Shimla, November 3
The Congress has put in its might to undo the initial setback that the party suffered due to bickering among senior leaders as it is during the last three days when Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh will be extensively touring the area that the party intends to gain.

Virbhadra Singh will address a big rally jointly along with HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur on November 5, before close of campaign. Having remained a Congress bastion for the past two decades, the Congress this time is on a sticky wicket following denial of ticket to Pratibha Singh, former MP and wife of Virbhadra.

The former chief minister today addressed meetings at Kadun, Pujaili No-3, Khalai, Sharog and Bashla in the Rohru block. Tomorrow he will address meetings at Masli and Chilala in the Chirgaon block. The blame game between the top party leadership for denial of ticket to Pratibha led to infighting giving a clear edge to the ruling BJP.

With Virbhadra camping in Rohru, the BJP too is not leaving any stone unturned as Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal campaigned in Rohru today and will address meeting tomorrow as well. However, the BJP too is not untouched by infighting as some of the senior leaders, including MLAs, are not too keen to see Balnatah winning as 
he could be a potential threat to them in the next elections.

Despite being a Congress bastion for the past two decades when it was represented by Virbhadra himself, the Congress is also finding it hard to counter the ‘sympathy factor’ in favour of the BJP candidate, Khushi Ram Balnatah. Having lost to Virbhadra in the past he is seeking sympathy votes from people as this would be his last chance as Rohru would be reserved for Scheduled Caste in the next assembly polls.

“He is not seeking votes in the name of the BJP and is avoiding getting too involved in party politics as he is appealing to give him one last chance for three years on the trump card of sympathy votes,” say his supporters. This is why the BJP is not talking of issue-based politics but focusing on giving Balnatah one last chance.

The Congress leaders too are of the opinion that it will depend during the last three days how the campaign picks up and can the Congress gain the lost ground. Sensing the real threat from the BJP for the first time in Rohru, they too are skeptical of victory.

Dharamsala, November 3
The kisan books that were issued to all farmers or agriculture land-owning persons in the state during the stint of Rajan Sushant as Revenue Minister in the previous BJP government, have been made an election issue by the Congress in its election campaign for Jawali by-elections. Rajan Sushant is now the BJP MP from the Kangra Parliamentary constituency and a key campaigner of the party from Jawali as it is his home constituency.

Congress leaders are alleging in election rallies that during the stint of Rajan Sushant as the Revenue Minister, the state government spent Rs 20 crore in making kisan passbooks.

It was maintained that in future, for all revenue purposes including sale of land, mortgage or taking loans, farmers would just have to bring the kisan books. There would be no need for them to take revenue records as “farad” from revenue officials for any revenue-related matter.

The kisan books contained details of revenue records of lands of the farmers.

However, the passbooks served no purpose for the farmers. Congress candidate Sujjan Singh Pathania alleged that all farmers of the state had spent time and energy to make kisan books. However, all exercise proved to be futile and the public money went into the drain.

The sources here also told that the passbooks were redundant as the revenue officials did not own them. They still asked the farmers to bring fresh farads for any sale deed or mortgage of loan cases. The plea of revenue officials was that the revenue record got updated regularly while the record in kisan books was old and could not be relied on.

The Congress leaders are also alleging that Rajan Sushant, during his stint as the Revenue Minister, had asked villagers in Pong Dam oustee areas to apply for regularisation of encroachments made on the government land. Meanwhile, they applied for regularisation of encroachment. However, same applications proved to be the basis for registration of cases against the people.

Congress leaders are bringing forward people who are facing cases in the matter in public rallies as a part of their campaign.

BJP spokesperson, when contacted, said the move for regularisation of encroachments was made for Pong Dam ousteees. It was the Congress that used the applications made by people for regularisation of encroachments to register cases against the applicants.

Regarding the redundant kisan books, the BJP spokesperson said the documents still served the purpose as now every farmer had record of his land.

Meanwhile, the sources said the Congress leadership had deputed former Chief Minister of Punjab Capt Amarinder Singh to campaign in Jawali constituency. He would visit the area on November 5.

Shimla, November 3
Chief Electoral Officer Anil Khachi today said the election campaign in Rohru and Jawali would come to an end at 5 pm on November 5 and all political functionaries and party workers who have come from outside and are not voters of the two segments must leave the constituencies.

He said restrictions on presence of political functionaries in the constituency after the campaign period is over may not be insisted upon the office-bearer of a political party who is in charge of the state. He further said that such an office- bearer of the political party will declare his place of stay at the state headquarters and his movement during the period in question will be confined normally between his party office and the place of his stay.

Meanwhile, November 7 has been declared a gazetted holiday in Rohru and Jawali constituencies as the polling will take place on this day. There will be complete ban on sale of liquor in the two constituencies from November 5 till polling is held two days later and again on the counting day on November 10.

