Dharamsala, November 17
Most of the Tibetans now feel that the middle-way approach of seeking autonomy for the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) from China is not yielding any result. They are of the view that the Tibetans-in-exile should now harden their stance and seek complete freedom from China.

These were the view that came up during the first day of the special meeting of 500 prominent Tibetans living in exile across the world that began at the Tibetan Children Village (TCV) here today.

Speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile Karma Choppel said they had taken views of 15,000 Tibetans living in Tibet. Out of these, 8,000 left the decision on the future policy with the Dalai Lama, 5,000 called to demand complete freedom while 2,000 advocated continuation of the middle-way approach. He, however, refused to disclose as to how they had taken the view point of Tibetans living in Tibet.

It is the first meeting of its kind since the Dalai Lama fled into exile after a failed uprising against China in 1959. The meeting is being organised under article 59 of the Charter of Tibetans-in-exile. It is being perceived as a result of growing frustration among the Tibetans-in-exile over the futility of talks with China. Till now, eight rounds of talks have been held since 2002 between envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities. The Dalai Lama has been pressing for meaningful autonomy for Tibet under the Chinese rule. However, the proposal has been rejected by the Chinese.

The Dalai Lama has convened the meeting to get feedback regarding the sentiments prevailing among the Tibetans-in-exile regarding the future policy to be adopted with China on the issue of Tibet.

The speaker said 15 subcommittees were being formed to know the opinion of Tibetans over the next three days. The delegates for committees were being selected randomly. These committees would deliberate for the next three days on suggestions being put forward by delegates as well as suggestions pouring in from other Tibetans.

The meetings of delegates are being kept out of the preview for the media. On November 21 and 22, suggestions of these subcommittees will be presented before the Dalai Lama.

“Members of Kashag (Tibetan parliament-in-exile) and the Dalai Lama are not participating in meetings so that their presence does not affect the views of delegates,” the speaker said.

The speaker said the Chinese government had tried to pressurise the Indian government for not allowing the present meeting. He, however, said the Indian government had not pressurised the Tibetan government-in-exile in any way regarding the organisation of the meeting.

Shimla, November 17
In order to ensure that only properly trained drivers holing valid documents are engaged for driving passenger vehicles in the state, the police today directed all agencies concerned, including the transport department and private bus operators, to get driving licences of the drivers verified through the police.

Shimla SP R.M. Sharma today held a meeting with regional transport officers (RTO), regional managers of the transport department (RM), taxi, truck and private bus operators to get driving licences and other documents of drivers being engaged by them verified through the police.

There had been instances where it was detected that the driving licences had been procured from other states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand by paying money.

“These steps are being taken to ensure that only professionally trained drivers are engaged so that the scope of human error can be reduced to the minimum,” said the SP. He added that the police would verify the driving licences whether these had been issued from within Himachal or some other state.

During the meeting, private bus operators were also directed to cover the entire route given to them rather than returning from midway. “There have been complaints that private bus operators who have been given routes till Jutogh turn back their vehicles from Totu itself, causing inconvenience to the public and resulting in overloading of other buses,” he said.

Sharma said if anybody was caught not covering the entire route or not issuing tickets to the passengers, strict action would be taken. They had also been directed not to resort to overloading as this could result in mishaps, he said.

The police would also check the use of mobile phones while driving and playing of stereos in buses, be it private or HRTC buses.

As complaints of overcharging and fleecing of tourists by taxi operators and tourist guides were being received, the police would also check that nobody was overcharged than the prescribed rates, he added.

Shimla, November 17
Open revolt by the BJP unit of Banjar Assembly segment against the possible candidature of former MP Maheshwar Singh from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat has created a piquant situation for the top brass of the party as it is being viewed as an act of indiscipline.

Prominent party men in the presence of Khimi Ram, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, reportedly opposed the candidature of Maheshwar Singh, who is a former state party chief at the meeting of workers from Banjar. In fact Maheshwar Singh had taken a serious note of his criticism at a meeting by the Banjar party men.

“I will take up the matter with the Central high command as well as the state party chief as it is an act of indiscipline,” said Maheshwar Singh. He said he would ask the party high command to allow him to publically give reply to all questions raised by party men, including Khimi Ram, at the meeting.

State BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur said he would talk to Khimi Ram about the incident to know what exactly happened. “As far as I know, no resolution was passed against Maheshwar Singh at the meeting,” he said. He, however, added that indiscipline would not be tolerated within the party.

