HVC decries BJP chief's statement
CHAMBA, Oct 9 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has taken a strong exception to a recent statement by the BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakeray, describing Mr Sukh Ram "a compulsion in Himachal Pradesh for the BJP" as reported in a section of the Press.

Navratra festival plans finalised
KANGRA, Oct 9 — The stage is set for Sharad Navratra Utsav scheduled to start from October 10, during which more than two lakh pilgrims from all over the country are expected to visit the famous shrines of Bajreshwari, Chamunda and Jwalamukhi temples in the district.

CM: voters endorsed BJP-HVC alliance
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 9 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today said that the people of Himachal Pradesh have in the Lok Sabha elections endorsed the alliance between the BJP and the Himachal Vikas Congress of Mr Sukh Ram against whom the CBI cases have not yet been proved in the court.

Mr Dhumal, who was talking to newsmen here, was replying to a question regarding the statement of the BJP president,Mr Kushabhau Thakre, that joining hands with Mr Sukh Ram was a compulsion for the BJP.

The Chief Minister said that had the BJP got a majority of its own candidates elected in the last year's assembly elections, the scenario would have been different. But to stop the "corrupt" Congress from coming into power, the BJP had to join hands with Mr Sukh Ram.

Not only in the Lok Sabha elections, but also in successive by-elections for certain Assembly seats the people for the BJP-HVC combine which was an endorsement of the alliance between the two parties. The HVC candidate won the Shimla Lok Sabha seat which was considered a stronghold of the Congress.

Mr Dhumal said that the Congress has become irrelevant in Himachal Pradesh after the Lok Sabha elections as it managed to secure a lead in only four of the 68 Assembly segments in the state.

He accepted the challenge of Mr Virbhadra Singh to test his popularity by holding assembly elections. But he said that these could be held only in the four segments of Rohroo, Rampur, Shilli and Renuka where the Congress got a lead and not in the entire state. Mr Virbhadra Singh along with the sitting Congress legislators of these segments should resign and test their strength again.

Mr Dhumal accused Mr Virbhadra Singh of having shied from contesting the election for the Mandi seat and having made Mr Kaul Singh a sacrificial goat by fielding him as the Congress candidate. He appreciated Mr Kaul Singh for having shown the courage to resign his Assembly seat from Darang segment in the Mandi constituency after his defeat.

YC takes party leaders to task
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 9 — Mr Sukhwinder Singh, president, H.P. Youth Congress, has urged the state leadership of the Congress to own moral responsibility for the defeat of the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

In a statement here today, he said it was high time that senior Congress leaders of the state realised the ground realities and paved the way for younger leadership. Instead of blaming each other and making excuses the leadership should see the writing on the wall.

He alleged that the leaders had failed to recognised the new political forces which had emerged in the state and were helping the BJP. Some leaders were setting personal scores at the cost of the party's interest. There is immediate need for introspection as the vote percentage of the Congress had increased all over the country, but fallen in Himachal.

Mr Sukhwinder Singh said that Mrs Sonia Gandhi's, victory in north and south India established her leadership and the people had rejected the personal attacks launched against her by the BJP.

In an apparent attack on Mr Virbhadra Singh, he said the state Congress leaders could getaway by saying that the Vajpayee wave swept Himachal Pradesh. Nothing of the sort happened in the neighbouring Punjab where the BJP was routed and it performed badly in U.P. and Karnataka.

The state Congress leadership did not take the youth into confidence. The Youth Congress will submit a report regarding these elections to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Seminar on fall in apple production
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 9— Nearly 200 orchardists and horticulture scientists assembled here yesterday to identify the burning problem of decline in apple production.

The seminar was organised by the Horticulture and Forestry University, Solan. The exercise was to discuss the causes for decline of productivity of apple and prepare strategy for the improvement of the crop.

Himachal Pradesh is one of the major apple growing states occupying 83,000 hectares area and produces 394 thousands tonnes of fruit.

The growers expressed concern over the decreasing trend in productivity of apple in recent years it has become a serious concern for the growers of the state. The apple yield has been fluctuating since 1975-76 to 1999 from two lakh tonnes to 3.94 lakh tonnes with productivity fluctuating between 5.70 lakh tonnes and 4.76 lakh tonnes 1998-99. The highest productivity has been recording 6.58 tonnes per hectare in the year 1989-90. Since then the yield has been fluctuating between 5.44 tonnes and 2.82 tonnes despite increase in the area under apple cultivation. It was only last year when 4.76 tonnes per hectare yield was recorded.

The factors which have been found to influence the yield have been identified as climatic, varietal inadequate pollenisers, lack pollinators, poor nutrition, faulty pruning practices, low planting density etc. Besides occurrence of red spider mite to the extent 72 per cent in apple orchards. Pre-mature defoliation in apple has further contributed in affecting the fruit quality and yield.

