H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

BJP ministers hampering projects: MP
DHARAMSALA, Oct 17 — Accusing BJP ministers of creating hurdles in the execution of works being funded through her MP’s Local Development Fund, the Rajya Sabha member, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, today alleged that they were now trying to mislead the public on the issue.

No new regional party: Anita Verma
HAMIRPUR, Oct 17 — Ms Anita Verma, vice-president, HP Congress Party said here today that talks of floating a regional party by the Congressmen were irrelevant and reports in this regards were being spread by some disgruntled elements.

Poor roads hit apple sales
KULU: Despite the above-average apple crop, fruit growers of this district, particularly of the lower belts, have not been able to get good returns for their produce. 

HP to give up Punjab education code
SHIMLA, Oct 17 — Himachal Pradesh will abandon the Punjab education code and formulate its own policy before March next.

• Protest against price hike
• Rivoli tunnel opened
• Temple, 6 houses burnt; 2 head of cattle perish
• No bungling in Cong elections: Sukhu
  

BJP ministers hampering projects: MP
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 17 — Accusing BJP ministers of creating hurdles in the execution of works being funded through her MP’s Local Development Fund, the Rajya Sabha member, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, today alleged that they were now trying to mislead the public on the issue.

Addressing a press conference here today, she said that she was considering taking up a privilege motion against the BJP ministers who were directing officials not to start work on the projects for which she had allotted money out of her MP’s Local Development Fund. “It is our discretion as to whom we give the money and the ministers cannot interfere in this,” she said categorically.

She said that despite making repeated requests to various departments for furnishing her with a break-up of the money given by her for some projects, she has had no response.” I have decided not to give money to any government department, as they are misutilising the funds by spending them elsewhere,” she stated. She said even three years after she gave Rs 25 lakh for Tanda Medical College, she has not been given the details as to where the money was spent.

She regretted that the BJP ministers in the district were trying to mislead the public on the issue. “I have written evidence where a minister has directed the BDO concerned, not to start work on a Mahila Mandal building, for which I gave money,” she disclosed. She said that if there were any complaints against the people to whom she had given money for work, the defaulters must be identified and the list be provided to her by the district administration.

Regarding the decision of the government to lift the ban on slate quarrying in Khaniyara, she said that the local minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, must tell the public whether this has been done to benefit a handful of people or the public, whose livelihood depends on slate mining.

Earlier, in the morning, the Congress workers, took out a procession, in protest against the hike in prices of petroleum products. They handed over a memorandum to the ADC, addressed to the Governor, demanding a rollback on the price of cooking gas, diesel and kerosene.

Mrs Chandresh Kumari alleged that all decisions of the BJP government were anti-people and anti-farmer. She demanded that under the WTO agreement, India should ensure that the farmers and small industry should not be adversely hit by import of foreign goods. She demanded that instead of importing foodgrains, the produce of our farmers must be procured.

No new regional party: Anita Verma
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Oct 17 — Ms Anita Verma, vice-president, HP Congress Party said here today that talks of floating a regional party by the Congressmen were irrelevant and reports in this regards were being spread by some disgruntled elements.

She said even Mr Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Minister, had disassociated himself from any such move.

Talking to mediapersons here today before leaving for New Delhi to take part in the organisational election of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, she said all Congressmen in the state were supporting Mr Virbhadra Singh and Ms Sonia Gandhi was their national leader.

She said some persons were presenting the picture that Ms Gandhi was the leader of their group only. She said no force on earth could dislodge them from the Congress.

She said some persons were planting reports in a section of Press that former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was going to float a regional party. Such reports were baseless and being spread only to harm the image of Mr Virbhadra Singh and his loyalists in the party, she said.

Ms Verma was, however, critical of the way, the elections had been conducted in various parts of the state by various District Returning Officers and the Assistant Returning Officers. Ms Verma, who herself had conducted the party elections in Kulu district said she had conducted the elections by inviting all partymen and prior intimation had been given to them.

Whereas in other parts of the state, including Hamirpur, the elections of the district bodies had been held without informing the partymen before hand. She said by doing so the persons concerned had harmed the cause of the party and the party cadre would not forgive them.

Ms Verma appealed to Ms Sonia Gandhi to provide justice to the party persons who had been sidelined by some persons who had allegedly held elections on false pretexts.

Poor roads hit apple sales
From Subhash Sharma

KULU: Despite the above-average apple crop, fruit growers of this district, particularly of the lower belts, have not been able to get good returns for their produce. Some of the reasons are natural calamities, “irresponsible” behaviour of the PWD, “wrong” policies of the state government, and “looting” by commission agents in Delhi.

This was stated by Mr K. Rupinder Singh, president the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Kulu. He said initial destruction by the hail-storm was so much that the damage caused could not be rectified. Hence the partially damaged fruits fetched a poor price, causing a big loss to farmers.

