New transport policy on anvil
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Feb 6 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, said that a new transport policy will be framed, so that the income of both government and private bus operators increases.

This was stated by the Chief Minister while addressing a rally organised by the private bus operators at Dehra yesterday. Addressing the rally after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 9.62 lakh sewerage system for Jwalamukhi, Mr Dhumal said that the government will take care of the problems of private bus operators in the new transport policy.

Mr Dhumal, stressed the need for popularising locally produced goods so growers could get the maximum benefit. "With our limited resources and land we have to go about in a manner so that we can become self reliant, he stressed. He said that the government had introduced market intervention scheme for mango grown in the lower parts of the state. He said that for the setting up of fruit processing unit in lower Himachal, the government shall provide land on lease and tax exemption for a period of five years.

Mr Dhumal announced that the cases registered against private bus operators during 1997 shall be withdrawn by the government. He also announced the upgradation of the Luthan and the Bari primary schools to middle level from April, 1, and announced a Rs 5 lakh grant for making Dehra ground into a stadium.

Mr Dhumal also inaugurated a hundred-bedded subdivisional hospital at Dehra, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.70 crore.

The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, had to face some embarrassing moments at Dehra yesterday, as the tussle between the IPH minister, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, and a former BJP, MLA, Mr Kashmir Singh Rana, was on full public display during the rally.

During the public meeting that the Chief Minister, addressed at Dehra, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary and Mr Rana, minced no words in broadcasting their differences. It may be recalled that Mr Rana, a former MLA, is a staunch Dhumal loyalist and it was to accommodate him that the BJP ticket for Jwalamukhi was denied to Mr Ramesh Chaudhary. The IPH minister, Mr Chaudhary, who is a known Shanta man, won as an Independent, and even held the balance of power for formation of the government.

The situation become quite awkward for Mr Dhumal, as Mr Rana, who had organised the meeting, said during his speech that he and his supporters were being ignored by Mr Chaudhary. He went to the extent of saying that while he was no longer interested in contesting elections his area of Dehra should not be ignored.

The IPH minister was visibly uncomfortable at being criticised openly by Mr Rana, who did not even come to Jwalamukhi, where it was the show of the IPH minister all the way.

For his part Mr Ramesh Chaudhary made amply clear that for him Dehra was equally important and he would not ignore it.

The situation became amusing with virtual competition between Mr Chaudhary and Mr Rana to impress the Chief Minister. First Mr Rana, honoured the Chief Minister and ministers by presenting them with caps and shawls. Not to be left behind, Mr Chaudhary, placed a turban on the head of the Chief Minister and presented shawls to other ministers. This clearly manifest that the bitterness between the two generated at the time of the assembly elections still persists.

As both Mr Chaudhary and Mr Rana made separate demands before the Chief Minister regarding construction of roads and bridges, and upgradation of particular schools it became ticklish for Mr Dhumal to choose. He very tactfully tried to keep both in good humour, by accepting a bit of the demands of both.

Even the supporters of Mr Chaudhary and Mr Rana, remained segregated, clearly indicating that BJP workers still remained divided into Shanta and Dhumal factions.

The HVC candidate from Jwalamukhi, Mrs Veena Sharma, who was also present at the function, left just when the Chief Minister started his speech. She was completely ignored during the function and nobody even bothered to mention her name as she sat in the front row on the dais.

During his tour of Kangra district the Chief Minister has had to face some piquant situations due to not only the party workers but also MLAs and ministers being divided into the Shanta and Dhumal groups. However, the Chief Minister, on most occasions handled the situation very tactfully by giving equal importance to leaders from both the factions so that nobody feels left out. This has been a great exercise for Mr Dhumal so that no one feels ignored as Shanta men are in majority in Kangra district.