H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Dhumal blasts Congress leaders
Speaks up for development in Kangra
DHARAMSALA, July 5 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has said his government is open to healthy criticism but will not tolerate any misinformation and character assassination campaign spread by the Congress leaders.

Imported timber hits local market
SHIMLA, July 5 — The unrestricted import of timber under the open general licence (OGL) scheme has started affecting the domestic produce market.

ABVP threatens agitation
SHIMLA, July 5 — The State unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad has decided to start a statewide stir if Himachal Pradesh University and the government failed to accept its demands by July 12.

Mahinder Singh was expelled: Sukh Ram
MANDI, July 5 — Talking to reporters on the eve of the foundation day function to be held here tomorrow the HVC, chief, Mr Sukh Ram, said that it intrigued him that even the media did not know the “stark fact” that his party had not been divided into two factions.

Parwanoo roads need repair
PARWANOO July 5 — The condition of roads of this industrial town, which were already crying for attention for the past few years, has deteriorated even more.

Spoiled by tourist rush
KASAULI: This salubrious hill town, just 63 km from Chandigarh, has become a favourite haunt of weekend tourists who do not wish to travel far. These holiday-makers return home after spending a few hours in the cool, soothing clime of Kasauli.

Minjar Fair begins on July 23
CHAMBA, July 5 — The Minjar Fair Celebration Committee has decided to celebrate the historic Minjar Fair to attract tourists from home and abroad. The fair is scheduled to be held from July 23 to 30.

Dhumal blasts Congress leaders
Speaks up for development in Kangra
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, July 5 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has said his government is open to healthy criticism but will not tolerate any misinformation and character assassination campaign spread by the Congress leaders.

Addressing a public meeting at Chamunda last evening, he said criticism was welcome in a democracy but at the same time it should be based on facts and ought to be in the interests of the state. “It is a political conspiracy by the Congress party to level corruption charges and launch a misinformation campaign against the government as they have become panicky seeing the accelerated pace of development”, he remarked.

Mr Dhumal, said the Congress leaders in the state had already started fearing for the next elections as they had a feeling it would be difficult for them to get power.

Accusing the Congress party of playing the card of regionalism to the hilt, he said ministers in the Virbhadra Singh government failed to protect the interests of the people of Kangra. “Nobody can ignore Kangra as the development of Kangra, means the development of the state as it is the biggest district comprising 16 segments”, he said.

The Chief Minister said despite having limited finances his government was trying its level best to bring about uniform development in the state. He said that on the contrary it was the Congress regime which discriminated against the Kangra belt in recruitments, opening of new institutions or undertaking other development works.

In an oblique reference to Mr Vijai Singh Mankotia, former minister and vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Dhumal said it was surprising that those people who were known for their shifting loyalties and sycophancy were pointing fingers at others. “We do not need to learn lessons regarding how to run the government from people who failed to protect the interests of the people of Kangra when they were in power themselves”, he commented.

Giving a long list of development works undertaken by his government during its rule, he said that compared to an annual plan of Rs 1008 crore during the Congress regime this year it stood at Rs 1720 crore. He accused the Congress government of scuttling the Apollo Hospital project at Holta near Palampur by opening Tanda Medical College.

He said during its tenure so far his government had made 1200 km motorable road, 100 bridges and had linked 150 villages with new roads. He added that work on 51 minor irrigation projects had been started.

Detailing the development works undertaken in Kangra district, he said three new tehsils at Multhan in Baijnath, Thural and Jaswan Kotla had been opened apart from the polytechnic at Kangra. He added that the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Relief and Rehabilitation, Pong Dam, was shifted from Talwara to Raja ka Talab and three land acquisition offices were opened. He said a lot of money had been given for tourism promotion in Kangra district.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a double-lane bridge to be built at Chamunda over the Baner khud at a cost of Rs 1.38 crore. The bridge will have a span of 50 metres.

Our Correspondent at Jawalamukhi adds:

Mr Dhumal on Wednesday heavily came down on the state Congress leaders and dubbed them a bunch of frustrated and disgruntled elements.

While talking to mediapersons, Mr Dhumal said the leaders of the Congress party were misleading the people of the state by giving baseless statements. He suggested that the Congress leaders should realise the ground realities.

