Mandi, February 21
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today announced 20 per cent hike in nazrana for the 215 devis and devtas that are participating in the week-long International Shivratri fair that started with a traditional fervour in this temple town today.

Participating as a chief guest in the procession of Raj Madhav, accompanied by the devis and devtas, cultural troupes and schoolchildren, the Chief Minister remained non-committal on the long-pending demands of the construction of a Dev Sadan raised by the kardars over the years.

He said the district administration would identify the land for the purpose. He did not announce funds for the sadan.

In his inaugural speech, he said the government was committed to protect and promote culture. He said the Mandi jail would be shifted out of the town and the place would used to construct a shopping complex and a parking lot to decongest the town.

The Chief Minister said the bus stand, Mandi IIT, ESIC Medical College, Harsipatam bridge and other projects had come up in the district.

He assured the gathering at Paddal Maidan that the IIT and the bus stand would be completed soon.

The Raj Madhav procession started from the Damdama palace, the seat of

the presiding deity of the Shivratri fair.

The procession featured traditional deities, bands, Punjabi bhangra troupes and other cultural troupes. Schoolchildren presented a group dance based on the lores of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati Devi.

Over 215 devis and devtas participated in the fair and would stay on in the town for six days. Later in the evening, the Paddal Maidan was deserted due to intermittent spells of rain.

Later, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the district panchayat office and the district self-employment training centre at Pandoh and inaugurated the Saras Mela exhibition.

He was accompanied by PWD Minister Gulab Singh Thakur and Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Sundernagar MLA Roop Singh Thakur and other district officials.

Solan, February 21
LPG consumers were being duped in Solan and its surrounding areas with underweight cylinders being disbursed to them on a regular basis.

This was despite the fact that distributing agencies have been directed to weight at least 10 per cent of cylinders from each truck load and if they found less than 14.2 kg weight they should weigh all cylinders. The agencies have also been directed to install spring balance in their vehicles and weigh cylinders before their distribution, but the directions were not being complied with.

Consumers complained that the amount of LPG in cylinders was as less as 70 per cent at times and lasted for barely two weeks as against the earlier period of at least a month. It appeared that with every increase in the prices of LPG, its quantity was decreasing and the consumer being duped.

“I have been getting underweight cylinders for the past four months now and the situation has gone from bad to worse with no cylinder lasting for over 15 to 20 days though usage of the same is less as there are just two members in my family. Earlier a cylinder used to last for at least 45 to 50 days,” rued Shashi Sharma, a housewife.

Similar views were echoed by a cross section of consumers who were quizzed by this correspondent.

With several cases of truck drivers transporting LPG cylinders from gas plants to agencies indulging in pilferage coming to the fore in the district, it was apparent that the authorities had failed to check this illegal activity where pilferage from a single cylinder fetched as much as Rs 500 to Rs 700. With no investment involved, a single trip was fetching a lucrative amount to the driver.

Drivers in connivance with certain dhaba staff, where they stop en route, used to indulge in pilferage and trucks carrying LPG cylinders preferred to ply at night. They had devised well-planned mechanisms to break open seals and affix these once the pilferage was done.

However, officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said a consumer should be aware and not accept LPG cylinders without weighing these as this alone would help check the supply of underweight cylinders.

Mandi, February 21
Facing the music from BJP dissidents ahead of the coming state Assembly elections, Chief Minister PK Dhumal, accompanied by his Cabinet colleague PWD Minister Gulab Singh, today sought the blessings of Baba Premagiri of Juna Aghara, who runs his magic diktats from the caves of the Nageshwar temple at Ladbharol in Jogindernagar.

The Chief Minister made a beeline for the Nageshwar temple straight from Palampur. He met Baba Premagiri, who is also the spokesperson for the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samaj, a right wing outfit of the Sangh Parivar, and sought his blessings.

The Chief Minister could not visit the Baba last year due to bad weather. His visit was overdue around Shivratri since last year.

Before the motorcade of the Chief Minister arrived at the temple, Premagiri made it a point to take local PWD engineers to task as they had not paid him Rs 16,000 for expenses he had incurred on making arrangements for the Chief Minister last year, sources said. Premagiri warned them that he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister if they failed to improve the link road to the temple and pay him the overdue amount. Finally, the PWD staff begged forgiveness and obliged the Baba.

