H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Stokes to launch anti-BJP drive
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — With the heart of an orchardist and temperament of a sportsperson, Mrs Vidya Stokes, the newly elected state Congress President, vows to play “fair and ethical” politics and strive to bring the Congress back to power by rejuvenating it at the grassroots.

Curtains down on Himachal poll
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The polling for panchayat elections under the three tier panchayati raj system concluded today with nearly 75 to 85 per cent polling for 931 panchayats in the third and final phase today.

Students denied voting right
HAMIRPUR, Dec 17 — Nearly 700 students of the local Regional Engineering College and residents of Sarahkar gram panchayat of this district could not cast their votes as their names were not on the voters list.

IT institute to open in 2001
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The ultra-modern information technology institute of Jai Prakash Industries will become functional by mid-next year when admissions for the first batch of 100 students will be done.

NHPC to develop 30 hydroelectric projects
DALHOUSIE, Dec 17 — The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has drawn a comprehensive plan to develop 30 hydroelectric projects totalling 44,218 MW. The benefits from the projects are likely to accrue in the 10th plan and beyond.

Uncertainty on cable tenders
KULU: The cancellation of tenders for the third time by the Department of Telecommunications (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), here for laying the Optical Fibrecable on the Bhunter-Jari-Manikaran, Bhunter-Hurla - Gadsa and Kulu - Dohra Nullah roads has generated doubt amongst telecom contractors here. 

HP to increase milk production
MANDI, Dec 17 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn a long-term plan to increase the milk and live-stock production by improving the cattle breed through artificial insemination all over the state.

Fiscal empowerment must: DGP
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women held a workshop on the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act here today and underlined the need to educate and economically empower women to save them from exploitation.

Sterilisation ‘denied’ to willing women
KANGRA, Dec 17 — Resentment prevails among women here who were interested in undergoing tubectomy operations at the local subdivisional hospital here yesterday but the medical authorities refused to oblige them.

Constable dies in fire
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — A constable was killed and a wireless operator sustained burns when a fire broke out in the police station at Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, last night, police sources said.

• Survey on house tax evasion

Stokes to launch anti-BJP drive
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — With the heart of an orchardist and temperament of a sportsperson, Mrs Vidya Stokes, the newly elected state Congress President, vows to play “fair and ethical” politics and strive to bring the Congress back to power by rejuvenating it at the grassroots.

A seasoned politician who has seen many ups and downs during her long political career, she is confident of taking along all senior leaders by following the principle of “give and take”. She said she would spare no effort to win the confidence of party leaders, including Mr Virbhadra Singh, to fight unitedly against the BJP, the real enemy’. She said difference of opinion was a common and healthy feature in democratic parties and this should not be seen as a sign of rift or division. Ultimately, all matters were settled within the party.

Hailing from the illustrious Stokes family which heralded the “apple” revolution in the hill state, Mrs Stokes hopes to nurture the party like as orchard and help it recover lost political ground. Having been associated with various sports bodies Mrs Stokes wants to play the game of politics with the spirit of a sportsperson.

She has already served as the Speaker of the assembly and as the Leader of the Opposition and worked in various international fora.

Now that the organisational poll is over, the party would focus on the failures of the Dhumal government. The vulnerability of the coalition had been exposed by the members of ruling party themselves. The allegations made in the charge sheet submitted by the Congress had been repeated by ministers and legislators of the ruling alliance.

The Congress, however, did not have any immediate plans to bring down the government. The party would adopt an aggressive posture inside the House and outside and launch a mass awareness, campaign to highlight the ‘anti-farmer’ and ‘anti-people’ policies of the government. An action programme to hold rallies at the block, district and state level would be undertaken from next month.

She expressed gratitude to Ms Sonia Gandhi for reposing faith in her capabilities by selecting her for the top party post. She said she would do her best to come up to her expectations and revive the electoral fortune of the party.

Mrs Stokes was all praise for the outgoing President, Mr Sat Mahajan, whom he considered her political ‘Guru’. The party, the new president said, was not averse to taking back estranged leaders who had deserted the party. She said the Congress Working Committee had passed a resolution to this effect.

When specifically asked about leaders like Mr Sukh Ram, Mr Vijay Joshi and Mr O.P. Rattan, who had floated the HVC, she said each case would be decided on merit as and when any leader sought re-entry into the party.

Curtains down on Himachal poll
From Tribune Reporters and PTI

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The polling for panchayat elections under the three tier panchayati raj system concluded today with nearly 75 to 85 per cent polling for 931 panchayats in the third and final phase today.

The polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, Ms Purnima Chauhan, Secretary, state Election Commission, said. The re-election in Nirmand panchayat of Kulu which was deferred on December 15 would be held in three-four days.

She said the polling was moderate to heavy in the final phase and except for Shimla district where the polling was nearly 70 per cent, it was between 75 and 85 per cent in other districts. The overall polling percentage in all three phases was almost the same, she said.

In all, elections for 2,983 panchayats were held to elect equal number of president and vice-presidents, 24,225 panches, 1,645 panchayat samiti members and 252 zila parishad members.

HAMIRPUR: Polling for 68 gram panchayats of the district in the last and final phase ended on Sunday. The polling was by and large peaceful except for a few incidents where some underaged persons tried to cast their votes at the Bafrin polling station.

Reports reaching here said the polling was about 75 to 80 per cent.

An official spokesman claimed that the polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of this district.

MANDI: In the third phase of polling 122 panchayats went to the polls here. The counting for BDC and zila parishad elections will begin on Monday.

Meanwhile, the state treasurer of the HVC has lost the election for the post of up-paradhan from Kothi Gehri in Batahan block. Mr Joginder Walia, CPM leader, has also been defeated from Bhaur panchayat.

Students denied voting right
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Dec 17 — Nearly 700 students of the local Regional Engineering College and residents of Sarahkar gram panchayat of this district could not cast their votes as their names were not on the voters list.

Most of the students had taken part in the last panchayat and zila parishad elections.

Interestingly, 50 per cent of the students of this college belong to other parts of the country as admission is given on a 50-50 per cent basis between students of Himachal Pradesh and the rest of India.

The college falls in the Bamsan Assembly segment the students were mainly credited with the victory of Prof P.K. Dhumal in the last Assembly elections.

There is resentment among the students over the deletion of their names from the voters list. They alleged that their names were deliberately deleted from the list by some anti-Dhumal supporters.

They said if people of Sarahkar gram panchayat were not interested in keeping the students with them, they should have been made part of the Hiranagar or Krishnanagar ward of the Hamirpur civic body.

When contacted, an official spokesman expressed his ignorance about the failure of the students to exercise their franchise in the crucial elections. He said the district administration had not received any complaint in this regard.

IT institute to open in 2001
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The ultra-modern information technology institute of Jai Prakash Industries will become functional by mid-next year when admissions for the first batch of 100 students will be done.

This was disclosed to TNS here today by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal.

Mr Dhumal said that initially admissions in the institute were to be done in 2002, but now these will be done a year earlier.

The Chief Minister had recently laid the foundation stone of the institute at Waknaghat in Solan district.

He said that the information technology courses will be imparted in collaboration with the University of Berkley, which has also approved starting of the courses next year. This will give a boost to the information technology education in the state.

Mr Dhumal said that the state government would strive for opening more such institutes for imparting high quality education in information technology.

He hoped that information technology will help the youth to find honourable jobs in the private sector rather than running after government positions.

Mr Dhumal indicated that the government might go in for raising loans from the open market to liquidate the earlier ones raised by the previous Congress Government at a higher rate of interest. The two alternatives before his government were either to extend the validity of these loans amounting about Rs 500 crore or raise fresh loans at a lesser rate of interest to liquidate these.

The Congress Government did not explore the market properly and raised these loans at an exhorbitant rate of interest. Service charges at a high percentage were also paid for these loans. 

NHPC to develop 30 hydroelectric projects
From Our Correspondent

DALHOUSIE, Dec 17 — The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has drawn a comprehensive plan to develop 30 hydroelectric projects totalling 44,218 MW. The benefits from the projects are likely to accrue in the 10th plan and beyond.

Disclosing this here today, Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, said that the NHPC was set up in 1975 as a Government of India Public Sector outfit and was presently a schedule “A” enterprise with an authorised share capital of Rs 5,000 crore and an investment base of Rs 10,033 crore in the country.

Mr Prasad said presently the NHPC was among the top 10 companies in the country in terms of investment. Till date the NHPC had comissioned eight hydroelectric projects of different generating capacities in various states of the country and nine projects of 3130 MW were under construction, including one in Bhutan and one in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, apart form a project, namely, Devighat had also been commissioned in Nepal, he added.

The CMD said the execution of hydroelectric projects like Chamera, Stage II in Himachal Pradesh, Kurichu in Bhutan and Kalpong in Andaman and Nicobar Islands with progress much ahead of schedule was the way the NHPC intends to work in future as well, paving the path for accelerated hydro-development in the country.

