Shimla, December 28
Uncertainty over the allocation of portfolios to the nine ministers in the Congress government is likely to be over tomorrow as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh met All-India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi today to discuss the issue.

Even as a majority of the ministers as well as aspirants for the remaining two vacant berths in the Cabinet are camping in New Delhi, the Chief Minister is learnt to have discussed the issue with Sonia. The AICC chief’s political adviser Ahmed Patel was also present during the meeting.

It is expected that the final decision on the portfolios of the ministers will be taken by tomorrow. AICC general secretary Birender Chaudhary, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Himachal Pradesh, will reach New Delhi tonight.

Two legislators are likely to be adjusted as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, with former Industries Minister Kuldeep Kumar emerging as the front-runner.

With some ministers seeking the portfolio of their choice, the final decision on portfolio allocation has been delayed. Though an informal decision on portfolio allocation was made on the day of the swearing-in, some disgruntled ministers took the feud to New Delhi.

Some ministers, including Vidya Stokes and GS Bali, are apparently unhappy with the departments being allocated to them. While Stokes was the Minister for Power in the previous Virbhadra Singh regime, Bali was the Minister for Tourism and Transport.

Besides some Cabinet ministers, former Union Telecommunications Minister Sukh Ram and his legislator son Anil Sharma have had an audience with Sonia in the last two days. The former Union minister is seeking a ministerial berth for his son as two berths are still vacant.

There are some other aspirants for ministerial berths, including Brij Bihari Lal Butail and Karan Singh. Some younger legislators, including Rakesh Kalia and Rohit Thakur, are seeking the post of Chief Parliamentary Secretary, considering their seniority.

It is likely that the portfolios will be decided by tomorrow, but it is uncertain whether the two vacant posts of Cabinet minister will be filled immediately. The possibility of the appointment of some more Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries cannot be ruled out.

Mandi, December 28
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who had kick-started his election campaign from the Bharmour Assembly segment, not only romped the Congress to power, but the party wrested all three tribal Assembly seats from the BJP, the elections for which were held simultaneously for the second time in a row.

While Virbhadra had campaigned in Kinnaur and Bharmour, All-India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi had kicked-off his campaign in Lahaul-Spiti.

On the other hand, former Chief Minister PK Dhumal had campaigned in Bharmour and Lahaul-Spiti and party president Nitin Gadkari had campaigned in Kinnaur, but lost all seats.

The Congress had pitched for a single-phase poll while the BJP had preferred two-phase elections, but the Election Commission conducted the poll in single elections this time as it had done in 2007 also.

Virbhadra had rewarded his staunch supporter and senior leader Thakur Singh Bharmouri with a portfolio as his campaign later sounded a victory bugle for the Congress. But Negi, the three-time MLA and Ravi Thakur, the first timer, who had sided with the Kaul Singh Thakur camp, have got no berth.

A trend among voters in the three tribal constituencies had been to move with the ruling party whenever elections were held in the two phases as it happened in 2003.

In 2007, the BJP had won all the three seats when the elections were held side by side with the Assembly elections. BJP candidates Ramlal Markande (Lahaul-Spiti), Tejwant Negi (Kinnaur) and Tulsi Ram (Bharmour) had defeated Congress candidates Phunghok Rai, Jagat Negi and Thakur Singh Bharmouri.

In 2003, the elections in three segments were held in June while the general elections were held in March. Three seats were bagged by the Congress and Virbhadra formed the Congress government.

In 1998, the HVC-BJP combine took the reins of power under PK Dhumal with the support of the HVC supremo Sukh Ram. The two seats of Kinnaur and Bharmour were bagged by the BJP while Lahaul-Spiti went to the HVC.

The voters in three segments had gone with the Congress government led by Virbhadra in 1993-1998. Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti went to ther Congress, while Bharmour went to an Independent Thakur Singh Bharmouri, who later joined the Congress.

During the Shanta Kumar's short 1990-92 regime, the two seats of Bharmour and Kinnaur were bagged by the BJP, while Lahaul-Spiti had gone to the Congress.

Shimla, December 28
Even as the particulars of telephone call recordings made by the CID and vigilance wings of the police are yet to unfold, doubts are being expressed about this being done illegally without seeking the mandatory permission from the Home Department to target politicians across the board.

The hard discs of all computers seized from the CID and vigilance wings are being examined by forensic experts. What is of greater importance than the content of the conversation is whether the recordings have been done with or without the mandatory permission of the Home Secretary.

