H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

No poll code violation: CM
SHIMLA, Jan 11 — Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, has denied that he had violated the model code of conduct for election by inaugurating two new roads and a bridge in Solan district. He added that the charge made by the Congress was politically motivated.

HP Republic Day functions
SHIMLA, Jan 11 — The state-level Republic Day function on January 26 will be held here. The Governor will preside while the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, will be the chief guest.

Events lined up for tourists
SHIMLA, Jan 11 — The Himachal Government has planned a series of events to celebrate the millennium year which will not only boost tourism but also help acquaint the people with the rich history and culture of the hill State.

Leopard cub crushed to death
SOLAN, Jan 11 — Though one often finds stray dogs run over by passing vehicles on city roads it is rare to find a leopard cub dealt the same fate and that too on one of the town’s busiest thoroughfares?

No role in escape: Rinpoche
DHARAMSALA, Jan 11 — Tai Situ Rinpoche, considered the "mastermind" behind the 17th Karmapa ogyen Trinley Dorjee's escape from Tibet, today denied his involvement in the same at Mcleodganj.

Millennium carnival begins
MANDI, Jan 11 — The six-day millennium winter carnival-2000 started today with great fanfare at Nehru Park here, popularly known as Ram Bagh.

No poll code violation: CM
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 11 — Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, has denied that he had violated the model code of conduct for election by inaugurating two new roads and a bridge in Solan district. He added that the charge made by the Congress was politically motivated.

Addressing a press conference here today he said his tour programme for January 9 was finalised a week ago and as such there was no violation of the code. The Congress leadership was making such allegations to divert the attention of people from their failures.

Mr Dhumal came down heavily on Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Congress Legislature Party leader, who he said, was trying to belittle the achievements of his government in execution of hydel power projects by stating that these were conceived by the previous government. He said the fact was that during the past 50 years, when the Congress remained in power, projects with aggregate generation capacity of 3028 MW were executed whereas his government had over a short period of 20 months started work on projects with total capacity of 4500 MW. These included 300 MW Chamera-II, 1000 MW Karcham-Wangtu, 2051 MW Parbati, 126 MW Larji, 86 MW Malana, 15 MW Neugal and 12 MW Kaulli projects. An agreement for the execution of 800 MW Kol Dam would be signed this month.

The Chief Minister also termed the Congress criticism of the government’s decision to abolish the post of divisional commissioners as misplaced. He said the commissioners were only deciding appeals against the orders of subdivisional magistrates and with the delegation of power to deputy commissioners the people would get justice at their doorstep. He said there were a large number of vacancies in the deputy commissioner’s offices against which the surplus staff of divisional cadre would be adjusted.

He drew the attention of the Congress to the decision of the Madhya Pradesh Government to terminate the services of 60,000 workers and impose a ban on fresh recruitment. Besides, it also planned to retrench 30,000 employees. In contrast his government had wielded the axe on higher posts and saved the poor workers.

The Congress, he said, was also trying to mislead the people on the issue of taxes. The government had not imposed any new taxes and only fixed the maximum rate of tax levies by various local bodies and panchayati raj institutions to ensure that these bodies did not put too much burden on the common man while raising their own resources.

Earlier, Mr Dhumal inaugurated Rs 3.4 crore new office building of the Directorate of Urban Development and a multipurpose hall at the Hotel Holiday Home complex of the state tourism development corporation. He said his government had completed projects which were under construction for the past several years by providing the required funds in one go.

Mr Rakesh Pathania, Vice-Chairman of the corporation, said 15 new tourism projects had been completed and six conference halls and 182 more room had been added in various tourism complexes.

HP Republic Day functions
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 11 — The state-level Republic Day function on January 26 will be held here. The Governor will preside while the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, will be the chief guest.

Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, Speaker, H.P. Vidhan Sabha, will preside over the function at Solan which will also be attended by Mr Hari Narayan Singh Saini, Minister of State for Town and Country Planning, Mr Kishori Lal Vaidya, Industry Minister, will preside over the function at Hamirpur which will also be attended by Mrs Urmil Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Mohinder Singh.

The Public Works Minister will preside over the function at Chamba which will also by attended by Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda, Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister, will preside over the function at Nahan.

Mr Kishan Kapoor, Transport Minister, will preside over the function at Mandi and Mr Ramesh Chand, Irrigation and Public Health Minister at Bilaspur. It will be attended by Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Minister of State for Cooperation.

Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Supply Minister will preside over the function at Una which will be attended by Mr Parveen Sharma, Minister of State for Youth Services and Sport.

Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister will preside over the function at Dharamsala which will be attended by Mr Rajan Sushant, Minister of State for Revenue and Mr Ravinder Singh Ravi, Minister of State for Technical Education.

Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, will preside over the function at Rekong Peo which will also be attended by Mr Chet Ram Negi, Parliamentary Secretary, Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, will preside over the function at Kulu which will be attended by Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for Primary Education.

Mr Prakash Chaudhary, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry will preside over the function at Keylong which will also be attended by Mr Ram Lal Markanda, Minister of State for Rural Development.

Events lined up for tourists
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 11 — The Himachal Government has planned a series of events to celebrate the millennium year which will not only boost tourism but also help acquaint the people with the rich history and culture of the hill State.

The year-long programme will focus on important shrines, forts, monuments and buildings and tourist destinations across the State. The Hindustan-Tibet road, completing 150 years, will be at the centre of many activities. While trekking expeditions will be organised along the old alignment of the road which passes through charming valleys and thickly forested hills, special helicopter flights will be conducted from Shimla to important destinations enroute the road. Jeep safaries on the road will be a main attraction. Food festivals, essay and quiz competitions on the history of the road, and exhibition depicting important stages in the laying of the highway have been planned.

Giving details of the programme Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, said the major highlight of the celebrations would by the "2000 years of Durga and Durg" (goddess Durga and forts) under which a number of events would be organising at famous devi temples like Naina Devi, Chintpurani, Jawalamukhi, Chamunda and Brajeshwari Devi and various forts.

The Tourism Department would organise historical yatra from Naina Devi to Kangra via these shrines and also bring out historical and cultural aspects of the places to educate the people. The first leg of the programme would be organised from August 1 and the main celebrations would coincide with Navratri from September 28 to October 6,2000. Special package tours would include adventure and leisure. The tourists would be offered water sports facilities at the Maharana Pratap Sagar Dam in Kangra and Gobindsagar in Bilaspur.

Located at 11000 ft in the cold desert of Spiti, the 1000-year-old Ki Monastrery will have the Kalchakra ceremony to be conducted by the Dalai Lama. The State would attract foreign tourists from Buddhist countries by highlighting the recent discovery of an old Buddhist civilisation in the Spiti valley. Special helicopters flights would be arranged for the event.

Besides heritage walks to important monuments and historical buildings would be organised. The 10-day Kulu Dushera which coincides with Puja holidays would be celebrated on a grand scale by making it a show of the country, Mr Dhumal added.

Leopard cub crushed to death
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Jan 11 — Though one often finds stray dogs run over by passing vehicles on city roads it is rare to find a leopard cub dealt the same fate and that too on one of the town’s busiest thoroughfares?

This happened on the old stretch of the Kalka-Shimla national highway passing through this town, near St. Luke’s school, between 8 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. on Friday last, according to a delayed report.

A group of local scribes, returning from a press conference, spotted the leopard cub that had been run over and was lying in the centre of the road. Apprehending that the mother leopard must either be lurking around the spot or must be on its way in search of her offspring, thus posing danger to unwary passersby, they reported the accident to the police. The body of the cub was later removed from the spot.

The appearance of a leopard cub, apparently a member of a larger pride, failed to ring any alarm bells. Most people told this correspondent that they had spotted two adult and two cub leopards in the valley below Chambaghat "many times during the past couple of months".

However, no one had reported the matter to the authorities. A sizeable majority of local people believed that "the big cats posed no danger to human beings and that their nocturnal forays into outlaying areas of the town were necessitated by ever-shrinking food stocks in fast dwindling forests. In any case, there attacks were limited to lifting no more than a stray dog or two each night."

So far, not a single instance of tiger or leopard mauling has been reported in the town. But something needs to be done to ensure the safety of residents who live in localities frequented by leopards at night. The surrounding areas facing the leopard menace include Saproon, Chambaghat, Shilly Road and Shamti.

No role in escape: Rinpoche
From Pratibh Chauhan

DHARAMSALA, Jan 11 — Tai Situ Rinpoche, considered the "mastermind" behind the 17th Karmapa ogyen Trinley Dorjee's escape from Tibet, today denied his involvement in the same at Mcleodganj.

