H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Former minister ready to face probe
Mandi, September 7
Thakur Mohinder Singh, Himachal Loktantrik Morcha coordinator and former PWD Minister, has alleged that the Virbhadra Singh government has let loose a reign of terror and repression against its political adversaries in the state. Addressing a press conference at the local PWD rest house here yesterday, he said whenever Mr Virbhadra Singh came to power, he became “cruel to his opponents.”

HP fiscal crisis due to BJP, says CM
Nahan, September 7
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, today alleged that due to steep increase in unproductive expenses during the BJP regime the state had been dragged into financial crises. The previous government had left a Rs 15,000 crore debt and empty treasury, as their five-year achievement. He was addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here.

Panel for special Central grants for tribal areas
Shimla, September 7
The National Commission for Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes will consider the feasibility of granting tribal status to certain remote and backward areas and opening the Shipki La route to MT Kailash and Mansarovar lake in Tibet for pilgrimage.

No oil found, ONGC to wind up in Balh valley
Mandi, September 7
After having spent Rs 100 crore on exploring oil at Dhaban Village in Balh valley of this district the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has decided to wind up the work as no oil could be found even after digging 5000 feet deep, according to ONGC sources here.

Govt ignoring Nurpur, says ex-MLA
Nurpur, September 7
Mr Rakesh Pathania, a former local MLA and former Chairman of the HPTDC, today alleged that the Virbhadra government was ignoring the development of Nurpur, the Assembly Constituency being represented by the Rural Development Minister Mr Sat Mahajan.

Don’t devolve varsity powers, govt warned
Hamirpur, September 7
Narendra Atri, a senior ABVP leader and former president of the HP University students’ council, today blasted the state government for trying to devolve the powers of HP University and those of the Governor with regard to his control over the functioning of the university.

3 students drowned in khud
Hamirpur, September 7
Three teenaged students studying in Class XII in Galore school were drowned in the Kunah khud near Nalti village in the district last night. The deceased have been identified as Mukesh Kumar of Neri village and Rakesh Kumar and Deepak Kumar of Hatli village.

BMS threatens agitation
Nurpur September 7
The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has criticised the state government for its anti-worker policies. Mr Madan Rana, state secretary of the BMS, in a statement here yesterday alleged that in spite of creating more job opportunities, the government had retrenched 28 daily-waged workers in Fatehpur and Rehan ranges of Nurpur Forest Division without prior notices.

Kids set record in threading needles
Kangra, September 7
Master Shiekhar Raju a class IV student and his sister Madhubala Raju a class VII student, residents of Ansoli village near here yesterday created world record of passing the largest number of threads through sewing machine needles of two different sizes.

Decision against evening colleges criticised
Mandi, September 7
The decision of the Congress government to close down the three evening colleges at Mandi, Kulu and Dharamsala has drawn sharp criticism from the students’ unions and employees of the public and private sectors who used to go to these colleges for upgrading their academic qualifications.

Timber seized
Mandi, September 7
Twelve sleepers of deodar were seized from Komand in Katula Range and another 49 sleepers and frames of different sizes were recovered at Padhar in Urla Range yesterday.

Former minister ready to face probe
Our Correspondent

Mandi, September 7
Thakur Mohinder Singh, Himachal Loktantrik Morcha coordinator and former PWD Minister, has alleged that the Virbhadra Singh government has let loose a reign of terror and repression against its political adversaries in the state. Addressing a press conference at the local PWD rest house here yesterday, he said whenever Mr Virbhadra Singh came to power, he became “cruel to his opponents.”

Referring to the seizure of the record of the Public Works Department in Sarkaghat by officials of the Vigilance wing, the former minister said he was ready to face any inquiry into alleged flouting of rules and regulations in the allotment of contracts. He said during his tenure as minister, his son did not execute any PWD contracts or made any government supplies.

He said, “I admit that my son has set up a crusher after investing Rs 23 lakh on it. He has established a small tyre retreading unit on which a sum of Rs 12 lakh has been spent. He has three tippers costing Rs 21 lakh and a JVC costing Rs 24 lakh. And for all this a loan of Rs 80 lakh has been taken.”

Asked about reports that his son had set up the stone crusher in violation of rules and regulations and without obtaining permission from panchayat, forest, pollution and other departments, Mr Mohinder Singh said the charges were baseless and politically motivated. He demanded that inquiries should be conducted into the state of affairs of all 262 crushers in the state. He said his son was a regular taxpayer.

Making a series of personal attacks on Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, he questioned the propriety of his (Mr Virbhadra Singh’s) wife announcing grants and making announcements on behalf of the government without holding any office. He said he would send a formal complaint to the Election Commission and the Government of India in this connection since she was being projected as a probable candidate for the Mandi parliamentary constituency. He also assailed the Chief Minister for appointing his daughter as Additional Advocate-General.

He said eyebrows were being raised over the grant of contract of Tanda Medical College for Rs 50 crore as against the offer of Rs 35 crore, causing a loss of Rs 15 crore to the state exchequer. He demanded a CBI inquiry.

