Dharamsala, July 9
BJP MP from Kangra Rajan Sushant has once again become a source of embarrassment for the ruling BJP government in the state. He has lodged two FIRs against the DSP and staff of Jawali Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) subdivision.

As per a copy of the FIR that was filed today and which is available with The Tribune, Sushant has accused DSP, Jawali, Rajinder Jaswal of trying to detain him in the police station for the whole night. Sushant has alleged that he, along with his supporters, had gone to Jawali police station to lodge an FIR against the alleged corruption in the IPH Department. They had also taken along with them Mohinder Singh Guleria, an employee of IPH Department, who was being accused in the charges being levelled against the department by the Kangra MP.

While he was registering the FIR, the DSP started getting phone calls. He went out of the room and did not come back. Sushant alleged that he kept sitting in the police station till 12 midnight. Accused Guleria also went out of the room and did not return.

Sushant alleged that his supporters heard the DSP telling his subordinates to let accused Mohinder Singh Guleria go home.

In the FIR Sushant has demanded action against DSP Jaswal and Guleria.

Yesterday Sushant had filed an FIR against IPH officials of Jawali subdivision. He had alleged misappropriation in the laying of water pipeline at Jawali and demanded action against them.

Sushant has been in open revolt against the state government, especially against CM PK Dhumal and ministers considered close to him.

Minister for IPH Ravinder Ravi, when contacted, refused to comment about the developments.

However, the officials of IPH Department alleged that the MP had exceeded his limits by resorting to checking their official records. It amounts to direct interference in the working of the executive, they added.

Shimla, July 9
With the latest action and utterances of Kangra MP Rajan Sushant causing further “embarrassment” to the ruling BJP, senior leaders of the party today apprised the central high command of his “latest tactics” while seeking immediate action against the errant leader.

The BJP regime as well as party leaders have been placed in an awkward situation with their own party MP registering an FIR against officials of the Irrigation and Public Health Department and a party worker yesterday in Jawali for undertaking sub-standard work.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal today refused to comment on the matter by merely stating that law would take its own course.

“The situation has reached flashpoint where we have not retaliated against him so far and it will make the situation even worse. It is high time that the central leadership takes action against him for indiscipline,” said a senior minister.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders and workers from Jawali, who met the Chief Minister under the Mandal Milan programme here two days ago at his official residence, also appeared confused about their leader.

They asked Dhumal that they should be told who their leader was as workers were demoralised and confused over the issue. The belligerent MP, who has been on a virtual warpath with the Chief Minister and his own government, had been served a show-cause notice by the National BJP Disciplinary Committee.

Sources said in his reply Sushant had taken the stance that his fight was against corruption and not against any individual or the BJP regime and this in no manner should be construed as indiscipline.

State BJP chief Khimi Ram too had removed Sushant from the state BJP executive. Senior party men feel that the fact that the high command has not taken any action against Sushant is the reason why he is further emboldened.

Shimla, July 9
The police investigations into the forged letters written by the staff in the Chief Minister’s office to get transfers done have indicated that monetary benefits were allegedly been taken by some of them.

The police was collecting details of the monetary transactions that have taken place from the bank account of the three arrested employees.

Sources said so far the police had been able to ascertain the involvement of these people in four letters, out of which three were genuine and one had forged signatures.

“We are so far investigating the forged letter written by the accused seeking transfer of teachers in the education department,” said SP Sonal Agnihotri.

The issue of letters being forged had come to light in August last year and the investigations into the case recently revealed that some of the staff in the CM officer had forged the signature of the CM and his private secretary Arun Sharma to get transfers done.

The police has arrested peon Man Singh, superintendent Kishori Lal and retired private secretary Padam Singh.

Mandi, July 9
The movement of traffic was disrupted on the Mandi bypass today after a landslide blocked the National Highway-21 in this town for two hours. The stretch was opened for single way at around 3 pm after the NH pressed into service the two JCBs.

The commuters faced a tough time for two hours as the landslide blocked the 20-m stretch of the highway. Even pedestrians found it difficult to cross as the menace of the falling boulders continued to threaten them.

The menace of the falling boulders retriggered near Pandoh, though the movement of traffic remained smooth there throughout the day today.

NH executive engineer Jatinder said the 20-m-long landslide was triggered at the new point as the entire loose strata caved in on the road that blocked the highway.

Keylong (Lahaul), July 9
Farmers in this tribal belt accused the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of turning the 30-km Koksar-Sissu-Gondla-Khangsar belt into a sliding zone that has damaged their cultivable fields as the BRO has widened the highway without erecting breast and retaining walls.

