Dharamsala, December 17
Congress members in the Himachal Vidhan Sabha today staged a walkout from the House to protest against the alleged breach of privilege against their MLAs.

As soon as the Question Hour was over, CLP leader Vidya Stokes stood up from her seat and alleged that no action was being taken on the privilege notice brought by Guler Congress MLA Neeraj Bharti.

Bharti, on the first day of the session, had alleged breach of privilege at the hands of PWD officials. He alleged that initially the officials printed his name on cards to lay the foundation stone of Ambedkar Bhawan in his constituency. However, later they cancelled the programme without any notice.

After that, all Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the House, raising slogans against the government.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs JP Nadda, while speaking on the walkout, alleged that all resolutions and issues brought before the Assembly by the Congress had been accepted. He also alleged that the Opposition leaders did not want to face important discussions.

CLP leader Vidya Stokes had brought up the issue of corruption in the state for discussion. The proposal was accepted by the government. However, she later withdrew her proposal.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister PK Dhumal alleged that the Opposition did not have any public issues to discuss. It had nothing against the government so it was staging walkouts on non-issues. He condemned the Opposition and went to the extent of alleging that Congress MLAs did not want to stay at Dharamsala.

The Congress leaders later held a press conference and alleged that humiliating them had become a practice of the present government.

Vidya Stokes, when asked, admitted that she had initially moved a proposal for discussion on corruption. “I later withdrew the proposal due to some important work on the day the debate was fixed,” she added.

However, the Congress leaders were divided over the issue of boycott of Assembly. Majority of the Congress MLAs, including HPCC president Kaul Singh, were of the view that they should continue the boycott for the whole session today.

However, a few MLAs were of the view that important issues were to come up for discussion before the House.

Nagrota Congress MLA GS Bali was firm on attending the session after lunch as his proposed discussion over power projects was to come up before the House.

The divide was obvious from the fact that GS Bali was the first to occupy his seat for the post-lunch session. The other Congress leaders followed him later and the walkout remained limited to just one hour.

Shimla, December 17
Failure to arrive at a consensus over the name of the new state BJP chief between various party factions could help the present incumbent, Khimi Ram to get yet another term.

With the election of the new party chief likely to take place by January 15, the issue came up for discussion at the recent meeting of the state BJP core group. With about a month for the election of party chief, there are likely to be more round of talks to decide if Khimi Ram, who gave up the post of the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha to take up the party post, would get another term.

The names of Health Minister Rajiv Bindal and Forest Minister J.P. Nadda are already doing the rounds but it all depends upon their acceptability by both the Shanta and Dhumal factions, which will certainly not be an easy task. It is only after the elections of the mandals and the district will be complete that a clearer picture would emerge indicating who has bigger majority to have a say in the matter.

Terming the short tenure of state chief Khimi Ram as being lacklustre, the Dhumal faction advocated that a new person be appointed in his place and is even pleading the case of Bindal. With the Shanta faction being strictly opposed to Bindal adorning the chair of the party chief, other names were considered.

“What is most interesting is that the Dhumal faction wanted Khimi Ram to be changed as they felt he had failed to deliver but when the name of Bindal was disapproved by Shanta faction, they were willing that the present state chief be given a second term,” said a member of the core group.

On the other hand the Shanta faction is learnt to be putting its might behind Nadda, who too is willing to take up the party responsibility, keeping his experience in organisational matters. However, the possibility of Nadda being accepted by the Dhumal faction is unlikely and as such there is likely to be a lot of lobbying before a final decision can be taken.

On the other hand some of the leaders feel that Khimi Ram has hardly got time to prove his competence and he should be given another term. They contest that he resigned from the post of the Deputy Speaker to take up the post so he should be given a chance to prove his capability.

Dharamsala, December 17
The House today adopted a resolution seeking extension of the industrial package in the state till 2020. In the absence of Congress MLAs who had staged a walkout, the resolution that was presented by Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor was adopted with voice-vote. Through the resolution, the Himachal Assembly has demanded from the Union government an extension in the industrial package to the state till 2020.

The state government, through the resolution, has contended that initially the industrial package for the state was for 10 years ranging from 2003 to 2013. However, the package was later reduced and was being enhanced in bits and pieces. This had discouraged many big corporate houses from setting up their units in the state. Hence, now it should be extended to 2020 so that the corporate houses get adequate time to make investments in the state.

Congress MLAs, led by HPCC president Kaul Singh and CLP leader Vidya Stokes, termed the resolution as a political gimmick. They alleged that the BJP had adopted the resolution knowing that the Union government would not extend it till 2020. They are just trying to shift the blame on the UPA government by making an unreasonable demand, the leaders alleged.