He made it clear that his government always advocated uniform and balanced development of the state. Regional discrimination was an act of commission of the Congress regime, he said.

Mr Dhumal said the BJP-HVC combine would leave no stone unturned to ensure uniform and speedy development of the state. He alleged the Congress was responsible for uneven development of the state as during its rule all development work were undertaken on the basis of politics and were aimed at creating vote banks.

The Chief Minister said it was possible to achieve the targets set under the plan. He hoped to realise them by involving the private sector on a large scale.

While the government would arrange Rs, 17,000 crore through public sector investments, the remaining Rs 75,000 crore would come from the private sector.

The government would create the necessary environment to attract private investment, he added. Apart from hydel power and tourism sectors, priority would be given to infrastructure development, particularly in the rural areas. The state proposed to set up a rural infrastructure development fund at the state-level on the pattern of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and arrange institutional finance for the execution of irrigation schemes, construction of roads and other basic facilities necessary to encourage investment in the agriculture and horticulture sectors. He said the government had also decided to restructure the technical courses in various institutions after studying the national employment market and consulting local entrepreneurs so that the local youth of the state got quick employment.

The government had formulated a new transport policy with a view to ensuring better transport facilities to the people in the state. It provided for exemption of tax for five years to the private transporters for plying buses on uneconomical and “kutcha”routes, having no bus service or single bus service, he added. More powers were being given to panchayati raj institutions to accelerate the process of development at the grassroots level. An eight-point strategy had been adopted to make these institutions self-dependent so that they could meet their needs themselves. They had been allowed to utilise the money collected on account of land revenue and cess on liquor for development works.

PTI adds from Una:Mr Dhumal on Wednesday announced that the state government had agreed in principal to accept the demand of veterinary pharmacists for creation of posts of veterinary supervisors with a view to opening promotional avenues to them and also with a view to ensuring better animal care services in rural areas. he said there had been tremendous expansion in the veterinary institutions supervision of work in these institutions.

Speaking on the occasion of the first Himachal Pradesh Veterinary Employees Union state-level conference here, Mr Dhumal said cattle wealth played a significant role in the economy of rural areas as over 90 per cent population lives in these areas and animal husbandry was the profession of most of the people.

Imported timber hits local market
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 5 — The unrestricted import of timber under the open general licence (OGL) scheme has started affecting the domestic produce market.

Over the past two years, not only the prices of various species of indigenous timber had registered a steep fall, but the offtake had also been on the decline. The domestic market has been flooded with imported deodar, teak, hollock, pine, sal and other species which are gradually edging out the local produce.

Timber is being imported from over 24 countries. But Himachal is facing competition mainly from Nigeria, China, Malaysia, Russia and New Zealand.

Deodar, the most precious timber of the state, is facing stiff competition from Nigerian teak which is available at Rs 850 per cubic foot (CFT).

The prices of deodar have declined by about Rs 200 per CFT. Similarly, imported hollock, Malaysyan marandis and sal, which are much cheaper, have hit indigenous species like pine, kail and sheesham hard. The prices of these species have come down by 20 to 25 per cent. Imported timber, some which is not as durable as the indigenous one, is attracting the attention of users.

A state like Himachal Pradesh, where forests are the main source of revenue, will be affected most if the declining trend continues. The State Forest Corporation, the sole agency for exploitation of forest resources, has already started feeling the pinch. The falling prices, it fears, will make exploitation of forest resources an uneconomical proposition. Not only are the prices declining, but unsold stocks are piling up.

A senior officer revealed that regular buyers are no longer seen at timber auctions conducted by the corporation. Obviously, they have shifted to imported timber. Similarly, a large number of commission agents have also been swayed by the foreign produce.

Alarmed over the situation, the corporation has initiated steps to bring down the cost of timber extraction. The imported timber is cheaper as entire felling is carried out mechanically. The corporation has now decided to go in for semi-mechanised felling, wherever possible.

To begin with, Mr O.P. Sharma, Managing Director of the corporation, said that power chain saws would be used for felling in Nahan and Nalagarh divisions on an experimental basis from this season. The trees would be converted into 10 ft-long logs and not sleepers as has been the practice. However, conversion into logs would be possible only in forests areas where logs could be skidded along the hill to the road-head. This would help increase the yield by 15 to 20 per cent as there would be no wastage and over 90 per cent of the tree would be utilised.

