H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Cong ‘adopting double standards’
Shimla, July 23
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today ridiculed the demand of the Congress and other Opposition parties for the imposition of President’s rule on Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections and charged them with adopting double standards on the issue.

HRTC passengers robbed near Sarsawa
Shimla, July 23
Armed robbers looted the Hardwar-Karsog bus of the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation and decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs 70,000 and injured its conductor near Sarsawa on the Uttar Pradesh border on the night of July 21, HRTC sources here said.

ABVP members observe fast
Shimla, July 23
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today observed a token fast in various colleges in the state to highlight their demands.

Notice to Chief Secy on encroachments
Shimla, July 23
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today issued notice to the Chief Secretary of the state on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the policy announced by the government recently for the regularisation of encroachments on government land.

Migrants take to gun-running
Dharamsala, July 23
The arrest of Abdul, alias Vijay, main accused in the Damtal terrorist attack on January 1, in which four jawans were killed, has revealed that not only Pakistani mercenaries and Kashmiri terrorists but people belonging to Bihar and UP, are also involved in terrorist activities.

Festival panel files FIR for cheating
Shimla, July 23
Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the chairman of the Shimla summer festival organising committee, has filed an FIR against three private parties who failed to fulfil their commitments during the week-long festival.

Civilians oppose water tariff hike by MES
Kumarhatti, July 23
The long-pending issue of hike in the water tariff is again set to generate heat among civilians of Subathu cantonment, 19 km from here, following a motion by civilian elected members from Ward Nos 1, 2 and 3 to reconsider the resolution passed by the board office three months ago giving its nod to the hike.

HP records 17.39 pc population growth
Shimla, July 23
Himachal Pradesh has recorded a population growth of 17.39 per cent over the past one decade.

Cong ‘adopting double standards’
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 23
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today ridiculed the demand of the Congress and other Opposition parties for the imposition of President’s rule on Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections and charged them with adopting double standards on the issue.

Defending the decision of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, to have a snap poll, he said the Opposition had been demanding assembly elections in the state and when a decision had been taken, they were opposing it. He said the reaction of Congress leaders only reflected their nervousness and reluctance to face the electorate.

Mr Dhumal said Mr Modi had taken the right decision to seek a fresh mandate as soon as the situation became normal in the state. He said in a democracy the people were the ultimate authority to judge the action of a government. The fact was that the Congress was on a shaky wicket in Gujarat and so it wanted to somehow delay the elections. The demand for the imposition of President’s rule was part of its gameplan to achieve this objective.

The assertions of the Congress that the situation was not congenial for the holding elections in the state also reflected its double standards as in 1984 it went in for a snap poll in the wake of large-scale communal riots in Delhi to gain electoral mileage. Similarly, in 1992, elections were held in Punjab by the Congress even though the Shiromani Akali Dal boycotted these. Only about 12 per cent people cast their votes and the government was formed with only 6 per cent votes, reducing the election process to a farce.

In Assam Mr Hiteshwar Sakia became the Chief Minister even though he polled only 111 votes and other legislators secured 100 to 120 votes.

HRTC passengers robbed near Sarsawa

Shimla, July 23
Armed robbers looted the Hardwar-Karsog bus of the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation and decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs 70,000 and injured its conductor near Sarsawa on the Uttar Pradesh border on the night of July 21, HRTC sources here said.

The Managing Director of the HRTC, Mr Diljit Dogra, said the bus was thoroughly checked at the Saharanpur checkpost after it left from Hardwar and about 12 persons boarded the bus from there.

When the bus reached near Sarsawa, six of the 12 passengers who had boarded the bus from Saharanpur got up and one of them put the revolver over the neck of the driver. Another stood at the front door whereas the other blocked the backdoor and asked the driver to stop the bus on the roadside.

The robbers took away cash, jewellery and other valuables from the passengers but the conductor who was carrying about Rs 8,000 to 10,000 tried to resist and was injured by the robbers. They even threatened to shoot him and spared him after he handed over the cash.