HP fiscal crisis due to BJP, says CM
Our Correspondent

Nahan, September 7
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, today alleged that due to steep increase in unproductive expenses during the BJP regime the state had been dragged into financial crises. The previous government had left a Rs 15,000 crore debt and empty treasury, as their five-year achievement. He was addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here.

Mr Singh said that his government was making efforts to improve the financial health of the state, including a steep cut in administrative expenses by restructuring the government departments and trim unproductive expenses. He said that it was an example of financial mismanagement of BJP government that during BJP regime the unproductive expenses, including administrative expenses and non-plan expenses increased every year and expenses on plan reduced every year.

Due to financial indiscipline the development process had remained still during the BJP regime.

Mr Singh said that the Congress government was capable of handling present fiscal crisis.

Panel for special Central grants for tribal areas
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 7
The National Commission for Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes will consider the feasibility of granting tribal status to certain remote and backward areas and opening the Shipki La route to MT Kailash and Mansarovar lake in Tibet for pilgrimage.

Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr Dalip Singh Bhuria, chairperson of the commission, said during the visit to the state, representations were received for declaring of more areas as tribal areas. The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had also submitted proposals to include Dodra-Kawar, the trans-Giri belt, Malana, Chhota and Bhara Bhangal, Kashapat and Pandra Bish areas in tribal areas.

He said the Shipki La route via Kinnaur district was shorter, largely motorable and safer. The commission would consider recommending the route along the Satluj as a pilgrimage route for Mansarovar lake.

The commission, during field visits, found that most schools in the tribal areas were without science and mathematics teachers and health institutions were without doctors and paramedical staff. The commission observed that the tribal areas deserved special Central grants for infrastructural and basic services development.

The commission, during interaction with the tribals, came to know about the controversy over the issuance of Scheduled Tribe certificates to natives in the tribal areas belonging to certain castes which were declared Scheduled Castes in areas outside the tribal belt. This had deprived them of their legitimate democratic rights, Mr Bhuria said.

The commission expressed concern over the haphazard execution of hydel power projects in the tribal areas without any environmental protection plan. It was of the view that comprehensive plans should be formulated to take care of the impact of the projects on the environment and the catchment area treatment plan should be implemented simultaneously with the execution of the project. The project authorities had been mostly neglecting the environmental protection aspect, it added.

The commission, set up under Article 339(1) of the Constitution to report on the administration of scheduled areas and the welfare of Scheduled Tribes, had also been also assigned the task to outline a viable national tribal policy. Mr Bhuria said 26 states and four union territories had tribal population and the entire international border was inhabited by tribals, right from Kargil to Arunachal Pradesh. The national tribal policy, to be recommended by the commission, would reflect the tribal opinion, he added.

No oil found, ONGC to wind up in Balh valley
Our Correspondent

Mandi, September 7
After having spent Rs 100 crore on exploring oil at Dhaban Village in Balh valley of this district the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has decided to wind up the work as no oil could be found even after digging 5000 feet deep, according to ONGC sources here. The spudding of the first oil well at Dhaban village started on December 10, 2002. A budget of Rs 42 crore had been set apart for digging the well up to a depth of 5100 metres, but due to inordinate delay in its execution the project cost escalated to about Rs 100 crore, sources said. The ONGC would soon be winding up the work and shifting men and machines to Hamirpur for carrying out some exploration there.

Disappointment was looming large among the people of Balh Valley, which had been humming with activity after the arrival of a large number of ONGC engineers and scientists who were engaged in oil exploration since these last three years.

The spudding had been launched after a year-long underground exploration which, according to the ONGC scientists, had indicated positive results. The geological and geophysical surveys and seismic assessment had indicated oil deposits of about 5050 metres down in the earth.

On the eve of spudding, hundreds of scientists, engineers and state dignitaries had been invited to celebrate the occasion. There was lot of optimism and enthusiasm among the ONGC family which had converged here on the eve of spudding. The upgraded electric rigs-2000-VIII had been requisitioned from Bangladesh to carry out the drilling on a war-footing. All seems to be over now.

An official of the ONGC, when contacted, said it was an uphill task to predict the definite presence of oil deposits. Despite advanced techniques it was a sort of hit and trial that engineers had to adopt after assessing positive results of the rocks under the earth. “Of the ten wells drilled, there were oil strikes in two or three”, an ONGC scientist said.

The search in the Himalayan foothills had been launched with the very inception of the ONGC in 1965. The gas seepage at the famous Jawalamukhi temple since centuries had indicated the presence of hydrocarbon potential. The first well was drilled there in 1957-60. Gas was found, but it was not commercially viable to harness it.

Govt ignoring Nurpur, says ex-MLA
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, September 7
Mr Rakesh Pathania, a former local MLA and former Chairman of the HPTDC, today alleged that the Virbhadra government was ignoring the development of Nurpur, the Assembly Constituency being represented by the Rural Development Minister Mr Sat Mahajan. In a statement here, he said in the current year’s annual Budget, Nurpur had been meted out a stepmotherly treatment.