Talking to TNS at the Gyuto Tantrik Monastery, where the Karmapa has been staying for the past two days, denied he was in any way responsible for the Karmapa's escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet. The Rinpoche, who was instrumental in the selection of the 17th Karmapa, refused to comment further.

The 46-year-old Tai Situ Rinpoche, who has emerged the most important figure in the Karmapa issue, remains elusive and spends practically the entire day with the Karmapa at the monastery in Sidhbari. He drives down every morning in his Lancer from the Sherbaling monastery at Bhattu near Baijnath where, according to unconfirmed reports, the Karmapa is likely to be shifted soon.

Tai Situ Rinpoche along with Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche had selected the 17th Karmapa. Out of the four Rinpoches of the Kagyu sect, only Shamarpa Rinpoche has opposed the selection.

Rangjung Rigpe Dorje Ogyen Trinley Dorjee's selection was also confirmed by the Dalai Lama, who saw the birthplace of the reincarnate in a vision.

His enthronement took place at the Tsurphu monastery on September, 27, 1992. The first Karmapa, Dusum Khenpa, founded the Tsurphu monastery in central Tibet which since remains the main seat of the Karmapas.

Shamarpa Rinpoche, who is one of the four regents of the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, has in March, 1994, termed the selection of Ogyen Trinley Dorjee as a plot by the Chinese to promote a religious leader within Tibet. The Karmapa affair, which had China and Taiwan evincing much interest in the enthronement and for the control of the powerful Rumtek monastery in Sikkim rolled into a major controversy in March, 1994. Supporters of Tai Situ Rinpoche and Sharmapa Rinpoche launched a vitriolic campaign against one another in Mcleodganj in favour of their discovery of the reincarnate.

With the arrival of the 17th Karmapa here in Mcleodganj, the controversy has been once again irked up, with Shamarpa Rinpoche alleging that his escape had been stage-managed in connivance with Chinese leaders. Questioning the selection process of Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, he is learnt to have refused to accept him as the head of the Kagyu sect.

However, a majority of Tibetans in Mcleodganj say since Ogyen Trinley Dorjee has been selected by the Dalai Lama, there is little doubt about the "legitimate" Karmapa.

The President of the only Tibetan political party, the National Democratic party of Tibet (NDPT), Acarya Yeshi Phuntsok, after meeting the Karmapa, said practically all Tibetans went by the word of the Dalai Lama. Since Ogyen Trinley had his consent, he was the "real" Karmapa.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the Secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC).

Millennium carnival begins
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Jan 11 — The six-day millennium winter carnival-2000 started today with great fanfare at Nehru Park here, popularly known as Ram Bagh.

Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda, Health Minister, inaugurated the carnival. The carnival began from Hadimba Devi Temple at Dhungri with the worship of the Goddess. A large procession was taken out from the temple to Ram Bagh in which hundreds of artistes and villagers dressed in local costumes participated.

The Health Minister said that since the carnival was organised in January every year, people faced inconvenience in the open auditorium due to snow and rain. To avoid this the present auditorium would be provided with a roof, he announced.

To provide better health facilities to the public, an ultrasound machine would be installed at the Community Health Centre here so that the local people would not have go to Kulu for ultrasound tests.

To provide better facilities for domestic and foreign tourists, a medical rescue post at Marhi on the Manali-Rohtang Pass road would be opened during the tourist season.

Mr Chander Sen Thakur, local MLA, and Chairman of the Winter Carnival Committee, Mr Kunj Lal, a senior BJP leader, Mr A.K. Kapoor, Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, co-chairman of the Winter Carnival Committee, Mr A.L. Sharma, SDM, vice-chairman of the committee, and Mrs Shashi Thakur, the District Tourism Development Officer were present.

45 deodar sleepers seized in Mandi
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Jan 11—During a drive against illicit felling of tree and smuggling of timber in the remote Karsog forest division of Mandi circle, 45 deodar sleepers were seized by the field staff of Yagroo forest range last night with the assistance of the local people. The value of the timber is over Rs 1 lakh.

The Divisional Forest Officer, Karsog, Mr Manoj Bhaik, told this reporter on the telephone that an oil tanker (PAT No. 4090) passed from the forest check post, Kelodhar at about 9 p.m. on way to Anni. The check post staff got suspicious why the tanker was following a long and difficult route via Chhatri. The forest officials were alerted and the tanker was intercepted the same night with the help of villagers near Tipra village about 40 km from Karsog.

