Dharamsala, July 13
Congress workers led by Kewal Singh Pathania, HPCC member from the Shahpur Assembly constituency, today blocked traffic on the Pathankot-Kangra National Highway (NH) for about two hours.

They blocked the highway alleging police inaction in the case of death of a nine-year-old child, Sahil, of Seswan village.

According to sources, Sahil lost his life yesterday due to negligence of a contractor constructing the building of Shahpur Government College. The contractor had taken temporary electricity connection for carrying out construction work at the college building site. However, he allegedly left the wire open. Sahil, who was playing along with other children near the under-construction building, got electrocuted due to open wires.

Though the police registered an FIR against the contractor, he could not be arrested. The Congress workers alleged that the contractor was not being arrested due to his political connections.

As the contractor was not arrested till noon today the Congress workers sat on the highway and blocked the traffic. The blockade continued for about two hours. It led to harassment of commuters as they were left stranded in hot and humid conditions. The Congress workers lifted the blockade when the Dharamsala SDM and the Kangra ASP reached the spot and assured action against the accused contractor.

Pathania alleged that a case should also be registered against the company that originally allotted the contractor. The contractor against whom the case had been registered was actually a sub-contractor.

He also threatened to again block traffic on July 15 if the accused was not arrested.

Shimla, July 13
Discontent over alleged irregularities in the Congress organisational poll turned into an open protest when former MLA Jagjivan Pal started an indefinite fast at the party office demanding proper verification of membership and re-election in Sulah block.

In another development, Union Minister Anand Sharma, who was unanimously elected Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegate from Shimla (urban), urged party men to give this responsibility to some other dedicated worker. The obvious objective was to bridge the divide caused among his supporters due to election of Pradeep Bujja as president, despite opposition from his trusted lieutenant and former MLA Harbhajan Singh.

While the party managed to settle disputes in some blocks from where complaints have been received, the action of Jagjivan Pal came as a big embarrassment. Pal alleged that the meting of delegates held on July 4 had authorised him to appoint booth-level functionaries but the assistant returning officer did not sign the proceedings and fixed July 11 for election. When he lodged a complaint he was called to Shimla to discuss the matter but in the meantime elections were held and Sanjay Rana was elected as PCC delegate.

State returning officer Rajani Patil, however, maintained that leaders from the block, including Pal, were called for a meeting to sort out the issue yesterday, but he did not turned up and after discussing the matter permission was granted for holding elections. Allegations of irregularities in enrolment of members would be looked into and if substance was found in the charges action would be taken against the assistant returning officer. She disapproved of his action to sit on fast in front of his office.

Party men have alleged irregularities in Shimla, Arki, Kasauli, Paonta, Hamirpur and other places. The party managed to accommodate rival factions in Chopal, Rampur and Arki and were given a go ahead for polls in all eight blocks plagued by disputes. The matter was left to Union Minister Virbhadra Singh in Rampur. The election process up to district-level would be completed by July 21 and the state president be elected by July 25.

PCC chief Kaul Singh said organisational poll was an internal party matter and leaders should adopt constitutional means for redressal of grievances, rather than staging open protests which amounted to indiscipline. He said the election was being conducted in an impartial manner by Patil and there was no interference from any quarter.

Dharamsala, July 13
Infighting between student groups at Government College here reached the local police station when Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists had to take shelter at the police station this evening as they were being chased by Students Federation of India (SFI) activists.

According to sources, initially an ABVP worker allegedly thrashed an SFI activist. After that the SFI wing students gathered and tried to attack the ABVP workers. The ABVP workers managed to enter the local police station that saved them from thrashing.

Senior police officials gathered at the police station that prevented the situation form turning murkier.

The ABVP activists demanded registration of case against the SFI activists. However, sources said a case would be registered against both student wings.

The SFI student’s wing had been trying to establish itself in Government College at Dharamsala. Last year also the SFI activists tried to contest the student’s election in the college. However, they were denied the opportunity to contest by the concerned authorities, who were likely under pressure from the ABVP activists.

This year the SFI activists were making another attempt to establish themselves in the college. The student elections that were often marred by violence were a source of nuisance for common students. Various student wings that have shelter of major political parties try to muscle out each other during elections in education institutions that disturbs academic milieu in the colleges.

The students’ wings have, however, proven to be breeding ground for many political leaders of the state.

