Shimla, October 7
The Congress high command today cleared the names of candidates for 11 more seats, overtaking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which had started the exercise to finalise candidates much earlier.

The Congress has decided 63 candidates so far. The BJP, which released a list of 11 more candidates today, has announced only 56 candidates.

The Congress chose Ajay Mahajan, son of party stalwart Sat Mahajan, who died recently, from Nurpur ahead of youth leader Manoj Pathania, who is reportedly close to Rahul Gandhi.

In Sirmaur district, the party decided to renominate sitting Nahan legislator Kush Parmar. The candidate from Paonta Sahib is yet to be decided.

The party decided to field Sunder Thakur from Kullu. A decision on the the newly created Manali seat is pending.

Former minister Chander Kumar has been preferred over his son Neeraj Kumar from Jawali. Kishori Lal has been given the nod from Baijnath, Pawan Nayar from Chamba, Sanjay Awasthy from Arki, Harish Janarhta from Shimla, Ram Das Malanagar from Kutlehar, Sanjay Rattan from Jwalamukhi, Anita Verma from Sujanpur and Promila Devi from Bhoranj.

The BJP has denied the ticket to Speaker Tulsi Ram and chosen Jia Lal in his place from Bharmour (Scheduled Tribe). It has decided to field Ram Singh from Kullu. Supporters of ticket aspirant Pratap Singh have raised the banner of revolt, taking exception to the nomination of a Scheduled Caste candidate from an open seat.

Hira Lal, who won as an Independent in 2007, had been given the ticket from Karsog. Youth leader Vinod Kumar has been picked for the Nachan seat. Another youth leader Ram Kumar will enter the fray from Haroli. Sitting MLA Inder Singh has been renominated from Sarkaghat. Sushil Kalia will contest from Gagret.

Other candidates include Rajender Garg from Ghumarwin, Sheela from Solan, Balak Ram Negi from Rohru and Tejwant Negi from Kinnaur.

With this, the BJP still has 12 seats to decide upon, which are Chopal, Shimla Rural, Sundernagar, Bilaspur and eight seats in Kangra district.

Hamirpur, October 7
Chief Minister PK Dhumal was given a warm reception at Ukhali, on the border of Hamirpur district, on his arrival here today after the declaration of his candidature from Hamirpur.

Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers assembled at Ukhali to welcome him. He addressed a meeting of party workers at the town hall in Hamirpur.

Talking to mediapersons, Dhumal said, “The CD of Virbhadra Singh will be an issue in the elections. Only Virbhadra Singh and Vijai Singh Mankotia can tell the deal they have struck.”

He said, “The candidates for the remaining seats will be finalised in the next three days and the final list of candidates will be released.”

Talking about issues for the elections, Dhumal said, “The BJP will contest the elections on the issues of development carried out by the BJP during this tenure, scams of the government at the Centre, discrimination of the Centre against the state and rising prices.”

Asked how the BJP would tackle the situation in Sujanpur, where Rajinder Rana was likely to enter the fray as an Independent, Dhumal said, “The party is like a mother and if somebody deserts his mother, the family cannot support him. The party will work to ensure the victory of its candidate Urmil Thakur.”

He said, “The government has made every effort to work for every section of society. We hope that the people will repose their faith in this government again.”

Shimla, October 7
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into allegations levelled against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in connection with the meteoric rise in his fortunes since the UPA came into power.

BJP’s national general secretary and spokesperson Jagat Prakash Nadda said as per the allegations levelled by Arvind Kejriwal, Vadra became the director of three companies each in 2007 and 2008 and the managing director of six companies between June and August this year.

It was a clear case of accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income, Nadda alleged. In Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of a former Congress Chief Minister, was sent behind bars on similar charges, he added.

He said in the past, even then Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati had been hauled up for possessing assets beyond known sources of income.

Vadra could not enjoy immunity on this account, he asserted.

Taking on Congress leaders, including Finance Minister P Chidambaram, he asked them to explain whether Vadra’s empire was the proprietary concern of the Congress.