This is the first case in Himachal Pradesh where tanker has been used in the smuggling of timber, says Mr Bhaik. A space had been created in the rear of the tanker for concealing the timber.

The driver, conductor and other persons in the tanker managed to escape. The impounded truck has been brought to Karsog.

Dhumal opens kisan mela
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 11 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Chief Minister, has stressed the need for improvement in the production and quality of fruits and vegetables and post-harvest management of horticulture crops to make the industry in the state competitive in both quality and quantity.

Addressing farmers, after inaugurating a kisan mela organised by Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni, he said that post-harvest management and down-steam utilisation of the produce required immediate attention. There was a need for diversification of the processing industry for manufacturing value-added products by expanding the product range. He said presently around 34 fruit species were being cultivated in the State.

The present government was committed for the betterment of fruit growers and others. Last year more than 78,000 tonne of apple was purchased under the market intervention scheme and payment of Rs 31 crore was made well in time to growers. The government had announced support price for mango for the first time.

The Chief Minister said the university had attained a unique position as an excellent centre of teaching, research and extension education in horticulture and forestry and allied disciplines. The impact of research achievements of the university on the horticulture economy of the pradesh was vivid and sustainable.

Mr Narinder Bragta, the Minister for Horticulture, also addressed the farmers.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a girls' hostel on the campus to be constructed at a cost of Rs 52 lakh.

The Chief Minister released a book "Vision 2020" written by Mr K.K. Jindal, Mr A.K. Agnihotri and Mr S.V. Bhardwaj.

Students ‘not given’ mid-day meals
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Jan 11 — Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, state Minister for Cooperatives, today addressed a joint meeting of officers and staff of the Food and Supplies and Cooperatives Departments to review the public distribution system in this district.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr Kaundal said that during the meeting it was observed that the Education Department failed to lift the foodgrain meant for free mid-day meals for primary school students in this district. The foodgrain stock meant for 7 months had lapsed as the Education Department had failed to issue the utilisation certificate for mid-day meals.

Mr Kaundal alleged that thousands of primary school students had failed to get mid-day meals due to the carelessness of teachers who did not utilise the grain meant for seven months last year. He said that he had asked the Deputy Commissioner to inquire into the matter.

Leopard sighted in bazaar
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Jan 11 — A big cat was sighted last night and the night before in the main bazaar area of this town.

The leopard was probably in search of a dog, according to Mr Rakesh Kumar, the chowkidar employed by the shopkeepers of the main bazaar area.

He told The Tribune here this afternoon that the big cat did not harm any one and went towards the upper bazaar area.

Meanwhile, there is panic in the area adjoining Hamirpur town over the activities of a prowler moving in the area for the past three months. This big car has so far killed more than forty dogs, sheep and other animals, say the villagers of Anu Lahlari, Ghanal and adjoining villages. However, it has not yet attacked any human being.

These villagers have demanded protection from the state government.

Probe ministers' assets: CPI
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Jan 11 — The CPI district unit here has demanded an inquiry into the properties of ministers, legislators and senior officers of the state as these persons have amassed wealth much more than their sources of income. The party unit made this demand in a memorandum, submitted to the Deputy Commissioner for onward transmission to the state-level authorities, here today. Comrade Mukesh Kumar, the District Secretary of the party, and other leaders, presented the memorandum.

The memorandum has blamed the Central Government for working under the pressure of World Bank and other foreign agencies. The government was anti-people and anti-labour, the memorandum has alleged.

The party has demanded that the pension scheme should be extended to all daily paid and other part-time employees, anganwari workers and revenue chowkidars.

It has accused the State Government of growing un-employment and alleged that due to wrong policies of the State Government the rate of unemployment was rising steadily.

165 cr outlay for road maintenance
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Jan 11 — The BJP-HVC government has decided to give priority to the construction of roads in the state and Rs 165 crore has been earmarked for the maintenance of roads in the current year.

Mr Mahinder Singh, the Minister of Public Works, said this while addressing a public meeting at Labh in Jawali subdivision on Sunday. He said that all villages in the state would be linked with roads by 2002.

The PWD Minister, who also inaugurated Nagrotu Bridge on the Ludhiar-Sidhpur Road, said that the government had metalled a 700-km stretch of road in the north zone of the HPPWD.

The construction of 40 bridges in Kangra district was going on a war footing. Twelve bridges would be completed by the end of this year.