Escorted by his four men, Premagiri welcomed Dhumal, Gulab, BJP officials and others at the temple and told the gathering that the Sant Samaj was relevant today and polity could not be run without their blessings. He praised Dhumal and blessed him.

Afterwards, Dhumal airdashed at Pandho in Mandi and laid the foundation stone of the self-employment training centre.He also participated in the Shivrarti fair here as the chief guest.

Mandi, February 21
Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) president Maheshwar Singh today said the BJP central team, led by BJP general secretary JP Nadda and party in charge for Himachal affairs Shyam Jaju, which visited the state recently, was motivated by the former’s “personal interests”, and the change in the state BJP leadership had only vindicated the HLP’s allegations against the BJP.

Talking to mediapersons here before participating in the week-long Shivratri fair, Maheshwar Singh alleged that the state BJP was neck-deep in corruption and the change in the party leadership, though a mere eyewash, had vindicated the HLP stand.

“I’m least concerned about who leads the BJP, but the fact that a senior leader like Shanta Kumar has abstained himself from the party affairs is proof enough that all is not well with the BJP,” he said.

Asked whether Shanta Kumar would join the HLP, he said they had left the decision to him and did not want to put pressure on him. However, Kangra BJP MP’s son, Dhairya Sushant, had joined the HLP which had given enough hint of the things to come.

Maheshwar Singh said the clean chit given to the state BJP by the central team proved that the BJP high command was not addressing the real issues. “Nadda seems to be more interested in securing a berth for himself in the Rajya Sabha rather than protecting the interests of the party,” he alleged.

On the HLP’s agenda, Maheshwar Singh said the HLP had finalised the formalities of the registration of the party which would be done this month and a membership drive was on in the state.

“We will contest all seats in the coming Assembly elections and the candidates will be decided by the people of the segment concerned,” he added.

Maheshwar Singh distributed copies of a book, “Bhrashtachar, Ek Karva Sach”, written by BJP leader Shanka Kumar among the mediapersons.

His supporters claimed that this clearly signalled that the HLP had the support of Shanta Kumar.

Shimla, February 21
Terming Chief Minister PK Dhumal as the chief patron of the land mafia, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the mafia had spread its tentacles so deep and wide that even members of Team Anna were not beyond its grip.

Stating this while interacting with mediapersons here today, he said all policies of the Dhumal government were aimed at selling off the state’s precious land to outsiders by bending laws. The opening of private universities, promotion of eco-tourism and permission to builders all pointed to shady land deals.

Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan was among the beneficiaries. There were multiple violations in granting him permission for opening an educational institution as the land involved was part of a tea estate. The land could not be sold without first invoking the provisions of the Land Ceiling Act as tea estate owners were allowed to retain excess land beyond the ceiling on the condition they would remain so. Further, the land use could not be changed as it was the policy of the government to preserve Kangra tea.

Similarly, private universities had been given land beyond the limit set under the Act and now the government had brought in a Bill to amend the Act so that its illegal action could be regularised.

These universities were, in fact, a front for carrying out real estate business. On coming to power, the Congress would have a thorough review and close down the unviable and substandard institutions, which were tarnishing the image of the state.

In its anxiety to oblige outsiders, the government had allotted forest land in the garb of promoting eco-tourism in blatant violation of the Forest Conservation Act. He said the policy was framed by his government with the objective of promoting trekking activities in the interior areas using forest rest houses as the base, but the present government had given thick forests to private parties and had not just allowed them to raise permanent structures, but also to open liquor bars and spas, making a mockery of eco-tourism.

All these blatant violations would not have been possible without the connivance of bureaucrats. He said his only concern was that the Himachal Lokhit Party, a breakaway group of the BJP, was raising these issues more effectively than the Congress, which did not augur well for the mainstream party.

Shimla, February 21
He has completed 50 years in active politics, but he still has no plans to call it a day. Five-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is, indeed, restive to have another bout with the BJP, particularly with his arch rival and Chief Minister PK Dhumal.

