Shimla, January 17
A dozen BJP rebels, who had been shown the door during the last Assembly elections, can return to the party fold as the central leadership is keen on their homecoming.

It is learnt that some of these leaders from Kangra, Mandi, Solan and Shimla districts met BJP president Rajnath Singh in Delhi on January 14.

Sources said the BJP high command has given its nod for the return of these expelled leaders who had either contested the Assembly elections against the official party nominee or had worked against the party, resulting in their expulsion. Some of these leaders, including former minister Roop Singh Thakur, who had been denied the ticket from Sundernagar, and former MLA Rakesh Pathania, who contested as an Independent from Nurpur in Kangra, met senior party leaders in Delhi recently.

"Rajnath Singh has already directed BJP vice-president and in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal Balbir Punj to start the process for re-induction of these leaders into the party," confirmed a senior leader.

“The homecoming of these rebels has been doing the rounds for sometime. The return of these leaders will certainly strengthen the party but it should be done well in time so that the party benefits in the Lok Sabha poll," said a senior party leader.

State BJP president Satpal Singh Satti too confirmed that some rebels could be taken back in the party.

"There have been talks with the senior party leaders in Delhi regarding the return of many senior leaders from Himachal," confirmed Pathania, who had won the 2007 Assembly election as an Independent MLA after being denied the ticket. He, however, lost the 2012 election, but the BJP candidate forfeited his security. Some other leaders who met Rajnath Singh included Sanjay Guleria, who had polled 13,000 votes from the Guler Assembly segment as a rebel, Ravi Dhiman, who had contested from Jaisinghpur, HN Kashyap, who had contested from Solan, and Bhupender Chauhan from Chamba.

The rebels’ return could help the BJP especially in Kangra and Mandi Lok Sabha seats.

Though BJP has a tall leader Shanta Kumar in Kangra, but in Mandi, the BJP has desperately been looking for a formidable candidate. Despite the BJP's best efforts, its candidate Jai Ram Thakur, a former minister and sitting MLA, lost the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll by over 1 lakh votes. 

Shimla, January 17
Himachal continued to reel under the severe cold wave with the maximum temperature at most places plummeting further.

As per the local Meteorological Centre, there could be snow or rain at isolated places in higher and mid-hills during the next 24 hours. While the minimum temperature remained almost steady in most parts of the state, the maximum declined by almost three degrees, intensifying the cold wave.

With fresh western disturbance being witnessed over central Pakistan, most parts of the state could be lashed by rain or snow. The minimum temperature in Shimla was recorded at 2.2 degrees Celsius while the maximum was 11°C. The sky remained overcast throughout the day.

The minimum temperature in Sundernagar was 4.0°C, Bhuntar 3.2°C, Kalpa -2.4°C, Dharamsala 5.4°C, Una 3.2°C, Keylong -9.4°C, Palampur 5.2°C, Dalhousie -1°C, Solan 3°C, Chamba 4.4°C, Manali -6°C, Kangra 6.4°C, Bilaspur 5.7°C, Nahan 4.5°C and Hamirpur 3.7°C.

Kangra, January 17 
Criticising leaders of the BJP and the Congress for fighting for vested interests, former BJP MP Dr Rajan Sushant said they were least bothered about the development of the state and the problems being faced by people.

He was addressing mediapersons at the PWD rest house here today. He said he would be touring Kangra and Chamba parliamentary constituencies till January 20, where he would seek supporters' opinion on whether to contest as an independent or on some party ticket in the forth coming elections.

He said he would decide about his future strategy only after January 20. He, however, made it clear that he would not re-join the BJP.

Sushant said people were looking for honest and transparent alternatives at the national as well as state-levels.

He heard the grievances of people and announced Rs 11 lakh for the Sainik Welfare Bhawan in Dharamsala.

Shimla, January 17
Residents today rejected the proposed draft bylaws on the Unit Area Method (UAM) of house taxation for the city, demanding that the councillors should resign and join hands with the public in asking the government to amend sections 88 and 86 of the Municipal Corporation Act 1994, under which the tax is proposed.

