Posts of engineer redesignated
SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has redesignated various posts of engineer on the pattern of the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Himachal launches aerial parikrama
SHIMLA, Nov 21 — Himachal became the first state to organise sightseeing air trips for tourists with the inauguration of its "Kinnar Kailash parikarama" flight today.

BJP-govt "terrorising Cong men"
HAMIRPUR, Nov 21 — HP Youth Congress Chief, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has charged the BJP-led state government with terrorising the relations of Congress party leaders and workers and creating a sense of insecurity among them.

Group to evaluate investment set up
SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has set up an investment evaluating group (IEG) to identify potential areas for private sector investment.

Two houses gutted
CHAMBA, Nov 21 — Two houses were gutted in a fire at Bharmour township, the tribal subdivision headquarters of Bharmour in Chamba district last night causing a loss of more than Rs 5 lakh.

Student's body found in nullah
SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The body of Rajesh Kumar, a student of the local S.D. School, who was missing for the last ten days, was recovered from Dhingu Bauli nullah near here.

HP ministers don RSS colours
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Nov 21 — Over 2,000 RSS activists from the districts of Kangra and Chamba, attended a one-day camp organised here today.

A senior RSS functionary, Mr Madhav Gopal Vaidya, while addressing the participants said that people may have different views about the RSS but its main endeavour was to organise Hindus.

Mr Vidya, said since the identity and fate of the nation was linked to Hindus, the RSS had a big responsibility. "The nation belongs to those who have a value system and consider it their own", he said.

Prominent participants in the camp, including several ministers, and small children, later took out a procession. Families of fifteen martyrs were honoured on the occasion.

HAMIRPUR: Dr Jagmohan Lal Garg, the all-India liason chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh today cautioned against the increasing activities of the Christian missionaries in India.

Addressing a mammoth rally of RSS activists of the districts of Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur, he said the time had come when all should join hands to thwart the attempts of Christian missionaries to resort to mass conversions.

Prominent among those who took part in the rally in RSS uniforms were Education Minister, Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda, Deputy Speaker HP Vidhan Sabha, Mr Ram Dass Malanagaer and Mr Suresh Chandel, the HP BJP supremo and Mr Baboo Ram Mandyal, MLA.

Mr Garg gave a call to RSS activists to adopt one village in each district of the state for its all-round development. Fourteen members of the families of Kargil war heroes belonging to the districts of Hamirpur and Bilaspur were honoured by the RSS leader with a shawl, a memento and a citation each.

Later, the RSS activists took out a procession through various parts of the town raising slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai.

BILASPUR: Meanwhile former Health Minister and Congress MLA from Kotkehloor constituency Ram Lal Thakur condemned the active involvement of the "entire Himachal government" in the one-day state-level conference.

Addressing mediapersons here today after returning from Hamirpur last evening, Mr Thakur said he counted 22 government vehicles of ministers and chairmen and vice-chairmen alone, organising and running the function while vehicles, officers, employees and labourers of the PWD and IPH and Forest Department and other departments were also on the job.

He said the state government has said it is experiencing a financial crunch and stopped payment of essential medical bills of its employees but had no compunction in squandering lakhs of rupees of tax-payers money in organising RSS camps.

The camp was being organised almost as if it were a government function he said adding any expenditure of public money on activities of the communal organisation was not only unconstitutional but in a secular state like India a criminal waste.

He also pointed towards the saffronisation of government schools by the RSS under the patronage of the Dhumal government and urged the governor to intervene.

HVC relents on Solan seat
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Nov 21 — Himachal Vikas Congress chief Sukh Ram yesterday said the issue of the allotment of ticket for the Solan Vidhan Sabha byelection would be resolved amicably after consultations with the BJP.

The Solan seat fell vacant after the Himachal High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the defeated BJP candidate, Mr Mohinder Nath Sofat's plea that the election of Congress MLA Krishna Mohini should be declared null and void on account of certain technical lapses.

Following the unseating of Ms Mohini, the HVC had staked claim for the allotment of the ticket on the plea that it had performed well during the last parliamentary elections when its candidate, Col Dhani Ram Shandil won the Shimla seat of which Solan was a part, with a thumping majority.

The HVC also reinforced its claim by telling the BJP that "it had surrendered its Baijnath seat" to the party at the request of the latter in the last by election. It had demanded that the BJP should reciprocate by accepting the HVC's demand for the allotment of the ticket for the Solan seat.

Replying to a question as to whether his party would be able to regain its bargaining power in the affairs of the government in case the BJP got a clear majority on its own in the Vidhan Sabha after winning the Solan seat, Mr Sukh Ram said he had stated everything he had to say on the subject. "The allotment issue would now be settled after mutual discussions in the spirit of give and take as usual," he said.

Detailing his party's strategy for the development of Himachal, Mr Sukh Ram said the state was at present facing two problems — lack of financial resources and burgeoning unemployment.

