Caste, regional barriers broken?
SHIMLA, Oct 1— The landslide victory of the BJP-HVC combine in Himachal appears to have exploded the myth that people vote along caste and regional lines.

Welfare camps for Army widows
DHARAMSALA, Oct 10 — "Samparak Kendras" will be set up at various places in Himachal, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, by the Dogra Regiment, to address the problems of war widows and ex-servicemen of the regiment.

Virbhadra should accept verdict: BJP
NURPUR, Oct 10 — The Himachal Pradesh BJP has ridiculed the reported statement of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh in which he had dared the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal to hold snap polls for the Vidhan Sabha to clear the misconception that the verdict in the Lok Sabha polls was an endorsement of the performance of the BJP-HVC combine government in the state.

Malik lauds HP steps for war heroes
SHIMLA, Oct 10 — Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. V.P. Malik has applauded welfare measures taken by the H.P. Government for the martyrs and those disabled in Operation Vijay and in counter-insurgency operations.

Fire destroys property
PALAMPUR, Oct 10 — Property worth Rs 15 lakh was destroyed in a devastating fire at Baijnath last night. It is learnt that the fire broke out at about 1 a.m., which completely destroyed two shops and a godown.

• Resignation of 3 MLAs sought
• CPM deplores ADGP’s transfer

Caste, regional barriers broken?
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 1— The landslide victory of the BJP-HVC combine in Himachal appears to have exploded the myth that people vote along caste and regional lines.

The overwhelming support which the combine secured seems to have broken the caste and regional barriers. Traditionally, the merged areas or the lower hills have been supporting the BJP while the Congress has been maintaining its hold over the old Himachal or the upper hills. Even in the caste-ridden new areas, the backward classes and the Rajputs have been supporting the two rival parties.

However, this time the combine has inflicted a defeat on the Congress which is more humiliating than the one it suffered in 1977 in the hands of the Janata Party.

While in 1977 the Congress managed to secure a lead in 14 of the total 68 assembly segments, this time it led only in four segments. The combine polled over 58 per cent votes against about 57 per cent secured by the Janata Party in 1977.

A remarkable feature was that the BJP led in all 34 segments of the Kangra and Hamirpur seats which comprise the merged areas. There are at least 15 segments in the two constituencies which are dominated by either the Rajput community or the backward classes. The fact that the BJP won both seats with a margin of over one lakh votes clearly indicate, that both the backward classes and the Rajputs overwhelmingly voted for the party.

The comprehensive win of the combine in Shimla was the result of well-planned moves by the Dhumal government to make in roads into the Congress stronghold. The decision to increase the support price of apple without seeking the procurement of 70,000 tonnes of fruit to ensure remunerative returns to growers, special attention to the maintenance of roads in the apple belt and adequate supply of packing cases for transportation convinced people in the upper hills that the party was not against apple growers.

Mr P.K Dhumal's decision to leave the Shimla seat to the HVC, despite opposition from his own party, also played a major role in wresting the seat from the Congress.

Welfare camps for Army widows
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 10 — "Samparak Kendras" will be set up at various places in Himachal, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, by the Dogra Regiment, to address the problems of war widows and ex-servicemen of the regiment.

This was disclosed by the Colonel of the Dogra Regiment and Army Commander, Central Command, Lt Gen S.S. Sangra, P.V.S.M, V.S.M, while addressing war widows and ex-servicemen of the Dogra Regiment, at Palampur, today. "The day-to-day problems of the people regarding pension, health and family welfare are not receiving due attention, as there is lack of communication between those who are still serving and retired ones.

He said that to begin with these "Samparak Kendras" would be set up at Palampur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Jammu and Jalandhar, and if need be, at other places having a large ex-servicemen population.

He said that to benefit the families of the ex-servicemen of Dogra Regiment, two boys hostels were being set up at Jalandhar and Jammu. While the hostel at Jalandhar was operational, the one at Jammu would start next year.

