H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Villagers decide to abstain from panchayat poll
Solan, December 8
Peeved at the move of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) to acquire 900 bighas, villagers of Kalujhinda and Mandhala panchayats of Kasauli tehsil have decided to abstain from the ensuing panchayat elections.

36 panchayats elected unopposed
Mandi, December 8
As many as 36 panchayats and 13 panchayat samiti wards elected their candidates unopposed today. As many as 177 candidates remained locked in a multi-cornered battle for the 36 wards of Zila Parishad in the district as 72 candidates withdrew their names from the contest for which the last date ended here today.

500 BJP men not allowed to contest poll: Dhumal
Palampur, December 8
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal former Himachal Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in State Assembly alleged that over 500 candidates supported by the BJP were not allowed to contest the panchayat elections in the state as their nominations were rejected.

Himachal HC directive on ADGP Thind
Shimla, December 8
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh today directed the state’s Director General of Police to constitute a three-member special investigating team headed by an officer of the rank of Additional DGP to look into all allegations levelled against Mr B.S. Thind, Additional Director General of Police, of the state, in a matter pertaining to alleged misconduct and raising loans by him by misrepresentation from various banks.

Govt cautions agitating JBT candidates
Shimla, December 8
The government today cautioned agitating JBT candidates against creating law and order problems. An official spokesman said here today that a section of selected candidates had been protesting against the delay in the commencement of the training course under the misconception that the government was delaying it.

Docs irk at delay in promotions
Mandi, December 8
With five posts of Deputy Directors and two Joint Directors remaining vacant, the doctors are a harried lot, accusing the bureaucracy of not holding the departmental promotion council (DPC) meetings in time to keep its hold on the plum posts in health services.

Chauhan appointed HP admin tribunal member

Villagers decide to abstain from panchayat poll
Ambika Sharma

Solan, December 8
Peeved at the move of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) to acquire 900 bighas, villagers of Kalujhinda and Mandhala panchayats of Kasauli tehsil have decided to abstain from the ensuing panchayat elections.

While no nomination was filed from the Kalujhinda panchayat as many as 10 nominations filed for the post of pradhan and 16 for nine ward members were withdrawn last evening to protest the forcible land acquisition. The move has left no contestant in the fray for the ensuing panchayat elections. The villagers who held a mahapanchayat last evening have unanimously decided to abstain from the poll process.

This has left the authorities in a piquant situation. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Kumar, said he regretted that the two panchayats had abstained from the poll process. He opined that they should have contested and fought a legal battle instead. He further added that no one would be allowed to suffer and their interests be taken care of.

Officials of HIMUDA, however, opined that an educational institute was being planned to be built in the area and land was being acquired for it. They added that many objections had been received by the Land Acquisition Collector and the case was before the Deputy Commissioner to issue notices under Sections 5. They added that genuine cases of the landless would be considered once the proceedings began.

A section of villagers told The Tribune that it was a pity that their irrigated land was being acquired. They had already been served notices under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. They added that despite objections from the people HIMUDA showed little concern. Madhu Ram Mehta, who withdrew his nomination as pradhan, said earlier their land gave little returns as there was no assured irrigation. Now when Nabard had invested lakhs to install a tubewell, the irrigated fertile land was slated to be acquired. This would not only render the villagers unemployed but would frustrate the already unemployed youth.

The villagers, a majority of whom sustain on agricultural income and are Dalits, fear being dislodged after residing there for generations. A perusal of their land records revealed that some villagers would be left landless. With no rehabilitation plan to resettle these villagers in the offing, they would have to incur monetary losses and would find it difficult to fend for themselves. They rued that the officials had failed to inquire into the status of the land concerned before issuing the notification. They further said that the authority should acquire land only from those agriculturists who had large chunks.

