H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

No ticket for losers: Kidwai

Kangra, December 29 Ms Mohsina Kidwai general secretary, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) and in charge party affairs, Himachal Pradesh, has said the Dhumal government was diverting attention of the people of the state from the dismal performance of the government.

HP Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhoo greets Mrs Mohsina Kidwai and other leaders at Nadaun bridge on Sunday. — Photo Chander Shekhar Sharma

Cong rally fails to project unity
Nurpur, December 29
The top leadership of the state Congress which tried to project unity between the Virbhadra and Stokes factions at a rally at Raja-ka-Talab, near here, yesterday failed to achieve it as the rally was marred with slogans raising by supporters of the two camps.

Cong ignored Kangra: Dhumal
Dharamsala, December 29
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal has claimed that 65,000 youths have been provided with jobs since his government came to power in 1998. He was addressing a gathering at Paragpur after dedicating 35 KV substation to the people.

Dhumal makes roads under PM’s scheme
Shimla, December 29
The road network has seen unprecedented expansion in the state over the past five years. The government accorded top priority to road development and launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and enhanced the outlay under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of NABARD to speed up the construction of roads.

5 Chamera union leaders get bail
Chamba, December 29
The leaders of the Chamera Project Workers Union — Mr Sanjay Thakur, Mr Baboo Ram, Mr Dharminder, Mr Sham Lal and Mr Manoj Kumar — were released on bail yesterday by the Chief Judicial Magistrate. They had been held on the charges of forcibly collecting union fees from workers and staff of Jaiprakash Industries at the 300-MW Chamera Hydroelectric Project.

Revellers rush to hill resorts
Shimla, December 29
The bleak prospect of a snowfall notwithstanding, winter revellers from the plains have started converging on various hill resorts of the state to celebrate the New Year. The sun has been shining brightly over the past few days and there has been not even a trace of cloud in the sky. 

CM moots forum of Himalayan states
Shimla, December 29
Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has mooted the idea of a common forum of 11 Himalayan states for preparing a joint strategy, having an effective say in formulation of policies and programmes for sustainable development of ecologically-rich but fragile Himalayan region.

Work on Sawara-Kudu project begins today
Shimla, December 29
Work on the 144 MW Sawara-Kudu hydroelectric project at Hatkoti will commence tomorrow. Mr Narender Bragta, Horticulture Minister, will perform the “bhumi pujan” ceremony of the project, which is being executed as a joint venture by the four partner states of the BBMB.

HP’s per capita income rises
Hamirpur, December 29
Mr Rajinder Rana, president of the Sarv Kalyankari Sabha and a BJP leader, said in a statement here today that Himachal now stood at No 8 among all states as far the average per capita income was concerned.

Mini Sectt wears deserted look
Dharamsala, December 29
Just two days after the shifting of winter capital to Dharamsala, the Mini Secretariat here, seat of the state government. wore a deserted look. The Chief Minister is on his tour of Dehra subdivisional and no minister or senior officer was present in the Secretariat and it was left to the Private Secretary of the Chief Minister Mr Arun Sharma to hold the fort.

Video
	Government's decision to close the oldest Central Press in Shimla initiates widespread opposition by employees in the city. (28k, 56k)

No ticket for losers: Kidwai
Tribune Reporters

Kangra, December 29
Ms Mohsina Kidwai general secretary, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) and in charge party affairs, Himachal Pradesh, has said the Dhumal government was diverting attention of the people of the state from the dismal performance of the government.

She was addressing a press conference in the PWD Rest House here. She said that Prof Dhumal had lost trust of people so he was taking out vishwas yatra to regain it. She said people had voted the Congress to power in 15 states of the country. This would be repeated in Himachal too.

When asked was Vidya Stokes contesting the coming polls Ms Vidya Stokes who was present at the press conference said: “My first priority is to put the party through the poll and defeat the BJP and if I have to work harder I may not contest”.

Ms Kidwai said that only candidates with a chance to winning would be preferred. She said the party leaders who had lost a few times might not be considered.

AICC Secretary Ms Krishena Teerth, Former PCC Chief Mr Sat Mahajan Mr GS Bali, Mr Haresh Mahajan HPCC General Secretaries, DCC President Dr M.R. Goma and former minister Viplov Thakur were also present.

HAMIRPUR: Ms Kidwai on Sunday gave a clarion call to oust the BJP government. Though it was her maiden tour to Hamirpur, the party cadre gave here a rousing reception when she reached the Nadaun bridge from Kangra.

Ticket seekers from all five Assembly seats of the district met her and Ms Vidya Stokes, HP Congress Chief, along with their supporters.

Ms Kidwai was overwhelmed with the response of party leaders and workers who met her for ticket. She said it was a welcome sign but once the issue was decided, all would follow the party high command and work accordingly for the success of the nominees.