The murmurs of revolt against the candidature of Maheshwar Singh will make the task of the party leadership very difficult. Even though it is not certain as to who would be fielded by the party from Mandi seat, indications of revolt against him could make the selection of candidate difficult. “When Maheshwar Singh did not campaign in favour of Khimi Ram in Banjar and Govind Thakur in Kullu during the Assembly elections, he should be prepared for opposition from these leaders,” said a senior party men.

Interestingly, Maheshwar Singh’s younger brother Karan Singh, a former BJP minister, had now formally joined the Congress. As such Maheshwar’s candidature will not just be opposed by his own party men, but his own brother would campaign against him in case he is fielded by the BJP from Mandi.

At a time when it was being expected that Maheshwar Singh was the strongest candidate that the party could field from Kullu, the opposition from party men from Banjar could pose problems for the party leadership.

Shimla, November 17
A sizeable section of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) rank and file, including some of those who contested the last Assembly election on the party ticket, have raised a banner of revolt against the national general secretary Man Singh Manhera and in charge of party affairs in the state Deep Singh Rahi and demanded their immediate removal.

The workers held a meeting here yesterday under the chairmanship of senior leader Sita Ram Dhiman and discussed the state of the party in the wake of the exit of some prominent leaders and the decision of state convener Major Vijay Singh Mankotia to quit politics. The meeting blamed Manhera and Rahi for the woes of the state unit and urged party supremo Mayawati to take corrective steps to rejuvenate it.

A resolution was passed making it clear that no worker would associate with the party activities until Manhera and Rahi, both outsiders, were replaced. The workers threatened to gherao the two leaders as and when they visited the state.

The party was in a position to win at least 15 seats, but this did not happen as Manhera failed to provide funds to the candidates. Funds were misused and the Rs 50 lakh returned back to the party was only a ploy to please Mayawati, they alleged.

The meeting also urged the high command to appoint a new party president and provide a proper office, vehicles and other facilities to make the party functional.

Mandi, November 17
The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department has sought compensation from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for damage worth Rs 45 lakh done to the IPH irrigation and drinking water schemes downstream in the Beas river in Mandi-Hamirpur-Dharamsala region by releasing heavy discharge of silt from Pandoh Dam.

Though the IPH Department always blamed silt damage on the BBMB, the department had also been found negligent in protecting the schemes downstream from the silt and other damages unleashed by the floods.

The IPH had accused the BBMB, which runs the 990 MW Beas Sutlej Link (BSL) hydroproject here, of releasing heavy discharge of silt in September without sounding an alert to the IPH Department.

The IPH had prepared damage report worth Rs 45 lakh done by the silt discharge by the BSL dam to the water and pumping machineries in Mandi, Hamirpur and Dharamsala region.

The IPH claimed that the sudden release of silt had damaged the pump house, flood protection works, lift irrigation schemes worth Rs 14.60 lakh in Dharamsala circle, Rs 15 lakh in Mandi-Sundernagar and about Rs 15 lakh in the Hamirpur area downstream along the Beas river.

However, the victims of the IPH-BBMB blame game are local residents and farmers, who went without water for a couple of days. “We are also forced to drink muddy and silt water for weeks together due to IPH-BBMB apathy as they have failed to find a lasting solution to the silt problem,” the residents rued.

IPH chief engineer S.K. Vats said, “The department has prepared the damage report and asked the BBMB to pay compensation to the damage done by the sudden silt discharge from the Pandoh Dam. We are hoping for a positive response.”

BBMB deputy chief engineer C.L. Gupta, who is in charge of the BSL project, said the BBMB’s general alert remained in effect during each rainy season as “it is a question of safety of the dam”. “We alerted the district administration in May. Pandoh is not a storage dam and water has to be released downstream during high inflow,” he added.

“This season we received silt over 40,000 per minute particle. The matter of damage is taken up by the higher authority,” he added.

Mandi, November 17
Director-general of police G.S. Gill today asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to speed up the construction of the Rs 1.6-crore police housing colony at Kangsidhar for which plan had been approved.

The DGP arrived here last evening. He inspected the SP office, the Mandi (Sadar) police station, which has got ISO certification for its services to public, and the Police Lines, where he also listened to the grievances of the policemen. Most of these cases related to transfers. He assured policemen to look into each case sympathetically.

According to the plan, the first phase of the police housing colony will involve an expenditure of Rs 1.6 crore. It will include type- IV (two), type-II (18) and type-III (8) quarters for the policemen posted in Mandi.

