Environment issues should be 'included in manifestos'
DHARAMSALA, May 22 — An environmentalist, running an NGO here, Mr Ajit Kumar, has demanded that all political parties should declare their environmental agenda before the Lok Sabha elections.

Cong workers ‘demoralised’
KANGRA, May 22 — The Himachal Congress Committee secretary and MLA, Nagrota Bagwan, Mr G.S. Bali, is likely to contest the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

• New HP CEO takes over
• NGOs Federation’s demands ‘accepted’
• HVC wants to contest 2 seats
• BSP to go it alone in HP

7 killed in bus mishap
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, May 22 — Seven persons were killed and 29 others were injured when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus (Number HP-48-0834) veered off the road and fell into a 100-metre-deep gorge at Singi on the Chamba-Kohlndi road, 13 km from here last evening.

Giving this information here today an official spokesman said three persons died on the spot, while three others succumbed to their injuries on way to the District Hospital. One person died in the hospital. The deceased were: Indro, Veena Kumari, Daulato Devi, Pano Devi, Darshna Devi, Ramesh Kumar and Bhagat Ram. The bodies were handed over to their kin who came from Ghanori, Chamroli, Singi and Chaned villages of the district. The bus was carrying 36 passengers.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr K.Sanjaymurthi, along with a team of doctors rushed to accident site and conducted rescue and relief operations.

The bus left the Chamba bus terminus at 5.30 p.m. on Friday and met with an accident at 6.45 p.m. at Singi. Mr Manoj Kumar, Up-Pradhan of Singi pachayat, was the first to inform the police about the accident.

The injured who were admitted to the District Hospital Chamba, included Krishan Ram and Gian Chand, the driver and conductor of the bus. The injured are Tilak, Krishan Ram, Mahender Kumar, Roop Lal, Raj Kumar, Tek Chand, Dharam Chand, Tilak Raj, Doomnu Ram, Rajender Kumar, Kishen Kapoor, Anju Gian Chand, Dina Nath, Tarlok Nath, Prem Lal, Surinder Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Tilak Raj, Kunto, Bhagto, Gur Nand, Naresh Kumar, Daulat Ram, Des Raj, Dharam Chand, Uday Singh, Tulshi, Kanta, Yash Pal.

Mr Kishori Lal, Himachal Industries Minister, and Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda, also visited the accident site last night and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, has mourned the deaths and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families. Mr Harsh Mahajan, M.L.A. from Chamba constituency, conveyed on the phone his sympathy with the bereaved.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr K. Sanjaymurthy, has announced a relief of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 10,000 each to the wounded.

He has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Chamba, Mr M.L. Sharma, to investigate into causes of the accident. He said Mr Sharma had been asked to submit his report within a week.

Indian shelling unprovoked: Pak
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 22 — Mr Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistan High Commissioner, has accused India of resorting to unprovoked shelling on the Pakistani side of Kashmir from the Kargil sector and reiterated Pakistan’s support to the "freedom struggle" in Kashmir.

Mr Qazi was informally talking to newsmen here today after participating in an ambassadors’ conference on investment opportunities in Himachal Pradesh which was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

He claimed that Pakistan had only retaliated to the Indian shelling which had resulted in a large number of civilians being killed on "our side". This does not mean that the spirit of the Lahore declaration had evaporated.

Mr Qazi said there was no question of Pakistan making civilians in Kargil its target as they were also of the same faith as the people of Pakistan.

Pakistan had to respond to the artillery fire from the place it came.

He said Pakistan had a very strong belief that the people in Kargil were "sympathetic towards us", So there was no question of pounding the civilian areas.

Mr Qazi alleged that the current firing was started by the Indian troops. It had become an annual feature to resort to the shelling of Pakistani installations.

He said the problem in Kashmir, which was of an indigenous nature, could not be solved by the use of force by India. There was no point blaming Pakistan for the situation.

