SSB cos: Centre breaks promise
DHARAMSALA, June 28 — Despite an assurance to the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, that the SSB companies would not be withdrawn from Himachal areas, it appears that the Centre has made up its mind to break the promise.

European aid for 11 states
SHIMLA, June 28 — The European Commission (EC) has selected 11 states of the country for providing technical and financial assistance to the tune of Euro 200 million (about Rs 1,000 crore) to support the governments on the reform agenda in the health and family welfare sector.

Transfer of women from hometowns opposed
SHIMLA, June 28 — The H.P. State Commission for Women has asked the government to avoid transfer the women employees from their hometowns.

CITU chief, 6 others arrested
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 28 — The police today arrested Mr Rakesh Singha, president of the state unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, along with six activists of the Nathpa-Jhakri Joint Venture Workers Union in connection with the suspected murder of Mr Virender Mishra of the Loyal Security Service whose body was recovered from Manglar yesterday.

Those arrested include Mr Hari Om Sharma, president of the NJJV Workers Union, Mr Bhagat Ram, Mr Lekh Raj, Mr Nar Singh, Mr Kishan Singh and Mr Ranveer Singh.

So far 13 persons have been arrested in connection with the clash between workers and the private security service of the company in which two persons were killed and about 15 injured.

While five members of the security service were arrested in connection with the firing on workers soon after the incident, Mr Raghuvanshi, Manager (Personnel) of the company, was taken into custody yesterday. CITU had blamed him for the firing.

The police had also registered an FIR alleging that workers had attacked its officers with rods and stones.

Tension prevailed in the project area following the arrest and the administration has imposed Section 144, Cr P.C. and banned holding of rallies and demonstrations in the entire project area for 15 days.

Mr Ram Subhag Singh, Deputy Commissioner, who is camping in Jhakri, told The Tribune on the telephone that the situation was fully in control and precautionary measures had been taken.

The police had registered a case against workers soon after the incident under Sections 353, 147, 148, 149 for assaulting public servants and rioting. The Sections were converted in to 302 and 307 after the recovery of the body of the missing jawan of the Loyal Security Service. One of the five members of the service, who were reported missing after the incident, was still untraced.

The state unit of CITU has condemned the arrest of Mr Singha and other leaders and accused the administration of siding with the management.

Tourist packages from September
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 8 — In a bid to promote tourism in Himachal Pradesh, the Railways and the state government have decided to jointly organise three tourist packages for various circuits in this hill state.

This was announced by the Railways Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, talking to newsmen here today. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, was also present.

Mr Nitish Kumar said the package tours would be launched from September. The Railways will bring tourists to railheads at Kalka and Pathankot and from there the state Tourism Department will conduct their tours to various destinations.

He said first circuit would be from Kalka to Pathankot covering Shimla, Kulu and Kangra, the second Pathankot, Kangra and Manali, the third from Kalka to Shimla and around.

The trains for these packages would originate from Delhi.

The minister said that senior Railway and state officials have been designated to work out details of these packages consisting of about four days each.

He said the Bombay-Kalka express, which was at present running four times a week, would be made a daily from October 2. The Shatabdi between Pathankot and Palampur would be introduced next month.

Mr Nitish Kumar held a meeting with Mr Dhumal and senior officials of the state to discuss various problems relating to the Railways and highways. Officers of the Railways and surface transport also attended the meeting.

The minister said that he would fully cooperate with the state government for improving the rail and road infrastructure. He appreciated Mr Dhumal for taking keen interest in the development of these sectors.

Proud of son's martyrdom
From S.P. Sharma

SHIMLA: Never could Maneka imagine that she would not again meet her brother Yashwant Singh when last month he was suddenly called back on duty at Kargil where he was killed fighting Pakistani intruders.

The 20-year-old Yashwant Singh, who was a gunner in the 15th field regiment, had promised his parents that he would return on the first available opportunity to get a kitchen constructed in the house which is located in an isolated nullah in the Kewli village of the Rohru tehsil in Shimla district.

It was however, his body which reached the village on June 18 for cremation with military honours.

His posting to Kargil came in January.

Although the family is very upset over the loss of their only son, but his father, Mr Ram Sein and mother Mrs Vimla Devi are maintaining a bold face over the death of their son.

