Shimla, June 13
Major violence erupted in the Tagore Boys’ Hostel of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) last night as activists of the Students Federation of India and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) engaged in a bloody fight, leaving at least 12 students seriously injured.

With tension among the two student outfits of the ruling BJP and the CPM escalating over the past five days, there is heavy deployment of police force on the HPU campus as well as the boys’ hostel. Tension continues to grip the campus, even as the SCA today staged a protest against “police shelter” being given to ABVP activists and SFI students being targeted.

As a precautionary measure, the HPU administration has ordered the vacation of all seven boys’ hostels by 12 noon tomorrow. The HPU authorities held a meeting with the SP and the ADM (Law and Order) today to assess the situation and take preventive measures.

Activists of the two outfits had clashed even outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner when they were holding a dharna on June 11.

It was at about 9.30 pm that activists of the two outfits clashed, indulging in heavy pelting of stones and use of sticks and weapons. Deputy Commissioner Arun Sharma and SP Chander Shekhar rushed to the hostel to bring the situation under control. Force was summoned not only from the Summer Hill police station but also from other police stations.

“Had it not been for the timely intervention by the police, it could have been a very serious clash,” said SP Chander Shekhar. He added that adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure that there was no further violence.

The police had registered a case last night against 80 SFI and 25 ABVP students. About 10 activists from both outfits were today arrested as a preventive measure.

Shimla, June 13
The district unit of the state Youth Congress today staged a protest march against the failure of the administration to check violence in educational institutions and submitted a memorandum to Governor Urmila Singh in this regard.

President of the Shimla District Youth Congress (Urban) Akash Saini said the the ABVP and the SFI had vitiated the atmosphere in Himachal Pradesh University and the police seemed helpless in taking stern action against the miscreants. Even Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya had been rendered unsafe and anti-social elements not only managed to enter the premises of the college but also assaulted a student.

The open clash between activists of the SFI and the ABVP in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office provided ample evidence of the ineffectiveness of the administration. There was no action even after officials were assaulted.

Kangra, June 13
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) today decided to launch a mass awareness campaign at the village level in the entire state to expose the “hooligan culture” adopted by the ABVP, the RSS and the BJP and warned that if the “government-sponsored hooliganism” was not stopped in the state, the SFI would be forced to counter the same for which the government would be responsible.

Vishal Deep, State Secretariat Member and General Secretary, SFI, Kangra district, said this while addressing a press conference in MCM DAV College here today.

He said the ABVP had let loose a reign of terror in different educational institutions with the BJP government patronising them leaving democratic system in a shambles. Vishal said yesterday seven SFI activists were injured by ABVP activists, supported by anti-social elements at Government Degree College, Dharamsala, but till the SFI pasted anti-police posters at the SP office no one heard them. He said the situation was no way better in the state capital. He was also critical of the police for its partisan role in the state.

Chauntra (Mandi), June 13
This plush palatial house is guarded by eight ferocious dogs of top breeds with a stern warning at the gate showing a dog, that “I am the guard”.

The house has 10-feet high boundary wall. The top of the wall is fenced by the three- feet high barbed revolving wire that makes it impossible even to get a glimpse of what is happening inside the house.

If you manage to get inside, you are tremble in fear as the eight dogs of different breeds groan at you sending you for cover. To top all, the two eagle-like birds kept at the vintage point spy on you.

The police and the Forest Department has yet to know the exact nature of the bird species. Who is “Amma”, who fled from the house before the police raided it last late night? Chetan, who was arrested by the police, claimed to be a caretaker of the house.

He had not revealed Amma’s whereabouts or the guru or owner of the house.

As you enter the house, you find a well-scrubbed porch with a gliding lawn done up with imported grass that glides up to the main house.

Then there is a plush swimming pool inside the boundary wall that vies with the best among the seven star hotels.

There are four modular kitchens, remote- controlled bathrooms, a theatre and other rooms being done up with sophisticated upholstery and are still under repair.

Though the work in the house has been on for the past five years, but the settlement officer of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Tanzin, feigned ignorance as to “who is building this house, who will live here and who have hired the eight Taiwanese who were on valid tourist visas”.

But the eight Taiwanese, the police said, were working and giving “finishing touches to its interiors. In late night hours, they were arrested by the police under the grounds that they were under suspicion of working as agents to the Chinese or the Taiwanese government.

But the police failed to establish this suspicion so far. The house is closed for visitors as the gate has been shut. The police has put up its security around it.

Tanzin told The Tribune that there were over 130 Tibetan families and over 600 Tibetan scholars studying at Chauntra Buddhist College and over 150 children in Tibetan schools.

PWD Minister and Jogindernagar MLA Gulab Singh Thakur said the police should keep surveillance on foreigners and the truth should come out in the matter. But there are a lot of Taiwanese living and visiting India and their guru had visited the local monastery, he added.

SP, Mandi, Abhishek Dular said they were verifying the documents and sources of funds and investigation is still on.