Referring to Chidambaram’s plea that transactions between two private individuals could not be questioned on the basis of an implied act of corruption, he asked him it he was trying to legalise corruption.

Nadda said there was no reason for the CBI and the UPA government to discriminate between Reddy and Vadra cases.

It was a rare cases in which a person not holding any public office was exempted from search at airports and allowed to proceed through the green channel, he pointed out.

Dharamsala, October 7
The national vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shanta Kumar, has written to Arvind Kejriwal to probe the property acquired by Robert Vadra in Himachal Pradesh.

In a press note issued here today, Shanta Kumar claimed that Vadra had acquired property worth crores in Shimla. It was surprising that Vadra’s fortune rose from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 300 crore in a few years, he pointed out.

This was possible only with the influence of the first family of the Congress, he alleged.

Under the present UPA government, the difference between the rich and the poor had increased to such an extent that it was threatening the stability of the country, Shanta Kumar stated.

It was strange that the Union Law Minister had stated that he was ready to give his life for Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he added.

Congress leaders should dedicate their lives to the country rather than a particular person, has stated. He also demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations levelled by Kejriwal against Vadra.

Sundernagar, October 7
Annoyed over the denial of the BJP ticket to Mandi district unit president Dile Ram, the Nachan block of the BJP resigned en masse today.

Dile Ram is the MLA from Nachan and the Chairman of the Finance Commission. He had won the last Assembly elections by a margin of 8,500 votes.

Till yesterday, party sources were saying only Dile Ram’s name was forwarded from Nachan to the Central Election Committee. This morning, it was known from the BJP website that the ticket was allotted to Vinod Kumar.

BJP workers from Nachan assembled at a temple near here and held a meeting chaired by Nachan block president Manoj Sharma. They decided unanimously to resign from the BJP.

A resolution was passed and signed by Manoj Sharma and block general secretaries Yashwant Thakur and Chaman Sharma. Copies of the resolution were sent to party chief Nitin Gadkari and state president Sat Pal Satti.

Dile Ram tendered his resignation from the post of district president and dissolved the unit. Addressing the workers, he said he would contest the elections as an Independent.

Vinod Kumar tried to enter the hall where the meeting was going on, but party workers asked him to leave. SDM Vivek Chandel, the returning officer, called a meeting of political parties, but no BJP worker from Nachan attended it.

Ner Chowk (Mandi), October 7
The Rs 750-crore super-specialty 500-bedded Employees Service Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and Hospital here has run three years behind its schedule as it has failed to apply for permission to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to run the college in 2013.

The reasons for the same were that neither the ESIC nor the state government took the ESIC proposal to attach the 300-bedded Mandi zonal hospital to the medical college with the MCI for the time-being and, the construction was delayed by three years as it took almost two years to shift two high-voltage transmission lines from the site.

The state government has issued the essentiality certificate to the private medical college in Solan, but it did not issue the same to the ESIC medical college citing the “MCI condition that makes it mandatory for an organisation to own a hospital to run its own medical college”.

The medial college will enrol 100 students, 40 reserved from the state, 40 from the open pool and 20 for ESIC employees, which comes under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The ESIC has sought to attach the medical college to the 300-bedded zonal hospital, Mandi, to start the first batch of classes till its own hospital gets ready in 2013.

But the state Cabinet did not consider it as the state government was awaiting the MCI nod and, hence, the medical college would not be taken off even in 2013, said officials.

Dean, ESIC medical college, Dr DS Dhiman said the last date for applying for starting the ESIC medical college to the MCI was September 30.

“But we could not apply as we have not got the essentiality certificate from the state government and the hospital is not ready,” he added.

Principal Secretary, Health, Ali Raza Rizvi said the state was ready to attach the zonal hospital to the ESIC medical college, but the MCI had yet to relax its condition.

“We have inputs that the MCI is relaxing this condition as the ESIC and the zonal hospital are run by the government, but the ESIC has not conveyed the same to the state government so far,” he added.

