Mandi Shimla

Misuse of EC code: plea for observer
SHIMLA, July 28 — Mr Harsh Mahajan, Vice-President of the PCC and a sitting MLA, has urged the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr M.S. Gill, to send an independent observer here to investigate into the "blatant misuse" of official position by ministers of the BJP-HVC combine government even after announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

HP Vidhan Sabha session from Aug 17
SHIMLA, July 28 — A four-day monsoon session of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha will commence on August 17. As the session is being held on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll, many controversial issues are likely to be raised.

BRO rushes men to Pithoragarh
SHIMLA, July 28 — The Border Roads Organisation has rushed its men to Malpa in Pithoragarh district of Uttar Pradesh to restore the route to Kailash Mansarovar, which has been badly damaged due to rain.

Bragta clarifies position
SHIMLA, July 28 — Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister, said here today that the final decision regarding the BJP contesting the Shimla parliamentary seat would be taken by the party high command and the party workers of the constituency would aside by it.

• Shanta Kumar flays Congress

Streamline apple marketing: survey
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — An eco-horticulture society of the apple growing areas of Himachal Pradesh has conducted a market survey and observed that the apple being imported under the open general licence (OGL) was no threat to the local purpose.

Mr Lakshman Thakur, Chairman of the Himalayan Eco-Horticulture Society, Nandpur, after conducting an extensive survey of the fruit markets in Delhi, said yesterday that although at present there was no threat to the local apple, but its marketing system required to be streamlined in view of the competition from abroad.

He said a joint team of fruit growers, the Horticulture Department and Horticulture University should survey the effects of import of apple. The threat from the global apple also required a detailed study.

Mr Thakur said the apple varieties of tydeman, william favourite, early June and red June continue to be the best sellers as usual in the markets elsewhere in the country.

He said most of the apple sellers in Delhi were of the opinion that the Himachali golden variety was as good as the imported golden variety of Enza, New Zealand, but the bruising rate of the local apple was three times higher than the imported one.

He said a 20 kg box of Washington red variety was being supplied by Bombay-based importers between Rs 1,500 to 1,600, while the cold-store apple of Himachal Pradesh of similar quality costed between Rs 600 to 1000 per box to the retailers.

One of these sellers was of the opinion that improved uniformity of the fruit size and coloured packing was the need of the hour. The production of high-quality fruits was a big challenge to the Himalayan growers.

During the survey of the INA Market in Delhi where the imported apple is being sold, Mr Thakur found that a shopkeeper was selling the Washington red delicious, a medium-size apple, under the brand, "Danny Boy", at Rs 100 per kg as compared to Rs 80 per kg for the large-sized royal delicious of Himachal Pradesh.

The extra large variety, fungi of the imported apple being sold for Rs 200 per kg had hardly any buyers.

Many sellers observed that the Washington and the New Zealand red delicious varieties were no match in taste for the Indian royal delicious which was crisp, aromatic, juicy and more tasty as compared to the imported apple, he added.

Need to modify investigation system: DIG
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, July 28 — The central police range here has embarked upon an ambitious training programme to "improve and modify" the current investigation system which had many drawbacks resulting in large-scale acquittals and denial of justice to victims of crimes.

Mr Sumesh Goyal, DIG, Central Range, said here today that this was the first workshop in a series of "specialised training programme" to be conducted at the range level.

Investigating officers drawn from the districts of Mandi, Kulu, Bilaspur and Hamirpur participated in the one-day workshop.

The innovative feature of the training was the holding of "mock trials" where the investigating officers presented their cases and the legal expert present on the occasion pinpointed the flaws and omissions which resulted in acquittals and wastage of their labour.

Mr Goyal said in the changed scenario the investigating agencies had to keep pace with the modern times and equip themselves with the latest technology and infrastructure. Special training course would be started from the month of November this year on investigation of atrocities and crime against women and weaker sections.

He said the security along the 425 km stretch of Pathankot-Leh road, which fell in the central range, had been beefed up and members of the armed police and homeguards were on round-the-clock duty to protect vital bridges and key points.