Gill took up the matter with the PWD official when he inspected the proposed police housing colony at Kangsidhar. He was accompanied by DIG (central range) Anurag Garg and SP (Mandi) M. Chander Sekhar and other officers.

The DGP also inspected the Sadar police station and expressed his satisfaction over its performance under the ISO certification. He also visited the SP office.

Shimla, November 17
Commencement of work on three major road projects under a World Bank-funded programme is likely to be delayed by more than six months because of shortcomings in the tenders invited for award of contracts.

According to sources in the Infrastructure Development Corporation, the bids received for the double laning of the 39-km Rani Tal-Kotla, the 34-km Bhawarna-Jaisinghpur and the 23-km Draman-Sinhuta road sections did not conform to the guidelines issued by the bank. Since the bank does not normally allow deviation in the tendering process, the corporation has been left with no option but to invite fresh bids. It has already sought permission of the bank for the purpose.

Tenders were invited in May and the corporation took a long time in evaluating the technical bids and ultimately came to the conclusion that they were in accordance with the guidelines of the bank. Chinese company Zhong Ding, which had submitted bids for the Rs 54-crore Rani Tal-Kotla and the Rs 40-crore Bhawarna- Jaisinghpur packages, had not furnished adequate security as the validity of the bank guarantee fell short of the minimum period of 148 days stipulated by the bank. In case of another company, Valecha-Shivala, a joint venture, documents revealed legal infirmities in the incorporation of the joint venture.

The bids of two other companies, ANS and NKG, also fell short of the prescribed norms.

In case of the Rs 39-crore Draman-Sihunta package, there was only single tender that made inviting fresh tenders inevitable. Even if the bank gives nod for inviting fresh tenders immediately, it may take about six months to complete the entire process. A clear 45 days are to be allowed for submission of bids.

This is followed by technical evaluation and finally contracts are awarded on the basis of financial bids.

The government has now decided to set up a new division at Dharamsala to help speed up work on the three projects that have fallen behind schedule due to tendering hassles.

The corporation has also submitted projects for the double-laning of the 68-km Kumarhatti- Nahan and the Ghumarvin-Sarkaghat road sections to the bank for approval.

Tenders will be invited for the two projects once the bank gives its nod.

Kangra, November 17
Resentment prevails among residents of Jogipur, Ujjain, Rehalpura and Lalerd villages in outskirts of this town for not completing the link road of vital importance even after nearly three years of commencement of the project.

According to the villagers, the work under the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), a centrally sponsored programme, on this 1.25 km road project started on January 13, 2006, and was scheduled to be completed by October 10, 2006. Its estimated cost was said to be Rs 17,03,603.

The road was vital as it was connecting New Kangra bus stand with Jogipur-Kachiari road and was a viable alternative to the Tehsil Chowk-Kachiari road.

The Ujain-Jogipur road was a shortcut and viable connecting road between the Kangra bus stand and Dr RP Government Medical College Hospital at Tanda and people visiting the hospital could easily bypass the town by adopting this road.

The Tehsil Chowk-Gupt Ganga road was always remaining overcrowded and most of the times it witnessed traffic jam thus putting the residents and pilgrims visiting the town to inconvenience. The Ujjain-Jogipur road would prove as the most viable alternative and ease traffic pressure on that congested road.

The residents alleged that they had requested the concerned authorities time and again, but nothing was done. The PWD authorities here said Rs 19.70 lakh were spent on this road and funds for metaling and tarring were awaited.

Ashwani Kumar Sharma and Joginder, residents of the area, alleged that as local politicians showed little interest for completing this road despite the fact that under the PMGSY funds were no way a stumbling block.

They alleged that during the rains the people here, particularly schoolchildren and old people, were worst sufferers on this road.

The residents of these villages said they had approached the authorities to complete this centrally sponsored scheme, but in vain.

Dharamsala, November 17
Resentment prevails among local residents against the toll imposed by the Yol Cantonment Board for using a 2-km road stretch passing through the area. The board authorities are collecting about Rs 12 lakh per annum as toll from owners of commercial vehicles using the road.

However, despite collection of such a huge amount as toll, the condition of the road is pathetic. The entire 2-km stretch passing through the cantonment is filled with potholes and the upper layer has peeled off that makes driving strenuous.

Residents allege that the board is charging toll tax from them but not repairing the road. Charging tax for using a road filled with potholes is not justified, they maintain. They also allege that the board cannot charge money for using this road as the stretch does not belong to it.

On the other hand, board officials maintain that they are charging toll as per a notification of the Central Government. This is the only direct source of income for the board, they say.

