Mandi, July 21
The state BJP today passed two resolutions, one in support of the achievements of the present government under Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and another against the Congress-led UPA-II government of Manmohan Singh, and prepared its “road map” for party workers and leaders to make its “mission repeat” a success in the state Assembly elections.

In the crucial two-day marathon meeting of the 225-member state executive that started at Bipasha Sadan in this temple town today, the state BJP tried to project a united face ahead of the poll and announced its “road map” for party workers, leaders and its cadre of the Sangh Parivar.

The meeting was attended by party organisational secretary Ram Lal, state party in charge Kalraj Mishra, co-incharge Shyam Lal Jaju, Chief Minister PK Dhumal, state party president Satpal Satti, BJYM chief Anurag Thakur, other ministers and MLAs.

National vice-president and senior BJP leader from Kangra Shanta Kumar and general secretary JP Nadda remained conspicuous by their absence in the meeting.

BJP’s vice-president Praveen Sharma and general secretary Randhir Sharma while briefing mediapersons on the outcome of the meeting said: “The party has passed a resolution in support of the achievements of the Dhumal government and backed him and each party worker will take these achievements to the common man in the state.”

They further said the second resolution was against the UPA government at the Centre. The Congress-led UPA-II government was anti-Himachal.

“State Congress leaders in the Central Government, former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh and Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, have failed to protect the interests of Himachal at the Centre,” they charged.

The HP budget share was increased by just 50 per cent, while that of Congress-ruled states witnessed over 100-165 per cent increase and it supplied ration to just 7 lakh ration card holders as against 11.5 lakh in the state.

The BJP charged that the UPA-II was run by the corporate and corruption was rampant. The Centre had failed to control the price rise due to rampant corruption.

Mandi, July 21
With his two loyal Cabinet ministers taking a backseat, the absence of national vice-president and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar and national general secretary JP Nadda, along with Shanta’s two loyal MLAs, from the two-day crucial meeting of the state executive at Bipash Sadan in Mandi today, has unnerved the party rank and file ahead of the Assembly poll in the state.

Though the state BJP played down the absence of Shanta and Nadda and the two MLAs, party insiders, including the Sangh Parivar, have expressed concern as it has sent conflicting signals to party workers in the state ahead of the elections.

The Bipash Sadan today presented the BJP as a “divided house” as far as sitting arrangements of Cabinet Ministers was concerned.

Industry Minister Kishan Kapur, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala, both Shanta Kumar’s loyalists, along other supporters, took the last row instead of the first row meant for them.

Besides Shanta and Nadda, Khushi Ram Balnatah, MLA from Rohru, who was demanding a change of state leadership ahead of poll, and Des Raj, MLA from Kangra, both Shanta Kumar loyalists, absented from the meeting today.

They cited that “Shanta is not contesting the Vidhan Sabha poll and that is enough at this”.

The absence of Shanta and Nadda and his loyalists taking a backseat have exposed the hollow unity claims of the party.

The BJP tried its best to play down Shanta’s absence and his loyalists taking a backseat with Horticulture Minister Narendra Bragta also choosing to sit only in the row next to Kishan Kapur and Dhawala.

But the only solace for the divided BJP house is that its main rival Congress also continues to be in disarray with senior Congress leaders taking a dig at one another in the media over the issue of leadership and the post of Chief Minister, said party workers.

But briefing mediapersons, vice-president Praveen Sharma and state spokesperson Randhir Sharma said, “The BJP is united and Shantaji could not come today as he was in Punjab to attend a kisan sabha meeting. Both Nadda and Shantaji will attend the last two sessions of the meeting tomorrow.”

Mandi, July 21
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today slammed chairman, Congress Campaign Committee, and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for taking potshots at the Chief Election Commission (CEC), country’s constitutional body, saying the BJP would go by the CEC verdict whether it was the question of imposing a code of conduct or the date for the state Assembly poll.

The constant questioning by Virbhadra had resulted in the ousting of the Congress from power in the past as well and this time also. The BJP is on a threshold of accomplishing its mission repeat in the coming poll, Dhumal said at a press conference.

On a three-day tour of this district, the Chief Minister was accompanied by PWD Minister Gulab Singh Thakur, Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur, co-in charge of party affairs Shayam Jaju, state president Satpal Satti, Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur and district president Deli Ram.

Loyalists of the party national vice-president Shanta Kumar, however, remained absent at the Circuit House and preferred to gather at a private resort, where Industry Minister Kishan Kapur, a supporter of Shanta, had been camping since yesterday.

