H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Cong anti-women, says BJP Mahila Morcha chief
Nurpur, April 23
All-India BJP Mahila Morcha President Ms Kanta Nalwar has alleged that the Congress failed to safeguard interests of women in the country. Addressing a sammelan of women at Raja Ka Talab near here on Thursday she claimed only the BJP accorded honour to women.

Cong misleading people, says Dhumal
Hamirpur, April 23
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and Mr Suresh Chandel senior leaders of Himachal BJP today alleged that the Congress was spreading rumours to remain in power.

26 file papers for HP seats
Shimla, April 23
As many as 26 candidates have filed their nominations for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state. Mr Ranjit Singh, former MP, was among the six candidates who filed their nominations on the last day today.

Political meetings in Circuit Houses banned
Chamba, April 23
District Magistrate here, Rahul Anand has prohibited the use of rest house and circuit houses for political meetings in Chamba district. He also ordered that rest houses and the circuit houses should be reserved for residential purposes for political parties without discrimination.

Non-teaching staff to boycott poll
Palampur, April 23
The Non-Teaching Employees Union of HP Agricultural University has decided to boycott Lok Sabha elections in protest against non-cooperative attitude of Vice-Chancellor Dr Tej Partap towards its demands.

Timber smuggling from Sainj valley 
Sundernagar: Timber worth crores of rupees is being transported out of the Sainj valley in Kulu district which falls under the jurisdiction of Greater Himalayan National Park, Shamshi, by misusing the provisions of the Land Preservation Act. In the Sundernagar area alone, 4,000 scants were transported from the valley.

Appeal for release of Panchen Lama
Dharamsala, April 23
The National Democratic Party of Tibet, the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress have appealed to the United Nations Commission for Human Rights and the Child Rights Committee to pressurise China so that the eleventh Panchen Lama, who has been held prisoner since 1995, is released.

Held for bid to rape minor
Nahan, April 23
The Paonta Police arrested Ajmer Meian (18) of Amarkot, on Wednesday night, for attempting to rape a minor girl. The DSPs Paonta Sahib received an information of the incident and reached the spot and arrested the accused from his village.

Lure of honey costs youth life

Cong anti-women, says BJP Mahila Morcha chief
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, April 23
All-India BJP Mahila Morcha President Ms Kanta Nalwar has alleged that the Congress failed to safeguard interests of women in the country. Addressing a sammelan of women at Raja Ka Talab near here on Thursday she claimed only the BJP accorded honour to women. The sammelan was organised to mobiles women wing of the BJP in Kangra parliamentary constituency. She said the Women’ Reservation Bill could not be passed because of the non-cooperation of the Congress.

The Congress she said even voted in favour of the Daughters’ Bill in the Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir where the Congress was coalition partner of the PDP-led government. She claimed that AICC president Ms Sonia Gandhi was a novice to Indian culture and customs. Ms Nalwara alleged the Congress in Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra had fielded wives of Chief Ministers.

Former Union Minister and BJP candidate from Kangra constituency, Shanta Kumar said when he was Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in 1990 his government had given reservation to women in pancyayati raj institutions.

Meeting was also addressed by Ms Purnima Sethi national BJP Mahila Morcha vice-president, Ms Bimla Kashyap, state morcha president Mr Rajan Sushant and Mr Rakesh Pathania the former BJP MLAs.

Cong misleading people, says Dhumal
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, April 23
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and Mr Suresh Chandel senior leaders of Himachal BJP today alleged that the Congress was spreading rumours to remain in power.

Addressing election meetings at Bairi, Bajrol, Utpur, Uhal, Barara, Chamboh, Jauh and Sarahkar, they appealed to people to vote for the BJP.

Braving rain and inclement weather people attended the meetings. Prof Dhumal claimed that the BJP was development-oriented party. Mr Dhumal alleged that the Congress always befooled people to remain in power. The BJP leader said that the BJP would continue to help the poor and down-trodden.

Addressing people at all places, Mr Chandel gave account of development works undertaken completed by him for the welfare of the people. Mr Chandel said it was due to the blessings of Mr Vajpayee and Mr Dhumal. 

26 file papers for HP seats
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 23
As many as 26 candidates have filed their nominations for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state. Mr Ranjit Singh, former MP, was among the six candidates who filed their nominations on the last day today.

Mr Ranjit Singh entered the fray as the Janata Dal (S) candidate from the Hamirpur constituency. Mr Sat Pal (Independent) also filed his nomination from Hamirpur, taking the total number of candidates from the seat to 11.

Mr Mohan Lal filed his nomination as the BSP candidate and Mr Kashmir Singh as an Independent from Mandi today. In all, five candidates have entered the fray from the constituency.

Mr Ramesh Bhau of the Himachal Vikas Congress and Mr Dhani Ram, (Independent), filed their nominations from Kangra, taking the total number of contestants from the seat to seven.

Shimla has three candidates in the fray. The Congress, the BJP and the BSP are contesting all four seats, while the Samajwadi Party, the Himachal Vikas Congress and the Janata Dal (S) have fielded one candidate each. There are 11 Independents in the fray.

Political meetings in Circuit Houses banned
Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 23
District Magistrate here, Rahul Anand has prohibited the use of rest house and circuit houses for political meetings in Chamba district. He also ordered that rest houses and the circuit houses should be reserved for residential purposes for political parties without discrimination.

He said here yesterday to monitor election arrangements in the district, 12 control rooms had been set up, including the one at district headquarter town of Chamba under the supervision of Assistant Returning Officers (AROs).