Ridiculing the announcements made by Mr Mahajan at a press conference here recently, Mr Pathania said the minister had been taking credit for all development works approved by the previous Dhumal government. He alleged that during the past six months not even a single brick had been laid in the Assembly segment of the minister.

On the Rs 63-crore Finna Singh Irrigation scheme proposal, Mr Pathania alleged that Mr Mahajan had already befooled people on the project and had contested several Assembly elections on this issue. He said the minister, as promised, should seek financial approval from the Japan International Co-operation Agency before publicising the proposal.

He alleged that the law and order situation in the Nurpur area had deteriorated ever since the Virbhadra government came into power.

Don’t devolve varsity powers, govt warned
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, September 7
Narendra Atri, a senior ABVP leader and former president of the HP University students’ council, today blasted the state government for trying to devolve the powers of HP University and those of the Governor with regard to his control over the functioning of the university. “This step is anti-students in general and anti-people in particular”, he said here today.

In a statement here today, Atri said after its failure to take over the control of the HP University students’ council, the state government was now trying to adopt other means to have full control over the university.

He said the ABVP would oppose all anti-university moves of the state government and threatened to launch an agitation

Atri came down heavily on the Congress for trying to politicise the functioning of HP University. He gave a call to students to join hands on the issue and prevent the government from interfering in the functioning of the university.

3 students drowned in khud
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, September 7
Three teenaged students studying in Class XII in Galore school were drowned in the Kunah khud near Nalti village in the district last night. The deceased have been identified as Mukesh Kumar of Neri village and Rakesh Kumar and Deepak Kumar of Hatli village.

An official spokesman said here today that the three students had gone to Nalti village to make some purchases. From there they went to the Kunah khud for taking a bath. However, they failed to come out of the khud.

He said that when these boys didn’t reach their village last night, efforts were made to locate them. Their bodies were found floating in the khud in the morning by a labourer who lived in a jhuggi on the bank of the khud.

Mr Madan Lal, DSP, Hamirpur, reached the spot along with other police officials today and took custody of the bodies.

The police has registered a case and further investigations were on.

BMS threatens agitation
Our Correspondent

Nurpur September 7
The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has criticised the state government for its anti-worker policies. Mr Madan Rana, state secretary of the BMS, in a statement here yesterday alleged that in spite of creating more job opportunities, the government had retrenched 28 daily-waged workers in Fatehpur and Rehan ranges of Nurpur Forest Division without prior notices.

These workers had been working with the Forest Department for eight to 10 years. He said a number of daily-wagers of the Forest Corporation at Kotla had been transferred to the corporation’s resin factory at Bilaspur, whereas, according to norms laid down by the government, a daily wager could not be transferred beyond 8 km, he added.

Mr Rana lamented that in the same way, 18 daily-wagers working in the Sidhatha irrigation project in Jawali subdivision had been transferred to the Shah Nehar irrigation project at Thakurdwara, 100 km away. He termed the retrenchment and transfers of daily-waged workers as an anti-worker attitude of the government.

He criticised the government for suspending employees’ leaders and alleged that the Virbhadra government was working with political vendetta. He warned that the BMS would launch a statewide agitation against the anti-worker policies of the government.

Kids set record in threading needles
Our Correspondent

Kangra, September 7
Master Shiekhar Raju a class IV student and his sister Madhubala Raju a class VII student, residents of Ansoli village near here yesterday created world record of passing the largest number of threads through sewing machine needles of two different sizes.

Mr A.B. Rajbansh, father of the two children, in an affidavit here yesterday circulated among media persons claimed that his son master Shiekhar Raju (9), a student of class IV had succeeded in making a world record by passing 19 threads through the hole of sewing machine needle No. 5. He said that till now the world record in the Limca Book of Records is 18 threads passed through No. 5 needle.

He said that his daughter Madhubala (12), had also made world record by passing 24 threads through sewing machine needle No. 4. He said that he had written for the inclusion of the names of his two children in the Limca Book of Records for their feat and was planning to get the names included in the Guinness Book of World Records too. The two children did the feat in presence of village pradhan, villagers and a senior gazetted officer.

Decision against evening colleges criticised
Our Correspondent

Mandi, September 7
The decision of the Congress government to close down the three evening colleges at Mandi, Kulu and Dharamsala has drawn sharp criticism from the students’ unions and employees of the public and private sectors who used to go to these colleges for upgrading their academic qualifications. The decision has affected the persons coming from poor families.

The Student Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have joined hands on this issue and described the decision as “anti-student” and threatened to launch a statewide agitation against it.

Timber seized
Our Correspondent

Mandi, September 7
Twelve sleepers of deodar were seized from Komand in Katula Range and another 49 sleepers and frames of different sizes were recovered at Padhar in Urla Range yesterday.

Following a tip-off, forest officials had setup a naka on both sides of the national highway, near Padhar village. The smugglers got the wind of it and escaped in darkness abandoning the timer. At Komand the smugglers had hidden the timber in bushes.