Una, October 19
The Congress will oppose exemption under the Land Ceiling Act being proposed by the present BJP government. Newly appointed HPCC spokesperson OP Rattan said this while addressing a press conference here today.

He was accompanied by vice-president of Una District Congress Committee Khushal Singh Raini.

Rattan alleged that the exemption would allow anybody to get about 30 acres in Himachal for setting up an industrial plant or religious institution.

The said amount of land was enough for setting up any institution. The excess land that was being proposed to be given to industrial houses under exemption to the Land Ceiling Act would only be used for real estate purposes, he alleged.

Rattan also flayed the BJP government for the poor condition of roads in the state.

He alleged that the entire onus of poor condition of roads could not be put on monsoon. The political contractor nexus prevailing in the state was responsible for the same.

It was also surprising that the state government had not acted against any contractor despite the fact that in many cases the roads had been washed away within a span of months after construction, he said.

Rattan further alleged that in Una district, a land mafia was running the business of developing illegal colonies. It had encroached upon many rivulets that had led to flooding of villages during this monsoon. Since people in illegal colonies enjoyed political patronage, no action was being taken against it.

Dharamsala, October 19
Former Congress leader Vijay Singh Mankotia has indicated to the formation a third front in the state before the next Assembly elections.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mankotia said the people of Himachal were fed up with both the BJP and the Congress. Both parties were neck deep in corruption, he alleged. The Himachal Jan Mahasangram Forum (formed by Mankotia recently) had held conferences at various places in Kangra district in the past few months. The conferences had received an overwhelming response from the people, he said.

Mankotia said the political scenario in the country was also changing fast and he was hopeful that by the time the Assembly elections were due in the state next year, a powerful third front would emerge that would provide people with an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP. “We are trying to bring in people with impeccable integrity in the proposed third front,” he said.

He said it had been a practice for both the Congress and the BJP to prepare a charge sheet against each other before the Assembly elections. However, this time the Himachal Jan Mahasangram Forum would prepare a “master charge sheet” against both parties.

Mankotia said he had sought details of assets of all politicians and bureaucrats of Himachal, including the Chief Minister, and their close family members under the RTI. “We will compare the status of the wealth acquired by these people since 1998 and the quantum of growth in their income and assets. The facts would be put before the people in the master charge sheet.

Barring two or three former or present ministers, almost all politicians of the state had acquired income more than their known sources of income, he alleged.

Mankotia said his forum would campaign against corrupt politicians irrespective of their party in the next Assembly elections in the state.

Mankotia has floated the idea of a third front after chances of his being taking back into the Congress have turned bleak. Though a section of the Congress wanted to rope him back into the party, the move is facing strong resistance from the Virbhadra Singh faction.

Shimla, October 19
The state BJP will hold two big rallies at Mandi and Nahan on November 16 and 17 in view of the Jan Chetna Yatra of its senior leader Lal Krishan Advani passing through the state.

State BJP chief Khimi Ram today held a meeting with all the five members of the committee, specially constituted for the rath yatra at Mandi.

All the five members of the committee, Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur, state BJP vice-president Kripal Parmar, general secretaries Ram Swaroop Sharma and Chandermohan Thakur and party spokesperson Ganesh Dut attended the meeting.

A public meeting will be held at the Paddal ground in Mandi on November 16. Minister Jai Ram Thakur and MLA Dile Ram will be the in charge of the rally.

Another public meeting will be held at Nahan on November 17. Health Minister Rajiv Bindal and Chander Mohan Thakur have been made the in charge of the rally.

Kullu, October 19
Senior BJP leader and party national vice-president Shanta Kumar today launched a frontal attack on those involved in corruption and asked the BJP-ruled states, including Himachal Pradesh, to do some self-introspection and never compromise on corruption.

