Shimla, August 30
The Congress today squarely blamed the BJP for the violent clash and police action during the parallel rallies held by the two parties yesterday even as the government instituted a police inquiry into the entire episode, including the death of a four-year-old seriously ill child who could not be taken to hospital in time due to a road blockade. The inquiry will be conducted by DIG (South) R.L.Sood.

Kaul Singh said the fact would be known only after the inquiry was completed by the DIG

Irrigation and public health minister Kaul Singh said had the BJP workers dispersed after holding their rally at Chaura Maidan and not marched to Kennedy Chowk where the Congress rally was in progress the day would have passed peacefully. The situation turned violent only after BJP workers tried to force their entry into the Kennedy Chowk area and disrupt the “samarthan rally” for which the Congress had obtained due permission from the deputy commissioner. He said it was a well-planned move as state BJP chief Jai Ram announced at the conclusion of the rally that the workers would now march to Kennedy Chowk and hold another rally.

The BJP had also applied for permission to hold a rally and it was granted permission for the same from 11a.m. to 1.30 p.m. at Chaura Maidan up to police barricades with entry and exit to the venue from the tunnel 103 side. But they took a detour and marched to Kennedy Chowk from the raliway station side to attack the ongoing Congress rally. In the process six Congressmen were injured. Senior BJP leaders like Mohinder Singh could be seen instigating BJP workers. He also released some photographs to support his charge.

He said four FIRs had been registered in connection with the incident by head constable Madan Singh, Mukesh Kumar, a driver of the state electricity board whose vehicle was damaged, Mohinder Satan , a Congress worker who was seriously injured , and Jai Ram Thakur, state BJP chief.

Kaul Singh maintained that there was adequate police force as 468 security personnel, including 355 constables, 77 head constables, 41 non-gazetted officers and 16 home guards were deployed. He said the police exercised utmost restraint despite a grave provocation and it succeeded in dispersing the agitators to prevent any further violence.

Regarding the death of the child he said initial reports indicated that he was being taken to hospital in a private vehicle and not an ambulance. He said the fact would be known only after the inquiry was completed by the DIG.

Shimla, August 30
Rejecting the police probe ordered by the government into the clash outside the state Assembly, the BJP today demanded that the government should be dismissed and a CBI or judicial probe should be ordered into the entire episode, including the death of a child.

Addressing a press conference here today, in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal Satpal Jain said being government employees no police official was in a position to hold an independent inquiry. “We want that investigation should be handed over either to the CBI or a sitting or retired judge of the High Court should probe both the clash as well as the death of the child,” he said.

He said the state government should be dismissed immediately and President’s rule be imposed. “Yesterday’s incident was not just an administrative lapse but a complete failure of constitutional machinery right before the eyes of the Chief Minister as well as ministers,” he said. An FIR for murder should be registered against whosoever was responsible for the child’s death and it was only the government who could fix responsibility in this regard, he added.

He said though no amount of money can compensate for the child’s death but still the family should be extended all possible help. “Giving a compensation of Rs 2 lakh is too less and it seems that the government is trying to cover up its guilt for the child’s death,” he said.

PALAMPUR: Former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar today asked the Himachal Pradesh government to order a judicial probe into brutal lathi charge on BJP workers who were staging a peaceful dharna in Shimla yesterday.

Addressing a news conference at his residence this afternoon, Shanta Kumar said only judicial probe could tell the truth that what circumstances forced the government to resort to lathicharge when there was no provocation from the BJP workers.

He said the Chief Minister and one of his cabinet colleagues were creating Bihar-like situation in the state and if no timely action was taken, the state would face serious law and order problems. He alleged that most of the BJP workers were not injured because of police lathi charge but they were attacked by the anti-social elements hired by Congress leaders.

Shanta Kumar alleged that it was a deep-rooted conspiracy that the Shimla district administration allowed the Congress to hold a “samarathan rally” outside the Assembly at the last moment.

While lashing out at Virbhadara Singh, Shanta Kumar alleged that the CM and his wife Partibha Singh were openly collecting money from the industrial houses, which had been probed in the CD released by the Major Vijay Singh Mankotia.

Shanta Kumar said the BJP would launch a statewide agitation from September 1 to lodge their protest against the lathi charge on BJP workers and would organise rallies and dharnas all over the state.