With compact discs containing recorded conversations as well as video clippings of several top politicians as well as police officers being released in the state in the past, there are strong apprehensions that this has become a routine practice being resorted to by some police officers, especially in the CID wing.

Police sources have said once the details of call recordings of individuals made by the technical cell is ready, those will be tallied with the list that contains the permission of the Home Department. “In case any recording has been done without permission, it is illegal and the people responsible can face action,” admits a senior police functionary.

Questions are being raised whether some recordings have been made without permission, particularly as a senior police officer made an attempt to erase the recordings on December 24, the night before Virbhadra Singh took oath.

It is being apprehended that the recordings were done not only to track crimes like narcotics trafficking, but politicians as well. Virbhadra Singh has, in the past, accused the CID of tapping his and some politicians’ telephones to suit the convenience of the party in power.

The search of these recordings will finally bring out the truth. The staff posted with the technical wing of the CID have been questioned about the recording of telephonic conversations done by them.

The person heading the CID is empowered to allow the recording of an individual’s phone for one week, but the permission of the Home Secretary has to be sought for a period longer than that. In that case, permission is granted for a brief period. These recordings need to be destroyed after a specified time.

Mandi, December 28
Though supporters of Banjar legislator and former minister Karan Singh expect a berth for him in the ministry in days to come, there is disappointment in the Sukh Ram camp as his son Anil Sharma, Mandi legislator and former minister, does not figure among the nine ministers.

Kaul Singh Thakur’s inclusion has silenced his detractors in Mandi and Kullu. Third-time legislator Parkash Chaudhary’s inclusion has given representation to the Dalit population in the Kullu-Mandi region.

Anil Sharma is disappointed on being ignored by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. “I have been a legislator thrice, a minister in the Virbhadra Singh ministry formed in 1993 and a Rajya Sabha member once. I have more experience than GS Bali,” he has said.

He has further said, “Whenever Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh contested the Lok Sabha poll, Mandi gave them a decisive lead.” “We do not know what went wrong and why Mandi was ignored,” said his supporters.

Anil Sharma has been blowing hot and cold as far as support for Virbhadra Singh is concerned. There was intensive lobbying and infighting within the state Congress for party supremacy since 2007 when the Congress suffered the Assembly poll debacle.

Sources say Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur may get some representation as corporation heads or as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries in days to come as the Congress wants to retain the Mandi parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha by-election to be held within six months.

Shimla, December 28
Himachal Pradesh today sought financial support from the Centre for the development of water resources infrastructure in the state.

Speaking at the sixth meeting of the National Water Resources Council in New Delhi today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the state government had launched the World Bank-funded Rs 59.48-crore Hydrology Project-II to develop a robust, comprehensive and reliable hydrological data base in the state.

As part of this project, observation stations were being established to monitor surface water, groundwater and meteorological parameters.

“The observed data will be stored in an easily accessible computerised data bank for dissemination to various stake holders for effective planning in the water resources sector and bringing in cost effectiveness in water-related investment in the state,” he stated.

He said besides covering 21,575 hectare under flood protection measures, the Seer khud would be channelised in a phased manner to protect a big area in Mandi, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts from flash floods.

He added that the third phase of the Swan river channelisation would be undertaken to cover area falling between the Santokhgarh bridge and the Gagret bridge.

The Chief Minister said 3.35 lakh hectare of the total 5.83 lakh hectare of cultivable area in the state would be covered under assured irrigation facilities.

He said efforts were being made to execute medium and minor irrigation projects to bring more cultivable area under irrigation facilities and sprinkler irrigation was being encouraged to make the best use of available water resources.

He said Himachal Pradesh had formulated its own state water policy to provide adequate and safe drinking water to all citizens and assure irrigation to the maximum feasible cultivated area through public participation.

He said keeping in view the impact of global warming, a new pattern to design and execute new water supply schemes had been formulated.

He said 28,073 hand pumps had been installed in water scarce areas of the state and urban water supply schemes were being augmented keeping in view the increasing population. He added that the Groundwater Authority had been set up to regulate, manage and develop groundwater resources.

He said harvesting structures had been made mandatory for all government and institutional buildings and schools, hotels and industrial units to conserve rainwater to further utilise it for various purposes such as gardening and cleaning.

As per the 2003 survey, there were 53,201 habitations in the state, of which 42,476 had been covered up to March 2012 and the remaining 10,725 would be covered during the current financial year.