Various residents' welfare associations and NGOs and the residents in general opposed the UAM on the first day of public hearing conducted by the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) in the presence of the MC Commissioner and other officials.

They pleaded that the proposed system was borrowed from the cities of Ahmedabad and Bangalore and would not suit the topography of the hill town. Residents in seven wards of the merged areas of New Shimla, Sanjauli, Dhalli-Cemetery, Tutu and others pleaded that the SMC should first regularise houses on one-time settlement policy and provide them domestic electricity and water connections as they were paying commercial charges, before imposing house tax.

"We opposed the UVM as the consultant did a survey without taking them into confidence. The tax exemption on 100 m area for personal residence should continue. All facilities like good roads, ambulance, bus or cab service should be provided first," said Bhupinder Thakur (Sankti), OP Kant (Chakkar), Neelam (Khalini), RK Gupta Engine Ghar BD Sharma (Fagli).

Representatives of Ekal Nari and labour class pleaded that women and labour hostels should be exempted from house tax, and should be charged for the water and electricity on domestic charges and a clause to this effect should be inserted in the MC Act.

The residents turned the heat on the local MLAs, councillors and SMC, blaming them for the present mess in the city as they have been promising them in the election manifesto that their houses would be regularised.

"We built a house 20 years ago, taking a loan, but we pay commercial charges for electricity and water and now house tax," resented residents.

Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan said they had sought a public hearing on the UAM for two days to seek public opinion before the objections would be discussed in the special House called on January 20 to take a final call on the issue. The law had been amended by the previous government and SMC had no role in it, he added. MC Commissioner Amarjeet Singh said after seeking objections from the public, the matter would be discussed by the House before making the final draft on the bylaws. The zoning and ratable value of each unit will be calculated on the basis of five factors including usage, location, rent value and type of property, he added.

Shimla, January 17
The Acting Chief Justice of the High Court Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir visited the site of the judicial academy at Ghandal today. He viewed the construction activities and the detailed presentation made by the PWD authorities on the project.

Justice Mir also saw the maps of the proposed academy and gave directions to the PWD authorities to carry out the construction in a manner that the minimum loss was caused to the ecology of the area. He further directed to take all possible steps for preservation of rainwater and emphasised that the latest techniques of rain harvesting be adopted.

The Acting Chief Justice planted a sapling and directed the forest authorities to plant ornamental as well as fruit plants.

Dharamsala, January 17
Fearing demolition of their houses and commercial establishments constructed on encroached reserve forest land, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has decided to approach the Union Government. Sources here said the Kalon (minister in Tibetan government-in-exile) Home, Dolma Gyari, left for New Delhi today to deliberate over the situation arising due to encroachments by Tibetans into forest land in Kangra district, especially Mcleodganj area.

About 210 Tibetan families are facing eviction from forest land in Mcleodganj area. The district administration as well as the forest department are stated to have been hesitant in acting against certain encroachments on forest land due to the Tibetans' refugee status.

In the recent past, in response to a petition, a committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal inspected areas where the Tibetans had encroached into forest land. The team visited Kangra district.

The report submitted by the committee after their investigation claimed the Tibetan families had illegally encroached on forest land, cut trees and built houses.

Tibetans in McLeodganj are also accused of carving rocks with religious inscriptions and tying flags on trees, causing serious destruction to the natural environment.

The tribunal has directed the forest authorities concerned to file a report citing how many demolitions are affected and how many orders of eviction have been passed between today and the next date of hearing.

The Tibetan authorities now fear that action against their establishments on encroached forest land is imminent in case the court orders the administration to this effect. They have started lobbying to save their infrastructure. A delegation of the CTA met the Chief Secretary and CM Virbhadra Singh in October last year to seek solution to the problem.

The Tibetans maintain that they have been staying in the area even before the land in question was declared as forest land. The problem with this logic is that there is no such entry in revenue records to prove the fact.

The previous Congress government has brought in a policy to give one-time relaxation to Tibetans who have encroachments on forest land by regularising their properties. The policy was never implemented and the cases for encroachments in forest land have been going on against the Tibetans.