While inaugurating the seminar, Himachal Horticulture Minister, Narender Bragta, called upon the scientists of the university to gear up research programme as per the requirements of the orchardists of the state and transfer of the improved technology to grassroots level in collaboration with the state Department of Horticulture.

He said that the government had decided to organise a state-level seminar in November to prepare the strategy for the spread of improved technology.

Mr Bragta said that there was an urgent need to improve the productivity as well as quality of horticulture crops for which comprehensive efforts should be made. Besides this, problems like pre-mature apple leaf fall and red mite others should be tackled on a war footing.

Prof R.P. Awasthi, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said that low productivity in apple was mainly due to poor orchard management, inadequate plant protection means and defective training and pruning system. He said that research results revealed that 85-90 per cent area in Himachal was under delicious varieties of apple which were not giving regular bearing. He suggested that the area under delicious varieties should be reduced to 50 per cent and 33 per cent pollenizers must be included in the orchard and rest traditional regular bearing and processing varieties should be planted.

He said that scarlet gala and red fuzi are performing better under Kulu conditions and they are being recommended for the plantation to the orchardists.

Prof. Awasthi, said that the results of high density plantation experiment of Mashobra research station has shown a yield of 75 tonnes per hectare and there is great scope for high density plantings under irrigated and flat soil conditions.

Dr S.P. Bhardwaj, Associate Director of the research station Mashobra, informed that the state had built up a germplasm bank of 226 apple varieties and some spur varieties are performing better. He said that problem of premature apple leaf fall and red mite had been solved and scientists were providing technical know-how to the farmers.

HPCC meeting on Oct 21
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 9 — With a view to discuss the rout of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, a meeting of the general house of the party has been convened here on October 21 for an introspection.

The general house will discuss the post-election scenario in the state and suggest remedial measures to plug the shortcomings which were faced during the election campaign.

This is for the first time after the Janata Party wave in 1977 that the Congress has lost all four Lok Sabha seats. More disturbing for the partymen is the fact that the Congress could secure lead only in four of the 68 Assembly segments in the state.

It is learnt that the meeting of the general house has been convened by the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, in consultation with the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh.

It is being alleged that certain senior party leaders were making lame excuses for the rout of the party.

It is also being alleged that certain partymen played the game plan of the HVC leader, Mr Sukh Ram, just to let down Mr Virbhadra Singh in the Shimla (reserved) constituency and settle their personal scores.

No senior central party leader campaigned in the Mandi constituency and the tour of Mrs Sonia Gandhi there was cancelled suddenly.

HVC decries BJP chief's statement
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Oct 9 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has taken a strong exception to a recent statement by the BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakeray, describing Mr Sukh Ram "a compulsion in Himachal Pradesh for the BJP" as reported in a section of the Press.

In a press note issued here yesterday, Mr S.L. Sharma, General Secretary of the district unit of the HVC, said the party won three seats in Himachal Pradesh due to Mr Sukh Ram's political influence. It was a befitting reply to Mr Thakeray, he added.

Mr Sharma said it was HVC supremo Sukh Ram's swag over the electorate which routed the Congress in the state and made the BJP victorious.

UNA: Reacting to Mr Virbhadra Singh's statement to the Press challenging Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal to hold snap polls in Himachal Pradesh, Mr O.P. Rattan, General Secretary of the HVC, said people of the state had rejected Mr Virbhadra Singh and his style of functioning during the last Vidhan Sabha elections.

He said people of the state had not only voted for Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee but also for the performance of the BJP-HVC combine and Mr Dhumal's leadership. It was, he added, the right time for Mr Virbhadra Singh to retire from politics and accept the party's defeat in the state.

Navratra festival plans finalised
From Tribune Reporters

KANGRA, Oct 9 — The stage is set for Sharad Navratra Utsav scheduled to start from October 10, during which more than two lakh pilgrims from all over the country are expected to visit the famous shrines of Bajreshwari, Chamunda and Jwalamukhi temples in the district.

Mr B.R. Jamwal, Additional District Magistrate, who presided over a meeting here yesterday to finalise the arrangements for the Navratras, said parking spaces at all three pilgrim towns had been identified and adequate police forces had been deployed to maintain law and order and to provide security to the pilgrims. He said in order to ensure sanitation in these towns, additional sweepers would be deployed.

He said arrangements for accommodation for pilgrims had been made and if a need arose a tent colony could also be set up.

NAHAN: Lakhs of devotees are expected to visit the Tripur Bala Sundri temple during the Sharad Navratra fair which is to be held here from October 10 to 24. The small Trilok Pur village, 22 km from here, is over crowded with devotees. During Navratras, Shri Tripur Bala Sundri is worshipped as the childhood Swaroop) manifestation of Goddess Durga. Devotees from Himachal Pradesh, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Delhi visit the temple every year during the fair to pay their obeisance.