Dhaman (Kullu), April 16
The illegal blasting on the mining site of the Shankar stone crusher has not only been damaging houses, crops and road in Shalyaurdi and Hurla villages in Manglor panchayat, but it is also threatening the Bhuinla bridge on the Aut-Bali Chowki-Banjar road.

“Over 40 houses, including a community centre in the Manglor panchayat, have developed cracks due to the illegal blasting at the mining site,” resented villagers.

The blasting is carried out day and night endangering life of villagers, they said.

“Our houses have developed cracks as blasting shakes the whole area,” rued Yashpal and Mahinder Singh, residents of Shalyaurdi village, which is the worst-affected by the blasting.

“The illegal blasting has been going on for over a year under the nose of the Mining Department and district administration,” they added.

The blasting has also damaged fruit and other crops as plumes of dust raised at the mining site gets deposited on plants in fields.

The debris blasted off from the site is also damaging the Bali Chowki-Aut road and the trout fish habitats in the Tirthan river that flows near the mining site, resented villagers.

The local panchayat has sent several resolutions to the district administration of Kullu and Mandi and the mining officer, but the owner of the crusher enjoys political protection.

“All the written complaints to Banjar MLA and Forest Minister Khimi Ram and others have been dumped,” they resented.

Pradhan Manglor Chaman Lal said they had passed a resolution asking the district administration to stop illegal mining at the site. But no action had been taken so far to stop the same and compensate villagers who have developed cracks in their houses.

The mining mafia is taking advantage of administrative lacuna as the mining site is located on a private land in Mandi district. But illegal blasting is hitting villages on the right bank of the Tirthan river in Kullu district.

Though the Mining Department claims that the mining lease had been sanctioned to the stone crusher for free sale, the permits for the blasting was given by the Deputy Commissioner (DC).

DC, Mandi, Devesh Kumar said they had sought a detailed report from the mining officer on the site in 10 days. “We will take action after he submits report.”.

However, DC, Kullu, BM Nanta said the mining site was located in Mandi.

“We are getting a report on the damage being done to houses and will take action in this regard,” he added.

Bilaspur, April 16
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal gave away awards and cash prizes to several distinguished personalities of the state who have excelled in various fields on the occasion of the 65th state-level Himachal Day function at Gandhir in this district last evening.

“Civil Service awards” were given to Ali Raza Rizvi, Health Secretary, and Rakesh Kanwar, Project Director, National Rural Health Mission, for the effective implementation of the free ambulance service “108” under the Atal Swasthya Seva.

Dr Deepak Shanan, Principal Secretary, Revenue, got an award for simplifying revenue procedures, Manisha Nanda, Principal Secretary, Tourism, and Arun Sharma, Director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, for “Har Gaon Ki Kahani”, a tourism-promotion scheme, Jagdish Sharma, Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, for simplifying the excise and taxation system in the state. Each of them were given a cash prize of Rs 2.50 lakh, a shawl, a Himachali cap and citation on behalf of their departments.

The Chief Minister gave the Prerna Shrote Award to S Roy, Additional Chief Secretary, and Nagin Nanda, Secretary, Environment and Pollution Control.

The award was also conferred on Dr Data Ram, Assistant Professor (political science), Government College, Paonta Sahib, who is a visually impaired scholar, for his outstanding academic achievements, Shantanu Sharma, a social worker for cremating unclaimed bodies and even carrying the ashes to Haridwar, Sanjiv Kumar, ASI, IRB, for outstanding performance. Each of them were given a shawl, a cap and citation and cash prize of Rs 51,000.