The CTA is also involved as many of its properties as Tibetan Children Villages (TCV) are also located on forest land. Sources here said in case of encroachments on forest land, even the state government might not be a position to help the Tibetans directly. For diversion of forest land for any other purpose, the state government has to seek permission from special empowered committee of the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests. The said committee has been formed on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Even in case the state government wanted to regularise the encroachments by Tibetans on forest land, it would have to seek permission from the special empowered committee of the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests. The lack of policy on the part of state government and the Centre over rehabilitating the growing population of Tibetan refugees is also responsible for the present situation.

Hamirpur, January 17
The Ex-Servicemen League organised a programme to observe Army Day at Sujanpur yesterday.

Sujanpur MLA Rajender Rana was the chief guest at the function which was presided over by Maj Gen Bikram Singh (retd), who is the chairman of the Ex-Servicemen Corporation.

A procession was also organised on this occasion in which hundreds of ex-servicemen participated.

Rana lauded the role of Army personnel in defending the border areas and for doing a social service.

He said Himachal was known as ‘Veer Bhoomi’ for the sacrifices and valour of Army personnel from the state. He said hundreds of soldiers and officers had done a commendable job while serving the Armed forces.

Bilaspur, January 17
Residents of Chhadal and Daloli villages under Talwaada gram panchayat in Ghumarwin have threatened to boycott the general elections if no road connectivity was provided to them at the earliest.

They said over the years these elections had been of no use to them.

Village elders, including Jagat Pal Thakur, Vipin Dev, Des Raj Thakur, Rakesh Kumar, Lashkri Ram, Hans Raj, Narender Thakur, Kashmir Singh, Saroj Kumari, Anil Kumar and Mahender Singh, said it was strange that their villages were lagging far behind in terms of development and that there was no road connectivity to these villages, causing inconvenience to them.

They said patients had to be carried in palanquins and problems persisted during delivery cases, particularly during the night, when they had to take the village path to reach the main road, which was far away.

They urged the government to ensure the construction of the road to these villages at the earliest. 

Shimla, January 17
Residents of various gram panchayats in Koti and surrounding areas in the Kasumpti Assembly constituency yesterday threatened to launch a stir if their demand of opening a degree college at Koti was not met. The college was promised by local Congress legislator during the last Assembly elections.

Dr Kuldip Singh Tanwar, president, Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS), said the Congress legislator had failed to take up their genuine demand, which was pending for the last four years.

Students from over a dozen gram panchayats in Koti had to walk up to the roadhead and take a bus for Shimla, 20 km from there, for higher studies, he added.

He said the panchayat pradhans and members of the Kisan Sabha and other public and Panchayati Raj representatives in Kasumpti had sought the opening of a degree college at Koti, but their pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Classes should be started from the coming session, failing which they would resort to protests.

The Congress government had already sanctioned 11 new colleges in the state and even opened two colleges in the same Assembly constituency. But people of Koti had been ignored, HKS members resented. 

Palampur, January 17
Women in Palampur took to the streets today over the government’s decision to delete the names of their husbands and make them head of the family in new ration cards.

Women assembled in large numbers and raised anti-government slogans. They said they would not apply for new ration cards till the government withdrew its decision.

The women sought the inclusion of the names of their husbands on the top of the ration cards as per the old practice of the state government.

Later, the agitating women burnt new ration card forms which carried the photos of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Civil Supply Minister GS Bali.

They said the Union Government should pass the Women Reservation Bill first which was pending in Parliament for the past 10 years.

Similar protests were reported from Baijnath, Paprola, Jaisinghpur, Thural, Alampur, Dheera and Panchrukhi.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the state government said as per provisions of the new Food Security Act, women had been made head of the family.

Kangra, January 17
Dr Pardeep Kumar, HoD, Department of Economics, MCM DAV College, Kangra, was elected executive member of the Indian Economic Association at Meenakshi University in Chennai.

Dr Virender Bhatia, Principal, said this while addressing a press conference here. He said Dr Pardeep attended a three-day 96th annual conference of the IEA in Chennai recently and presented a paper entitled, "Strategy Towards Agriculture During 12th Five-Year Plan in India".

