Dharamsala, November 10
Unemployment among youth is increasing day-by-day in the state, which is likely to be one of the main issues here in the ensuing Assembly elections. The ruling Congress may try to divert the attention of youths on the name of attracting industrial investments paving the way for the creation of jobs but the statistics of the Labour and Employment Department indicate that nothing positive has been done in this regard.

The statistics reveal that the number of names registered in the employment exchanges as on March 31, 2007 are 7,56,980, which have soared to over 8-lakh by the end of October, this year.

The employment is not in proportion to the names registered. In the year 2006-2007, only 6,127 jobs were provided through the employment exchanges, out of which the figures in the government departments stand at just 1,388 as against the 4,739 in the private sector.

Kangra district has the highest number of registered unemployed youths followed by Mandi and Shimla districts with the figures standing at 1,55,908; 1,16,966 and 1,07,905 registrations, respectively. Surprisingly, jobs were provided to only 968 youths in Kangra, 212 youths in Mandi and 232 youths in Shimla districts in both private and government sectors.

During the last financial year, in Bilaspur out of 48,534 registered unemployed youths jobs were provided both in private and government sectors to only 153 youths, Chamba out of 46,033 to only 745, Hamirpur out of 66,598 to only 445, Kullu out of 49,819 to only 24, Sirmaur out of 48,666 to only 1,091, Kinnaur out of 8,856 to only 205, Una out of 57,567 to only 970, Lahaul-Spiti out of 4,368 to only 9 and Solan out of 46,560 to only 1,073 youths.

“The number of jobs created in the last five years has barely crossed one per cent of the total number of registered unemployed youths in the state”, Tejwant Negi, a state working committee member of the BJP, alleged, who was contesting the election from Kinnaur.

He further said, “The state government has ensured to provide 70 per cent of the jobs to the local youths of the state in the private industries but no one seems to be serious in implementing the government order making the local youths to wander around in search of jobs”.

Rakesh Pathania, who is a graduate in education, “All political parties make many promises to the people particularly the youths, at the time of elections but after poll these promises remain unfulfilled”.

He is working in a private school as a social studies teacher and is waiting for a regular government job for the past over seven years. For him, the change in governments hardly mattered.

Whatever may be the claims or counter claims of the political parties but surely the unemployment problem is likely to haunt the politicians who have been making tall claims for the youths at the time of elections.

Palampur, November 10
The state public works department (PWD) is facing serious financial crises, resulting in the suspension of development activities. The construction and maintenance of various roads in the region have come to a grinding halt, as the department has no funds for these works.

The various Centrally-sponsored projects like the Pardhan Mantri Gramin Sarak Yojna have also been adversely affected as the state PWD has failed to release the payments of contractors on time, despite the fact that the PWD is bound to release the payment of the contractors every month.

A senior officer of the PWD revealed that as per guide lines of the Government of India, the contractor was bound to submit his bill every month along with details of works executed, on failing to do so, the PWD impose liquidation charges that was a penal action.

But there are many contractors in Palampur, Baijnath, Dharmshala and Kangra divisions who have not received payments even after submitting the bills and details of works done.

Official sources said all finances were controlled by the office of engineer in chief at Shimla and authorisation letters for the release of payments were also issued by the office of engineer-in chief, therefore there was no delay at the level of executive engineers. Only delay was at the level of engineer in chief who controls the finances.

The PMGSY projects are fully funded by the Union Government and funds are always sent in advance to the state governments. It has become a matter of surprise as to why the payments of contractors have been withheld without assigning any specific reason.

Though the state government claimed that there was no shortage of funds, official sources revealed that over 24 contractors in Palampur circle, who had executed works over Rs 15 crore hadbeen waiting for their payments. The situation in Palampur, Dharmsala, Kangra and Baijnath divisions of PWD is no better where various contractors daily come to the offices of executive engineers and go back disappointed in the evening without payments.