From Koksar to Khangsar, the landslides have become common on the highway widened and tarred by the BRO. Even a small landslip triggers a chain reaction in the sloppy, fragile land that, in turn, can bring the whole field down, resented farmers.

In fact, the Manali-Leh highway crosses through the middle of the village land in the Chandra valley, which has loose strata mainly in Jagla, Ghangsar, Tholang, Shashin, Sissu, Roksang and Tailing. “The water melted from glaciers and rainfall during summer have triggered landslides along the highway as the BRO has not constructed walls to arrest landslides,” the farmers rued.

Except for a few patches between Koksar and Sashan, the BRO has yet to erect the breast walls and retaining walls along this stretch highway.

“The BRO has widened and tarred this stretch, but it has not erected walls to arrest the landslides,” said the farmers.

“We have made several pleas to the BRO to erect walls, but it never paid any heed to our problems,” said Prem Lal and Ramesh Respa, farmers from Sissu. “Now we have written to the Director-General, BRO, to take remedial steps,” they added.

The farmers claimed that they were losing their cultivable land due to erosions and landslides caused by the reckless widening work carried by the BRO every year.

“In winter, a menace of avalanche adds to the problem of land erosion, multiplying miseries of the farmers,” said Kishan Kumar, a farmer of Raksang.

BRO in charge of the highway Praveen Kumar said they had used all the funds for erecting some walls on this stretch. “We are aware of the problem and have sent the estimate for erecting breast and retaining walls to the central headquarters to get funds,” he claimed.

Shimla, July 9
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today underlined the need for reverting back to old practice of using bicycle as travelling mode to be healthy and protect the pristine environment of hilly areas.

He was speaking during a prize distribution function of Eco-Ride cycling expedition, organised by Ashadeep, a Shimla-based NGO, at the Gaiety Theatre here today.

“It would be in the interest of every individual to use bicycle or walk on foot which would not only make them healthy and strong but also save the environment,” he said.

The Chief Minister said with an increase in vehicular traffic, emission of carbon dioxide gases had also increased causing environmental degradation, which needed to be checked. He said he had made an appeal to visitors coming to Himachal to switch off air conditioners of their vehicles in the hilly areas to enjoy the fresh air.

Dhumal said it was a common responsibility of every individual to lend cooperation in protecting the environment. “Over exploitation of natural resources would also result in degradation of the environment,” he added.

Susheel Tanwar, founder of Ashadeep, said the people must revert back to the old tradition of walking and cycling in Shimla, which would help protect environment. He added that 232 students from 20 schools had participated in the painting competition.

Solan, July 9
In view of the heavy rains in the ongoing monsoon season, the district administration has established control rooms at district and sub-divisional levels to facilitate people.

Besides, control room nodal officers at respective sub-divisions will regularly monitor the situation and submit reports to the Deputy Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner, Solan, C Palrasu said a toll free number 1077 had been installed at the SP Office in Solan to report about any natural calamity. Information regarding natural calamity can also be reported at these numbers: 01792-223705, 223706 and 224033.

At the sub-division level, offices of respective SDMs, tehsildar and naib tehsildar will also function as control room numbers for reporting any eventuality.

Phone numbers of SDMs are: 01792-223707 (Solan), 01795-223024 (Nalagarh), 01792-256100 (Kandaghat) and 01796-220666 (Arki).

Bilaspur, July 9
The Himachal Pradesh Petroleum Dealers Association has urged the government to look into their demand of preventing truck co-operative societies working in industrial houses from purchasing oil and its products from outside the state so that this helped in adding more tax to the state exchequer.

Talking to mediapersons here today, association state president Sukumar Singh Chandel, accompanied by other state office-bearers, said if this measure was enforced, then not only the government would add more than Rs 200 crore to its tax collection every year, it would also help petroleum dealers of the state to financially to stand on their feet as most of them were finding it hard to return the bank loans taken for setting up these petrol pumps for benefit of tourists coming to the state.

Chandel pleaded that truckers should not grudge this new step as the truck societies were getting several benefits from the government in shape of assured work all the year round and also their higher fare rates, fixed by the government (and industrial houses) based on oil rates of Himachal Pradesh, would also play an additional role in improving the financial position of the state government.

He said truckers could be prevented from purchasing oil and its products from outside the state by imposing a tax on the products or by any other method that the government might deem fit under law.