Nurpur, December 28
The sudden shifting of the office of the Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) from Nurpur to Jachh village was stalled yesterday following the intervention of newly elected MLA Ajay Mahajan.

There was a lot of resentment among residents and traders over the issue.

The Excise and Taxation Office had been opened many years ago in the town and the Excise and Taxation Department had built its own building near the Nurpur Fort. The previous Dhumal government had declared Nurpur as the excise revenue district a few months ago and posted Assistant Commissioner Taxation (ATC) here.

The Excise and Taxation Department has opened the office of the ATC on the vacant premises of the state Agro Industry Corporation at Jachh. But now, just after the change of the government, the department has planned to shift the ETO office.

Local mediapersons when tried to talk with the MLA, who was at Delhi, on the matter, he immediately intervened and stopped the bid to shift the office clandestinely from the town.

ATC Kuldeep Thakur, who was earlier justifying the shifting of this office to Jachh, said the shifting had been stalled for the time being as the post of the ETO was lying vacant so far.

Bilaspur, December 28
Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani has said the Congress government in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is committed to the welfare of people and all-round development of the state that has lagged behind during the regime of the BJP government.

He said leaders of the BJP mostly obstructed Central Government schemes and only tried to take credit of accomplishments achieved due to Central funds.

Talking to mediapersons at Circuit House here yesterday, Dharmani said the Congress would give pro-people, transparent, responsive and a clean administration to people who expected much from this government as they were unhappy with the BJP government.

Dharmani got a rousing reception by hundreds of party men and local residents as he arrived here after becoming the Chief Parliamentary Secretary.

He said people have high hopes from the Congress government and we would strive hard as a team to fulfil all aspirations of people so that the Congress give a befitting defeat to the BJP in the parliamentary elections also.

He said he would seek help of all sections of the party and people in the district for solving issues of Bilaspur that was persistently ignored by the BJP government in the apst years.

Shimla, December 28
In a minor administrative reshuffle, the government today ordered posting and transfer of seven IAS officers while appointing SKBS Negi as the Principal Secretary, Personnel and Multipurpose Projects (MPP) and Power.

P Mitra, Additional Chief Secretary, holding charge of the Fisheries Department has been given additional charge of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Animal Husbandry.

Upma Chauhdhary, Principal Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, has been posted as Resident Commissioner at New Delhi relieving PC Dhiman, Secretary, Home, of the additional charge.

AR Sihag, Principal Secretary, Urban Development, Town and Country Planning and Housing, will hold additional charge of Social Justice and Empowerment.

SKBS Negi, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, has been posted as Principal Secretary, Personnel and Multipurpose Projects (MPP) and Power.

This relieves Deepak Sanan and Manisha Nanda of the additional charge.

Ajai Bhandari, Secretary, General Administration (GAD), State Administration (SAD) and Parliamentary Affairs, has been posted as Managing Director, HP State Industrial Development Corporation (HPSIDC).

The additional charge of Divisional Commissioner, Shimla, that he had been holding has been given to Manish Garg, Divisional Commissioner, Kangra.

Bharat Harbanslal Khera, Managing Director, HPSIDC, has been posted as Secretary, GAD, SAD, Parliamentary Affairs and Sainik Welfare Department.

Panchkula, December 28
After a Panchkula court rejected the anticipatory bail application of newly elected Doon MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary, the latter has now moved a bail plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the Jyoti murder case.

In his bail application filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chaudhary has stated that according to news reports, the Panchkula police did not corroborate evidence against him and the whole case was based on suspicion due to some mobile phone calls stated to be made between him and the deceased.

The petitioner stated that the police had failed to ascertain the motive of his involvement in the case. As far as the reasons for suspicion, he was ready to join the probe and clarify the doubts of the investigating team.

Meanwhile, the police raided Chaudhary’s residence at Baddi and other hideouts late last evening in collaboration with the Himachal Police.

It was on December 26 when the sessions’ court denied anticipatory bail to the MLA saying that the custodial interrogation of Chaudhary was important in the case.

The Panchkula police had contested the bail application filed by Chaudhary by presenting a spate of proofs before the Judge. It was also stated that Chaudhary failed to join the investigations when called by the police. He had moved the Panchkula court on December 24.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Caste Raj Kumar Verka has asked DGPs of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to jointly look into the matter.

Verka has also pulled up the Panchkula police for their alleged improper investigation in the case. The commission also directed the police to provide security to Buti Ram, the father of the deceased.