HVC’s student wing launched
SOLAN, Aug 15 — Mr Anil Dogra, General Secretary of Yuva Vikas Congress, a frontal organisation of Mr Sukh Ram’s Himachal Vikas Congress, formally launched the students’ wing of the party, Himachal Vikas Chhatra Sangathan, by holding a meeting and appointing office-bearers of the district unit here yesterday.

Minister "flouted" EC directive
SHIMLA, Aug 16 — The Minister for Rural Development, Mr Ram Lal Markandey, "flouted" the directive of the Election Commission and hoisted the national flag on Independence Day yesterday in his home constituency of Keylong.

BJP violated poll code: Stokes
SHIMLA, Aug 16 — A senior Congress leader and a sitting MLA, Ms Vidya Stokes, who represents the Theog constituency in the Assembly, today accused the BJP-HVC government of violating the model code of conduct by politicising the traditional fair at Theog to launch their election campaign.

2 killed in accident

Resentment among teachers
HAMIRPUR, Aug 16 — There is strong resentment among teachers of the local Kendriya Vidyalaya against the non-cooperative and dictatorial attitude of the Principal.

Agro land for 2,000 Pong Dam oustees
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Aug 16 — Members of the Himachal Pradesh Pong Dam Oustees State Advisory Sub-committee, which recently visited a number of places in Sriganganagar and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan to examine the proposed plots (murrabbas) of agricultural land, has examined and selected land for around 2,000 Pong Dam oustees PDOs who still have to be allotted murrabbas in Rajasthan.

While disclosing this, Mr Sardari Lal Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, who is also in charge of relief and rehabilitation of the Pong Dam oustees and who led this 16-member subcommittee, told mediapersons here last evening that the committee had earmarked 10,054 hectares and 25 bighas of agricultural land respectively in the the Ramgarh and Mahangarh areas. The committee members, who were also accompanied by senior revenue officials and their counterparts in Rajasthan, had suggested proper distribution points for irrigation water to them.

The committee members had examined the murrabbas in Rajasthan and submitted a detailed report to the state Revenue Minister and Chairman of the state PDOs Advisory committee, Mr Rajan Sushant, on Saturday, suggested to rehabilitate 1,559 oustees found eligible for allotment of murrabbas following an agreement between the then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in 1981 and these oustees who were allotted murrabbas in the first phase of allotment and deprived of their physical possession on the same in Rajasthan.

The Deputy Commissioner pointed out that the Rajasthan Government had issued notification to provide right to purchase land in Rajasthan to the oustees whose names had figured in the voters list during 1981. The Rajasthan Government had also transferred land in the name of the HP Government at Anupgarh and Gharsana for the proposed series to be built by the state government at the cost of Rs 5 lakh each for the benefit of the oustees.

He added the committee, in its report had also suggested two more such serais at Ramgarh and Mohangarh. He said the Rajasthan Government had also agreed to consider the demand of the HP Government raised with the former in 1997 for the exchange of non-agriculturable land allotted to the oustees at Kherubala distributary in Jaisalmer district.

The Deputy Commissioner also pointed out that the Rajasthan Government had submitted a proposal to the state government for its consent for reducing the period of khatedari entry (right to transfer allotted land) from 20 years to five years to the allottees. This demand was raised by the HP Government at the Chief Secretaries-level meeting of both states in 1995, he added.

HP to formulate new drug policy
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 16 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will soon formulate a new drug policy to ensure that the common man get quality medicines at a reasonable price.

Disclosing this to mediapersons at the local Circuit house today Mr J.P. Nadha, Health Minister, said the new policy would come into operation after the government received a report from a committee of experts within a month or so.

He said efforts were being made to enforce rational use of medicines so that the patients did not develop immunity for the drugs due to excessive and irrational use of the medicines.

He said efforts were also being made to find a way out to prescribe the chemical salts and not the patent medicines in which there was alarming variation in prices, while the salt used was the same.

The minister said the committee of experts had prepared a list of about 500 essential drugs, which over 95 per cent patients visiting health institutions, invariably require. Over 4000 copies of the list had been circulated in the state.

He said it would be mandatory to display the list of medicines available in the hospitals to avoid favouritism.

BJP-HVC combine set to cash in on Kargil
Tribune News Service

THEOG, Aug 16 — The ruling BJP-HVC combine launched their joint election campaign here today. The speeches of the leaders, however, made it clear that the Kargil issue would be the main election plank of the two parties in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, the HVC

Chief, Mr Sukh Ram, and other speakers who addressed the rally, focussed mainly on Kargil. They held successive Congress governments responsible for mishandling the defence of the country.

The leaders made every effort to transform the patriotic sentiments aroused by the recent events in Kargil to tangible electoral gains. It also became clear that the ruling combine would adopt an aggressive posture on the Kargil issue.

Mr Dhumal, unsparing in his criticism of the Congress, said it was strange that the BJP government, which had got every inch of land vacated from the Pakistani intruders was being termed negligent and incompetent by the Congress. He said the Congress governments had not only created the Kashmir problem by announcing unilateral ceasefire in 1949, but had also surrendered 38,000 sq km of land to China during 1962 war and returned the captured territory and 1 lakh PoWs during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars without settling the Kashmir issue.

