H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Cong may implicate opponents in false cases, says Dhumal
Shimla, March 17
Prof P.K. Dhumal, leader of the BJP Legislature Party, has expressed apprehension that the Congress government could implicate its political opponents in false cases on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll to derive mileage.

BJP charges on HPMC baseless, says minister
Shimla, March 17
Mr Singhi Ram, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, has refuted the allegation of the BJP that the HPMC had given undue benefit to a private firm and said the charge was baseless, politically motivated and malicious.

Sukh Ram to contest from Mandi
Mandi, March 17
The Himachal Vikas Congress chief, Mr Sukh Ram, today announced here that he would contest from the Mandi Parliamentary constituency on the HVC ticket. He said the state executive committee, which met at his residence today, unanimously resolved to field him.

Wives of three martyrs given badges of honour
Dharamsala, March 17
Badges of sacrifice were today presented to family members of three martyrs of Kangra district who had laid down their lives during Operation Prakaram in Jammu and Kashmir. The three martyrs belonged to the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

2-day remand for Katwal, Vidya Nath
Hamirpur, March 17
Mr Dharam Chand Chaudhry, Special Judge, Hamirpur, today sent former Chairman of HP Subordinate Services Selection Board, Surendra Mohan Katwal and Vidya Nath, a former member of the board to two-day remand.

DIG retired compulsorily
Shimla, March 17
Mr Ravinder Kumar, a Deputy Inspector-General of police, has been compulsorily retired from service. The action was taken against him by the Centre on the basis of a departmental inquiry conducted by the state government.

Cong may implicate opponents in false cases,
says Dhumal
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 17
Prof P.K. Dhumal, leader of the BJP Legislature Party, has expressed apprehension that the Congress government could implicate its political opponents in false cases on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll to derive mileage.

In a statement here today, he alleged that the “feudal” Chief Ministers of Himachal and Punjab had been using the police to implicate its political opponents. They were resorting to such tactics as they were too weak to fight with them politically.

He said Mr Virbhadra Singh said yesterday that cases might be registered against some former ministers shortly. The intentions of the government were quite clear. He said the people would not be misled by such attempts to malign the opponents and would give a befitting defeat to Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Virbhadra Singh.

Reacting to Mr Virbhadra Singh’s, statement regarding the dismissal threat to his government, Mr Dhumal said the Congress had no moral right to make a hue and cry on the issue as it dismissed duly elected governments at its will.

He alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh was criminalising politics in the state by openly defending persons facing numerous charges of crime in the courts of Haryana and Himachal. While elected representatives were not allowed to assemble on the Mall and the Ridge, criminals wielding swords were free to move around and even attack others with impunity.

BJP charges on HPMC baseless, says minister
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 17
Mr Singhi Ram, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, has refuted the allegation of the BJP that the HPMC had given undue benefit to a private firm and said the charge was baseless, politically motivated and malicious.

He termed the statement of Dr Rajiv Bindal, a spokesman for the BJP, as a bundle of lies. He said BJP leaders had been making such statements out of frustration, without verifying facts. The fact was that Glacier Marketing Network had entered into an agreement with the HPMC for the sale of its products in 1995 for three years. Despite the fact that the distributor executed sales amounting to Rs 156.22 lakh against a target of Rs 109.20 lakh, the agreement was wrongly terminated by the HPMC on the behest of certain BJP leaders because of personal rivalry and vendatta after the installation of the Dhumal government in the state in 1998. The firm was compelled to go in for an arbitration. It later made a request to the corporation in April, 2003, for the settlement for its claim of Rs 7,46,615 on account of old outstanding dues of the 1995-98 period. After having been satisfied with all relevant records, including arbitration matter and subsequent recommendations of the regional manager, it ordered the release of all pending legitimate claims amounting to Rs 6,16,346 to the firm. The case was decided purely on merit and keeping in view the overall business interest of the corporation.

Further, the firm was appointed the distributor for the Delhi region for 2004-05 on merit basis after completing all formalities. He said that the AMTL which was given the distributorship for Delhi for 2003-04 could not achieve the given target. Against the target of Rs 2.50 crore, it could manage a sale of Rs 30.44 lakh only upto October, 2003, resulting in a shortfall of about Rs 2.20 crore. Keeping in view the dismal performance of the firm, the agreement was terminated.

Sukh Ram to contest from Mandi
Our Correspondent

Mandi, March 17
The Himachal Vikas Congress chief, Mr Sukh Ram, today announced here that he would contest from the Mandi Parliamentary constituency on the HVC ticket.

He said the state executive committee, which met at his residence today, unanimously resolved to field him. He said the party would contest only from the Mandi seat. “The HVC will seek the support of all like-minded parties in this constituency and reciprocate by supporting their candidates in Hamirpur, Shimla and Kangra,” Mr Sukh Ram said.

The HVC had suffered a setback when Col Dhani Ram Shandil, a former MP from the Shimla constituency, and Mr Ram Lal Markand, a former minister in the previous ministry, left the party.

When asked regarding the offer of the Chief Minister to join the Congress without any precondition, Mr Sukh Ram maintained that the question of extending unconditional support to the Congress was not a practicable proposition in politics. The Congress could have either offered him a party ticket from the Mandi constituency or Rajya Sabha seat to his son, Mr Anil Sharma. “This is my 13th election. I have never lost any election except once”, he asserted.

Wives of three martyrs given badges of honour

Dharamsala, March 17
Badges of sacrifice were today presented to family members of three martyrs of Kangra district who had laid down their lives during Operation Prakaram in Jammu and Kashmir. The three martyrs belonged to the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

According to Col R. D. Dhiman of the station headquarters Dharamsala Cantonment, Nk Prabhat Singh of Bhagola village in Nurpur tehsil who belonged to 28RR/2J and K Rifles, Hav Kirpal Singh of Bhadwal village of Kangra Tehsil and belonged to 11 J and K Rifles and Nk Subhash Chand of the same regiment belonging to Tipp village of Dehra Tehsil had laid down their lives during the operation. He said the badges of honour and sacrifice were presented to Mrs Sneh Lata, widow of Nk Prabhat Singh, Mrs Kamlesh Kumari, widow of Hav Kirpal Singh and Mrs Shreshtha Kumari, widow of Nk Subhash Chand on behalf of the Chief of the Army staff at a simple function held today. Financial assistance was also given to the three families by the station headquarters. — OC

2-day remand for Katwal, Vidya Nath
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, March 17
Mr Dharam Chand Chaudhry, Special Judge, Hamirpur, today sent former Chairman of HP Subordinate Services Selection Board, Surendra Mohan Katwal and Vidya Nath, a former member of the board to two-day remand.

The Special Judge didn’t fix any date for interrogation.

DIG retired compulsorily

Shimla, March 17
Mr Ravinder Kumar, a Deputy Inspector-General of police, has been compulsorily retired from service.

The action was taken against him by the Centre on the basis of a departmental inquiry conducted by the state government. The inquiry pertained to the period when Mr Ravinder Kumar was posted as DIG, Northern Range, in Dharamsala.

The inquiry found him guilty of misconduct and misuse of official position and recommended action against him. — TNS