To ensure smooth supply of the apple crop, a meeting had been convened under the chairmanship of Mr Chander Sen Thakur, MLA who is vice-chairman of HPMC, in May. Representatives of the fruit growers, PWD and other government departments participated. Fearing problems of roads, the Lower Kullu Fruit Growers Association drew the PWD’s attention to slushy stretches on Jallugran road and a few spots on Sainj road. He pointed out that though repeated assurances were given by PWD officers no action was taken. As a result, vehicles could not reach villages and the farmers were left with no option other than to get their produce carried by manual labour which cost them about Rs 10 per box. Orchard owners usually have been fixing ropeways to bring the fruit crops to road-heads, but this year they did not activate the ropeways because of the PWD’s assurances. Similarly farmers of the Sainj valley complained that roads were not maintained as promised by the PWD.

Mr V.K. Awasthi, PWD Executive Engineer, when asked about the allegations by the association, said the roads referred to were not all-weather roads. However, the PWD has deputed manual labour to these roads throughout the fruit season and the labour is still at work on the roads.

Mr Rupinder Singh said the Delhi Government had stopped the entry of trucks into the Capital that were eight or more years old. As a result old trucks started moving apple boxes to newer trucks at Kiratpur. This transfer of boxes caused delay which damaged the apples and affected sale.

The Chief Minister and Horticulture Minister of Himachal Pradesh announced that an agreement had been reached under which buyers would he charged commission on fruit sale and not growers. The latter found this report to be misleading as they found that they were charged hefty commissions by agents.

To crown it all, the HP Government started selling poor quality fruits procured from the farmers under the support price scheme in the open market. Hence farmers could not get a good price for fruits of better grade.

The association has demanded an inquiry into the PWD’s “irresponsible” behaviour and the government’s “faulty” policies.

HP to give up Punjab education code
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 17 — Himachal Pradesh will abandon the Punjab education code and formulate its own policy before March next.

This was disclosed to the TNS here today by the Education Minister, Mr I.D. Dhiman.

Mr Dhiman said since Independence, Himachal was following the Punjab education code by just replacing its nomenclature.

He said the geographical condition, economic position of the people and various other social aspects will be taken into consideration while formulating the education code of the state. About 96 per cent educational institutions were being run by the government here, while in Punjab the position was different.

The minister said, the Punjab education code does not suit the hill state. As the state was in difficult financial position, the policy of grant-in-aid for educational institutions shall have to be reviewed.

He took exception to certain “vested elements” trying to misinterpret his statement about allowing teachers to take coaching classes for poor students. He clarified that what he meant to say that government teachers would be allowed to take extra classes in the schools for weak students at a monthly fee of Rs 5 per student. There was a provision in the education code aimed at helping the students belonging to economically weaker sections.

Protest against price hike
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Oct 17 — Congress activists today held demonstration and processions in various parts of the region in protest against the recent hike in price of petroleum products. The local unit of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee submitted a memorandum to the government through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate demanding a roll-back in the prices. Similar reports of protest were also received from Sirsa, Kaithal and Phagwara. According to a report, BSP workers staged a protest march at Phagwara against the hike.

Rivoli tunnel opened
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 17 — The century-old Rivoli tunnel in the lower bazar here was thrown open to public today following massive repairs and renovation. The ceremony was performed by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal. The tunnel connects the lower bazar, which is the main hub of the town, with the bus stand below the Tibetan market. A sum of Rs 60 lakh was spent on its repairs which started about six months ago. Initially, the RITES was engaged by the Shimla Municipal Corporation to suggest remedial measures for preserving the tunnel. The repair work was assigned to the HPSEB later.

Temple, 6 houses burnt; 2 head of cattle perish
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Oct 17 — The Dhakhna Mata Temple and six houses were totally burnt and two other houses partially in a fire which broke out at Lamoo village in Holi sub-tehsil, 70 km from here. Two head of cattle also perished in the fire. Mr T.D. Negi, Deputy Commissioner, said a loss of about Rs 40 lakh had been estimated. Six families had been rendered homeless, he added. Mr Negi on receiving the information about the incident, he directed the naib tehsildar of Holi and revenue officials to rush to the site to carry out relief and rescue operations. Mr Negi said an immediate relief of Rs 35,000 had been disbursed to the fire-victims and the families rendered homeless had been provided tents and blankets for shelter till their houses were not reconstructed. He had ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire 

No bungling in Cong elections: Sukhu
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Oct 17 — The Congress elections in the state were held as per the party constitution and the charges of bungling were baseless, Mr Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the HP Youth Congress Chief, said here last night. Mr Sukhu, who is running an anti-Virbhadra Singh campaign in the state with the support of the Youth Congress, said the party would present a new look after the elections to the state unit of the party. He said Mrs Sonia Gandhi was the undisputed leader of the party.

He said the party had suffered much in the hands of some persons. The internal party democracy would be restored after the elections, he added. He asked the partymen to be united and be ready for the next Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha elections.