Shimla, November 3
The Shimla branch of the CBI today filed four separate charge sheets in the district court against VK Sharma, a former bank official posted at Rohru, and four government contractors for allegedly issuing fake bank guarantees. Sharma allegedly issued fake bank guarantees to the tune of Rs 1.97 crore in the name of four contractors Sanjay Singh Thakur, Lokender Raitka, Jia Chauhan and Vijay Singh Thakur. These guarantees were used by the contractors in works relating to Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in Rohru, Jubbal and Dodra Kawar divisions.

They have been booked under Sections 120-B, 420, 468, 471 and 201 of the IPC and 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The accused were earlier arrested by the CBI during investigation and were later released on bail. The case against them and the bank manager had been registered on March 31.

Hamirpur, November 3
The Hamirpur district administration’s experiment to invite only Himachali artistes in the Hamir Utsav this year did not go very well with majority of the audience.

In this context both playback singers Puran Shiva and Mohit Chauhan, Himachali lads, who performed here must have done well in the film world as playback singers but they could somehow not fully amuse sections of the crowds.

Perhaps, a section of the crowd was keener to dance on popular tunes than listen to the original slow songs from latest films.

Performing in the last evening of the cultural function of the Hamir Utsav here last night, playback singer Mohit Chauhan entered the stage around 10 pm.

The setting of the band took quite long which spoiled the mood of the audience. He sang some of his latest numbers along with some pahari songs.

Before this, several local cultural groups and school students also presented their items.

IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi was the chief guest on the second day of the utsav. He lit the lamp of the cultural evening in which Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur was the guest of honour.

Solan, November 3
With the state’s fertiliser quota facing a drastic cut, the agrarian community is facing hardship at the onset of the current kharif season.

Sources from HIMFED, which has been entrusted the task of procuring and distributing fertilisers in the state, revealed that as against a requirement of 7,500 tonnes in October, various fertilisers made available from the two agencies---IFFCO and Rashtriya Chemical Fertilisers---was 870 and 1,500 tonnes, respectively. The shortage was as high as 70 per cent.

This has delayed the sowing of wheat which usually begins in mid-October and continues till mid-November. The state chiefly receives three fertilisers, including complex NPK fertilisers of 12:32:16, 15:15:15 and 10:26:26 ratio and super phosphate.

Sources in the Agriculture Department revealed that given the decline in quota year after year, the state had been forced to project a decline in its demand too and this too failed to be met as Himachal was not considered a priority state as far as fertiliser distribution was concerned.

An estimation of the decline in quota could be assessed from the fact that as against the availability of 46.45 tonnes NPK of 12:32:16 at Solan in October last year, the stores had merely 15.250 tonnes of this fertiliser at the end of October. The supply of other fertilisers too had declined due to the shrinking quota and as against an availability of 13 MT of super phosphate at Solan in October last year, its supply was nil this time. The lack of availability of complex fertilisers as well as super phosphate---both in powder and granule form--- and MPO fertiliser had become a cause for concern for apple orchardists who contribute substantially to the state’s GDP.

MP Sood, managing director, HIMFED, said the shortage was due to an overall reduction in the quota but they had requested the Union Ministry of Fertilisers to make available 8,000 MT fertilisers for this month and this had been allocated in the fertiliser movement plan. He said they were now awaiting its availability at Chandigarh from where it would be transported across the state.

He added that the shortage was due to certain constrains of the procuring agencies, including IFFCO and the Rashtriya Chemical Fertilisers, as a major chunk of the commodity was imported. He agreed that this delay had adversely affected the farmers whose sowing had been delayed for reasons beyond their control.

Shimla, November 3
The Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Federation has decided to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister and other central ministers to save the carton factory at Pragtinagar in Shimla district from closure.

The elected members of the federation who held a meeting here today decided to send a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Union Ministers for Forest and Environment and Agriculture and the Chief Minister on December 12.

President of the federation Ravinder Chauhan presided over the meeting.

The members said the closure of the corrugated carton factory at Pragtinagar was against the interests of the growers, as it would affect them both in terms of quality as well as cost.

“We have also decided to hold rallies and start a signature campaign which will be submitted both to the PM as well as the Chief Minister,” he said.

Chauhan said the federation also demanded that the pending payment due to the growers on account of the market intervention scheme (MIS) during 2008 must also be released.

He added that if the government failed to do so the federation would be forced to resort to an agitation.

He further said the cartons being made available to the growers must be of uniform standard.

He said the members of the federation were of the opinion that scientists of the Horticulture University must visit the orchards and farms of the growers to guide them.

Shimla, November 3
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today expressed displeasure over investigation of an illegal detention case at the Rohru police station in Shimla district under the supervision of Shimla SP.

A Division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ram Bhawan Misra and Justice Rajeev Sharma, directed the Rohru Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) to seize the entire records pertaining to this case and produce the same on November 11 in the court. The court also directed Rohru SDM to remain present in the court.

