Fires destroy Forest property
KANGRA, April 3 — Property of the Forest Department worth thousands was destroyed in two forest fire accidents in Kangra town during the past 12 hours.

CM: religion not be used for political ends
NAHAN, April 3 — Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal condemned self-styled 'secular' leaders of India for allegedly creating rift among various communities of the country for political objectives.

CPM alleges injustice to Himachal
SHIMLA, April 3 — The CPM has demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of denial of due share to Himachal Pradesh in the assets of undivided Punjab.

Development authority for Himalayas mooted
KULU, April 3 — The country has reached at such a stage in the degradation of environment that the Ministry of Environment and Forests has declared 'ecological emergency' according to Suresh P. Prabhu, Minister for Environment and Forests.

Clean-Shimla scheme yields results
SHIMLA, April 3 — The clear Shimla campaign launched by a non-government organisation has yielded encouraging results over the past one month.

Nehru responsible for Tibet crisis: Jethmalani
JAWALAMUKHI, April 3 — The Union Urban Development Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, today held responsible country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru for the present Tibet crisis. Mr Jethmalani was talking reporters at Gaggal Airport yesterday.

Fires destroy Forest property
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, April 3 — Property of the Forest Department worth thousands was destroyed in two forest fire accidents in Kangra town during the past 12 hours.

According to fire brigade sources the fire broke out last evening in forests near Mission Hospital in the Kangra town but was controlled by the local residents. This morning fire broke out in the same forest from the Donga bazaar which spread to the Mission Hospital compound. More than 500 local residents of the Mandir Mohalla along with 200 children fought with the fire to save the local houses. Three fire tenders reached here from Dharamsala and Palampur but could not reach the accident site. Microwave station of the telecom department was also saved by people.

CM: religion not be used for political ends
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, April 3 — Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal condemned self-styled 'secular' leaders of India for allegedly creating rift among various communities of the country for political objectives.

He was addressing a public meeting at Paonta Sahib, 45 km from Nahan last night after welcoming the procession of saints who entered Himachal from UP. Saints procession is on a journey of the country on the occasion of the Tercentenary of Khalsa Panth. More than 200 saints of various sects and communities are participating in this yatra.

Mr Dhumal said that the British had sown seeds of discord between members of various religions and communities which had been living here peacefully. The British had done it to weaken the country for their political interest but even after independence some of our own leaders, had been following that very line of "divide and rule". These are the persons who are opposing the construction of Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the Chief Minister alleged. He also described as unfortunate attitude of confrontation between "Kesh Dharis & Slehas Dharies' which took place in our society in last decade. He warned Hindus and Sikhs to be aware of such selfish politicians diving society for political motives.

The Chief Minister also alleged that British distorted our history by describing the Aryans as foreign invaders. Their aim was to demoralise the people of India by creating an impression that they were incapable of governing themselves and had always been ruled by foreign rulers, Mr Dhumal added. He urged the people to shed this "slave mentality" and work together to make the country a super power. He paid rich tributes to Sikh Gurus for their sacrifices to protect the social and cultural heritage of India.

He announced the naming of the government Senior Secondary School Bhagni after the name of Guru Gobind Singh.

Thousands of people listened religious discourse of Swami Parmanand of Hardwar. Bardar Charanjeet Singh organiser of this 'yatra disclosed that 200 saints and more than 100 sewadars were taking part in the yatra which already had covered more than 3000 km.

The yatra was welcomed at 228 places and 150 public meetings were held. Yatra will reach at Keshgarh Sahib gurdwaras on April 10.

A source from Kalsar said this over telephone that more than 20,000 persons from over 25 villages of Chachroli Tehsil of Yamunanagar district lined up both side of roads to have a darshan and to greet the yatra as it proceeded towards Jagadhari this morning.

Water shortage hits Kangra
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA April 3 — With summer yet to begin, Kangra district is already in the grip of a severe water rain crisis.

As there has been very little, and snow, this winter water sources are drying up. The tributaries of the Beas and the khuds, which are the main source of water, both for drinking purpose and irrigation have almost dried up.

The worst-affected areas in the district include the Changer areas falling under the subdivisions of Jaisinghpur and Palampur, the Budoh area of Kangra, Majheen and the Pragpur area in Dehra and the upper areas of Jwali. Even forest fires, which would generally occur in May, due to intense heat, have already broken out in certain areas. Standing wheat crop is also getting affected due to the shortage of water at this stage.

The situation has rung alarm bells for the Irrigation Department. The superintending Engineer, Irrigation and Public Health, Mr B.S. Rana, said the department was making allout efforts to meet water shortage. Admitting that water shortage could become quite acute, in the coming days, he said all hand pumps which were not working were being repaired.

"The water courses from the khuds are being manned at night so that farmers do not divert them to their fields," he said. Efforts were being made to provide this water, after filtration, for drinking as well as for irrigation. A list of the areas falling in the Changer area, where hand pumps could be installed was being prepared to tackle the situation. In the Jaisinghpur subdivision a list of 40 hand pumps which were needed immediately had been prepared, he added.

