Centre urged to meet HP liability
SHIMLA, May 27 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the Centre to meet the financial liability of Rs 400 crore per annum which has been put on the state due to the revision of pay scales on the recommendation of the Fifth Pay Commission.

Dam workers call off strike
SHIMLA, May 27 — Staff at Continental Venture Workers Union executing part of the Nathpa-Jakhri project called off its strike following an agreement with the management in the presence of the Labour Officer, Rampur, today.

Seven transfers in nine months
KANGRA, May 27 — Government teachers today held a dharna outside the District Education Officer to protest against harassment of teachers and transfers on flimsy grounds.

One killed in accident
KULU, May 27 — The driver of an army truck was killed on the spot when the truck skidded off the road and rolled down into a khud near Gulaba, 14 km from Manali, yesterday.

HP to hire doctors on contract
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 27 — In view of the acute shortage of doctors in the medical college at Tanda in Kangra district, the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to recruit faculty on contract basis at a handsome salary.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the state Cabinet held here today under the chairmanship of Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister.

Briefing newsmen about the Cabinet decisions, Mr Dhumal said that the contractual fee for the doctors will range between Rs 24,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

He said that 20 posts of doctors had been created initially.

He said that 18 posts of dental surgeons have also been created for the community health centres in rural areas.

Mr Dhumal said that it has been decided to extend to urban areas benefits available to IRDP families. These benefits were presently available only to IRDP families residing in rural areas. The scheme will come into effect from August 15, 1999 by when identification of poor urban families will be completed.

He said that the Cabinet decided to impose an entertainment tax of 20 per cent on cable T.V. to be calculated on the basis of monthly charges being levied by cable TV operators on their clients.

The Chief Minister said that it had also been decided not to increase goods tax on trucks every year by 10 per cent. The increase, whenever warranted, would be through negotiations with truck operators.

Mr Dhumal said that 250 new posts, including those of Ayurvedic doctors and para-medical staff, have been created for the 50 Ayurvedic centres. Five posts have been sanctioned for each Ayruvedic centre.

40 posts of coaches for various games have been sanctioned to be filled on a monthly contract of Rs 4000.

It has been decided to increase the amount of free legal aid to Rs 25,000 from the existing Rs 15,000.

Mr Dhumal said that labourers in various departments who had completed 8 years of service till March 1999 wil be regularised.

He said that as a measure to promote sports, it has been decided to grant three special increments to in service sportsmen who win gold medals at the international level, two increments for silver and one increment for bronze.

Those winning national level gold medals in sports will be granted two special increments and those winning silver will get one increment.

Mr Dhumal said that to further decentralise powers to panchayats it was decided to empower panchayats to select the location of sewing centres in their respective areas. Sewing teachers will be selected by a three-member committee consisting of the BDO, panchayat pradhan and member of the concerned panchayat samiti.

India 'should sign landmine treaty'
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 27 — Experts and representatives of various social welfare organisations have demanded that India should sign the Ottawa treaty for a ban on anti-personal landmines which have killed a large number of people and disabled many.

The demand was made in a regional seminar on banning anti-personal landmines which was organised here today by the Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament and Environmental Protection and the Society for Allround Development.

The experts pointed out that the USA Russia, Pakistan, India and China were among the countries which had so far refused to sign the treaty. As may as 135 countries had signed the treaty and 55 countries ratified it.

They said a public opinion should be built to persuade the government to sign the treaty so as to save civilians from being hit by the landmines. The movement for banning anti-personal land mines was started in 1993 after the Vietnam war.

Sharing the concern of the participants, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, said the use of landmines could totally be discontinued and the current large-scale infiltration of foreign mercenaries and regulars of the Pakistani Army in the Kargil sector could have been prevented by planting mines on the Line of Control (LoC).

Mr Dhumal said the issue pertaining to ban landmines was a delicate one as Pakistan had been pushing in trained terrorists to destabilise India, on the other hand it was a matter of concern that many civilians were either killed or maimed due to these landmines.

Lt Gen Gurbir Man Singh (retd) said a balanced view had to be taken on the issue as it pertained to the security of the country and also welfare of the people.

Other experts pointed out that India had already acknowledged the large use of landmines by insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir and North East. There had been increasing documentary proof of foreign mercenaries, especially militants from Afghanistan in Kashmir, that they are not new to use of landmines.

The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the most competent in the world in explosive devices were known to be producing indigenous "Jonny mine" which had a deadly effect, worse than most conventional mines. Placed in position where there could be a spill over either from Afghanistan or Sri Lanka, India could not ban the use of landmines.

If India fell that it had the means to control the menace on its own without any outside help, it need not pay any attention to any international initiative.

They pointed out that as many as 26,000 persons were killed or injured by landmines every year over 80 per cent of them were civilians.

Dr K.A. Shete said landmines violated the right to life of people.

Dr Balkrishan Kurvey, president, Indian Institute for Peace Disarmament and Environmental Protection, said public concern over the scourge of landmines was growing.

Centre urged to meet HP liability
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 27 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the Centre to meet the financial liability of Rs 400 crore per annum which has been put on the state due to the revision of pay scales on the recommendation of the Fifth Pay Commission.