Mr Ram Sein, who is himself a retired ITBP man, is satisfied that his son accomplished the task of evicting the Pakistani infiltrators from certain strategic locations.

The 20-year-old Yashwant Singh, laid his life only when the enemy had started fleeing from the strategic Saddle and point 4590 areas which were crucial to the safety of the Srinagar-Leh highway which has been under constant artillery fire of Pakistan.

The family has not yet been able to make up its mind whether to make Maneka, the school-going sister of the martyr, to take up job which has been offered by the state government.

Yashwant's mother, Mrs Vimla Devi, was at Rohru the other day to get certain papers cleared for the army pension.

His father recalls that Yashwant Singh was very fond of joining the armed forces right from his childhood and he finally became a soldier on December 24, 1997.

He laments that Yashwant Singh could wear the uniform only for 17 months and became a martyr at a young age. He always turned down the offer of his marriage and maintained that he would get married only after retiring from the army.

The family members recall that Yashwant Singh wanted to become an officer and was preparing for certain examinations for this purpose.

He came home in January after completing his training and had to leave soon for Kargil as his posting orders came.

Mr Ram Sein believes that his son was destined to become a martyr as he had survived at least three fatal incidents in his childhood. First of all his mother by mistake administered him poison instead of his medicine and he remained in coma for three days. Once he fell from the rooftop and was also mauled by monkeys. But he survived all this only to become a martyr.

Snag hits ropeway on initial day
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 28 — Thirtyfour tourists had a harrowing time as they remained stuck in air for more than five hours after the newly-introduced ropeway between Jabli and Nandoh, near Kasauli, developed a snag this afternoon.

According to Mr Ramesh Dhiman, Subdivisional Magistrate, Solan, 12 cable cars were stranded in air on their 1200-metre route at about 4 p.m. with 34 persons on board. After all efforts to bring down the cable cars failed, the district administration. Sought the help of the police and other civil organisations to rescue the persons trapped inside the cable cars.

Mr Dhiman said by 9.30 p.m. 29 of the trapped persons had been evacuated safely. Most of them belonged either to Lucknow or Jaipur.

Mr Dhiman further said the exact cause of the failure of the ropeway was not known. Since the District Magistrate was away in connection with a court appearance, no inquiry into the incident could be ordered. Mr Dhiman, however, made it clear that full action' under the relevant provisions of the law, would be taken to ensure that such an incident did not occur again.

Only last evening, the Union Railways Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, and the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, inaugurated this ropeway. Though the promoters claimed that it had an inbuilt safety and security system, the rescue operations had to be carried out manually.

There was a large gathering of people at the site as the trapped persons were being gradually evacuated by use of ropes and rope ladders.

Mr Dhiman told The Tribune over the telephone, "There has been no casualty. And most of those rescued have already left for their further destinations".

Ajay Banerjee adds from Jabli (Solan): The Himachal Pradesh authorities will take action after a ropeway inspector, based in Shimla, submits a report on the incident by tomorrow.

A total of 34 persons, including 12 children and nine women, had a tough time as a ropeway connecting Jabli to Kasauli got stuck this afternoon. A total of 12 cabins were stuck due to a mechanical fault.

The Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM), Solan, Mr R.K. Dhiman, said the ropeway inspector had been called in.

Mr K.K. Kashyap, promoter of this ropeway said, "Panels on the computer that is the source of all connectivity had developed snag".

More than 100 persons from the police department, the fire authorities the civil authorities and promoters of the ropeway worked for more than five hours to rescue the 34 persons in the ropeway.

The civil authorities have asked the ropeway management to stop the movement of the lift and the police has been posted there.

Explaining the rescue — that began around 4.30 p.m. — Mr Kanwar Varinder Singh, DSP, Parwanoo, said the lifts were moved manually to a place near to the hillside. From there a ladder was placed to safely bring down the trapped persons.

One of the tourists was a heart patient and had to be given treatment. Two others had to be brought down on the shoulders of the rescuing party.

The rescue operations ended at around 9.30 p.m. Mr Kulvinder Singh a Chandigarh-based engineer, who was called in to inspect the fault said, "The programmable logic controller in the machinery had malfunctioned." This could be due to voltage fluctuation.

Mr Kashyap said food packets and water were given to the trapped tourists.

The SDM added that no one among the tourists stayed back as they preferred to move to their destinations.