Lt Gen Sangra, said that his endeavour would be that continuity was maintained between serving soldiers and those who had retired and the latter's problems were looked into on priority basis.

Lt Gen Sangra said a large number of welfare schemes had been floated by the Defence Ministry for the benefit of retired soldiers and their families, but due to lack of communication the real beneficiaries were not availing of them.

"The matter of "one rank one pension" was under the active consideration of the government and we are hopeful that soon a decision will be taken in this regard", he said.

It was also announced that in future, the Dogra Regiment, would always remain posted at Palampur, so that the welfare of Dogra families can be ensured. "After a change in the rules, the Dogra centre, will able to recruit young men for the regiment on its own, and preference will definitely be given to the wards of the men serving in the Dogra Regiment, or those who have served in it in the past," he stated.

Lt Gen Sangra, also paid a visit to the families of Major Vikram Batra and Lt Saurabh Kalia, who made the supreme sacrifice by laying down their lives, while fighting Pakistani infiltrators in the Kargil sector.

Drubbing for third front
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — The third front has once again failed to come up in Himachal Pradesh with all seven candidates of the national level parties, except the BJP and the Congress, losing their security deposits in the four Lok Sabha constituencies.

These parties include the Samajwadi Party, BSP, NCP, CPI and JD (S).

Put together, these parties polled only 28,027 votes out of the total of 21,49,767 votes in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) made a substantial gain as it not only won the Shimla Lok Sabha seat from the Congress but also polled 26,4002 votes which were 52.78 per cent of the total votes polled.

The gain for the HVC was due to its alliance with the BJP. In the last year's Lok Sabha election, the HVC candidate lost his security deposit in Shimla where it polled only 26,981 votes which were 4.32 per cent of the total votes polled.

The ruling BJP, which contested the three seats of Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi, polled 98,7167 votes. The Congress polled a total number of 97,4250 votes in the four seats.

Mr Hardayal Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party, who has made several efforts for creating the third front in the state, got only 1991 votes and lost his security deposit in the Kangra constituency.

Capt Pratap Chaudhary of the JD(S) could polled only 1007 votes in the Kangra constituency and had to forfeit his security.

Mr Ravi Thakur, who was considered as a strong candidate of the NCP in the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, was able to muster only 3657 votes. He had polled 4,415 votes as an independent for the Lahaul-Spiti Assembly constituency last year.
The BSP candidate, Mr Gian Chand, too lost his security deposit in the Hamirpur constituency. He polled 6512 votes, Mr Ajit Kumar of the NCP got only 921 votes.

The NCP candidate in the Shimla (reserved) seat, Mr K.D.Kaushal, got 21,33 votes and Mr Chet Ram of the CPI 9720 votes. Both lost their security deposit.

Until last year, the two party system survived in the state and efforts of various leaders to create a third front miserably failed. It was perhaps for the first time that the HVC of Mr Sukh Ram won five Assembly seats. However, his party became an alliance partner of the BJP to come into power.

In 1990 the Janata Dal bagged 11 seats. In 1993 all splinter groups vanished from the scene in the Assembly elections.

The congress leader, Thakur Ram Lal, also floated his Himachal Congress a few years ago, but later merged it with the Congress.
The performance of these parties was equally poor in the last Lok Sabha election when the BSP polled 1.15 per cent votes, the CPI 0.56 per cent and the Janata Dal 0.88 per cent votes.

In the 1996 elections, the CPI got 0.41 per cent votes, CPM 0.95 per cent and the Janata Dal 0.22 per cent.

During the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI polled 0.73 per cent votes, the Janata Party 1.29 per cent and Janata Dal 6.97 per cent.

Undertrial escapes from Hamirpur jail
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Oct 10 — Two undertrial prisoners escaped from the local sub-jail by cutting the iron rods of the windows at the back of the jail last night.

They have been identified as Rajesh Kumar and Praveen Kumar. Rajesh managed to flee in a vehicle parked outside the subjail.

However, Praveen was re-captured from Gandhi Chowk area near the sub jail. The police is interrogating him to find out as to whether he had any links with a criminal gang which they suspect, aided the jail break.

