Shimla, October 15
The BJP state election committee today forwarded the names of candidates to be fielded by the party from the tribal seats of Bharmour, Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti to the central committee.

The names were forwarded after a meeting of the committee in Delhi. The elections are scheduled to be held on November 14.

The final list of names is likely to be announced in the next three days. Names of Tejwant Negi and Chet Ram have been recommended from Kinnaur, Ram Lal Markanday from Lahaul Spiti and Tulis Ram and Jia Lal from Lahaul Spiti.

The 10 members of the state election committee include Shanta Kumar, P.K. Dhumal, Jai Ram Thakur, Mahender Pandey, I.D. Dhiman, Suresh Bhardwaj, Khushi Ram Balnatah, Maheshwar Singh, Vimla Kashyap and J.P. Nadda.

The Congress and the BJP are keen that the names of candidates are finalised at the earliest so that campaigning can be started at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the BJP today urged the Election Commission of India to turn down the request of the state government for allowing it to inaugurate Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda in Kangra.

In a request sent to chief election commissioner N. Gopalaswamy, state BJP secretary Hirananad Kashyap said permission should not be given to the state government to inaugurate the medical college as it affected half the population of the state residing in the lower areas of Himachal.

Kashyap said the government had sought permission from the Election Commission of India to inaugurate the medical college. “When the elections have been announced no such inauguration should be allowed as it can change the mind of the electorate,” he said.

The BJP leader said despite the announcement of elections and the model code of conduct Congress ministers, MLAs and other leaders were making announcements to woo the voters.

Hamirpur, October 15
The sudden announcement of the Assembly poll in Himachal Pradesh has thwarted the Congress government’s plan to take credit for a few ambitious schemes in Hamirpur district that are in the final stages of completion.

As the here was expecting the Assembly poll in February, 2008, it had planned to inaugurate a few schemes that are likely to be completed soon. Not only this, the Congress government also had proposed to lay a few foundation stones for new schemes.

The government had planned to make the Bamsan-Mewa-Gawardu-Hamirpur drinking water scheme operational by October 31, 2007.

The Congress government has been using this scheme as a handle to browbeat the BJP, especially former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, since residents of his Bamsan Assembly constituency would be the major beneficiary of this drinking water scheme.

Fully computerized, this scheme started in October, 2006, with an estimated cost of Rs. 67.47 crore to provide drinking water to 214 villages in 42 panchayats. The Chief Minister was looking forward to inaugurate this scheme in October or November.

Similarly, the government had announced to open a medical college in Hamirpur district and a government team had already surveyed a few sites to start a medical college here. A formal foundation stone laying ceremony was on the cards any time before the Assembly elections.

With the invocation of a code of conduct in the state now, the government would neither be able to inaugurate the completed projects nor lay foundation stones.

NURPUR: The commissioning of various development projects worth crores has been halted due to advancing of the Assembly election. With the enforcement of the model code of conduct, no minister or the Chief Minister will be able to inaugurate these projects. A 33-kv power substation at Sadwan is ready for inauguration. A sum of Rs 1.86 crore has been spent on it. The construction of an OPD block in the civil hospital is in the final phase, but its commissioning is also likely to be delayed. Similarly, a blood storage centre on the premises of the hospital is also ready for commissioning.

Other projects nearing completion are: a community hall on the municipal council premises and a conference hall on the BDO office premises, a science block at Arya Government College.

Shimla, October 15
The Himachal Chapter of Society for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies today threatened to move the high court if action was not taken against the officials who have erred in protecting the rights of the visually and hearing impaired children of the Dhalli school.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chairman of the society Ajai Srivastava said that 138 hearing impaired and 20 visually challenged children were not being taken care of properly. “Senior officials of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, who are funding the school by the State Child Welfare Council should be taken to task for denying the Dhalli inmates their basic rights,” he said.

Srivastava said the Governor, who is the chairman of the council, should direct the officials concerned and the government to provide proper educational and lodging facilities to these children. “If the Governor is unable to take action against the erring officials he should quit chairmanship of the council,” he said.

Srivastava said despite provision of free education and books for these children, fees were being charged from them. There was a shortage of teachers and the children were being made to study in violation of the laid down guidelines. “The visually challenged children are not being provided Braille books, tape-recorder and cassettes and are being made to study mathematics,” he said. Srivastava said there was an acute shortage of accommodation at the Dhalli school and children were being made to share beds. There is an acute shortage of water as a result of which children cannot use toilets and have to go out in the open. He asked the government to provide better facilities at the school. 

