H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

CM blasts BJP for shielding panellists
Shimla, February 20
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today blasted the BJP for defending those involved in irregularities committed in the selection of assistant engineers carried out by the state public service commission and said the government would take steps to salvage the reputation and credibility of the constitutional body.

Former HVC minister joins BJP
Dharamsala, February 20
The first meeting of the newly constituted state Executive Committee of the BJP was today held at Gita Bhavan, Jwalamukhi. The meeting was presided over by the state president, Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, and the former Chief Minister Mr P.K. Dhumal, and former Union Minister Mr Shanta Kumar attended it.

70 complain of nausea, admitted to hospital
Una, February 20
Panic bells rang yet again as more than 70 patients, complaining of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea got themselves admitted to the Zonal hospital today. These were part of the 450-odd patients who had reportedly suffered food poisoning after partaking meals at a religious place in Behdala village on the occasion of “Shivratri’’.

Malik ‘violated’ oath of secrecy
Shimla, February 20
The controversy sparked off by the allegations of irregularities in the selection of the assistant engineers by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission took a new turn with two members, Mr P.C. Katoch and Mr M.S. Chopra, initiating a move for a discussion into the circumstances which compelled Mr Vinod Malik, another member, to take up the internal matters of the commission with the government.

Tibetans gear up for the Losar festival. In video: (28k, 56k)

Poster issue: police intensifies patrolling
Chamba, February 20
The police has intensified night patrolling apprehend those involved in pasting and distributing slanderous and ‘obscene’ posters aimed at creating ‘communal disharmony’ in the district.

Action promised in fake certificate case
Shimla, February 20
The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to take action against two candidates who were selected for training as ophthalmic assistants during the BJP regime on the basis of fake certificates.

• Symposium on Atal vision

• Shobhna Narayan regales audience

CM blasts BJP for shielding panellists
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today blasted the BJP for defending those involved in irregularities committed in the selection of assistant engineers carried out by the state public service commission and said the government would take steps to salvage the reputation and credibility of the constitutional body.

Talking to mediapersons, here today, he said that the complaint lodged by a member of commission that the list of candidates selected by the four-member interview panel had been changed was too serious to be ignored and the government’s suggestion that the chairperson of the commission, Mr Dev Raj Sharma, should voluntarily quit the office was made only to maintain the dignity of the constitutional body. The government would not allow the fair name of the commission to be smeared by scams at any cost.

He said three out of the four members who were on the panel maintained that the list had been changed. The explanation of Mr Sharma that the issue was not raised before the release of list was untenable as the member had refused to sign the list on this very ground. Instead of sorting out the issue he released the list in undue haste.

The government was well aware of the constitutional status of the commission but it could not allow anyone to commit ‘hara-kiri’ in the garb of autonomy. It had already decided not to appoint the candidates recommended by the commission and an appropriate action would follow. The government would take steps to ensure transparency in the selection process, particularly in the conduct of interviews.

He came down heavily on the BJP on the issue and said while in power it was embroiled in corruption from head to toe and as an Opposition it was pursuing a single point agenda to shield the corrupt. It raised a hue and cry when the government initiated an inquiry into the irregularities committed in Himachal Pradesh University and the state subordinate services selection board.

Former HVC minister joins BJP
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, February 20
The first meeting of the newly constituted state Executive Committee of the BJP was today held at Gita Bhavan, Jwalamukhi. The meeting was presided over by the state president, Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, and the former Chief Minister Mr P.K. Dhumal, and former Union Minister Mr Shanta Kumar attended it.

Mr Suresh Bhardwaj set the agenda for forthcoming elections by urging all party workers to work unitedly to ensure the BJP’s victory in all four seats of the state. Asking the partymen to forget the sad incidents of 1997 when the Dhumal and the Shanta factions had fought during a meeting at Jwalamukhi, the president of the state unit of the BJP said the party must forget the past and prepare for the future.

Commenting on the 2003 elections in the state, Mr Suresh Bhardwaj said the weaknesses in organisational set up were responsible for the defeat of the BJP. He said though a lot of development took place during five years of the BJP’s rule, but the party failed to convince the people and the message did not reach the voters which led to the party’s debacle. He asked every leader and the worker to go to the people and expose the poor performance of the Virbhadra Singh’s government. He said the achievements of the NDA government at Center led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the failure of the Congress government led by Mr Virbhadra Singh in Himachal Pradesh on all fronts would ensure the victory for the BJP but this should lead to complacency.