There are a number of projects for which Chief Minister Vir Bhadara Singh himself has laid the foundation stones, but because of mismanagement and acute financial crises, the construction of these projects have not be taken up.

Virhadara laid the foundation of the primary health center building at Banuri near here in January 2007, but the construction of this building could not be taken up till date because of financial crises. Not only this various announcements made by the Chief Minister for the metal ling and construction of roads during his winter sojourn at Dharmsala last year could not be implemented for wants of funds. In various places the angry residents have either removed or damaged the foundation stone plates.

The public in general is deeply worried over the deteriorating standard of construction in the department. 

Palampur, November 10
Shanta Kumar former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader today claimed that after the ensuing Assembly elections, the BJP would form the government in the state. Shanta Kumar predicted that the BJP would sweep the poll and it would easily win over 45-assembly seats in the state.

Addressing mediapersons at his residence here this morning, Kumar said he had just finished the election campaign in Lauhal-Spiti and Kinnaur, where the BJP was in a comfortable position and would win both seats.

Kumar said the BJP would give a united fight to the Congress and avoid division of votes hence the BJP had involved even the grassroot workers in the allotment of party tickets. While allotting party tickets, the main criteria would be neat and clean image, sincerity towards party and maximum winning prospects. He said there could be problems in few constituencies in the allotment of party tickets but it would also be solved as the BJP was disciplined and cadre -based party.

He said The BJP was also in favor of giving party tickets to women, youths and new faces in the state. In reply to a question, he said for the first time the BSP was contesting all the 68 Assembly seats in the state as a third force, it would cause loss to both the Congress and the BJP.

He said corruption would figure as the key election issue in the coming Assembly elections in the state as the common man in the state was fed up with the corrupt Congress regime. He said in past five years the congress government had turned into a party of corrupt officers and politicians.

It was evident from the fact that a number of bureaucrats and technocrats close to Virbhadara Singh had faced charges of corruption, which even compelled him to replace his private secretary.

Not only ministers but the Chief Minister himself had been involved in many scams. The audio CD released by the former congress MLA Major Vijay Singh Mankotia had exposed the Chief Minister and his wife Pratibha Singh, who had allegedly entered into financial deals with industrialists in that CD. He said till yesterday Virbhadara was claiming himself as “Mr. Clean” but after the release of the audio CD he could not fool the people of the state.

He said wrong policies and faulty planning of congress party and brought the state on the verge bankruptcy.The development activities in the state had come to stand still. The conditions of state and national highways had gone from bad to worse. The rural roads had turned into drains making life of rural people difficult, he added

Kumar said the BJP was committed to provide neat and clean administration to the people of the state. He said functioning of the BJP government would be more transparent and it would initiate effective steps to eradicate corruption from public life.

Nahan, November 10
Thirtyeight aspirants are in the race for BJP ticket for the five Assembly seats in Sirmaur district. The highest number of 12 ticket-seekers have applied for the Pacchad seat. A large number of new faces are seeking the BJP ticket this time. In Shillai the front-runner for the BJP ticket is Amar Singh Chauhan, a retired chief engineer who has visited every panchayat of the constituency during the past one year. Six more ticket-seekers from Shillai include Rajender Negi, Pratap Tomar, Daleelp Tomar, Sohan Singh Panta and Baldev Tomar.

In Pacchad, new face Suresh Kashyap is the front-runner for the party ticket. An exserviceman he has been campaigning for the past over one year. Eleven more ticket-seekers include Ram Prakash, Rajesh, Bal Mukund, Kali Das, Surender Singh Banolta, Sushil Bhrigu, Kundan Lal Juneja, Dyal and Bhupender Chauhan.

Former MLA Roop Singh, Balbir Chauhan and old party worker Mohan Lal Azad are in the race for the Renuka seat.

It is almost certain that the Paonta ticket would be given to sitting party MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhri, who is also president of the BJP Kisan Morcha and former district unit president. Five more ticket-seekers are Om Prakash Chauhan, Sudhir, Sushil Gupta, Davender Chaudhri and Jagmohan Bhardwaj.

