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CM should apologise on MoU issue: Dhumal
Nurpur, October 10
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, should tender a public apology for misleading the people on the issue of the memorandum of understanding signed by his own government with the Government of India in May this year under a fiscal reforms programme and request the Centre for termination of it.

Guler electorate demand healthcare,
basic amenities
Guler, October 10
Even as leaders of the two major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, have been harping on discrimination against the lower Himachal, the local leaders, as also the electorate, feel that local issues are being ignored in the run-up to the Guler Assembly by-election.

CAG report points to Rs 56 lakh fraud
Solan, October 10
With the Comptroller and Auditor General pointing out an embezzlement of Rs 56,67,498 lakh in various accounts of the local Municipal Committee in the period between April 1993 and March 31, 2003, the working of its officials has come under a cloud.

Dept’s suggestion raises eyebrows
Non-recovery of advances to contractors
Shimla, October 10
While the Central Vigilance Commission is pressing the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam to take action against officers responsible for the non-recovery of advances amounting to over Rs 450 crore, a section of the top management is keen to have a settlement with the beneficiary contractors against the advice of the finance and law departments.

Mushroom cultivation picking up in HP
Shimla, October 10
Having made its mark in apple and cultivation of off-season vegetables, Himachal Pradesh is emerging as a leading mushroom producing state in the country. Over the past two decades, 806 mushroom production units have come up with an annual turnover of over 4,500 tonnes.

Entrust hydel projects to NHPC, says INTUC
Chamba, October 10
The Indian National Trade Union Congress has appealed to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to entrust the construction of various stages of hydroelectric projects like Chamera and Parbati, identified on the basins of the Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej in the state, to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

Ms Tashi Yangchen, the newly crowned Miss Tibet 2004, poses for photographers following her victory in Dharamsala on Sunday. — Reuters

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EARLIER STORIES

	Cong men terrorising other parties’ activists, says HVC October 10, 2004
	BJP distorting MoU facts, says CM October 9, 2004
	Record apple crop in HP October 8, 2004
	Dental college staff go on indefinite strike October 7, 2004
	BJP never signed MoU on fiscal reforms, says Dhumal October 6, 2004
	Villagers protest against irregular water supply October 5, 2004
	Anti-cannabis team loses way, rescued October 4, 2004
	CM misleading people on MoU, says Dhumal October 3, 2004
	India among brilliant countries: Gen Vij October 2, 2004
	SP denies infiltration reports October 1, 2004

CM should apologise on MoU issue: Dhumal
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, October 10
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, should tender a public apology for misleading the people on the issue of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by his own government with the Government of India in May this year under a fiscal reforms programme and request the Centre for termination of it.

This was demanded by former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal at a press conference here today.

Terming the MoU as anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-employee and anti-employment, Mr Dhumal delivered a number of documentary proofs to the mediapersons to prove his point that the MoU was signed only by the Virbhadra Singh government.

Lashing out at the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, Mr Dhumal said that they had been issuing false, irresponsible and misleading statements on the issue of signing of the MOU which had warmed up in the Guler assembly byelection.

He categorically denied the signing of the MoU during his regime in 1999 as claimed by the Congress leaders. He clarified that the MoU draft was received by the then government in December, 2001, from the Centre which was debated in the assembly but the government had not signed it for want of consensus.

Mr Dhumal distributed copies of the MoU signed by the Virbhadra Singh government in May this year among mediapersons in which it has been mentioned in its first page that the “Government of HP has not been able to sign the MoU in the first four years of the fiscal reforms facility”. The MoU has been signed jointly by the Principal Secretary (Finance), Himachal Pradesh, Mr S.S. Parmar, and the Joint Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Mr S.C. Garg.

Mr Dhumal also produced copy of the report of the Comptroller of Auditor-General (CAG) of India for the year ended on March 31, 2003, in which it was clearly stated that “the state government had not entered into the MoU with the Government of India regarding fiscal reforms as of August, 2003”.

Guler electorate demand healthcare, basic amenities
Vibhor Mohan
Tribune News Service

Guler, October 10
Even as leaders of the two major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, have been harping on discrimination against the lower Himachal, the local leaders, as also the electorate, feel that local issues are being ignored in the run-up to the Guler Assembly by-election.

While the BJP leaders mention the ‘inexperience’ of the Congress candidate and also accuse the Congress of promoting family politics, the Congress leaders are highlighting development as a poll plank, saying that if the ruling party candidate was elected, development works would get an impetus.