The state executive today formally admitted a former HVC minister from Karsog, Mr Mansa Ram into the party. Though the issue of admission of BJP leaders who had resigned from the party to form the Mitter Mandal was discussed but no decision taken. The executive asked all such candidates to apply to their respective mandals for admission. The cases after being approved by the district unit would be sent to the state president who would take the final decision.

70 complain of nausea, admitted to hospital

Una, February 20
Panic bells rang yet again as more than 70 patients, complaining of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea got themselves admitted to the Zonal hospital today.

These were part of the 450-odd patients who had reportedly suffered food poisoning after partaking meals at a religious place in Behdala village on the occasion of “Shivratri’’.

Though by last evening, almost all the patients were discharged from the hospital after being given treatment today, people kept trickling into the hospital, complaining of a repeat of the earlier symptoms. On hearing about the news, Cooperation Minister Kuldip Kumar visited the hospital and directed the health authorities to post additional staff at the Behdala Primary Health Centre. He further directed the authorities to provide free treatment to all affected persons.

The Senior Medical Officer, Dr Rita Bharwaj confirmed that about 63 patients had been admitted with infection in the abdomen. She said the main reason for a repeal of the symptoms could be that after the initial relief, the patients had probably stopped taking antibiotics, allowing the infection to reoccur. She advised all affected persons to continue with the complete does of prescribed medicines.

Meanwhile, the police has registered a case under Section 328 of the IPC for deliberately trying to cause mental or physical harm to a person. No arrests have, however, been made as the forensic reports of the food samples sent to the Junga forensic labs, Shimla have not yet been received. — UNI

Malik ‘violated’ oath of secrecy
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20
The controversy sparked off by the allegations of irregularities in the selection of the assistant engineers by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission took a new turn with two members, Mr P.C. Katoch and Mr M.S. Chopra, initiating a move for a discussion into the circumstances which compelled Mr Vinod Malik, another member, to take up the internal matters of the commission with the government.

The issue, they said, should be discussed by the commission as the action of the members amounted to violation of oath of secrecy. They maintained that under the rules, such matters were to be discussed within the commission. However, Mr Malik lodged a complaint with the government. Sources in the commission said complaints from employees alleging that Mr Malik had sought confidential information pertaining to the conduct of examination from them had also been received.

Mr Malik, when contacted, said he had not violated the oath of secrecy. He had taken the oath to protect the constitutional rights of the people and not to perpetrate a fraud.

He said the commission should facilitate an independent inquiry. A misinformation campaign had been launched by vested interests against him ever since he had complained to the government that the list of selected candidates had been changed, he added.

Poster issue: police intensifies patrolling
Our Correspondent

Chamba, February 20
The police has intensified night patrolling apprehend those involved in pasting and distributing slanderous and ‘obscene’ posters aimed at creating ‘communal disharmony’ in the district.

Mr N.D. Sharma, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chamba, today said the police was on the look-out for the miscreants who had put up posters casting aspersions on the doctors of the zonal hospital.

Meanwhile, a deputation of prominent residents is expected to meet the Himachal Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, and the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, during their visit to the region.

Mr Sat Pal Thakur, district president of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Employees Federation, has also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking an inquiry into the matter. Anti social elements had earlier pasted and distributed posters in the region against senior ministers, administrative officers, executive magistrate, engineers, contractors, besides others, last year also.

Action promised in fake certificate case
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20
The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to take action against two candidates who were selected for training as ophthalmic assistants during the BJP regime on the basis of fake certificates.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, told newspersons that the candidates who were the relatives of a close associate of the former Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, did not have the requisite qualification for selection. The requisite qualification was Class XII (non-medical) at the time they were selected. Subsequently, the qualification was changed to Class XII (medical). However, the certificate submitted by the two candidates turned out to be fake.

If one took their age and the year of examination as mentioned in the certificates, one of them passed the Class XII examinations at the age of 11 and the other at 13,which was ridiculous, he said. It provided yet another example of the frauds perpetrated by the BJP government on the people to give jobs to the favoured. He said the government would prosecute them for cheating and fraud.

Symposium on Atal vision
Our Correspondent

Shimla, February 20
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s intellectual cell will organise a symposium on Atal’s vision on February 22 here. Mr Arun Jaitely, Union Minister of Law and Commerce, will be the main speaker, Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, state BJP chief and Dr Radha Raman Shastri, convener of the cell, will also speak.

Shobhna Narayan regales audience
Our Correspondent

Mandi, February 20
Noted Kathak dancer, Shobhna Narayan, cultural troupes of Manipur and Rajasthan and famous Punjabi playback singer, Hans Raj Hans, regaled about 20,000 persons at the International Shivratri fair organised at the Seri Pavilion here last night. The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, was the chief guest.