H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Governor's remarks annoy Cong
SHIMLA, Feb 22 — A controversy has been generated following certain remarks of the Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shatri, against the Congress party, which today reacted by accusing him of having lowered the prestige of the constitutional post by indulging in politics.

Panel to sort out oustees’ problem
SHIMLA, Feb 22 — A high level committee was today set up by the Himachal Pradesh Government to sort out the problem of providing employment to the 192 left-out oustees of the Chamera hydroelectric project and settlement of the cost of the acquired land.

Body exhumed as police takes up case after 8 years
NURPUR, Feb 22 — After running from pillar to post for eight years Mrs Nawab Bibi of Lahru village in Jawali subdivision has finally got some hope of justice. Her husband, Shan Ali, had died under mysterious circumstances on March 11, 1992, in a nearby forest where he had gone to collect firewood along with another villager, Karam Singh. His blood soaked body was brought from the forest by villagers in a suspicious circumstances.

Ex-Speaker: wage war against saffronisation
MANDI, Feb 22 — Former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Thakur Kaul Singh while speaking at a district-level convention of the NSUI here today at the Gandhi Bhavan came down heavily on the BJP government for ‘saffronisation’ of the educational institutions and exhorted the people and particularly the youths to wage a war against it.

4 held for killing rare animal
MANDI, Feb 22 — Officials of the Forest Department today arrested four persons for killing a barking deer, a rare species now facing extinction, near Kataula. A case has been registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Rejected lover kills woman
DHARAMSALA, Feb 22 — In a gruesome incident, a rejected lover strangulated a 25-year-old woman to death in Jwali yesterday.

Governor's remarks annoy Cong
Tribune News service

SHIMLA, Feb 22 — A controversy has been generated following certain remarks of the Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shatri, against the Congress party, which today reacted by accusing him of having lowered the prestige of the constitutional post by indulging in politics.

The leader of Congress Legislature Party, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today wrote a letter to the Governor, pointing out that his reported remarks against the Congress were "far from the truth".

A Hindi daily quoting Mr Shastri had recently published two reports against the Congress — one of these related to the review of the Constitution about which the Governor had reportedly accused Congress of having misused the constitutional provisions and now being afraid of the review.

Mr Virbhadra Singh pointed out that the matter had become more serious as no clarification or contradiction on these news reports had yet come from Raj Bhavan.

Such remarks were not in conformity with the high office of the Governor, which was a constitutional post.

Moreover, such political statements did not behove the Governor.

The sentiments of Congress workers had been hurt by the statement of the Governor and he should take remedial measures to clarify his position.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of Raj Bhavan said in the evening that the news report about the statement of the Governor concerning the Congress was not based on facts.

Panel to sort out oustees’ problem
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 22 — A high level committee was today set up by the Himachal Pradesh Government to sort out the problem of providing employment to the 192 left-out oustees of the Chamera hydroelectric project and settlement of the cost of the acquired land.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Chamera, Baira-Siul and Thein Dam oustees rehabilitation committee, which was presided by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal.

The committee will comprise of Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda, Mr Mohan Lal, the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, two representatives of oustees of the Chamera project.

Mr Dhumal said that the state government intends to harness immense hydel potential available in the state expeditiously on the hand and solve the problems of oustees on a priority basis besides ensuring their suitable rehabilitation. He expressed surprise that genuine oustees had been left out there. He expressed concern that although the people of the state had made a great sacrifice for construction of the Bhakra Dam and the Pong Dam years ago, the problems of the people who were uprooted were yet to be solved — even after a lapse of 30 to 40 years.

The decision of the Centre to correct the imbalance between thermal and hydro power generation and bring it to 60:40 had opened new vistas for Himachal Pradesh for speedy exploitation of its available hydro potential which came to about-one-fourth of the entire country.

It was decided in the meeting that the Chamera project authorities would provide two motor boats to facilitate the people of Thari, Bhanota, Chaklu and Drahra.

The authorities also agreed to bear the cost of lift irrigation schemes at Rajnagar and Kiani and release Rs 25 lakh for these by March 31. They also agreed to bear the cost of lift water supply scheme of Chaklu which had been damaged due to submerging.

The representatives of the Punjab Government agreed that the state would release the remaining Rs 11.57 crore of Rs 63.32 crore award given on account of compensation of land for construction of the Thein Dam at the earliest. As many as 316 oustees had been provided employment in the project and the remaining would be provided as and when vacancies occurred.

Body exhumed as police takes up case
after 8 years
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Feb 22 — After running from pillar to post for eight years Mrs Nawab Bibi of Lahru village in Jawali subdivision has finally got some hope of justice. Her husband, Shan Ali, had died under mysterious circumstances on March 11, 1992, in a nearby forest where he had gone to collect firewood along with another villager, Karam Singh. His blood soaked body was brought from the forest by villagers in a suspicious circumstances.

Nawab Bibi tried to report the case to the police at that time, but it was "hushed up" by some influential persons of the area. Nawab Bibi suspected foul play in the death of her husband and approached the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of the state and Imam of Delhi and urged them to intervene and order investigation in the case, but all in vain. But she did not lose heart and continued trying. She moved an application in the court of the Sub Judicial Magistrate, Jawali.

According to Mr Mohinder Singh, DSP, Jawali, the local police had registered an FIR under Sections 302, 201, of the IPC following the court directions on February 16, 2000. The DSP revealed that after preliminary investigations in the case, the police had exhumed the body on February 19, 2000, and sent some parts to Shimla for forensic examination.