Mr Kuldeep Singh, panchayat president of Katora village in the Guler constituency, said development had been overlooked ever since the installation of the Congress government in the state. There has been no laying of roads and even the projects started by the BJP government were stopped midway, he said.

The healthcare facilities in the area were also dismal even though Mr Chander Kumar had been representing the constituency for decades now. Even basic amenities are not available in some villages, he said.

Mr Rajinder Kumar, retired LIC employee and resident of Nagrota Surya, pointed out that voters of the constituency were more interested in development in the area by way of better healthcare and basic amenities rather than issues like discrimination of the government against Kangra and dropping of three ministers from the Cabinet during its downsizing.

Mr Bhubnesh Bhardwaj, panchayat president of Spail village, added that Classes XI and XII students from his village had to travel nearly 10 km to study in Nagrota Surya or Lunj village. We only have a high school in the village and the demand for its upgradation has still not been accepted. The village also needs at least a dispensary so that immediate first aid could be provided. During the past one week, two youths from the village died as they could not be given medical aid in time.

The bridge between Spail and Kalro has also been under construction for several years now and the locals have been having problems as a large area continues to be accessible during the rainy season, he said.

Mr Pritam Lal, resident of Bassa village, highlighted the need for a degree college in the area. A college should be set up at least in Nagrota Surya. At present, students from all villages in the Guler constituency have to go to Dharamsala to complete their graduation, he said.

Campaigning for the byelection ends tomorrow and the voters would go to the polls on October 13. A battery of senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, have been camping in Guler for the past two weeks. The BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar are also actively participating in the campaigning process.

