Karohata (Hamirpur), January 17
Residents of the area are up in arms against the denotification of a Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Karohta, which catered to the medical needs of a cluster of villages. To oppose the move, the locals have constituted a sangharsh samiti, led by the MLA from the Mewa constituency, Mr I.D.Dhiman.

The protesting villagers said the PHC was notified on January 8, 2003, and a pharmacist was posted there on deputation. The number of patients coming to the out-patient department (OPD) of the PHC was more than the figures of other health centres in the area.

The district health authorities, meanwhile, expressed ignorance about the reasons behind the move.

Officiating Chief Medical Officer Wattan Singh told The Tribune that the local health authorities had not recommended denotification of the health centre and they only got the intimation early this month.

The denotification has already taken a political colour in the area, with Mr Dhiman sitting on dharna outside the PHC today to demand that the service be continued.

Rajeshwari Devi, a resident of Bhoukhar village , said she had been bringing her pregnant daughter-in-law to the PHC for general check-ups, but if it closed down it would be very difficult for them to go to the next PHC.

"The Congress government, which has not provided any medical facility to the people of the area, has no right to withdraw the facilities extended by the previous government. The PHC has been functioning well for the past four years. It won't be possible for the villagers to go to the next health centre at Bhorang, which is 12 km from Karohata," Mr Dhiman said.

"The district health authorities approve of the high strength in the OPD and no proposal has been sent about its denotification. The decision has come as a bolt from the blue for them as well. There are talks that the Chief Minister will now come and announce the scrapping of the denotification when he comes to the district later this month and takes political mileage on the issue," he said.

Hamirpur, January 17
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee leadership here on Monday lashed out at BJP leader and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for his outburst against the PPCC chief in which he had said Ms Viplove Thakur lacked political experience.

Mr Rajinder Zar, PCC vice-president, talking to mediapersons, said Ms Thakur had held different key positions in the party. She was a legislator before being elected to the Rajya Sabha and if her political career was to be compared with that of Mr Dhumal, she had double the experience.

He added that the fact that members of Mr Dhumal's own Cabinet had rebelled against him during the last BJP government was a reflection on the poor political skills and administrative acumen of Mr Dhumal.

On the issue of delimitation, Mr Zar said it was during Mr Dhumal's tenure as Chief Minister that the draft of re-organisation was prepared and he had failed to safeguard the interests of voters. Even now he had failed to discharge the responsibility of being the leader of the Opposition in not convincing the Delimitation Commission not to make drastic changes.

The District Congress president, Mr Balak Ram Sharma, and the district general secretary, Mr Tejnath Tej, said the tour of Ms Viplove Thakur to three constituencies of Hamirpur district had turned out to be productive.

During her tour, the PCC chief had blamed the BJP for getting one seat less as compared to the last delimitation in 1972. She had held the infighting between BJP leaders Mr Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar responsible for this.

Nurpur, January 17
The police stations in the state will be upgraded and equipped with modern technology. It was disclosed by Mr Ashwani Kumar, Director-General of Police (DGP), in a press conference here yesterday.

He said 11 out of 100 police stations had been upgraded from January 1 in which complainants could lodge their complaints through e-mail. "The government is upgrading the police stations under the Common Integrated Police Application (CIPA) project that will reduce the gap between the public and the police and make the working of the police stations more smooth and transparent," he added.

The DGP said the state government had also given a nod to fill 1,400 out of 2,458 vacant posts of police personnel.

When asked about the proposal to formulate the state's own police Act he said new Act would be commenced this year as per recommendations of Lokayukta Justice Balakrishan and suggestions given by the police department.

Earlier, the DGP presided over a community policing programme in the local police station in which he heard the public to improve police working. Welcoming the suggestions, he said amid social changes and immense development, the role of the police had also altered and its duties were increased manifold.

Shimla, January 17
Himachal Governor V.S. Kokje will preside over the state-level Republic Day function which will be held at the Ridge Maidan here. Mrs Vidya Stokes, Power Minister, Mr Singhi Ram, Horticulture Minister, and Mr Dharam Pal Thakur, Deputy Speaker, will be present at the function.

Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, will unfurl the National Flag at the district-level function at Mandi, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, at Solan, Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, at Bilaspur, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, at Dharamsala, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Forest Minister, at Kulu, Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, Agriculture Minister, at Una.

Kangra, January 17
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today took strong exception to the recent announcements with regard to the opening of degree colleges in this part of the state by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. It described these as politically motivated with an eye on the Assembly poll in the state.

Mr Prakash Chand Saniyal, secretary, state unit of the BSP, said today that the Chief Minister was up to gimmicks by announcing degree colleges in the district. He said these projects would remain on paper only.

He alleged that Kangra district had lost one Assembly constituency during the delimitation process and blamed the present government for the same. He also condemned the attitude of the Chief Minister for allegedly shielding corrupt bureaucrats in his government.

Chamba, January 17
The implementing agency of the Hul Hydroelectric Project allegedly axed around 15 trees in a community conserved forest near Loyil village of the Silla Gharat gram panchayat, around 35 km from here, on Saturday last.

This was done despite continued protests by members of the affected panchayats against the setting up of the project. None of the gram sabhas had given a go ahead for the project. The gram sabha of Jadera Panchayat has even gone to the extent of passing resolutions against the setting up of the project.

Environmentalist Rattan Chand Sharma, who is also a zila parishad member of the Jadera area, said the employees of the project implementing company came there with a hired group of labourers on Saturday and started sawing the trees. By the time the local people came to know about it, around 15 trees had been felled.

Following a strong objection by the local people, the labourers left the place along with the manager of the project.

The 4.5 MW project is being implemented by the Hul Hydropower Company of Hyderabad. Zila Parishad member Rattan Chand Sharma said allowing the work to start on the project was an indirect contravention of the Panchayati Raj Act since none of the gram sabhas concerned had issued any no-objection certificate for the project.

“The main reason behind people’s opposition to the project is that it would destroy the rich forests of “deodar” and “ban” in an area where more than 95 per cent of the people are mostly dependant on forests for their survival. Around 60 per cent of the population comprises “gujjars” and “gaddis”.

He said the gram sabhas of the affected panchayats had passed resolutions against the proposed project on five occasions. Similar resolutions opposing the project had also been passed thrice by the zila parishad. The local people had also submitted memorandums to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the state Chief Minister, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, officials in a hush-hush manner said nothing could come in the way of “political will” and the projects that had been given clearance would certainly be commissioned.