China blocks UNHRC effort
SHIMLA, Sept 24 — Efforts of the United Nations Human Rights Commission to trace Dalai Lama’s nominated Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choeky Nyima, received a setback with the Chinese government not allowing the visiting High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mrs Nary Robinson, to meet him.

Main plan was to destroy Dalai Lama's palace
DHARAMSALA, Sept 24 — A group of 20 youths from China was to arrive here in October to 'destroy' the main temple and the palace of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetans, here in McLeodganj.

• Building centre to be set up in college
• Fake RC racket unearthed

China blocks UNHRC effort
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — Efforts of the United Nations Human Rights Commission to trace Dalai Lama’s nominated Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choeky Nyima, received a setback with the Chinese government not allowing the visiting High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mrs Nary Robinson, to meet him.

Mrs Robinson visited China earlier this month following complaints that the nine-year-old Panchen Lama was being confined at some unknown place for the past three years by Chinese authorities.

Gedhun Choeky Nyima was arrested by the Chinese authorities in 1995 even before he was formally enthroned. His whereabouts are not known since then. The Chinese installed Gyinchain Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama in December 1995.

Sources in the Tibetan government-in-exile said that Chinese authorities told Mrs Robinson that Nyima was safe. They did not identify the place where he was kept.

Chinese authorities also did not allow her to meet the Tibetan political prisoner, Yulo Tawa Tsering.

The Tibetan authorities were, however, satisfied that China had at last relaxed its tough stand on human rights and allowed Mrs Robinson to visit there. China had, so far, been resisting international pressure on human rights.

They also believe that there were positive signals that China might sign the memorandum of intent on human rights which will enable foreign delegations on human rights to visit there.

Reports of large-scale violation of human rights against Tibetans by China have been pouring. However, Chinese have, so far, been claiming all this to be their internal affair and were not allowing human rights activists to visit the occupied Tibetan territory.

The Tibetans have refused to accept the Chinese installed Panchen Lama and given a call to the UN and the international community to get Nyima released from confinement of China.

They have been maintaining that search and recognition of Panchen Lama’s reincarnation is a religious matter. Because of the unique historical and traditional relationship between the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lamas all religious procedures were conducted with great care to identify Nyima as the reincarnation of late Panchen Lama.

The previous Panchen Lama died in Tibet on January 28, 1989 after whom search for his reincarnation started.

The Tashi Lhunpo monastery at Shigatse in Tibet was kept in dark regarding the installation of the rival Panchen Lama.

Main plan was to destroy
Dalai Lama's palace
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Sept 24 — A group of 20 youths from China was to arrive here in October to 'destroy' the main temple and the palace of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetans, here in McLeodganj.

This disclosure was made by the two Tibetans who were spying for China and were arrested by the police here recently. According to highly placed sources, Chomphel, who arrived here on June 30, reportedly disclosed during interrogation that after receiving the sketches and maps depicting the location of the Dalai Lama's palace, about 20 youths were to be sent here with the specific mission of "destroying" the palace in McLeodganj, which is also the headquarters of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.

Chomphel disclosed that, as per the plan, if these youths failed to blow up the palace with explosives, the use of "chemicals" was to be made. The "chemicals" would have led to the "crumbling" of the palace within a few weeks.

Obtaining the maps and sketches was the first phase of the operation and destroying the palace of the Dalai Lama was the second phase. Since the rough sketches and maps were found in the possession of Chomphel, it appears that he had not yet handed these to the Chinese authorities.

Obtaining information about the nearby establishment of the Indian Army was another important task assigned to him, which he failed to do. In fact, the Army is learnt to have succeeded in getting vital information from the China-trained spy.

Chomphel was to return back to Lhasa with Migmar's wife, who had been acting as the local link for all Tibetan spies sent by China to Dharamsala. It was probably due to a communication gap between Chomphel and Migmar's wife, that Chomphel was left behind and later arrested by the police. The police apprehends that Migmar's wife has already reached Lhasa.

As attempts have been made time and again to obtain information about the security arrangements of the Dalai Lama through spies, the Tibetan leader is under constant threat. Even if the Tibetan security personnel and the Indian police manage to shield him from any attack inside, his palace, attempts can be made on his life during the frequent road journeys he makes from Jammu and Pathankot to McLeodganj.

As the Gaggal airport has not been operational for the past over three years, the Dalai Lama takes a flight from Jammu, or travels by train from Pathankot to Delhi, from where he flies abroad. The plans to get a bullet -proof Mercedes for him have still not materialised, and he continues to travel in the ordinary one. During his frequent trips abroad, his convoy can easily be spotted coming and going to his palace.

Under such circumstances, even the police or the Tibetan government, has no foolproof method to screen the fresh arrivals from Tibet. This is not for the first time that China-trained Tibetan spies have been arrested here. Three years ago, two Tibetans had been arrested on the charge of spying.