Former minister Shyama Sharma, who has been active in Nahan politics for the past over 30 years and represented this constituency for three times, is sure to get the party ticket from Nahan though BJP district president Baldev Bhandari is also strongly pleading his case. Eight others in the race include Pratibha Kaushik, Ajay Kaushik, Om Prakash Saini, Viney Gupta, Sneh Garg and Saourabh. 

Shimla, November 10
The Congress has said that the BJP, which is itself a house divided with every leader trying to prove his supremacy, is trying to split the people of the state along regional lines.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, HPCC general secretary Kuldeep Rathore said after having created the upper and lower divide, the BJP was now trying to do the same in the three tribal segments, where polling will be held on November 14.

“The BJP is now trying to create a divide among the people of Pangi and Bharmour, Lahaul and Spiti and Upper and Lower Kinnaur for its own political benefit,” he alleged. Instead of trying to divide the people of the state the BJP should set its house in order as the party was divided into various camps.

Rathore also lashed out at the BJP for vitiating the peaceful political environs of the state by creating trouble in the election meetings of the Congress. “Every political party has the right to express its views but it is wrong to create trouble in the meetings of others, as done by BJP workers at a meeting by Pratibha Singh, MP, in Kinnaur,” he said.

The Congress leader also criticised BJP leaders for trying to take the support of former chairman of the Subordinate Services Selection Board S.M. Katwal. “It is for the people of the state to decide whether a person who has been convicted in three cases has the moral right to level corruption allegations against Congress leaders or for that matter anyone” he quipped.

Rathore said the BJP had always tried to divide the people of the state along caste and regional lines for its own vested interests. “The BJP is now trying to mislead the people of the tribal areas by saying that hardly any development has taken place there during Congress rule,” he said.

He said Rs 1,280 crore would be spent in the tribal areas under the 11th Five-Year Plan. “As much as 9 per cent of the state budget is being spent on speedy development and creation of facilities in the remote tribal areas to bring them at par with other parts of the state,” he said.

He said 62 educational institutions and a college had been opened in Bharmour while Rs 10.41 crore had been spent under the rural employment guarantee scheme. He said the first instalment of Rs 1,355 crore had been given for the construction of the Rohtang tunnel to ensure round-the-year connectivity to Lahaul Spiti.

Shimla, November 10
The BJP today accused the Congress regime of reducing the allocation of plan funds to tribal areas in spite of increase in the total plan size of the state.

In a statement issued here today, Lok Sabha MP P.K. Dhumal said the Congress that was projecting itself to be pro-tribals had actually done injustice with them by reducing allocation of plan funds for tribal areas.

“The total allocation for such areas is Rs 709 crore for 2003-08. The amount was Rs 711 crore during the BJP regime. This means the allocation has come down,” he alleged.

He said even the special Central assistance (SCA) under the tribal sub-plan had been reduced by the Congress government. “During the BJP rule, the SCA was Rs 27.96 crore, while during the Congress regime this figure stood at 19.29 crores,” he said.

He said the recent agitation due to coming up of power projects in tribal areas was due to the wrong and incomplete environment impact assessment report, which was not based on ground realities. “This is a perfect example of the callous and indifferent attitude of the Congress government towards the genuine problems of tribal areas,” he said. He said there would never be a repeat of the Karcham-Wangtoo agitation in Kinnaur if the BJP came to power.

He said it was during the NDA regime that the Rohtang tunnel project was approved and the border area development programme was launched. He said during the flash floods of 2000, the BJP regime ensured that the produce of the Kinnaur farmers was air lifted to the markets, so that they did not suffer losses.

He said the victory of the BJP would mean overall and accelerated development of tribal areas.

Chamba, November 10
The atmosphere for the ongoing elections to the Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency in Chamba district is in full swing as hardly two days are left for the election campaign to end on November 12.

