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Monday,
January 13, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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HVC keen on poll pact with Cong CPI decries Cong’s poll stance
SP-HLM to
contest all seats in HP |
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TD rights eating into HP forests Encroachers make merry in Hamirpur Bolero mishap
toll rises to 7 Vivekananda remembered Vets seek revised NPA, threaten stir
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HVC keen on poll pact with Cong Chandigarh, January 12 HVC chief Sukh Ram is engaged in talks with the Congress leaders in Delhi over the matter, Mr Deepak Sharma, in charge of the Media Cell of the HVC, said here today. The HVC is, however, not ready to accept Mr Virbhadra Singh as leader of the alliance but is open to being led by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee President Vidya Stokes. Yesterday, the CPI, CPM, Samajwadi Janata Party, Theog Vikas Manch, Lok Jan Shakti Party, Janata Dal (Secular) agreed to principally to form an alliance with the HVC. The coming together of the these forces is seen as an apparent attempt to increase their bargaining power for some “tacit understanding” against the BJP, with the HVC formally leaving the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre and the BJP in the state, soon. The HVC is also open to roping in its breakaway faction led by former minister and Him Loktantrik Morcha chief Mahendra Singh who has formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. The party has authorised Mr Ranjit Singh Verma of the JD-S to meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma to persuade the NCP to be a part of the alliance. The NCP has struck an understanding with the group headed by Lt-Gen Ranjit Singh Dayal (retd). Mr Sharma sought to prove the Secular Front’s worth, saying that it would win 40 seats on its own. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Sharma said the HVC would contest the election for ridding the state of debt and unemployment through forestry on 4,000 square kilometre of land. He released a vision document of Mr Sukh Ram which has listed measures to take the state out of the economic morass. He indicated that Food and Civil Supplies Minister Mansharam and Rural Development Minister Prakash Chaudhary would come back from the Dhumal government to the HVC. The Secular Front would contest elections on all 65 seats that go to polls on February 26. The alliance would be formed on the economic agenda of freeing the state of debt trap and providing employment to 10 lakh unemployed youth and acceptance of Mr Sukh Ram as leader. |
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CPI decries Cong’s poll stance Kumarhatti, January 12 To remove the BJP from power it had become necessary to bring all secular parties on one platform against the BJP, he asserted. The party considered certain names for party ticket for all five Assembly seats in Solan a decision on which would be taken after a meeting on 19th of this month.
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Stokes’ faction boycotts functions Bilaspur, January 12 Some party leaders were skeptical that this appointment had anything to do with his being declared the leader of the party. They said this appointment virtually meant nothing. |
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SP-HLM
to contest all seats in HP Kulu, January 12 The SP would contest 40 seats while the HLM would contest 28 seats. He said the alliance would emerge as the third front in Himachal Pradesh and hoped that it would be the balancing party in the formation of the government. He said BJP-led governments had proved to be the most corrupt in the country. He hoped that the people of the state would defeat the communalists and bring a secular government in the state. He added that the star campaigner for the alliance would be Amitabh Bachchan. Mr Mohinder Singh, president of the HLM, said the BJP-HVC alliance had made education expensive and had not generated employment. He lashed out at Himachal Vikas Congress supremo Sukh Ram for continuing support to the government for personal goals. Mr Charan Dass Dogra, a senior Congress leader, joined the HLM along with his supporters. He was likely to be fielded from Kulu.
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TD rights eating into HP forests Shimla: While the state government is vigorously pursuing a proposal for carrying out green fellings to raise additional revenue, the environmentalists are concerned over the alarming fall in the area under dense forests in the hill state. The overall green cover in the state has been increasing only marginally but the area under dense forests has been shrinking of a rapid rate over the past few years. For instance, the state recorded an increase of 561 sq km in its forest cover during 1997-99. However, during the same period, dense forests over 1001 sq km of area degenerated into open forests. It was a disturbing trend clearly indicating that the scale at which afforestation was being carried out at present was quite inadequate to replenish the depleted forest reserves. At present only 13082 sq km was under forests out of the state’s: total geographical area of over 55,000 sq km. Further dense forests — with tree cover in excess of 40 per cent — stood only over 9120 sq km. The open forests (area having a very thin free cover) accounted for 3962 sq km. What is causing concern among the environmentalists is the fact that it swelled by 1001 sq km during a period of just two years. Senior officers blame the policy of granting trees to the right-holders under the timber distribution (TD) rules for the rapid degradation of existing forests. Every year about 1.25 lakh
