Shimla, October 24
Three candidates, including Congress rebel from Rohru Mathu Ram Bushairi, who were in the fray for the by-elections to the Rohru and Jawali Assembly segments, today withdrew from the contest.

The withdrawal of Bushairi from the contest and the proposed five-day tour of the constituency by Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh from October 26, could reduce the worries of the Congress.

The BJP has been in an upbeat mood ever since the Congress high command denied ticket to Pratibha Singh, former MP and wife of Virbhadra.

In fact, the BJP made an impressive beginning as all senior leaders, including Chief Minister PK Dhumal, ministers and MLAs ensured their presence at the filing of nominations by Balnatah, the BJP candidate.

On the other hand, Congress leaders, including HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur and CLP leader Vidya Stokes, shied from being there at the time of filing of nomination by Congress candidate Manjeet Singh.

Three candidates out of a total 11, who were in the fray for the by-elections which will take place on November 7, withdrew their nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal.

Besides Bushairi, who had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, Shurveer Singh, candidate of the Rashtrawadi Sena, also withdrew his nomination papers.

With this there are now a total of four candidates in the fray from Rohru including Khushi Ram Balnatah (BJP), Manjeet Singh (INC), Kewal Ram Negi and Bihari Lal, both Independents.

Veena Shukla, a BJP rebel, who had filed her nomination as an Independent in protest against the party’s decision to field Balnatah, withdrew from the contest yesterday.

In Jawali the number of candidates in the fray are four including Baldev Raj (BJP), Sujan Singh Pathania (INC), Ashok Kumar Somal and Madan Sharma, both Independents. Despite the best efforts of the BJP leaders, their rebel candidate Madan Sharma did not retire from the contest, which could prove to be damaging for the ruling party.

Sera (Hamirpur), October 24
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has said the government was not averse to the CBI or any other inquiry in the Brakel case.

Relying to a question Dhumal said, “The state government has strictly acted according to the direction of the high court in this case and cancelled the Jangi-Thopan hydel project allotted to Brakel company. However, if anybody wants a CBI or any other inquiry, we are not averse to it.” The Chief Minister said, “The state government has sanctioned money for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for constructing three tunnels---linking Hamirpur-Una, Holy (Kangra)-Uttarala (Chamba) and Mandi-Kullu and work on these would start soon.”

Dhumal said a unique project to provide employment to educated youth under the Swaran Rojgar Jayanti Yojna had been sanctioned for Hamirpur district through which ITFT company, which was already working in Parkash Singh Badal and Navjot Singh Sidhu’s constituencies in Punjab, would upgrade skills of 2,000 educated youth and 75 per cent of them would get employment also.

He said National Highway-88, between Nadaun and Dangadi, would be upgraded for which Rs 3.16 crore had been sanctioned.

Similarly, work on Dhola-Sidh hydel project would also be started soon.

Talking about developing tourist facilities in Hamirpur district, Dhumal said Rs 35 lakh had been sanctioned for river rafting in the Beas at Nadaun, Rs 25 lakh to create facilities at Toani Devi temple complex, Rs 35 lakh for improving facilities at Gasota Mahdev temple, Rs 20 lakh for creating facilities at Avah Devi temple and Rs 25 lakh for Nardeshwar temple at Nadaun.

Replying to a question regarding senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar’s statement about reinstatement of two officials caught by the Vigilance Bureau in alleged corruption cases, Dhumal said, “I do not know in what context did he make this statement but he himself should know that suspension is not a permanent removal of any employee and there is a set procedure in dealing with such cases.”

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of tourist information centre at Nadaun and also heard grievances of public in the Prashashan Janta Ke Dwar programme, where officials from all departments were present, and settled many cases on the spot.

Shimla, October 24
Hameed Haroon, eminent Pakistani media personality and CEO of Dawn, Karachi, today said Indo-Pak relations during the past few years had witnessed a downswing as both the nations were trying to outdo each other in pleasing Washington.

Haroon is here to attend a seminar being held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) on the occasion of completion of 50 years of the monthly magazine “Seminar”.

“The thrust should be more on people-to-people contact as that is what the people of the two countries want rather than the same old rhetoric by the two neighbours,” he emphasised.

He said amidst the souring India-Pakistan relations in the recent times, intellectual efforts by people like Jaswant Singh had gone a long way in warming up the hearts of people on either side of the border.

“It is high time that the two governments shun their old tactics and encourage more people to contact so that the clouds of misinformation can be blown away,” he added. Haroon said whatever be the stance adopted by the two governments, the fact remained that dialogue at various levels could not be stopped and the Internet was proving to be the best mode.