They later fled from the spot and fired some shots which smashed the rear windowpanes of the bus. A woman passenger who was wearing heavy jewellery suffered maximum loss of about Rs 35,000, sources said.

An FIR was lodged at Roorki police station by the passengers and the driver of the bus. The passengers also urged the HRTC, the Himachal Pradesh and the Uttar Pradesh Governments to take effective steps to ensure safety and security of the passengers.

According to passengers who reached Mandi yesterday, an ASI of the Himachal police and an Army jawan were also travelling in the bus but the ASI could not get time to take out his revolver to challenge the robbers. PTI

ABVP members observe fast
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 23
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today observed a token fast in various colleges in the state to highlight their demands.

Ten students participated in the fast on the Himachal Pradesh University campus here. Besides the local Government College and Kotshera College, a fast was also observed in colleges at Chakmoh, Banikhet, Chamba, Nahan, Kulu, Solan, Mandi, Sundernagar, Una and Hamirpur.

The main demands of the parishad include a probe into the question paper scam, making English an optional subject, increase in scholarship for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and unconditional admission to those placed in the compartment category to the next class.

Notice to Chief Secy on encroachments
Our Legal Correspondent

Shimla, July 23
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today issued notice to the Chief Secretary of the state on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the policy announced by the government recently for the regularisation of encroachments on government land.

The notice was issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice W.A. Shishak and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel on a petition filed by Mrs Poonam Gupta and a local journalist Hridesh Arya.

According to the petitioners, the state, who is trustee of the entire land it owns, cannot distribute government land in an illegal and arbitrary manner. The state, instead of evicting the encroachers from the government land, has rewarded those encroaching, upon the land. Earlier also, the state had framed such scheme which had been struck down by the high court.

The petitioners said there were about 57,000 known cases of encroachment and the government was likely to regularise 4 lakh bighas in disregard for the supremacy of law. The state being the custodian and trustee of government land could distribute the same in an illegal and arbitrary manner. Moreover, the move would encourage unscrupulous persons to grab and encroach upon government land, the petition said.

The petitioners prayed that the rules framed by the state be struck down, the land encroached upon be evicted and action be initiated against the revenue authorities as per law in whose jurisdiction the land had been permitted to be encroached upon.

Migrants take to gun-running
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, July 23
The arrest of Abdul, alias Vijay, main accused in the Damtal terrorist attack on January 1, in which four jawans were killed, has revealed that not only Pakistani mercenaries and Kashmiri terrorists but people belonging to Bihar and UP, are also involved in terrorist activities.

Abdul, belonging to Champaran district in Bihar, had been masquerading as a labourer in Batala. In fact, he was the brain behind many terrorist attacks in the area and was main conduit of gun-running activities which have led to rise in crimes in Punjab and border areas of Himachal Pradesh. Though the Punjab police succeeded in arresting Abdul, his two Pak accomplices, Rashid, alias Joginder, alias Jallaludin and Iqbal though identified are still on the run.

Batala is an industrial town near Pathankot and the gateway to Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir. Labourers from Bihar, UP and Orissa are working here in large numbers. It is easy to lose oneself in this town and continue clandestine activities. Hiding themselves as labourers is easy and there are no restrictions on their movement. This anonymity enabled Abdul and his accomplices to scout firing ranges and set up an ambush on January 1. The culprits after throwing their weapons in Chakki river were able to make good their escape.

The Himachal police feels that after the interrogation of Abdul, it may get vital clues to militants hiding in the Kangra and Chamba areas. According to SSP, Kangra, Mr Sanjay Kundu, Abdul has been taken to Hoshiarpur for interrogation and the Kangra police has also asked for his remand to get more information from him. He said though Abdul had admitted that weapons used in the Damtal attack were buried in Chakki river, the police from Punjab and Himachal had failed to recover them. 