Nurpur, July 13
Up in arms against revocation of notification of 10-bedded ayurvedic dispensary at Suliali in this sub division, residents led by Suliali gram panchayat pradhan Krishan Heer held protest in front of the office of the SDM here today.

They also submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal through the local SDM demanding restoration of the notification in larger public interest.

In the memorandum they pleaded that over 150 patients daily visit the ayurvedic dispensary that was upgraded in 2007 benefiting populace of as many as six gram panchayats of the area.

The villagers also threatened to launch an agitation if their demand was not accepted. — OC

Shimla, July 13
The 843 hectares of urban forests falling within the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) are likely to be handed back to the local urban body from the forest department, following an agreement on the issue at a high-level meeting.

Though the matter will have to be approved by the Cabinet before the restoration of the urban forests to the MC is done but the decision has been taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asha Swarup a few days back. The Forest Department has, however, not agreed to restore the total of 1880.13 hectares, which were handed over to it from the MC in 2006.

As such the MC will only be getting back the 843.91 hectares, which fall within he MC limits. The remaining area of 1020.32 hectares falling in the catchment area, 6.4 hectares in Chaid and 9.5 hectares in Craignanao will not be restored to the MC. The only respite for the MC is that it will be given charge of the entire forest area falling within the three merged areas of New Shimla, Totu and Dhalli, which were earlier Special Area Development Authority (SADA).

“The forest department has agreed in principle to restore the urban forests within the Shimla MC back to us but not the entire 1880.13 hectares which were with us before 2006,” confirmed A.N. Sharma. He said not only was the control and management of urban forests a must for the MC but it was essential in view of various tasks like sewerage and water works that it has to undertake every now and then.

Sharma said the MC was already in the process of calculating the exact forest area falling within the three earlier SADAs of New Shimla, Dhalli and Totu which now form part of the MC. Once this area is calculated, it is also likely to be placed under the control of the MC, he added. The MC had on several occasions requested the government that the urban forests be handed over to it as it was facing problem in executing various works which were getting delayed for want of permissions from various agencies.

Solan, July 13
Sanjay Awasthi was unanimously elected president of the Arki Block Congress Committee while Prakash Karar was elected as a delegate for the Pradesh Congress Committee at the organisational elections held for the Arki block at Arki today.

The elections were held for 10 posts under the chairmanship of assistant returning officer Parivesh Mahajan. Around 201 delegates out of 246 were present on the occasion.

The remaining posts, including vice-president, treasurer and six delegates to the District Congress Committee, would be announced after the ARO submits his report to the district returning officer who would declare the results after completion of election process for all five blocks of the district. — OC

Bara La Cha (Lahaul), July 13
More than 150 migratory shepherds who lost over 3,500 sheep and goats in 3 ft of snow while crossing glaciers on June 6 await compensation from the government. The dead sheep and goats, including their mutilated heads and other limbs, still present a sad picture on the south face of this 15,000 ft high Pass. The melting of snow has exposed the animals who died due to snowstorm.

A Gaddi shepherd, Bishandas, and his father got stuck in a snowstorm on the south face of the Pass on June 6. Bishandas suffered frostbite and his father snow blindness, but they were cured at the Civil Hospital, Keylong.

The shepherds claimed that they had a herd of over 500 sheep and goats, but were left only with a little over 100 as rest of them perished in the avalanche.

Surat Ram and Yog Raj, the Gaddi shepherds from Bharmour, said they have been losing livestock on the way from lower areas to highland passes, but Animal Husbandry officials demand photographs of the dead animals. “We lost about 20 animals at Chobia glacier on June 24 on their way to Udaipur,” they claimed.

A veterinarians’ team from Keylong found that most of the livestock perished in the Patseo, Bara La Cha region in Bhaga valley and Sissu-Chatru and Batal in Chandra valley.

Te government has fixed compensation at Rs 1,500 per animal up to the maximum limit of Rs 50,000 regardless of whether or not a shepherd loses the entire livestock. However, cases of the fake claims are not ruled out as shepherds tend to exaggerate their claims for compensation.

Dr Sushil Sharma, a senior veterinarian at Keylong, said they have verified from shepherds that over 3,500 sheep and goats have perished in the snow this year involving over 150 shepherds. “The case regarding compensation has been sent for approval,” he added.

Lahaul-Spiti DC Ritesh Chauhan said they sometimes face problem in verifying losses against natural hazards in the snowbound passes. “However, this time we have waved off the clause and total loss is kept at 3,500 sheep and goats and compensation will be disbursed soon,” he added.