Cong rally fails to project unity
Tribune Reporters

Nurpur, December 29
The top leadership of the state Congress which tried to project unity between the Virbhadra and Stokes factions at a rally at Raja-ka-Talab, near here, yesterday failed to achieve it as the rally was marred with slogans raising by supporters of the two camps.

The rally was presided over by the AICC general secretary and in-charge of Himachal, Ms Mohsina Kidwai. A large number of Congress workers and people from Nurpur, Guler and Jawali attended it.

When Mr Sat Mahajan, ticket seeker from Nurpur, was addressing the rally, he was interrupted several times.

SOLAN: Congress leaders owing allegiance to Mr Virbhadra Singh held a meeting at the local Congress Bhavan here on Sunday. They signed a memorandum, urging Ms Sonia Gandhi to declare Mr Virbhadra Singh as the party’s choice for the post of Chief Minister.

They welcomed the reported move of the Congress high command to change AICC members.

They also urged the party to dispose of the organisational election petitions filed by some Congressmen and which were pending for over 27 months.

Cong ignored Kangra: Dhumal
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, December 29
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal has claimed that 65,000 youths have been provided with jobs since his government came to power in 1998. He was addressing a gathering at Paragpur after dedicating 35 KV substation to the people. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.87 crore, the substation will benefit 51,361 residents of 138 villages in 31 panchayats of Dehra subdivision.

The Chief Minister said to ensure that jobless youths got more opportunities, maximum age limit had been relaxed up to 45 years. The government had also regularised 4,169 voluntary teachers. The Cabinet had recently approved another 808 posts in the Education Department and 50 veterinary doctors were to be recruited soon, he added.

He blamed the Congress for ignoring Kangra and said out of 2,300 police constables recruited during the Virbhadra reign only one was from Kangra. Mr Dhumal said his government had set up a target of generating 10,000 MW additional power by 2008. Work on new projects to generate 8,000 MW electricity were under way in the state.

The Chief Minister asked the people to be vigilant against false and malicious propaganda launched against the BJP by certain political parties. He earlier addressed a Sanskrit Sammelan at Jwalamukhi and stressed the need for preserving the Sanskrit language. He honoured prominent Sanskrit scholars. He also laid the foundation stone of first phase of a college building at Jwalamukhi to be constructed at a cost of Rs 28 lakh. The Chief Minister later inaugurated the bridge over the Garli khud constructed at a cost of Rs 37.12 lakh.

MANDI: Meanwhile, addressing a series of public meetings on Sunday at Pandol, Ladbharol and Dharampur in this district during the course of the ongoing ‘vishwas yatra’ the Chief Minister lamented that during its long tenure the Congress government could only harness 3,800 MW of hydel power while the BJP government in its short tenure added 2,226 MW additional power increasing the annual income by over Rs 250 crore to the state exchequer.

He said the main purpose of the yatra was to inform and educate the people about the achievements of the BJP government and to counter false propaganda being launched by the Congress. The Union Rural Development Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, was accompanying the Chief Minister.

Dhumal makes roads under PM’s scheme
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 29
The road network has seen unprecedented expansion in the state over the past five years. The government accorded top priority to road development and launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and enhanced the outlay under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of NABARD to speed up the construction of roads.

More than 3,500 km stretch of roads has been developed. Cross drainage has been provided along 3000 km and the metalling and tarring has been completed over 4000 km. As many as 230 bridges have been constructed to link over 300 villages by roads.

A sum of Rs 60 crore was allocated in 2000-01 for the construction of 127 roads to provide connectivity to 302 villages. By the end of September 2002, 121 roads had been completed. In the following year 246 road schemes for connecting 449 villages were taken up at a cost of Rs 132.36 crore.

The development of roads under NABARD has been taken up in almost all districts.

In all, a total of 209 projects have been sanctioned and an expenditure of Rs 255.75 crore has been incurred on their execution. As many as 36 projects have already been completed.

Bridges are also being constructed with the state’s resources, besides assistance from NABARD. While 57 bridges have been completed, work on 134 bridges is in progress. 

5 Chamera union leaders get bail
Our Correspondent

Chamba, December 29
The leaders of the Chamera Project Workers Union — Mr Sanjay Thakur, Mr Baboo Ram, Mr Dharminder, Mr Sham Lal and Mr Manoj Kumar — were released on bail yesterday by the Chief Judicial Magistrate. They had been held on the charges of forcibly collecting union fees from workers and staff of Jaiprakash Industries at the 300-MW Chamera Hydroelectric Project.

Giving this information here today, the SP Mr Ajay Yadav, said the police had seized 40 out of 50 receipt books printed by the union leaders for collecting money in the name of union.

He said raids were being conducted to arrest more miscreants, who were allegedly trying to sabotage the project.

The SP said the miscreants who were provocating the project staff and workers to resort to agitation under the guise of so-called leadership should desist from carrying out such activities.

