Kangra, February 13
The foundation stone for a Rs 6 crore modern bus stand was laid under the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme at McLeodganj by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Virbhadra Singh, on the last leg of his 23-day winter sojourn today.

While addressing a public meeting he said the BOT scheme was being adopted globally to ensure public participation and to provide best facilities to the people at nominal charges for the services available in the multipurpose modern complexes.

He said this bus stand would be of an international standard comprising a shopping complex, car parking and other facilities.

He said Rs 7 crore were being spent on various tourism projects in Kangra district during the current financial year, including Rs. 2.5 crore on tourism promotion activities at McLeodgang.

He said Rs 50 lakh each would be spent at Bahgsunag and on the beautification of Dal Lake besides Rs 75 lakh each in Triund and McLeodganj Bazar. He , however, said that the work on the Dharamsala and McLeodganj road would start in the beginning of the coming tourist season.

He said McLeodganj was a major attraction for tourists from all over the world, it being the seat of the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama as people from all over the world visited here to pay obeisance to him. He said the upcoming modern bus stand would add to the existing infrastructure.

He asked the authorities to ensure time-bound completion of the projects. He later on inspected Dal Lake to take stock of the developmental works of beautifying it and developing it as a tourism spot.

Tourism and Transport Minister, Mr G.S.Bali, who welcomed the Chief Minister said bus stands at Banjar, Nagrota Bagwan, Baijnath and Jawali were being constructed and bus stands of Solan and Chintpurni would soon be dedicated to the people.

Mr Bali said a ropeway connecting Dharamsala, McLeodganj and Triund was being considered by the government in near future. Former Health Minister Chandresh Kumari sought further funds for tourism development in the area.

The Chief Minister said that his government was contemplating an amendment to the Municipal Act to fix accountability of those authorities which were responsible for maintaining the government land and allow unauthorised constructions on it and added that they would be prosecuted under criminal and civil provisions. 

Kangra, February 13
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said yesterday that tight security would be provided at the cricket pitch and newly constructed stadium at Dharamsala in view of the threat by the Shiv Sena.

He was talking to The Tribune at the Thural PWD Rest House during his one-day tour of the constituency. He said Pakistani players were welcome in this hill-state and adequate arrangements would be made for their security.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said steps were afoot to provide security to cricket fans visiting Dharamsala, during the three-day international cricket match being played between the Board President’s XI and Pakistan.

According to sources, 2000 Pakistani cricket fans are expected to throng this hill-town to enjoy cricket at the newly constructed stadium.

Kangra district police chief S.P. Singh said arrangements had been chalked out for the safe and smooth conduct of the three-day international match.

Kangra, February 13
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today lambasted the state BJP leadership for describing his 23-day winter sojourn at Dharamsala as a ‘tamasha’ and said during this sojourn developmental projects worth Rs 85 crore were either inaugurated or foundation stones for these projects laid in Kangra district alone.

Mr Virbhadra Singh was addressing a press conference at the Circuit House in Dharamsala this morning. He said his tour of Kangra, Una and Hamirpur districts had been most productive. A number of announcements were made on the spot for which budgetary provisions would be made in due course.

He said if the BJP felt that the new projects were a ‘tamasha’ it was unfortunate. He said such utterances of the BJP leadership were owing to frustration.

He said when Prof P.K. Dhumal headed the government he did not talk of shifting the capital to Dharamsala, put now out of power he had raised this bogey for vested interests.

He was critical of Prof Dhumal for “threatening” and “intimidating” government officers, even of the rank of Deputy Commissioner.

I am worried about Vivekananda Hospital at Palampur as public money is being wasted”, Mr Virbhadra Singh said. He said the government had provided 60 acres of prime land worth Rs 25 crore to the hospital. Now the Vivekanada Medical Research Trust should ensure that the building was put to use. He said government may call members of the trust to know their programme.