Joining Shanta’s anti-corruption crusade from the public platform in Kullu today were many of his loyalists, including Industry Minister Kishan Kapur, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala, Rohru MLA Khushi Ram Balnahta, Baijnath MLA Praveen Sharma, former Education Minister Radha Raman Shashtri, Shyama Sharma from Nahan, Maheshwar Singh, Chandersen Thakur from Kullu, Mohinder Sofat from Solan, HN Kashyap from Shimla, KD Dharmani and Damodar Das from Mandi.

The “anti-Dhumal gathering” on an anti-corruption stage in the historic Dhalpur Maidan here has come as a big embarrassment for the ruling BJP government and is likely to increase the factional fight in view of the coming Assembly elections.

Shanta Kumar said the time had come for those who felt that corruption had impoverished the country to join the fight against corruption. The present UPA government had turned out to be most corrupt as it had no intention to bring back the huge black money stashed in foreign banks despite India signing a UN convention against corruption, he alleged.

Shanta reminded Dhumal of the BJP resolution signed during the Chief Ministers’ conference of BJP-ruled states in New Delhi. “We must clean our homes before we talk about the fight against corruption. We would have been saved of a big embarrassment had Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddurrapa been removed as advised by us; the Uttarakhand Chief Minister was changed, but in other BJP-ruled states we need to do self-introspection,” he said, referring to allegations levelled by the Congress against the present regime.

Shanta Kumar spelt out his four-point anti-corruption strategy to bring back the black money. These include stringent punishment for those who hide the money and lineancy to those who volunteer to disclose it. “We need a strict anti-corruption law and the BJP backs the Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare movement against corruption and wants a strong Lokpal in the country,” he asserted. 

Kullu, October 19
The presence of a large number of Shanta Kumar’s supporters in the BJP during an anti-corruption function, organised by the Kullu People’s Protection of Right and Culture, an NGO, here today has exposed factionalism in the party that may give sleepless nights to Chief Minister PK Dhumal.

The supporters assured Shanta Kumar that they were with him in his fight against corruption. Kullu MLA Govind Thakur, Banjar MLA and BJP president Khimi Ram and Ani MLA Kishori Lal, who have been toeing the pro-Dhumal line, were conspicuous by their absence today. Though Govind Thakur was present during a free medical camp at Manali yesterday, which was chaired by Shanta Kumar, he remained absent from the anti-graft function here today because he and Khimi Ram are pro-Dhumal.Party leader Maheshwar Singh said he would contest the next Assembly elections from Kullu.

Meanwhile, Shanta Kumar had a closed-door meeting at Manali last evening with BJP leaders who attended the function here today, sources said. The meeting has sparked speculation that the anti-Dhumal BJP men have come out in the open against him, said the sources.

Shimla , October 19
Expressing dissatisfaction over the manner in which the monitoring of pressure horns is being done, the state high court has directed police officials, District Magistrates and regional transport officers to ensure that monitoring is done strictly and they shall on or before the next date file an affidavit in the court stating what action had been taken in this regard.

The Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjay Karol has further directed the authorities that in case any vehicle is found using a pressure horn/multi-tone horns, other than challaning the owner/driver of the vehicle, the authorities concerned shall seize the pressure horn/multi-tone horn and destroy it on the spot.

The court has also directed the authorities to prepare a database with the number of the vehicle, name of the owner and the driver using pressure horns or those found using cellphones while driving or driving in a drunken state.

If these offences are repeated, then the vehicle will be seized and not released without the permission of the court.

It observed that the database would help trace out regular offenders.

It has directed the state to display boards and hoardings on roadsides informing that pressure horns or multi-tone horns are banned in the state.

The court has expressed its dissatisfaction over the working of the authorities in checking noise pollution.

The court has directed the government to provide at least two noise meters in every district and 20 alcohol detection analysers in Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Solan and Kullu and 10 in rest of the districts. The court has also directed that a policy for plying and parking of ambulances on such sealed roads be formulated.

Dharamsala, October 19
Participating for the first time in a political protest since his retirement as the political and administrative head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama today joined a day-long fast and prayer service organised by Kashag, the cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), at Tsug-la Khang, the main temple at McLeodganj.