SOLAN: Terming yesterday’s violent incident at Shimla as a Congress-sponsored show, the BJP today demanded dismissal of the government. Addressing mediapersons, BJP’s vice-president Rajiv Bindal said the government deliberately planned a rally outside the Vidhan Sabha when the BJP had sought permission for it well in advance. It was an assault on the democratic rights of the Opposition as they were free to hold protests and rallies against the Congress misrule.

Bindal accused the CM of violating the protocol of the Vidhan Sabha by addressing a rally from the balcony of the MLA hostel and having used a loudspeaker within the premises of the sabha. 

Shimla, August 30
Both the Congress and the BJP have lodged counter FIRs, naming senior leaders including MLAs, for their involvement in yesterday’s clash outside the state Assembly.

In all, four FIRs have been lodged in connection with the clash between the Congress and BJP workers outside the Vidhan Sabha, where the Congress and BJP held parallel rallies.

While one FIR each has been lodged by the Congress and the BJP, one FIR has been lodged on the statement of head constable Madan Singh regarding the incident and another has been registered by Mukesh Kumar, a driver in the HPSEB for the damage caused to his vehicle.

The complaint from the Congress has been lodged by Mohinder Satan while the complaint from the BJP side has been lodged by state party chief Jai Ram Thakur. — TNS

Shimla, August 30
The CPM today demanded that an FIR for murder should be registered against those who are responsible for the death of four-year-old Dinesh, who died for lack of medical aid due to the political rallies held by the Congress and the BJP.

Tikender Pawar, member, state secretariat of the CPM, said the irresponsible behaviour on the part of both the BJP and the Congress had resulted in the death of a child, who was in immediate need of medical attention.

“Besides holding investigations under section 302, IPC, the police and the district administration should be held responsible for the problem which resulted in the death of a child,” said Pawar.

They demanded that a compensation of at least Rs 5 lakh be given to the family which had lost its child due to the irresponsible behaviour of the two political parties. 

Dharamsala, August 30
Contrary to the May, 1987, instructions of the Centre, the district magistrates of Bilaspur, Kullu, Shimla and Una instead of providing relief to the affected people had diverted Rs 1.69 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund for executing fresh works during 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The audit findings did not find tenable the contentions of the then DMs as these works were not covered under the provisions of the Calamity Relief Fund. Unfortunately, no disciplinary action had so far been taken against these officers

The district magistrates had allegedly diverted Rs 1.69 crore for the execution of 250 fresh works not related to natural calamities.

The state government had also issued directions in January, 1998, that the approval of the government was necessary to spend the funds on fresh works.

As per the details available, Rs 39.40 lakh was spent by the Shimla DM on the construction of a panchayat ghar-cum-community centre, mahila mandal bhavan, Rs 25.30 lakh on a school building, Rs 2 lakh on a playground (ramlila ground/stage), Rs 3.10 lakh on constructing a police assistance room, besides Rs 1 lakh on a garbage dumping site.

Similarly, the DMs of Bilaspur, Kullu and Una utilised Rs 15.81 lakh on the renovation of residential buildings of district-level officials, including Rs 65,000 for providing white glazed floor tiles in the residence of the Una DM and Rs 60000 on wiring in the district attorney's residence and other staff quarters at Una.

The DM of Kullu had also utilised Rs 12.64 lakh on repairs of government office buildings.

Interestingly, when the accountant-general demanded an explanation, the the Kullu DM stated in December, 2005, that the works required immediate restoration for making them safe, hygienic and usable and could not wait for the regular budget.

The Bilaspur and Shimla DMs stated that the funds were diverted between December, 2005, and February, 2006, to generate employment. The then DM of

Shimla stated in February, 2006, that the construction of new works was a part of the entire relief package whereby employment opportunities were generated in the affected areas. The DM of Una claimed in January, 2006, that the recommendations of the concerned revenue authorities were obtained before initiating all such works.

The audit findings did not find tenable the contentions of the then DMs as these works were not covered under the provisions of the Calamity Relief Fund. Unfortunately, no disciplinary action had so far been taken against these Officers. 

Dharamsala, August 30
Trainees doing JBT course at the local institute today held a protest march against the state government for bringing in contract system in recruiting the primary teachers. Later, they gathered outside the office of the district magistrate on the secretariat premises and raised slogans against the government for about an hour.