The Deputy Commissioner has called a meeting of the concerned departments on April 7 to draw up a contingency plan. Efforts will be made to revive the traditional water sources like "bowris".

In the scarcity areas falling along roadside, arrangements will be made to provide water through tankers. Arrangements are already being made to hire tankers. However, tankers will be able to provide water in only those villages located along the road-side . The situation is so bad that the IPH Department is worried as to from where water, to be supplied through tankers, will be brought.

Situation in Dharamsala town is turning out to be equally bad. Certain localities of the town and the adjoining areas have already started witnessing water shortage. According to IPH offcials against a demand of 60 lakh litres of water per day for Dharamsala town, 45 lakh is being supplied by the department. Even out of this water a large portion is wasted due to leakages in the pipes due to faulty distribution system.

Hoteliers in McLeodganj and Dharamsala are also apprehensive that if the present situation aggravates, the tourist season could also be affected.

A rail line in neglect
From Ravinder K. Sood

PALAMPUR: The Kangra valley railway line, which plays an important role in the economy of this region of Himachal Pradesh, is in a state of neglect. This 120-km-long railway line links Pathankot with Jogindernagar. The Kangra valley narrow gauge railway line was laid by the British in 1932 linking the religious towns of Kangra with Mandi district.

The objective of this rail line was to carry heavy machinery for the installation of the Shanan powerhouse at Jogindernagar.

Thanks to the Railways apathy, not even a single brick has been added to this railway line in the past 75 years. A number of plans were drawn up to convert this narrow gauge line into a broad gauge line but all remained on paper. With the manifold increase in the population of the area over the past 25 years, the tourist traffic has gone up to the Kangra valley but the Railways has failed to change its style of functioning. The same old, outdated engines and trains have still been running on this track. Even the Railways could not introduce a first class compartment here.

At present seven trains are plying on this route daily covering 33 stations passing through important places like Jwalamukhi Road, Kangra, Chamunda, Palampur, Jogindernagar and Baijnath which are also major tourist centres of the state.

It is a sad state of affairs that the Railways is providing step-motherly treatment to this rail section. No efforts have been made to set up a proper ticket window at Pathankot railway station. At present the ticket counter for Kangra valley trains is about half a km away from the station causing inconvenience to passengers. Many a time luggage of the passengers is stolen when they walk up to the station to get a ticket.

The condition of the rail track has gone from bad to worse as the Railways has no funds to repair the track. Wooden logs on the railway line are past their prime but no effort has been made to replace the same which could cause tragedy at any time. The residential quarters and railway station buildings are in bad shape. Enquiries reveal that no funds were sanctioned to repair or even to whitewash these buildings, which are 75 years old. Families of rail employees live in a pitiable condition in these buildings. No senior officer of the railway has inspected the track.

Two years ago, a former MP and senior Congress leader, Mr Sat Mahajan, raised the Kangra valley railway line issue in Parliament. The then Railway Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Paswan, assured members that all efforts would be made to convert this track into a broad gauge line soon. Even a survey was conducted. But the BJP Government at the Centre again rejected the previous proposal and no funds were sanctioned in the Railway Budget. Though there are four BJP members in Parliament from the state, their voice was also not heard in the House.

Besides, almost all 33 railway stations of the Kangra valley railway line lack basic facilities like drinking water, cleanliness and waiting room for passengers. One would not believe that a number of railway stations have been functioning from just one room. Patti, Chauntra, Paror and Chamunda railway stations have no room for passengers to sit. These stations do not even have a temporary shed to shelter passengers from sun and rain.

Kangra valley situated in the foothills of the Himalayas attracts lakh of tourists every year. If rail services are improved and better amenities are provided to the passengers, tourists would prefer to travel by train. Efforts should also be made to convert this rail line into a broad gauge lines. In the past 10 years all small gauge and metre gauge rail line in the South have been converted into broad gauge lines but the North remains neglected. If this line is converted into broad gauge line it would not only help this region but would also fetch additional revenue to the Railways.

CPM alleges injustice to Himachal
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 3 — The CPM has demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of denial of due share to Himachal Pradesh in the assets of undivided Punjab.

In a statement here today, Mr Mohar Singh, state secretary of the CPM, alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, had surrendered the interests of Himachal Pradesh to Punjab and Haryana as the governments in both these states were being supported by the BJP.

He said Mr Dhumal was following an attitude similar to that adopted by his predecessor, Mr Shanta Kumar. The latter, in utter disregard of the state's interests, had accepted 4 per cent royalty from Punjab in respect of Thein dam.

Mr Mohar Singh said it needed to be emphasised that because of construction of dams at various sites in Himachal, more than six lakh hectares had been submerged. Thousands of people had become landless and the problem of rehabilitation remained unsolved.

Development authority for Himalayas mooted
From Our Correspondent

KULU, April 3 — The country has reached at such a stage in the degradation of environment that the Ministry of Environment and Forests has declared 'ecological emergency' according to Suresh P. Prabhu, Minister for Environment and Forests.