Even the National Building and Construction Corporation (NBCC), which is executing the project, could not expedite the construction as it has targeted to complete the project in July 2011. The foundation stone of the medical college was laid on February 23, 2009, by Union Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes and Chief Minister PK Dhumal.

AGM, NBCC, Rajkumar said the hospital, medical college, library, 24-bedded emergency, nursing college, hostel, residential buildings were about to complete. “Ninety per cent of the construction is complete and everything will be ready by November-December 2013,” he added.

Sundernagar, October 7
Annoyed over the attitude of Jain Irrigation System Private Limited, executing work on the Rs 100-crore medium irrigation project on the left bank of the Balh valley, residents of Jugahan village in Sundernagar recently submitted a memorandum for Chief Minister PK Dhumal to the Mandi Deputy Commissioner.

They requested that the authorities be directed not to set foot on their land till it was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. A delegation led by Jugahan panchayat president Chanchlo Devi and Nachan BJP unit general secretary Yashwant Thakur submitted the memorandum, signed by 75 land owners.

It was alleged in the memorandum that no notice under the Act was issued to them even though the government had issued a notification for land acquisition. They had opposed land acquisition earlier on the grounds of low rates.

It was further alleged that employees of Jain Irrigation System Private Limited were forcibly entering their land and felling a large number of trees. It was requested in the memorandum that the authorities be directed not to announce any award in haste without hearing objections of farmers.

Shimla, October 7
The people’s manifesto on disability has underlined the need for extending to thalassaemic children all facilities being provided to persons with disability and free education to the disabled up to the university level.

Ajai Srivastava, Chairman of the Umang Foundation, a Shimla-based public welfare trust which brought out the 32-point document, said the effort was to bring education and equal rights for the disabled in focus and set the agenda for various political parties before the upcoming Assembly elections.

The manifesto was released here today by disabled persons, including Akshay Kumar, a PhD scholar and wheelchair user, Meenu Chandel, an MTech student and orthopaedically disabled person, and Anil Kumar, Bhawna, Anisha and Poonam, all students with blindness.

Srivastava said issues relating to persons with disability were normally ignored by political parties and this was the main reason for framing this manifesto.

He expressed happiness that two major demands from the 2007 manifesto, establishment of an eye bank in Shimla and formulation of a state policy for persons with disability, were implemented by the BJP government.

As per the policy, the disabled were to be provided free education, but many institutions like Himachal Pradesh University were charging fee.

Besides ensuring free education, the government should appoint an independent state disability commissioner on the analogy of the Government of India and some states.

An eye bank should be set up in Rajendra Prasad Medical College and Hospital in Tanda and spinal injury unit with paraplegic rehabilitation centre in Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital in Shimla. Old-age homes for severely disabled persons should be established in major towns like Shimla, Dharamsala and Mandi.

Residential institutions to impart education to children with visual, hearing and intellectual disabilities up to class VIII should be established in the government sector along with vocational training centres.

The government should provide books, including Braille and audio books, necessary aids and appliances and uniform to the students free of charge and amanuensis (writer) should be provided to them.

Karsog (Mandi), October 7
Patients at the Civil Hospital here continue to suffer as the 60-bedded hospital building inaugurated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal on September 4 is yet to be made operational.

The state electricity board disconnected power supply the next day as it needed a transformer. Beds and lifts are yet to be set up in the hospital.

Notified as a Civil Hospital in 1999, it is still functioning as a community health centre. Karsog has the largest Dalit population in the district.

The hospital has only six doctors and two dentists, whereas it needs 17 doctors, including surgeon, gynaecologist, anaesthetist, paediatrician and other specialists.

Between 200 and 300 patients come to the hospital every day, say doctors. As many as 62 patients are crowded in the corridor of the 40-bedded old building. Registration has been started on the ground floor of the new building.

The new building, constructed after 10 years, cost Rs 2.9 crore more. The hospital has no blood storage unit. Toilets stink as there is no water. Laboratories and operation theatres are yet to be set up.