He said he was firmly opposed to the setting up of highly polluting industries like cement plants. The existing cement plants in the state were playing havoc with Himachal's ecology.

Numerous villages situated near such plants would have to be vacated soon on account of the destabilisation of earth strata caused by blasting during quarrying.

Posts of engineer redesignated
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has redesignated various posts of engineer on the pattern of the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Superintending engineers with three years’ service have been redesignated as deputy chief engineers, executive engineers with five years’ service as additional chief engineers and all those with less than five years’ service as senior executive engineers. With this the board now has 15 chief engineers, 39 deputy chief engineers, 137 additional superintending engineers and 242 senior executive engineers.

Even diploma engineers who were already drawing the pay scale of superintending engineer and executive engineer have been redesignated. Diploma engineers were barred from promotion to the post of superintending engineer following an amendment to the Recruitment and Promotion Rules in 1994.

Mr R.L. Justa, general secretary of the state Diploma Engineers Association, has hailed the decision of the board but expressed disappointment over the delay in the release of the promotional scale after the completion of 16 years’ service to all eligible assistant engineers and assistant executive engineers. He urged the board to sanction the promotional scale to all eligible engineers so that they could also be redesignated as executive engineers.

He urged the Chief Minister to transfer the control of Himurja to the board for expeditious execution of mini and micro hydroelectric projects. The agency, which was headed by an electrical engineer, did not have either the manpower or the infrastructure to execute projects of 500 MW capacity. It should be headed by at least a chief engineer and should have a team of experts to evaluate project reports and execute the projects.

The association also stressed the need for starting work immediately on the 70 MW Kashang and 80 MW Sorang hydroelectric projects.

Mr Justa lamented that the government was handing over attractive projects to the private sector or central agencies which was "not in the interest" of the state. Experience showed that Himachalis did not get employment in such projects, he said.

Boon for ice-skating enthusiasts
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 21 — While snow is becoming increasingly scare and irregular due to the rapid degradation of the environment, the changing weather pattern is proving a boon for ice-skating enthusiasts.

Residents of this hill resort were surprised to see the capsule-shaped red balloon hovering majestically atop the Municipal Corporation building to signal the start of the season at Asia's oldest natural ice-skating rink here, it was after over 20 years that ice-skating started as early as today.

More than 24 ice-skaters mostly young boys, attended the opening session. The continuing dry spell and cloudless skies have been a blessing in disguise for the rink where ice is formed by freezing water naturally under the sky. Weather plays an important role in the process.

In 1977, the rink broke the 34-year-old record of maximum skating sessions by completing 111 sessions. There were times when more than 150 sessions were held and the season extended up to 15 weeks.

Almost half of the rink has been covered with ice and it will extend to the entire rink over the next 10 days. The rink, which has been renovated for the National Winter Games, is in good shape. "We prepared the ground early as the rink was to host not only the national games but also the South Asian Federation Winter Games, too, which had to be postponed for want of artificial ice-making machine," says Mr Bhavnesh Banga, secretary of the Shimla Ice-Skating Club.

He said the club was hopeful of hosting the games in the next season as the state government was making all efforts to get financial assistance from the Centre for acquiring the ice-making machine which would cost about Rs 4.50 crore.

Meanwhile, the rink will host the National Winter Games from January 4. The events will include ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating. The effective area of the rink has been extended by clearing the landslide on the bus stand side and a new stand for spectators has been added.

Good skating seasons over the past few years clearly indicate that despite environmental degradation water could be frozen naturally under favourable weather conditions. The club, thus, has a good future. However, it is facing problems in procuring basic gear like skates and ice hockey sticks. With the manufacturing process for skates going hi-tech, these are not made in the country anymore. In the new skates the blade is moulded into the shoes and no screws are used.

An imported pair of skates costs around Rs 3500 and the club requires a minimum of 150 pairs. Similarly, it urgently needs about 100 ice hockey sticks which cost Rs 2200 a piece. The club is making do with 30 sticks gifted to it by the International Ice Hockey Federation about eight years ago.

The entry point to the club has become slushy due to the installation of a hand pump — in the absence of a proper drain, the state waste water accumulates near the main gate. It requires immediate attention of the administration as waste water freezes, making the approach slippery.

Himachal launches aerial parikrama
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 21 — Himachal became the first state to organise sightseeing air trips for tourists with the inauguration of its "Kinnar Kailash parikarama" flight today.

As many as 16 tourists, including Mr Rakesh Pathania, vice-chairman of the State Tourism Development Corporation were on board the helicopter which took off from the Annandale helipad this morning. The helicopter circled the 21,000 ft "Kinnar Kailash" and touched down at Sarahan for lunch before returning to Shimla.

The once-a-week trip has been organised on the pattern of the Everest flights in Nepal.

