Shimla, November 2
The state government will seek over Rs 1,407 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for finding a permanent solution to the problem of housing urban poor in the capital town, where removing encroachments has become a major headache.

The Department of Urban Development has prepared a comprehensive ‘City Development Plan’ of Rs 3,136 crore having various components like housing urban poor, sewerage, water supply, heritage preservation, traffic and transportation and decongestion. Even though each of the 63 cities covered under the mission will get Rs 1,000 crore, but it could be increased depending on the proposals sent in by the state governments.

A meeting of all departments concerned will be held here tomorrow to approve the final plan before it is submitted to the Union Urban Development Ministry, which is providing funds to 63 cities all over the town under the mission.

Out of various heads, maximum fund of Rs1,407 crore has been sought for housing urban poor. With encroachments on forest, revenue and other government land crossing over 5,000 in the capital town, the state government is under pressure to provide alternative housing for these people before uprooting them.

At the same time, the High Court has directed the government to get every inch of encroached forest land vacated and remove all unauthorised constructions in a time bound manner. The encroachers, a majority of them urban poor, have resisted attempts to pull down their structures though some of them have been removed by the Forest Department and the Municipal Corporation (MC).

With the local MC elections due in March next year, the government is keen that a project for settling all urban poor, including encroachers, is implemented. With funds being a major constraint for the fund starved state, it is under the mission that the government is hoping to push the project through.

Another major component in the development plan is the water supply head for which Rs 733 crore has been sought. This has been done to bring about a big water supply scheme and augment the existing ones to find a solution to the water problem of the town, which is plagued by acute shortage every summer. Being a popular tourist destination, the floating population adds to the woes of the locals.

Another major head under the plan is that of ‘Traffic and Transportation’ for which Rs 337 crore has been sought from the Centre. There is a proposal to have five tunnels to ease out traffic congestion along with the construction of bypasses below the existing one.

Besides, Rs195 crore has been sought for sewerage, Rs 66 crore for tourism development, Rs 47 crore for environment and urban forest, Rs 42 crore for decongestion, Rs 25 crore for solid waste management and Rs 23 crore for heritage.

Mandi, November 2
The Congress Nachen MLA Mr Tek Chand Dogra, and the former Forest Minister and former Sundernagar BJP MLA, Mr Roop Singh Thakur, are at war with each other over the selection of the site for the proposed cement plant being set up by the Birla group in the Nachen constituency in the district.

Though the state industry official argue that the company would employ pollution-free filter technology that does not allow fine particles to escape into atmosphere, the villagers cited examples of Barmana and Darlaghat where the cement plants have caused miseries, causing respiratory problems among residents and damaging the vegetation, crops and grasslands.

Mr Dogra claimed that the proposed site for the cement plant between Mahadevi and Chambi would be disastrous for over 60,000 persons, most of them the oustees of the 990 MW Beas Sutlej Project located between Dadaur and Sundernagar belt. "This site lies near the thickly populated area and as such it will bring disaster, ruin beauty and ecology of the place and displace over dozens of families", he added.

Even the villagers are opposing the Mahadevi and Chambi site. "It should be shifted to the Nalni and Maloh site located between the three ridges, where it will displace not more than 10 families and affect the minimum number of persons. We are bringing this to the notice of the Chief Minister and urge him to select the Nalni and Maloh site proposed earlier", claimed Mr. Dogra.

Mr. Dogra accused the BJP of shifting the proposed site from Nalni and Maloh to Khatravali site, located between Mahadevi and Chambi on the Sundernagar-Karsog road due to vested interests.

On the other hand, Mr. Roop Singh Thakur said that he favoured that the cement plant should be set up wherever it was feasible and would generate employment. "The experts had finalised the site and Khatravali site between Mahadevi and Chambi was suitable for the plant", he added, accusing Mr. Dogra of dragging politics into a development work.

The Director, Industries, Mr. BS Nainta, said the proposed cement plant would come up on the site for which the company has obtained environmental clearance. "The department will forward the revenue papers to the district administration to start the process for acquisition of land for the plant".

Reckong Peo, November 2
The tribal people of Kinnaur are very fond of music and dancing. It seems that music runs in their veins. This was quite evident from the great response to the musical nights organised in the tribal festival that concluded here today.

Be it Punjabi pop singer Mika or local artistes, language did not matter. They went on singing and dancing for hours.

Moreover, one can judge their enthusiasm for music from the fact that there are more than 300 Kinnauri language music cassettes and CD's presently available in the local market for a total population of just 80,000 tribal people.

Their endeavour is to brighten their dull and dreary life with musical songs. The traditional dances provide them relaxation as they lead a tough and isolated existence in far-flung places.

The huge crowd that was observed in the tribal festival during the musical nights generated among the participants a feeling of solidarity and oneness which energised and strengthened the sense of belonging.

It also lightened the mental and physical tiredness and filled them with good cheer.

Till recently, there were no stage or concert artistes. The musicians by and large being just mere functionaries, played on the side on special occasions only.

The music of Kinnaur is fundamentally folk. Tribal in character, it is neither classical nor art music in the accepted sense. It is subservient to function and forms an integral part of the peoples' social behaviour. Their main enemy throughout has been the hostile weather conditions and the harsh terrain.

The cruel environment, never ending struggle for survival to eke out bare sustenance, all go to shape the routine of life, its rhythm and philosophy.

Broadly speaking, music and dance form an integral part of all the joyous and happy occasions of the tribal culture with a view mostly to enliven fairs, festivals and all other social celebrations.

Mandi, November 2
Former Forest Minister and former Sundernagar BJP MLA Roop Singh Thakur and the newly appointed District BJP President Col Inder Singh have opened a front against each other over the appointment of the new executive of the BJP in the district.

While Roop Singh Thakur reaffirmed his faith in the BJP high command for settling the dispute in the interest of the party, Col Inder Singh refused to comment on the issue saying he was biding time and he has exercised his prerogative in constituting the district executive.

Thakur said it was decided during the election that Col Singh would include the members as per the list prepared and agreed upon in front of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, but the new president included members on his own ignoring the views of the senior leaders.

Insiders revealed that Col Singh has joined hands with Dharampur BJP MLA Mohinder Singh Thakur to sideline Roop Singh Thakur's loyalists.

The BJP workers said the new members in the district executive were crucial to lobby for the party tickets and would put the Roop Singh Thakur camp in the background.

Neither the Mohinder Singh group nor Col Inder Singh turned up at the meeting called to resolve the dispute at Prem Kumar Dhumal's residence at Hamirpur yesterday, sources revealed.

Roop Singh Thakur has raised the issue with the BJP high command as he would not rest till Col Singh inducts the proposed members in the district executive, disclosed party sources.