“It is ironical that over half a million students from the region go to America for studies but the gap between the two neighbours still remains unbridged,” he rued. He lamented despite the youth on both sides keen on a close interaction, the diplomatic channels were against such moves.

“Since the air of misinformation campaign on the Indian side seems to be much more than on our side, sincere efforts must be made to clear all such misgivings,” he remarked.

However, former Indian diplomat Shiv Shankar Menon struck a different chord by stating that the situation was far better off than six decades ago as intellectual institutions in the two countries had contributed immensely in keeping the channels of communication open. Sounding an optimistic note, noted writer Nayantara Sahgal said India-Pakistan ties were very strong in spheres like music, literature and other art forms. She recounted her own association with the magazine “Spectrum” whose publication she said was halted in 1976 when Emergency was imposed.

Coming down heavily on the imposition of Emergency, she said writers like her were advised to write on topics and issues other than politics.

Eminent historian Sunil Khilnani said journals like Seminar must transcend the physical boundaries of India and reach out to people globally.

“Jawaharlal Nehru was probably the last Indian leader whose voice was heard world-over as people took note of his utterances,” he opined.

Shimla, October 24
Governor of West Bengal and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopal Krishan Gandhi today demanded that all places associated with the Father of the Nation must be developed as heritage sites as some of them were lying in a complete state of neglect.

Gandhi is the chairman of the sub-group of the Gandhi Heritage Committee constituted by the Union Minister of Culture.

“We have submitted a detailed list of almost 2,000 places, including public places, halls and parks which the Mahatma visited so that these can be developed as heritage sites,” he said.

Gandhi, who is here to attend a seminar at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), lamented that many of the private places, which Mahatma visited, were in a shambles and required immediate attention.

“The list of all such places, compiled alphabetically and beginning with Aat village in Gujarat which he visited during the course of Dandi march, and ending with Zulfipur in Bihar, has been handed over to the central government,” he informed.

He said though places visited by Gandhi, which were under the government control, were well maintained but those with private individuals were in a bad shape and needed attention so their sanctity could be maintained.

The sub-group has drafted recommendations for the upkeep, maintenance, conservation and development of sites associated with him.

“Since Bapu visited Shimla 21 times between 1921 and 1946, I have asked the Department of Language, Art and Culture in Himachal to prepare a list of all places where he stayed and visited so that they can be developed and protected,” he informed.

In fact, Mahatma Gandhi had visited even the Viceregal Lodge, now known as the IIAS, on several occasions as well as the Shanti Kuti I Cgakkar area which is well maintained.

It was on May 12, 1921, that Gandhi, accompanied by Madan Mohan Maulviya and Lal Lajpat Rai, had come to Shimla to meet the then British Viceroy, Lord Reading. He also made several trips later to meet freedom fighters.

Some of the other places he visited in Shimla included Manorville, residence of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur in Summer Hill, now undr the control of the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

“The government is planning to develop the Dandi Heritage Corridor from Sabarmati Ashram till Dandi and also come out with a publication listing all sites in India associated with the Mahatma,” said his grandson.

Mandi, October 24
The Mandi Medical College Sangharsh Samiti (MMCSS) and the CPM today joined hands to oppose the attachment of the proposed private medical college at Sarkaghat with the Civil Hospital. They viewed it as Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s move which aims at killing two birds with one stone--- diluting the Congress’s promise to start government medical college at Mandi and creating a political clout in Gopalpur and Dharampur segments as the latter one falls in Hamirpur constituency represented by Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur.

“We welcome the private medical college at Sarkaghat, but oppose privatisation of a government hospital,” they asserted.

Reacting to the recent Cabinet decision taken under the chairmanship of Dhumal, MMCSS convener Sunder Lohia said their stand on attachment of government hospital to private medical college was clear from day one. “We oppose it tooth and nail as privatisation of government hospitals will deprive common man from free medical treatment that they get from these hospitals,” he added.

Lohia said the samiti had decided to join hands with like-minded parties or NGOs who support them on the issue. “We welcome the Cabinet decision to open a medical college at Sarkaghat. But it should come up with its own infrastructure,” he added.

Supporting view of the MMCSS, general secretary, CPM, Mandi, Bhupender Singh said the party would not allow the attachment of Civil Hospital at Sarkaghat with a private medical college on the ground that it would throw common patients at the mercy of profit-oriented private set up of medical college.

