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Woman power to the fore
Governor opens Lavi fair
Chopper develops snag, CM skips two poll meetings
Rampur Ticket
Ticket-seekers trying every trick
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Cong misused tribal plan budget, alleges Dhumal
Kangra: Caste factor makes ticket allocation tough
Sale of subsidised kerosene rampant
Securitymen with low salaries ‘aid’ robberies
Fear of snakes terrorises Dalit family
One killed in mishap
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Woman power to the fore
Bhabanagar (Kinnaur), November 11 With sparse population scattered over a vast precipitous hill terrain the emphasis had all through been on a door-to-door campaign. The icicles formed by the water spilling over from irrigation” kuhals” at Chitkul village provided a fair idea of the chill in the air at sub-zero temperatures. A striking feature has been that unlike past women workers have been in the forefront of the campaign. They could be seen moving in groups from house to house securing support for their respective parties even late in the evening. Until recently the tribal women did not take such an active and dominant part in electioneering. Most of the people go out for work during the day so it is worthwhile to canvass in the second half of the day, says Ponam Negi of Sangla. Earlier, the political activities of women were confined to their own villages but now they were moving in the entire valley. The provision of 33 per cent reservation for the fair sex in the panchayati raj institutions has been largely responsible for the change in the attitude of women in political activities. The panchayat polls are virtually serving as nurseries for grooming political workers at the grassroots. Chuni Lal Negi, a local, tells about another important change that has come about in the tribal belt which has a bearing on the elections. The people no more follow the edicts of the elders and vote en masse for any party. Earlier, the elders used to hold a meeting a day or two before the polling day and took a decision which was virtually binding on the entire village. Such dictates are becoming a rarity as the spread of education and the active involvement of women in electoral politics had created much awareness among the electorate. On the negative side the weakening hold of elders has also made the electorate susceptible to money and liquor power, he laments. All tribals agree on one point that the battle between Jagat Singh (Congress) and Tejwant Singh (BJP) is heading for a close finish due to the presence of BSP candidate Sushil Shana and Lok Janshakti Party candidate Bhagat Singh Kinner. The campaign is in the final phase and senior BJP leaders Shanta Kumar and P.K.Dhumal have already toured the segment. The Congress campaign also got the much-needed boost today with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh addressing public meetings at Pooh and Reckong Peo. He will wind up his party’s campaign for the first-phase poll tomorrow by addressing election meetings at Sangla, Sapni and Katgaon. For the BJP state general secretary Khushi Ram Balnatah addressed meetings at Neugal Seri,Sapni, Katgaon and Tapri today and he would address the final election meeting at Rackong Peo tomorrow.
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Governor opens Lavi fair
Shimla, November 11 Inaugurating the fair Governor V.S. Kokje said that Lavi fair had its own historical importance and it was playing a vital role in perpetuating the old trade and cultural traditions. Lauding efforts to preserve the old traditions of the fair over the years, the Governor said besides providing an opportunity to local farmers, artisans, weavers and other craftsmen to sell their products, the event provided a platform for cultural exchange. The Governor also went around the Kinnauri market, the main attraction where handicrafts, handlooms and other products made by tribal craftsmen and raw wool, pashmina wool , dry fruits and other items produced in the tribal areas are sold. He also inaugurated exhibition and also released a souvenir. DC Tarun Kapur, who is also Chairman of the Lavi fair organising committee, honoured the Governor and his wife, Leena Kokje.
