Shimla, October 22
The BJP central election committee today announced the names of candidates to be fielded by the party from the three tribal seats of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Bharmour.

The committee today approved the name of Tejwant Negi as the party candidate for the Kinnaur segment. Former MLA Chet Ram and Tejwant Negi were in the race for the ticket from here. The committee comprises senior party leaders, including L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh.

Tejwant Negi had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly election against sitting Congress MLA Jagat Singh. In its last meeting, the committee had authorised state party chief Jai Ram Thakur to finalise the name of the candidate from Kinnaur.

The BJP also announced names of Tulsi Ram from the Bharmour constituency in Chamba and Ram Lal Markanday, a former minister, from Lahaul-Spiti. Though the party had earlier finalised the names of these two candidates, the official announcement was delayed due to delay in deciding the name of the candidate for the Kinnaur seat.

The Congress has taken the lead in announcing the names of its candidates for three tribal seats. While sitting legislators Thakur Singh Bharmouri and Jagat Singh from Bharmour and Kinnaur, respectively, have been given the ticket again, the party has denied the ticket to its sitting MLA from Lahaul-Spiti Raghubir Singh.

The BSP has yet to announce its candidates for these seats. The last date for filing nominations is October 27. The party, which is expected to make its presence felt in a big way for the first time in the state, is probably waiting for some senior disgruntled leaders denied ticket by the BJP or the Congress to join the BSP.

Meanwhile, the BJP held a district-level meeting of its activists, including senior leaders at Chowari. It was presided over by Mohan Lal, a former minister and district president of the BJP.

Mohan Lal made it clear that those aspirants who intended to contest elections could apply for the ticket in compliance with the prescribed norms laid down in the constitutions of the BJP and the decision of the BJP high command would be final and binding.

The meeting was attended by over 300 activists of the district BJP. Among others who were present at the meeting were Tulsi Ram and Gandharav Singh former MLAs, Brij Lal Sharma, Nanak Chand Verma, Gp Capt Bhupendra Singh, Suman Kumari, Prakash Chand Kapoor, Ashok Bist, Amar Nath, Arvind Mahajan, Santosh Sharma, Kadar Khan, Sanjay Thapa, Des Raj, a former chairman of Zila Parishad, B.K.Chauhan, Rakesh Vaid, Umesh Vaid, and Raj Kumar.

Mohan Lal called upon the BJP workers to work according to the strategy chalked out under the national programme of the BJP. He also underscored the need to work in an organised and disciplined way making the BJP triumphant in the Assembly elections.

Mohan Lal disclosed that the BJP had decided to organise a two-day training camp for its leaders and workers from October 31 at Chamunda in Kangra district. The camp will also be attended by the mandal heads of constituencies, executive members and office-bearers of the urban and rural units of the BJP. Mohan Lal said more than 200 activists and leaders of the district were expected to participate in the training camp.

Dharamsala, October 22
The DM-cum-district returning officer of Kangra, Ashwani Kapoor, has appealed to all political parties to follow and abide by the model code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission of India, during the election campaign, and has cautioned that any violation would attract strict action against the respective political party or its candidate.

He was addressing a meeting of the officers and representatives of the political parties in the secretariat building here, today. The meeting was convened to apprise the political parties of the provisions of the model code of conduct and various other directions issued by the district administration for the smooth conduct of Assembly elections in the district.

Explaining the directions in the model code of conduct, Kapoor asked the political parties and candidates not to indulge in any activity which could spark off tension among people of different castes, communities, religions or regions.

Adding that he said there should be no appeal on the basis of castes, communities and religion by any party to secure votes and places of worship should not be used for election campaign.

Directing the enforcement authorities, particularly the subdivisional magistrates to keep a vigil, he cautioned the political parties against making use of any private or government property for putting up posters, banners, erecting flag staffs or writing election slogans without obtaining written permission from the owners of the property.

On certain complaints of slogan writing by a particular party on government properties, he said the district administration had issued notices to the defaulters.