The Parshu Ram Award (top sports award) was given to Priyanka Negi, captain of the gold-winning Indian junior kabaddi team in a world meet, Sanjo Devi of Hamirpur for outstanding performance in athletics (Rs 62,000), Pushpa Thakur of Bilaspur for outstanding performance in kabaddi, Rano Devi of Shimla for kabaddi, Sonia Rai of Kangra for shooting (Rs 62,000), Bhuvneshwari Devi of Kullu for skiing, Johanny Chaudhary of Mandi for wrestling (Rs 1.02 lakh) and Sanjay Kumar of Mandi for wushu. Priyanka Negi was given an additional cash prize of Rs 10 lakh for her achievements.

Each of these awardees were given Rs 51,000, a cap, citation and a shawl. Ritu Negi of Sirmaur was given a special prize of Rs 10,000 for winning the gold in the Asian Women Kabaddi Championship in Malaysia.

The following coaches were given a cash prize of Rs 50,000: Jagdish of Bilaspur for wrestling, Bhagat Singh Verma, ASP, Bilaspur, for boxing, Ashok Kumar of Bilaspur for handball, Kuldip Kumar of Bilaspur for boxing, Ajit Thakur and Meena Guleria, both of Bilaspur, for coaching special children.

Shimla, April 16
While maintaining that the Army had not issued any adverse comments against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister PK Dhumal over the controversy surrounding the ownership of the Annandale ground here and that there was no confrontation with the state government, the Army today reiterated that the ground was of considerable tactical significance and was required as a staging base for operations in the state.

“The Annandale ground is very important for logistics, operations and disaster management on account of its location and accessibility from forward positions as well as from support echelons in the rear, including hospitals,” Brig AK Sharma from the Western Command said on the sidelines of a disaster management exercise being held at the ground. “It’s a mother helipad for helicopters from where both relief and rescue operations can be carried out rapidly and smoothly,” he added.

Dhumal had yesterday threatened to file a defamation suit if the Army did not apologise for alleging, as reported in a section of the media, that he and his son Anurag Thakur, who is president of the HP Cricket Association, were involved with the land mafia to grab the Annandale ground with the motive of constructing a cricket stadium there. This would have resulted in serious ecological and environmental degradation of the area. These statements, Brigadier Sharma claimed, seemed to be distorted out of context.

According to the Army, the Annandale ground has been in its possession since World War II and is regularly used for holding operational and disaster management exercises as well as for routine training of troops, parades and sports. Dhumal has stated that the Army’s occupation of Annandale is illegal.

Stating that the Army and the state government have “good relations”, Brigadier Sharma said the government had also promised to provide land to the Army for setting up a regimental training centre in the state, which had a sizable population of serving and retired soldiers. Some alternative sites for Annandale had also been offered, but the Army had termed these to be operationally unsuitable.

Besides operations in forward areas of Himachal, which shares its border with China, the Army’s contention is that any worthwhile humanitarian and disaster relief operations for the region, including those by heavy-lift choppers, can only be launched from Annandale. Himachal falls in the high-risk seismic zone and many areas are also prone to landslides, flashfloods and heavy snow, resulting in road accessibility to the hinterland being cut-off.

Shimla, April 16
The ongoing tussle over the possession of the Annandale ground here seems to have assumed political overtones with political parties and organisations affiliated to them trading charges and some even going to the extent of staging token demonstrations against the Army, while a disaster management exercise was being held at the site today.

The most interesting development of the day following the stand-off between the Army and the Chief Minister was a demonstration held outside the gate of the Annandale ground by a handful of people, representing various sports organisations who are behind the “Save Annandale” campaign. Interestingly, students of a nursing school in Annandale were made to stand in rain and raise slogans against the Army along with those involved with the Save Annandale campaign.

State BJP president Satpal Satti also joined the issue by stating that such objectionable remarks by the Army against elected representatives like the Chief Minister would bring the Army into direct conflict with the state government. “I demand suitable action against the officer for issuing such a defamatory statement against the constitutional authority and an unconditional apology by the Western Command,” Satti said.