About the ownership of the road, board officials say the ownership lies with the Military Engineering Services (MES). The MES has given a contract for the construction of the road to the PWD. The survey has already started, they maintain.

The people, however, allege that the road passing through Yol was part of the state highway. “How is it possible that just 2-km stretch of the state highway is owned by the MES? Even if it is with the MES, the cantonment board has no right to charge toll over the road as it not spending a penny to maintain it. The cantonment board is getting grant and budget from the Centre for carrying out development works in its specified area. It does not need income from toll for its development works,” they maintain.

Shimla, November 17
Prof V.K. Mattu from the Biosciences Department of Himachal Pradesh University today donated 400 specimens of 87 species of butterflies from his collection to be displayed in the Chandigarh butterfly museum.

Prof Mattu and Dr Mahender Singh Thakur from the Biosciences Department had collected these breathtakingly beautiful winged insects from various parts of the Himalayan region. These butterflies will be displayed in the butterfly museum to be set at the Government Museum and Art gallery, Chandigarh, along with the name of the donor.

“We have got in touch with people within India and abroad so that a rare collection of butterflies can be displayed at the upcoming butterfly museum,” said Dr P.C. Sharma, in charge of the museum at Chandigarh. He said the butterfly museum was being set up by the Chandigarh Administration and would be undertaken in a phased manner.

“We have donated our collection of butterflies for scientific display and preservation for posterity so that people can see the beautiful winged insects and the beautiful patterns in all possible colours on their wings,” said Prof Mattu.

He added letters had already been written to various institutes like the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, the FRI, Kerala, the Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi, the Nehru North-East Hill University, Shillong and St John’s College, Agra. Due credit would be given to each donor of butterflies and his name would be displayed along with the insect, he added.

He said the biggest collection that had been donated so far was from Prof H.R. Pajni, a professor emeritus at Panjab University. “He has already donated his vast collection comprising of 500 specimens of 80 species to be displayed in the museum,” said Dr Sharma.

He said the butterfly museum at Chandigarh would be inaugurated on November 22 by the Governor of Punjab. “We also propose to prepare a directory of butterflies so that we have proper information about the total number of various species and the ones which face the threat of extinction,” he said.

Sharma said there were about 15,011 species of butterflies that have been reported from various parts of the globe. “There are reports of about 300 species being found in the western Himalayan region out of which 87 are from the Shivalik range and 67 from Chandigarh and its suburbs,” said Dr Sharma.

Shimla, November 17
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna for the BPL families in Shimla and Kangra districts will become operational from December 1.

The government has decided to empanel 14 hospitals for the implementation of the scheme. The scheme is being implemented through New India Assurance Company. It has already started work for preparing smart cards in Nurpur block of Kangra and Chuhara block of Shimla district.

Each of the selected hospitals will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the insurance company for empanelment. Smart card devices will be installed at hospitals and district kiosks for reading and updating of cards and the insurance company will be responsible for their maintenance. The payment for devices at hospitals will be made by the hospital authorities that will be the owner of the devices.

Before installation, the company will arrange for training of the staff on the usage of these devices. The order for the required hardware will be placed by the Electronics Development Corporation.

The empanelled institutions include Dharamsala zonal hospital, Dr Rajender Prasad Medial College (Tanda), government civil hospitals at Nurpur, Dehra, Kangra, Baijnath and the community health centre at Jwalamukhi in Kangra district. In Shimla district, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya zonal hospital, Kamla Nehru Hospital and the IGMC, Mahatma Gandhi Medical Services Complex at Rampur and civil hospitals at Theog and Rohru will be on the panel.

Dharamsala, November 17
Report of Centre empowered committee of the Supreme Court that has called for demolition of a multi storeyed hotel brought up on forestland at McLeodganj and action against officials who were erring in the matter, but the present government would wait for final decision of the Supreme Court to finally act in the matter.

Minister for transport and town planning Kishan Kapoor said they would wait for the final decision of the SC before acting even against the officials.

The matter, however, had brought to the fore the way the project was handled during the stint of the previous government.

Investigations by The Tribune into the episode revealed that how even orders of the court were misinterpreted to benefit vested interests in the case.

As per the original plan the Bus Stand Management Authority had allotted the contract on build operate and transfer (BOT) for construction of the bus stand. The original building plans approved by the town planning department, Dharamsala, were just of the bus stand.

However, the company involved in construction also started building a hotel on the forestland. The Supreme Court after being moved on the matter granted a stay on construction.

