Mandi, April 27
While pro-Virbhadra Singh ministers today left for Delhi to placate an “angry” Mr K.C. Lenka, who is Congress central observer for the party poll in Himachal, the Mandi constituency, meanwhile is witnessing a struggle among three ministers — Thakur Kaul Singh, IPH Minister, Mr Tek Chand Dogra and Excise and Taxation Minister Rangila Ram Rao.

The three leaders are vying with one another for supremacy in the powerful Mandi constituency. Mr Sukh Ram, too, is struggling to find a foothold in the party.

Mr Dogra, Mr Thakur and Mr Rao are all rivals though they belong to the Virbhadra camp, say party workers.

Mr Sukh Ram has almost managed a berth for his son, Mr Anil Sharma, in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC).

The party elections were to be finalised by April 30, but Mr Lenka left the process in a huff.

Mr Sukh Ram reportedly enjoys a rapport with Mr Lenka. “Mr Lenka made it a point to send Mr S.C. Sharma, a former member of the AICC (I), Mandi last week as an observer to know the ground situation and gave the green signal to Mr Anil Sharma as PCC member, said the party sources.

Since Mr Sukh Ram does not get alone with the IPH Minister, Thakur Kaul Singh, MLA from Drang, Mandi Sadar has emerged as the new power centre.

In the Sundernagar subdivision, the Nachen Congress MLA, Mr Tek Chand Dogra, who is attached to the CM with the powerful PWD portfolio, has upset the applecart of the IPH Minister and Taxation Minister Rangila Ram Rao, MLA from Gopalpur (reserved).

The third power centre remains with Mr Thakur Kaul Singh. “Thakur has a hold over the Mandi Rajputs and Khatris in Mandi Sadar”, says a senior Congress leader.

Shimla, April 27
Concerned at the declining population of pheasants, the Wild Life Department has drawn up a programme to carry out the first-ever pheasant census to ascertain the exact status of the seven important species found in the hill-state in the second week of May.

In fact, Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to undertake such a programme with a view to evolving an effective conservation strategy. The exercise will be carried out in collaboration with the Wild Life Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun, and the World Pheasants Association.

Besides the highly endangered western tragopan and the state bird, monal, the cheer pheasant, the koklas, the red jungle fowl, the kalij and the peacock will also be covered.

A team of experts headed by Dr Satya Kumar of the WII will provide training to the field staff of the Forest Department from April 28 to May 3 at various places across the state. They will be assisted by Dr Rajiv Kalsi, an expert from the WPA.

Dr Rajiv Kalsi said the census would not only give a fair estimate of the pheasant population, but also help know their concentration, which was very important for planning conservation strategies. Such a compressive exercise had not been carried out before in the country.

He said the exercise was being carried out in May as it was the prime mating season. The field staff would be trained to identify the calls of various pheasants to attract a mate and estimate the number in a given area on this basis.

The department had already started a Rs 4.93 crore project for the conservation breeding of the western tragopan at the Sarhan pheasantry. The core group on conservation breeding had recently approved a Rs 4 crore project for the conservation breeding of the cheer pheasant. Another project for the conservation of the red jungle fowl was being formulated.

Shimla, April 27
Terming the relaxation given to certain sections in the professional tax as insufficient, the BJP said it would be launching a statewide agitation against the imposition of the tax apart from withdrawing it after coming to power.

In a statement issued here today, state BJP chief, Randhir Sharma said the party had decided to launch an agitation against the professional tax at its state-level meeting held at Bilaspur on April 24. “It is due to the political pressure mounted by the BJP that concession has been given by the state government to certain sections in case of the professional tax,” he said.

He said the government must withdraw both the professional tax as well as the value added tax (VAT) as they were not in the interest of the common man. “The BJP ruled states have refused to implement VAT as it will result in increase of prices, making it all the more difficult for the common man,” he said.

He accused the government of misleading people on the issue of VAT by claiming that it would not lead to increase in prices. “A government which can appoint 12 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries can in no way justify the imposition of the professional tax,” he said.

Mr Sharma said the government must withdraw the professional tax and VAT completely as it was bound to burden the common man.

Chandigarh, April 27
Come summer vacations and Lawrence School, Sanawar, organises a series of team-oriented adventure activities. This year as part of its annual school camps students are participating in mountain biking, apart from trekking and river rafting.

Mountain biking has been included as school camp activity after a gap of nearly 10 years. The expedition is supported by Hero Cycles who have given 20 cycles to the school. Mr Aman Bir Singh, president, Old Sanawarian Society, flagged off the cycling expedition. Mountain biking group of Class XII boys will pass through Narkanda, Baghi, Sungri, Hatkoti and Kharapathar, covering about 120 km.