Addressing a press conference at Sarabai today he said the Himalayan ranges were fragile and prone to natural calamities. His ministry had proposed to constitute a "Himalayan Development Authority". This body would be given exhaustive powers to safeguard the Himalayas. The authority would have vast surveys in the fields of forest management and agriculture programmes.

He said more than 2 lakh villages had been identified where people were dependent on forests, he added. The authority would consider the day-to-day needs of these villages and make plans to compensate the villagers.

Mr Prabhu said his ministry had organised a meeting along with the ministries of Water Resources, Energy and Agriculture on April 17 in Delhi to discuss the integration of economic activities with environment. He said the discussion would be in a phased manner.

The Environment and Forests Minister revealed that 33 per cent land in the country would be covered under forests. A forestry action plan had been drawn up and environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt had been appointed its president.

A bio-diversity Bill" would be introduced in Parliament to regulate the exploitation of the forest wealth by foreigners. The diminishing species of medicinal plants and other forest produce would be saved.

The ministry had also planned to have an 'environment fund'. The minister stressed that all polluting industries, including the hydroelectric and thermal power projects, would have to contribute to this fund.

In reply to a question about the direction of the Supreme Court about the management of the Beas in this district, the minister assured that a comprehensive plan was under way to conserve the catchment areas and the island found by the devastating flood in the recent past.

In reply to another question that the Union Government would pay a cess for the pollution generated by the hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh to the Himachal Government, he said 40,000 MW power was earmarked to be generated in the future and government had proposed to levy 1 per cent of the total cost of the project for the purpose of afforestation and eco-friendly environment.

Clean-Shimla scheme yields results
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 3 — The clear Shimla campaign launched by a non-government organisation has yielded encouraging results over the past one month.

The hill slopes in Khalini, Vikas Nagar, New Shimla, Chhota Shimla and Kasumpti localities which had become dumping ground for garbage, wear a much cleaner look these days. A door-to-door garbage collection scheme started by the Yuvsatta in February has been successful to a large extent in preventing further defacing of slopes by domestic waste.

The organisation is covering about 1,000 households with the active cooperation of the local Municipal Corporation and collecting about two tonnes of garbage daily.

It was able to motivate the residents to get enrolled under the scheme and recruit local rag pickers for collection of waste. While each household pays Rs 20 per month for the job, the Municipal Corporation is giving matching grants for the first 500 households and 50 per cent for the next 500 households.

Mr Pramod Sharma, president of the Yuvsatta, said the response of people had been very encouraging and from May onwards more colonies would be brought under the scheme. The people would be encouraged to segregate the recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

He said plans were afoot to set up waste paper recycling facility in the second phase of the programme. He said a long-term solution to the problem would be found only by educating the people and voluntary service could only show the way.

Mr Sharma said the scheme had virtually put an end to any further degradation of slopes but there was an urgent need to remove the garbage thrown over the years. He said banning of recycled polythene bags as these have been merely replaced by transparent polythene bags, an alternative had to be found and carry bags made of recycled paper could prove useful in this regard.

Nehru responsible for Tibet crisis: Jethmalani
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, April 3 — The Union Urban Development Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, today held responsible country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru for the present Tibet crisis. Mr Jethmalani was talking reporters at Gaggal Airport yesterday.

Mr Jethmalani, was on a personal visit to the Tibetan monastery at Bhattu, near Baijnath. He had come here on an invitation of Tibetan spiritual Leader Situ Rinpoche, who was allowed to return to India last August after five years. Rinpoche had been declared persona non-grata by the Indian government. He also visited Dharamsala to meet Dalai Lama.

He said the country of compassion was subjected to large scale torture of men and women, militarisation, deforestation and nuclear pollution. For the past five decades Tibetans have been crying for freedom. Millions of Tibetans are facing uncertainty and hardships. Due to Chinese colonisation they are increasingly being reduced to a minority in their own country. Chinese rulers are brazenly exterminating gradually a unique culture, environment, religion and nation he added.

He added that had, the then, national leadership not miscalculated international political events, peace loving Tibetan community would have not suffered at the hands of China's empire. He was of the opinion that subsequent events led to Chinese invasion of our country that ultimately led to collapse at the national level. It was the time when national integration and solidarity was put to question at the international level. As a sequel to such political events, leadership of our country willy-nilly could not extend open support to the freedom of Tibet.

Mr Jethmalani, Union Minister made a plea to world powers to take serious steps for the restoration of democratic polity in Tibet. He wished success to the freedom struggle of Tibet.

Replying to a question,Mr Ram Jethmalani said that the coalition government at the Centre was stable and the instability was the creation of the media. In a coalition government, you have to listen to the demands of partners and there was no harm in accepting reasonable ones, he added.

He said Mr Jayalalitha herself had told the Prime Minister that she was not asking for the reinstatement of sacked Naval Chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat or for the removal of Defence Minister George Fernades as she was bowing to majority decision in the Coordination Committee meeting.

He said now another statement was being referred having been made by her and in these circumstances, he could not say which of her statements was correct.