Mr Qazi said the position of Pakistan on the issue was very clear and "we" will give diplomatic, political and moral support to the "freedom struggle" in Kashmir.

He said both countries should respect each other’s point of view to defuse the situation. India should particularly address the issue of Kashmir which occupied centre stage as far as Pakistan was concerned. Otherwise there would no proper dialogue on this question. A proper atmosphere for talks on other fronts could be created only when the Kashmir issue was discussed properly.

Mr Qazi said blaming Pakistan or the ISI for everything happening in India could lead nowhere. He said allegations were being made against the ISI.

Pakistan had the greatest respect for Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee whose contribution in normalising relations between the two countries was encouraging.

Both countries could not underestimate the differences between them and most of the issues could be settled in this spirit alone.

He said no date had yet been fixed for the next round of secretary level talks between India and Pakistan. Serious preparations were required for these talks.

Mr Qazi said relations between two countries should not be allowed to suffer because of the incidents of shelling.

Serious problems should be solved in the spirit of the Lahore declaration if both countries wanted to move forward.

Earlier, addressing the CII delegates, Mr Qazi said both India and Pakistan entered a new ear of testing their nuclear capability last year and this year the historic declaration was signed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries when Mr Vajpayee went to Lahore by bus.

He said it was encouraging that the dialogue had been resumed to normalise relations between the two countries.

While replying to a question regarding the reopening of the land route for trade between India and Pakistan through the Wagah checkpost, Mr Qazi said the question had to be seriously considered as the land route trade had remained suspended for the past about a decade. The target of achieving the target of trade worth Rs 10,000 crore between the two countries could be reached only by reopening the land route.

3 Cong workers join BJP at Jandroo
From Our Correspondent

JANDROO (HAMIRPUR), May 22 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is committed to the equal development of all parts of the state and shortage of funds would not come in the way of developmental work.

This was stated by the HP Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, here last night. He became the first Chief Minister of the state to visit this remotest area of the Hamirpur district.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a bus service from Banalag village to Jandroo. Thousands of men, women and children from nearby areas thronged this village and lined up along the 17-km-long route from Uhal to Jandroo to welcome the Chief Minister who is also the local MLA. Welcome arches were put up by the villagers on the route. The villagers garlanded Professor Dhumal, the Education Minister, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, the Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs Urmila Thakur, and a former MP and HP BJP chief, Mr Suresh Chandel.

Addressing the gathering here, the chief Minister said that the road between Uhal and Bir-Bagehra via Jandroo would be fully completed by March 31, 2000. A sum of Rs 5 crore had been allocated for metalling the road and providing drains and small culverts on it. He said that his main endeavour was to modernise and develop this area. Earlier, this area was known as the Andaman (kala pani) of Himachal Pradesh.

He said the coming election would be fought on the main planks of desi versus swadeshi and the positive performances of the Central and state governments.

Mr Amarsingh Rana, Pradhan of the Jandroo Gram Sudhar Sabha, welcomed the leaders.

Three prominent leaders of the area Capt Mehar Singh, Pradhan of the Jandroo Gram Panchayat, Sub Lachhman Singh, former Pradhan of the panchayat and Mrs Simro Devi, Pradan of the Charian di Dhar, Gram Panchyat announced their decision to quit the Congress party and to join the BJP. They were garlanded by Mr Pyare Lal, the Bamsan BJP chief, and welcomed to the party fold by the Chief Minister.

Earlier, addressing a public meeting at Bajral village the Chief Minister called upon the people to vote for the BJP nominee, Mr Suresh Chandel in the Lok Sabhaa elections.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the 33 kva power substation at Purli village.

Lawrence School staff stage dharna
Tribune News Service

Sanawar, May 22 — Members of the Lawrence School Class IV Employees Union staged a rally in front of the school in support of their demands here this afternoon.

The employees, after performing their duties till noon, assembled in front of the office of the Headmaster and raised slogans against the management . They alleged that the management had gone back on its written agreement signed and registered in the office of the Labour -cum-Conciliation Officer, Solan, in November last year.

