H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Village poll: acid test for CM
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The coming panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh are an acid test more for Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal than his own BJP. This is so because of the unending factionalism in the BJP.

Building racket in Khajjiar
KHAJJIAR (Chamba): Thanks to the laxity of the BJP-led Government in Himachal Pradesh, a land construction racket at this hill resort and its environs in Chamba district has come to light of late.

Attack on scribes; HP Govt draws flak
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The attack by miscreants on peacefully protesting newspersons in Kangra has generated widespread condemnation and criticism of the government as well as the district authorities for having failed to prevent the incident.

Nov 9 Legal Services Day in HP
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The HP State Legal Services Authority has decided to observe November 9 as Legal Services Day to apprise people of various facilities by it.

Assess damages afresh: Sabha
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Members of the state Kisan Sabha today staged a dharna and blocked traffic on the Hindustan-Tibet highway at Rampur for sometime to press their demand for a fresh survey to assess the damage caused to houses by blasting operations in the Nathpa Jhakri project area.

HC notice in missing woman’s case
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Mr Anup Chand Sood has filed an application in the Himachal Pradesh High Court stating that his daughter Meena, who was married to Mr Yashwant Singh in April, 1999, has been missing from her in-laws’ house since August 14, 2000.

Village poll: acid test for CM
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The coming panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh are an acid test more for Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal than his own BJP. This is so because of the unending factionalism in the BJP.

The rival group led by Mr Shanta Kumar has accused Mr Dhumal of having plunged the popularity graph of the party to a new low.

These crucial elections, which will gauge the popularity of major parties, will be held in mid-December. The Congress, engaged in a worst-ever factional fight, is yet to consider the issue. However, the elections will not be held on the party symbol. At present, most panchayats are in the hands of the Congress.

In the Congress camp, the two rival factions are leaving no stone unturned to settle old scores. This is likely to hit their poll prospects.

The HVC and the HVP, which share power with the BJP, are unlikely to reach any adjustment among themselves.

The PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, has indicated that the HVP may contest the elections independently.

Although Mr Dhumal claims to have taken several steps for uplift of rural areas and weaker sections, people in many areas are critical of various decisions which have badly hit the poor sections.

The recent imposition of the winter cess on electricity charges has come as a jolt to the common man already reeling under the power tarrif hike in April.

The hike in bus fares is also fresh in the minds of the poor, rural masses in particular. The amendments in the revenue law have stirred a controversy. However, BJP claims these amendments are a milestone in simplifying the law to help farmers.

It was, perhaps, in view of these elections that the government reversed the decision on imposing users charges on hospital services and withdrew the Cabinet decision on creating new development blocks.

It is to be seen in what fashion the voters will reach in these elections as the Opposition Congress has miserably failed to encash on the shortcomings of the government. No senior Congress leader has ever reacted to these “anti-people” decisions of the government.

On the other hand, Mr Dhumal is trying to win over the OBCs, constitute a substantial population in the Kangra district, by offering them reservation in the panchayat elections.

Schemes for educating girls belonging to the weaker sections have recently been launched and the BJP boasts of having for the first time introduced an insurance scheme for women. Party leaders hope that the decision to regularise illegal constructions will help them in the panchayat elections.

Building racket in Khajjiar
From Balkrishan Prashar

KHAJJIAR (Chamba): Thanks to the laxity of the BJP-led Government in Himachal Pradesh, a land construction racket at this hill resort and its environs in Chamba district has come to light of late.

Many hotels are coming up in and around Khajjiar with the district administration not being concerned. If this goes on, Khajjiar, known for its natural and picturesque setting, would lose its scenic splendour and would die a premature death.

The land and construction mafia is busy indulging in land deals and unauthorised constructions clandestinely for making huge profits. Haphazard housing is a serious threat to Khajjiar which is eating into the forest cover. It appears that the entire system has failed to curb the unlawful activities of the construction mafia.

In June 1993, seven ‘‘khokhas’’ were burnt in a fire. Then despite the fact that the shops were unauthorisedly acquired from the original allottees, the administration did not bother to verify facts and allowed the local gram panchayat to put up shops.

Shabby structures have again come up in spoiling the landscape even though Khajjiar has been designated as ‘‘a special development area’’ under the Town and Country Planning Act.

Unruly structures are fast springing up in the wooded environs of Khajjiar which are an eyesore.

Sometime ago, the gram panchayat of Khajjiar was allotted space by the Collector to construct a small rest-house and a panchayat bhavan. These two buildings were constructed but their design and layout was not appropriate. Moreover, these were poorly maintained.

The choking of Khajjiar lake with silt and weeds bears testimony to its worsening condition. Littered with rubbish and polythene bags, the lake’s outlet is clogged. The drains constructed at one end of the glade have changed the appearance of this alpine lake. As a consequence, silt is deposited causing water to ooze out of its periphery.