The Congress leaders said they were in favour of extension of industrial package only till 2013. We had assured cooperation to the state government for extension of the industrial package till 2013, they said.

The House adopted another resolution requesting the Union government to include Bhoti language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. The resolution was brought by Lahaul and Spiti BJP MLA Ram Lal Markande.

He said many old scriptures of the country had been written in Bhoti language. However, after being ignored by feudal rulers in the country, use of the language had declined.

However, the language is still spoken in a large number of tribal areas of the state and like many other languages, it should be included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, he added.

The resolution was adopted with a voice-vote in the Himachal Assembly. Both resolutions would now be sent to the Union government.

Dharamsala, December 17
The issue of fake ration cards, bus stands being built under the BOT scheme and a number of appointments made by the state government in the past two years dominated the Question Hour session on the fourth day of the winter session here today.

Responding to a question from Congress MLA GS Bali, Chief Minister PK Dhumal informed the House that in the past two years, the present government had provided jobs to 3,505 persons in various boards, corporations and government departments in the state.

To a supplementary query in this regard, the CM also said according to the policy of the state government, all appointments had been made on contract.

Transport Minister Mohinder Thakur, in a response to queries from four MLAs, including Baldev Sharma, Vinod Kumari, Anil Kumar and Govind Singh Thakur, informed the House that nine bus stands were under construction in the state and 22 new bus stands had been proposed. The Una, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Baddi and Hamirpur bus stands would be brought up on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. He said land for Hamirpur bus stand had already been identified near the bypass of the town and it would be completed within the next two years.

Nadaun Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu raised the issue of fake ration cards in the state. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Ramesh Dhawala, while responding to the query, said till October 30, 2009, 7,514 ration cards were found to be fake in the state. Una topped the list with 4,923 out of total fake cards detected in the district. In Hamirpur district, 1,170 ration cards were found to be fake.

IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi, while responding to a query from Congress MLA Rajesh Dhirmani, said priority was being given to schemes being suggested by the MLAs in their respective areas.

Dharamsala, December 17
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has granted approval for increasing postgraduate seats at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) from 39 to 62 and MBBS seats from 65 to 100.

A statement in this regard was read in the House by Minister of Health Rajeev Bindal. He said the IGMC was a 43-year-old institution. The college initially started with an intake of 50 admissions of MBBS students, which increased to 65 seats in 1978.

The present government, while presenting the Budget in March, 2008, had announced to enhance the annual admission in the college to 100 students. During the past two years, there had been a substantial increase in both teaching and non-teaching posts in the college. Fortyone faculty positions, 180 registrars, 273 nursing staff, 21 non-teaching medical staff, 66 ward attendants and eight positions in other categories have been filled.

A sum of Rs 9.71 crore has been spent for purchase of machinery and equipment for various departments. The process of purchase of 64 slice CT machine, that would cost Rs 6 crore, has also been finalised.

During the past two years, three postgraduate degree courses in the disciplines of radiotherapy, pathology and pharmacology, has been recognised by the MCI, he added.

The decision to increase the seats in the college has been taken by the MCI after an inspection, the minister said.

He also lauded the efforts of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for increase in seats at the IGMC.

Dharamsala, December 17
Congress MLA GS Bali, while introducing discussion in the House, demanded that the state government should fix five years time for construction of hydel projects in the state.

Later, while talking to The Tribune, Bali said there were many big projects ranging up to 1,000 MW that had been hanging in the balance since decades.

According to the MoU with companies, the state government is entitled to 12.5 per cent royalty in power to be produced in the projects. By delaying the power projects for an indefinite period, the companies were causing loss to the state exchequer, he added.

Bali was targeting certain big companies that have been allotted many power projects in the state. He was of the view that companies were just gathering power projects but were not in a position to complete them in a time-bound manner. Due to delay in the construction, the state was also losing 12.5 per cent royalty.

He proposed that the state government, after fixing five-year deadline for construction of power projects, should make the companies pay the royalty in cash to the government.

Thus, the state can harness crores that can further be used for developmental works, he added. He also alleged that the state was allowing the companies delaying the power projects go scot-free by granting them extension through resolutions passed in the Cabinet.

Shimla, December 17
Officers and employees of the office of the Accountant-General of Himachal Pradesh has decided to hold lunchtime demonstrations to draw the attention of the Government of India to the injustice perpetrated by the Sixth Central Pay Commission by downgrading the pay scales of various categories of staff.

Their main grouse is that senior accounts and audit officers who hitherto enjoyed the status on par with under secretary have been granted grade pay of Rs 5,400 as against the grade pay of Rs 6,600 given to their counterparts in the government.

Similarly, assistant accounts and audit officers have been given the grade pay of Rs 4,800 and their counterparts Rs 5,400 after four years of service. Even senior auditors have been discriminated against by granting a grade pay of Rs 4,200 as against Rs 4,600 given to those equivalent to them in the government.