The Tibetan government-in-exile has been renamed as the CTA after the Dalai Lama retired as its head.

The nine cases of self-immolation by Tibetan monks in Tibet this year has added a new dimension to the struggle by the Tibetan exiles.

Lobsang Sangay, the first democratically elected head of the CTA, while talking to mediapersons, said the self-immolation by monks was an illustration of the growing frustration among the religious community of Tibetans in Tibet against the Chinese oppression. This clearly illustrated that the much-talked-about development being carried by China in Tibet could not replace the freedom of exercising one’s religion and protecting the unique Tibetan culture, he said.

The Dalai Lama, along with Gyalwang Karmapa and Kirti Rinpoche, led an elaborate prayer service at the main temple in Dharamshala to express solidarity with Tibetans who immolated themselves in Tibet this year.

Monks and nuns, school students, local Tibetans and supporters, and the entire staff of the CTA, led by Lobsang Sangay, attended the “fast ceremony”.

Sangay, while speaking on the occasion, said, “We pay homage to their courage and stand in solidarity with their indomitable spirit.”

He urged Tibetans and their supporters to carry out activities peacefully and in accordance with the local law.

Reiterating the CTA’s appeal to the Chinese government to immediately stop its repressive policies in Tibet, Sangay urged for an early resolution of the Tibetan issue through peaceful means.

He said, “We would like to appeal to the United Nations to send fact-finding delegations to Tibet. We would also like to request to allow free access to the media so that the international community gets to know the real situation.”

Solan, October 19
The HP Farm Universities Teachers Federation, a joint forum of teachers associations of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, and HP Krishi Vishvidyalaya, Palampur, today demanded repealing of Clause 39-A of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, as it was a hindrance to progress.

The federation termed this clause as contrary to the interests of the universities and demanded its annulment on the grounds that it would not put any extra financial burden on the state exchequer, but would allow the Vice-Chancellors to utilise the funds provided by other agencies, like the ICAR. This would also help in bringing parity in various state universities.

The federation also chalked out its new executive committee with Dr JD Sharma taking over as the federation president at its meeting held here today.

The federation also stressed that since the pension corpus funds of both the universities was likely to be exhausted soon, the staff retiring in the near future may be deprived of retirement benefits, including gratuity etc. Since the earlier pension scheme applicable to scientists appointed after 2002 was scrapped, no funds had been accrued to this corpus. The federation was now demanding one-time lumpsum grant and enhancement in the pension contribution from existing 10 to 20 per cent of the salary budget by the state government. They also demanded gratuity payment as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Since the Board of Management was the apex decision-making body of the university, the federation demanded a representation in the body; regularisation of scientists working on ad-hoc and contractual basis, along with those working on co-terminus and ex-cadre basis; provision of adequate funding from the state government; and doing away with the stringent conditions of generating income as the universities were set up with the mandate of teaching, research and extension activities. 

Shimla, October 19
The hike in the salary of contract staff will put an additional financial burden of Rs 7 crore annually on the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), which is already deep in the red.

The management appointed over 2,200 drivers and conductors on a contract basis to bring down the wage bill. The contract staff cost less than 50 per cent of the regular staff as the salary keeps increasing with the release of price-index linked dearness allowance. The drivers will now get the minimum pay band plus grade pay and accordingly the emoluments will work out to Rs 8,375, an increase of about Rs 2,200. The conductors, who were earlier paid Rs 2,900 plus 2 per cent commission, will be Rs 7,810 per month.

There are 9,500 employees in the corporation of which 2,500 have been appointed on a contract basis. The annual wage bill after the latest hike will swell to Rs 182 crore.

The corporation has also released an instalment of dearness allowance for the regular staff ahead of Diwali, which will cost Rs 6 crore annually. The accumulated loss, which has already reached Rs 560 crore, will go up further as the expenditure of Rs 29 per bus per km will rise by another 50 paise as against the income of Rs 24 per bus per km. There is little scope for a hike in the fare and the fare of Rs 1.11 per seat per km for the hill area is already the highest in the country. In Uttarakhand the fare for hill areas is 93 paise.

