Dharamsala, May 11
The construction of the Mehatpur-Amb highway that is being undertaken by Chinese company Longjian is likely to be delayed further much to the chagrin of the local residents.

Sources here said the consultant for the project had applied for extension of the deadline for the completion of the project until April next year.

The government has till date not given the extension and is imposing a fine of Rs 2.15 lakh per day on the company.

In case the government does not give extension on time, the project is likely to be jeopardised. The summer months till June are ideal for construction of the road.

After arrival of the monsoon, the construction work is usually suspended.

Company officials told The Tribune on condition of anonymity that imposition of such a heavy fine was likely to make the project unviable for them.

They alleged that the company could not alone be blamed for the delay in completion of the road.

Government agencies delayed clearing of encroachments from roadsides and in getting permissions for felling trees along the road.

They alleged that government agencies were also not releasing them money on time which was causing further delay in construction work.

As per the original contract, the construction of the 60-km road was to be completed till December 2010.

Sources said maximum delay was being caused in the construction of major bridges. The company had sublet the work of construction of bridges to an Indian company. However, the company had not been able to construct the bridge within the stipulated time.

Due to delays on the part of the sub-contractor, the Chinese company has now taken up the job of constructing the bridge near Nandpur, 50 km from Mehatpur. However, the work of the bridges, construction work for which was started by the sub-contractor, are still with him.

Kutlehria, Executive Engineer, in charge of the project, said: “We are trying to complete at least one side of the four-lane road from Mehatpur to Jhalera by the end of this month.”

He, however, admitted delay in the construction of bridges. The contractor, who was sublet the work of construction of bridges, was ill and has been hospitalised.

“We are trying to get his works executed at the earliest.

The delay in construction of the road especially in Una and Mehatpur township was hitting the local business. Most of markets and shops in the said towns are located along the road. The uprooted road portions had finished the approachability of many small-time shopkeepers, who are alleging that they are loosing their livelihood.

With the Assembly elections approaching, the delay in completion of road is likely to have an impact on voters of the Una Assembly constituency that is represented by state president of BJP Satpal Satti.

Shimla, May 11
Even as the ruling BJP today heaved a sigh of relief with its rebel candidate for the post of Mayor Tarsem Bharti withdrawing from the contest, the woes of the Congress still continue as its leader and former Mayor Manoj Kumar has decided to contest against the official party nominee Madhu Sood.

The BJP was able to convince Bharti, who had contested as the BJP nominee from the Kasumpti constituency in the last Assembly poll, to withdraw his nomination. Rather than going in for a political person, the BJP has fielded a professional, Dr SS Minhas, who retired as the head of the surgery department from Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.

Though another Congress rebel, Ashok Kumar Sood, a former councillor, obliged the party by withdrawing his nomination, Manoj’s presence in the election arena could damage the prospects of Congress nominee Madhu Sood, who is the Mayor. She is also facing stiff opposition from a section of her own party men who were contenders for the party ticket for the post of Mayor.

Sood has the full backing of PCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur, who had supported her candidature despite reservation by some leaders, especially Congress councillors, that since the post of Mayor was open, a chance should be given to a male candidate. In fact, Sood had herself announced that she had opted out of the race but in a complete U-turn, she sought the ticket and managed to get it.

The BJP has had to rely on a non-politician like Dr SS Minhas as despite getting a survey done, senior leaders could not find a suitable candidate who could reach out to the electorate. The party relied on Dr Minhas, owning to his stature reach among all sections of society across party lines.

It is only CPM candidate for the post of Mayor Sanjay Chauhan who has not had to bother with rebels. The CPM had declared its candidates, including the name of Tikender Panwar for the post of Deputy Mayor, long time back. Both Chauhan and Panwar are familiar faces who have been associated with local issues for the past so many years.

As far as the presence of rebels in various wards for the posts of councillor is concerned, the BJP will have to put up with Pradeep Modi in Dhalli and Saroj Thakur in Totu. Another rebel candidate from Totu, Archana Sharma, however, agreed to withdraw her nomination in favour of the party candidate.

Mandi, May 11
Even as Chief Minster PK Dhumal today promised that he would fulfil the demand of starting a degree college at Rewalsar, residents of the Balh-Sarkaghat region, who have come under the banner of the Himachal Kisan Sabha asserted that they would continue the “college adhikar yatra” till the government issues a notification in this regard.

Dhumal made this promise when he was addressing a public meeting at Rewalsar after he laid the foundation stone of the Rs 8.8 crore sewage scheme here today.

But he remained non-committal on the time-frame of starting the college. Reacting to Dhumal’s statement, CPM-led Himachal Kisan Sabha volunteers asserted that the Chief Minister made a passing reference on the issue.

“But we will not relent till the government issues a notification in this regard,” said Bhupender Singh, general secretary, CPM.