Besides, precaution would be taken to ensure proper marking for the purpose of cross-cutting to maximise yield and minimise damage during the carriage of timber. In order to plug leakage, the corporation has decided to mark the lot number on every scant, sleeper and log.

The main problem in the mechanisation of felling in Himachal is that the hills are very steep and it is not possible to carry heavy machinery into the forests. It will, thus, have to look for other ways, like pruning down the heavy administrative set up to bring down the cost of extraction.

ABVP threatens agitation
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 5 — The State unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad has decided to start a statewide stir if Himachal Pradesh University and the government failed to accept its demands by July 12.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the office-bearers of the Parishad held here today. The Parishad severely criticised the authorities for increasing the tuition fee in colleges and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

The meeting also finalised the action programme for the proposed stir. The activists of the parishad will gherao the vice-chancellor of the university and principals of colleges and hold dharnas all over the State after July 12.

It also decided to celebrate July 10 as “Vidyarthi Divas” to mark its foundation day, from July 13 to 18 thousands of students will write letters to the Governor, to press the demand for holding of immediate elections to the Students Central Association and making English an optional instead of compulsory subject in colleges. Rallies, demonstrations and hunger strikes will be organised from July 19 to 26 and thereafter up to August 5.

Mahinder Singh was expelled: Sukh Ram
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, July 5 — Talking to reporters on the eve of the foundation day function to be held here tomorrow the HVC, chief, Mr Sukh Ram, said that it intrigued him that even the media did not know the “stark fact” that his party had not been divided into two factions. “I have expelled the PWD Minister, Mr Mahinder Singh and some others from the HVC in accordance with the constitution of the party for gross violation of discipline and the party is intact. The claim of Mr Mahinder Singh who had formed the so-called paralled party is not tenable under the constitution. Two of the three MLAs are with me and both MPs have owed obedience to me,” he said.

He said the controversy about the so-called parallel parties would be set at rest when the Election Commission would deliver decision on the allotment of symbol.

To a question he declared that it was impossible at this stage to readmit Mr Mahinder Singh, Mr OP Rattan and Mr Ranjit Singh Verma because of their defiant behaviour and breach of party discipline.

He said Mr Mahinder Singh did not know what party discipline was because he had never worked in a party. “I had got him into the Congress and also secured party ticket for him despite pressure from Mr Virbhadra Singh against him. He got elected due to my efforts. I got important portfolios for him, but now I realise that it was a blunder as he could not digest power,” he said.

Replying to another question he said he did not have enmity with Mr Virbhadra Singh. “I had opposed him for discriminating against some parts of the state including the Mandi district in matters of development. He was defeated and the people of his areas rejected him and passed a verdict in my favour. “That is enough for me,” he said.

Mr Sukh Ram said his tomorrow’s function was not a showdown or a trial of strength or a rally was reported in a section of the press. Only delegates were coming to take crucial decisions regarding the progress and prosperity of Himachal Pradesh. “My only objective is to make Himachal Pradesh a prosperous and everything I do is for the fulfilment of that dream.

Opposing the establishment of cement plants in the state Mr Sukh Ram said future of Himachal depended on preserving the forest wealth, promotion to tourism and harnessing the vast potential of hydel power.

He evaded reply to the question of a correspondent who said that the government in which your party was is an alliance partner had made a cut of 80 per cent in the plantation of trees in the ongoing season resulting in the wastage of crores of rupees spent for raising nurseries. Similarly the tourism budget had been cut from Rs 8 crore to Rs 3 crore giving a big setback to the tourism industry.

He said during his meeting with the Prime Minister he had stressed the urgency of steps to check environmental degradation and his sentiments echoed in the speech of Mr Vajpayee while he laid foundation stone of Kol Dam in this district last month.

Parwanoo roads need repair
From M.M. Bhandari

PARWANOO July 5 — The condition of roads of this industrial town, which were already crying for attention for the past few years, has deteriorated even more.