Prof C Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, was the chief guest. Prof BL Mungekar, MP, Rajya Sabha, Prof S Thorat, president, IEA, and Chairman, ICSSR, Prof GK Chadha, president, South Asian University, New Delhi, and Prof CH Hanumantha Rao, Chairman, CESS, Hyderabad, were also present in this conference.

Tattapani/Shimla, January 17
Even as pilgrims continue to throng the Tattapani bathing ghats for a holy dip since Makar Sankranti for the last three days, environmentalists have expressed their concern over large-scale dumping of abandoned clothes and bathing gear along the banks of the pilgrimage spot. The litter, in turn, find its way into the Sutlej and the upcoming 800 MW Kol Dam downstream, they rue.

This correspondent spotted abandoned clothes in the 500-m-long bathing ghat from the lower end where the women pilgrims took the holy dip to the higher end. The entire area was littered with the abandoned clothes around the bathing hot springs as hordes of pilgrims took the last holy dip here on Makar Sankranti. The bathing ghats would be submerged in the Kol Dam in 315 days time.

The Sutlej bore the brunt of the dumped material. Some could be seen throwing clothes directly into the flowing river.

Pilgrims left behind clothes, going by a myth that by doing so, they leave behind bad stars and omen following a dip in the holy hot springs after performing the Tula Daan (weighing ritual), claimed local purohits.

"We know it is a bad practice. But it is difficult to advise lakhs of pilgrims and tourists, who come here throughout the year as the river side looks dirty and can get choked," said Bhupinder Sharma, a local purohit.

The hot bath sprouted here after sage Jamadani meditated here 100 years ago and it is wrong to defile the place, he added.

The local panchayat committee gathered the abandoned material left behind by the pilgrims and disposed it of by burning it, said the panchayat members.

They have advised the administration to put up signboards asking pilgrims not to dump clothes in the bathing ghats, said Prem Raina, who runs a hot springs resort here.

SDM Karsog Vivek Chauhan said they had directed the panchayat to engage rag-pickers to collect the litter and dispose it of safely. "We did not take extra care this time as the area is getting submerged in the Kol Dam. More than 1.5 lakh pilgrims visit the spot this year on Makar Sankranti and it was difficult to manage the crowds," he added.

Dharamsala, January 17
BJP leaders today opened a front against KK Katoch, Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Palampur Agricultural University.

Sources here said the reason of the attack lay in alleged victimisation of certain members of the teaching faculty of the university affiliated with the BJP.

BJP leader Himanshu Mishra alleged that Katoch misrepresented facts in his biodata submitted to the Governor.

Addressing a press conference here, Mishra alleged that he obtained a copy of the biodata submitted by Katoch to the Governor under the RTI.

In the biodata, many research papers claimed to have been published by Katoch were never really published, he claimed.

He alleged that even the PhD thesis of Katoch had been claimed to be a research paper. The PhD thesis could not be claimed as a research paper, he said.

The BJP leaders claimed they had written to the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, and the Indian Council or Agriculture Research (ICAR) to suspend Katoch as the VC of the Palampur agriculture university.

The VC refused to comment on the allegations levelled against him.

Members of the lobby supporting the VC, said the BJP had started targeting him as he had pointed out that certain political activities were taking place on the institute campus.

Certain members of the teaching faculty had been holding RSS meetings and the VC had objected to it, they alleged.

Shimla, January 17
The State Information Commission (SIC) has issued notices to DCs of seven districts, seeking action taken report on the issue of revision of the Below Poverty Line (BPL) lists.

The notices have been served on the DCs of Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, Una, Chamba, Kangra and Lahaul Spiti for the non-compliance of the earlier orders of the SIC to provide the updated lists.

The show-cause notice has been issued under provisions of Section 20 of the Right to Information Act and the DCs have been asked to file their replies by February 11.

A complaint had been received by the government last year that over 10,000 names on the BPL list were of panchayati raj representatives. The government had forwarded the complaint to the Chief Secretary, who in turn asked the Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department to take action.

All DCs were then directed to revise their BPL lists and exclude the names of ineligible people from the list.