Festival panel files FIR for cheating
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 23
Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the chairman of the Shimla summer festival organising committee, has filed an FIR against three private parties who failed to fulfil their commitments during the week-long festival.

The Delhi-based Chromosome Event Management Group, Next Step Company and Deepak Sharma of Hamirpur have been charged with cheating and fraud. The committee had to face the wrath of the public as these parties failed to bring famous artistes for the festival as per their commitment. The committee had widely publicised the programmes featuring pop singers Anamika, Preeti and Pinki and Shan but they failed to present the show.

Moreover, the companies failed to even inform the committee in time regarding their failure to engage the artistes, which caused much embarrassment to it. Besides, some of the sponsors also backed out when they came to know that the main artistes were not coming. Consequently, the committee also suffered a financial loss.

A case has been registered under Sections 419 and 420 of the IPC.

Civilians oppose water tariff hike by MES
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, July 23
The long-pending issue of hike in the water tariff is again set to generate heat among civilians of Subathu cantonment, 19 km from here, following a motion by civilian elected members from Ward Nos 1, 2 and 3 to reconsider the resolution passed by the board office three months ago giving its nod to the hike.

According to norms, civilian members can file a motion and seek reconsideration of the resolution.

Owing to the failure to reach any conclusion and a liability of Rs 35 lakh payable by the board office to the Military Engineering Services (MES) that supplies water to civilians, water wills have not been issued to civilians since the past three months.

The board authorities based at Chandi Mandir have instructed the board office to settle the issue once and for all.

The water rates of Rs 20.44 per thousand liters as proposed by the MES were rejected by the civilian members, who boycotted the board meeting called in the connection in February.

HP records 17.39 pc population growth
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 23
Himachal Pradesh has recorded a population growth of 17.39 per cent over the past one decade.

“The Provisional Population Totals” publication of the Directorate of Census Operation depicting the provisional population details of the state as per the census of 2001, released by Mr P.K.Dhumal, Chief Minister, here today, reveals that the total population of the state is 60,70,305.

The ratio of male and female population is 50.75 per cent and 49.25 per cent, respectively. The female sex ratio per 1,000 male has been calculated at 970. The literacy per centage has reached 77.10 per cent and the density of the population is 109 persons per square km.

The ratio of workers is 49.28 per cent of the total population, out of which are 16,85,310 (32.36 per cent) male 16,06,138 (16.92 per cent) female. Among the categories of workers a majority (65.55 per cent) consist of cultivators, 3.10 per cent agricultural labourers, 1.68 per cent in household industries and 29.67 per cent in other professions.

Among the cultivators, the per centage of female workers is 86.15 per cent as compared to 49.58 per cent of male workers. The highest per centage of female workers is in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Kulu districts and the lowest in Una, Kangra and Sirmaur.

Non-workers percentage has declined from 57.10 per cent in 1991 to 50.72 per cent in 2001, a decline of 6.45 per cent.

Dr R.L. Bisotra, Director Census Operations, and other senior officers were among those present.

Daily-wagers’ services to be regularised
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 23
The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal said today that the government had issued directions to all administrative departments to regularise the services of daily wage earners, who had completed eight years of service. He said only those cases would be referred to the Finance Department for approval where the creation of posts was required.

Presiding over the first annual conference of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Employees’ Association here yesterday he said the government would consider the adjustment of employees of the HPTDC working on contract basis against the daily wage vacancies created after the regularisation exercise.

The Chief Minister ruled out the possibility of the trifurcation of the state electricity board. He said that there was no question of disinvestment in the public sector undertaking, which were earning profit and having ability to earn more.

Mr Sant Ram Chandel, president, HPTDC Employees’ Association urged the Chief Minister to redress the grievances of the employees.