The residents of this town feel that the local municipal committee is not paying any attention to the repair of the roads, leaving most of the main roads leading to, and within, the city in a most pitiable condition. These roads are unsafe for vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians.

The roads of all the sectors have been affected. In Sector-1, the road leading from Sandip Metal Works towards Chemiplast has gone from bad to worse. The road has not been metalled for the last many years. The road leading from Amar Floor Mills has potholes. The road leading towards the electricity office is completely damaged.

Sector 1-A, which has only one circular road, is in a bad state making it dangerous to drive heavy vehicles like trucks and tractors. This road has also developed deep and large potholes, which add to the woes of the commuters with car and scooters. The roads in Sector 2 are also completely damaged. Sector-4, which is a purely residential sector, has maximum length of roads. The condition here, too, is no different with the roads. Road in Sector 5 from Forge India towards Saras Polypack is completely damaged. The commuters hesitate to drive on this road.

The roads in Sector-6 are also in bad shape and require immediate repairs.

Some residents feel that poor drainage system in the town is also responsible for damaging the roads.

According to officials of the municipal committee, paucity of fund is the only reason for the delayed works. The works in various sectors have been allotted to the contractors but they have not started the work yet. The official added that the reason for not starting the work yet. The official added that the reason for not starting the work in Sector-6 is that the Sector-6 has not been handed over to the municipal committee yet by the H.P. Housing Board for further development works and maintainance of the sector.

The official said that grants from the Government of Himachal Pradesh have also not been received yet.

Spoiled by tourist rush
From Ambika Sharma

KASAULI: This salubrious hill town, just 63 km from Chandigarh, has become a favourite haunt of weekend tourists who do not wish to travel far. These holiday-makers return home after spending a few hours in the cool, soothing clime of Kasauli.

But this weekend rush of tourists brings certain problems, so far unknown to this placid town which is home to a large number of retired defence officers and senior bureaucrats. A walk along the Upper and Lower Mall used to be an exhilarating experience. These roads now seethe with swanky cars zooming at high speed with their stereos playing at full volume, particularly on weekends. The cars are parked at any place when the occupants decide to have a close look of the town. While haphazard parking leaves little space for the pedestrians, wrappers of biscuits, chocolates and other eatables are thrown callously on the road. This gives the town a dirty look. The congestion created by tourist vehicles is compounded by heavy vehicles carrying construction material to various building sites. Potholes, particularly on the Lower Mall, bear testimony to the punishment the roads have to take.

The town’s disposal system seems unable to cope with the garbage that is generated by both the increasing population and the influx of tourists. The result is that heaps of garbage remain uncleared for days, emitting a foul smell. The Executive Officer of the Cantonment Board, Mr G.N. Mathur admits that the roads look dirty on weekends but he maintains that these are kept clean on other days.

Shop-owners in the Market Bazar add to the congestion when they display their wares on the road in front of the shops to attract customers, leaving very little space for the traffic. One often finds vehicles on these stone-paved road which is not meant for vehicular traffic.

Some enthusiastic residents have formed a Society for the Preservation of Kasauli (SPOKE). At its last meeting, SPOKE decided to take up all these issues with the Cantonment and Army authorities. It also proposes to print pamphlets seeking the tourists’ help in keeping the town clean. They also plan to distribute litter bags among the tourists to collect the wrappers in them instead of throwing them on the road.

Minjar Fair begins on July 23
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, July 5 — The Minjar Fair Celebration Committee has decided to celebrate the historic Minjar Fair to attract tourists from home and abroad. The fair is scheduled to be held from July 23 to 30.

Giving this information here today, Mr Ajay Sharma, Additional District Magistrate, said to add charm to the fair festivities, folk singers and dancers from West Bengal and Bihar had been invited to give performances.

The main attractions of the fair would be performance by Harbhajan Singh Mann, a Punjabi singer, Madhumita Bose, a ghazal singer Javed Irshad Rehmad, a qawal, and Gurpreet Ghuggi, a comedian.

The ADM said that cultural troupes from the North Zone Culture Centre Patiala, artistes from Punjabi University, Patiala, folk singers and dancers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh would also participate in the fair.