Basically, there is direct fight between the Congress candidate Thakur Singh Bharmouri and BJP candidate Tulsi Ram. But the presence of BSP candidate Balbir Pathania cannot be ignored. It is expected that Pathania would eat into the votes of the Congress and the BJP in this election scene.

Two independents, Munish and Chandu Lal, who belong to the Pangi area, will make little difference. The fight between both the Congress and the BJP is quite tough and their electioneering is an uphill task. The recent tour of former Chief Minister and MP Prem Kumar Dhumal has boosted the morale of BJP workers, while the people are waiting for the visit of Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as earlier his tour was cancelled.

The Pangi tribal subdivision having 32 poling stations is a part of the Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency including Bharmour tribal subdivision. The total number of electorate in the Pangi subdivision are 12,269.

The subdivision has been divided into five sectors - Saach, Sechu, Dharwas, Killar and Purthi. As many as 11 polling stations have been declared hypersensitive taking into account their locations along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir.

Hamirpur, November 10
Although there have been only four instances of women leaders getting elected from assembly constituencies of Hamirpur district, the number of women voters is once again more than male voters in all five assembly constituencies here.

While the number of women voters in the district is 1,78,119, there are only 1,66,642 male voters.

In the Hamirpur Assembly constituency, there are 35,752 women voters, while number of men voters is 34578.

In the Nadaun Assembly constituency, there are 32,967 women voters and 31,591 men voters.

In the Bamsan Assembly constituency, there are 33,837 male voters, while the number of female voters is 34,951.

In the Mewa constituency, the number of female and male voters is 36,747 and 33,837, respectively.

In the Nadaunta constituency also, the numbers stand at 37,702 and 35,211 in favour of women voters.

Chandresh Kumari of the Congress was the first women candidate to get elected from the Bamsan constituency in 1972.

The Hamirpur Assembly constituency returned the women candidates on three occasions.

During the 1994 byelection following the death of Jagdev Chand Thakur, Anita Verma of the Congress was elected. She also won the last Assembly election from here in 2003. Urmil Thakur won from the constituency in 1998 on the BJP ticket.

Keylong, November 10
The Congress candidate Phunchog Rai is a tribal Buddhist landlord, who seeks his economic nirvana within the boundaries of his snowbound home in Spiti. BJP’s Dr Ramlal Markandae is a bank-savy traditional depositor, who wants to play safe and seeks economic liberation investing more in in Kullu. The BSP’s Dr Birsingh Rawal is an upmarket conscious upwardly mobile professional seeking economic nirvana in shares and buildings not at his ancestral home at Sansha but in Kullu.

These aspects of tribal trio contender for the Vidhan Sabha seat, who are locked in a triangular contest, have been revealed in their respective affidavits submitted to the returning officer and Lahaul-Spiti DC A.S. Rathaur in which they have declared their assets as per the norms established by the Election Commission of India.

Markandae, who was the PWD minister in the Dhumal-led BJP-HVC combine government has declared that he owns no land in his name and has nine bank accounts in which he has Rs 6,192 in the UCO Bank, Vidhan Sabha, Rs 4,178 in the HP state cooperative bank, Chota Shimla, Rs 6,788 in the PNB, New Shimla, Rs 2,100 in Kangra Cooperative Bank, Udaipur, Rs 1,000 in the SBI, Bhuntar, Rs 2,478 in Allahbad Bank, Shimla. His spouse has Rs 21,546 in the SBI, Patlikuhal, Kullu. He has two FDs worth Rs 1.90lakh, in a bank in Udaipur and Rs 50,000 in SBI, Patlikuhal. He has taken LIC policy worth Rs 7.50 lakh and owns a Santro car worth Rs 3.82 lakh.

Markandae also owns gold jewelry worth 92 gm and his spouse has 478 gm. He has eight biswas of agricultural land in his spouse’s name. His liabilities include a loan of Rs 3.82 lakh from the Vidhan Sabha. He has Rs 89,00 cash in hand, his affidavit says.