Dharamsala, October 22
The ruling Congress may face trouble from Raghbir Singh Thakur, the sitting legislator from Lahaul-Spiti, who has been denied a party ticket this time. He has been dropped and former legislator Phunchuk Rai was put in the fray.

Not happy with the party’s decision, Thakur has indicated that he could contest the elections as an independent candidate against the official nominee. He said, “All options are open to me”.

He has called a meeting of his supporters at Keylong later this week and will finally decide his future course of action after holding discussion with his loyal workers and supporters of the constituency.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the BSP emerging as a third force in the hill state had begun efforts to attract him. “We are trying to contact and persuade him to join the BSP and contest the elections on our party ticket”, revealed a senior leader of the BSP.

Thakur belongs to the Lahaul valley, while Phunchuk Rai belongs to the Spiti valley. Both these valleys are far away from each other. The Spiti valley has close proximity with Kinnaur, while the Lahaul valley shares its border with Kullu and Chamba districts, which are located at the other side of the state.

The demographic division of the district was the main reason behind the change of Congress nominee. The Congress had decided to give a chance to the people of the Spiti valley this time to send their representative in the legislative assembly with the basic idea of alternate rotation of power. 

Shimla, October 22
With perpetual water shortage plaguing the state capital, the residents will have to put up with it till Diwali as water rationing is likely to continue for some more time.

Although one of the two motors, which had got burnt at the Ashwani Khud pumping station yesterday, has been replaced, the low water levels in the reservoirs is leading to water scarcity even in the winter months. The water supply to the worst affected area of Chhotta Shimla improved today but it was still far from normal. Water supply to many other parts of the town also remained affected.

Mayor Narender Kataria said the municipal corporation could only supply the pumped water and the low water level was a headache of the irrigation authorities. “It is on our request that despite a total power cut from 10 am to 5 pm in the entire town, supply to the pumping station was given so that enough pumping could be done,” he said.

Kataria said efforts were being made to normalise the supply but the rationing was likely to continue till Diwali. He said the damaged pipeline from the Churhat scheme would be repaired in the next five days, which would further improve the position.

The Giri lift water scheme is also likely to be made functional by mid November. This will help improve drinking water situation in the capital, which has had to suffer regular water shortage this year. More than 4.5 MLD water would be given to the town through the Giri water scheme.

The water rationing introduced by the MC every summer from April till the monsoon has been continuing till now due to various reasons. The residents had to go without water for almost 10 days in the monsoon when due to high silt no pumping could be possible at the pumping stations. 

Shimla, October 22
In a major decision to ensure proper management of the protected wildlife areas in the state the Forest Department has decided to create specialised wildlife sub-cadre of guards.

The sub-cadre would be created from among the newly recruited 662 forest guards. Those opting for wildlife would be provided specialised training at Sai Ropa at the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district. The forest guards for the territorial wing would be trained at the forest schools at Chail and Sundernagar.

Principal chief conservator of forests said the recruitment of forest guards carried out in the department after 15 years would virtually rejuvenate the department. The average age of the forest guards had increased to 53 years and the induction of fresh blood would certainly improve the efficiency at the field level.

He said the new recruits would be provided induction training in batches of 60 before proceeding on regular field training. The average age of the first batch at the Chail school was just 22 years.

The forest guards undergoing wildlife training would be posted in the wildlife wing for at least 10 years.

There are 2,470 forest guards in the state, but over 600 posts had been vacant for the past quite sometime. With the latest recruitment, all posts falling vacant up to December 2007 will be filled. Appointment letter have already been issued to 589 candidates and rest will get these in due course.

Wildlife training is important as the state has over 19 per cent area under wildlife sanctuaries and parks as against 4 per cent in the country.