He joined the Congress in January 26, 1962, two days after he was handpicked by the high command for contesting the Lok Sabha poll from the Mahasu seat. He has been in the thick of politics ever since. The advancing years may have taken a toll on his physique, but his fighting spirit is intact.

Maintaining that he is a disciplined soldier of the party, he makes no secret of his intention to return to the state politics. He has been regularly touring the state and targeting the Dhumal government, but never failing to have a dig at the Congress leadership.

He has been at the receiving end in the party ever since the party lost power four years ago and the denial of the party ticket for the Rohru byelection to his wife Pratibha Singh and the quashing of the election of his son Vikramaditya as the state Youth Congress chief make this amply clear.

While Virbhadra asserts that he has spent his past 50 years in the service of the Congress, his detractors allege that he has not allowed other leaders any room to grow. “I have been away from the state politics for the past over three years. When will these leaders see scope for growth; when I die?” he says.

Shimla, February 21
Catapulted to the top party post amid intense infighting, new BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti faces a daunting task of taking along the rival camps headed by heavyweights like Chief Minister PK Dhumal and veteran Shanta Kumar ahead of the Assembly poll.

Unlike his predecessor Khimi Ram, who lacked organisational experience and ideological moorings, Satti has risen from the ranks and he is firmly rooted in the RSS ideology, having served as a whole-timer for the ABVP for eight years. He remained national secretary of the ABVP and also had a term as president of the state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He seems better equipped to handle the new assignment.

The delay in the replacement of Khimi Ram, who has been virtually on probation for the past over one year, has done the party no good. It has only made the task of the new incumbent difficult as he will not get much time to sort out matters as the Assembly poll is due later this year. The high command has begun the process for “generational change” in the party.

Satti has been an aggressive leader with a clean image all through, but his new assignment will be more of a balancing act. As such his political acumen and organisational skills will be put to severe test. He has just turned 48 and being the third-generation leader, he will have to deal with very senior first and second-generation old guards of a much higher stature. He will have to tread cautiously and bank on the support of the high command.

It may be a tactical move of the high command to bring a new young face, but in the process the regional and caste balance has been disturbed. With his elevation, the Chief Minister and the state party chief are both from the same parliamentary constituency and both hail from the Rajput community. The party believes that he will be able to carry along the youth, particularly the ABVP, which has been severely critical of the Dhumal government’s policy of opening private universities in the state. His team is expected to have a good number of new faces with an ABVP background.

However, the major issues which need to be sorted out are beyond his control and pertain to the policies pertaining to land, the apartment Act, corruption and various purchase scams, which are being raised by the breakaway Himachal Lokhit Party.

However, the party feels that bringing in a person who is not pre-disposed towards any group and is free from prejudices will be able to inspire the confidence of both the senior leaders and the younger lot.

Dharamsala, February 21
A day ahead of Losar (Tibetan new year), Tibetan activists here burned the Chinese national flag. The Tibetan activists burned the Chinese flag at McLeodganj late last evening. They were protesting against self-immolation being committed by Tibetans in Tibet allegedly due to the wrong policies of the Chinese government.

Police officials in Kangra are not clear if any offence is made out against the Tibetan protesters for burning the national flag of a foreign country on Indian soil. They said they would check the legal provisions and act accordingly.

However, sources said since Tibetans enjoyed refugee status in India, no offence can be made out against them for burning the Chinese flag. The Indian police can act against them only if they work against the interests of the host country.

The protests by the Tibetans living in exile against the Chinese government have increased on the advent of Losar.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has already appealed to the Tibetans-in-exile that they should not celebrate Losar due to the incidents of self-immolation in Tibet.

Tomorrow on the first day of the Tibetan new year, all members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile will hold a fast in solidarity with the monks and nuns who have committed self-immolation in Tibet.

The CTA is likely to issue a political statement on the developments in Tibet tomorrow.

The Chinese government has flayed the Dalai Lama and his supporters for not openly condemning the self-immolation being committed by Tibetan nuns and monks. The CTA has, however, maintained that the crackdown by the Chinese authorities against the Tibetan religion and culture was forcing monks and nuns to commit suicide.

Shimla, February 21
The State Electricity Board Employees Union has vehemently opposed the move of the government to sell the power available from the BBMB projects to the board at higher prices than the existing “bus-bar” rates, which will further increase the power purchase cost and put additional burden on consumers.