The SP claimed that Noora, a so-called goon of the project area, had also been rounded up and interrogated by the police. Any sabotage of national property would not be allowed at any cost, he added.

On the other hand, Mr Parminder Singh, General Manager, Chamera Hydroelectric Project (Stage-II), maintained that the work on the project was well under way.

Revellers rush to hill resorts
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 29
The bleak prospect of a snowfall notwithstanding, winter revellers from the plains have started converging on various hill resorts of the state to celebrate the New Year. The sun has been shining brightly over the past few days and there has been not even a trace of cloud in the sky. However, hotels in Shimla, Manali, Dharamsala and Dalhousie have been recording good occupancy since Christmas. There are heavy advance bookings for December 30 and 31 and the occupancy was likely to be 90 to 100 per cent in most hotels here.

Whether it snows or not, hardly matters. Of late, it has become craze with the people from the plains to celebrate New Year at hill stations. Tourist start arriving in various hill resorts around Christmas and the season hits the peak on the New Year eve. A good snowfall, though quite rare now-a-days, proves to be a boon for the hoteliers and others connected with the tourist trade as it helps extend the season by a few days. There was a time when the people from the plains thronged the hill resorts just to enjoy the snow. But with the tourism industry coming of age in the hill state, the lack of snow does not affect the flow of tourists much.

The tourists now come to the hills to bask under the bright winter sun which is quite rare in the fog-enveloped plains, says Mr Mohinder Seth, president of the local hotel association. The season is quite good like last year when snow eluded the revellers, he adds Over the past few years not only the queen of hills but smaller resorts like Kufri, Fagu, Shilon Bagh, Chail and Barog have also started attracting New Year revellers. More and more hotels are organising gala nites and dance parties with live orchestra to entertain the tourists.

The State Tourism Development Corporation is organising such programmes at hotel Holiday Home and Ashiana Restaurant, here, Hotel Dhauladhar and Hotel Bhagsu in Dharamsala, Club House at Manali and Hotel Irawati at Chamba. It has come out with special two-day packages for December 30 and 31. The charges range from Rs 11,550 per couple (Holiday Home) to Rs 1,150 per couple (Hotel Irawati in Chamba). Some big private hotels are organising gala nites.

Mr Umesh Akre, vice-president of the Himachal Hotel Association, says that a new trend is that most of the tourists get the accommodation booked in advance. The percentage of walk-in-customers is declining with each passing year.

CM moots forum of Himalayan states

Shimla, December 29
Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has mooted the idea of a common forum of 11 Himalayan states for preparing a joint strategy, having an effective say in formulation of policies and programmes for sustainable development of ecologically-rich but fragile Himalayan region.

In similar letters addressed to the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states which included seven north-eastern states — Sikkim, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttaranchal, Mr Dhumal said the Himalayan region accounted for 18.5 per cent area and 6.5 per cent population of the country.

Inspite of having immense natural resources and potential, there was no forum for raising the voice of the Himalayan states collectively and influence the policy-making process at the national level, he added.

Mr Dhumal said international donors would also favour such partnerships as these would be addressing the transboundary issues in a holistic manner. PTI

Work on Sawara-Kudu project begins today
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 29
Work on the 144 MW Sawara-Kudu hydroelectric project at Hatkoti will commence tomorrow. Mr Narender Bragta, Horticulture Minister, will perform the “bhumi pujan” ceremony of the project, which is being executed as a joint venture by the four partner states of the BBMB.

The project is being set up on the Pabbar river. While the underground power house will be set up on the left bank at Snail, the dam will be constructed upstream of the Hatkoti temple.

The project, to be set up at a cost of Rs 575 crore, involves the construction of a 22 metre high concrete dam across the river Pabbar to create a storage reservoir of 2.89 million cubic metre capacity. On completion, the project will generate 333 million units of energy. The cost of generation will be Rs 2.58 per unit and the state will earn a revenue of Rs 85 crore annually. The project is to be complete in five-and-a half years.

HP’s per capita income rises
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, December 29
Mr Rajinder Rana, president of the Sarv Kalyankari Sabha and a BJP leader, said in a statement here today that Himachal now stood at No 8 among all states as far the average per capita income was concerned.

The credit for taking the state from No 15 — when the BJP government took over the reins in Himachal — to No 8 went to state-friendly policies of the government, he said.

The government, he said, had also taken rapid strides in the field of education by upgrading various schools, besides opening new ones in remote areas.

Mini Sectt wears deserted look
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, December 29
Just two days after the shifting of winter capital to Dharamsala, the Mini Secretariat here, seat of the state government. wore a deserted look. The Chief Minister is on his tour of Dehra subdivisional and no minister or senior officer was present in the Secretariat and it was left to the Private Secretary of the Chief Minister Mr Arun Sharma to hold the fort. He was waiting for the return of the Chief Minister who starts the second leg of his Vishwas Yatra today.

Interestingly, favour seekers also remained away.