He said in case the Army had any objection to the demand for the construction of a multi-purpose sports stadium at Annandale, they should have conveyed their displeasure through the appropriate channel and not by issuing distorted and baseless allegations against the state government and the Chief Minister. “The Army has no right or authority to sermonise the duly elected government on the issue of forest conservation and urbanisation,” he said.

The CPM, which has been the most vociferous in its opposition to the campaign to save Annandale due to vested interests, today reiterated its allegations. “The insidious campaign has a very strong nexus of the land mafia which is bent to change the nature of the ground and unfortunately the government has become a facilitator for the HP Cricket Association.

“There have been several instances in the past where the government has acted in the interests of the real estate mafia and not the common people,” alleged Tikender Panwar, member, state Secretariat of the CPM. He demanded that the ground must not be handed over to the HPCA and it should be thrown open for various sports activities and religious functions rather than its use being restricted to a few golfers.

Bilaspur, April 16
If the mood of the district BJP here is any indication, some leaders of the Bilaspur Sadar Mandal BJP unit here are in serious trouble as they have virtually revolted against the stand of the party high command and president Satpal Satti.

Talking to mediapersons here recently, BJP district vice-president Ashwini Dogra, district secretary Bhim Singh Chandel and district treasurer Shashi Sharma, all senior leaders, accompanied by some three dozen other leaders, have taken a strong exception to the press conference of leaders of the Bilaspur Sadar Mandal, including state executive member Subhash Thakur and BJP Kisan Morcha state general secretary Subhash Sharma. They categorically stated that the party should not give ticket from Bilaspur Sadar to any person other than the seven persons present in the press meeting.

They said if any of them was given ticket, all of them “who are all field workers will support him. But if any other person is given ticket, they will  not support him, whosoever he may be!”

The senior leaders said this was a clear violation of the specific direction of state president Satti that no BJP leader should go to the press against others and  no leader should ventilate any grievance outside the party forum.

He said Satti had said the party was conducting its own survey in the field and would also consult top leaders before awarding tickets.

They said it was most unfortunate that some leaders still talked to the press in a “rebellious vein” which was “a serious breach of discipline” and the district party had taken a very serious note of this.

They said the party would soon present a detailed report to the state president for suitable action. 

Hamirpur, April 16
State BJP president Satpal Singh Satti has said leaders and activists who have been expelled from the party for indiscipline will not be taken back into the party.

Talking to mediapersons here today after holding a meeting with party activists, Satti said, “I am not in favour of taking such leaders back into the party fold. We will not tolerate this as first they damage the party by creating nuisance and then request for an entry into the party.”

“However, cases of MLAs who had won as BJP rebels during the last Assembly elections due to the ‘wrong decision of the party’ will definitely be considered for a re-entry into the party,” he added.

Targeting Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Virbhadra Singh, the state BJP chief said, “He is interfering in the working of the state government and trying to terrorise the bureaucracy and government employees, but now people of the state fully understand his tactics.”

He said the party was holding meetings with BJP leaders and activists in every district to gear for the “mission repeat”.

Education Minister ID Dhiman, local MLA Urmil Thakur and district leaders of the party were among those present at the meeting. However, Nadaunta MLA Baldev Sharma was conspicuous by his absence.

Nurpur, April 16
Hundreds of tractor owners, who have been agitating by parking their tractors at the Chogan ground here for the past five days, got partial relief today when local MLA Rakesh Pathania, who has been supporting their cause, assured them that the district authorities had given directions that mining lease contractors’ musclemen would not be allowed to forcibly collect from tractors plying on the highway.

Addressing them, he said the district administration had decided to undertake demarcation of the area of the rivulets which had been auctioned by the Mining Department, and the contractor would collect royalty by issuing genuine M-forms from tractor owners within the periphery of the auctioned mining areas.

The strikers have been protesting against the forcible collection under the pretext of royalty by issuing alleged fake M-forms to tractor owners carrying sand or gravel. The strikers had announced traffic blockade today in protest against the forcible illegal collection and imposition of heavy goods, token and day book taxes on tractor owners by the state government.