Unfazed by factional fight in the BJP, Dhumal alleged that Virbhadra had questioned the CEC during the last Assembly poll and during the Mandi parliamentary poll, when his wife Pratibha was contesting, but he had to face defeat.

Virbhadra had taken his team of ministers in helicopter to pressurise the CEC, but the Commissioner had directed the Congress to send the travelling bill by helicopter to Delhi as it was not an official tour, Dhumal said.

This time also, Virbhadra is confronting the CEC for imposing of code of conduct and fixing date for the elections and it will help the BJP accomplish its “mission repeat” in the poll, Dhumal said.

On the issues of charge sheet and corruption raised by Congress and BJP detractors, including HLP convener Maheshwar Singh and Kangra MP Rajan Sushant, the Chief Minister ridiculed the Congress charge sheet.

Regional outfits like Maheshwar Singh’s Himachal Lokhit Party, Sukh Ram’s Himachal Vikas Congress and JBL Khachi’s Lokraj Party came up only during elections, he said.

He further dismissed Virbhadra’s attack on the BJP and DGP DS Minhas on the issue of the audio CD, saying that the CD was released by the then Congress leader VS Mankotia in 2007.

“SM Katwal, former chairman, HSSS commission, Hamipur, and Mankotia had demanded a CBI probe in it. But Virbhadra managed to get a stay in the court,” he said.

Shimla, July 21
Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said today that Rahul Gandhi had the ability to become a good Prime Minister, but he personally felt that he would contribute more significantly in the party organisation than in the UPA government.

“As I have said in the past, he will undoubtedly be a very good Prime Minister, but there is no vacancy at the moment,” he hastened to add.

He said being from the organisation himself, he would prefer Rahul to play a bigger role in the party set-up, which was ultimately for Sonia Gandhi to decide. Singh was in the town to attend a function being organised by the All-India Kshatriya Federation here tomorrow.

He also did not miss out on the opportunity to hit out at Swami Ramdev and his close aide Bal Krishnan, who had been given 98 bighas of prime land near Chail.

“By giving valuable land in the hill state to such people who are accused of money laundering to the tune of Rs 70 crore, the BJP regime in the state has played a fraud with people,” he remarked.

He said the land in question had been donated by the erstwhile rulers of Patiala for setting up a children’s holiday home, but the BJP regime had given it to Bal Krishan on lease.

“The Congress is certainly on a comeback trail in Himachal and I am sure the state Congress leadership will thoroughly expose the acts of omission and commission by the BJP government,” he said.

Singh, who remained away from electoral politics since 2003, said his vow that he would not contest poll for 10 years would come to an end in May 2013, but rather than state politics he would prefer to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

‘CM candidate can’t be decided beforehand’

The Congress leader outrightly rejected the demand being made by Virbhadra Singh that the Congress must declare the chief ministerial candidate before the Assembly poll. “I personally believe that in a parliamentary democracy, elected representatives must have the choice to elect their leader. So the name of the CM candidate cannot be decided beforehand,” he opined. He, however, termed the CD case against Virbhadra as politically motivated and said he was confident that he would ultimately come out clean.

Dharamsala, July 21
As many as 23 power projects in Kangra district have been found to have encroached upon government and forest land.

These have been brought up on land in excess of what was leased out to them for bringing up the power projects.

The matter has come to light during an elaborate exercise carried out by district revenue officials to ascertain the amount of encroachments made by power project owners on government land. In certain cases the power projects have been brought on locations entirely different from the land originally leased out to them.

This has brought project companies in direct confrontation with the local population whose interests, including rights over traditional water sources, have been compromised.

Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, KR Bharti, said district officials had calculated that in case the land on which the power project owners have encroached was leased out to them, they would have to pay about Rs 30 crore to the government.

A notice had been issued to the 23 projects found to have been encroached on the government land to deposit the lease amount as per the government policy. Suitable action would be taken in the matter after reply from the power project owners was received, he said.

As per the documents available with The Tribune, the district administration has issued a notice to Subhash Projects and Marketing Limited (Neogal) in Palampur to deposit Rs 1,52,16,828 as lease amount for the government land encroached by it.