He said the 500-bedded Dr R.P. Government Medical College Hospital would be ready by December this year and the hospital in Dharamsala would be shifted to Tanda.

Mr G.S. Bali, Transport Minister, Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, Prof Chander Kumar, M.P. and former ministers and MLAs were present at the press conference.

The Rajiv Gandhi Postgraduate College of Ayurveda, Paprola, is poised to emerge as centre of par excellence in promotion of the ancient Indian ayurvedic system of medicines.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, while addressing the ayurvedic medical officers in Kangra district last evening, said the college would be equipped with the best of infrastructure and teaching faculty to educate, train the students so as to serve the suffering humanity.

The Chief Minister said it was the endeavour of the state government to provide best of the facilities to the students so that they could be groomed as specialists. He said a campus was coming up and the foundation stone for the construction of 100-bed hospital to be constructed at a cost of Rs 258.58 lakh had been laid.

Parwanoo, February 13
The Parwanoo Industries Association in a letter written to the state Excise and Taxation Commissioner has sought amendment to the agreement to the lease of right to collect toll under the HP Tolls Act, 1975.

Though attempts have been made in the past to reduce the tax burden at the toll barrier for the local population but still certain amendments were needed, keeping in mind the residents who reside in areas near the barriers, the association has said. The tax has turned out to be a burden on the local population. As per a letter from the Commissioner’s office in response to the association query on terms and conditions of the tender issued for the current financial year it was clarified that the concessional rate of toll was available to a company and its employees if they fulfilled the condition that their residence was located within 5 km of the barrier.

The association states that the following documents should be treated as proof of residence —a) copy of provisional/permanent registration certificate issued by the Department of Industries; b) copy of excise and sales tax registration number and c) copy of the last electricity and telephone bills. Moreover there was no concession for employees that were commuting daily from adjoining areas of Kalka and Pinjore in their own vehicles to Parwanoo industry, it added. These employees should be allowed concession in toll, the association requested.

Shimla, February 13
While not many in the country are aware that the sprawling Viceregal Lodge complex here has a sticke tennis court, the members of the Hartham Park Sticke Club in South England are keen to play at the one of the three surviving playable courts in the world.

The elite socialite club came across the more than a century old court while one of its players and lifetime vice-president Graham Tomkinson was compiling history of the once popular recreational sport. The club is dedicated to reviving enthusiasm in the indoor game invented in the 19th century as a cross between lawn tennis, real tennis and rackets. The management of the club was pleased to know that the court was in good shape and being used by the fellows and staff of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), housed in the heritage complex at present, for badminton and other indoor sports.

Mr Allan Bosley, secretary of the club, got in touch with the IIAS authorities immediately to know more about the court. The institute promptly sent him all the information along with photographs of the court. He found the architecture and settings of the court very similar to the one the club is having in England which was constructed in 1904.

According to Mr Allan Bosley, as many as 38 such sticke court were built in England and throughout the British empire of which only three had survived. The third court was also in England at Devon. He feels that building links among the players of the three remaining playable courts could go a long way in reviving and sustaining interests in the sport. The members of the club are so keen to play at Shimla that they have already checked the train schedule from Delhi to Shimla , he wrote while inquiring from the institute authorities about proper time to visit the queen of hills.

If all goes well the group of sticke tennis enthusiasts from Hartham Park will land here in the second half of May, 2005, to experience the thrill of playing on a heritage court.

The sticke variety of tennis is played with standard racquets and low pressure tennis balls. It is more of a recreational sport but not without competitive spirit. It was one of the few games that was played by both men and women. Play takes place using all the basics of tennis and the same scoring system, with the addition of side and back walls as in squash, but with players in pairs opposed over the net.

There is a “penthouse”, used throughout the game as a playing surface but on which the service has to land to start each point. The dimensions of the court are 78 ft. by 27 ft.

Sticke tennis, according to Tomkinson, is a game in its own right but one about which hardly any tennis players are aware.