H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Factionalism shadows CM’s winter sojourn
Dharamsala, February 1
The factionalism within the ruling BJP has cast its shadow on the Chief Minister’s winter sojourn to Kangra as the Dhumal faction tried to send signals to the dissident camp that prospective contenders for the party ticket could be discussed before the Assembly elections.

• Kainthla panel notice to Virbhadra

Coop societies do well in Hamirpur
Hamirpur, February 1
Nearly 800 persons are working in the 342 cooperative societies functioning in the district providing various types of essential commodities, fertilisers, agricultural implements and other articles.

Central grant ‘not disbursed’
Mandi, February 1
Zila parishad members of the ruling party and the opposition Congress are peeved about the non-disbursal of the central grant of Rs 68 lakh under the assured employment scheme for the district.

OBC union seeks 27 pc reservation
Dharamsala, February 1
The Himachal Pradesh Other Backward Class Youth Organisation has decided to hold a state level agitation here on February 10, to chalk out a future strategy and to press for 27 per cent reservation.

Need to generate resources stressed
Mandi, February 1
Addressing a joint meeting of executive officers, secretaries and assistant engineers of the local bodies in this region comprising Mandi, Kulu and Bilaspur districts, Mr Rajesh Kumar, Director, Urban Local Bodies, stressed on the need for generating resources to take up development projects.

Lawyers ‘manhandled’ at TDE’s office
Kulu, February 1
The ongoing feud between the Telecom District Engineer and the Bar Association here took an ugly turn yesterday with two lawyers alleging that they were manhandled and illegally confined inside the TDE’s office.

Cut special road tax: bus operators
Shimla, February 1
The Himachal Pradesh Private Bus Operators Association has urged the government to reduce and rationalise special road tax and increase the number of off days from 33 to 52.

MC plea to extend enumeration date
Shimla, February 1
Ms Jenny Prem, Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, has urged the state Election Commission to extend the enumeration date scheduled for February 9 for the coming corporation elections.

Father in search of daughter
Nurpur, February 1
Mr Mahinder Singh, the father of Sandesh Kumari of Rihali village of Jawali subdivision, has not been able to know the whereabouts of his daughter missing since January 11 from her in-laws at Chalwara. He has moved the State Woman Commission.

• Virbhadra to hold public meetings

Factionalism shadows CM’s winter sojourn
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 1
The factionalism within the ruling BJP has cast its shadow on the Chief Minister’s winter sojourn to Kangra as the Dhumal faction tried to send signals to the dissident camp that prospective contenders for the party ticket could be discussed before the Assembly elections.

Majority of the Shanta loyalists from Kangra district maintained distance from the Chief Minister as they kept away from his public meetings and functions. Transport Minister, Kishan Kapoor, Revenue Minister, Rajan Sushant, party MLAs Des Raj and Mrs Nirmala Devi, were conspicuous by their absence at the Chief Minister’s functions.

The Chief Minister during his shortest ever winter sojourn was accompanied by his loyalists Mrs Shraveen Chaudhary, Mr Rakesh Pathania, party MLAs and Rajya Sabha member, Kripal Parmar. The Minister for Technical Education, Ravinder Ravi and Vipin Parmar also moved around the district with Mr Dhumal.

During the previous years it was a normal practice for all 12 party MLAs and ministers to accompany the Chief Minister. However, this time majority of them either stayed away or registered their presence as a mere formality.

Interestingly, the Chief Minister's winter stay turned out to be a golden opportunity for ticket seekers from various Assembly segments. Some of them like Mr Bhikham Pagodra from Guler even brought his supporters to the Circuit House here, during the “khula darbar”. Other aspirants like Mr Narender Virmani from Nagrota, Mr Kamal Kant Minocha from Dharamsala and Mr Kashmir Singh Rana from Jawalamukhi, also remained active during the Chief Minister’s stay here.

Though the Chief Minister desisted from making any big announcements due to the financial constraints, he however, tried to make a dent into the Assembly segments represented by the Congress, by holding a “khula darbar” for the people of Guler, Palampur and Nagrota . “The fact that these were held at the Circuit House here and not in the constituencies, prevented the common man from reaching out to the Chief Minister, thus having very little political impact,” confessed a BJP leader. Moreover, the time slot kept for “khulla darbar” was in the evening, making it difficult for the people to reach back home .

This time the Chief Minister barely spent six days in the district, giving his political opponents an opportunity to term the annual sojourn a mere formality. Even the custom of holding a Cabinet meeting at Dharamsala during the winters to give it a second capital status was not adhered to for the first time, ever since the move was started by former Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh.

Though there is still no confirmation whether he will return to Kangra after the electioneering in Punjab is over, but official circles say that he could revisit Kangra frequently.

Kainthla panel notice to Virbhadra
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 1
The Kainthla Commission, which inquired into the incidents of alleged political violence in Shimla in March 1998, following a hung assembly, has served a legal notice on Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Legislature Congress Party leader, for making malicious and defamatory allegation bringing the commission into disrepute and causing irreparable damage to the reputation of Mr H.D. Kainthla, the presiding judge.

The legal notice was also served on a Chandigarh-based daily, which carried the statement of Mr Virbhadra Singh. The Commission, as per the notice, will start criminal and civil action under Section 10-A(1) of the Commission of Inquiry Act if the respondents failed to tender an apology within three days.

Coop societies do well in Hamirpur
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, February 1
Nearly 800 persons are working in the 342 cooperative societies functioning in the district providing various types of essential commodities, fertilisers, agricultural implements and other articles.

Since agriculture is the mainstay of the people of the district, the cooperatives are doing a lot to help the 69,226 families of the district by providing them basic needs of their daily life.