Karsog Block Medical Officer Kishan Chauhan said they had released Rs 14 lakh for a transformer and Rs 56 lakh for lifts. They needed 26 beds and some surgical equipment, he added.

He said a blood storage unit would be set up soon. They had requested the government for a specialist or two, he further said. The electricity board staff said they were installing a transformer.

Sai Ropa (Kullu), October 7
Local NGOs and panchayat pradhans led by 90-year-old Tirthan valley activist and Banjar MLA-turned-writer Dilaram Shabab today lodged a protest before Dr Graeme L Worboys, an expert from the IUCN on a technical inspection of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), for granting it UNESCO’s world heritage site status.

They were infuriated as the GHNP report submitted to UNESCO did not mention them. “The GHNP report has mentioned dubious outsider NGOs like My Himachal, being run by a California-based resort owner in connivance with certain wildlife officials,” they alleged.

They submitted a memorandum to Dr Worboys and the Chief Conservator (Wildlife) during an interactive session with local NGOs and people. Shabab said they welcomed the status for the GHNP, but wanted it be made a people’s park.

“We are shocked that the GHNP authorities have ignored local NGOs and instead, mentioned dubious outsiders and their NGO, making money in the name of the GHNP,” he alleged.

“We request you to mention a line in your report to UNESCO that they should set up a mechanism so that its funds and contribution reach the village communities that have sacrificed their traditional rights for the creation of the GHNP,” Shabab told Dr Worboys.

Dr Worboys assured them that he would consider their representation. UNESCO interacted with park managements and government agencies, he clarified.

Additional Principal Wildlife Chief Sanjiva Pande, who was not present, later defended My Himachal, saying it was promoting the GHNP and local communities and the Secretary (Forests) had launched the official website of the GHNP.

Kangra, October 7
A two-day stakeholders’ workshop on “National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem” was inaugurated at the CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, yesterday.

CSIR sources said the IHBT and the Department of Science and Technology, Central Government, was jointly organising the workshop at IHBT.

Dr Akhilesh Gupta, adviser and scientist, Department of Science and Technology, highlighted the background, need and purpose of the workshop.

He also explained the aims of the mission for sustaining the ecosystem. The experts discussed various issues which included climate change vulnerability and impact, meteorology, glaciology and hydrology, besides biodiversity and flora, fauna and ecology.

The sources said around 70 participants from research institutions, universities and forest departments from 12 states discussed their research works on the first day of the workshop.

Dr T Ramasamy, secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Prof SP Singh, former Vice-Chancellor, Garhwal University; and Dr Ajit Tyagi, former Director-General, Indian Meteorological Department, also contributed in this workshop.

The outcome of the workshop was focused on having constructive results as stakeholders, institutions enrolment in the national mission, identification of knowledge gaps in climate change research and development and fulfilment, identify possible knowledge networks and research and development projects, besides state governments’, Central ministries’ role in the mission, the sources added.

Kasauli, October 7
Justice Rajiv Sharma of the state high court today stressed the need for inculcating in children zero tolerance to corruption and sensitising them about drug abuse.

Presiding over the annual function of St Mary’s Convent School here today, Justice Sharma said it was crucial to preserve ecology for the progeny as the pace with which rivers were being converted into sewers and glaciers depleting was alarming.

Expressing concern at the largescale drug menace prevailing in society, he said this had drastically reduced the number of youth joining the armed forces in the past few years.

He said specialised schools should be opened to grant specific education to children so that they could be tutored for a career of their choice.

Earlier, Principal Sister Kanthi presented the school report. Children presented a variety show on the occasion.

Shimla, October 7
A former MLA and contender for the BJP ticket from Kinnaur, Chet Ram has threatened to contest as an Independent if the party gives the ticket to sitting legislator Tejwant Negi.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, he said he had apprised Chief Minister PK Dhumal of his intentions. “The party has always meted out injustice to me. During the 2003 elections, when I was campaigning, the ticket was given to Negi,” he lamented. A decision on the ticket allotment from Kinnaur is still pending.