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Chopper develops snag, CM skips two poll meetings
Shimla, November 11 Addressing public meetings at Pooh and Reckong Peo in the Kinnaur constituency he said the BJP leadership was least bothered about the development of the state and corruption was at its peak while it was in power. It threw rules and regulations to winds and crossed all limits of decency while providing government jobs to favourites. The Congress had been the sole benefactor of the tribal people and it had formulated a separate sub-plan for accelerating the pace of the tribal areas. It had always given top priority to the development of these inhospitable areas where people lived in trying conditions. It was only due to the sustained efforts put in by the successive Congress governments that Himachal Pradesh had become a role model for the development of hilly area in the country. He asked the tribal people to vote for the Congress. Virbhadra Singh could not address meetings at Moorang and Rarang as his helicopter developed a snag at Pooh. He had to travel from Pooh to Reckong Peo by road. BJP general secretary Khushi Ram Balnatah, who addressed election meetings at Sapni , Tapri and Katgaon, termed the Congress government as the most corrupt in the state. It had destroyed Kinnaur district by ignoring the environmental issues while assigning hydroelectric projects as a result of which people were being subjected to untold misery and recurring natural calamities.
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Rampur Ticket
Shimla, November 11 The meeting convened at Rampur to ascertain the views of the partymen regarding party candidate to be fielded from the constituency will be presided over by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and attended by all prominent Congress leaders and workers. The Chief Minister will make up his mind whether to give his protégé Singhi Ram another term or bring in a new face to counter the strong anti-incumbency against the sitting MLA who has been on the scene for almost 25 years. A question mark has been put on his candidature ever since Nand Lal, a police officer who has been part of Sonia Gandhi’s security team, resigned and applied for the Congress ticket. Reports emanating from sources close to the Chief Minister that some sitting legislators could be denied the ticket to neutralise the anti-incumbency factor further fuelled speculations that the Congress could field a new face from Rampur. Besides Nand Lal and Singhi Ram , Kaul Ram Dhiman, Permanand Kashyap and Krahsn Lal have also applied for the ticket from Rampur. There is serious tussle over the ticket in all eight seats of Shimla district, except Rohru from where Virbhadra Singh has been contesting. There are six candidates from Kumarsain, the constituency of power minister Vidya Stokes, who include Pramod Sharma, Devinder Shyam, Atul Sharma and Chander Pal Verma. The maximum number of aspirants are for the Shimla seats. Besides sitting legislator Harbhajan Singh, ex-MLA Adarsh Sood, president district Congress (Urban) Arun Sharma, P.K.Sood and Ashok Sood are in the race. At present three seats are held by Independents who later became associate members of the Congress. The party is divided on whether those who contested as rebels against the official party candidates are to be given the ticket or not. Much will depend on what decision the party takes in the matter.
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Ticket-seekers trying every trick
Nahan, November 11 They were now trying to bring more and more panchayat presidents and other panchyati raj functionaries in their camps to increase their political weightage for obtaining ticket. Some have launched signature campaigns and others are obtaining resolutions from panchayat presidents, mahila mandals, yuva mandals, social organisations and religious bodies in their favour. Out of five seats in Sirmaur district, party nominees for three are almost decided. However, the fight for the party ticket from Nahan and Paonta segments is still on. In Paonta, Kirnesh Jang and former parliamentary secretary Rattan Singh are strong contenders for the party ticket. For Nahan seat, former MLA Kush Parmar is the frontrunner for the party ticket. In 2003, he lost with a thin margin of 1,191votes to LJP candidate Sadanand Chauhan in a multi-corner contest. Political observers feel the Congress cannot take the risk of denying party ticket to Kush Parmar as he represents the legacy of Dr Parmar in the state. The second strong contender for the party ticket from Nahan is former legislator Ajay Bahadur Singh. His wife, Kavita Singh, and wife of his younger brother, Kunjana Singh, have also staked claims for the party ticket.