The total working capital of the societies in the district is Rs 1,05,23,49,000. These institutions have disbursed loans amounting to Rs 19, 23, 49,000 and have sold goods worth Rs 12.56 crore during the year, including the sale of fertilisers worth Rs 1.84 crore.

The Bhira Agricultural Services Coop Society of the district has won honour in the state by doing a record business of various items, including course cloth, which is available on higher rates in the open market.

Similarly, the Dhaned weaving Coop Society has created its own recognition in the market by manufacturing shawls, blankets, caps and other woollen items and selling them on competitive rates in the open market. The ALFA ITI Coop institution is also doing the job of training the youth in the field of computer technology.

Central grant ‘not disbursed’
Our Correspondent

Mandi, February 1
Zila parishad members of the ruling party and the opposition Congress are peeved about the non-disbursal of the central grant of Rs 68 lakh under the assured employment scheme for the district.

Zila parishad member and Congress leader, Dr Jai Kumar Azad told newspersons here today that noisy scenes had marred the zila parishad meeting yesterday which had been adjourned after adopting unanimous resolution calling upon the government to explain why the amount sanctioned by the Central Government was not disbursed to the respective wards of the zila parishad and why the fact regarding the grant was kept as a secret.

He said all members had submitted mini-plans of Rs 1.25 lakh for each ward. They were informed that the plans had been abandoned for want of money. “It was a blatant lie”, he lamented.

Dr Azad said the zila parishad had taken a stern note of misleading the House and demanded an inquiry into the matter.

OBC union seeks 27 pc reservation
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 1
The Himachal Pradesh Other Backward Class Youth Organisation has decided to hold a state level agitation here on February 10, to chalk out a future strategy and to press for 27 per cent reservation.

The president of the state unit of the organisation, Mr Pawan Kumar, said due to the negative attitude of the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, on the issue of reservation, they had decided to intensify their agitation. Members of the organisation had been observing a chain hunger strike here since January 26 in this regard.

He said Mr Dhumal had gone back on his words by stating that he had never promised to give 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Classes and would not fulfil their demand. A delegation of the organisation had met the Chief Minister here yesterday.

Mr Pawan Kumar said they would now intensify their stir all over the state and appealed to their leaders to rise above petty party politics and fight unitedly for the cause of the community. He said ministers and MLAs like Mrs Shraveen Chaudhary, Mr Vidyasagar, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, Mr Kishan Kapoor, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, Mr Dulo Ram, Mr Chander Kumar and Mr Rangila Ram Rao, must resign from their Vidhan Sabha membership.

Need to generate resources stressed
Our Correspondent

Mandi, February 1
Addressing a joint meeting of executive officers, secretaries and assistant engineers of the local bodies in this region comprising Mandi, Kulu and Bilaspur districts, Mr Rajesh Kumar, Director, Urban Local Bodies, stressed on the need for generating resources to take up development projects.

He took stock of the progress of various works and expressed satisfaction. He said the government would extend all possible assistance for the projects. He asked officials to submit all pension cases on time. He also promised to sanction more staff to places where the work load was heavy.

Lawyers ‘manhandled’ at TDE’s office
Our Correspondent

Kulu, February 1
The ongoing feud between the Telecom District Engineer (TDE) and the Bar Association here took an ugly turn yesterday with two lawyers alleging that they were manhandled and illegally confined inside the TDE’s office.

It was learnt that the TDE had ordered that no person, including the lawyers, could enter the premises of the building.

About a month ago, the President of the Bar Association and other lawyers had gone to the TDE’s office in connection with iron railings on the boundary wall of the exchange. However, they alleged the TDE misbehaved with them.

A similar situation arose yesterday with the TDE asking two lawyers to leave. They were dragged inside a room, they alleged. A complaint has been lodged with the police. Though the TDE could not be contacted, the SHO said a counter-complaint had been lodged by the TDE.

Cut special road tax: bus operators
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 1
The Himachal Pradesh Private Bus Operators Association has urged the government to reduce and rationalise special road tax and increase the number of off days from 33 to 52.

The demand was raised by the association at a meeting convened by the Secretary, transport to resolve the problems of bus operators here today. Representatives of the association emphasised the need to reduce tax for big buses in view of the decrease in tax for minibuses. They also demanded a reduction in special road tax on national and state highways at the rate of Rs 1.5 per km per seat in view of the increase in number of buses on these roads.

Tax concession should be allowed if a bus remained off road for 15 days instead of the present 30 days. It was decided that another meeting would be held with the Director, Transport, to settle the remaining demands.

MC plea to extend enumeration date
Our Correspondent

Shimla, February 1
Ms Jenny Prem, Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, has urged the state Election Commission to extend the enumeration date scheduled for February 9 for the coming corporation elections.

Councillors have said due to winter vacation, lots of voters of the town had gone out of station.

Door-to-door enumeration would be conducted for 11 days from February 9. The councillors said there correct enrolment of voters would not be possible.

Father in search of daughter
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, February 1
Mr Mahinder Singh, the father of Sandesh Kumari of Rihali village of Jawali subdivision, has not been able to know the whereabouts of his daughter missing since January 11 from her in-laws at Chalwara. He has moved the State Woman Commission.

Sandesh was married to Nand Lal six years back. She had filed a sustenance allowance suit against her husband in the Sub-Judge’s court at Nurpur. The case also came before the Lok Adalat held on December 1 last year.

Virbhadra to hold public meetings
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 1
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Congress Legislative Party leader, will address public meetings at Hamirpur on March 18 and in Chamba on March 20. The meetings would be attended by prominent Congress leaders from within and outside the state, according to a press note.