The DSP said further action would be taken after getting the forensic report.

Ex-Speaker: wage war against saffronisation
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Feb 22 — Former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Thakur Kaul Singh while speaking at a district-level convention of the NSUI here today at the Gandhi Bhavan came down heavily on the BJP government for ‘saffronisation’ of the educational institutions and exhorted the people and particularly the youths to wage a war against it.

He also opposed the proposed "misadventure" about changing the basic character of the Constitution. He said there was no rationale behind the review of the Constitution.

He alleged that the BJP-HVC government had dwindled the very foundation of the primary education as it had not provided teachers in many primary and other schools. To cover up its inefficiency the government was blaming the previous Congress government for opening many schools, he said.

Earlier the convention was inaugurated by DCC chief, Thakur Sher Singh.

Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, state unit chief of the NSUI and state unit spokesman of the NSUI Sanjay Guleria also spoke.

Pranab to visit Shimla on March 4
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 22 — Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel will come here on March 4 to mobilise party activists against the move of various state govenments to lift the ban on government employees participating in the activities of the RSS.

They will also address the general house of the PCC and elicit the views of Congressmen on the review of the Constitution.

4 held for killing rare animal
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Feb 22 — Officials of the Forest Department today arrested four persons for killing a barking deer, a rare species now facing extinction, near Kataula. A case has been registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Mr Vineet Kumar, DFO, said the animal had been brutally killed with lathis and stones, The four accused were caught red-handed while they were sharing the meat. The barking deer, he said, was an important constituent of the wildlife food chain as carnivorous animals like leopards survive on them.

Rejected lover kills woman
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Feb 22 — In a gruesome incident, a rejected lover strangulated a 25-year-old woman to death in Jwali yesterday.

According to the SSP, Mr K.C. Sadyal, 34-year-old Chander-shekhar, a resident of Jwali, killed his maternal uncle’s granddaughter, Sunita, with the help of a telephone chord in his house yesterday. She had illicit relations with Chander-shekhar for several years.

The incident took place when Sunita turned down Chander-shekhar’s offer for marriage. A resident of village Tuddi Chuari in Chamba district, she had come to Chandershekhar’s house along with her mother. He later surrendered to the police. A case has been registered against him under Section 302 of the IPC, in the Jwali police station.

DISTRICT DIARY

Vital posts lying vacant
From Balkrishan Prashar

CHAMBA: A recent decision of the Himachal Pradesh Government to abolish posts of Divisional Commissioner at Dharamsala, Mandi and Shimla to observe austerity may prove be correct to some extent, but at the same time it is not known why the district administration is being run by only two officers.

The entire district administration at Chamba is nowadays being run by the Deputy Commissioner and the Additional District Magistrate (A.D.M.) as all other posts have been lying vacant for some time. Perhaps the state government is not aware of the need to fill posts.

At the moment, the posts of Assistant Commissioner, District Revenue Officer, Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, Tehsildar (Recovery) have been lying vacant causing great inconvenience to the general public.

Even the post of the Divisional Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) has been lying vacant for the past six months, thanks to the apathy of the state government. The development of tourism industry is dwindling in the district. In Chamba District. which has a vast tourism potential, immediate posting of the DTDO is of vital importance to promote tourism.

Residents of the region have asked the state government to fill these posts in the district administration and that of the DTDO as well for the convenience of general public.

***

Notwithstanding the claims of the Himachal Pradesh Government to give priority to the construction of roads in the district where the work is going on at a snail's's pace. These roads are Sahoo-Purotha, Sarahan-Ran, Ludera-Palhuin, Punella-Zamhar, Luddu-Khapra, Rakh-Gurad, Lilh-Lagga, Bassu-:Kundi, Chhatrari-Kunr, Dunali-Barehi and some other roads.

Those residing in these interior pockets have urged the state government to speed up the construction of these roads so that they could improve their lot. These link roads would help them carry their agro-horticulture produce to the main markets for getting highly remunerative prices.

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (N.H.P.C.) has recently launched an ambitious Environment Management Plan in a big way to bring greenery in the ambient of the prestigious Chamera Hydroelectric Project on the Ravi in the district with an outlay of Rs 14 crore 60 lakh.

According to Mr S.K. Dodeja, Executive Director, Region-II of the NHPC, in fact the NHPC has prepared a fresh environment assessment report containing environment management plan comprising mitigative measures in the form of catchment area treatment scheme, health delivery system, free fuel to labourers, including compensatory afforestation etc.

The plan includes the financial implication of Rs 10.72 crore which would be incurred on the catchment area treatment scheme.

The Executive Director says that a mass-scale afforestation programme has also been envisaged for the project. The afforestation in an area of 173 hectares outside the project area has so far been carried out by the project.

***

The state government has given top priority to the construction of Bharmour-Badgran and Hadsar-Kugti highways by building Bailey bridges at crucial points.

According to Mr K.S. Sanjaymurthy, Resident Commissioner of Bharmour, the state government has provided Rs 24.67 crore for the current tribal area sub-plan for Bharmour. The main focus has been on the strengthening of "rural roads network" in the tribal region for which an allocation of Rs 8.39 crore has been made.

A provision of Rs 3.58 crore has been kept for the construction of Holi Hydroelectric Project as well as for strengthening power supply and transmission system in the entire tribal terrain.

Likewise, the education sector is also being given priority Funds are made available for the construction of primary school buildings as well as residential accommodation for teachers under the 'Yashwant gurukul yojna' at Bharmour, Khani and Garola.