The union termed it as a “deliberate move” to destabilise the government power distribution company to pave the way for further privatisation. General secretary of the union HL Verma said the government was well aware of the deteriorating fiscal position of the board but instead of providing financial assistance, it was trying to further burden it by selling the BBMB share of power on an average market purchase price.

The union demanded that instead of providing power at existing rates the government should contribute the amount received as arrears of the BBMB power project in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict towards the corpus to be created for meeting the future pension liabilities of pensioners. Since the management had convened a meeting on February 27, the union had suspended the action, which was to start from February 22 at Hamirpur and Sundernagar.

Kangra, February 21
The Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Services Federation (HPNGSF) has criticised the BJP government headed by Prof PK Dhumal describing it as “anti-employee” and a government of “terror” which was involved in recovering financial benefits given to employees earlier without seeking consent from them.

The allegations were levelled against the government by Surinder Mankotia and Gopal Krishen Sharma, president and secretary general, HPNGSF, respectively, in a statement here recently. The two employee leaders alleged that the government was retracting from its written assurances to them. The duo said the Dhumal government had filed an LPA in the court against court judgments which were in favour of the employees.

They were critical of the government for outsourcing jobs, thus pushing down the strength of employees in the state. They alleged that the employees were victimised to the maximum by this government and the transfer terror was a weapon used by the government against the employees. They said every month thousands of the employees were being transferred, so much so the employees were transferred thrice a year. They alleged that even the HPNGSF office-bearers were the victims of the government transfer fury.

They alleged that the HP Administrative Tribunal was winded up by this government putting three lakh employees in the dock. They alleged that during the past four years three JCC meetings were held without any benefit to government employees. They said due to anti-employee attitude of the government, every employee was put to a financial loss of Rs 4,000 to 5,000 each month with government a mute spectator to the trauma.

Palampur, February 21
A scam in the registration of sales deeds in Kangra district has come to light as hundreds of sales deeds of commercial and agriculture lands in Kangra district were registered at “under value” price by the local revenue authorities causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that in the Palampur, Baijnath, Dharamsala and Kangra areas, revenue officers were registering sales deeds of land at one-fourth of the prevailing market prices of land. The prevailing average land prices in Palampur, Dharamsala and Kangra were over Rs 15 to 20 lakh per kanal, whereas sales deeds for such lands were registered at the rate of Rs 3 lakh to 6 lakh per kanal causing a huge loss of stamp duty to the state government. Most of the black money was being invested in the purchase of land by tax evaders as cash transactions were made in such deals.

Prices of lands in the past two years had touched a “new high” in this district. Even on the outskirts no land less than Rs 15 lakh per kanal was available. Though tehsildars of the jurisdiction concerned were well conversant with the situation, it still encouraged undervalued sale of lands. To check the menace, the stamp duty rates, which were earlier 12 per cent, had been reduced to eight per cent by the state government. Still there was a large-scale pilferage of duty.

This racket was flourishing in the district with the active connivance of the revenue authorities and property dealers. Therefore, no inquiry was conducted by the revenue authorities before registration of sale deeds. Whatever the patwari recommended, the tehsildar puts its seal on it.

Thakur Gulab Singh, state Revenue Minister, said the state would soon come out with a new law by notifying the sale prices of land in different towns of the state.

He said the government would fix minimum sale price of the land and there would be no discretion with tehsildars to reduce the sale price.

The step was being taken to check the revenue loss to the state exchequer, he added.

Kangra, February 21
An 18-year-old girl succumbed to her burn injuries at Dr RP Government Medical College (DRPGMC) Hospital at Tanda today after she struggled for life for 19 days in the hospital, the police said here today.

According to the police, Veneeta, daughter of Tilak Raj, a resident of Hadsar village in Hamirpur district, had received 70 per cent burn injuries on February 2 last and was rushed to the District Hospital, Hamirpur, from where she was referred to DRPGMC Hosiptal Tanda.

The police said Veneeta was working in the kitchen at home when her clothes caught fire from a kerosene stove. As she was wearing silk clothes, it left her with serious burn injuries. Her body after the post-mortem was handed over to her parents today.