He said Kisan Sabha-led 10-day college adhikar yatra, which started from Rewalsar yesterday, will continue. “It will be followed by a chain fast from May 21 till the demand is met,” he added.

Kisan Sabha leaders from Balh Paras Ram and Dharma Devi Sharma said the demand for college had come from 14 panchayats in Balh and 14 panchayats in Sarkaghat.

They said the Kisan Sabha had also demanded setting up of an ITI and a tehsil at Balh, a sub-tehsil at Rewalsar and a primary health centre at Leda. But the Chief Minister had disappointed local residents.

Residents have to travel to Mandi for minor works due to the government apathy towards the Balh constituency, they resented.

The Congress had already announced that they would start the college at Rewalsar when it comes to power in the state.

Shimla, May 11
With BJP leader Shanta Kumar registering his presence at the launch of the Atal Uniform Scheme at Nahan in the presence of party chief Nitin Gadkari, there is speculation whether he will be the part of the team that will chalk out the strategy for ensuring victory of the party in the MC poll.

State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti will convene a meeting here on May 15, which will be attended by all senior Central and state party leaders, including Chief Minister PK Dhumal, National BJP general secretary JP Nadda, in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal Kalraj Mishra and co-in charge Shyam Jaju. All state office-bearers, ministers, MLAs and chairpersons of boards and corporations have been told to attend the meeting.

Though the official release by the BJP here today said all senior leaders, including Shanta Kumar, would attend the meeting, apprehensions are being expressed about his presence.

Barring the rallies attended by national leadership, including rallies addressed by LK Advani and Nitin Gadkari, he has shied away from being part of any state government’s or BJP’s functions in Himachal for the past over two years.

However, with Shanta agreeing to attend the rally at Nahan, the Dhumal camp and the state party chief are hoping that he would finally come around and attend the crucial meeting on May 15.

State BJP vice-president Kripal Parmar also showered praises on Shanta by stating that he was a senior and experienced leader whose guidance was important for the party.

Though the former Chief Minister indulged in some tough talks by stating that drastic steps will have to be taken in case the BJP wants to repeat its government, the Dhumal faction is keeping its fingers crossed and hoping that Shanta Kumar will attend the party meeting.

The BJP and the Chief Minister are giving a lot of importance to the Shimla MC polls due on May 27.

“Shanta is our senior leader and we would want him to campaign for the party as this will also send a positive signal that the party is fully united and there are no factions in it,” said a party leader.

The BJP that is desperate to break the Congress monopoly over the Shimla MC since 1986 is keen that it is able to wrest the control of the important body from the rival party.

Shanta’s presence at the meeting could send the right signal and give an impetus to the BJP campaign.

Palampur, May 11
The Palampur Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti today intensified its agitation in support of their demand to accord the district status for Palampur.

The samiti flagged off a rath yatra that would pass through 500 villages under three sub-divisions of Jaisinghpur, Baijnath and Palampur. The yatra will return to Palampur on May 16, 2012.

Addressing mediapersons, Jagmel Katoch, president of the samiti, said a complete strike would be observed on May 16 across this region and a protest march would also be held at Palampur on that day in which residents of all the three sub-divisions of the Palampur region would participate.

Dharamsala, May 11
A three-member Tibetan family that started its journey back to Tibet on foot on the Tibetan uprising day on March 10 this year from McLeodganj, has been reportedly detained by the Nepal police on the border of the two countries.

The Tibetan family - Tenzin Dorjee, his younger sister Lhamo Kyi and mother Dhongpo Kyi - had covered 1,300 km on foot from McLeodganj in two months before reaching the Nepal border yesterday.

Sources said the Nepal police was yet to take a decision regarding the journey of the exile family. They will either be deported back to India where they have the refugee status or allowed further journey till the Chinese border.

The family members had termed their journey as “March to Tibet”. The march courted controversy after the family members were reported to be found carrying the Chinese flag along with the Tibetan flag during their journey to the Nepal border.

The hardline group of Tibetan exiles, the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), had criticised the family for carrying the Chinese flag.

Another faction of the Tibetan exiles had, however, maintained that carrying the Chinese flag along with the Tibetan flag was in conformity with the middle-way approach policy advocated by the Dalai Lama. In the middle-way approach, the Dalai Lama had proposed autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty. The middle-way approach was, however, completely rejected by Chinese officials.

The family has, however, started a new trend in which Tibetan exiles are trying to go back to their homeland in Tibet from India. Since 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled to exile in India, about two lakh Tibetans have followed him and have been living in various Tibetan settlements across India.

It will be interesting to see how the Chinese authorities treat the family in case it is allowed to go to the Chinese border by the Nepal authorities. In case they are allowed back into Tibet, it can start a new trend of Tibetan exiles going back to their homeland from India.