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile has a refugee reception centre in McLeodganj, where all fresh arrivals from Tibet are kept initially. A large number of Tibetans arrive here every week from the Chinese-occupied territory of Tibet. At times, even the Tibetan officials are not aware of the antecedents of the Tibetans arriving here from their homeland.

While only a few Tibetans return to Tibet after having an audience with the Dalai Lama, a majority stay back in India to lead a free life.

In view of the recent disclosures, security has been further beefed up at the palace of the Dalai Lama. The police has also stepped up vigil at all Tibetan settlements in the state.

3 national highways approved
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — The Union Surface Transport Ministry has approved three national highways on the request of the Himachal Government.

According to a communication received from the ministry, the state’s proposal for upgradation of the 273-km-long Jalandhar-Amb-Hamirpur- Sarkaghat-Mandi road into a highway has been accepted. The Swarghat-Nalagarh-Pinjore road which connects the Chandigarh -Manali highway with the Chandigarh-Shimla highway will also be upgraded.

The third proposal submitted by the state was approved with some modifications. The state had sought the upgradation of the Ambala-Kala Amb-Nahan-Kumarhatti road. However the ministry has approved the upgradation of Ambala-Kala Amb-Nahan-Paonta-Hardwar road.

The case of the Mandi-Jalandhar road had been hanging fire for the past over one decade. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, took up the matter personally with the Centre.

The total number of national highways in the state now has gone up to six. The government had recently decided to set up a separate wing in the Public Works Department to look after the national highways.

HP to review 'entry fee'
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — The Himachal Government will review the "entry fee" on vehicles imposed by various local bodies in the state.

Stating this after laying the foundation stone of the Rs 1.85 crore car parking-cum-commercial complex here today, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, said the fee could be one of the modes for raising resources but there was no big town in the state, except Shimla, where the imposition of such a fee could be justified.

In recent times, small nagar panchayats had also imposed an entry fee as a result of which vehicle owners had to pay the fee after every few kilometres. In most cases the stretch of road passing through the nagar panchayats was less than a kilometre. Moreover, roads in most of these local bodies were being maintained by the Public Works Department.

The Chief Minister said the government was committed to planned development of towns and it would not allow any building to come up without the approval of the Town and Country Planning Department.

In case of government buildings, officers would be held personally responsible for the violation of the Town Planning Act.

He said the buildings that had come up in areas now under the Municipal Corporation would be regularised after a reasonable compounding fee.

Mr Dhumal advised the corporation to involve the private sector in development projects as the government had limited resources. He said more space for parking of vehicles was required in the state capital which attracted tourists round the year. The "queen of hills" had lost much of its charm due to haphazard growth and his government would take all possible measures to restore its glory.

Earlier, Mr Manoj Kumar, Mayor, urged the Chief Minister, to allow the corporation to impose an entry fee on vehicles. He also requested him to release the excise revenue of Rs 2 per liquor bottle collected by the department from vends under the corporation, besides the grant of Rs 5 crore announced by the government when peripheral villages were included in the corporation.

The six-storeyed complex will have space for parking 182 vehicles at one time.

The Chief Minister also launched a tourism development and environment preservation project at the famous resort of Kufri near here. Under the scheme, the entire area will be beautified and a multi-storeyed complex will be constructed to provide parking space for 200 vehicles.

The congestion and pollution caused by hundreds of horses in the main bazar will be removed by constructing alternative mule tracks around Mahasu hill. The tracks will be illuminated by solar lights. Besides, "sulabh shauchalaya" and resting rooms will be constructed for tourists.

The long-term beautification and planning programme includes development of a lake, construction of a commercial complex, including a modern marketing arcade and a shopping plaza. The Chini Bangalow and the Nature Park will be beautified and water supply to the resort will be augmented by installing handpumps. An incinerator, donated by the State Hotel Association, will ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Mr R.S. Singh, Deputy Commissioner, said the project, which was likely to cost Rs 3 crore, would help restore the grandeur of Kufri.

CM inaugurates computer centre
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 24 — The HP Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, has called upon the educated youth, specially the engineering students, to work with dedication and adopt disciplined life. He was addressing students and faculty members of the local Regional Engineering College last night.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Computer Centre and Computer Science and Engineering building constructed at a cost of Rs 80 lakh. He also inaugurated the internet facility in the Computer Centre and said Hamirpur was connected with rest of the world.

He said M.Tech and Ph.D. programmes would soon be started in the college. For this approval of the All-India Council for Technical Education was being awaited.

The Chief Minister said countries like Japan, Germany and China, which, got freedom in the fourth decade of the century along with India, had marched ahead in every field of development. But India had been trapped under the huge burden of loans. Corruption in the country was rampant.

Mr Dhumal announced that a modern stadium would be constructed on the premises of the college in the ninth Five Year Plan period.

He also inaugurated the three-day long festival at Bachat Bhavan Hall.

Famous singer Runa Laila enthralled the crowd with her melodious songs.

