Una, January 22
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, along with his Cabinet colleagues, today welcomed the Tiranga Ekta Yatra being carried out under the leadership of national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and his son Anurag Thakur.

The cavalcade of vehicles carrying Anurag arrived at Mehatpur, the gateway of Himachal, from Punjab around 4.30 pm. BJP workers showered flowers and busted crackers to welcome Anurag.

The Chief Minister also joined Anurag on an open vehicle and greeted large numbers of people present there. The cavalcade was welcomed at various places before it reached Una where a rally was planned by organisers.

Anurag, while addressing the rally, said he was forced to plan the event as the present UPA government was giving undue importance to a handful of separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Clandestine moves were being made by the UPA government in league with the Jammu and Kashmir government to give autonomy to the state that amounted to compromising the sovereignty of the country, he said.

He further alleged that the Congress had committed a mistake after the Partition by giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the constitution.

There are two flags in Jammu and Kashmir unlike any other state of the country. Since the Partition, Kashmiri Brahmins and Sikhs had been displaced from the Valley in a planned manner. They were living in tents in many parts of the country, but nobody in the UPA government was bothered about rehabilitating them back in the Valley.

Anurag also alleged that more than 400 BJYM workers, who had reached Srinagar, had been arrested by the government. It was strange that in the country, the citizens were being prevented from hoisting the National Flag and were being arrested.

The Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that some anti-national forces were opposing the unfurling of the National Flag. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who has taken oath to the Indian Constitution, should, in fact, welcome the unfurling of the National Flag in Srinagar on Republic Day.

He also alleged that the interlocutors, appointed by the UPA government to hold talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, were encouraging them.

The former foreign minister of Pakistan had stated that the both Indian and Pakistan governments had agreed to provide autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. The UPA government should clarify on the statement of former minister. If there would be any move to compromise the national interests, the BJP would oppose it tooth and nail, he said.

After passing through Una district of Himachal, the Ekta Yatra entered Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.

Shimla, January 22
The Himachal Police has alerted the Army authorities about the alleged espionage by some retired Army personnel based in the hill state for Pakistan and Nepal as it has got some evidence in this regard.

Sources said two persons were under the scanner of the police for suspected espionage. Being a very sensitive issue, the police was tightlipped but it discussed the issue with the Army authorities during the meeting held with them at Chandimandir two days ago.

The fact that a large number of Nepalese population and retired Army personnel, who have served in the Gorkha regiment based in Himachal, have raised doubts in the mind of the police about the suspected espionage after they got some tip-off in this regard.

Similarly, the police has doubts about the role of an ex-serviceman who could be acting as a possible spy for Pakistan.

“We have two persons under scanner who could be acting as possible spies for Nepal and Pakistan and we have already alerted the Army authorities in this regard,” said DS Manhas, Director General of Police. He said the two were allegedly providing information on the telephone to people across the border but refused to divulge more details, considering the sensitivity of the issue.

The issue assumes even greater significance following the arrest of a dreaded militant from Kangra along with his accomplice some time back. In fact, the dreaded militants have always used the border areas of Chamba as a safe haven whenever security forces step up their operation in Jammu and Kashmir. In August 1998, Hizbul Mujahideen militants had killed 35 innocent labourers in the Kalaban-Satrundi area of Chamba, the biggest-ever carnage by terrorists in Himachal.

With Himachal sharing a boundary with China on the Tibet side in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, the chances of people acting as spies for China could not be ruled out. With the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, being based in Dharamsala, China will want vital information about the Tibetan leader and even Chinese spies have been arrested from Mcleodganj in the past.

Officials said the police was fully equipped with the most sophisticated machinery to monitor the activities of suspected spies, mostly on the telephone.

A close surveillance was being maintained by the police and intelligence agencies on the suspected elements.

It is reliably learnt that the Army authorities are aware of such possible involvement of ex-servicemen in espionage as similar cases have come to their notice in other parts of the country as well.

Shimla, January 22
All new constructions in the ecologically fragile areas of Reckong Peo, the headquarters of tribal Kinnaur district, have been stopped to check any further damage to the “sinking area”.

Instructions to stop the construction activities were issued by the government after an expert team of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) submitted its report, recommending certain measures to check any further damage to the land, especially in the sinking zone.

The GSI team, in its report, recommended an embargo on new constructions, checking of water pipes and sewerage lines by the Irrigation and Public Health Department, preparation of revised building maps by the Public Works Department and steps to demolish or reinforce the existing buildings, which are declared endangered.

Panic had gripped Reckong Peo when a large area had started sinking and cracks developed in several buildings, rendering them unsafe in early November last year and a team of the GSI was summoned to survey the area and submit the report recommending short and long-term measures.

The report identified massive seepage, excessive rains and unplanned construction of heavy structures in a large number as causes for sinking of land.

However, state geologist Arun Sharma said the cracks had not developed due to explosions carried out by hydropower projects. — PTI

Manali, January 22
The stage is set for the five-day winter carnival at Manali which will begin here tomorrow. The annual winter carnival will begin after the worship of goddess Hadimba at Dungri temple near here.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal will inaugurate the event while local MLA Govind Thakur will preside over the concluding function.