After the court stay orders the town planning department issued notice to concerned construction company to stop the work. The company produced the stay order of the SC before the town planning officials claiming that the court had granted stay on just the hotel building and not rest of the project. The town planning officials sent the court order and sought clarification from the Bus Stand Management Authority through the Kangra deputy commissioner.

The then managing director of the bus stand authority wrote back to district planning officials to allow the company officials to continue with the work. The district town planning officer when asked admitted that the department officials were told to allow the construction. He, however, added that approval was never sought from them for changed plans of the building.

The result was that the construction at the site continued and five storeyed building now stands on the forestland.

The present government had also constituted a technical committee to probe into the project that submitted report to the Centre empowered committee. Sources available here said the technical committee found many changes in the original plan for the bus stand that made the project unfeasible for its target purpose.

The committee, besides demolition of the building, had also recommended imposition of Rs 1 crore fine on the state government and action against persons and officials found erring in the case.

Shimla, November 17
The high court today issued a notice to the HPU administration in connection with a petition challenging the holding of the Student Council elections. While refusing to stay the election, the court observed that the result of this election would be subject to final outcome of the petition and directed the university to file its reply within three weeks.

The order was passed by a Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Mr Justice Kuldip Singh on a petition filed by a student, who has challenged the notification issued by the university with regard to constitution of the student body for the session 2008-09. The elections are schedule to be held on November 19.

The petitioner has said that as per the provisions of the statute of the university, presidents of the Students Central Association of affiliated colleges of the university becomes constituent of the Student Council. However, the university holds elections for some of the affiliated colleges only.

He has said that there are around 180 affiliated colleges. Out of these only 86 have become the constituent of the Student Council. Clearly, more then 50 per cent of the affiliated colleges have been debarred from becoming the constituent of the council. The action of the university is illegal and violative of its own statute. The petitioner has urged the court to quash the notification and direct the university to hold elections for all affiliated colleges and thereafter constitute the Student Council.

Hamirpur, November 17
MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur has said that the state government has started a scheme to provide funds for raising greenhouses and poly-houses and farmers should take benefit of the scheme.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a forest rest house constructed at a cost of Rs 7.1 lakhs at Dhaneta today, he said the scheme could be very useful for creating employment opportunities for the unemployed youth.

Thakur said the BJP government in the state had fulfilled 80 per cent of the promises made in the election manifesto of the party during the last Assembly elections and the party was committed to ensure overall development of the state.

During its present tenure, the government was creating 26,000 jobs. Out of these, 18,000 jobs would be created in the education sector, he said.

Thakur said the government was making efforts to provide employment to at least one person in every family of the state.

Kangra, November 17
Revenue and PWD minister Gulab Singh Thakur exhorted contingents of the SSB jawans to rededicate themselves to the services of the nation and depressed section of society.

Thakur was addressing the SSB jawans after he presided over the passing out parade and oath taking ceremony of SSB contingents at Sapari, near Jawalamukhi, in this district today.

He hoped that with strengthening of the Battalion the security network of the nation would get strengthened further.

He said the state government would always be prepared to extend all its cooperation to the SSB in carrying its activities. Himachal happens to be the first state in the country, which had granted an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to soldiers hailing from the state killed in action, while paramilitary personnel killed in action were also being given an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh.

He assured that the state government headed by P.K. Dhumal was eager to provide adequate land for the SSB Sapri Training Centre at Jawalamukhi.

He inspected the passing out parade and took salute from the passing out SSB contingents in an impressive ceremony. He gave away prizes and mementos to outstanding contingents for their extraordinary training skills.

IG R.S. Pathania said following Chinese invasion in 1962 the SSB was established on March 27, 1963, and since then it had been contributing in the national security, service and brotherhood. He said so far from this centre 5,410 jawans were imparted training. He said the CRPF jawans of Cobra Battalion too would be now imparted training at this centre.

Bilaspur, November 17
Property and cash worth about Rs 24,000 was stolen from a shop in Raura Sector here in the town last night.

SP Kuldip Sharma said here today that thieves entered the shop, which deals in mobile sets and allied equipment. After breaking the lock of the shutter they broke the glass of the showroom.

The noise of breaking the glass of the showcase awakened some neighbour, who cautioned home guards on night patrol duty. When the home guards arrived on the spot the intruders ran away under the cover of the darkness.

Mobile sim cards worth Rs 10,000, cash Rs 12,000 and some other allied equipment kept in the shop were stolen.

The SP said the police has registered a case and is investigating the matter.