About 600 school students along with 30 staff members left today for various outdoor adventure activities. These activities are being held from April 27 to May 1, according to Mr Sukhbir Singh, Head of Faculty, Sports, and In Charge of Annual School Camps 2005.

Trekking is being organised in Sangla, Manali, Solang, Dharamshala and Hatu. River rafting is being organised in Byasi (Rishikesh). Camps for junior classes are being organised at Mashobra and Barot.

Shimla, April 27
The Himachal Pradesh government today ordered transfers and postings of IPS and HPS Officers.

Jagjeet Gupta, DIG (Vigilance and Enforcement) has been transferred and posted as DIG (P) RA and T, Shimla Cice S.R. Mardi who has been transferred and posted as DIG (P) Vigilance And Enforcement at headquarters.

Ashok Kumar Dharma, commandant 2nd Battalion, Dharamsala has been Transferred and posted as SP (Vigilance), Dharamsala. He will also hold the additional charge of the commandant, 2nd Battalion Dharamsala till further orders.

Himanshi Mishra, commandant, Home Guards Mandi has been Transferred as SP PTC Daroh, Kangra district, K.K. Indoria, Commandant, Home Guards, Una as SP Lokayukta Shimla, R.S. Negi, SP (Vigilance), Dharamsala as SP (Vigilance) Shimla, B.M. Sharma, Additional SP CID (CB), Shimla as SP CID (CB) Shimla, Ms Puneeta Bharadwaj, Additional SP (Enforcement) Shimla as SP (Enforcement) Shimla, Jagat Ram, Additional SP, Shimla as SP CID (SB), Shimla and V.K. Dhawan, Additional SP (Prisons), Shimla As Police Welfare Officer, PHO, Shimla. He shall also continue To hold the charge of the post of Additional SP (Prisons), Shimla till further orders.

Jitender Prakash, DSP (ACU), Dharamsala has been Transferred and posted as DSP, PTC, Daroh, Kangra district, Heera Singh, DSP (ACU) Mandi as DSP, 2nd IRB Jungle Beri, Hamirpur, Gurdev Chand Sharma, SDPO (IR) Sarkaghat, Mandi district as DSP ACU) Mandi, Omapati Jamwal, SDPO, Dehra, Kangra district as DSP (ACU) Dharamsala, Kishan Chand, DSP (ACU) Chamba as DSP, 1st IRB Bangarh, Una, Jagdish Chand, DSP, PTC Darosh as DSP, (ACU) Bilaspur and Prakash Chand, DSP 1st IRBN. Bangarh as DSP (ACU) Chamba.

Parwanoo, April 27
Every year with the onset of summer the Forest Department takes measures to protect the forests from fire. However, this time the rising temperature is not a major cause of concern for the department as the forests are facing a new threat. The threat is from the regeneration of bamboo trees. The bamboo flowering has taken place on a large scale this year. The flowering usually occurs once in 40 to 45 years. After a few days flowers shed seeds and the stems of the plant go dry.

The bamboo forest is spread over 890 hectares in the Solan forest division. Over 70 per cent of the forest falls in the Parwanoo range, while the rest falls under the Dharampur range.

The flowering was first noticed in February last year in the Parwanoo area, said Mr Alok Nagar, DFO, Solan division. At that time it was very less. This year the flowering was too much.

He said the work on removing dry bamboo stems had been going on for the past 45 days. The dry bamboo trees lying in the forest were like gunpowder, the DFO pointed out.

The removal of stems is not a major work as equally important is to protect its seeds from livestock. The need of the hour is to fence the forest area, he said. For this around Rs 70 lakh is required.

Sundernagar, April 27
The Consumer Forum, Mandi while holding its circuit at Jogindernagar has penalised the Central Co-operative Bank, Palampur, for deficiency in service in encashment of a cheque and ordered to pay Rs 12,835 (cheque amount) with an interest of 6 per cent per annum along with Rs 1,000- as compensation to Dhuru Ram of Lohardi, Kangra. The complainant who runs a shop at Lohardi, Kangra district, has deposited a cheque with the HP State Cooperative Bank, Barot, Mandi. It was further sent for collection to the Palampur Branch of the Central Cooperative Bank but the complainant did not get payment even after making various complaints and issuing legal notice. This cheque was never received by the bank. The complainant produced various documents which proved that the cheque was received by the defaulting bank.