Chauntra (Mandi), June 13
Following the arrest of eight Taiwanese nationals at Chauntra, 30 km from Palampur, the Himachal police has tightened the security of the Dalai Lama at his official residence in McLeodganj near Dharamsala.

The police said the Taiwanese nationals were staying in a Tibetan colony at Chauntra for the past one month.

Soon after these arrests, the Ministry of Home Affairs swung into action and asked the state government to initiate necessary steps to tighten the security of the Dalai Lama. Later in the day, state and central agencies involved in the security of the Dalai Lama reviewed the security arrangements. The Dalai Lama already has a three-tier security as intelligence agencies had received reports that certain religious sects of Tibet and China could target him.

Union Home Secretary RK Singh had visited Dharamsala in this regard last week and held discussions with state and central security agencies and officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile. He had reviewed the security set-up of the Dalai Lama.

A Tribune team which visited Chauntra, from where the eight Taiwanese nationals were arrested by the police last night, found a heavy deployment of the police around the Tibetan colony as search operations were still in progress. Mediapersons were not allowed to go near the house where the Chinese nationals were staying.

Shimla, June 13
Even as the BJP high command is engaged in serious parleys to resolve the escalating bickering between two warring factions in the state, Khushi Ram Balnatah, a staunch Shanta loyalist and MLA from Rohru, today sought a change of leadership in the state in case the party wanted to return to power.

Balnatah, in a harshly worded letter, has urged BJP chief Nitin Gadkari to ensure a change of leadership in the state immediately so that the party contests the Assembly poll under a new leadership. “The BJP regime in Himachal is considered synonymous with corruption, nepotism and regionalism, a feeling being echoed even by party workers and it is only a bitter pill which can cleanse the system,” he said.

Balnatah said the feeling being echoed by him through this letter was shared by the majority of ministers, MLAs and party leaders, who were feeling suffocated in the present circumstances. “Some harsh decisions during these four months before the Assembly poll, including a change of leadership, can ensure five years’ rule for the BJP,” he said.

The BJP leader, who has in the past too indulged in some “plain-speaking” without mincing words, cautioned that in case the central leadership did not take some strong decisions, the BJP would have to pay a heavy price, including a defeat in the Assembly poll. “Had some remedial steps been taken when six ministers and legislators had brought all these disturbing facts before you, the situation could have been different,” he said.

Drawing the attention of the party chief towards the falling graph of the BJP in the state, Balnatah said the results of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) poll were a clear pointer towards this trend. “The Shimla MC comprises three Assembly segments and the fact that the CPM got a substantial lead in all the constituencies is a matter of grave concern for the BJP,” he said.

He said the majority of those who formed part of the government and party organisation in Himachal were a worried lot. “All allegations pertaining to corruption and nepotism had been brought to your notice and if timely action had been taken, senior leaders like Maheshwar Singh, now heading the Himachal Lokhit Party, would not have formed a separate political outfit,” he said.

The BJP legislator also drew the attention of Gadkari towards the falling graph of the two main political parties, the BJP and the Congress in Himachal.

Shimla, June 13
Being viewed as a first step aimed at bringing truce between the two rival factions of the state BJP, Health Minister Rajiv Bindal, who was in the firing line of the Shanta group, has been appointed general secretary of the state BJP, paving the way for his exit from the Dhumal Cabinet.

Even though, Bindal is touring the Kullu area, is yet to resign, he is likely to tender his resignation once he assumes the party charge. State BJP chief Satpal Satti said the decision to entrust organisational responsibility to Bindal had been taken to ensure the party’s victory in the Assembly poll.

Satti said Bindal had himself expressed the desire to serve the party and considering the important role he performed in the Renuka and Rohru by-poll and the Shimla MC elections, it was decided to assign him this task. “I had expressed the desire to serve the party and I am glad that I have been entrusted the task of ensuring the success of mission repeat of the party,” said Bindal.

Chander Mohan Thakur has been made the party vice-president. Praveen Sharma, vice-president, has been given the additional charge of spokesperson.

Vikram Singh Bundela and Om Prakash have been appointed election assistants for the Hamirpur and Shimla parliamentary constituencies, respectively.

Shimla, June 13
Expressing concern on the issue of selling of alcohol beverages to minors, especially to students, in the state, the state high court directed the Principal Secretary (Excise and Taxation) and the DGP to ensure that neither alcohol beverages are sold to minors below the age of 18 years by liquor vends nor served alcohol in bars throughout the state immediately.

It further directed both officers to inform this order to the parties concerned for its due compliance.

Justice Rajiv Sharma passed this order after perusing the affidavit filed by the Principal Secretary and the DGP in compliance to its earlier order vide which the court had directed the officers to close all the liquor vends opened within the radius of 60 m from educational and religious institutions in the state.

In his affidavit the Principal Secretary said 31 excise vends have been closed and 66 excise vends have been shifted, which were operating within the radius of 60 m from educational and religious institutions.

