Shimla, July 20
Chairman of the Congress campaign committee Virbhadra Singh today met party president Sonia Gandhi and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampat in connection with the “recent developments in the state which can hamper a free-and-fair poll in the state”.

He urged the CEC to immediately impose the model code of conduct for the elections in the state in view of the “desperate decisions”, which could have serious implications for the state, being taken by Chief Minister PK Dhumal to influence the outcome of the forthcoming Assembly elections. He urged him to hold the Assembly elections before November 5 in the entire state, including the tribal areas.

Besides discussing the recent organisational appointments and the constitution of the campaign committee, which caused anxiety rather than raising hope among party men, the veteran leader is learnt to have apprised the party president of the game plan of Chief Minister PK Dhumal. Sources close to Virbhadra Singh revealed that during the meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, he underlined the fact that the party needed to remain vigilant to foil the Chief Minister’s designs. He is learnt to have expressed his dissatisfaction over the constitution of a jumbo-sized campaign committee and appointment of some non-entities as secretaries of the Pradesh Congress Committee.

Virbhadra Singh submitted an eight-page letter to the CEC explaining at length the problems faced due to the holding of elections in December in 2007. He said apart from the tribal belt, the higher areas of Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, Kangra, Kullu and Sirmaur were affected by snow and keeping this in view, polling should be held in one go in the entire state before November 5 as there could be snow after that anytime.

He also drew attention to the “actions” of the Dhumal government and urged Sampat to ensure that all those officers who had been either given extension or re-employed be removed forthwith. The officers moved to districts from the Chief Minister’s secretariat over the past three months should also be shifted to ensure a free-and-fair poll.

He said the Chief Minister should be stopped from rewarding officers, who were used for political ends for fabricating false cases against Congress leaders over the past four years and were now being given constitutional posts. He made a specific mention of Director-General of Police DS Manhas in this regard and said he had definite information that he was being appointed. The only way out to stop Dhumal in its tracks and prevent him from vitiating the poll process was to impose the code of conduct immediately.

He also urged the CEC to debar the government from issuing advertisements highlighting its achievements in the media or the expenditure on such publicity be credited to the poll expenses account of the BJP.

Shimla, July 20
The two associations of teachers may not see eye to eye on most issues. However, the court directive asking Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) to ensure that no teacher takes part in political activity has got the entire fraternity united, as they are planning to move court to protect the political freedom they enjoyed till recently.

Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai today said though HPU teachers could contest the Assembly or parliamentary elections for which they were entitled to leave, as per the court directive, they could not take part in political activity or become office-bearers of political organisations. “We will soon seek legal opinion on the issue whether or not action can be taken against teachers for being office-bearers of political organisations,” he said. He said all teachers had been asked to furnish details of their membership or political activity, if any.

The VC, on assuming charge last year in May, had said he was against the indulgence of teachers in political activity and the HPU would bring an amendment to the ordinance banning political activity for them. “I had planned to do so. However, now with the latest court directive, everything has been put on hold,” he said.

The issue has sparked off a debate with some teachers even resigning from the posts they held in the state unit of the Congress, the BJP and the CPM following the court directive of June 20. “We will soon move court seeking a clarification on the issue as contesting the Assembly or parliamentary elections is not possible without being active politically,” said Prof Mahavir Singh, president of the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Association (HPUTA). The rival faction of teachers, the HPU Teachers Welfare Association, too, echoes the same sentiments.

Interestingly, at least 24 teachers of the HPU are office-bearers of various organisations and cells of political parties such as the Congress, the BJP and the CPM. Many are also members of other organisations such as the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. “Though some of these teachers holding political posts have made a disclosure about it, we are in a fix as to what action we can take as we too are confused,” admitted a senior official.

Interestingly, about 100 HPU teachers are members of the teachers’ cells of the two main political parties, the Congress and the BJP. The teachers are also unclear whether they can be members or office-bearers of these cells in the light of the court judgment.

Dharamsala, July 20
The present government is taking decisions that will have financial implications for the state at the fag end of its term. The decisions are being taken to woo the electorate for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. The Congress will bring such decisions to the notice of the Election Commission (EC), said GS Bali, former minister and Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan, while addressing a press conference here today.

He said the government had recently decided to amend the power policy under which individuals and companies had been allowed to sell a majority share to outsiders. The decision had financial implications for the state. Had the state decided to re-auction the unimplemented power projects, it could have generated more revenue.

Similarly, the government had announced many financial benefits for the employees with an eye on the Assembly elections. The government was already seeking a special financial package from the Union Government citing a financial crisis.

Asked about a recent statement of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in which he declared his loyalist Surinder Chaudhary as the Congress candidate from Kangra, Bali said the process of selecting candidates for the party ticket was yet to be started. The final decision on the ticket allotment would be taken by the parliamentary board of the party. 

Mandi/Sundernagar, July 20
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today took the opposition Congress head-on on the “issue of Central funds and inauguration of schemes claimed to be started during the Congress regime” by saying that the BJP government’s biggest achievement was that it had earned the confidence of the common man and “no Congress propaganda in this regard can succeed in the state”.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the mini-secretariat and laying the stone of a hostel for special children at Sundernagar, Dhumal attacked the Congress saying that “the BJP does what it says”.The government had won 66 awards in the field of development, he added.

Dhumal, who is here on a three-day tour of the district starting from today, claimed that the development in the state was reflected in the fact that state’s per capita income has increased from Rs 43,000 in 2008 to Rs 73,600 in 2012.

