H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Parties vie for piece of land
Dharamsala, March 7
Political parties here seem to be vying with one another to get possession of a prime piece of land even as the local BJP has approached the district administra tion to lease out the land to it for constructing its party office.

2 houses gutted in Kangra
Kangra, March 7
Two houses were completely gutted and one was partially damaged in a devastating fire at the Hoshiarpur Road locality of this town last evening reducing property worth lakhs of Rupees to ashes, official sources said here today.

Index page: ‘Election-oriented’ Budget for HP Entry tax hiked, DA instalment released

HP’s 18 PSUs in the red
Shimla, March 7
As many as 18 out of the total 23 public sector undertakings have been perpetually in the red with cumulative losses amounting to a whopping Rs 471.31 crore as on March 31,2001.

Delay in supply of seed potato flayed
Chamba, March 7
Farmers of the district are worried about the sowing of potato crop as the Department of Agriculture has failed to provide them with seeds for the purpose.

Police post sought at Karian
Chamba, March 7
The Chamba Welfare Association has urged the state government to allot the ground floor of the squash court here to the State Bank of India. The floor till recently, had been occupied by the General Post Office.

Golden chance for vocational students
Kangra, March 7
With the introduction of the new scheme of studies under the vocational stream for plus 1 from 2001-2002 session and for plus II for the session 2002-2003, the H.P. Board of School Education today decided that those candidates of plus I who have been declared unsuccessful in March, 2001 examination can appear in March as this is their last chance under the old scheme and beyond that they will have to appear at any subsequent annual examination of the new scheme, if otherwise eligible under the provisions of the scheme.

Women’s Day function today
Shimla, March 7
International Women’s Day will be organised by the Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti here on March 8. Women representatives on Panchayats from all over the state and local women will participate in this function.

7 arrested for smuggling liquor
Shimla, March 7
The police seized 204 bottles of liquor, 12 bottles of beer and 528 pouches of country liquor from two vehicles here last night.

Fire destroys over 20 houses
Shimla, March 7
A major fire broke out in Ruldu Bhatta Colony engulfing over 20 kutcha houses, here this evening.

Parties vie for piece of land
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 7
Political parties here seem to be vying with one another to get possession of a prime piece of land even as the local BJP has approached the district administration to lease out the land to it for constructing its party office.

It is reliably learnt that local BJP leaders have moved an application in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra , for getting the prime land next to the War Memorial in the town. On the other hand, members of the Martyr’s Memorial Development Society , who are stakeholders of the seven-acre land, have refused to oblige the BJP by providing it with the no-objection certificate.

It is learnt formalities for giving the land on lease are underway as objections from the stakeholders concerned have been invited. However, the Martyr’s Memorial Development Society, which has been entrusted with the responsibility for the maintenance and development of the memorial, is adamant that it will not part with an inch of the land.

“We will not allow the leasing of the land in the name of war memo- rial or any other purpose and least of all for the construction of the office of a political party,” said one of the members of the society, ex serviceman. The office-bearers and members of the society are unanimous in their decision as they feel that if land is given to one party, all political parties will demand a share.

In fact during the earlier Congress regime, a foundation stone had been laid on the said land for the construction of a town hall. Owing to political considerations, the site for the town hall was later shifted to Kotwali Bazar.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabodh Saxena, confirming the request made by the BJP for the land, said the matter would be taken up only after the formalities are completed. “So far all objections from various stakeholders have not been received and the matter can be discussed only after that,” he explained.

A showdown over leasing out the land to the BJP for its office seems imminent as the issue involves the sentiments of thousands of families who have lost a close one during various wars.

2 houses gutted in Kangra
Our Correspondent

Kangra, March 7
Two houses were completely gutted and one was partially damaged in a devastating fire at the Hoshiarpur Road locality of this town last evening reducing property worth lakhs of Rupees to ashes, official sources said here today.

Dr N.K. Lath, SDM, Kangra, said today that the fire broke out in the kitchen of the house of Mr Raj Kumar which engulfed another two houses leaving the house of Mr Raj Kumar and of Mr Buvneshwar Dutt completely gutted and the house of a widow, Ms Kunti Devi, was partially gutted in the fire. He said three fire tenders from Kangra and one from Dharamshala fought the flames for three hours to save the adjacent houses.

He said the cause of the fire was being investigated. He, however, said occupants of Mr Raj Kumar’s house claimed that firewood in the kitchen caught fire which engulfed the entire house. Local residents did a commendable job in saving the nearby houses.

The Himachal Pradesh Minister for Transport, Mr Krishen Kapoor, who was on way to Dharamshala from Shimla reached the spot and supervised the fire-fighting and rescue operation.

Dr Lath said Rs 10,000 each were distributed as immediate relief to Mr Raj Kumar and Mr Buvneshwar Dutt and Rs 5,000 to Ms Kunti Devi.