The DM said any violation of code of conduct for election would be viewed seriously by the Election Commission. The DM directed all SDMs of the district who are Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) of their respective areas also to meet representatives of political parties and candidates at subdivisional level for free, fair and peaceful elections.

Non-teaching staff to boycott poll
Our Correspondent

Palampur, April 23
The Non-Teaching Employees Union of HP Agricultural University has decided to boycott Lok Sabha elections in protest against non-cooperative attitude of Vice-Chancellor Dr Tej Partap towards its demands.

Mr Bimal Shekhri and Mr Mehar Chand, President and General Secretary, respectively of the union said the decision was taken at a meeting of the union here today. The meeting resolved that all members of the HPAU and members of their families would boycott Lok Sabha elections. The leaders said that their meetings with the Vice-Chancellor yielded no result as he was adamant not to release instalments of dearness allowance.

The state government has already released the instalments of DA and HRA to its employees

The leaders said that union had also resolved to resort to direct action after April 30, if the demand was not met. They said, they had called off the agitation on assurances of the Chief Minister and the Vice-Chancellor had agreed to accept the demands but there was no follow-up.

Timber smuggling from Sainj valley 
Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundernagar: Timber worth crores of rupees is being transported out of the Sainj valley in Kulu district which falls under the jurisdiction of Greater Himalayan National Park, Shamshi, by misusing the provisions of the Land Preservation Act. In the Sundernagar area alone, 4,000 scants were transported from the valley.

This timber comes from the local people who get it under the timber distribution scheme. The timber obtained under the scheme is not allowed to be transported to other places and is issued for local use for construction purposes.

All this timber is transported allegedly with the help of officials of the Forest Department. The provisions of the Land Preservation Act are misused to smuggle the timber out of the area.

It has came to the notice of the authorities that such cases are on the rise in the Sainj valley. Unscrupulous persons purchase land in the area and with the help of Forest Department officials get orders to fell trees under the timber distribution scheme. Then the timber is transported to other parts of Himachal Pradesh. In fact, in most cases no timber exists on the land nor its value is included in the cost of the land at the time of sale.

First, the revenue loss is being caused to the government as no tax on the evaluation of the trees is paid. Secondly, it is all done to legalise the smuggling of timber. In some cases a particular piece of land is sold to many persons and they are issued orders to transport timbers. But in reality there exists no timber on the spot. They purchase timber from local residents at throwaway prices and smuggle it out of the area.

The government, after receiving complaints regarding misuse of the provisions of the Land Preservation Act, ordered an inquiry into the matter and has written to the Conservators of Forests of the various districts to trace out such cases. The department has also written to the Flying Squad headquarters at Sundernagar to check this kind of smuggling of timber.

According to an estimate, more than 35,000 scants worth more than Rs 10 crore were transported to other places of the state.

In Mandi district alone, more than 5,000 scants were transported from the Sainj valley. There are five forest divisions in the district and approximately 4,000 scants were transported from the Sundernagar Forest Division.

Although the government has ordered an inquiry into the matter, some officials fear that the matter would be hushed up as a majority of the officials who are involved in the scam are posted in the office of Greater Himalayan National Park.

The officials are so influential that even the change in government did not affect their position. The Election Commission issued directions to transfer those employees who had completed four years at one place, but no forest officials has been transferred so far.

The Director of Greater Himalayan National Park, Mr Sanjeeva Pandey, when contacted, said, “We are unable to do anything as the documents are duly completed.” He said that he had written to the authorities to frame a policy under which no felling orders should be issued for a period of two to five years from the date of purchase of land.

Appeal for release of Panchen Lama
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, April 23
The National Democratic Party of Tibet, the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress have appealed to the United Nations Commission for Human Rights and the Child Rights Committee to pressurise China so that the eleventh Panchen Lama, who has been held prisoner since 1995, is released.

In a joint statement issued here today, these organisations said the Panchen Lama, who turns 15 on April 25, was incarcerated on May 14, 1995, three days after he was recognised as the eleventh Panchen Lama. He was only six years old at that time. Thus he became the youngest political prisoner.

They demanded that China should allow UN members and other human rights activists to have an audience with the young Panchen Lama to confirm his well-being.

Acharya Yeshi Phunstok, president of the National Democratic Party of Tibet, said for the past nine years, despite all efforts , there was no news about the welfare of the young Panchen Lama and his parents. 

Held for bid to rape minor
Our Correspondent

Nahan, April 23
The Paonta Police arrested Ajmer Meian (18) of Amarkot, on Wednesday night, for attempting to rape a minor girl. The DSPs Paonta Sahib received an information of the incident and reached the spot and arrested the accused from his village. The police reportedly received the medical examination report, which, as per sources is silent on rape.

The police has registered the case under Section 376 of the IPC but if medical report does not confirm rape the case would be investigated under Section 511 of the IPC, Police sources added.

Lure of honey costs youth life
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, April 23
Lure of honey cost of a youth his life while another broke his leg and is said to have been crippled in the process. Reports here yesterday said that Madanlal (18 years) and Hemraj (20 years) of village Kularu near Ghumarwin 25 km. from here climbed up a tree at night for extracting honey from a bee hive but branches of the tree could not bear weight of two youths.

It broke and they came crashing down with the beehive. Madanlal died on the spot but Hemraj had his leg fractured and was stung by bees. He became unconscious. Hemraj was admitted to a Zonal hospital for his treatment. Honey was lost in the process.