They handed over a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the district magistrate demanding to scrap the contract system in appointment of teachers and provide regular jobs to them.

Until recently, they were up in arms against the government for unnecessarily delaying to get their service bonds filled at the earliest so as to ensure that they would get teaching jobs after completing the training.

No matter, the state government had announced to get the service bonds filled but changed the parameter of providing a regular job. Instead, the contract system had been introduced in the service bond with the condition of serving as a teacher for at least five years on a contract of Rs 6,700 per month.

It has also been mandatory in the service bond that those interested in leaving the job in-between the said period would have to pay Rs 50,000 to the education department.

The trainees alleged that schools were not liquor shops that should be run on contract system.

The JBT trainees announced that they would not attend the classes until the state government withdraws the contract system in recruitments. They also threatened to intensify the agitation if their demand was not met.

Dharamsala, August 30
The state school inspection cadre officers and the state teachers' welfare federation had alleged that the Education Department was opening new schools and upgrading the old ones without raising the infrastructural, administrative and academic facilities due to which there was a failure of complete academic atmosphere in such schools across the state.

President of the federation R.D. Thakur, said there were as many as 550 posts of school cadre principal lying vacant in the government senior secondary schools across the state. “The academic and administrative system in such schools has gone haywire”, he said. He alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who is also holding the portfolio of Education was solely responsible for not appointing principals in the newly upgraded schools and all others in which these posts were lying vacant.

There were more than 100 posts of principal lying vacant in Kangra district alone that reflected biased attitude of the Virbhadra government towards this district, he alleged. Lashing out at Virbhadra, he said the CM was responsible for the poor quality of education in the state.

The federation also criticised the attitude of Virbhadra for not holding departmental promotion committee meeting for quite some time. Criticising the policy of recruiting the teachers through the parents and teachers association on meagre salaries, the federation leader claimed that only candidates owing loyalty to the ruling party and having poor academic records were being recruited through the back door under this policy.

Shimla, August 30
The State Electricity Board Employees Union has accused the government of ruining the board by allotting all easy and economically attractive hydroelectric projects to independent power producers.

In a statement here today president of the union L.R. Thakur said the policy of the government clearly reflected its intension to privatise the board as there was no project left with it to execute. The two subsidiaries of the board, Kinner Kailash Power Corporation and Pabbar Valley Power Corporation, had been merged into newly setup Himachal Power Corporation. These companies had spent about Rs 280 crore till date but the work done on the 66-MW Kashang project in Kinnaur and the 111-MW Sawra-Kuddu was negligible.

The union alleged that the purpose of forming companies and raising loans through these was nothing but to spend this loan for other purposes and not to construct projects, which would ultimately ruin the board.

The first installment of up-front money for projects allotted to private companies amounting to Rs 218 crore had been given to the government but all work relating to the floating of tenders for evaluation had been done by engineers and employees of the board which got nothing. The board was running an overdraft of more than Rs 500 crore and field employees of the board were not getting their claims well in time.

Sundernagar, August 30
The Bench of Consumer Forum, Mandi, headed by president Samsher Singh while awarding a double accidental benefit claim against Life Insurance Corporation, Mandi, has directed LIC, Mandi branch, to pay an amount of Rs 1.20 lakh to Prince Sharma, resident of Nagchala in Mandi district, along with nine per cent interest per annum and has further directed the LIC to pay an amount of Rs 2,000 as the cost of complaint.

The complainant had filed a complaint before the forum through his grand mother Dinesh Sharma, alleging that his father Mukesh Sharma was insured with the insurance company vide two different policies, one was of Rs one lakh other was of Rs 20,000, and the father of the complainant had been paying the premium regularly.

On January 1, 2006, the parents of complainant died in an accident The LIC only gave the complainant the assured amount to the complainant ie. Rs 1.14 lakh towards the policy of one lakh and Rs 23,320 towards the policy of Rs 20,000, but declined the double accidental benefit on the ground that the death was not an accidental one. So the complainant filed a complaint before the forum regarding the issue.

The LIC contested the claim on the ground that the death was not accidental and the company had already paid the admissible amount to the complainant, which was accepted by the guardian of the complainant. The forum held the death of the father of the complainant was accidental, as the report of the forensic laboratory had shown that 82 per cent of carbon mono oxide had been detected from the blood sample of the deceased.