cubic metre of standing volume of trees is allotted to villagers. This large-scale removal of trees is mainly responsible for the degradation of forests. Worse, the right-holders select the best trees to get maximum timber as a result of which natural regeneration is severely affected. Hardly any well-grown trees are left in the forests to promote regeneration. Not only that, the removals are scattered over a large area and there is no clear felling of the forest. As such the Forest Department is not in a position to replant the area by closing the forest. The on-going degradation of forests could be checked only by rationalising the TD rules, which were being abused to benefit influential people, they maintain. Further, another 2.50 lakh cubic metre of standing volume of trees was removed under salvage markings annually. Unlike the fellings under TD allotments, it was not localised and as such its impact was not pronounced. Now the government plans to harvest 2.25 cubic metre under silvicultural fellings to earn additional revenue of about Rs 100 crore annually. The Supreme Court has allowed green fellings on condition that it will be carried out in accordance with the forest working plans duly approved by the Centre and a minimum 20 per cent of the revenue thus raised will be ploughed back for re-forestation of the felled area. The Himachal Government, which was earlier reluctant to allocate funds for re-forestation, has now decided to earmark Rs 20 crore for the purpose. It has also submitted all other relevant data sought by the Centre on the directions of the apex court. The Centre was likely to give its nod to the state for carrying out green fellings, which were banned in 1983 to protect the fast dwindling green cover over the hills. The state, which is in a perennial financial crisis, has been for the past some time urging the Centre either to allow green fellings or compensate it for not exploiting its forest wealth in the larger national interest. |
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Encroachers
make merry in Hamirpur Hamirpur, January 12 Shops and rehris have come up on both sides of the road, leading to traffic congestion. Whenever any move is initiated to remove encroachments, it is opposed by the lobby. Most of rehriwalas have been regularised. It is difficult for pedestrians to cross the congested bazar road in mornings and evening so, Whenever any person tries to remove pushcarts, it is stoutly resisted. The order of the district administration on one-way traffic in the area is being violated with impunity. Many two-wheelers and cars can be seen crossing the main bazar from the wrong side. Scores of vehicles can be seen parked on both sides of the Dharamsala-Shimla road, ignoring the orders of the district administration. Under the order, no heavy vehicles are allowed to stop to unload goods during the day on this road. Vehicles of ‘influential persons’ can be seen parked on the main road in front of shops. Taxis and rickshaws are also parked on both sides of the main road. The district administration has allotted separate sites to taxi owners and rehriwalas have occupied the allotted sites. Now they have returned to the highway and are violating the orders. A plan for a bypass remains only on paper. There are reports that the Centre has given its clearance to the project at a time when elections are due in the state. The town lacks earmarked parking and vehicles can be seen parked at places declared no-parking zones by the administration. The failure of the state government and the district administration to provide parking places needs attention. The district administration has finalised a plan to ease traffic flow, but it is yet to be implemented. No parking facility has been provided near the town hall. The Gandhi Chowk area, where most offices are located, is the worst hit by haphazard parking. Traffic constables on duty in the area are unable to tackle the situation.
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Bolero mishap toll rises to 7 Chamba, January 12 According to Mr N.D. Sharma, Additional Superintendent of Police, Chamba, of the nine seriously injured, five were undergoing treatment at Bharmour and four at the local zonal hospital. The ASP said the bodies had been extricated from the nullah. Those killed have been identified as Ranjha Ram (48), chairman of the Bharmour Panchayat Samiti of Dudlada village, Uttam Chand (48), of Khanni village, Kishan Chand (35) of Kothal village, Vijay Kumar (21) of Lahal village, Surekha Devi (15) of Kothal village, Prahlad Ram of Kuthar village and a one-year child Vishal. The bodies after an autopsy were handed over to their relatives, the ASP added. He said though it was a case of rash and negligent driving, however, investigations were on to ascertain the cause of accident. The ill-fated vehicle Bolero was carrying 16 persons and was moving along with the motorcade of the local legislator of Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency, Mr Tulsi Ram when its driver, lost control and rolled into a 200-metre deep gorge, killing six persons on the spot. Mr Tulsi Ram, who was to inaugurate a government school building at Badgran, cancelled it due to the accident. The next of kin of the deceased would get a relief Rs 5,000 and those injured would get Rs 1,000 as immediate relief. Meanwhile, the Himachal Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, has directed the local tribal administration of Bharmour to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the accident. |
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Vivekananda
remembered Kangra, January 12 Prof Rimpoche was speaking at the 140th birthday celebration function of Swami Vivekananda observed as National Youth Day, organised by Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari in the polytechnic college auditorium here today. He said Swami Vivekananda’s teachings were more relevant in present situation. He said that Indian must follow teachings of Swami Vivekananda for India’s glory. Prof Rimpoche presided over the Swami’s Mahasamadhi Shatabdi year function here. Mr Kishen Kapoor, Himachal Transport Minister, stressed revival of ancient Indian values. He was chief guest of the function. Swami Mahdavanand, Acharya of the Chinmayananda Mission, said that Swami Vivekananda was a Yogi of par excellence who shed his body in July 1902 but his spirit still pervaded. As many as 24 students were given prizes for essay writing organised by the Kendra on November 10, last year. Donors who donated blood on the call of Vivekananda Kendra, Kangra were also honoured. |
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Vets seek revised NPA, threaten stir Dharamsala, January 12 The press secretary said despite hard work in the rural areas which had led to a revolution in animal care, the veterinary doctors had been ignored. He said this would affect their working who might have to resort to direct agitation to get their demand accepted. He alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to muzzle the voice of qualified veterinary graduates by recruiting unqualified persons in the department. He alleged that while qualified veterinary doctors had been waiting for regular appointment for the past four years, unqualified persons had been recruited en masse.
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Nepalese
woman, kids missing Kumarhatti, January 12 In a report filed with the Subathu police chowki last evening, her husband Vinod Bahadur Thamang, who is engaged as a labourer, said on January 7 when he returned back to his rented home at Thari village near Subathu from work he found his wife and kids missing. |
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