He said, it was the Congress which internationalised the Kashmir issue by approaching the United Nations in 1949 and by accepting third party mediation during post-war negotiations in 1965 and 1971.

He allayed all fears on the future of the BJP-HVC alliance and said the BJP would not ditch the HVC even if got absolute majority in the House. The HVC legislators would continue to be the part and parcel of the government and the vital role played by the HVC in forming a non-Congress government would not be forgotten.

As expected Mr Sukh Ram targeted his arch rival and former Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh. He said his party had fielded an ex-Army officer in recognition of the sacrifices made by Army personnel in Kargil and claimed that the coming together of the BJP and HVC had changed the the electoral arithmetic in the state dramatically.

The alliance had won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat with a record margin and made a clean sweep of all five Assembly seats. He said the combine’s victory run would continue in the coming elections also.

The active involvement of the BJP activists in the rally dispelled all apprehensions about dissatisfaction among them for leaving the seat for the HVC. The rally, in fact turned out to be a public demonstration of unity between the two parties. Even Mr Virender Kashyap, the BJP candidate, who was denied party ticket addressed the rally and extended support to the HVC candidate.

Mr Mohinder Singh PWD Minister, Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister and Mr Rakesh Verma also addressed the rally.

ABVP chief hurt in group clash
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 16 — Two students were injured in a group clash on the campus of the Government College here today.

According to the eyewitnesses, the campus president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Mr Dheeraj Sharma, was injured when some college students hit him with a khukri during the clash. The incident took place outside the new block of the college, where some of the students also resorted to stone pelting. In the process another student, Dinesh Saini, also received minor injuries.

According to the Officiating Principal, Mr M.M. Bedi, he called the police, when told about the clash prior to the police arrival the students also tried to damage the Principal’s office in protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands.

The police had lodged a case on behalf of Dheeraj Sharma and was on the lookout for the students who were involved in the clash.

Mr Bedi also said the Lecturers Union of the college, had decided to boycott classes in protest against the manhandling of two of the teachers and violence on the college campus.

HVC’s student wing launched
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 15 — Mr Anil Dogra, General Secretary of Yuva Vikas Congress, a frontal organisation of Mr Sukh Ram’s Himachal Vikas Congress, formally launched the students’ wing of the party, Himachal Vikas Chhatra Sangathan, by holding a meeting and appointing office-bearers of the district unit here yesterday.

He appointed Mr Nitin, Mr Sumesh and Mr Bhagwan Dass as Convener, Secretary and treasurer, respectively.

While addressing mediapersons he said all rumours to the effect that BJP workers would not work effectively for the HVC’s candidate for the ensuing Lok Sabha poll were false and motivated.

He added that Mr Sukh Ram and Mr Dhumal, who had met in Shimla last week had already issued directives to the district units emphasising the need of supporting each party’s candidates for the Mandi and Shimla (R) constituencies.

Minister "flouted" EC directive
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 16 — The Minister for Rural Development, Mr Ram Lal Markandey, "flouted" the directive of the Election Commission and hoisted the national flag on Independence Day yesterday in his home constituency of Keylong.

This was stated by Mr G.S. Bali, MLA and general secretary of the Congress, while talking to newsmen here today.

Mr Bali pointed out that the action of the minister was clear-cut violation of the directions of the Election Commission, which had ordered that no minister should hoist the national flag in his home district or constituency.

Mr Markandey, who belongs to the HVC was elected to the assembly from the tribal constituency of Lahaul-Spiti of which Keylong is the district headquarters.

BJP violated poll code: Stokes
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 16 — A senior Congress leader and a sitting MLA, Ms Vidya Stokes, who represents the Theog constituency in the Assembly, today accused the BJP-HVC government of violating the model code of conduct by politicising the traditional fair at Theog to launch their election campaign.

She said since independence the local municipal committee had been organising a two-day annual festival at Theog to celebrate Independence Day. The activities here had been confined only to cultural and sports activities and no political functions had been allowed at the fair.

However, this time the occasion has been utilised by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, and the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) leaders to launch their election campaign for the Shimla (reserved) constituency.

2 killed in accident

SHIMLA, Aug 16 (UNI) — Two persons riding a scooter were killed in a collision between a two-wheeler and a bus at Dakohlar near Rampur in Shimla district today.

The deceased were identified as Man Singh and Mahender Singh, the police said.

Resentment among teachers
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Aug 16 — There is strong resentment among teachers of the local Kendriya Vidyalaya against the non-cooperative and dictatorial attitude of the Principal.

In a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Management Committee, the teachers alleged that on August 15, the Principal beat up a teacher, Mr R.S. Bhandari, with a stick. This incident had taken place in the presence of students and others, the teachers further alleged.

They demanded an inquiry into the incident.

When contacted, Mr Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Deputy Commissioner, said he had received a letter from the teachers about the incident. He further said that he would get the complaint inquired into by the Additional District Magistrate.

The Principal was not available for comments.