Following the MLA’s assurance, the agitators deferred the traffic blockade and also decided to call off their strike for the time being. In connection with the demand of revocation of taxes, the MLA told them that he had taken up the issue with the Chief Minister who was in Delhi today and soon he would meet him, along with a delegation of the Tractors Action Committee, and try to waive off these taxes at par with neighbouring Punjab state as most of the tractor owners were poor farmers.

According to Gulbant Singh, president, Tractor Owners’ Action Committee, following the MLA’s assurance the five-day strike had been called off this evening. He said, however, the committee would continue its agitation for the revocation of recent taxes imposed by the state government on tractor owners. 

Solan, April 16
The state-owned public sector enterprise Himachal Pradesh Marketing and Consumer Federation (HIMFED) will soon set up an Indian Oil Corporation’s Carrying and Forwarding (C&F) agency at Nalagarh to supply lubricants to vehicles in the state.

The federation was awarded this contract on February 23 this year through competitive bidding and this will help generate business to the tune of Rs 15 to Rs 20 crore. Apart from this, it will also get a commission on the sales made in the state as it is the lone C&F agency in Himachal to supply lubricants by the IOC.

The IOC has granted 120 days to the federation to set up this agency at Nalagarh. The contract has been initially granted for five years and it can be extended for another three years depending on the performance. HIMFED will be required to provide Servo lubricants to institutional customers, IOC stockists, IOC’s own locations in the state as well as to SSIs and SSAs. The federation, which is reeling under cumulative losses of Rs 5 crore, will also look after inter-state supplies.

Mandi, April 16
Women volunteers from the Rewalsar area today sat on a three-day fast under the banner of the Himachal Kisan Sabha in support of their demand for opening a government degree college at Rewalsar.

Among those who sat on the fast were Dharma Sharma, Bimla Devi, Shila Devi and Kanta, all members of the sabha. They said the government should consider the genuine demand of the people of the area comprising 25 panchayats. They lamented that there was no government institute for higher studies in the Balh constituency.

CPM general secretary Bhupender Singh and Balh Kisan Sabha president Paras Ram alleged that the government was ignoring the genuine demand of the people. The party would hold another protest this month if the government did not consider their demand, they said.

Kangra, April 16
World Voice Day was celebrated at the Dr Rajender Prashad Government Medical College (DRPGMC) at Tanda today. Singing and kite competitions were organised on the occasion.

Principal, DRPGMC Tanda, Anil Chauhan said students, faculty members and residents of the college campus enjoyed the event. There was a singing competition followed by a movie session in the Sobha Singh auditorium of the college.

Dr Chauhan said the first prize in the singing competition was bagged by Shivani, a nursing student, among girls, and Narendra Singh, a pre-final MBBS student, among boys.

He said in the kite-flying competition, the first prize was won by Abhishek among MBBS boy students and Tenzin and Radhika Sharma, both first-year students, among MBBS girl students.

Gunjita, among children of the campus, and Dr Maninder Negi, among the faculty, also won prizes in the kite-flying competition.

Students, faculty and residents of the DRPGMC Tanda celebrated Himachal Day in a big way on the college campus yesterday. Mother’s Day and Baisakhi festival too were celebrated yesterday. Dr Chauhan said these events were clubbed together as different celebrations on different days would have wasted students’ time and caused inconvenience to patients.

The events started with a flag-hoisting ceremony by the Principal yesterday.

Mandi, April 16
Deputy Commissioner (DC), Mandi, Devesh Kumar today directed the revenue officers at the sub-divisional, tehsil and sub-tehsil levels to keep ready the equipments and disaster management teams to meet any emergency situation in their area of jurisdiction.

In an official press statement here today, the DC stated if they did not have equipment they should put forth their demand for its procurement. The team should be trained and be ready to meet the emergency demand, he said.