36 panchayats elected unopposed
Tribune News Service

Mandi, December 8
As many as 36 panchayats and 13 panchayat samiti wards elected their candidates unopposed today. As many as 177 candidates remained locked in a multi-cornered battle for the 36 wards of Zila Parishad in the district as 72 candidates withdrew their names from the contest for which the last date ended here today.

Of the total 473 panchayats, 36 declared their candidates unopposed, according to sources. Of these unopposed panchayats Seraj has 11, Mandi Sadar two, Drang one, Gohar seven, Chauntra six, Dharampur one, Balh three, Sundernagar one, Karsog two and Goplapur two, the sources said.

The 13 candidates declared unopposed included three from Mandi Sardar, one from Seraj, tow from Drang, one from Gohar, one from Balh and two from Karsog, two from Sundernagar and one from Chauntra, revealed officials. These unopposed panchayats are entitled to Rs 10 lakh special grants as promised by the Chief Minister.

With 64 candidates Mandi Sadar has a maximum number of candidates in the fray for the Zila Parishad elections in the district, revealed sources.

Those topping the list of Zila Parishad candidates include the daughter of IPH Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Ms Champa Thakur, who is contesting from Kot, his uncle Jawahar Singh from Taliar, both in Mandi Sadar. Mr Thakur’s sister, Ms Jagriti Rana, is contesting from Dador in Balh.

The maximum number of women candidates who had sought election from Kot withdrew in favour of Ms Champa Thakur today, saying that “she was well-connected, educated and can do maximum work for the ward”.

In the nine-member Mandi Sadar Taliar has 14 candidates while Magwani has straight fight between the two rival parties. Eightynine candidates have filed nominations, but 25 withdrew their names today, keeping 64 in the fray.

For the remaining 231 wards as many as 914 candidates are in the fray in the 10 blocks in the district, said Mr R.S. Gupta, Additional Deputy Commissioner and ARO for the Mandi district.

3 elected unopposed

Baddi: Thirtyfive candidates withdrew their nominations today on the last day for the withdrawal of nominations in the local Nagar Panchayat poll. The total 50 candidates had filed their nominations for all nine wards of the Nagar Panchayat elections that will be held on December 24.

Ms Kamla Devi, Ms Surinder Devi and Mr Inder Ram were elected unopposed from ward numbers 3, 7 and 8, respectively, after their opponents decided to withdraw from elections. The remaining six wards have now 12 contestants.

For the Nalagarh Municipal Council poll, 29 candidates have been left in the fray after 34 withdrew their nominations today. The Nalagarh MC has total 9 wards. In most of the wards there is triangular contest. Symbols have been allotted to those left in fray, said Ms Roopali Thakur, SDM, Nalagarh, adding that elaborate arrangements had been made for peaceful elections.

In the Parwanoo Municipal Council poll, 28 candidates would contest for the nine wards of the MC. Out of the 29 nominations, the nomination of Ms Vidya Devi for ward No 6 was found incomplete, said Ms Vinita Mahajan, ADC, Parwanoo. Ram Dulara and Joginder had withdrawn their papers for the ward numbers 4 and 5, respectively, said Ms Mahajan.

500 BJP men not allowed to contest poll: Dhumal
Our Correspondent

Palampur, December 8
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal former Himachal Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in State Assembly alleged that over 500 candidates supported by the BJP were not allowed to contest the panchayat elections in the state as their nominations were rejected. He said the ruling party leaders influenced the returning officers to debar the BJP-supported candidates from contesting elections.

He told The Tribune, for the first time in the history of state such tactics were adopted by any political party in the state. Mr Dhumal said his party had protested to the state Election Commissioner and asked him to review the nomination papers. He said he was receiving hundreds of telephone calls from BJP workers all over the state complaining about the non-cooperative attitude of returning officers. He said the BJP would launch a statewide agitation to expose the Congress party. In present circumstances impartial and fair elections were not possible in the state.

Mr Dhumal said in the past one year the Congress party lost all byelections and panchayat elections held in the state, and it was expecting a defeat in panchayat elections, so, it resorted to tactics to grab power by debarring potential BJP-supported candidates.