Indiscriminate privatisation of passenger transport services in the state has severally hit the corporation over the past decade and its occupancy has come down from 72 to 58 per cent. Further, with influential private transporters managing profitable routes, the corporation has to ply buses on uneconomical routes.

The corporation has a fleet of 1,900 buses with an annual mileage of 16.58 crore km. It operates about 2,400 services on 2,146 routes across the state of which 1,026 routes are uneconomical and even the operational cost is not being recovered. The corporation has to operate bus services even on un-tarred rural roads on which the wear and tear of vehicles is much more and the operational cost is higher as part of its social responsibility.

Dharamsala, October 19
Foreign pilots dominated the Himalayan National Paragliding Championship on the third day at Bir Billing today.

The sole Indian competitor in the event had to satisfy himself with the fifth position as per the results declared here today. Itaz Taketman of Israel, Anatolij Lomovtsev and Konstantin Tregubov of Russia bagged the first, second and third positions, respectively.

Raj Kumar Thakur and Gurpreet Singh Dhindsa, Indian competitors in the event, were ranked at the fifth and ninth positions, respectively.

Only six foreign paragliders landed accurately within the goal line of 500 m.

Gurpreet Dhindsa and Sanjay Pendurkar from India are the only Indian paragliders who ranked second and fifth, respectively, at the National-level Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), Switzerland.

The flying by paragliders started at 11.45 am and closed at 1.15 pm for fliers of professional and novice categories.

Fifty professional and 47 tandem pilots flew concurrently. They were assigned the task of flying from the take-off site to the Billing Ridge, Red Roof Temple, power house, antenna, over Garh Mata covering a total distance of 67.3 km and finally touching the goal on feet at the landing zone.

Apart from this, as many as 58 from the novice category and over 70 free fliers also glided to allow participation to local and foreigner fliers.

Bilaspur, October 19
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal unveiled the statue of Vir Chakra-winner Sukh Ram at Malyor village near Kandraur today. He said people of the area had decided to install the life-size statue of this great warrior who had sacrificed his life in the Indo-Pak war in 1965 at the age of 24 years.

Sheela Devi, widow of this great soldier, was honoured by the Chief Minister, while Baldev Thakur, son of Shaheed Sukh Ram, presented a golden “gurj” to the CM.

A contingent of the Dogra Regiment, which had specially arrived, saluted martyr Sukh Ram’s valour as the Chief Minister unveiled the statue.

Dhumal said this state always led the Indian armed forces in offering supreme sacrifice whenever the occasion demanded it. Major Som Nath Sharma of Kangra district had got the first Param Vir Chakra in 1948. In the Kargil war in 1999, 52 jawans had laid down their lives, and out of the total four Param Vir Chakras awarded, two were won by Himachal’s soldiers, Capt Vikram Batra of Kangra and Hav Sanjay Kumar of Bilaspur district. He lamented that the Central government had reduced HP’s recruitment quota in the armed forces.

Earlier, Suresh Chandel, organiser of the function and former MP, gave details of Sukh Ram’s sacrifice, while gram panchayat president Prem Singh Thakur presented a charter of demands.

The CM responded to the demands by declaring a primary health centre for Malyor village, naming a link road to the village on the martyr’s name and sanctioning Rs 2 lakh for the Rama Temple serai of the area. 

Shimla, October 19
A special campaign will be launched in the state to register workers and create awareness among them about the schemes started for their welfare.

Stating this here today, Chairman of the State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Ashok Purohit said awareness campaigns, beginning in November, would be organised at five places.

The workers engaged in building and other construction works would also be apprised of health insurance and other schemes. He was presiding over a meeting of the board.

Purohit said district-level camps would be organised under the campaign. Officers of the Labour and Employment Department, various trade unions and representatives of non-governmental organisations would work in coordination to register the labourers.