls simultaneously. The party said according to the schedule announced by the commission Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh would go to the polls in the first round on September 4 whereas the elections in Himachal Pradesh would be held on September 24, after a gap of 20 days. In such a situation there was every possibility of anti-social elements from the neighbouring states moving into Himachal and creating an atmosphere where a free and fair poll might not be possible. It would be appropriate if the commission ensured simultaneous elections in all states in the region to avoid any untoward situation. It also urged the commission to ensure strict implementation of the model code of conduct for political parties which was being "blatantly flouted" by the ruling BJP. Official machinery was being misused for organising party meetings and the state Public Relations Department had even issued advertisements for party rallies like the one addressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Kulu. Besides, hundreds of "back dated" transfer orders had been issued and ministers and chairpersons of various boards and corporations were touring the state in official vehicles. Mr Sat Mahajan, president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, said the BJP was trying to cover up the "misuse" of government machinery in organising the Kulu rally by stating that the Prime Minister had come to the state to pay homage to the Kargil martyrs. He said the advertisement issued by the government did not mention any such thing and even if it was so leaders of other political parties should have been invited. Mr Mahajan said the BJP owed an apology to the nation for misleading the country about the quality of the Bofors gun which had proved its effectiveness during the Kargil crisis. The BJP had made it an issue during the previous poll. The country had been forced to purchase ammunition for the gun from other countries at very high rates as the contract with the company had to be cancelled due to the hue and cry raised by political parties. Referring to the
financial crisis in the state, Mr Mahajan said the
government had gone bankrupt. The government had taken
advance central assistance of Rs 100 crore to tide over
the crisis. It was now also planning to go in for public
borrowing for which it had criticised the previous
Congress government. |
Nun tells tale of torture MCLEODGANJ (Dharamsala), July 18 (PTI) — For 28-year-old Tibetan nun Tsultrim Dolma the ordeal began on April 16, 1988, barely six weeks after the massacre of 44 monks allegedly by Chinese soldiers at Lhasa’s Jokhang Temple during the annual Great Monlam Prayer Festival, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) here. She along with five nuns of the Chubsang and Garu nunneries in Tibet, was arrested, tortured and sexually assaulted at a detention centre for demonstrating against the massacre, the TCHRD said. Tsultrim Dolma, who resides in the USA today, recalls the initial days of her four-month sentence, "I was thrown in a truck and sent to Gutsa detention centre (three miles east of the Tibetan capital). I was asked to stand near a door in the courtyard so that every Chinese soldier who passed by could kick me ... They kicked me till I could hardly breathe," she was quoted by the TCHRD. Her first interrogation session was conducted in a cell by two male and two female guards. "I was beaten till I could no longer stand...One of the guards pulled up my robe and the other man inserted an electric cattle prod into my vagina. The shock and pain was horrible," she recounted in anguish. On her release she was told that she had been expelled from Chubsang Nunnery and was forbidden to wear the nuns robes, besides being barred from taking part in religious activities. Instead she was forced to attend "re-education" meetings. Having taken part in a British documentary (without hiding her identity), Tsultrim feared an imminent arrest and decided to seek re-admission in Chubsang as she felt it was the "safest place". "To my surprise I saw that a Chinese police office had been set up at the Nunnery," she says. It was on that fateful day that she was stalked and raped by three Chinese soldiers. "I could no longer continue my lifelong dream of being a nun because I had been raped... I had been spoiled," she says. Almost nine years later TCHRD estimates show there are over 1,200 Tibetan political prisoners in various Chinese prisons in Tibet, of which 295 are women. Nearly 86.44 per cent of these women are nuns. Kalsang Palmo from Shugseb Nunnery was arrested along with 12 nuns for raising freedom slogans and distributing leaflets in the Lhasa’s Barkhor market area in May 1988. "Right after we reached Gutsa detention centre, we were tortured by the police with electric prods on our faces and private parts... The sound and pain was terrible." Tenzin Choedon, one of the 12 nuns arrested with Kalsang, describes her interrogation at Gutsa. "I was hit all over my body and one of them gave me an electric shock in my anus. It was so painful that I lost consciousness for a few seconds." Ngawang Choedon, a nun at Tsang-Gung Nunnery in Lhasa, survived a three-year sentence after being subjected to three blood extractions. "They extracted blood in a tube about 10 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter each time and I was told that the blood would be sent for examination. She was also assigned to