Based on an application filed before the commission, details had been sought from the Public Information Officers (PIO) of the Rural Development Departments regarding the action taken report. The PIOs had said the action taken report could not be provided as these were yet to be submitted. Even though the PIOs had forwarded the RTI application to the DCs, the action taken reports were not filed by them.

Bilaspur, January 17
Himachal will soon achieve the target of becoming “fruit bowl of country”. Now fruit saplings are being grown on 2.15 lakh hectares of land to produce 8.18 metric lakh tonnes this year.

Addressing the Kisan Jagrookta Camp at Luharwin near Ghumarwin, near here, today, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani said quality fruit plants were being developed in nurseries of the Watershed Development Project. The plants were being provided to farmers and orchardists for better results and more income.

Dharmani said last year 50,000 fruit plants were distributed in the Ghumarwin area under this project and 40,000 plants were being distributed during this year. He said 45 lakh fruit and herbal saplings had been planted in this area till now.

He said with a view to getting more and better quality fruit produce, a policy document was being prepared for distribution among farmers for guiding them.

The CPS said Ghumarwin had been identified for its quality production of pomegranate and farmers and orchardists should grow this fruit on sides of their fields as this tree was not affected by frost and required least water.

He said the Centre had recently sanctioned the Rs 2-crore IVMP project for this area under which farmers of Dhadhole, Padyalag and surrounding areas would be benefited.

Ishra Devi, president, Self-Help Group, was honoured by the CPS. He also distributed 5,000 pomegranate plants to farmers.

Palampur, January 17
Gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 2.5 lakh were stolen from a house situated on the outskirts of the town last night.

A senior police official said Manish Kumar of Chokki, in his complaint to the police, said he had gone out of his house yesterday and when he returned this morning, he found his house was ransacked. Manish said jewellery worth Rs 2.25 lakh and Rs 25,000 were missing. No arrests have been made so far. — OC

Chamba, January 17
Residents of Holi sub-tehsil in Bharmour here have been facing an acute scarcity of kerosene for the past month.

Most of the residents living in high-altitude areas are unable to reach the kerosene depot due to the snowfall.

In the absence of electricity, residents’ troubles multiply as kerosene is the only alternative for them to run their kitchens.

They have apprised Forest Minister TS Bharmouri of the kerosene scarcity. The minister has assured them of solving their problem. — OC

Shimla, January 17
A committee to examine anomalies pertaining to the boundaries of 17 green pockets in Shimla was constituted here yesterday.

A government spokesperson said the Principal Secretary, Revenue, and the Secretary, Urban Development, would be the members of the committee. Issues and suggestions regarding anomalies in the boundaries of the green pockets could be submitted to the Director, Town and Planning Department, by January 31, he added. — TNS

Kangra, January 17
A 53-year-old man today died of poisoning at the DRPGMC Hospital, Tanda, the police said.

Saligram of Telo falling under Seera Da Brah post office consumed some poisonous substance by mistake and was rushed to the Tanda hospital where he died.

Bilaspur, January 17
Thieved decamped with five tola gold ornaments and Rs 10,000 from a house here yesterday.

Garja Ram, an ex-serviceman of Dagsetch village, 23 km from here, was sleeping at his house when the incident took place. As per the police, thieves broke the locks of main entrance of the house. The police also recovered a licensed gun of Garja Ram from the nearby fields and sent it for a forensic examination. The police have registered a case.

Nurpur, January 17
The local court yesterday convicted two car drivers in two separate cases of rash and negligent driving. They were booked under Sections 279, 337 and 338 of the IPC.

Assistant District Attorney, Nurpur, LM Sharma said in the first case Ashwani, alias Kaka, of Talwara (Punjab) had hit a motorcyclist with his vehicle in December 2005 and the biker had sustained injuries. He has been sentenced to a one-year imprisonment and fined Rs 2,500.

In another case, Sajan of Kutkana (Rehan) had rammed his vehicle into a scooter in December 2002. The scooterist was injured. He has also been sentenced to a one-year imprisonment and fined Rs 3,000 by the court. — OC