HP ignoring finance panel recommendations
SHIMLA, Oct 10 — Mr Virbhadra Singh has accused the BJP-HVP government of starving panchayati raj institutions of funds

Held for duping depositors
NURPUR, Oct 10 — The Nurpur police arrested Mr Netar Singh, gram panchayat pradhan of Hatli Jamwalan and director of a finance company, yesterday for allegedly cheating a large number of depositors.

Mahajan replaces Thakur as DGP
SHIMLA, Oct 10 — In a sudden development, Mr Basant Singh Thakur, Director-General of Police, was removed from the post last night.

• SSSB chief takes oath

HP ignoring finance panel recommendations
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — Mr Virbhadra Singh, Leader of the Legislature Congress Party, has accused the BJP-HVP government of starving panchayati raj institutions of funds and ignoring the recommendations of the state Finance Commission.

In a statement here yesterday, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state government was not honouring the recommendations of the state Finance Commission on the release of funds to panchayati raj institutions. The arrears on this account had increased to Rs 20 crore. Not only this, Mr Virbhadra Singh accused the government of interfering in their functioning.

Honouring the spirit of the 73rd constitutional amendment, the Congress government had only passed the Panchayati Raj Act in 1994 and conducted the elections after establishing panchayati raj institutions in the state but also granted honorarium to more than 26000 representatives of panchayati raj institutions.

In a significant decision, it also made the Zila Parishad Chairmen as chairpersons of the respective District Rural Development Agencies. The DRDAs were to function under the direct control, supervision and guidance of Zila Parishads as per guidelines of the Government of India issued in November and December, 1995. It is strange that the state government was spending DRDA funds through the Deputy Commissioners by making declarations, especially the employment assurance scheme.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the Congress Government had finalised the rules for constitution of district planning committees in which 80 per cent of the members were to be taken from Zila Parishads. But the matter has been pending with the present government for six months now.

The BJP-HVC coalition government, it seemed, bent upon destabilising these elected bodies that have a constitutional status". The Vendetta was more aggressive because almost 90 per cent of the Zila Parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats in the state were controlled by the Congress.

Decision on doctors put off
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has deferred the decision to appoint unemployed ayurvedic doctors against vacant posts of pharmacists in ayurvedic institutions.

According to the Chief Secretary, Mr O.P. Yadav, this had been done following representation by a large number of ayurvedic doctors and students against the move.

The Chief Secretary said although the decision was in the interest of unemployed doctors, a majority of doctors did not favour it.

Panel reviews security steps
From Our Correspondent

DALHOUSIE, Oct 10 — A high-level coordination meeting between senior functionaries of Chamba district and Doda district among with battalion commandants of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was held here today.

It was decided that different security forces and paramilitary forces deployed along the borders of these two districts could operate in each other's territory with a view to wiping out terrorism.

The meeting which was presided over by Mr I.D. Bhandari, DIG, Himachal police also discussed the long-term strategies to combat militancy in the border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Muneer Khan SSP, Doda told mediapersons that the Doda Administration had updated the security arrangements and strengthened its communication network thereby coordinating the security forces from across the border.

Held for duping depositors
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Oct 10 — The Nurpur police arrested Mr Netar Singh, gram panchayat pradhan of Hatli Jamwalan and director of a finance company, yesterday for allegedly cheating a large number of depositors.

According to the police, a case under Sections 420 and 406, IPC was registered against him when some depositors approached the local SDM and the police.

The accused suddenly closed down the company's branch office on March 22 this year, leaving the depositors high and dry. He had been remanded into police custody till October 12.

Mahajan replaces Thakur as DGP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — In a sudden development, Mr Basant Singh Thakur, Director-General of Police, was removed from the post last night.

Mr T.R. Mahajan, Director-General of Home Guards and Civil Defence, has been appointed the new DGP.

Mr Thakur, has been sent in place of Mr Mahajan to the Home Guards and Civil Defence.

