Dharamsala, January 12
The first session of the 12th state Assembly that concluded here yesterday is indicative of how the present government is going to function in the coming days.

During the session, Brij Bihari Lal Butail, the Palampur legislator and a member of the rival camp, was elected as the Speaker. The election was marked by political drama.

On January 7, the day before nominations for the post of Speaker were to be filed, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in the presence of state affairs in charge Birender Singh Chaudhary.

No decision could be arrived at in the meeting as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s camp pressed for the name of Chintpurni legislator Kuldeep Kumar.

Late-night parleys and the diktat of the Congress high command helped in evolving a consensus. The next day, Butail was the only legislator to file his nomination for the post of Speaker.

Butail’s election left the camp led by Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur elated. This was followed by the announcement of Sukhwinder Sukhu being made the acting state Congress president.

The rival camp saw these selections as a double victory. The developments also led to certain new political alignments within the ruling party.

Many legislators were seen seeking an audience with the rival camp, feeling that the party high command had tried to strike a balance of power.

Most of these legislators had been feeling ignored after the appointment of losing party candidates as chairpersons of various boards and corporations.

Chaudhary viewed the session from the visitors’ gallery. After the session, he held parleys with various party leaders. Transport and Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali was the most affable to him.

The session was also time for dinner diplomacy. Bali hosted a dinner for his ministerial colleagues and Chaudhary in his chamber in the Assembly complex.

Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma hosted a dinner for the Chief Minister and other legislators during the session. The dinners were seen as occasions for establishing political affiliations within the party.

Senior bureaucrats and other government officers also met ministers and other elected representatives. Many of them were careful enough to avoid being caught in the factional fight.

Some of the officers felt that it was better for them to lie low for some months and wait for things to settle down in the factional fight before lobbying for plum posts.

All-India Congress Committee secretary and Dalhousie legislator Asha Kumari stayed with Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari at her residence in Dharamsala. Both are considered to be Virbhadra Singh’s bête noirê.

Though the rival camp did some tough posturing during the session, the Chief Minister’s camp was of the view that they would fall in line when the transfer politics of the state would start taking effect.

Employees form a major vote bank in the state and getting plum posts for employees in their respective constituencies is important for each elected representative.

It is here that the office of the Chief Minister wields the maximum power. Every transfer in the state gets clearance from the Chief Minister’s office.

DURING SESSION Double victory for rivals Did tough posturing Butail made Speaker Sukhu heads state Cong MLAs wish to meet rivals New political alignments Dinner diplomacy Top officers meet MLAs

Shimla, January 12
The district courts will be shifted to Chakkar after the winter vacation with the new judicial complex being inaugurated by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today.

The complex was inaugurated in the presence of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and all High Court Judges.

“It is not the beauty of the court complex, but the quality of justice dispensed which matters the most,” Virbhadra Singh said.

“This is not just architecturally beautiful, but also the second largest building in terms of floor area after the Secretariat,” he added.

He said the shifting would not only bring respite to both advocates and the people, but would ease congestion in a big way as well.

He said the expenditure on the construction of the complex was the highest ever on the construction of any government building in the state. He announced Rs 5 lakh for the lawyers’ library at the complex.

“The government is committed to facilitating and helping the judiciary work in the most congenial atmosphere. Financial help will be extended in case more judicial complexes and residential accommodation is required,” he asserted.

Presiding over the function, Chief Justice Kurian Joseph said delivering justice and protecting public interest was the duty of courts.

He sought the cooperation of one and all to ensure the delivery of effective services and expeditious disposal of cases. He expressed his gratitude to the state government for providing the complex.

Sandeep Datta, District Bar Association president, sought better connectivity to the new complex and liberal funds for the library and the construction of lawyers’ chambers.

Justices Deepak Gupta, DD Sood, VK Ahuja, SS Thakur, Sanjay Karol, Kuldeep Singh, Rajiv Sharma, VK Sharma and DK Chaudhry were present.

Manali, January 12
The cold wave tightened its grip as the upper Manali area and the higher reaches received snow and the lower areas were lashed by rain today, resulting in a fall in day and night temperatures.

Rohtang Pass, Marhi, Gulaba, Kothi, Dhundi, Bhrighu slopes, Solang ski slopes and Hamta ski slopes received fresh snow. Hundreds of tourists rushed to Kothi and the Solang valley.

Due to the fresh spell of snowfall, the upper Kullu valley was in the grip of a severe cold wave. Icy winds lashed the region throughout the day, bringing down the day temperature.

Solan, January 12
Even as the state government has ordered an inquiry into the allotment of 28 acres of land at Sadhupul near Kandaghat to yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, the latter has completed the construction of its new complex.

The allotment of this land had come under fire in 2010 itself, as the Opposition Congress had alleged that land worth Rs 35.40 crore had been given for a song on a nominal lease of Re 1 for 99 years.

Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur has now ordered an inquiry into this case alleging that it had violated rules by allotting 28 acres of land at a throwaway price.