The other power projects that have been issued similar notices are Sri Sai Krishna Hydro Energies Rs 3,78,947, Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd (Awa) Rs 87,7,1630, Astha Upper (Awa) Rs 1,36,90,331, Vamshi Hydro Private Ltd (Iku) Rs 6,02,03,509, Vamshi Hydro Pvt Ltd (Iku) IInd Rs 25,23,925, Prodigy Hydro Pvt Ltd Rs 1,09,48,280, Sri Sai Krisha Energies Luni-II Rs 52,45,357, Anubhav Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 37,48,860, Sri Sai Krishan Hydro Energies Luni-III Rs 1,04,28,844, KU Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 6,81,749, Dharamsala Hydro Power Pvt Ltd, Manjhi, Rs 61,49,268, Winsame textile Pvt Ltd Manuni-I Rs 42,33,360, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Upper Kholi, Rs 7,15,778, Kangra Hydro Power Ventures Pvt Ltd Rs 1,19,954, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd, Iku, IInd, Rs 1,35,11680, Subhash Hydro Project and Marketing Pvt Ltd Iku IInd, 16, 89,625, Raheja Hydel Power Project Pvt Ltd Rs 61,42,519, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Darini Dhar Rs 19,52,938, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Upper Kholi Rs 1,68071, Sodhi Brothers Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 3,86,971, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Darini Dhar, 1,03,391 and Om Power Corporation Rs 2,30466,767.

Local sources said the government could regularise the land encroached upon by the power project companies after charging lease money from them along with the fine in general cases. However, in cases where the forest land had been encroached upon, permission would have to be taken from the special empowered committee of the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest.

The recent judgment of the Green Bench of the state high court had taken a serious view of the post facto permission granted to the cement and thermal plant of JP Industries in Solan district.

Shimla, July 21
Terming the appointment of Dr SK Garg, a retired teacher, as the Director of International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), as illegal, the ICDEOL Teachers’ Council has threatened to boycott the HPU foundation day celebrations and intensify their agitation.

In a statement here today, the president and secretary of the council, Prof Vijay Kaushal and Dr Ashwani Rana, respectively, said the appointment of Dr Garg was illegal, unjustified and undemocratic and against the decision of the executive council of the HPU, dated December 28, 1991.

They pointed out that his appointment was illegal as a retired teacher could not sign on any administrative and financial matters and he was superannuated two years ago.

They added that even the state high court had pointed that the principle of seniority must not be flouted so his appointment also amounts to violation of the court order.

Dalhousie, July 21
In solidarity with the courageous and selfless acts of Tibetans and to make the world aware of the ongoing crisis in Tibet, the Tibetan parliament in exile organised a worldwide relay from July 6, the day the Dalai Lama was born.

Stating this in an e-mail today, member, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Dalhousie, Jamchen said the torch (flame of truth) on July 20 was handed over to members of the RTYC in Pathankot.

A massive programme was held at the main GPO Chowk, Dalhousie, in the presence of the public and special dignitaries, who included members of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society and its president Dr (Capt) GS Dhillon.

Besides other activities, a peaceful prayer march with the torch from the GPO Sadar Bazaar and back was also organised, Jamchen informed, adding that they would also hold a signature campaign for three days to showcase the support from other communities.

The relay would be concluded on December 10 on Human Rights Day with the submission of appeal letters and signatures to the United Nations headquarters in New York City, UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and UN Information Office in New Delhi.

Kangra, July 21
Life, after two-day tension, was normal at Tanda today with shops and other business establishments remaining open and a one-man inquiry committee conducting inquiries so that a report could be submitted tomorrow.

President, Beopar Mandal, Nagrota Bagwan, Arun Mehra and vice-president Sadarpur village Sandeep Choudray in a letter to the Chief Minister blamed students of the DRPGMC, Tanda, for indulging in violence on July 17. They demanded a high-level probe into the incident by a committee headed by a senior IAS officer.

They cited certain examples of violence ever since the medical college was set up. They said villagers gave their land for this college with a hope that it would serve the needy and poor people of this state. They blamed the college management for protecting the students.

Principal Anil Chauhan said the college management had been strict in taking steps to maintain discipline within the college with ‘zero tolerance’ for indiscipline.

Dr Chauhan said to avoid a situation which was witnessed on July 17, the college should be

fortified with a boundary wall from all the sides so that some undesirable elements did not pass sarcastic remarks at girl students.

Dr Rahul Gupta, president, Resident Doctors Association, expressed shock over politicising the issue of violence. He demanded that those involved in eve-teasing and attack on medical students with sharp-edged weapons should be booked.

Bilaspur, July 21
The Suharghat police arrested Dharam Chand Yadav and Sunder Yadav, both of Azamgarh, UP, and now working at Bhag Singh’s dhaba, after raiding the dhaba at Thumak village near Baned on National Highway No. 21 (Chandigarh-Manali) on Saturday.

The police searched the dhaba and recovered more than 12 kg of “chura post” (opiate powder) from there. Bhag Singh could not be arrested as he was away at that time. The police is searching for him.

A case under the NDPS Act has registered and both accused got police remand till July 23.