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Cong misused tribal plan budget, alleges Dhumal
Bharmour, November 11 Addressing an election rally at the Chaursi complex of Bharmour today, Dhumal alleged misutilisation of the budget earmarked under the tribal sub-plan and promised action against those found guilty in this connection. Dhumal said the budget allocation for the tribal areas was Rs 740 crore during BJP rule but it was slashed to Rs 370 crore by the ruling Congress government. Dhumal alleged that the Bharmour degree college was opened in 2002 by the BJP government but when the Congress came to power it delayed the commencement of classes there by four years, depriving tribal students of higher education. Talking to mediapersons later, Dhumal said nepotism had been a major factor in the allotment of hydroelectric projects by the Congress government and if the BJP was voted to power it would probe the irregularities committed in this connection. Dhumal accused the Congress government of allotting mini and micro hydroelectric projects below 5 MW after accepting pay-offs from companies outside the state. The BJP government would institute an inquiry and punish the guilty accordingly, Dhumal added.
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Kangra: Caste factor makes ticket allocation tough
Dharamsala, November 11 The top leaderships of these parties and aspiring candidates have been carrying out caste analysis in every Assembly constituency. The ruling Congress and the BJP are devising strategies to win over ‘other backward classes’ (OBC) and the Dalits to neutralize the possible effects of the penetration of the BSP in the region, which is riding on the bandwagon of social engineering formula successfully tested in the recently held Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Shunning the tag of a pro-Dalit party, the BSP is now looking at Rajputs and Brahmins to expand its mass base. The OBC population in Kangra district is around 30 per cent. Therefore, no political party can afford to ignore them. Out of the 16 Assembly constituencies in the district, OBCs are a dominating factor in at least eight. In Dharamsala, the total population of OBCs is 19,413 (34.83 per cent of the total population), while in Kangra, the OBC population is 51,243 (76.54 per cent of the total population). The OBC population is 40,323 in Nagrota Bagwan; 33,247 in Jawalamukhi; 31,735 in Guler; 10,312 in Baijnath; 6,527 in Jawali; 21,242 in Sullah; 4,834 in Nurpur; 5,240 in Paragpur; 6,213 in Rajgir; 3,517 in Palampur; 4,920 in Gangath; 4,740 in Jaswan and 23,417 in Shahpur. The Scheduled Castes (SC) population is also significant in Kangra district. As per official figures, SCs are around 22 per cent of the total population in the district, while STs are just 0.20 per cent. Rajputs are around 30 per cent of the total population. Political observers are of the view that caste factors are likely to play an important role in the elections. The Congress and the BJP cannot ignore these equations. Therefore, unlike the previous elections, the Congress and the BJP will have to rethinking their strategies for the allocation of ticket as the stakes are high for both parties. Moreover, with the entry of the BSP, political equations have changed a bit. In order to counter the caste-based politics of the BSP, it has become a necessity for the Congress and the BJP to look from every angle before the allocation of party tickets. Had the BSP not in fray, the political situation would have been different. The BSP is also looking for some candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes to counter the allegation that after coming to power in Uttar Pradesh its president Mayawati was giving more preference to upper castes leaving behind the Dalits. There were reports from the BSP camp that more importance being given to Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, a Rajput, has disheartened Dalit workers of the party. Mankotia has recently joined the BSP and has been announced as the party’s candidate for the key post of the Chief Minister. His close associate Kewal Pathania, who also joined the BSP, is also a Rajput and is a key contender for the party ticket from Nurpur. Thus, the BSP is in a dicey situation as far as the selection of candidates for the Kangra constituencies is concerned. It has to make a balance between the OBCs, the Dalits and, of course, the upper castes. With the electoral exercise revolving around caste factor, the workers of these political parties say that many people seem to be more interested in the caste background of the candidate than the election manifesto or the individual nature of the candidates in some constituencies of the district.