Referring to the winter session of the Assembly being held at Dharmsala, he said it was a welcome step, but its beginning was made by the BJP when he laid the foundation stone of secretariat at Dharmsala in 2001 during the BJP’s regime.

He said such steps of the government could not satisfy people of Kangra. They need overall development at the district and all discrimination being done with this district should be stopped. The Congress government should allocate more funds for the development of Kangra, if it wanted to end the discrimination. Pace of industrial development should be speeded up in Kangra.

In the past three years the Congress ignored Kangra in this regard. It was evident that Solan district had witnessed large-scale industrial investment but investment in Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, Mandi and Chamba districts was zero, he added.

Himachal HC directive on ADGP Thind
Our Correspondent

Shimla, December 8
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh today directed the state’s Director General of Police to constitute a three-member special investigating team headed by an officer of the rank of Additional DGP to look into all allegations levelled against Mr B.S. Thind, Additional Director General of Police, of the state, in a matter pertaining to alleged misconduct and raising loans by him by misrepresentation from various banks.

The court also issued notice to Mr Thind on a public interest litigation filed by a lawyer here.

The court also directed that inquiry report be presented to it in a sealed cover in three weeks.

The court ordered the DGP to collect only information and if needed the documents in support of such information.

The court also further directed the DGPs of Punjab and Haryana as well as the CBI to render every possible assistance to the special team.

Mr Thind allegedly raised loans by misrepresentations and property in the name of Mr Thind is disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Govt cautions agitating JBT candidates
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 8
The government today cautioned agitating JBT candidates against creating law and order problems. An official spokesman said here today that a section of selected candidates had been protesting against the delay in the commencement of the training course under the misconception that the government was delaying it.

The government was keen to start the course but it was held up because some unsuccessful candidates had approached the high court which had restrained the government from starting the course.

The spokesman said completion of JBT training courses led to assured employment because no interview was conducted for grant of employment. The government had taken the stand that every employer had the basic right to select employees before giving them employment.

As selection did not take place after training, some selection process must take place before the commencement of training, he added.

Docs irk at delay in promotions

Mandi, December 8
With five posts of Deputy Directors and two Joint Directors remaining vacant, the doctors are a harried lot, accusing the bureaucracy of not holding the departmental promotion council (DPC) meetings in time to keep its hold on the plum posts in health services.

The members of the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers’ Association (HPMOA) told The Tribune here today that the health services, including the scores of health programmes in the state, had been hit as the posts remained vacant over the months due to bureaucratic apathy.

While five posts of Deputy Directors have been kept vacant for the past 2 to 5 months, the two posts of Joint Directors have not been filled since November 30 when these fell vacant after retirement.

“No DPC is held in time. The seniority list of 1600 doctors has not been updated for the last 15 years by the department, while the post of the CMO, Keylong, has not been filled so far,” rued the HPMOA members.

Even the Director, Health Services, has been appointed on an adhoc and not on a regular basis for the last seven years as the incumbent holds the post as an additional charge, they claimed.

The Principal Secretary, Health, Ms Harinder Hira, said no body was eligible for the DDs, but they had appointed Dr Khullar as the CMO, Keylong. We hold the DPC regularly,” she claimed.

About amending the rules and appointment of a regular Director and the issues of NPA and PG increments, Ms Hira said they had taken up the matter with the personnel and finance departments. — TNS

Chauhan appointed HP admin tribunal member
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 8
Mr B.S. Chauhan, Secretary, Industries, has been appointed member of the state administrative tribunal. He will assume charge tomorrow. An IAS officer of the 1980 batch, Mr Chauhan was due to retire in August 2007.

Another post of member of the tribunal will fall vacant on December 12 when the present incumbent, Mr S.S. Negi, retires. The name of Mr Vijay Pal, Inspector-General of Police, has also been cleared for post.