Sonia fomenting discord: Dhumal
HAMIRPUR, Feb 1 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, has lambasted the All-India Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, for fomenting communalism and regionalism in the country in order to grab power. He said that neither the RSS nor any of its front organisations and the BJP were involved in attack of Christians.

Governor lauds Red
Cross role
HAMIRPUR, Feb 1 — Mrs V.S. Ramadevi, HP Governor has called upon the people to make social work a habit. She said organisations like the Red Cross was serving humanity and it was the duty of everybody to extend a helping hand.

Gobindsagar tops in fish production
BILASPUR, Feb 1 — Gobindsagar has given yields of 116 kg of fish per hectare, six times higher than the yield in any other lake in the country.

2 killed, 5 injured in road mishaps
KANGRA, Feb 1 — Two persons were killed and five others injured in two different road accidents in the district during the past 24 hours.

Sonia fomenting discord: Dhumal
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Feb 1 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, has lambasted the All-India Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, for fomenting communalism and regionalism in the country in order to grab power. He said that neither the RSS nor any of its front organisations and the BJP were involved in attack of Christians.

Talking with mediapersons at Sujanpurtira Rest House last night, the Chief Minister alleged that Mrs Gandhi was playing a dirty game by blaming the RSS and the BJP for these incidents. He claimed that the Dangs incident was the result of infighting among the Christian groups of the area and the incident of rape of a nun was also the handiwork of Christian groups. He further said that the BJP is a secular party and is committed to provide all safeguards and security to the minority communities, including Christians and to provide all sort of facilities for their uplift.

The Chief Minister alleged that during recent visit of Mrs Sonia Gandhi to Dang village, she only met a section of Christians and ignored other communities. He said, it would be in the fitness of things if Mrs Gandhi would have met all sections of the society to get at the truth of the incidents. He said this proved that Mrs Sonia Gandhi was also communal and wanted that communal incidents should continue so that the Congress would benefit and the ruling combine was defamed.

Prof Dhumal alleged a high-level conspiracy had been hatched by international forces in connivance with a few parties in India to defame and destabilise the central government led by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. He said, earlier, it was the onion issue and now these forces have come up with the issue of alleged maltreatment to minority communities. He gave a call to the people of India to expose this nexus and help save democratic forces led by Mr Vajpayee to rule the nation.

The Chief Minister threw a challenge to the Congress leaders of the state to share the common platform to discuss the issue of development of the state during the BJP-HVC rule. He claimed that balance development was being done in all parts of the state and the charges levelled by the Congress leaders for ignoring certain parts of the state were absurd and politically motivated. He said that he had earlier also asked the Congress to have a debate on this issue, but they always shied away. He said the people of the state were the real judges and such a debate should be held at a central place and witnessed by the people.

Prof Dhumal in reply to a question said that if any case of purchase of allotted land to the Dalits was found and brought to his notice, he would hold an inquiry and the government would acquire the same land. He said it was shocking to listen that many rich people have lured the Dalits with hefty money and forced them to sell their land in order to raise huge buildings there.

Replying to a question about the proposed agitation by the HP secondary Volunteer Teachers Union, the Chief Minister described the call as unwarranted and uncalled for. He said that the state government had already enhanced their perks and as such there was no justification for their strike. He said if they remain bent upon going on strike, it would harm their interest.

The Chief Minister expressed the hope that the National Finance Commission would accord justice to the nine hill states, including the Himachal Pradesh and restore them the status of special category states. He said that these states were carved out only on the basis of their separate culture to maintain their separate identity and protect people from exploitation of rich persons in developed areas of the undivided states. He stated that while forming these states the Centre was aware that they were financially weak and as such they were accorded the status of special category states so that they could meet the expenses of running the administration and giving salary to the staff and establishments by getting adequate aid from the Central Government. He said that the state government had put up its case well before the commission and was hoping for a favourable verdict from there.

Prof Dhumal denied creation of any more districts and revenue sub-divisions in the state at present. He said if need be, the decision would be taken on merit keeping in view the wishes of the people of various areas of the state.

He also said that there was no proposal to expand or reshuffle the council of ministers at present. He, however, didn't make any comments whether he was satisfied with the performance of his team of ministers or not.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated two drinking water supply schemes namely Jangelberi and the Bhatlamber costing about Rs 30 lakh. About 2,000 people living in the catchment area of the Beas river will be benefited by these.

Prof Dhumal appealed to the people to gather rain water by constructing tanks in their vicinities for washing clothes and use in toilets.

He took the Congress men to task for making false propaganda regarding hike in power tariff with regard to domestic consumers. He claimed that no such hike has been affected in case of domestic consumers and only a marginal increase has been made for the commercial sector keeping in view their paying capacity. He gave a call to the rural people to stand behind the state government which is committed for their welfare as the budgetary allocation were directed for rural welfare. He wanted people not to be misled by the false propaganda of the Congress men and give them a befitting reply.