SSB cos: Centre breaks promise
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, June 28 — Despite an assurance to the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, that the SSB companies would not be withdrawn from Himachal areas, it appears that the Centre has made up its mind to break the promise.

The decision for the withdrawal of the forces from Himachal, barring the border areas, is awaiting the approval of the Prime Minister. A high-level meeting which was attended by the Union Finance Secretary, Union Home Secretary and heads of various security agencies, approved the recommendation of the Padamanbhaya Committee, for the withdrawal of these forces from most parts of Himachal and Uttar Pradesh.

A review committee, headed by a former Home Secretary, Mr S. Padamanbhaya, had been constituted to assess the functioning of the SSB in the hill areas of UP and Himachal. The committee had recommended that apart from a few areas, the SSB forces from UP and Himachal must be shifted to some other border areas. The decision had led to a furore in Himachal, as the SSB had been involved in a number of social welfare schemes and was providing employment to a large number of youth. Apart from this a number of child welfare, education and animal husbandry schemes were being run with the help of the SSB.

As per the latest decision, apart from the districts of Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, the SSB forces would be withdrawn from their permanent locations. Four companies of the SSB had been stationed at Shamshi in Kulu, Kumarsen in Shimla, Dharampur in Solan and Jwalamukhi in Kangra district.

The withdrawal of the SSB forces from the state will have an adverse effect on short-duration employment for youth. The SSB has been giving training to the local youth in guerrilla warfare and availing of their services.

The companies of the SSB have been shifted to Chamba and the border areas of Punjab. The officials who are still here are awaiting their posting orders earlier the move to shift the SSB from Himachal, was started by Mr P.K. Dhumal.

It is learnt that state officials at a high-level meeting had opposed the move, but cut any ice.

European aid for 11 states
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 28 — The European Commission (EC) has selected 11 states of the country for providing technical and financial assistance to the tune of Euro 200 million (about Rs 1,000 crore) to support the governments on the reform agenda in the health and family welfare sector.

Stating this here today, Dr Christopher Potter, Programme Manager, of the commission for sector investment, said unlike the project approach, sector investment offered the Central and State governments the opportunity of using united funds in the manner best suited to systematic improvement.

The EC's support would include policy reviews, interactive, diagnostic assessment and planning exercise for developing the operational framework of the reform process at district level and formulate action plans. Besides, assistance in carrying out agreed state and national-level sector reform activities would also be given.

Mr Potter said the Indian Government took a bold step of removing targets from the National Family Welfare Programme. However, for the success of the Reproductive and Child Health Programme, which replaced it, reforms had to be carried out to bring out decentralisation of policy changes and ensure community participation.

The state selected for the purpose included Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In the first phase 20 districts in the country would be taken up for implementing the reforms. These would be developed as models for effective implementation of various health programmes in Himachal Pradesh. Where Kangra had been selected for the programme.

Mr Potter appreciated the Himachal Pradesh government's efforts to prepare a 20-year plan for strengthening basic health facilities in the state. It was realistic to have a plan for a long period as the health sector was very complex and not much could be achieved over a small period of time, he added.

Transfer of women from hometowns opposed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 28 — The H.P. State Commission for Women has asked the government to avoid transfer the women employees from their hometowns.

The commission has set three guidelines for being followed by the government departments while transferring the women employees.

In a letter to all ministers, the chairperson of the commission, Ms Indu Goswami, has recommended that transfer of women employees should be avoided, except for administrative reasons or in case of public complaint.

Ms Goswami circulated copies of her letter to newsmen here today. She has recommended that transfer of women employees should be done only within a reasonable distance with strict adherence to the criteria that they can return home after office work to share their family responsibilities. The consent of the women employee should be taken prior to their transfer to a far-off place.

Ms Goswami has stressed that the fundamental rights of women get directly or indirectly violated because many families prefer their womenfolk not to take up jobs for this reason.

The commission had so far received about 50 complaints of harassment of women by their husbands. The commission would shortly visit Kulu to make an on-the-spot investigation of an attempt to burn a housewife.

The newly set up commission was having teething trouble which would be solved soon. She hoped that the state government would enhance the commission's budgetary allocation from Rs 15 lakh as the amount was inadequate to discharge the functions of the commission.

Ms Goswami said that district level committees would be set up to check atrocities on women.