HP’s 18 PSUs in the red
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 7
As many as 18 out of the total 23 public sector undertakings (PSUs) have been perpetually in the red with cumulative losses amounting to a whopping Rs 471.31 crore as on March 31,2001.

As per the report on the financial position of the PSUs presented in the Vidhan Sabha today the government has invested Rs 640.97 crore in these undertakings. The state Road Transport Corporation tops the list with a cumulative loss of Rs 249 crore, though its losses came down from Rs 48.53 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs 34.76 crore last year. It is followed by state Financial Corporation (Rs 65 crore), Agro Industrial Packaging Limited (Rs 35.85 crore), HPMC (Rs 27.15 crore), Himachal Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (Rs 25.26 crore) and the state electricity board (Rs 17.37 crore). The losses of state electricity board also came down from Rs 106.22 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs 36.88 crore in 2000-01.

The state civil supplies corporation was the only unit consistently earning a modest profit. Its cumulative profit stood at Rs 1.87 crore. Last year’s profit was Rs 53.93 lakh as against Rs 60.63 lakh in the 1999-2000. The accounts of the state housing board were not available. 

Delay in supply of seed potato flayed
Our Correspondent

Chamba, March 7
Farmers of the district are worried about the sowing of potato crop as the Department of Agriculture has failed to provide them with seeds for the purpose.

Talking to this reporter here today, Mr Manak Chand, a zila parishad member, criticised the state government for its apathetic attitude toward farmers and warned to resort to direct action if potato seeds were not distributed to the farmers within a week’s time.

He requested the administration to circulate the minutes of zila parishad meetings to all heads of offices so that issues relating to problems of their areas could be made known to the authorities concerned.

Police post sought at Karian
Our Correspondent

Chamba, March 7
The Chamba Welfare Association has urged the state government to allot the ground floor of the squash court here to the State Bank of India (SBI). The floor till recently, had been occupied by the General Post Office.

The association president, Mr L.S. Jandrotia, said here today that this would ease the problem of overcrowding and also facilitate the working of the bank.

He said the association had also demanded setting up of a police post at Karian, about 5 km from here, which was fast growing into a small township. Besides being the headquarters of Chamera Hydroelectric Project and other companies, several housing colonies had sprung up in the area.

He said a police post would ensure maintenance of law and order besides a strict watch on the activities of antisocial elements in the area.

He said the association had also submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution System, Mr Shanta Kumar, asking for a post office at Karian.

Golden chance for vocational students
Our Correspondent

Kangra, March 7
With the introduction of the new scheme of studies under the vocational stream for plus 1 from 2001-2002 session and for plus II for the session 2002-2003, the H.P. Board of School Education today decided that those candidates of plus I who have been declared unsuccessful in March, 2001 examination can appear in March as this is their last chance under the old scheme and beyond that they will have to appear at any subsequent annual examination of the new scheme, if otherwise eligible under the provisions of the scheme.

Mr Vikas Labroo, Secretary of the board, told the correspondent here today that those students of plus I who had been placed under compartment in March 2001, would be allowed to appear under the old scheme in March. He said those plus I students who would be placed under compartment in the March examination 2002, would be given two chances in September and March, 2003, to clear compartment and beyond that they would have to appear at any subsequent annual examination of the board under the new scheme.

He said the candidates of plus II who fail in the March examination would have their last chance under the old scheme in March, 2003 and for appearing at any subsequent annual examination they would fall in the ambit of the provisions of the new scheme of studies. Those plus II candidates who would be placed under compartment in March could appear under the old scheme in September and March, next year, and beyond that they would be governed by the provisions of the new scheme.

Women’s Day function today
Our Correspondent

Shimla, March 7
International Women’s Day will be organised by the Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti here on March 8. Women representatives on Panchayats from all over the state and local women will participate in this function.

According to state secretary of the samiti Prem Kumari Thakur, this year’s International Women’s Day holds special importance. The practice of selective abortions must be checked. March 8 will be used for giving a call for statewide campaign against female foeticide. The Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti will take this campaign to the grassroot level. The function is being organised jointly by state the Resource Centre, State Women’s Commission, Centre for Women and Development Studies and Himachal Pradesh University. The chief guest of the function will be Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor of Himachal.

7 arrested for smuggling liquor
Our Correspondent

Shimla, March 7
The police seized 204 bottles of liquor, 12 bottles of beer and 528 pouches of country liquor from two vehicles here last night.

According to the police, seven persons have been arrested in this connection.
The vehicles were on their way from Shimla to Kufri. The police registered a case and seized the vehicles.

Fire destroys over 20 houses
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 7
A major fire broke out in Ruldu Bhatta Colony engulfing over 20 kutcha houses, here this evening.

The fire spread to adjacent hutments due to bursting of gas cylinders. The boom of explosions rattled doors and windows of the neighbouring buildings.

Four fire tenders, including one from Dhalli, had reached the scene and over 20 firemen were fighting the leaping flames.