empty out toilets inside the prison complex. "Many a
time we were sent back to our cells without being able to
wash our hands. I did not feel bad doing this work as I
knew I was not the only one," she adds. |
Panic among apple growers SHIMLA, July 18 — As the plucking in the lower heights has begun, there is panic among apple growers about the market prospects of their crop which shall face competition from the apple which has been imported under the Open General Licence (OGL). Reports indicate that middlemen trading in apple were to some extent trying to create panic among innocent growers of the interior areas so as to grab their produce at throwaway prices. It is alleged that certain middlemen have spread rumours that the local apple crop might not fetch a reasonable price this time because the Centre has allowed the import of apple, particularly from Australia and New Zealand. The import of apple under the OGL has resulted in a setback to the ruling BJP here which had been trying to make inroads in the apple belt ever since the party came to power in Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has frequently been touring the apple-growing areas, particularly in Shimla district. It is learnt that Mr Dhumal and Mr Narendra Bragta, Horticulture Minister, discussed the issue with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, during his recent visit to Kulu and sought some remedial measures. The apple growers are a worried lot as they are expecting very little crop this time because of the damage caused due to the long-drawn drought at the flowering stage. A former Chief Minister and Congress MLA, Thakur Ram Lal, has criticised the BJP government for trying to throttle the apple growers by allowing the import of apple. Mr Bragta told the TNS here yesterday that only about 20 per cent of the last season's bumper apple production of 3.94 lakh tonnes was expected this time. The crop had failed at the flowering stage when the temperature was very high, and prior to that the chilly requirements could not be met because of little snow. He accused certain Congress leaders of trying to create fear among the apple growers on the issue of the OGL. Mr Bragta said the import under the OGL would not hit the rates of the Himachal apple. This had been indicated by the early variety of Tideman from the Rajgarh and Karsog areas fetching Rs 850 per box of 20 kg in the Delhi market on Friday. This variety of apple fetched only about Rs 600 per box last year when there was a bumper crop. Meanwhile, the state government has ordered the HP Agro Industrial Packaging India Ltd to manufacture 20 lakh telescopic cartons, 60,000 flower cartons, 10 lakh Kulu cartons of 10 kg capacity each, three lakh plum cartons, two lakh almond cartons and 20,000 strawberry cartons this year. A subsidy of Rs 10 and Rs 5 each will be provided on telescopic and Kulu cartons for apple. The cartons subsidy will be available to orchardists throughout the year. The sale price of each telescopic carton has been fixed at Rs 20-25. The transport subsidy on
the import of eucalyptus and poplar wood from outside the
state for manufacturing fruit-packing boxes will be
available on last year's pattern. |
Patrolling in border areas stepped
up CHAMBA, July 18 (UNI) — The Himachal Pradesh Police, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) have jointly intensified round- the-clock surveillance and patrolling in border areas of the district and adjoining Doda and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir to keep a close watch on the activities of Pakistani infiltrators and militants in the wake of the Kargil conflict. Chamba district Superintendent of Police R.M. Sharma said here today that the check-points set up by the security forces in border areas adjoining Jammu and Kashmir had been put on "high alert". He said officers of the state police, IRB and ITBP had been camping in the district border to undertake special patrolling, combing and other search operations to check the activities of militants. Mr Sharma said a constant contact with the Jammu and Kashmir police was being maintained, while in Chamba sector vigil had been stepped up by the security forces in view of the coming weeklong-Minjar Fair scheduled to begin from July 25. Residents of the border area had been urged to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the security officials camping on the check-points the S.P added. He said while taking
stock of the situation in the border belts, the police
had decided to organise police-public interaction camps
to boost the confidence of the people, specially of those
belonging to the minority communities. |
HP to
stand