However, in the affidavit of the DGP, it was informed to the court that 110 liquor vends were found open within the radius of 60 m from educational and religious institutions.

While perusing the affidavits of the two officers, Justice Sharma observed that there was a variance in affidavits filed by both of them and sought explanation that why there was variance in the same.

However, the court appreciated the efforts made by the officers towards implementation of its earlier order.

It passed these orders during the hearing of a PIL registered suo motu by the court following a newspaper report regarding the drug-abuse menace in Shimla city.

Shimla, June 13
The Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will hold talks here on June 15 to finalise the modalities for the implementation of the Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi ropeway project and discuss other pending bilateral issues.

Both states have been keen on the construction of the ropeway, which will not only ensure a comfortable journey for lakhs of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Naina Devi from Punjab every year but also give a big boost to tourism in Himachal Pradesh. The two partner states have agreed to jointly take up the project in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode on a revenue-sharing basis or through a special purpose vehicle. A draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed last year. However, detailed modalities to pave the way for a final agreement are yet to be worked out. Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and his Himachal counterpart Sudripta Roy will discuss all related issues in detail to pave the way for the implementation of the project on the ground.

It has been agreed that Punjab will carry out the entire process, including bidding and award of contract, and Himachal will contribute by way of land acquisition in its territory. Sudripta Roy revealed that the consultant, Ernst and Young, had worked out the rate of return from the project at 140 per cent and as such it was very economical and feasible on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The two states had agreed to share the revenue form the sale of tickets equally. There were differences regarding the 0.75 per cent revenue to be set apart for the development of supporting facilities at the two terminal points and halting points en route. Since it was quite a long span, which will take about 30 minutes, the proposal for one or two halting points en route to utilise the full tourism potential were also being considered.

The other main issue to be taken up during the talks pertained to the channeling of the Swan river, which had become infamous as the “sorrow of Una”. The river, which criss-crossed the two states, was being channelled in Himachal under a Rs 220-crore project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) but nothing was being done in Punjab. As a result, the channelling was not effective in some areas. Roy said the matter would be taken up during the meeting so that the entire length of the river, including the portion falling in Punjab, was channelled.

Some other issues like operation of bus services in each other’s territory could also be discussed during the meeting.

Kangra, June 13
Postgraduate (PG) students and interns of the Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, called off their strike this evening after they were given stipend of the past two months from students’ fund and an assurance by Additional Director Ashwani Kumar that their stipend would be disbursed before 5th of every month.

Earlier in the day, PG students and interns resorted to a daylong strike and held dharna outside the administrative building of the college demanding regular stipend and budgetary provisions for the same as they had not been given their stipend for the past two months.

They had resorted to a pen-down strike yesterday and began their strike this morning.

The hospital working was affected due to the protest, however, the emergency services were attended by PG students and interns.

They said it was in the interest of patients that they called off their strike following the assurance and threatened that if the authorities failed to stick to their promise they would resort to protest again.

Hamirpur, June 13
The state Mining Department will soon make use of Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to check illegal mining in the leased mining area by contractors.

The department has decided to make use of these devices as it has been receiving a large number of complaints of illegal mining throughout the state, which is causing a huge loss of revenue to the state exchequer.

GPS devices will be installed in vehicles used for carrying sand, stones and other such material in the leased mining area, which will be connected with GPS devices fixed at strategic locations on the ground.

With the help of this system, officials of the department will be able to keep a watch on the movement of vehicles used for digging and carrying material in the leased mining area.

Since the department is facing a shortage of manpower to keep a check on illegal mining, GPS devices will be of great help to keep a watch on the mining activity and to check illegal mining.

The state government has also decided to auction the mining area in patches and not the entire area in one go as was the practice earlier. Now onwards, only a patch of five hectares will be auctioned for mining in rivers and khads.

Making the norms of leasing out the mining area more strict, the department has made obtaining an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report compulsory for all patches.

The government has also authorised several officers of the district administration, the Police, the Forest, the Mining and the Industries departments to challan, cease material being carried through illegal mining and make a complaint in the competent court against any person involved in illegal mining under the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation Act), 1957.

Bilaspur, June 13
Thousands of people, mostly BJP workers, converged at various places, including Nauni on the Chandigarh-Bilaspur national highway to give a rousing reception to BJP national general secretary JP Nadda, who arrived here yesterday for the first time after being elected member of the Rajya Sabha.

Nadda inaugurated a Rs 2-crore four-storeyed building of the state’s third trauma centre on the premises of the Regional Hospital here. He said this was the third such facility in the state after the IGMC, Shimla, and the Tanda Medical College, Kangra. He said this would be of great help in saving the lives of accident victims.

Nadda said equipped to treat at least 20 emergency cases at a time, this centre had one ICU, one minor operating theatre, one OPD, an X-ray room, a dressing room, a big hall and parking facility on the ground floor.