Mr Prasad stated that several hydroelectric projects had also been taken up by the NHPC for accelerated development and experts accompanied by its workforce had spread out to the Parvati valley in North-West to Brahmaputra basin in North-East to harness the clean water as a source of energy.

The CMD said that for aggressive implementation of the policies on hydro-power generation formulated and pronounced by the Union Government in August, 1998, the policy instrument had been proposed as the funding of ongoing construction projects, creation of power development fund for survey and investigation, basin-wise development of hydro-potential, advance action for capacity addition in the 10th plan and beyond, renovation, modernisation and upgrading of old hydro-power plants, promoting small and mini hydel projects.

Besides, simplifying procedures for transfer of clearances, rationalisation of hydro-tariff, estimation of completion cost in the light of geological risks, promoting hydel projects with joint ventures and government support for land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of catchment area development, the CMD added.

Mr Prasad also informed that our country was endowed with hydro-potential to the tune of 84,044 MW at 60 per cent load factor corresponding to 1,48,700 MW installed capacity. In addition viable hydro potential to the tune of 1,00,000 MW exists in the form of pumped storage and small, mini and micro schemes. He said that the need for faster development of hydro-power was being recognised.

Uncertainty on cable tenders
From Subhash Sharma

KULU: The cancellation of tenders for the third time by the Department of Telecommunications (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), here for laying the Optical Fibrecable on the Bhunter-Jari-Manikaran, Bhunter-Hurla - Gadsa and Kulu - Dohra Nullah roads has generated doubt amongst telecom contractors here. The unprecedented extensions and cancellation of the tenders might be due to vested interests, they opine.

It was alleged that these tenders were floated through various newspapers on which more than Rs 50,000 was spent and later an additional sum of Rs 20,000 spent on the cancellation of the tenders. It is learnt that the tenders have again been floated.

This reporter was told that the tenders for laying the cable in other parts of the state had been finalised and even allocated at several places. This district was an exception, a contractor pointed out.

Subscribers, on the other hand, in areas such as Manikaran valley, Gadsa valley and Pahanallah valley, are a harassed lot. Telephones in their houses or shops are merely showpieces, which work only if a VIP visits the area or at the whims and fancies of department employees.

Answering enquires of this correspondent, a telecom officer at Bhunter said. “We cannot think of development work. Subscribers in Bhunter should consider themselves to be lucky if telephone service is maintained”. He stated that the will to improve services was lacking. The indifference of senior officials to the Bhunter exchange had created inefficiency and handicapped the staff. He was, however, hopeful, that privatisation might bring about results.

Telephone lines to Manikaran, Hurla, Gadsa, Lug valley, Kharahal, Banjar, Sainj and Gusheni areas are usually faulty. Contrary to department claims, subscribers of these rural areas say that complaints are hardly attended to.

One of the subscribers at Barai village stated that six telephones of the village were connected to the Bagan exchange by the department on its own while they had deposited the security of the urban area. They were satisfied with the service when their telephones were linked to the Kulu exchange, about 2 km from their village. Ever since they have been connected to the rural exchange, their telephones hardly work.

He complained that the staff posted at the Bagan exchange hardly attends to complaints as they remain absent for most of the time.

Banjar, Sainj and Gusheni telephone exchanges are seldom accessible from here. Either the lines remain out of order but if at all these work, one usually behaves like a man who is hard of hearing.

What to talk of the rural area even telephone lines on the national highway between Kulu and Bhunter, a distance of 10 km, remain faulty.

At times, subscribers have to dial for five to 10 times to get through, as one gets an engaged tone. On being queried about this, the departmental authorities replied that sometimes the telephone exchanges at Kulu and Bhunter did not synchronise and it was also possible due to fewer lines between the two towns.

On an average, once in a month, the exchanges of Kulu and Bhunter are shut off for 10 to 15 minutes. On being asked about this, the authorities could not assign any reason.

One needs power lens to read the new telephone directory, published on contract from a private party, which has not yet reached a majority of subscribers.

HP to increase milk production
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Dec 17 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn a long-term plan to increase the milk and live-stock production by improving the cattle breed through artificial insemination all over the state.

Mr Ram Lal Markanda, Minister of State for Animal Husbandary, said here yesterday that over 6 lakh animals had been artificially inseminated over the past two years. As many as 200 new veterinary institutions had been opened raising the total number of such institutions to 2,039. Of these 60 veterinary hospitals were equipped with the facilities of artificial insemination. The frozen semen banks established in the state were catering to the needs of the hospitals.