In comparison, Rai, a former minister, is a Buddhist landlord and owns 28 bighas of land worth Rs 1.40 lakh at his native village, Lari in Spiti. He has Rs 7000 in SBI, Tabo, and 50 gm of gold and has nothing in his spouse’s name.

He has a commercial building worth Rs 1.50 lakh in Spiti given on rent to a bank and owns a car worth Rs 2.28 lakh. His liabilities include two loans worth Rs 3.50 lakh from SBI, Tabo and Rs 4.05 lakh from the HP Vidhan Sabha.

Rawal, who has retired as a joint director from he state’s health department has declared that he has Rs 1.20 lakh cash and has deposits and share markets worth Rs 10 lakh and others worth Rs 2 lakh. He has vehicle worth Rs 2.3 lakh, owns gold jewelry worth 30 gm and his wife has 100 gm. He has residential building at Kullu worth Rs.16 lakh and a house at Mohal Kullu on 2 biswas worth Rs 3 lakh and is an income tax payee.

It remains to be seen as to whom the tribal voters would choose as their representative on November 14 as all are trying their best to woo them.

Hamirpur, November 10
At a meeting of representatives of the Congress, the BSP and the CPI here on Thursday, Hamirpur DC Nandita Gupta asked the political parties for observing the model code of conduct in letter and in spirit. All political parties would have to follow the EC direction not to use polythene flags or other such material.

The political parties would have to get all advertisements in the electronic media cleared from a committee constituted for the purpose at Shimla. The political parties should not bring their supporters near the returning officer’s office and maintain a distance of 100 metres from the office.

All candidates filing nominations would be allowed to take only three persons in the returning officer’s office. A convoy of not more than three vehicles would be allowed during the campaign. The DC has asked the political parties not to pressure anyone for voting in a particular manner. 

Keylong, November 10
The poll campaign by the Congress, the BJP and the BSP has reached a feverish pitch in this snowbound tribal-belt.

Congress candidate Phunchog Rai seems to be getting a lukewarm response in the lower Pattan and Mayar valleys, BJP’s Ramlal Markandae faces revolt and BSP’s Birsingh Rawal is still struggling to turn the tables in his favour.

Congress MLA from Lahaul-Spiti Raghuvir Singh Thakur and retired chief secretary A.N. Vidyarthi are rarely seen campaigning in the district. What has come as a cheerful news for the Congress is that 11 BJP leaders, who resigned from the primary membership of that party in protest against Ramlal Markandae, have come out in the open in support of Rai.

Rai faces an uphill task in Mayar and lower Pattan valleys, where Markandae enjoys an edge over the two candidates.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife and Mandi Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Singh addressed a public meeting at Kaza today. They urged Spitians to vote for Congress candidate Phunchog Rai, who is hails from Spiti. Virbhadra Singh said the Congress would retain power in the state.

Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal and party president Jai Ram Thakur, former Mandi Lok Sabha MP Maheshwar Singh addressed a public meeting at Keylong. They claimed the BJP was on a comeback trail in the state and the people of Lahaul-Spiti would be the first to show the door to the Congress.

BSP chief ministerial candidate Vijay Singh Mankotia and general secretary Man Singh Manehra also addressed a public meeting at Keylong yesterday. They urged the people to vote for BSP candidate Birsingh Rawal.

Virbhadra Singh would address a public meeting here on November 10.

Dharamsala

Campaigning in the tribal constituency of Bharmour has picked up after the visits of senior leaders of the Congress, the BJP and the BSP in the past few days. Apart from Thakur Singh (Cong) and Tulsi Ram ( BJP), Balbir Kumar (BSP) and two independents-- Chandu Lal and Munish Kumar-- were making all-out efforts to woo the voters. Senior Congress and BJP leaders canvassed for their respective parties as stakes for both parties were high.