DISTRICT DIARY
Trees felled for unplanned buildings
Subhash Sharma

Kulu
Haphazard and unplanned construction in and around the Deputy Commissioner’s office here has resulted in the felling of at least 10 age-old deodar trees. A parking lot has been constructed opposite the Deputy Commissioner’s office unnecessarily raising the ground level, thereby endangering three trees. A footpath within the office premises again has threatened the life of three such trees. Similarly the raising of walls and building of roads in and around the district courts, opposite the DC’s office, would damage many more trees. A few trees have been used as pillars for the wall. Environment experts say that the concrete or coal tar floor near the Deodar trees slowly kills the trees. As there is enough area in and around the DC’s office, SDM’s office and the Mini Secretariat, the administration should have taken steps to save these treasures of beauty of the valley of the Gods.

***

Kulu district is having about 1,000 tractors which do not plough fields or do agricultural processing, but ply on the roads carrying building material and, at times, people as well. The haphazard parking of these tractors at Dhalpur near a school is a menace. The district administration should regularise the parking of the tractors at Kulu, Manali, Bhuntar. Tractors should also be restricted to main roads in the town during peak traffic hours.

***

The musical fountain at Dhalpur ground has become an eye sore, rather than an attraction. It has hardly worked since it was constructed except for a few evenings. The five feet high wild bushes and grass that has grown around the fountain reflects the “efficiency” of the administration. The control panel hut erected near it has spoilt the beauty of Dhalpur ground. Haphazard planning by the Municipal Council has spoilt the environment of the historical ground. The erection of stone walls and heaps of soil at the old ‘parade ground’ has put a question mark on the aesthetic sense of the Municipal Council and the administration.

***

Stray incidents of eve-teasing on the pedestrian path from Inner Akhara Bazar to Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sultanpur, here, has now taken a serious turn while the girl students and lady teachers have stopped going through this path and instead have adopted a longer route. It was learnt that there are a few miscreants came out of the bushes stark naked and run after the girls or the teachers. The matter was brought to the knowledge of the police but to no avail. Senior citizens have called upon youth to patrol the area during the day and solve the problem. It was also alleged by these citizens that a few persons kept on sitting at the “Pipal tiala” near the girls’ school and they might be involved in the nefarious mischief. The citizens also planned to meet the district administration to post police or home guards personnel on the path during school hours and try to nab the culprits.

***

The opening of a computerised railway reservation office at Manali has been a welcome step. The people in the tourism trade thanked the Prime Minister and Mr Maheshwar Singh, MP, for taking concrete actions for the development of the area. The MP announced that a computerised reservation counter would also be opened at Kulu before Dasehra festival in October. The computerised reservation has proved a big help to domestic and foreign tourists.

***

The overflowing water tanks of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, hospital, field hostel and a few other government buildings are yet to be paid attention. The town, on the whole, is facing acute shortage of drinking water, but the Irrigation and Public Health Department and the officers concerned let the water down the drain. Who is accountable, whether the officer or the I&PH Department!

Poor yield alarms tomato growers
Jagmeet Singh

Kumarhatti, July 23
Intermittent rain accompanied by scattered spells of heavy rain in the past week has failed to bring cheer among the desperate farmers’ community of the region whose crops, particularly of tomato, the main off-season cash crop, have failed to yield even half of the average production for want of water.

The inordinate delay in the setting of the south-west monsoon has wreaked havoc on the crops. Besides tomato, maize and capsicum have, too, borne the burnt.

A survey conducted by this correspondent showed in some rainfed areas around 80 per cent crops, maize, tomato and other off-season vegetables, had either been washed out or failed to deliver even 20 per cent of the expected production. The losses run into lakhs. The situation can worsen as tomato growers have failed to sow the next crop.

The recent crash in the tomato market prices has been a double blow to the growers.

The failure of the tomato crop may lead to bankruptcy of growers.

The only hope for the growers in the present situation is the possibility of a hike in the tomato prices due to less local production and discontinuation of supply from the plains in the coming days.

Ironically, this would benefit only a small percentage of growers who have easy accessibility to irrigation facilities.