Besides this the department has embarked upon an ambitious plan to make available high-protein animal feeds to the farmers. The animal feed is being provided at 50 per cent subsidy to the reserve categories, Mr Markanda added.

He said it was being ensured that while farmers should get remunerative price for their produce the interests of the consumers should also be watched. Keeping this in view the government had marginally increased the procurement price of milk by Rs 2 per kg.

Fiscal empowerment must: DGP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women held a workshop on the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act here today and underlined the need to educate and economically empower women to save them from exploitation.

Inaugurating the workshop, Mr A.K. Puri, DGP said it was time that society change its outlook towards the women and ensured them a fair deal in all walks of life. This would prevent them from falling victim to enticement and exploitation.

Mr Puri said the biological, economical and social reasons behind the sexual exploitation of women should be studied to effectively combat the menace of sexual abuse of women and the girlchild.

The police had recently launched a community policing scheme which envisaged active participation of people, including NGOs, to check immoral activities.

Mrs Manisha Nanda, Director, Social and Women Welfare, said poverty was the main reason which compelled the women belonging to poor families to take to prostitution and other immoral activities. She said a proper mechanism should be evolved to support girls and women so that they could lead a decent life.

She said the state government had initiated various welfare schemes for the uplift of women and the girl child, including free education, “Matri-Shakti Bima Yojna”, Balmiki scholarship schemes, besides programmes to provide financial assistance for self-employment.

Mrs Nanda said the state was also making efforts to improve the healthcare services. The state government had taken legal measures to mitigate atrocities on women and children, resulting in a considerable fall in the crime rate, she added.

Mr N.C. Joshi, Additional Director-General (Law and Order), said the proposed Bill was expected to be implemented in the near future. He said physically and mentally-tortured women who were kept in protective homes should be given emotional support by care takers and their kin. In the event of any neglect from them, provisions should be made to penalise them. Dr C.D. Sharma, who is looking after the AIDs project in the state, said the state government had launched four projects aimed at controlling AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases.

Justice Om Parkash, Chairman, State Human Rights Commission, said sex workers should be given licences.

Sterilisation ‘denied’ to willing women
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Dec 17 — Resentment prevails among women here who were interested in undergoing tubectomy operations at the local subdivisional hospital here yesterday but the medical authorities refused to oblige them.

More than 100 women reported for family planning operation at hospital in the morning. Out of them 55 were found fit for the surgery but only 40 women were registered for the operation.

The camp started at 1.15 pm, hospital sources said. What irked the waiting women and their attendants was that at 3.30 pm the doctor from Dr R.P. Medical College, Tanda, who was performing the surgery refused to perform operations after he completed 20 operations. Block Medical Officer, Dr V.K. Mahajan, confirmed that only 20 operations were performed.

According to reports the local CMO, visited the hospital yesterday and requested the doctor to perform at least 40 sterilisation operations today.

An attendant said on one hand Government spent crores of rupees on motivating people to undergo the sterilisation operations and on the other hand doctors refuse to attend to the motivated people.

Minor girl raped
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Dec 17 — The minor daughter of a deaf and dumb widow was allegedly raped by an army man at Farshetgang, 25 km from here on Thursday the police said here yesterday.

Additional district police chief N.D. Sareen said yesterday that Geeta Chaitri (16) was told by Naik Shakhar, living in her neighbourhood, that there was a telephone call for her at his residence. She accompanied him to his house along with her mother. Mr Sareen said when the girl entered his room the suspect forcibly took her to another room and allegedly raped her.

The girl later lodged a report with the Dharamsala police and a case under Section 376 of the IPC was registered against the Naik. The ASP said the matter had been taken up with the army authorities and further investigation was in progress.

Constable dies in fire

SHIMLA, Dec 17 (UNI) — A constable was killed and a wireless operator sustained burns when a fire broke out in the police station at Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, last night, police sources said.

The deceased has been identified as Kalyan Chand. The injured has been admitted to a hospital at Keylong.

The fire broke out in a guard room and soon spread to the upper storey of the building. Store items, a rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition were destroyed in the fire.

The cause of the fire is being ascertained.

Survey on house tax evasion
From Our Correspondent

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The local municipal corporation has been directed to conduct a survey to detect cases of house tax evasion in the corporation area.

There were cases in which owners had been showing their tenants as guests and relations, said Mr H.N. Kashyap, Commissioner of the municipal corporation.