Bilaspur, October 15
Led by district president Jagir Singh, a large number of members of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), belonging to different labour unions in the district, organised a rally here today and allegedly shouted slogans against the anti-labour and anti-people policies of the government demanding implementation of all rules and regulations concerning employees and enforcement of labour laws in all government and non-government organisations.

They opposed the transfer of Jagir Singh and also criticised the Congress leaders. In another resolution, they opposed adjustment of the Forest Department daily employees in the Education Department against regular posts, thus depriving daily wagers of the Education Department of their right of adjustment against these regular posts.

They also demanded bonus for employees before Divali and also urged the abolition of contract system both in construction works and in appointments.

Those who addressed the rally included BMS state secretary Shivram Sankhyan, senior vice-president Karam Singh Chandel, vice-president Madhuri Gautam and secretaries Jagdigh Kumar Sharma and Rajpal Thakur and district NGO’s president Lekh Ram Kondal. 

Kangra, October 15
Tenzin Dolma from McLeodganj was crowned the Miss Tibet-2007 at a glittering ceremony at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts late last evening.

She was crowned by Miss Tibet-2006 Tsering Chungtak. Dolma is a call centre executive and a part-time model in Delhi.

There were five contestants: Deeki Dolma (20) from Gangtok, Sikkim; Tenzin Dolma (21) from McLeodganj; Tenzin Pema (19) from Clement Town, Dehra Dun; Tenzing Dolma (25) from Gangtok, Sikkim; and Tsering Yangzom (20) from Kollegal, Karnataka.

The show started amid bursting of crackers, lighting of the Free Spirit torches. Director and producer of the Miss Tibet pageant Lobsung Wangyal spoke on Tibetan politics and Tibetan Olympics ending with a call for the release of Ronggay A'drak, who protested the Chinese rule of Tibet a month ago. The director of the pageant presented Tenzin Dolma a cheque for Rs 1,00,000 ($2,500).

Tsering Yangzom was adjudged the first runner-up. She was given a cheque for Rs 50,000. Yangzom also got the highest votes (1,170) in the Miss Photogenic contest. Deeki Dolma, stood third and got Rs 25,000.

The Free Spirit Award was given to the Students for a Free Tibet (SFT). Members of these organisation unfurled Free Tibet banner at the Everest base camp in April and at the Great Wall of China in August. President of the organisation Tethong Lhadon was also in Beijing trying to meet president of the International Olympics Committee. Tenzin Choeying, president of the SFT, India chapter, received the award on behalf of the organisation.

Tenzin Dolma said she would take up the Tibet issue in the right perspective at the global level. She said her parents not only inspired, but also supported her to join the pageant.

Mandi, October 15
The state information commissioner has summoned the chief information officer-cum-ADM, Kullu, under the Right to Information Act (RTI) in a case in which an applicant, Lawan Thakur, convener of the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA) was denied the information on the income and expenditure of Kullu Dasehra in 2006.

According to the notice issued to the ADM, a copy of which was also issued to the applicant, the SIC has asked the ADM to be present in the office of the commission on October 27 and has asked him to bring all relevant records regarding the information as sought by the applicant.

Thakur had sought the information on the income and expenditure of Kullu Dasehra in 2006 under the ITI on July 24. But he was denied by the ADM stating in his reply on August 21, that the information sought was vague.

Thakur made the first appeal under the RTI to the DC Kullu on August 24, but he did not get any reply. He made the second appeal before the SIC on September 25 in the commission, which summoned the ADM on October 27.

The ADM could be fined under the act if the commission found him negligent in providing the relevant information to the applicant as per the provision of the RTI Act.

Bilaspur, October 15
Chief judicial magistrate Baldev Thakur has urged the parents of special children, including mentally challenged children, to take advantage of the services of the State Legal Services Authority. The authority is headed by the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court at the state level and by the respective district and sessions judges at the district level.

Presiding over the concluding function of the block-level sports and games organised for handicapped and special children under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan at Kandraur on Friday, Thakur said any parent or immediate relation of such special children could approach the District and Sessions Judge with an application and such children would be referred to specialist doctors at Shimla or would be treated free of cost at the Indira Gandhi Medical College.

He said even elderly persons afflicted with any mental ailment could take advantage of the facility after approaching the authority at the district and state levels.