Court directions on exam forms
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — Mr D.R. Thakur, Sub-Judge, yesterday passed an interim order directing the local DAV Public School (Lakkar Bazar) authorities to accept the examination forms for the plus two class of the students of the science group.

The injunction was issued on a petition filed by the parents of the students whose forms were not accepted by the school authorities following denial of affiliation by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Meanwhile, Ms S. Shandil, principal of the school, has clarified that the institution had been duly affiliated to the CBSE for the plus two examination.

However, in the affiliation letter received by the school from the board on September 18 only the subjects of humanity and commerce streams were mentioned and the list did not have physics, chemistry and biology, the subjects of the science stream.

She said the parents were informed accordingly and only a few of them got panicky and threatened to move court and register a case with the police.

The school authorities were making sincere efforts to get the affiliation extended to the science stream also for which the requisite infrastructural facilities had been provided.

She contested the claim of the Parents Association that last year the students appeared as private candidates in the annual plus two examination and asserted that none of the students had ever appeared in private capacity from Solan.

House building advance limit raised
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has revised the rates and the limit for house building advance to employees in accordance with the enhanced pay scales.

The existing cost ceiling limit has been revised to 200 times of the basic pay, subject to a minimum of Rs 7.5 lakh and a maximum of Rs 18.00 lakh. The Administrative Department may relax the cost ceiling up to a maximum of 25 per cent, depending on the merit of individual cases.

With regard to the quantum of house building advance, the existing entitlements have revised to 50 months’ basic pay or the estimated cost of the house or the repaying capacity of the government servant which ever is the last, subject to maximum of Rs 7.5 lakh.

The advance will be recoverable in equal monthly instalments to be fixed at the time of sanction, subject to maximum of 180 instalments.

For repair of the existing house, the quantum of advance will be 20 months’ basic pay of Rs 1,80,000 or the actual estimated cost or the repayment capacity, whichever is the least.

The orders will be effective from October 1, 1998.

Framing of policy on timber recommended
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Sept 24 — The Himachal Pradesh Forest and Environment Committee has recommended to the State Government the formulation of a suitable policy on timber distribution among residents of Himachal Pradesh so that certain new measures could be taken up to meet the genuine demand.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, Capt Atma Ram, chairman of the HP Forests and Environment Committee, said that the environment clearance from the Forest Department to the permit holders of sand stone and gravel from rivers and streams had been made mandatory.

He said the Forest Department had been asked to adhere to these norms with a view to saving green hills and the catchment basin of the rivers and rivulets.

He said the government had put into operation the "sanjhavan yojna" at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore with the participation of the people of the respective areas. He said the yojna envisaged the planting of such species of saplings of broad leaves which could provide fuel and fodder.

Seminar on political system of Tibet
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Sept 24 — The National Democratic Party of Tibet is organising a two-day seminar on "political system of Tibet" to educate the younger generation about the Communist China's claim of Tibet being politically part of mainland China.

The seminar beginning on September 26, will have eminent Tibetan scholars and students from various colleges and universities of India take part in it. The president of the NDPT, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, said the main objective behind holding the seminar was to make the younger generation aware that China had misinterpreted the history of Tibet to the world by twisting the record. He added that Tibet was passing through a critical situation under the misrule of Communist China.

Acharya Yeshi said that Tibet had more than 2,000 years of recorded history and it was politically an independent state without any interference. He emphasised the need to educate the younger generation about the present political system of Tibet and how to prepare them for the future.

Building centre to be set up in college
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 24 — The Board of Governors Regional Engineering College here has decided to set up a building centre in the college with the aim of providing training to artisans and making them aware of new techniques in the field of construction.

According to Mr Vinod Thakur, Vice-Chairman of the College Welfare Society, HUDCO would be approached for funds for the project. He told newsmen here today that a meeting of the society was held here last night under the chairmanship of Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister-cum-Chairman of the society. The meeting decided to take up the matter of starting an architecture course in the college with the Central Government.

Mr Thakur said the meeting approved the filling of 11 posts of non-teaching staff in the college as recommended by its Finance Committee. It also decided to nominate two more members to the college Academic Council from the Institute of Engineers and Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Fake RC racket unearthed
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Sept 24 — The police is on the lookout for a Tibetan, Kunga, believed to be the kingpin in the racket involving issuing of fake registration certificates to Tibetans staying here.

According to the Superintendent of Police, Mr K.C. Sadyal, this fact came to light following the arrest of two Tibetans carrying fake RCs. The two Tibetans are 30-year-old Nerbu from Chamdo area of Tibet and 24-year-old Thupten from Amdo. The two told the police that they had been provided with RCs by Kunga who charged them Rs 1,800 each.

On further investigation, the police found four blank RCs from the house of Kunga in McLeodganj. His wife told the police that her husband was "away to Kulu for some work."

Mr Sadyal said the police had stepped up surveillance in the area.