Kullu, October 22
The scion of the erstwhile Kullu kingdom, Mahashwar Singh, the chief Kardar of lord Raghunath today still sits in a palanquin carried by four persons, in turn, in the jaleb ceremony and takes a round of the pandals of the devtas in Dhalpur Maidan. It reminds the visitors of a medieval India and the tradition prevalent at that time

Maheshwar Singh has not discarded this practice even now. The old timers in Kullu told The Tribune that the then Raja used to visit the pandals of the devtas camped in the Dhalpur Madain to know their problems, striking personal rapport with them and this is how the jaleb ceremony was started in the 17th century. But today, Kullu Dusserha committee invites devtas and honours them with “nazrana” during the festival

“All that is old in Kullu Dussehra tradition is not all that right and democratic change for good is the need of time”, argues a kardar of the devta, requesting anonymity.

The practice has been done away with, long time back, voluntarily by Maheshwar Singh himself, as he himself has been a BJP Lok Sabh MP and wishes to contest election this time for the state assembly, kardars said.

Though Maheshwar Singh has stopped sitting in the “palki” during the rath yatra right from Lord Raghunath temple at Sultanpur to the Dhalpur Maidan a few years ago, but he continues to sit in a “palki” at the jaleb ceremony, locals said.

Commenting on the jaleb ceremony, Maheshwar Singh said, “We held the jagati pooch, in which gurs, kardars of devtas, participated to decide on this issue a few years ago. The Jagati gave a verdict that old tradition should continue”, he said, adding that “It is a tradition which is indispensable to the tradition of Kullu Dussehra. the jaleb ceremony is taken out every day during the week-long Dussehra”.

Shimla, October 22
Opposing the taking over of the Satyanarayan temple at Rampur by the government, the BJP today said all related files in that regard should be scrutinised by the Election Commission as it was a case of violation of the model code of conduct.

In a statement issued here today, state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur said the temple takeover by the government had been done by issuing orders in the back date. “Since the government move is a clear-cut case of violation of the model code of conduct, the takeover move must be cancelled immediately,” he said.

The BJP chief said the takeover reflected the ideological intolerance of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Only those temples that had a monthly income of over Rs 50,000 could be taken over by the government, he said. “How can the move be justified when the income of the Satyanarayan temple is less than Rs 10,000 per month,” he said.

If voted to power, the BJP would reverse all decisions, he said. 

Kumarhatti, October 22
The low returns from tomato have shocked growers of this area, who were already reeling under the debt trap. The throwaway prices of tomato in past few years have dampened the spirit of growers badly.

Observations showed that the growers usually got handsome prices only for short-period of time when the season started in mid-June. However, after that the prices crashed due to arrival of produce from other states. The market prices during most of the season remained below Rs 6 per kg.

For producing tomato, the growers had generally taken loans from cooperative societies and banks. Most of the growers have reportedly turned defaulters in repaying the loans. The amount of loans ranged from Rs 10,000 to 50,000, however, in few cases, the loan amount could be more based upon land holding with the growers. The growers were even facing problem to repay the loan amount of Rs 10,000, thanks to the increasing production cost and deceasing returns.

Tomato, that till now was known as cash crop, has now gradually turned into woes crop for them. The revenue from tomato has declined to half as it used to be in the last decade, opined growers at the Chakki Ka Mour vegetable market.

The growers were quite critical of not giving insurance back up for tomato. This was the main reason behind present scenario, they claimed. Where the apple has insurance back up, no such arrangement has been made for tomato. 

Shimla, October 22
The Himachal Pradesh Cooperative Milk Producers Federation has set a target to sell 1,000 quintal sweets during the current festive season.

The federation produced 450 quintal sweets last year and had earned a profit of Rs 11 lakh. It hopes to double the profit by selling a larger quantity this season.

Managing director of the federation, J.R. Katwal, said the plan to diversify sweet production had been a success as the federation had been able to provide high-quality sweets comparable with the best available in the northern region at reasonable rates.

He said 90 per cent of the milk procured by the federation was tested by the Mother Dairy which found it free from pesticides and other undesirable contents.

He said the federation was operating 22 milk chilling plants with a capacity of 68,000 litres per day and was daily procuring 52,000 litres. He said the procurement rate of milk had been increased by Rs 2 per litre from April and the producers were being paid regularly. The federation had also signed an MoU with the Indira Gandhi National Open University to run dairy courses to train employees and farmers.