Martyr’s father asks students to end stir
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, July 23
Mr G.L. Batra, father of Param Vir Chakra winner Capt Vikram Batra (late) has appealed to agitating students of Capt Vikram Batra Government Degree College, Paraur, to stop agitation against the shifting of the college and attend classes.

Talking to this correspondent, Mr Batra, a retired Principal, said the agitation was affecting the studies of students. He said the state government must have taken the decision to shift the college after serious thought and students should abide by it.

Till last week, Mr Batra was not only opposing the shifting of the college from Palampur to Paraur but had threatened to get his son’s name removed if the college was shifted to Paraur. When asked about this change of mind, Mr Batra refused to give any reason but insisted that he did not want to the involved in any controversy.

Meanwhile, the students continue to stage dharna at many places around Palampur.

HC sets aside order on bail
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, July 23
The H.P. High Court yesterday cancelled the bail plea of Som Dutt of Kulu district caught under the NDPS Act and set aside the order of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kangra, allowing bail to the accused, allegedly involved in the smuggling of 1,735 gm of charas.

While setting aside the order of the lower court, Mr Justice R.L. Khanna observed that bail had been granted without applying mind and complying with Sections 50 and 42 of the NDPS Act. According to the prosecution, the accused was travelling in a van on the night of January 2 and 3 from Dharamsala to McLeodganj when police stopped him. During search, 1,735 gm of charas was found.

Dalgna-Gagla road inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Chamba, July 23
To wipe out unemployment in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Government has been encouraging industrialisation and has, so far, set up 3,119 industrial units, including 18 medium and large-scale industries, with a capital investment of Rs 498 crore in different parts of the state.

The Himachal Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, stated this yesterday while inaugurating the Dalgna-Gagla motorable road, about 18 km from here. He said the industrial units had provided employment to 19,700 persons.

Besides, the state government has also provided jobs to nearly five lakh persons through the employment exchanges in the state, the minister said.

The minister claimed that the BJP-led government in the state had spent Rs 94.83 crore on the construction of roads and bridges with the assistance of the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as compared to Rs 42.06 crore spent during the Congress regime, in the past four years.

The minister also said the ruling BJP-led government had regularised the services of 1,140 daily wagers as compared to 215 during the Congress regime, in the past four days.

Police nabs murder suspect
Our Correspondent

Kangra, July 23
The Kangra police on a tip-off yesterday arrested Parveen Kumar, alleged murderer of a resident of Nalti village near Sullah in Palampur subdivision. The murder had triggered a mass protest with residents of Kachari village blocking the Pathankot-Mandi highway.

When contacted, the Kangra police refused to divulge details of the arrest.

Medical camp at Paonta Sahib
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 23
A medical camp for the detection of cardiac, neuro and urology diseases has been organised by the management of Paonta Sahib gurdwara in collaboration with Mukat Hospital and Heart Institute, Chandigarh, on the gurdwara premises.

More than 400 patients were examined by specialists of Mukat Hospital. Around 160 ECGs were conducted at a nominal cost of Rs 10 each. The amount received has been donated to the Paonta Sahib gurdwara. Mukat Hospital is currently running the ‘‘Mukat Good Health Scheme’’ in which angiography, angioplasty and bypass surgeries are done at a nominal cost. It is also providing treatment free of cost for employees of the Food Corporation of India and their dependents.

Battered wife dies at PGI
Our Correspondent

Mandi, July 23
Rimpy, whose eyes were damaged by her husband, Manohar Lal, in the remote village of Kohan in Dharampur valley of Sarkaghat subdivision, died at the PGI, Chandigarh, yesterday.

It may be recalled that Manohar Lal had killed his aunt with a sharp-edged weapon on Friday night when she came to the rescue of his wife, whom he was beating mercilessly. He was arrested while trying to escape in a Jogindernagar-Chandigarh bus. A case under Section 302, IPC, had been registered against him.