Highly placed sources told this reporter this morning that the jail staff came to know about the jail break incident around 2.00 a.m. and the police was immediately informed.

The police swung into action and resorted to nakabandi all over the district.

Rajesh Kumar is involved in a number of cases.

The police has arrested Mr Sita Ram, one of the policemen on duty, for dereliction of duties. He is also being interrogated. A case under Sections 223 and 224 of Indian Penal Code had been registered and further investigations were on.

The sub jail is located in a busy section of town and there is hardly any scope for escaping without the connivance of officials or a gang.

The escape bid has created panic in the town, being the first incident of its kind in the locality.

Virbhadra should accept verdict: BJP
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Oct 10 — The Himachal Pradesh BJP has ridiculed the reported statement of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh in which he had dared the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal to hold snap polls for the Vidhan Sabha to clear the misconception that the verdict in the Lok Sabha polls was an endorsement of the performance of the BJP-HVC combine government in the state. Mr Kirpal Parmar, state General Secretary of the BJP, in a press conference here last evening said that Mr Singh’s statement had shown the political hollowness of the Congress. Rather than accept the verdict of the party, he was showing it’s hollowness by releasing such statements.

He said in Himachal Pradesh it was the first time that the Congress had been routed in 64 of the 68 assembly segments and the Congress candidates had lost even in their native assembly segments.

Mr Parmar said that the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh and PCC chief Mr Sat Mahajan should own moral responsibility for the Congress rout in the Lok Sabha polls and resign their party posts.

Malik lauds HP steps for war heroes

SHIMLA, Oct 10 (PTI) — Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. V.P. Malik has applauded welfare measures taken by the H.P. Government for the martyrs and those disabled in Operation Vijay and in counter-insurgency operations.

In a communique sent to the Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, Chief of the Army Staff said that the steps taken by the state government especially for providing free education upto graduation level and of employment opportunities to the children of those soldiers who lost their lives were pragmatic and addressed the problems generally faced by such families.

He said that Himachal Government had set a healthy example for other states and these decisions reflected the personal commitment of the Chief Minister to this noble cause.

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal's personal interest in consoling the bereaved families and ensuring immediate succour had been inspiring and touching. By doing so, Mr Dhumal had recognised the due worth of the enormous sacrifices made by these soldiers, General Malik added.

General Malik said that he was proud of the contributions of the brave youth of Himachal Pradesh, who had unflinchingly made by the supreme sacrifice.

Fire destroys property
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Oct 10 — Property worth Rs 15 lakh was destroyed in a devastating fire at Baijnath last night. It is learnt that the fire broke out at about 1 a.m., which completely destroyed two shops and a godown.

Fire-fighting vehicles were sent from here to control the fire after about two hours. Mr Sanjay Sharma, SDM, Baijnath, immediately reached the spot and supervised the relief and rescue operations. He also sanctioned a grant to the affected families.

Meanwhile, the Baijnath Beopar Mandal has demanded the setting up a Fire Brigade station at Baijnath. It may be recalled that in similar incident three shops were also destroyed in a fire at Kangra last week.

Resignation of 3 MLAs sought
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Oct 10 — The President Municipal Council, Dr Rajiv Bindal, has demanded the resignation, on moral grounds of the three sitting Congress MLAs — Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur and Mr Ram Lal Thakur.

Mr Bindal said defeat of these Congress MLAs showed that they had lost confidence of voters in their constituencies and "hence they must resign on moral grounds".

CPM deplores ADGP’s transfer
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — The Shimla district committee of the CPM has accused the BJP-HVC combine of having succumbed before the "construction mafia" of the Nathpa-Jhakri Hydel Project and removed the Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance), Mr V.K. Malik.

In a statement here yesterday Mr Rakesh Singha, district secretary, CPM, said Mr Malik has been transferred even before the cases of corruption registered by the vigilance against certain officers of the NJPC could be decided.

The CPM has stated that the decision was against the administrative ethics.