H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

HVC ministers may quit Cabinet
SOLAN, Jan 29 — The Himachal Vikas Congress chief, Mr Sukh Ram, today issued a thinly veiled warning to his alliance partner, the BJP that in case the latter stuck to its unilateral decision to field its own candidate for the byelection for the forthcoming Solan Vidhan Sabha seat, the HVC could withdraw its ministers from the state cabinet.

Nomination divides Himachal BJP
SHIMLA, Jan 29 — The Himachal Vikas Congress has decided not to field its candidate in the coming byelection for the Solan assembly seat and back Mr Rajeev Bindal of its coalition partner, the BJP.

Dhumal asks police to do an extra bit
DHARAMSALA, Jan 29 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today cautioned the Himachal police, to be vigilant about terrorists.

SFI denounces HPU decisions
SHIMLA, Jan 29 — The state committee of the SFI has criticised the decision of Himachal Pradesh University to increase the re-evaluation fee and to give only one chance for improvement of division to postgraduate students.

Medical officer found burnt
SHIMLA, Jan 29 — Dr Sudhir Chaudhary, medical officer, community health centre, Sarahan, 150 km from here, was found burnt in his house under mysterious circumstances this morning.

NSUI conference postponed
BILASPUR, Jan 29 — The district-level NSUI conference scheduled for February 16 has been postponed to February 21, NSUI spokesman Sanjay Guleria said here yesterday.

Jawan cremated
NURPUR, Jan 29 — Subash Chand, a jawan of 12-Dogra Regiment, was cremated at his native village, Buskwari, in Jawali subdivision, today with full military and state honours. He had laid down his life on January 27 while fighting the militants in Poonch sector.

HVC ministers may quit Cabinet
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Jan 29 — The Himachal Vikas Congress chief, Mr Sukh Ram, today issued a thinly veiled warning to his alliance partner, the BJP that in case the latter stuck to its unilateral decision to field its own candidate for the byelection for the forthcoming Solan Vidhan Sabha seat, the HVC could withdraw its ministers from the state cabinet.

Mr Sukh Ram, who addressed a press conference here today, said he was deeply disappointed by the action of his alliance partner, adding that the BJP had departed from the traditional practice of taking major decisions after having consultations with the HVC.

He said the HVC had extended unqualified support to the BJP in the formation of the state government after that party had failed to secure the necessary number of MLAs in the last elections. Till now the candidature for all the byelections held since then had been decided upon with mutual consultations on a give and take basis. This was the first time that the BJP had thought it fit to go it alone.

The BJP had declared Mr Rajiv Bindal as its candidate only yesterday and that too after Mr Sukh Ram had personally pleaded his party's case for the allotment of the Solan seat with the BJP's central high command at Delhi recently.

Mr Sukh Ram said he would take a final decision on continuing in the government after consultations with other senior leaders of the party tomorrow. He said he was under pressure from party rank and file, who were determined to field their own candidate Mr Hemendra Thakur. In fact Mr Thakur had already spent a lot of time and effort for fighting the elections.

Replying to a question he said that he did not propose to break up the HVC-BJP alliance and could continue his party's support to the government from outside.

Discounting rumours to the effect that he had been trying to pressurise the BJP by demanding the Solan seat simply to get his son Mr Anil Sharma, a Rajya Sabha member, included in the Central Cabinet, he said that the HVC would continue to be the member of the NDA and would continue to support the Central Government both in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, even after deciding to contest the Solan seat.

Nomination divides Himachal BJP
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 29 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has decided not to field its candidate in the coming byelection for the Solan assembly seat and back Mr Rajeev Bindal of its coalition partner, the BJP.

Sources said that the decision was taken at a meeting of office-bearers here last evening. However, a formal endorsement by party chief, Mr Sukh Ram, was awaited.

This has cleared the decks for a straight contest between the ruling BJP-HVC coalition on the one side and the Congress on the other. It has also ended speculation about the role of the HVC in the byelection.

Sources said that the HVC might be compensated by appointing its nominee, Mr Haminder Thakur as chairman to some board.

But the naming of Mr Bindal as the BJP nominee has come as boost to Mr Dhumal and a shock to the Shanta Kumar camp which had been lobbying for its nominee, Mr Mohinder Nath Sofat.

The Shanta camp has not yet reconciled to the decision and is pressuring the leadership to replace its nominee even at this juncture.

Supporters of both the Dhumal and Shanta Kumar group had been camping at Delhi until yesterday when the choice of the candidate was finally announced. The Shanta faction is still in the capital.

The choice of candidate had become a ticklish one and the high command was forced to defer its decision several times during the past few days.