Misuse of EC code: plea for observer
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — Mr Harsh Mahajan, Vice-President of the PCC and a sitting MLA, has urged the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr M.S. Gill, to send an independent observer here to investigate into the "blatant misuse" of official position by ministers of the BJP-HVC combine government even after announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Mahajan has in a fax message to Mr Gill urged that the record of the General Administration Department in particular should be seized to look into misuse of official vehicles by various ministers for political purposes. This was in violation of the guidelines of the Election Commission.

He alleged that as the state election office was unable to curb such activities of the ministers, an observer should be sent by the Commission to investigate into the violation of the election code by the ministers who were disbursing grants and ordering transfer of employees.

He alleged that most of the ministers were using their official vehicles and drawing advance travelling allowance and touring the state.

Mr Mahajan has demanded that punitive action should be taken against those ministers who were violating the election code. He offered to produce evidence of the misuse of official machinery by the ministers before the election observer.

Post-mortem order confusing
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, July 28 — The failure of the state Health Department in implementing its own order based on the recommendation of the National Human Rights Commission has been creating trouble in conducting post-mortems in criminal cases.

According to a letter of the Director of health services, Shimla, dated June 3, 1999, circulated to the Chief Medical Officer, Dharamsala, and all senior medical officers of Kangra district, post-mortems in criminal cases would be conducted at the district-level hospital and zonal hospital while the post-mortems in cases of natural calamities and accidents would be conducted at the nearest available health centre.

However, the post-mortems in criminal cases being forwarded from the subdivisional hospital, Nurpur, are being returned from the zonal hospital, Dharamsala, and the doctors at the subdivisional hospital have to conduct these post-mortems causing inconvenience to the families of the deceased.

The NHRC had recommended that an equipped mortuary and post-mortem rooms should be made available here. The existing mortuary is in a dilapidated condition and lacks basic amenities like light and water.

HP Vidhan Sabha session from Aug 17
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — A four-day monsoon session of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha will commence on August 17.

As the session is being held on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll, many controversial issues are likely to be raised. These include the enquiry report which had found the previous Congress government guilty of making irregular appointments on political consideration, judicial probe into violent incidents from March 5 to 12 during the formation of new government and inclusion of apple in the open general licence (OGL) list under the new exim policy.

An important Bill to make declaration of assets by legislators mandatory is also likely to be introduced during the session. The BJP had promised in its election manifesto that its legislators would declare their assets within three months.

BRO rushes men to Pithoragarh
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has rushed its men to Malpa in Pithoragarh district of Uttar Pradesh to restore the route to Kailash Mansarovar, which has been badly damaged due to rain.

The pilgrimage has been disrupted and one of the batch of pilgrims was held up midway.

Brig B.M. Bakshi, Chief Engineer of the Deepak project of the BRO, told this correspondent here today that a bailey bridge has been rushed for being installed at Malpa where the existing bridge of the PWD was washed away.

The District Magistrate of Pithoragarh today sought help of the BRO to restore the route which had last year also witnessed landslides at Malpa killing about 222 persons, including the famous dancer Protima Bedi.

According to reports, while some pilgrims are stranded enroute, others have been stopped at Pithoragarh.

Shanta Kumar flays Congress
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, July 28 — The former Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, addressing a press conference here yesterday said the Congress had neither issue which could nor a primeministerial candiate to attract voters. The leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi had been rejected by Indians. He said the Congress by making the Kargil problem a poll plank would meet the same fate as Pakistan on the northern border.

He criticised the Congress for opposing the proposal of right of proxy vote to the defence forces fighting on the borders.

Bragta clarifies position
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 28 — Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister, said here today that the final decision regarding the BJP contesting the Shimla parliamentary seat would be taken by the party high command and the party workers of the constituency would aside by it.

He said he had only conveyed the sentiments of party workers who wanted the BJP should contest the seat to the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal. Certain reports appearing in the press had created an impression as if he had revolted against the Chief Minister and protested that the seat should not be given to the HVC.

The party was united under the leadership of Mr Dhumal and it was for the first time that the interests of apple growers had been safeguarded and Rs 29 crore were paid to growers within a year of procurement under the market intervention scheme.