Hamirpur, December 17
Another lady, suspected to be suffering from swine flu, died in Hamirpur district, which has raise the number of deaths to two in the district and eight in the state. She was admitted at Hamirpur regional hospital on Wednesday and later taken to Tanda medical college where she breathed her last this morning.

The deceased Sunita Devi, a resident of Garaha village under Kala Amb panchayat, was a teacher at government school, Sameer Pur, the ancestral village of Chief Minister PK Dhumal.

It is notable that another lady Indu Bala, earlier referred from regional hospital here and later confirmed of having swine flu, had also died at Tanda medical college a week ago.

If confirmed positive, this death would raise the number of swine flu deaths to eight in the state.

Sunita Devi was reportedly admitted at regional hospital with high fever on Wednesday at about 9 am.

Confirming the death, chief medical officer (CMO) Dr DS Chandel said, “Sunita Devi was admitted in the hospital suffering from pneumonia with high fever and symptoms of swine flu also. She was tested for H1N1 and also put on tamiflu.”

Her condition began to deteriorate in the evening and the health authorities suggested attendants of the patient to put her on respiratory system. However, they sought her discharge and later took her to Tanda medical college where she died this morning.

Meanwhile, the CMO said the department had asked health authorities to hold swine flu awareness camps at Sameer Pur and Garaha villages.

Shimla, December 17
Taking suo-motto notice of a news item pertaining to the death of Kargil martyr Captain Saurabh Kalia of Palampur, the Himachal Pradesh High Court today issued notice to the Central government and sought its reply on the issue of action taken by the government of India to expose Pakistan for its war crimes and violation of the Geneva Convention.

According to the news report, Pakistan violated international laws by capturing them alive and not reporting the Prison of War to their counterparts. The brutal torture violated the Geneva Convention. It further reported that when the body of the martyr was flown down from Kargil to Delhi for a detailed autopsy, it showed signs of extreme torture. It was promised by the then Prime minister and others that all efforts would be made to bring this issue to the appropriate international body to punish perpetrators of the crime.

The martyr’s father, Dr NK Kalia, had taken up the issue with the Central government many a times but nothing concrete has been done till date.

Treating this news item as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the court sought the reply from the central government within four weeks’ time.

Dharamsala, December 17
Himachal DGP Gurpreet Singh Gill today inaugurated the new website developed by the Kangra police to provide online registration facility to foreigners coming to the district.

Kangra SP Atul Fulzele, while elaborating on the new website, www.kangrapolice.com, said all foreign tourists coming to the area would have to register with the local police by filling form ‘C’ brought out by the government of India keeping in view the national security.

However, it has been observed that a large number of foreigners, who stay in houses of local residents in the area, do not register with the police, he alleged.

The new online registration facility provided to them would encourage more foreign tourists to provide details sought by the police.

In the said website, information has also been provided for registration formalities required for the Tibetan refugees coming to Mcleodganj. Now, about 99 per cent Tibetan refugees have registered themselves with the police and other respective departments, he added.

Mandi, December 17
Burglars, using iron rods and a pair of iron stone-cutter (chinis), broke into Shiva jeweller shop in Churag township in the district last night and decamped with gold jewellery worth Rs 40 lakh and Rs 25,000 in cash.

Residents have expressed concern over the increasing cases of theft in the region as this major burglary has happened just after a span of two weeks.

Earlier, thieves had struck at Kangu, Sundernagar and Karsog, looting jewellery worth lakhs of rupees from four different shops.

The police team, led by Sundernagar DSP Raj Kumar Chandel, rushed to the spot along with a dog squad and took fingerprints from the chest and the locking system of the shutter. The team recovered the rod and “chinis” used in breaking the locking system.

Talking to The Tribune, Chandel said, “The lock on the shutter was intact. However, the locking bolt was broken by an iron rod, which has been recovered from the spot.”

Owner of the shop Hira Singh Verma said he had locked the shop and chest as usual before he went home on Wednesday night. However, when he came to open his shop, he found its locking bolt broken.

This has turned out to be a major burglary in the region. Burglars struck at Churag after a gap of nearly two weeks after a similar burglary was reported at Karsog town, about 20 km from Churag, under the Karsog police station as the police failed to nabbed the burglars.

The DSP said they had rounded up local suspects, but so far, nothing concrete had emerged.

Mandi SP Sonal Agnihotri said the police had solved the Sundernagar and Kangu burglaries. However, the Karsog burglary remained unsolved so far.

He said there appeared to be some gang operating in the Karsog area as three such incidents had been reported. “We are trying to locate whether any gang has been operating from Sunni or Shimla side,” he added.