Chet Ram accused Negi of the falling graph of the BJP in Kinnaur. “Earlier the BJP had control over all seven blocks in the district, which had now been reduced to three,” he said.

He said there was resentment among people against the candidature of Negi and the three blocks of Nichar, Kalpa and Pooh had openly expressed resentment against his being made the party candidate.

He warned that in case Negi was fielded again, the BJP would suffer more as people were unhappy with his performance. “Local area development funds are being misused and given to a chosen few who are close to the MLA,” he rued.

He added that Rs 100 crore of this should have been given for development projects with the consent of gram sabhas. He said if the party decided to give the ticket to Surat Negi, he would support him and not contest as an Independent.

Hamirpur, October 7
Containing rebels in the Badsar and Bhoranj Assembly constituencies in Hamirpur district in the forthcoming elections will be a challenge for state Congress leaders in view of many aspirants and the past record of rebellion.

Congress candidates have been defeated in both constituencies as rebel leaders have contested against official Congress candidates in the past.

In Badsar, earlier Nadaunta, Congress candidates have lost three consecutive elections since 1998. Factional rivalry has cost the Congress dear as rebels have cut into its vote bank, leading to the defeat of Congress candidates.

Manjeet Singh Dogra or his wife Avninder Kaur have contested as rebel against official Congress candidate Rajinder Zar or his wife Vidya Zar, resulting in the defeat of the Congress candidate.

About a dozen candidates are aspiring for the ticket, including old rivals Zar and Dogra.

In Bhoranj, earlier Mewa, Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman has won five consecutive elections. Factional rivalry among Congress leaders has been damaging the vote bank of the Congress candidate.

Open factional rivalry between Suresh Kumar and Prem Kaushal is well-known and either of them has been the Congress candidate since 1998.

Dharamsala, October 7
Former Khaniyara panchayat pradhan Amar Dass Sharma, alias Nikku Parohat, has announced his decision to contest as an Independent from Dharamsala.

In a press conference here today, Amar Dass claimed that though he was approached by the HLP and the BSP, he opted to contest as Independent.

The only significance that Amar Dass has is that he belongs to the Gaddi community and hails from the native village of BJP candidate and Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor.

The Gaddi vote bank is Kapoor’s strong point. Amar Dass said he had been a loyal worker of the BJP, but the party betrayed him, due to which he decided to contest as an Independent.

Solan, October 7
The Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) has said both the BJP and the Congress are indulging in the politics of convenience and fooling the masses.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, HLP spokesman MN Sofat said it was shocking that Vijay Singh Mankotia, who had been terming Virbhadra Singh as corrupt and had filed a defamation case against him, had sunk his differences with him.

While this was not the first time that Mankotia had done so, Virbhadra had withdrawn the defamation case against him, Sofat said.

Sofat said the BJP was no different. Though five MLAs, two MPs and two ministers were opposing the leadership of PK Dhumal, a majority of them were ready to contest elections after accepting him as leader.

Sofat said these leaders owed an explanation to the masses. He took an exception to the defacement of public places as BJP hoardings were erected despite High Court orders.

He took exception to the remarks of BJP MLA Baldev Sharma, who had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the polling booth where he would secure the highest number of votes. Sofat said he would complain to the Election Commission.

He said they would provide a viable option to people. He said they would contest 43 seats, the CPI seven and the CPM 12, with the last round of discussions under way to decide on six seats.

Bilaspur, October 7
A total of 2,75,129 voters can cast votes in all four Assembly segments of this district on November 4 through 351 polling booths and 530 EVMs here in the district. This was stated by District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ritesh Chauhan while talking to mediapersons here recently. He said strict watch would be kept on the expenditure of all candidates through a number of mechanisms and no candidate could legally spend more than Rs 11 lakh in this election.

He said cash more than Rs 2.50 lakh would have to be explained and justified by legal documentary evidence, failing which it would be seized.