It is learnt that Mr Dhumal finally succeeded in convincing the party leadership that Mr Bindal president of the Solan Municipal Committe, would be the best choice as he had close contacts with the urban electorate of the town. He also pointed out that the performance of Mr Sofat in the previous elections was unsatisfactory.

Shanta supporters, who are visibly upset at the decision, claimed the high command had played a cruel joke on Mr Sofat, who had filed and won an election petition against Ms Krishna Mohini, the Congress MLA in the High Court and the Supreme Court. He eventually got her unseated and the byelection is being held because of this. They said Mr Sofat had nourished the constituency all these years but had been thrown to the wolves at election time.

Mr Sofat, was a minister during Mr Shanta Kumar regime and is a confidant of his.

The HVC may also not claim a Rajya Sabha seat which will be falling vacant shortly on the retirement of the sitting Congress MP, Mr Susheel Barongpa.

Mr Virender Kashyap, chairman of the marketing board, who had unsucessfully contested several Lok Sabha elections on the BJP ticket, might be nominated for the seat.

Sources said that the HVC leadership was in favour of Mr Kashyap being nominated as a joint candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat as he had opted out of the race for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat in favour of the HVC nominee, Mr Dhani Ram, in the recent elections.

Dhumal asks police to do an extra bit
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Jan 29 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today cautioned the Himachal police, to be vigilant about terrorists.

Mr Dhumal, was speaking on the occasion of the third passing out parade, of constables at the police training college, Daroh, near Palampur, today. He said the Himachal police will have to put in an extra bit to check incidents of terrorism in the State, as has been the case in the past.

"The Union Home Minister and the Secretary, Home, had agreed to provide liberal funds to Himachal, to tackle the menace of terrorism," he disclosed.

Mr Dhumal, stressed the need for the police to be protectors as well as friends of the people in a modern welfare state. He said the people had great expectations from the police and good behaviour from the forces would instil confidence among them." A committee headed by the Home Secretary had been set up to review the Draft Police Rules and Act, in order to make it more effective in the present circumstances," he said.

The Chief Minister, assured that the police force in the State would be modernised and strengthened to enable it to meet any challenge effectively, for which a number of steps had been taken during the past few months. He disclosed that it was for the first that repairs of the police stations had been undertaken in the State, besides construction of 904 houses for the police personnel.

Mr Dhumal, said Police Training College at Daroh, would be made one of the best institutions in the country by providing the best facilities. He also inaugurated the newly constructed teaching block and the NGO barracks, constructed at a cost of Rs 30.05 lakh. Constable Vinod Kumar, was adjudged the best all round constable and Hem Lata the best among the women, the Chief Minister presented scroll of honour to Sepoy Ashok Kumar and Sepoy Prem Kumar, who had been awarded the Prime Minister's Jeevan Raksha Padak.

The Director General of Police, Mr T.R. Mahajan, said a total of 384 constables had passed out in the third batch, including 39 women and 39 ex-servicemen.

SFI denounces HPU decisions
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 29 — The state committee of the SFI has criticised the decision of Himachal Pradesh University to increase the re-evaluation fee and to give only one chance for improvement of division to postgraduate students.

The re-evaluation fee, it pointed out, had been hiked by three times in one go. The decision to limit the number of improvement chances to one would hurt the interests of students. Earlier, they could go for improvement at their own convenience.

The federation demanded immediate review of the two decisions failing which it would be compelled to take up the course of action.

It also urged the university to make public the account of funds received under self-financing schemes.

The federation will meet on February 18 and 19 to decide the future course of action.

Medical officer found burnt

SHIMLA, Jan 29 (PTI) — Dr Sudhir Chaudhary, medical officer, community health centre, Sarahan, 150 km from here, was found burnt in his house under mysterious circumstances this morning.

He was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.

The SDM, Rampur, has gone there to ascertain the cause of death.

NSUI conference postponed
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Jan 29 — The district-level NSUI conference scheduled for February 16 has been postponed to February 21, NSUI spokesman Sanjay Guleria said here yesterday. The postponement had been necessitated due to the Solan Assembly byeleciton where most of the top Congress leaders would be busy. This conference would be attended by more than 1000 delegates from all parts of the district.

Meritorious students and dependents and dependents of "Operation Vijay" martyrs would be honoured on the occasion.

Jawan cremated
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Jan 29 — Subash Chand, a jawan of 12-Dogra Regiment, was cremated at his native village, Buskwari, in Jawali subdivision, today with full military and state honours. He had laid down his life on January 27 while fighting the militants in Poonch sector.

He is survived by his wife and an 18-month-old baby.

Major Chandran laid a wreath on behalf of the President of India. Mr B.D Chowdhary, SDM, Jawali, and Mr Onkar Jaryal, Tehsildar, laid wreaths on behalf of the Governor and the Chief Minister.