Mandi, July 21
Marred by policy bottlenecks, state entrepreneurs have sought government intervention to facilitate a “confederation of small entrepreneurs using HPMC’s brand name” to market their products under strict quality control to tap the vast potential of food processing industry in the state.

“We do not find suitable raw material for the food processing industry as farmers are not trained and not aware about crop-based raw materials in the state,” said Dr RC Thakur, an entrepreneur running a fruit-canning plant at Ner Chowk, Mandi, and former Director, Research, at the Palampur agriculture university, while talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the seminar.

Dr Thakur gave a policy overview of the food industry at the seminar on fruit and vegetable processing, organised by the CII in collaboration with the state Industry Department, which was inaugurated by Industry Minister Kishan Kapur.

State entrepreneurs face issues in marketing as they are not organised and have no brand name to market their produce in urban markets dominated by national and multinational fruit and food brands.

“We have a ready brand name of the HPMC, which can be used by state entrepreneurs to market their products,” Dr Thakur said.

“This can be accomplished by forming a confederation of small entrepreneurs, who will ensure strict quality control while using the HPMC brand name,” he added.

Farmers were least aware about the type of crops and fruits they need to produce for the use of the food processing industry. They could fetch three times more prices for these by selling need-based fruit or crop raw material for food processing, but they were never trained to do so, he said.

The Industry Minister said the government provided subsidies to small units from the state and the Centre. “Food processing is growing and suggestions of entrepreneurs are welcome.”

Solan, July 21
Officials of the state Forest Corporation have worked out a novel way to please the Chief Minister by donating lakhs to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the past over two years with as much as Rs 98 lakh making way to this fund from the corporation.

The corporation whose cumulative losses were a whopping 32 crore and loans worth Rs 5 crore had been availed to meet its day-to-day expenditures, including salaries, had contributed as much as Rs 98 lakh to the CM's relief fund from March 2010 to March 2012.

Sources said about Rs 5 lakh was donated by the corporation in March 2010 and Rs 11 lakh in September 2010. A sum of Rs 31 lakh was donated in March 2011 and a similar amount on March 20, 2012, and Rs 20 lakh on March 29, 2012.

The board of management also approved to donate Rs 21 lakh to the CM's relief fund on June 27, but it was yet to be given.

The corporation's corpus fund is short of Rs 39 crore.

They added that they had been contributing to the CM’s relief fund from their salaries during calamities, but such contributions did not serve any purpose. Even the statutory audit had raised objections over the matter.

Such contributions are voluntary donations made by employees from their own salaries.

SB Islam, MD, Forest Corporation, however, defended the contributions and said it was better to pay to the relief fund which was used for the general welfare of the public, rather than pay to the LIC’s gratuity scheme as it too invested the fund further.

He said there were no losses in the corporation for the past three years and they were rather earning profits.

He added that they were contributing an amount of Rs 5 crore annually to the gratuity and no employee had been denied post-retirement benefits like gratuity and leave encashment as there were adequate funds in this account.

Dalhousie, July 21
As part of its commitment to protect and preserve the environment and counter large-scale deforestation of green zones, especially along the roads in Dalhousie, the initiator brigade has started a plantation drive in the hill town. The plantation drive is a component of its endeavour to provide healthy, clean and green surroundings to local residents.

Under the project, the Army will plant approximately one lakh saplings of locally available species of plants, including fruit-bearing trees, in a phased manner over a period of four to six months.

The drive commenced with the planting of 5,000 saplings in and around the Dalhousie Military Station this week. The plantation drive will be conducted in collaboration with the local administration, schools and volunteers. The project has been launched under the theme “Go Green Dalhousie”.

The Army is also planning to undertake an awareness programme to educate people on environmental issues.

The drive will not only assist the local administration to meet the challenges of frequent landslides during monsoon, but also contribute towards safeguarding the natural beauty of the hill town.

Kangra, July 21
The Anti-Ragging Committee of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, was reconstituted and more anti-ragging measures were suggested. Dr Parveen Sharma, secretary of the committee, said the committee held a meeting on Thursday, which was chaired by Principal of the college Dr Anil Chauhan. The previous committee was congratulated for its year-long activities in which no ragging case was reported in the college.

The committee was told that during the previous academic year, the attendance of the Parent Teacher Association General Body Meet was quite low. In the first meeting, only 14 of 200 parents participated and in the second meeting only one parent was present.

Dr Sharma said on July 27 and 28, on the days of admissions in the college this year, an awareness programme would be organised for parents near the venue of the admissions.

The anti-ragging measures taken last year would be repeated, but this year more involvement of students in the committee would be ensured, he added.

Dr Chauhan said the Aman Kachroo Trust had received Rs 10 lakh till now.