Shifting of Mr Thakur was on the cards ever since the BJP-HVC combine came to power six months ago. However, his transfer was postponed because of one reason or the other.

SSSB chief takes oath
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 10 — Mr O.P. Yadav, Chief Secretary, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr K.C. Malhotra as Chairman, Subordinate Services Selection Board here today.

Present among others on the occasion were Mr R.R. Verma, Chairman, HPSC, and senior officers of the state government.

Timber being sold in black-market
From Balkrishan Prashar

CHAMBA: It is learnt that during the last few years sufficient trees have not been marked by the Forest Department but the department goes on sanctioning applications without keeping in view the actual trees marked for this purpose and the actual availability of timber in the town's depot. This results in frustration and resentment among the town residents.

According to official sources, 14450 cubic feet timber to 454 applicants of Chamba town has so far been sanctioned, but surprisingly, local forest depot is devoid of timber. Since the construction in the town has been going on a war-footing, the timber is being bought and sold by the residents in the black-market to meet their needs for more than two years as such there is no other alternative.

Moreover, the ban on felling of green trees by the court is said to have aggravated the situation. Similar is the situation in the supply of fuelwood and charcoal to the people. The gap between demand and supply is due to the fact that a sufficient number of trees are not marked by the Forest Department.

Shelter is a basic human requirement for which stone, bricks, cement and timber are important components. For timber the people of Chamba are dependent on forests. The villagers have TD (timber distribution) rights for getting standing trees for the construction and repair of their houses at a very nominal price from the Forest Department.

The residents of Chamba town do not have the right of getting standing trees from the forest at concessional rates. For them there is a provision of sanctioning converted timber from the sale depot situated in Chamba town itself. For getting timber from this depot, the right holders do not have to pay the market price. They are required to pay a meagre amount which is mainly cost of conversion from standing trees and carriage to the depot. That is why there is always a great demand of timber from this depot.

With the increasing number of constructions, the demand is also going up. Trees are marked in the forests for this specific purpose by the state forest department and these are converted into timber by the state Forest Corporation. This converted timber is brought to the depot. The right holders apply to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Chamba, and the timber is sold to the people in accordance with the sanction given by the department to individuals.

The problem of timber does not end with this. The state government has also adopted a double standard and sanctions timber only to the residents who have settled in Chamba before 1939.

* * * * * *

If you are on way to Himachal Pradesh for a holiday, get a tourist map of Himachal Pradesh made by the state department of tourism and be misled and confused. By releasing this map, the department has taken everybody for a ride.

For instance, look Chamba district on the map at a glance, one finds some places of interest topsy-turvy. On the way from Pathankot to Chamba, Tunnuhatti, Dhundiara, Banikhet and Dalhousie, all famous hill stations, have been shown on the right side of the Ravi, instead of the left side.

Likewise, Bharmour, Gehra and Durgathi have been placed on the right bank of the Ravi instead of the left. Durgathi and Bharmour have been shown on different routes. On the way to Manimahesh, Hadsar has been shown first and Bharmour further ahead, which is wrong.

The department is guilty of this haphazard, ill-conceived and ill-founded map, on which it is printed that it is based on a Survey of India map.

Will the state government fix the accountability for this blunder on erring officials.

* * * * * *

The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board has collected samples from three springs Raj Naun, Tatwani and Julakari — in the environs of Chamba town for testing the quality and contents of the water used regularly by the local residents.

According to an official spokesman of the board, the quality of the Ravi water upstream and downstream has been found good specially for breeding fish. Samples from Chamera reservoir have also been collected for lab tests.

Samples from the three water springs near Chamba have also been sent to the laboratory for observation.

During a vehicle monitoring camp organised recently at Chamba by the Pollution Control Board, 153 vehicles were monitored, of which 81 vehicles were found to have certain emission beyond limits. A board spokesman underlined the need of smoke meters in every vehicle.