The CPM stated that that party welcomes the private medical college, but oppose privatisation of government health infrastructure built out of pubic funds.

Though the state government claimed that the Sarkaghat medical college to be opened in the public-private partnership would benefit patients in rural areas, Dhumal had aimed his medical college salvo diluting Mandi MP and Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh’s recent reassertion that the Congress would start government medical college at Mandi when it comes to power.

Shimla, October 24
Terming it as a life-changing device with the speed of broadband and freedom of mobility, Tata Teleservices Limited today launched its “Photon Plus” having speed 20 times more than the current wireless mobile technologies.

Launching the mobile broadband Internet device here, TPS Walia, chief operating officer, Punjab and Haryana, Tata Teleservices Limited, said the product had been designed to meet the increasing consumer expectations who want wireless high speed Internet access.

The Photon Plus service allows customers to be connected not only for mails but also for downloads, large file uploads, photo sharing and is compatible both with laptops and desktops. The device costs Rs 3,500, besides the tariff for various time plans as well as usage. There are special plans for students between 11 pm to 6 am. Walia said the Photon Plus had been launched in almost all major cities of the country. “To begin with, the service will be made available only in Shimla with link right up to Chandigarh and there is a proposal to later provide the facility in Dharamsala and Palampur,” he said.

He added that the device would not stop working but would automatically switch over to normal speed in areas where the facility is not available. There was also a provision of exchange for old customers, as they would get Rs 1,100 off on Rs 3,500 device charges and could also retain the same number and sim card.

Dharamsala, October 24
The Himachal Pradesh Government Colleges Teachers’ Association has demanded that according to recommendations of the UGC, the state should also create promotional avenues of ranks of professor in government colleges.

At presently, teachers serving in government colleges can just be promoted up to the rank of associate professors.

General secretary of the association Rajinder Singh Chandel, while talking to The Tribune, said there would not be much financial burden on the state in case the said additional promotional avenue was generated in colleges. The government would have to pay just an additional Rs 1,000 grade pay if college associate professors were promoted to the rank of professors. However, it would create another promotional avenue that could motivate college teachers for research or other teaching-related activities, he added.

The college teachers have also demanded that the retirement age of college and university teachers should be uniform. In 22 states of the country, it is already uniform. However, in Himachal, the college teachers retire at the age of 58 years, while the university teachers are allowed to serve up to 60 years.

The teachers demanded a uniform increment date, as adopted by the Punjab government, should also be implemented in Himachal. The Punjab government has fixed July 1 as the uniform increment date for all college teachers.

However, in a notification issued recently, the Himachal government had kept the increment date as and when due for employees.

The college teachers welcomed the step of the Himachal government to recruit college teachers through the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). Chandel said the step would help in curbing back-door entries into the colleges as was being done earlier.

Meanwhile, the teachers also thanked Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for implementing new pay scales for college teachers.

Shimla, October 24
The CPM and the CPI will hold a state-level convention at Hamirpur on October 27 on the crucial issue of price rise, drought and food security.

Stating this here yesterday, state secretary of the CPM Rakesh Singha said the convention would give a call for launching of a state-level struggle against anti-people policies of the central and the state government which was resulting in price rise.

“We are strongly opposed to the clauses of food security legislations, which have been circulated to all the state governments, as these will, in no way, lead to food security,” he asserted.

“It is estimated that cut in the present allocation will lead to a saving of Rs 4,000 crore while India proposes to spend only 1.18 per cent of its GDP budgeted at Rs 52,489 crore in 2009-10 on crucial food subsidies,” he said.

Singha said prices of essential commodities had shown a steep increase, making it difficult for the common man, and on the other hand, there had been massive damage to all agricultural produce due to drought.

“Food security cannot be linked to faulty poverty estimates, made from time-to-time by the Planning Commission, but must be recognised as a universal right,” he said.

Shimla, October 24
The Congress has charged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal with violating the model code of conduct for election by making populist announcement to woo the electorate of Rohru and Jawali constituencies.

General secretary of the party Kuldeep Rathore said the announcement that the government was considering to make Rohru a district, was a blatant violation of the code of conduct. The fact was that development activities had virtually come to a standstill ever since the BJP came to power in the state.

The BJP leaders had done nothing except inaugurate projects planned and executed by the previous Virbhadra Singh regime. In fact, the only thing it did was to close down schools, colleges and other intuitions opened by the Congress, he added. Not only that, educational and health institutions in the area were without staff. Roads were in bad shape and there had been virtually no maintenance since the BJP came to power, he said.