Addressing a meeting at Kidi village in the Bharmaur area , Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh sought votes for the Congress on the strength of developments works the government had carried out during the past few years. He claimed the Congress had made enormous efforts to bring in a tremendous development in Chamba district. He refuted the BJP allegation of discrimination in development of the area. At a workers’ meeting at Bharmaur the CM today asked them to brief people about the development works carried out in the area during Congress rule.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal addressing a public gathering at Pangi levelled serious allegations of corruption against the CM and few of his Cabinet colleagues, saying that they used to swindle a large portion of the money that came for development with the help of the official machinery.

Addressing a gathering at Bharmaur, state BSP convener Vijay Singh Mankotia lashed out at the Congress and the BJP, saying that their leaders were neck deep in corruption. The CM and his wife, who were involved in corruption, were exposed by him early this year. Many scandals of corruption pertaining to the last tenure of the BJP government had also come to light from time to time.

Mandi, November 10
Over 60 government employees on poll duty in the Lahaul-Spiti segment exercised their franchise through postal ballots today.

A sealed ballot box was reportedly kept in the office of the returning officer of Lahaul-Spiti so that such officials could cast their votes through postal ballots ahead Assembly elections scheduled for November 14.

“I cast my vote today,” said a government employee posted at Keylong. “There are over 50 others who cast their votes through postal ballots,” he added.

Tehsildar (elections), Lahaul-Spiti, Sukh Ram said, “We have distributed 60 postal ballots to the employees on duty and they exercised their franchise.”

He said there were 232 employees, excluding policemen, on poll duty in the tribal segment. They could cast their votes in the sealed ballot box. They would be barred from casting vote on November 14, he added.

The poll parties would leave for polling stations on November 12. Lahaul-Spiti DC and returning officer A.S. Rathaur said they had issued postal ballots to those on poll duty and Army men. They could send their votes to the returning officer through post, he said. 

Shimla, November 10
A grocery shop was gutted in the Krishnanagar area of the town in the wee hours today.

The fire broke out around 3.30 am. The shop was completely burnt before the firemen could bring the fire under control. Two fire engines took over two hours to bring the fire under control.

The estimated loss was over Rs 1.5 lakh. The shop was owned by Nirmala Devi.

In another incident, a fire broke out in the temporary hutment of Chajju Ram in Jeori near Rampur. The loss is estimated to be around Rs 70,000.

More than 50 cases of burns were reported at the IGMC, Ripon Hospital and other private clinics on Diwali yesterday. Most of these were eye injury and burns on the hands and face.

Shimla, November 10
Coordinated efforts by various power project developers in the Satluj basin could help in better management of river flow, disaster management and de-silting.

These are the recommendations made in a study conducted by the World Bank to demonstrate a framework for efficient hydroelectric power development at the level of river basin. The study was conducted by the Tasmanai Consulting of Australia for the World Bank in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The recommendations were discussed at a seminar of stakeholders from the government and project developers. It was pointed out that the river basin approach was useful for planning and implementation of power projects. “Power producers can put in coordinated efforts to reduce the cost of de-silting, catchment area treatment and expenditure on infrastructure,” the report said.

The experts at the seminar were appreciative of the provisions of the new hydropower policy made by the state government. It was pointed out that the policy provided various safeguards to protect Himalayan ecology and environment. ‘The mechanism to ensure dam safety and water flow is positive and the condition to maintain 15 per cent water release for the benefit of the people living downstream and to protect ecology and bio-spheres was appreciable,” the report said.

Bilaspur, November 10
Deputy commissioner and district magistrate Devesh Kumar has issued a notification making it mandatory for all persons coming to the district for earning livelihood to get themselves identified at the nearest police station in the area.

The notification will also be applicable to pheriwals, rehariwalas and others engaged in such self-employed avocations.

Contractors who employ migrant labourers and house owners who provide accommodation to such persons have also been made liable to ensure compliance with the notification. The notification has come into force immediately and will remain effective till December 31.