The government has granted HPTDC permission to conduct two flights a week on an 18-seater state-leased helicopter. However, the corporation has decided to organise one flight every Sunday to begin with. The frequency will be increased if the response is good.

The fare, Rs 4000 per seat for the flight, is considered quite reasonable.

A spokesman of the corporation said aerial sight-seeing is part of the government's plan to shift the focus from hotel-based commercial tourism to nature based eco-friendly tourism.

HP pleads for special package

NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (UNI) — The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the Centre to sanction a special economic package for the state to meet the increasing debt servicing commitments imposed on it by the previous Congress government.

The demand for a package was made to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal met him yesterday. The Chief Minister told Mr Vajpayee that while the total income of the state was around Rs 650 crore, it had to pay up a sum of Rs 770 crore by way of interest alone on loans raised by the previous government.

He emphasised the resource capability of the state could be improved only by a one-time large-scale infusion of Central funds to kickstart the economy.

The Chief Minister also requested Mr Vajpayee to lay the foundation stone of the 2051 MW Parvathy hydel project. Mr Dhumal also met Home Minister L.K. Advani and requested him to provide important posts to Himachal cadre IPS officers currently on deputation with the Central Government.

BJP-govt "terrorising Cong men"
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Nov 21 — HP Youth Congress Chief, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has charged the BJP-led state government with terrorising the relations of Congress party leaders and workers and creating a sense of insecurity among them.

Talking with reporters here last night, he said that in a democratic set-up everybody had the right to express his views but the BJP government was behaving in a dictatorial manner. He said that if BJP leaders didn’t stop behaving like this, Congressmen all over the state would gherao the ministers and the MLAs’ harassing the Congressmen.

Mr Sukhu blamed the BJP of saffronising the educational institutions in the state by holding RSS shakhas on the government campuses. He said that the Youth Congress would fight the RSS and the BJP both politically and legally. He said that the Youth Congress would not allow the government-run educational institutions to become hubs of RSS activities.

The Youth Congress leader announced that the state body of the organisation would be reconstituted before December 4. He said that: process in this regard was already on and the list would be released shortly.

He said that a meeting of the office-bearers of the district and block -level functionaries of the party was held here on Saturday in which the root cause of the party’s debacle in recent Lok Sabha elections was discussed, Senior Congress party leaders — Mrs Anita Verma, Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania and Mr Manjit Singh Dogra, all ex MLAs were also present at the meeting. He refused to give details of what transpired at the meeting. He said that he would submit a detailed report to Mrs Sonia Gandhi after holding meetings with functionaries of the Youth Congress all over the state.

Mr Sukhu said that the Youth Congress would work in active co-operation with the parent organisation and it would not be called a slogan shouting organisation in future. He said that the party leadership had decided to give proper representation to Youth in all bodies and to form co-ordination bodies with them. This, he said, would help the party to expand its mass base and to go to the people.

Mr Rakesh Handa, district Youth Congress Chief and Mr Sunil Dutt Bittu, the political advisor of Mr Sukhu also attended the press conference.

Group to evaluate investment set up
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has set up an investment evaluating group (IEG) to identify potential areas for private sector investment.

The Chief Secretary will be the chairman of the group and the Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Secretary (Industries), Finance Commissioner (Finance), Secretary (Expenditure), Secretary (Agriculture), Secretary (Tourism), Secretary (Power) and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister will be members of the group.

The Principal Adviser (Planning) will be its member secretary-cum-convener.

The IEG will act an interface between the entrepreneur and the government for indicating potential areas for private sector investment. Carving out from amongst these selected areas, projects, sector specific targets for entrepreneur selection and setting up of quick response mechanism for helping the new entrepreneurs including the mechanics of the project and for ensuring fast track clearance and looking into structural areas of project and for ensuring fast track clearance and looking into structural areas requiring changes in government systems to ensure that the above facilitation is focused and quick.

Two houses gutted
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Nov 21 — Two houses were gutted in a fire at Bharmour township, the tribal subdivision headquarters of Bharmour in Chamba district last night causing a loss of more than Rs 5 lakh.

An official spokesman today informed over the phone that the fire which broke out last midnight and burnt these double-storey houses was extinguished with the help of local people and the administration.

He said the fire rendered four families homeless. He said the local administration of Bharmour provided immediate relief of Rs 2000 each to the four fire victims namely — Madan, Suneeta, Sanu and Indira.

To rehabilitate these fire-affected families, the local authorities provided them shelter in the local colony of Bharmour Development Block and also provided them blankets and foodstuffs in view of the intense cold in the alpine area, the spokesman added.

He said the police had registered a case to investigate the cause of fire.

Student's body found in nullah
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 21 — The body of Rajesh Kumar, a student of the local S.D. School, who was missing for the last ten days, was recovered from Dhingu Bauli nullah near here.

The deceased belonged to Ropa village of Kinnaur district. He was staying in a private room at Sanjauli.

The body has been sent to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital for a post mortem.