Delay over bridge irks farmers
MANALI: The population of Bahanu and the surrounding villages are facing an uphill task in carrying out their day-to-day work due to the indifferent attitude adopted by the authorities towards the construction of a bridge which was washed away during the 1995 floods.

Woman seeks husband’s return
NURPUR, Oct 17 — Rano Devi of Golwan village has been running from pillar to post to seek justice as her husband Raju and brother Aslam were forcibly taken away from her house by four unidentified persons in the early hours of September 21.

Army chief visits martyrs' families
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Oct 17 — The Chief of the Army Staff, General V.P. Malik, said here today the Government of India was coming out with a uniform policy for the payment of central assistance to those soldiers who were killed in Operation Vijay and Operation Rakshak recently. He said the Army authorities had already taken up this important issue with the government. General Malik said he was conversant with this problem and committed to taking care of the families of martyrs.

General Malik, who was talking to reporters at the residence of Capt Saurabh Kalia, who was killed in Operation Vijay at Dras, said Chief Ministers of different states also had been processing the package of state assistance to the valiant sons of the nations. He admitted that earlier there was ambiguity in the payment of state assistance. General Malik arrived earlier in the town and condoled the families of martyrs in Palampur town and adjoining areas.

While at the residence of Major Sudhir Walia's residence, General Malik became emotional and could not contain himself. With tears in his eyes he said Sudhir was his ADC for one year and he was just like his son. He said he was proud of him that he kept the highest tradition of the nation and the made supreme sacrifice for the country. Subedar Rulia Ram, father of Major Walia, urged the Army Chief to treat post-Kargil heroes of Operation Vijay.

General Malik also visited the family of Capt Vikram Batra. He said not only Palampur but the entire nation was proud of its brave sons.

‘Cong should play positive role’
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 17 — Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister, said yesterday that the Congress should play a positive and constructive role as an opposition party.

Addressing a press conference at Nagrota Bagwan during his two-day tour to this district after his induction as a Cabinet Minister in the newly constituted Vajpayee government, he said the NDA government would complete its full term of five years.

He said the Congress should not become weak after its defeat in the elections because a weak Opposition in a democratic set up was against national interests.

He said Mr Vajpayee had honoured the sentiments of the people of the state by including him in the Council of Ministers. He said the ministry allotted to him was important and sensitive and added that consumers' interests were his top priority. He said he would ensure the subsidy of Rs 40,000 crore given through this department reached the needy people. He also promised to strengthen the distribution system.

Earlier, Mr Shanta Kumar was accorded a rousing reception all along the route from Jassure to Baijnath. He addressed different public meetings at Jassure, Kotala, Shahpur, Gaggal, Kangra and Nagrota Bagwan. He thanked the people of Kangra and Chamba districts for their faith in him and leadership of Mr Vajpayee.

He also thanked the media for playing a positive role during the recent elections.

He was received by ministers of Dhumal Cabinet and other MLAs at Pathankot on his arrival there yesterday. He was accompanied by Mr Vidiya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor, Transport Minister and other BJP leaders.

Delay over bridge irks farmers
From M.C. Thakur

MANALI: The population of Bahanu and the surrounding villages are facing an uphill task in carrying out their day-to-day work due to the indifferent attitude adopted by the authorities towards the construction of a bridge which was washed away during the 1995 floods.

The Bahanu bridge, about 4 km short of Manali town on the Manali-Kulu road, used to be the lifeline not just for residents of Bahanu village but for the upper Manali region consisting of Vashishat, Koshla, Mathiana, Goshal, Burua and Manali villages, as well. Residents of these villages, mostly farmers, have paddy fields and apple orchards in the Bahanu area. The people from upper region of Manali cross the Beas by a ropeway locally known as "jhulla".

Similarly, villagers from Bahanu area are also in dire straits. In the absence of a bridge over the Beas, they find it difficult to carry sick people to hospital for treatment, and children too are unable to reach the school in time as crossing the river by ropeway takes time as only two persons can use this ropeway at a time.

During the 1995 floods, the Beas had washed away almost all suspension bridges in the upper Kulu region. Most of the other bridges have either been repaired or are nearing completion, but there is no sign of a bridge near Bahanu village in the near future.

The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by the then Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, on November 24,1997. A 72-metre long ropeway bridge was to be rebuilt at an estimated cost of Rs 21.83 lakh but no significant progress has been made so far by the department concerned. Even the foundation stone is missing!

Bahanu bridge had served as the shortest route for the people of Shuru, Prini, Jagatsukh and Bhanara villages. People owning paddy fields and orchards have to transport paddy, wheat and apples manually via Jagatsukh and thus are forced to spend a lot of money on transportation of their crops and fruit.

With winter approaching, the people would find it difficult to cross the river by ropeway as the rider in the jhulla has to pull the rope to cross the river and the chilly breeze would necessitate more force.

The villages are a discontented lot and nurse resentment against the department concerned for the unwarranted delay in the construction of the bridge.

Woman seeks husband’s return
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Oct 17 — Rano Devi of Golwan village has been running from pillar to post to seek justice as her husband Raju and brother Aslam were forcibly taken away from her house by four unidentified persons in the early hours of September 21.

Rano Devi told this correspondent that she raised a hue and cry but the plainclothesmen allegedly took the two away. After waiting for two days she reported the matter to the Nurpur police.

She says she got the information that her husband and brother were taken away by the Punjab police of Pathankot police station number two. She visited the Pathankot police station along with the pradhan of her gram panchayat to know the whereabouts of her spouse. The Pathankot police refused to cooperate. After a lot of running around she came to know that both missing family members had been lodged in the district jail of Gurdaspur.

The hapless woman in an affidavit alleged that her husband and brother were spirited away without any warrant. She also alleged that they had been falsely booked.

She has urged the state government to intervene in the matter and restore, her spouse and brother, detained in a Gurdaspur jail on false grounds, to her.