The trust has completed the construction at this site and the centre could be inaugurated in the near future. Palatial buildings have come up at the site and a gate leading to the place is locked.

With the original structure of the land having been transformed, it remains to be seen what action the government will take in this case after the completion of an inquiry.

The land was allotted to the trust by the former BJP government in 2010 and a foundation stone to construct the second yogpeeth of the trust was laid in June 2010 by former Chief Minister PK Dhumal. The then government had professed that the establishment of this centre would give a boost to the cultivation of medicinal plants and their scientific exploitation.

Former Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh had also criticised the move of the former BJP government as according to him the land originally belonged to his family where a house Anand Bhawan existed. In the 1950s, his father Maharaja Yadvinder Singh had given this land to the Punjab Government, when Himachal too was a part of Punjab, as a gift to the children of the country. It was named Indira Gandhi Holiday Home for Children where summer camps for children were organised. 

Kangra, January 12
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said fairs and festivals were symbols of our rich cultural heritage and sincere efforts should be made to mantain their originality.

Virbhadra Singh was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the state-level Lohri festival in heritage villagePragpur in Dehra subdivsion of this district today.

The Chief Minister said the Central University of Kangra was sanctioned for Dharamsala, but due to the non-availability of adequate land, a complex of this university was being constructed at Dehra. He said the complex sanctioned for Dehra would not be moved from here. Earlier, people had requested him to let the Central University remain there only.

The Chief Minister while felicitating people on the occasion of Lohri and Makar Sankranti, said this was the first state-level programme which he was presiding over after becoming the Chief Minister.

He said Pragpur had the status of a heritage village and tourists from the world over came here to have a peep into the rich culture and traditions of Himachal Pradesh. He said, “We must maintain our tradition, local culture and civilisation along with the development of the state. In the present era of computers and technology, Himachali culture should be preserved.”

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated an exhibition put up by various departments. Welcoming him, Sanjay Rattan, MLA, said speedy development of Jwalamukhi along with the Dehra area would be ensured under the able guidance of Virbhadra Singh.

Nikhil Rajor, ex-MLA, requested for the restoration of old ponds of the Garli-Pragpur area and said the Pragpur PHC be upgraded into a Community Health Centre. Devraj Sharma, former president, Pragpur Congress, also spoke.

Schoolchildren presented a cultural programme on the occasion. The Chief Minister also distributed Lohri amongst them.

Neeraj Bharti, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Jagjivan Pal, MLA, Yograj and Surender Kaku, former MLAs, Congress leader Brig (retd) Rajender Singh Rana and Manu Sharma, C Palrasu, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Diljeet Singh Thakur, SP, Kangra, and others were also present.

Guv, CM greet people on Lohri

Shimla: Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have felicitated people of the state on the occasions of Lohri and Makar Sankranti. — TNS

Solan, January 12
With a major snag in the northern grid, power cuts have been imposed in various parts of Solan district, including the industrial area of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, since Thursday.

Power controller Joginder Singh said a major snag, which occurred in the northern grid Thursday, had put on hold 250-MW power supply. He said it had adversely affected supplies in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, Parwanoo, Solan and Shimla district.

Though a partial supply was restored late in the evening on Thursday, the situation could be normalised only on Friday morning.

Officials said the usage of power in the mornings had increased by almost 100 MW in the state as people were resorting to the use of induction heaters after a cap on the number of subsidised LPG cylinders.

Though HP State Electricity Board Limited endeavours to impose minimum power cuts in the domestic sector during crisis situations, since the power usage has to be restricted to 170 MW, some power cuts were imposed in domestic areas too.

The industrial area of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh suffered the worst as power cuts extending for hours had to be imposed owing to a restricted supply. The officials were directed to impose scheduled cuts, but reduced supply forced them to resort to unscheduled power cuts. It was learnt that in the Barotiwala industrial area, as against the power cut of 20 MVA, 50 MVA had been imposed, thus upsetting the schedule chalked out by the board officials.

Apart from scheduled power cuts, power tripping due to excess load was also witnessed in the industrial areas of Solan and Sirmaur.

Similar situations were witnessed in other industrial areas of Parwanoo and Solan also, where officials said a severe power shortage was being witnessed in winters owing to an excess load.

Bilaspur, January 12
The Himachal Pradesh State School Principals, Heads and Inspectorate Officers Association has urged the government to look into their long-pending demands, including regularisation of service of ad hoc principals and enhancement in their administrative allowance.

A meeting of the State Executive Committee of the association took place under the chairmanship of its state president Mulkh Raj Sharma at Ghumarwin, near here, on Thursday.

Those who were present at the meeting included Dr Narender Sharma, Anil Nag, Sita Ram Bansal, Ravi Kant Sharma, Raj Dev Rana, Harjinder Varma and prominent leaders like Madan Lal Banyal, HS Rana, Rajesh Sharma, KD Sharma, VK Sharma, DR Premi, Sushil Kumar, Mohinder Pal and Jogender Singh Rao.