	BJP foresees Cong defeat in Guler Tribune News Service Shimla, October 10 Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, state BJP chief, today said that the Congress had already conceded defeat in the Guler assembly election with Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, asserting that losing one seat would not make any difference to his government. In a statement here today, he said the trend of the electorate was already visible and the Congress leaders had also seen the writing on the wall. The Congress committed a grave mistake by fielding a son of Mr Chander Kumar, a former Forest Minister, as the people were against dynastic rule. The Congress was in bad shape and its own leaders were criticising the party. He cited the example of Major Vijai Mankotia in this regard. While Mr Virbhadra Singh maintained that Major Mankotia was indulging in indiscipline, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, did not think so.
	Congress promoting family politics: Shanta Kumar Tribune News Service Dharamsala, October 10 Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar today accused the Congress of promoting family politics in the Guler Assembly by-elections by selecting Neeraj Bharti, son of Congress leader Chander Kumar, as the Congress candidate. Addressing a press conference, he said this was against the spirit of democracy. “In a way, they wanted to give out a message that there was no other deserving candidate from among the Congress cadres in the area. No wonder, their own party workers are unhappy with the decision, even if they are not expressing themselves openly. This would surely become a major factor for defeat of the Congress candidate,” he said. He further said the way Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had been camping in Guler is a clear indication that the Congress party had accepted the fact that they have no chance of winning the Assembly seat. “All their ministers are in Guler and their offices Shimla are lying deserted,” he said. “When people elected me from two Assembly seats, besides, voting me as MP in 1990, there was pressure on me as well to accommodate my wife or son. However, considering it a testing moment, I decided to select people on merit,” he said.
	CAG report points to Rs 56 lakh fraud Ambika Sharma Solan, October 10 With the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) pointing out an embezzlement of Rs 56,67,498 lakh in various accounts of the local Municipal Committee in the period between April 1993 and March 31, 2003, the working of its officials has come under a cloud. The 200-page exhaustive report, which was tabled in the general House of the committee on Thursday, has opened a Pandora’s box of irregularities. The detailed report of the CAG points out that about Rs 6. 95 lakh was embezzled on account of registration fee alone in the period between August 2000 and November 2000. As against a sum of about Rs 11.72 lakh only Rs 4.76 lakh was deposited in the committee account. No receipts of another Rs 16,323 received as registration fee were found in the committee accounts though the receipts of the amount were duly entered in the tehsil accounts. Even crematorium was not spared and the report revealed that Rs 8.86 lakh was found embezzled and only Rs 5.20 lakh was found credited to the committee’s account. Funds collected on account of clearance of building maps and water connections showed an irregularity of Rs 20.07 lakh. As against the collection of Rs 96.20 lakh only Rs 76.13 lakh was credited to the committee accounts. Another Rs 15.59 lakh was found missing from the municipal accounts, which was collected in lieu of rent of the committee’s rest house, committee’s premises and its ground. As against an amount of Rs 22.51 lakh only Rs 6.92 lakh was deposited with the committee. A sum of Rs 1.49 lakh was found embezzled on account of tender fee alone, where no sale register had been maintained. Another Rs 3.31 lakh was found embezzled on account of revenue earned from various stalls put on its ground during festivals. Yet another Rs 20.79 lakh was embezzled under various other heads where no receipts were found in the committee records. The committee’s Chairperson, Ms Poonam Grover, said that the report had been sent to the Directorate at Shimla. While ensuring that the officials found involved in the irregularities would not be spared, she said the committee had taken a strict view of the report. The audit, which was normally conducted every year, was now got conducted after a decade now.
	Dept’s suggestion raises eyebrows Non-recovery of advances to contractors Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, October 10 While the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is pressing the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam to take action against officers responsible for the non-recovery of advances amounting to over Rs 450 crore (including interest), a section of the top management is keen to have a settlement with the beneficiary contractors against the advice of the finance and law departments. The issue was discussed at the meeting of the board of directors last week at which the Law Department gave an unambiguous advice that the claims of contractors should not be paid on the recommendation of the Additional Dispute Review Board (ADRB) and the matter should be dealt with under the Arbitration Act. As such the advances could not be adjusted against the claims. The Finance Department also asserted that the claims were not payable and that recommendations made by the ADRB were beyond the provisions of the Act. However, the Contract Department, which had all along maintained that the claims were not payable, suggested that the issue be settled mutually with the contractors. The sudden change in the stand of the department has raised many an eyebrow. The three major companies — Nathpa Jhakri Joint Venture, Continental Foundation Joint Venture and J.P. Construction Company — were advanced about Rs 200 crore which had more than doubled over the past five years. Engineers of the nigam maintained that there was no case for payment of claims as the companies had quoted very high rates. They cited the examples of the Kol Dam and Parbati projects, work on which started almost six years later, where the rates were comparable with those of the Nathpa Jhakri project. The management of the nigam had not only failed to take action against those responsible for extending indiscriminate advances and not recovering them but had also granted promotions to most of those who were facing vigilance inquiry. The state government and the Union Ministry of Power have been equally responsible for it. The state Vigilance Department had registered four cases against senior officers of the nigam in 1999 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, the previous Dhumal government ordered the department not to pursue the cases saying that these will be referred to the CVC. The cases remained pending first with the state government and then with the Union Ministry for Power and never reached the CVC. In the meantime, all those involved in the cases were given promotions.
	Mushroom cultivation picking up in HP Tribune News Service Shimla, October 10 Having made its mark in apple and cultivation of off-season vegetables, Himachal Pradesh is emerging as a leading mushroom producing state in the country. Over the past two decades, 806 mushroom production units have come up with an annual turnover of over 4,500 tonnes. The delicious protein-rich edible fungus has a vast scope in middle and higher hill areas of the state where conditions are ideal for its cultivation. Unlike other agricultural crops, no land is required for mushroom cultivation and is grown indoors under controlled conditions. There is a ready market for mushrooms which also has medicinal properties as it has very low fat content and cholesterol. Further, the compost after harvesting the crop can be further used as manure for various agricultural crops. The Horticulture Department is providing technical assistance to growers and organising training camps in different parts of the state. High quality compost is being supplied to registered mushroom growers from its compost production units at Chambaghat (Solan) and Palampur (Kangra). Recently two more compost units have started functioning at Bajaura (Kullu) and Dharbaggi (Kangra) which will cater the compost demand of mushroom growers in Kullu, Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. At present 37 compost units in the government and private sector are engaged in compost production with a turnover of 25,700 tonnes. About 100 kg of compost is enough to produce 20 kg of mushrooms. The government is giving various incentives to boost mushroom cultivation like 50 per cent subsidy on compost to growers belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and identified poor families and 25 per cent to the small and marginal farmers. High quality casing soil is being provided to registered mushroom growers free of cost. There is 3 per cent subsidy on the rate of interest and 100 per cent subsidy on the transportation of compost upto a maximum limit of 400 trays. In all, 12 units have been set up for preparing spawn (mushroom seed) which produce over of 8.75 lakh spawn bottles per year. A small mushroom house, which can accommodate 100 trays of compost, fetches an income of Rs 10,000 per crop. It can be grown even during winter by maintaining temperature. The Indian Council for Agriculture and Research (ICAR) has set up a national centre for mushroom research and training at Solan to carry out research and training for development of mushroom industry in the country. Mushroom cultivation has picked up in and around Solan and it has transformed the economy of the local people. The town has come to be known as the “Mushroom City of India”.