by recruitment quota: Chandel SHIMLA, July 18 — Mr Suresh Chandel, President of the state unit of the BJP, today said the Himachal Government was committed to get the state's quota for recruitment to armed forces restored and assured that the cut imposed due to the policy of carrying out recruitment on the basis of the male population would be withdrawn after the formation of a new government at the Centre. In a statement here, Mr Chandel said the state government had already taken up the matter with the Centre and its case had been further strengthened in the wake of the Kargil operation in which as many as 41 soldiers from the state had made the supreme sacrifice. He said with just 0.5 per cent of the country's population the state accounted for 10 per cent of the Kargil martyrs. He said while the brave
soldiers had done the state and its people proud, the
government was making every effort to mitigate the
sufferings of the families of the martyrs. The Dhumal
government was the first government in the country to
raise the financial assistance to such families to Rs 5
lakh and give job to one of its members. It had also
decided to grant free education to two children up to the
graduation level. He also appreciated the effort of the
people who expressed solidarity with the armed forces and
the government by contributing liberally for the welfare
of the soldiers. |
Attempt to malign SDM condemned SHIMLA, July 18 — Dr N.K. Kalia, father of Lt. Saurabh Kalia, who laid down his life in Kargil, criticised attempts to malign the local administration. Expressing anguish over the reported statement of HP Congress leader Chandresh Kumari charging the administration of indifference to the problems of bereaved families Dr Kalia in a letter to the Chief Minister, regretted that an attempt had been made to embarrass the SDM, Palampur, who had been helpful throughout. He said when a death certificate was required in respect of Lt. Saurabh Kalia he faced some problems with an official who was under-informed about the rules. However, the SDM immediately intervened and got the work done. In his letter, Dr Kalia said he had mentioned the issue to Mr Kumari when she visited the family and asked her to instruct her party cadres to help those relatives of killed soldiers who were illiterate or semi-illiterate and could not approach higher authorities. "But to our shock
and surprise the matter has been blown out of proportion
and it was shameful that an honest person like the SDM,
who was extra helpful to us, is being maligned," he
said in the letter. |
Rain triggers landslides in HP SHIMLA, July 18 (UNI) — Moderate rain lashed mid and lower hills in Himachal Pradesh for second consecutive day today, bringing considerable fall in the temperature and triggering landslides at certain places in the state. Shimla and its surrounding areas experienced intermittent rain which was preceded and followed by a dense fog reducing the visibility considerably. Upper areas of Shimla district and the 320-km Hindustan-Tibet road were also enveloped in thick fog forcing vehicular traffic to move with headlights on. Landslides have occurred
particularly in interior areas and on link roads.
However, traffic was plying normally on the link roads
and national and state highways. |
NSUI leaders stage protest SHIMLA, July 18 — The Himachal Pradesh unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) appeared to be heading for a split with state office-bearers and district presidents refusing to accept the appointment of Mr Kewal Pathania as the new president of the organisation. The office-bearers along with other activists of the union staged a protest at Congress Bhavan here today against the unwarranted interference of Congress leaders in union affairs. The protesters submitted
a memorandum to Mr Sat Mahajan, Pradesh Congress
Committee chief, and apprised him of the resentment
against the "imposition" of leaders from Delhi. |
New Dharamsala, Delhi bus
service DHARAMSALA, July 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has decided to start a new deluxe bus between Dharamsala and Delhi. The Area Manager of the HPTDC, Mr Kamal Sharma, stated that it was on public demand and the tourists coming here that it had been decided to start the day time deluxe bus. The HPTDC was already running deluxe buses during night from here to Delhi. The buses will ply
between Dharamsala and Delhi on alternate days and after
seeing the response it will be made regular. The bus will
be flagged off on July 20 from McLeodganj.
Move to convert hostel
opposed DHARAMSALA, July 18 — The Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), have threatened to launch an agitation, if the government goes ahead with its plan to convert the boys’ hostel of the local government college into the law hostel of the regional centre. Addressing a press conference here today, the State General Secretary of the Youth Congress, Mr Manoj Mehta and former General Secretary of the NSUI, Mr Sumeet Khanna, raised serious objections to the ‘saffronisation’ of the government college. "Since the ABVP has failed to make a foothold in the boys hostel, they have been making attempts to get it closed or convert it into a part of the regional centre", charged Mr Sumeet Khanna. He said the Education Minister and the local minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor, should clarify the government’s stand. He also claimed
political victimisation of college teachers with four
teachers being transferred. |
 |
||
 |
| Nation
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