Mr Ramesh Dhawala, Irrigation- cum-Public Health Minister, alleged that the previous Congress ministers misused their position and garnered huge money and built palatial houses at the cost of public exchequer.

Mr Ravinder Singh Ravi, Minister of State for Technical Education, claimed that all previous Chief Ministers of the state had acted in a partisan manner by favouring certain areas and ignoring others. He, however, patted the present Chief Minister for equal and balanced development of the state. He blasted those who alleged that Kangra district was being ignored. He said that Kangra district had got its adequate share since the formation of the new government in the state. He wished that Hamirpur district to prosper much in comparison to other parts of the state.

Mrs Urmila Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary, gave a call to the people to rise above party politics and get maximum benefits from the government in the matter of development.

The Chief Minister reached Jungelberi about four and half hours late but several hundreds of people kept waiting patiently in chilly and drizzle.

Prof Dhumal also announced a number of welfare schemes for the area and asked people to come to him without any hesitation for getting their various works done.

Governor lauds Red Cross role
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Feb 1 — Mrs V.S. Ramadevi, HP Governor has called upon the people to make social work a habit. She said organisations like the Red Cross was serving humanity and it was the duty of everybody to extend a helping hand.

The Governor was addressing a gathering here today on the occasion of a day long Red Cross mela organised by the district Red Cross Society.

The Governor said Red Cross workers should take their movement to the villages.

The Governor said that a sum of rupees 117.39 lakh would be spent on Red Cross activities all over the state during the current fiscal year and she would personally visit districts to boost Red Cross activities.

HP Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, said helping the poor was real service to humanity.

Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, HP Education Minister and Mrs Urmila Thakur, HP Parliamentary Secretary also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Manoj Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur and Chairman of the district Red Cross Society said that the society had so far given a sum of Rs 97,642.00 to 260 poor and needy persons for medical treatment besides providing cheap x-ray films and ambulance services.

The Governor gave five tricycles to handicapped persons on behalf of the district Red Cross Society and 100 blankets and 200 bedsheets to the district hospital.

Sukh Ram against cement factories
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Feb 1 — Former Communication Minister Sukh Ram has demanded that the Chief Minister should reconsider the setting up of more cement factories in the state. He said the two cement factories at Barmana and Darlaghat have already become cause of destruction of environment and air pollution either directly or through the thousands of trucks employed to carry raw materials, coal, ash and clinker and cement.

Addressing mediapersons here last evening, Mr Sukh Ram said the heavy vehicular traffic of trucks had virtually destroyed the entire National Highway between Bilaspur and Kiratpur and made it unworthy of light vehicles, causing traffic jams for hours together.

Mr Sukh Ram said if the cement factories at Alsindi and Sundernagar were allowed, the Chandigarh-Manali Highway Number 21 would be choked with trucks. It would make it virtually impossible for any tourist to go to Bilaspur, Mandi, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti.

He said that benefits from these factories were much less than the losses to lakhs of people from these factories.

Mr Sukh Ram refused to take any responsibility for the recent increase in power rates in state and categorically stated that the Government had increased these rates without taking the Himachal Vikas Congress into confidence though it is a partner in coalition Government.

He said that his party was committed to providing electricity at 25 paise per unit.

Gobindsagar tops in fish production
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Feb 1 — Gobindsagar has given yields of 116 kg of fish per hectare, six times higher than the yield in any other lake in the country.

Addressing a largely attended public meeting at Tarelu Malari village, about 70 km from here after inaugurating a mahila mandal building last evening, Himachal Minister of State for Cooperative Rikhiram Kondal said last year the lake's 1339 fishermen caught 1135 tonnes of fish valued at Rs 158.12 crore. This was the largest catch from any freshwater lake in India. In 1951 only ten tonnes of fish was produced. During the current financial year the catch had already exceeded 1700 tonnes.

Mr Kondal said Gobindsagar provided employment to three thousand families. A fish canning unit would be set up in the district at a cost of Rs 20.25 crore.

Two hand pumps will be installed in Tarelu and Rs two lakh spent on construction of a link road to the village and one lakh on a bridge on Kaul ka Nallah.

2 killed, 5 injured in road mishaps
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Feb 1 — Two persons were killed and five others injured in two different road accidents in the district during the past 24 hours.

According to the police, a newly purchased Maruti car rolled down a 200-feet khad at Barooh village in this subdivision yesterday, leaving one person dead and five injured. The victim was identified as Bishan Dass (80) of Chintpurni. The injured were admitted to a hospital. All persons belonged to the same family.

In another accident, Satish Kumar succumbed to his injuries at a hospital after he was run over by a truck near Alhilal village today.