During the past some years, circumstances have taken a strange turn. Terrorism in Kashmir valley has diverted tourist traffic to Chamba district. Film producers have also shot their films in this region, with the result the local people are capitalising on tourism industry.

But unless Khajjiar is comprehensively planned and developed accordingly, no real improvement is possible.

The district authorities, however, maintain that to curb unruly activities in and around Khajjiar, the Special Area Development Authority, constituted by the state government, is taking preventive measures and all possible steps to develop Khajjiar.

Attack on scribes; HP Govt draws flak
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The attack by miscreants on peacefully protesting newspersons in Kangra has generated widespread condemnation and criticism of the government as well as the district authorities for having failed to prevent the incident.

Tension had been brewing between the mediapersons and the district authorities, particularly the police, ever since a reporter of a local daily was beaten up outside the police station in the main bazaar of Kangra last month.

However, the situation took an ugly turn on November 3 when a mob, allegedly armed with lathis, waylaid the newspersons, threatened them and did not allow them to go ahead with their silent protest.

Reports said at least 200 newspersons from various parts of the state had converged on Kangra to participate in the procession in protest against police atrocities.

What was disturbing was that neither the local athorities nor the police intervened when the newspersons were being threatened and abused by the miscreants. However, six persons were arrested when the pressure on the authorities started mounting. Later, they were released on bail.

Reports indicated that newspersons were living in fear in Kangra where miscreants had threatened two of them. Police protection has been provided to one of the reporters. Incidentally, the incident took place while the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, was himself on a tour of Palampur,which is not far from Kangra.

Various organisations and individuals have strongly criticised the incident in which the police failed to take action against the miscreants on the spot.

The Himachal Pradesh Employees Confederation has expressed anguish that the police remained a silent spectator to the incident. Mr O.P. Sharma, general secretary of the confederation, demanded immediate action against the miscreants.

The former president of the non-gazetted Employees Federation, Mr Gopal Dass Verma, said the incident indicated that the law and order had collapsed in the state.

Nov 9 Legal Services Day in HP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The HP State Legal Services Authority has decided to observe November 9 as Legal Services Day to apprise people of various facilities by it.

The Executive Chairman of the authorities, Mr Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, Judge, high court, said it was on this day in 1995 that the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, was enforced in the country. The people could approach the legal services authorities at district and sub-divisional level to seek justice which is to be presided by district and sessions judges of their respective sessions divisions and by the sub-divisional judicial magistrates.

The judge said free legal services was provided to persons with annual income of less than Rs 25,000, those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the backward classes, women and children mentally retarded, disabled, victims of communal riots, floods, droughts, earthquake and industrial disaster, victims of moral turpitude and bonded labour, industrial labour and those in jails, juvenile home and mental hospitals.

He said that the HP authority was the first in the country to enhance the income ceiling from Rs 15000 to Rs 25,000 and had also taken up the matter with the state government for framing rules regarding 100 percent refund of court fees in respect of the cases settled in the lok adalats.

Assess damages afresh: Sabha
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Members of the state Kisan Sabha today staged a dharna and blocked traffic on the Hindustan-Tibet highway at Rampur for sometime to press their demand for a fresh survey to assess the damage caused to houses by blasting operations in the Nathpa Jhakri project area.

The sabha alleged that the number of damaged houses was much more and many of the owners had not got any compensation only a fresh survey could bring out such cases. It also demanded alternative land for farmer affected by the project.

Their other demands include job to a member from each affected family, arrangement for supplying cooking gas cylinders and provision of vehicles for procurement of milk from farmers.

HC notice in missing woman’s case
From Our Legal Correspondent

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Mr Anup Chand Sood has filed an application in the Himachal Pradesh High Court stating that his daughter Meena, who was married to Mr Yashwant Singh in April, 1999, has been missing from her in-laws’ house since August 14, 2000.

He has expressed the apprehension that she might have been killed by her in-laws and has alleged that a proper FIR was not registered by the police in this connection.

While treating the application as a writ petition, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice K.C. Sood yesterday directed the state to file a reply within two weeks. The Bench also appointed advocate Ranjana Parmar on behalf of the applicant.

Firms asked to refund amount
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 7 — The President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Mr P.D. Goel, has ordered Teg Computers of Chandigarh and Key Soft, Shimla, to refund an amount of Rs 99,450 to complainant Pawan Thakur who was supplied a faulty computer and accessories.

Mr Goel ordered that the amount be repaid along with an interest of 18 per cent.

The complainant had said that the computer supplied on a make-shift basis in 1994 had developed fault and the original equipment was not supplied to him later.