Chauhan said there were total 67,149 electors in the Jhandutta (reserved) constituency, out of whom 32,351 were women. In the Ghumarwin constituency there were total 75,370 electors with 37,298 women.

In Bilaspur Sadar there were 34,752 women electors out of 71,200, and in the Shri Naina Deviji segment there were total 61,410 electors, including 29,108 women. He said during a recent review, total 1,691 new voters had been registered, including 1,163 women.

The DEO said a control room had been set up here which would work all 24 hours to receive any information or complaint and its phone No. was 01978-224688. He said all information could also be sought from this phone number throughout district. He said Additional Deputy Commissioner Darshan Kalia had been appointed Nodal Officer for this election.

Chauhan said noise, posters, banners and advertisement hoardings would not be allowed, and the use of plastic was strictly banned. All these were punishable offences under the Model Code of Conduct enforced by the Election Commission.

He said all electors in the district had been provided with photo identity cards and voters could only cast vote only after showing this card.

Kangra, October 7
The CPI on Thursday criticised Chief Minister PK Dhumal for misleading the Assembly on the issue of waiving of farmers’ loan under different categories as lakhs of farmers were issued recovery notices by different financial institutions in the state.

Kangra district CPI secretary Aman Guleria and member, state secretariat, CPI, Himal Chand, told mediapersons here on Friday that Dhumal in reply to a question regarding loan waiving up to January 15, 2009, in the Assembly said 1,68,664 farmers were benefited by this scheme in the state as their loans to the tune of Rs 352.23 crore were waived.

They said the Chief Minister told the House that those farmers who were granted loans up to Rs 1 lakh for agricultural infrastructure as well as loans in respect of dairy, bee-keeping, fishery and goat rearing had benefited a lot.

The leaders said in reality farmers were a harassed lot and loans of most of the poor farmers were not waived.

They said during a survey conducted by CPI activists, they found the OBC Financial Corporation here had served loan recovery notices on 250 farmers, besides such loan recovery notices were issued by the Amtrar Agriculture Cooperative Society also to nearly 300 farmers of Amtrar and nearby panchayats. Those farmers who were served with loan recovery notices were belonging to the IRDP and BPL families.

The two CPI leaders were accompanied by farmers led by Amar Singh, president Local Kisan Saba, Sunnedh.

They added that the CPI would make this issue a poll plank to expose the BJP government.

Bilaspur, October 7
The reported official protection to corruption, the shameless loot of precious public funds, the failure to continue beneficial development schemes and projects started during the previous Congress regime and the non-existence of any development work in Jhandutta constituency, the most backward area in the district, will be some of the main issues on which the BJP will be cornered during the forthcoming elections.

This was stated by Congress candidate Dr Biru Ram Kishore en route Jhandutta here yesterday while returning from New Delhi. He said BJP candidate Rikhi Ram Kaundal must answer the public charges of corruption and personal patronage and protection to his contractor son, who got 94 government contracts worth crores within a year against strict government instructions of not more than two contracts for any contractor at a time.

Kishore said the court had intervened on a private complaint and directed the police to register a case in this regard. He said Kaundal was forcing the government to ensure that the police inquiry was hampered and delayed, due to which it had not been completed even after several months.

Kishore said the previous Virbhadra Singh government had sanctioned funds for opening 14 colleges and the buildings of all barring the Jhandutta college had been completed. He said work on the Jhandutta college building, which was allotted to Kaundal’s son, was still incomplete even though Rs 7.5 crore had been spent on it.

He demanded that the police present a challan in court at the earliest. He said the previous Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) had conducted a detailed inquiry, found evidence of misuse of government funds and recommended action under relevant sections of the IPC against the contractor and three PWD officers.

Chamba, October 7
One person was arrested for carrying charas weighing 370 gm at the local bus stand last night, according to a police report received here today.

The report revealed that Head Constable Vijay Kumar, who was on duty at the bus stand last night, on checking the bag of the accused recovered the charas from his possession.

Accused Jagtar Singh of Moga (Punjab) had been arrested and a case registered against him under Section 20, Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance Act.