He said: “The government had announced that it would give free uniforms to schoolchildren and we have provided free uniforms under the Atal School Uniform Yojna by spending Rs 65 crore from the state funds.”

He, however, said his government was giving subsidised ration to all income groups.

He said he laid the foundation stones of two lift water supply scheme — Triamle-Tandu and Tung-Bijni in Drang worth Rs 5.5 crore and inaugurated the Rs 2.8-crore water supply scheme at Dudar. But he remained non-committal as and when these schemes will be completed.

Referring to demands raised by Sundernagar MLA Roop Singh, Dhumal announced that the government would set up an ITI at Dehar.

Shimla, July 20
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will celebrate its 43rd Foundation Day here from July 22 with a series of events, including a round-table conference, release of monograph and prayer meetings, to be held to mark the occasion.

Addressing a press conference here today, Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai said Governor and the Chancellor of the HPU Urmila Singh would be the chief guest at the inaugural function.

“We will honour teachers, students as well as employees who have given a commendable performance whether it is in research, projects or some other field,” he said.

Prof Bajpai said it had also been decided to name the road from the Summer Hill Chowk to the Faculty House as “Gyan Path.” On July 22, Chandan Mitra, Rajya Sabha MP, would be the chief guest.

On July 23, a round table conference on the theme “beyond politics” will be held. Chief Minister PK Dhumal will be the chief guest at the concluding function on July 23. He will inaugurate three newly completed projects, the multi-faculty building, University Institute of Information Technology and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Coaching Centre, on July 23.

Prof Bajpai said 100 bighas land had been sought from the government for undertaking expansion of the campus and having many new facilities.

“We are grateful to the state government for providing Rs 31 crore additionally to the HPU and our efforts are to bring about improvement in every field,” he said. He said in all four separate campuses would be developed, including Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi and Una, for the convenience of students.

Shimla, July 20
The decision of the government to assign the responsibility of forest working plans to territorial officers has helped in speeding up the task of preparing the most important document for proper management of forest resources.

Over the past one year as many as eight working plans have been finalised and got approved from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests taking the total number of approved working plans to 21.

The Forest Department has 34 working plans in all covering 38 forest divisions.

The government was forced to take a policy decision to “declare” territorial forest officers as working plan officers as those posted in the working plan wing considered the assignment as a punishment and took no interest in the task.

Instead of preparing the plan, the incumbent working plan officers spent most of their time and energy in securing a better posting.

This led to a grave situation one year ago with 21 working plans having expired and eight more due to expire over the next three years.

The government was left with no option but to expedite the process as the Centre made it clear that no felling of trees will be allowed without an approved working plan.

Initially, it planned to outsource the work but the Centre did not approve the move as the forest working plan is the basic document for management of forests. As it was not possible to appoint 25 working plan officers to assigning the task to forest officers in charge of territorial forest divisions.

As a result, new working plans, on the basis of which forests are managed, could not be prepared in time. The gravity of the issue can be gauged from the fact that of the total 34 forest working plans covering 38 divisions, as many as 21 have already expired and another eight are due to expire over the next three years.

Initially, the department proposed to outsource the task of preparing the plans, but it did not materialise as the working plan code does not allow it. Moreover, the Centre has also made it clear that only work like carrying out socio-economic surveys can be assigned to experts.

According to the latest decision, all forest officers heading the 25 divisions for which new working plans are to be prepared will be “declared” working plan officers (WPOs). The job will be in addition to their territorial duties. Each such division will be provided an assistant conservator of forests to assist the WPO, computers and other facilities, and the entire subordinate staff will be bound to carry out the additional work.

Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy said the performance of officers in preparing the working plans would be reflected in the annual confidential reports. Officers who did well on this front would be suitably rewarded. Working plans are essential for proper forest management and the apex court had also made it clear that felling could be carried out only in accordance with the working plans, duly approved by the Centre.

To begin with, each designated forest officer will be asked to submit a working schedule for the preparation of the plan in accordance with the working plan code over the next two years. The progress of the plan will be monitored on the basis of the schedule.

Kangra, July 20
Tension continued to grip Tanda village since morning following yesterday’s clash between students and villagers with all shops remaining closed and people demanding action against the erring students.

Village pradhans of the surrounding villages of Sadarpur, Kholi, Rajiana, Thanpuri, Tarsu, Sakot, Matour, Kachiari and BDC member, Sadarpur, Akash Bahri, held a meeting with the Principal of the Tanda medical college, Dr Anil Chauhan, to resolve the issue.

Dr Chauhan told village pradhans that he had ordered a one-man inquiry to be conducted by Dr Suresh Verma, HoD, department of gynaecology, in the incident.

He said Dr Verma had been told to submit the report within two days.

He told them that the violence had taken place outside the college so it was the prerogative of the district administration and the police to take action against those who were involved in the crime.

The police registered cases against villagers involved in the attack over students and damaging the college property. A case was also registered against the college students for rioting and inflicting injuries to people.

The police said the investigation was in progress. Former Minister and Nagrota Bagwan MLA GS Bali, in whose constituency the college falls, visited Tanda today and called on the Principal and met those who were injured.

Mandi, July 20
A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary today directed the HPSEB to restore streetlights disconnected for the past one week with immediate effect.

Hearing the petition filed by convener Lakshmender Guleria of the Mandi Bachao Morcha, the Division Bench observed that if the council had deposited Rs 10 lakh with the board as per the agreement, then the board should restore the streetlights forthwith. The further hearing in the case is fixed for July 31.