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Sale of subsidised kerosene rampant
Nurpur, November 11 According to sources, over 1,00,000 litres of kerosene is allocated to about 100 fair price shops in Nurpur subdivision every month. The subsidised fuel meant for cooking purposes is being siphoned off by the operators who buy the oil by paying a hefty premium to the members of the racket. The subsidised fuel is used by the transporters in lieu of diesel. There is a nexus between agents and fair price shops having kerosene selling outlets. The latter provide kerosene to the operators through their network of reliable agents who collect the fuel from outlets in cans and supply them to the users at a premium of Rs 10 per litre. Inquiries reveal that the consumer price of kerosene is Rs 10 per litre which is being sold in the black market to the operators at Rs 20 per litre whereas diesel costs Rs 31 per litre. By purchasing this fuel through a set network saves Rs 11 per litre to a transporter. As a result, the operators are saving thousands of rupees per day through illegal means. A private operator admitted the use of kerosene as a substitute to diesel as it enhanced the profit margin. Certain fair price shops owners due to their political connections are doing a roaring business through this illegal activity. The frequent use of kerosene in diesel-run buses not only causes environmental pollution but also adversely affects eyes of passengers travelling in such vehicles. In order to curb this menace, the government formulated a strategy last month in which the regional transport authorities were to be directed to monitor the use of diesel in the private buses by conducting surprise checking. It was also to be ensured that the quantity of diesel purchased was entered into the log books of the buses by the filling stations. But due to the sudden declaration of the Assembly poll and enforcement of the model code of conduct the same could not be implemented. District food and supply controller Yajwinder Singh said the food and civil supply corporation was concerned about the menace. “The corporation has lodged six FIRs since March this year for alleged black-marketing of kerosene in Kangra district,” he added.
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Securitymen with low salaries ‘aid’ robberies
Solan, November 11 While this has become a matter of concern for the police, IG (law and order) S.R. Marhi, who visited the area to review the situation, said they had established certain cases where such connivance had led to organised robberies. Marhi, who visited the area after a spurt in incidents of robberies said such links had come to the fore after the arrest of as many as 13 persons involved in recent incidents of robberies. He said they were now scanning cellphone details of these private security men and this would enable them to crack down on the entire network. Investigations also revealed that those involved in these robberies were youngsters in the age group of 18 to 24 years and they had a network of buyers where items like copper rolls and other industrial items were readily sold. He said they were hopeful of laying hands on the entire network soon. Lacking any professional competence or knowledge to handle arms, the security staff was paid a meagre salary and they ended up adopting such nefarious means to add an extra buck to their income. The IG further said it was important to bring a sense of security among the industrialists and the people residing in the area as the recent incidents had created misgivings among the residents. The Solan SP, who was also present on the occasion said the IG also informed the policemen of the area to make use of section 114 of the new Police Act which had given explicit powers to the police to check nuisance creators, including drunken drivers and those creating nuisance in public. The IG also instructed the staff to check the violations of the Excise Act as in lieu of the ensuing elections there could be a spurt in liquor smuggling as well as book people under the Arms Act if found carrying unlicensed arms. He also instructed the staff to check violations of the Public Disfigurement Act with elections around the corner and liaison with police officers of all adjoining districts for better coordination.
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Fear of snakes terrorises Dalit family
Nurpur, November 11 A burrow has mysteriously appeared in the lone kutcha room of the house belonging to Parkash Chand. It reappears within 24 hours even after being demolished. The family members have no option but to spend sleepless nights in the verandah as a hissing sound emanates from the burrow every now and then. According to Parkash Chand, whose name is on the IRDP list due to penury, he lost his four-year-old granddaughter in November last year. He said he had tried to plug the burrow several times, but in vain. It reappeared within 24 hours. His legs became non-functional every time he plugged the burrow and became normal only when the burrow reappeared, he added. Satya Devi, wife of Parkash Chand, has started performing “puja” in front of the burrow praying for the welfare of her family. The couple has appealed to the government to rehabilitate the family at some other place so that they could live in peace. Panchayat pradhan Janda Singh said he and other panchayat members had visited the house of Parkash Chand and found that the family was living under constant fear of snakes. He said he had forwarded the application of Parkash Chand for getting relief from the government. SDM Inder Bhardwaj said he had received information from the media and the family would be given all possible help after investigating the case.
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One killed in mishap
Nurpur, November 11 |
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