This order came on a petition registered on a letter to the Chief Justice. The petitioner alleged that the Rohru police had illegally detained him in the police station on September 9 this year. It was alleged that he was taken to the police station while he was on the way to his office. He mentioned that the police was pressurising him under the influence of a police personnel working at the Rohru police station to accede to the demands of the complainants.

The HC had issued the notice to the respondents and had directed the Shimla SP to personally monitor the investigation. The SP today informed the court that the petitioner was arrested keeping in view eminent threat to peace and tranquility in the area. It was alleged that petitioner Devi Ram abused the complainant party before the police. It was mentioned in the reply that a complaint against the petitioner was recorded in the daily dairy on August 26, 2009. The police arrested the petitioner in this case to maintain peace.

The court asked the Shimla SDM what was the material before the police that was a threat to the peace in the area after 14 days of lodging the complaint. The court further asked as to why this fact was not brought to the notice of the Sessions Judge at Rohru on September 5 when an application for bail was adjudicated.

The police submitted before the Rohru Sessions Judge that no case had been registered against the petitioner. The court observed that prima facie the matter had not been properly investigated and asked the ACJM to seal the record of proceedings of Rohru SDM and the Rohru police station and produce the same before this court on November 11.

Shimla, November 3
With no proper accounts of the total money collected for the holding of musical show in Dharamsala during the Congress regime, the investigation by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is heading towards a dead end.

Despite holding thorough investigations into the case, the Vigilance Bureau has not been able to lay its hand on anything concrete to pin down Congress leaders, especially former Transport and Tourism Minister GS Bali. The issue of financial irregularities in the holding of musical blast at Dharamsala was one of the main highlights of the BJP charge sheet against the Congress regime.

“During investigations all that we were able to find out was that a total of Rs 37 lakh expenditure was made on the mega event but since there is no account of the total money raised, there is little we can do,” admitted a senior Vigilance official. He added that since the receipts printed for accepting money had no serial numbers, it was impossible to ascertain the amount that was raised during the cultural event.

Having completed its investigations into the case after obtaining documents available with the office of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner and the Tourism Department, the Vigilance Bureau is now seeking the opinion of its legal cell so that the next move can be made. “We are likely to ask the government to take action against officials of the Tourism Department as they failed to maintain proper accounts,” said sources.

With the BJP pointing fingers at former minister GS Bali, the Vigilance had started investigations into the case immediately after the BJP assumed power. However, during investigation the Vigilance had not been able to get any evidence which could help it implicate Bali or any other leader.

In two other inquiries concerning recruitment of conductors and purchase of minis buses by the Transport Department, the Vigilance Bureau has recommended to the government that departmental action be initiated against officials who were responsible for the selection of conductor and others for purchase of buses.

The Vigilance Bureau had made 33 specific complaints out of the BJP charge sheet, which had been handed over to it for investigation after the party assumed power in Himachal in December 2007. Out of these 33 complaints, inquiries in 10 cases were closed following lack of evidence or duplication at some level.

In most others the investigations are at the final stages and in most cases departmental action is likely to be recommended against the erring officials.

Mandi, November 3
Para-gliders more particularly “inexperienced ones from Russia” flying dangerously on the lee side of the mountain run the risk of flying.

This lee-side flying has turned out to be a major reason for paragliding accidents at Bir-Billing and Marhi-Solang nullah in Manali, revealed experts.

The Tourism and Civil Aviation Department has banned paragliding competitions, including the Pre-World Cup, which was organised by the Bir-Billing paragliding Association at Billing recently without seeking its permission.

However, the Tourism Department has not banned “free-flying” being done by pilots in places like Solang nullah, Delu in Jogindernagar, Bir and Billing in Kangra, the major paragliding sites that offer top-bottom flights for pilots who zero in from across the globe every year.

According to paragliding experts and pilots, most accidents were taking place among the Russian pilots as they are not being instructed to fly leeward along the mountain.

President of the Indian Paragliding Association, Manali, Roshan Lal Thakur said, “We have observed that Russian pilots are not experienced in cross-county and free-flying in the Himalayan mountains.”

Russian pilots, many of them not experienced enough to ride themselves on the lee side in which hot air-currents come across the ridge, take the risk and endanger their life as it has happened recently, experts said.

However, the pilots should be guided by a technical committee and be assisted by a rescue team provided by the Tourism Department, they said.

A Russian pilot, Payol, landed on a treetop at Urla in Mandi, about 50 km away from the Billing site yesterday. He was rescued by locals who spotted him while he was hanging precariously from the treetop.

General secretary of the Paraglding and Hang-gliding Association of India Dr SP Katyal said the Tourism Department had done the right thing to make it compulsory to register each association with the department under the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development and Regulation Rules, 2002.

“The FAI — a governing world body —guidelines, fitness and experience of pilot, and equipment and standby rescue team and choppers should be followed before the pilots take part in a flying competition,” he added.

Director tourism Arun Sharma said no paragliding competitions could be held by any association, which was not registered under the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Rules.

The department had not banned free flying and clearance was already given by the local committee headed by the SDM of the area, he added.