Directives for civic bodies poll issued
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, July 5 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has issued directives for the preparation of electoral rolls of the municipal councils of Chamba, Dalhousie and nagar panchayat of Chowari in the district in view of the forthcoming elections as the five-year term of these civic bodies is going to be over by December.

Stating this here today an official spokesman said the process of appointment of enumerators and supervisors had almost been completed in all ward of the municipal councils and the nagar panchayat.

He said enumeration of voters in the municipal councils and the nagar panchayat had started early this week. There were 11 wards in the Chamba Municipal Council, nine wards in the Dalhousie Municipal Council and seven wards in the Chowari Nagar Panchayat.

The spokesman said the process of delimitation and reservation of wards in the panchayats throughout the district had already commenced and was expected to be completed soon. At present there were 270 panchayats in Chamba district, he added.

SCERT officials, DEO fail to turn up at seminar
From Our Correspondent

KASAULI, July 5 — The district-level science seminar which was organised by the District Education Officer (Secondary), Solan, on behalf of the State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT) at Dharampur, about 12 km from here, turned out to be a total fiasco. It was scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. today but there was no sight of either the SCERT officials or the DEO at Government Senior Secondary School, Dharampur, till 2 p.m.

Students accompanied by their teachers from as far as Nalagarh, Kandaghat, Solan and Kasauli waited in vain for the event to begin.

Ironically, the purpose of the seminar as stated by the SCERT was to inculcate the spirit of scientific inquiry and analytic thinking in children. The theme itself makes no sense when the officers responsible for the seminar failed to act responsibly.

This is not an isolated case. Even the block-level seminar organised a few days back was reminiscent of mismanagement.

The teachers of all participating schools were irate at the outcome and complained both the students as well as the teachers lost one day of studies.

The DEO, Mr G.P. Awasthi, was not available for comment. The SCERT authorities when contacted expressed their ignorance about the fiasco.

Inder Singh to head rival HVC
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA,July 5—Mr Inder Singh Thakur will be the new president of the Mohinder Singh faction of Himachal Vikas Congress.

The election of the president scheduled to be held at Paonta on July 6 will be a mere formality as only one nomination paper proposing the name of Mr Inder Singh, was filed for the post today. His name was proposed by Mr Devendra Bushairi and seconded by Mr Ram Asra, A formal announcement will be made tomorrow.

However, Mr Mohinder Singh himself will take over as the chief patron of the party. His name was proposed for the post by Mr Ranjit Singh Verma and seconded by Mr Dalip Singh. There was not other candidate for the post.

Mr O.P.Rattan will continue as the working president of the party, only his name was proposed for the post Mr B.R.Chauhan, the state election officer, said that all nomination papers were found in order during scrutiny.

He said tomorrow’s rally would let the people know which was the real HVC.

Shifting of HQ opposed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 5 — The joint action committee of employees of the State Minorities Finance and Development Corporation has opposed the government decision to shift the headquarters of the corporation from here to Kangra. It has also expressed concern at the move to allot it work pertaining only to four districts.

It has pointed out that the shifting of the corporation headquarters is not in the interests of either the government or the people

Students stage dharna
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 5 — Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) staged a dharna here today in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office to protest against the attacks on the minorities, particularly the Christians.

The protesters also submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India demanding stern action against those responsible for the attacks and the protection of the religious places of the minorities.

The two organisations blamed the communal forces, “led by the RSS”, for the current campaign against the Christians and urged the President to direct the Central Government to stop supporting “the perpetrators of these crimes.”

Poor phone services annoy subscribers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Industrialists and residents of the Baddi and Barotiwala areas of Solan are resentful of the poor telecommunication services.

Subscribers complain that telephones remain out of order in these areas for days together before the faults are repaired. The areas are being promoted as an industrial hub by the state government.

Fax and other means of communication in the industrial units also function unsatisfactorily.

The Telephone Exchange is closed at 5 p.m. and no complaints are booked thereafter till 10 a.m. next day. It is after repeated pleadings that telephone faults are rectified, it is alleged.

ITBP officer killed in action
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, July 5 — An Assistant Commandant of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Pawan Kumar, was killed in action in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, yesterday.

According to the district authorities, the body of the officer will be cremated at his native village, Harsar in the Jwali sub-division of the district tomorrow