While inaugurating the event, Dhumal will pay obeisance at the Hadimba devi temple and flag off the cultural procession from there. It will terminate at the Nehru Park, popularly knows as Ram Bagh.

Winter Carnival Committee chairman and Manali SDM Rajeshwer Goel said this year 35 teams would participate in the carnival. As many as 5,000 participants from all over the country would enthral the crowd.

To attract winter sports lovers skiing championship will be also organised at the Solang ski slopes.

The winter carnival will boost winter tourism in Kullu-Manali and local residents associated with different tourism-related activities will benefit.

Contests like Himachali food festival, local band competition, handloom and handicraft exhibition-cum-sale are aimed at showcasing the culture of the state.

The salient features of the carnival are local folk dances, film and folk songs, skits, personality contests, fancy dress competition, fashion shows, street play, classical dance, rangoli, mehandi, baby show and group songs etc.

Kangra, January 22
The Himachal Pradesh Government has constituted an ‘ethics committee’ for smooth functioning and better hospital services at Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, and also for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in the institution.

Governor Urmila Singh constituted the ethics committee with Dr Kshma Metreiya as its chairperson.

Principal of the college Dr Anil Chauhan said the committee would take care of research related activities.

He said the committee would also look into the functioning and teaching of the undergraduate and postgraduate in the medical college. — OC

Bilaspur, January 22
The District Congress Committee here has welcomed the swearing-in ceremony of Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh as Cabinet Minister for Mini, Small and Medium Industries and thanked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and national president Sonia Gandhi.

District spokesman of the Congress Mast Ram Varma said here today after the meeting of the party that this had disappointed those BJP elements here who were propagating the dropping of Virbhadra Singh from the Cabinet while it had given a big boost to those who were the well wishers of the state and wanted the state to progress with direct assistance provided to it by both the ministers in the Cabinet from HP.

A unanimous resolution adopted by the party said this new assignment would help in increasing prospects of the Congress for its expected return to power once again in the state despite all BJP machinations and false propaganda against the Congress leaders.

District president Santosh Dhiman, vice-president Rajender Thakur, former district president Rajesh Dharmani MLA, former MLAs Dr. Babu Ram Gauttam, Tilak Raj Sharma and Dr. Biru Ram Kishore, Mahila Congress district president Narendra Billoria, Bilaspur nagar parishad vice-president Kamlender Kashyap, Bilaspur Sadar constituency president Col A P Gauttam, zila parishad members Hoshiar Singh Thakur, Basant Ram Sandhu, Babu Ram and Vijay Kaushal and nagar Congress president Hussain Ali.

Bilaspur, January 22
The BJP has captured all three block development committees (BDCs) of Bilaspur district as the chairman and the vice-chairman have been elected from the Bilaspur Sadar BDC here today.

Two other BDCs of Ghumarwin and Jhandutta had elected BJP activists as chairperson and vice-chairman last week, while the election of the Bilaspur Sadar BDC had to be postponed as Congress activists had absented themselves and the mandatory provision of two-third members being present for election could not be met.

Amar Singh of the BJP was declared elected as chairman as he got 21 votes while his Congress rival Narvir Singh Thakur got 15 votes.

Raj Kumar of the BJP was elected vice-chairman. Reports said two BJP members betrayed the party while voting for the post of vice-chairman as its candidate got only 19 votes, though the BJP had strength of 21 members in the house.

Nurpur, January 22
The Congress-supported candidates have won the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of the Fatehpur block development committee (BDC) in Jawali subdivision.

In the elections held today at the block samiti hall at Fatehpur, Congress-supported Munish Rana and Monica Devi were declared chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. They got 16 votes each out of 28. The BJP-supported candidates contesting for the posts of chairman and vice-chairman were polled 12 votes each. After winning the BDC, the Congress workers took out a victory rally led by local MLA Sujan Singh.

Earlier, the elections had been scheduled for January 17 but were for want of quorum.

Shimla, January 22
Accusing the police of shielding constables and Home Guard personnel who were allegedly behind the murder of his son, Gopal Singh, former panchayat pradhan of Nerwa in the Chopal area of Shimla, today demanded justice.

Gopal alleged that his 27-year-old son Balwant Kumar, who ran a mechanic shop in Nerwa, was murdered by a police constable and his friends and his body was left at a beer bar in Nerwa.

“My son was mercilessly beaten by a police constable and his friends at a dinner party that was held at the Chopal Rest House on the night of January 17,” he said.

He said after thrashing his son, the said cop with the help of a Home Guard jawan left him at a beer bar opposite the police station. “In case their intentions were not bad and they had no involvement they should have informed the family members about my son’s condition as he was carrying a mobile with him,” he alleged.

He alleged that the police was deliberately making a weak case so that the constable whose involvement in the case had been established could be shielded. “I want that the Chief Minister and the DGP to ensure that I get justice and the real culprits behind my son’s murder are brought to book,” he pleaded.

He said those present in the beer bar have already given a statement that it was a cop and a Home Guard jawan who left Balwant in a critical condition.