According to Mr Jagat Ram and Mr Madan Lal, president and general secretary of the union, more than 220 members, including 20 women, were being discriminated against for the past many years. Of the 19 demands agreed upon, only a couple had been met, they alleged.

The leaders said their salaries were not commensurate with the ones given by other public schools in the region. In fact, they were not only hired and fired at will but were also the most discriminated against in terms of other allowances.

The demands raised by the agitating staff include raising the education allowance for their children on a par with teachers employed at the school, better accommodation or enhanced house rent allowance, retirement age at 70 as in case of many other categories of employees and regularising the services of daily-paid wagers and temporary employees after they have put in 240 days.

The agitators also demanded a minimum wage of Rs 45. 75 as per the directive of the HP Government, washing allowance, issuance of winter uniforms, sweaters and shoes, enhancement of medical and winter season allowance and grant of technical scale to technical employees.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the school authorities.

Environment issues should be 'included in manifestos'
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, May 22 — An environmentalist, running an NGO here, Mr Ajit Kumar, has demanded that all political parties should declare their environmental agenda before the Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to newspersons here today, he said environmental issues were of major concern the world over. All political parties in the country should make their stand clear on the issue of environment by mentioning it in their election manifestos and common minimum programmes.

He regretted that despite global concern for ecological degradation, political parties in India had ignored it. People from practically all fields of life, including the judiciary, seemed to have understood the importance of the issue, but politicians were still indifferent towards it, he added. "It would be in the interest of the country if the politicians make their stand clear on the issue of environment before the people vote for them", he stated.

Cong workers ‘demoralised’
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, May 22 — The Himachal Congress Committee secretary and MLA, Nagrota Bagwan, Mr G.S. Bali, is likely to contest the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

Disclosing this here today, Mr Bali said the party rank and file were feeling demoralised as the state PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, had expressed reluctance to contest from Kangra. He said it had become all the more important under these circumstances to defeat the BJP. He said so far the HPCC had not recommended any name for the seat.

New HP CEO takes over

SHIMLA, May 22 (PTI) — Mr Bhim Sen, managing director of the State Financial Corporation, has taken over as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Himachal Pradesh in place of Mrs Parminder Mathur who has gone to the Government of India for posting in Videsh Sanchar Nigam.

Mrs Mathur has been posted Director, Vigilance in the VSNL.

NGOs Federation’s demands ‘accepted’
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, May 22 — Mr Ganga Singh, Chairman of the State NGOs' Federation has claimed here, that the federation had succeeded in getting the long-standing demands of the employees accepted. The calling of the joint consultative committee meeting and accepting of main demands, including release of pending instalment of dearness allowance at the rate of 10 per cent of the basic pay with effect from January, 1999, indicated that the Chief Minister's approach towards the problems of employees was positive.

Mr Ganga Singh said the government had agreed to regularise the service of the workcharged employees up to 1990 with immediate effect and others in a phased manner.

The government had also accepted the demand of the federation to finalise the recruitment and promotion rules of all categories of employees by September 30, this year.

He said it had also been agreed to solve the housing problem of employees in a phased manner. As many as 1000 houses for employees would be constructed in the state and 3600 at sub-divisions level by March 2002.

HVC wants to contest 2 seats
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 22 — The Himachal Vikas Congress has demanded from its ruling coalition partner, the BJP, that it should be allowed to contest two of the four Lok Sabha seats in the coming elections.

The demand was made by the Shimla unit of the HVC which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr Bhagat Ram Chauhan.

BSP to go it alone in HP
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, May 22 — Mr P.C. Azad, general secretary of the state unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party said here today that his party would fight the ensuing Lok Sabha elections on its own and would not have electoral understanding with any party.

In a statement here today, he said a meeting of the state unit of the party would be held at Palampur in Kangra district on May 30 at which the strategy of the party would be decided.