Talking to mediapersons here today the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, said that the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission had shattered the financial position particularly of the special category states.

He said the recommendations were implemented by the previous government at the Centre without prior consultations with the states which had been burdened financially.

He said the Centre should also compensate for the arrears of salary which had been paid to the employees on the basis of the report of the pay panel.

The Chief Minister said the demand would also be put before the Eleventh Finance Commission which was scheduled to visit here shortly.

He said the Centre should restore the practice of filling the gap between the Plan and non-Plan expenditure of the special category states.

He said that Himachal Pradesh was burdened with a liability of Rs 400 crore per annum due to the implementation of the pay panel report. The liability would continue to increase with the payment of dearness allowance at enhanced rates.

Mr Dhumal said the financial problem had been created due to the discontinuation of the special central grants by the Ninth Finance Commission.

He said the Centre should also accept the recommendations made by the Seventh Finance Commission to grant non-returnable loans to the state governments.

Mr Dhumal said he would put these demands before the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is expected to camp at Kulu for about a week.

He warned the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC) to mend its style of working failing which the Rampur Hydroelectric Project might be given to some other agency for execution.

He said the experience with the NJPC for the power project had not been very good as it had been delayed for a long time resulting in the huge price escalation.

The Chief Minister said the contract for the Rampur project would be like the 2051 MW Parbati Project and not on lines with the Nathpa-Jhakri project.

He said the state government was releasing Rs 5 crore as its share in the Nathpa-Jhakri project to the NJPC. Mr Yashwant Sinha, Finance Minister, had assured him of more grants from the Centre for the purpose.

Mr Dhumal said negotiations had reached an advanced stage with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for the construction of 800 MW Kol Dam Hydel Project.

He said that during his stay at Kulu, the Prime Minister would lay the foundation stone of the 2051 MW Parbati Project near Kulu on June 5 and the 300 MW Chamera (Stage II) near Chamba on June 6.

Seven transfers in nine months
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, May 27 — Government teachers today held a dharna outside the District Education Officer to protest against harassment of teachers and transfers on flimsy grounds.

Teachers affiliated to the Himachal Government Teachers Union headed by its chief patron, Mr Kartar Singh said that the teachers had been trying to get various grievances redressed through peaceful means but the government did not respond. Their demands include allowances on the Punjab pattern.

On the occasion a teacher Ms Kamdhi Bhardwaj alleged that she was transferred on personal grounds seven times since September '98. She said she had received her latest transfer order from Government School Kulthi to Sirmour, her seventh in nine months.

She threatened to resort to a fast unto death if her victimisation was not stopped. The teachers threatened a "stay out" agitation which they said would affect the future of students unless their demands were met.

Dam workers call off strike
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 27 — Staff at Continental Venture Workers Union executing part of the Nathpa-Jakhri project called off its strike following an agreement with the management in the presence of the Labour Officer, Rampur, today.

According to a spokesman of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) to which the union is affiliated, the management accepted some of the union's long-pending demands. As a result various categories of workers will be benefited by Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per month. Besides the unskilled workers will now get a wage of around Rs 3600 per month. The agreement will be effective until April 2001.

The company agreed to take back all 22 workers whose services were terminated. The union claimed that the company also agreed allot 25 houses to those workers who wanted to bring their families.

The state committee of CITU simultaneously has decided to intensify its stir in the Nathpa Jhakri joint venture company which it alleged had retrenched 140 workers in defiance of court orders. The union threatened a strike if the company failed to settle with them.

‘Well-to-do destitute sanctioned grant’
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, May 27 — Though it is difficult to believe that a well-to-do person could be officially declared as "destitute" and be sanctioned Rs 16,000 for the construction of a "one room kutia" under the Gandhi Kutir Yojna", yet if Mansha Ram of Kharkadi village of the Nainadevi area, 80 km from here, is to be believed, than this is exactly what has been done by certain officials of the Bilaspur Sadar Development Block.

In a detailed representation to the Deputy Commissioner here, Mr Mansha Ram said a woman of his village who owned a double storey four-room "pucca" house, and another "pucca" two-room house has been declared living below poverty line and had been sanctioned Rs 16,000. And one instalment of this ex-gratia grant had already been given to her for the construction of her "kutia".

Mansha Ram has added that the mother-in-law of this woman was also sanctioned a similar financial help of Rs 16,000 for the construction of a house under this very scheme earlier.

He has alleged that the Block Development Office was trying to suppress the case and was not obeying the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Feburary 5, 1999, in which the Deputy Commissioner had ordered an immediate inquiry and report before February 28. But this report has not been submitted till now.

One killed in accident
From Our Correspondent

KULU, May 27 — The driver of an army truck was killed on the spot when the truck skidded off the road and rolled down into a khud near Gulaba, 14 km from Manali, yesterday.

The co-driver of the truck was injured seriously. He had been admitted to Community Health Centre at Manali.

The deceased was identified as Hira Lal and the injured as Gopal Krishan.

The police said the body had been brought to the local district hospital for post-mortem examination.