Engineers seek uniform policy
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 7 — The Himachal Public Works Department Graduate Engineers Association has expressed concern over the failure of the government to adopt a uniform policy regarding the regularisation of the services of engineers in various departments.

It said while on the one hand, 7,163 graduate junior engineers had been promoted as assistant engineers in the state electricity board, on the other hand in the Public Works Department 20 posts of assistant engineer were being filled through direct recruitment. This would harm the interests of junior engineers already working in the department.

The association urged Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, to amend the recruitment and promotion rules and incorporate a clause to make three years' regular experience essential for the post of assistant engineer. Besides, preference should be given to inservice candidates. It demanded that the posts should be readvertised after amending the rules.

The association said graduate junior engineers were the worst affected by stagnation. Persons who had completed 12 years of service were still awaiting their first promotion.

It urged the Chief Minister to make functional the newly created posts of assistant engineer attached to the executive engineer by entrusting additional jobs like processing of tenders and bringing the entire design and drawing staff under these officers. The step would go a long way in ensuring effective monitoring of works and also lighten the burden of executive engineers.

Rs 136 crore for primary school buildings
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Feb 7 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has said that at least three rooms will be provided to each government primary school by the year 2002. A sum of Rs 136 crore will be spent to construct 13,612 new rooms.

He was addressing a public meeting at Maharana Pratap Ground at Jawali, 35 km from here, yesterday after inaugurating the buildings of the Community Health Centre and the police station.

Mr Dhumal said 1,000 youths from the state would be recruited in the new Indian Reserve Battalion. The government had decided that unemployed youth, while applying for written tests for jobs, would not have to submit attested copies of various certificates. This would curtail their expenditure and avoid harassment.

He said the government had earmarked Rs 1 crore to give a boost to Mahila Yuva Mandals.

Criticising the previous Congress government, the Chief Minister said, it had only "used the Scheduled Castes for its political ends". His government had appointed a Scheduled Castes woman, Ms Bimla Bhagat, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. Brilliant students from this section who could not continue their higher studies due to financial problems were being provided with Rs 10,000 as annual succour.

He said his government had never believed in regional discrimination and was committed to equal and overall development of the state.

He gave an assurance that the Jawali, Guler and Jaswan Assembly constituencies, while reorganising Assembly segments in 2002, would be renamed as per the aspirations of the residents. He promised to upgrade Nagrotta Surian block to the tehsil level.

The Chief Minister said Government Primary School, Mastgarh, would be upgraded to the middle level.

During the inauguration of the buildings activists of the BJP and the Congress raised slogans in favour of their parties and leaders.

Mr Dhumal also laid the foundation stone of the Sidhatha medium irrigation project-cum-headquarters at Guglara. The project will cost Rs 33.42 crore.

Meanwhile, Mr Chander Kumar, MLA, criticised the Chief Minister for inaugurating "incomplete" buildings at Jawali.

Work picks up on national highway
From Ravinder Sood

PALAMPUR: The recent decision of the BJP Government in Himachal to create an independent wing in the PWD for the execution of national highways in the state has proved to be a boon for residents of the Kangra valley where the construction of the Pathankot-Mandi national highway had almost come to a standstill. This decision will help in the early completion of this national highway which links Pathankot with Leh (J&K) via Manali. This highway is used by the defence authorities for taking supplies to Leh and Ladakh.

The construction of the national highway has now been going on fast in Kangra and Mandi district. Heavy machinery has been deployed by the PWD at different places to gear up construction. The Ministry of Transport has also sanctioned adequate funds for early completion of bridges, culverts and retaining walls falling in this national highway.

Prior to this, this national highway was in bad shape. The widening of the road had been left half-completed at different portions for want of funds. There were allegations that the funds allocated for this national highway had been diverted to other state roads, which irked the Ministry of Transport, Government of India, the funding agency for national highways in the state.

The 220-km Pathankot-Mandi highway, which connects Pathankot with Leh via Mandi and Manali was declared a national highway in 1987, keeping in view the defence requirements for supply of goods to Leh and other border areas. As there were disturbances in J&K, the Srinagar route was not considered safe for army supplies. In the past 12 years the state PWD could not convert even 10 per cent portion of the road into a national highway. The department neglected this road and funds sanctioned for this highway were allegedly misused or diverted at the behest of political bosses.

After the completion of this national highway, the Kangra valley will usher in a new era. It will also gear up tourist traffic to this picturesque region. It is learnt that the Ministry of Transport proposes to spend Rs 500 crore on this project within five years which would provide employment to thousands of youths of the valley and also bring prosperity.

Tea growers oppose tax on agriculture
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Feb 7 — The Kangra Valley Tea Growers Association has opposed the move of the Union Government for the imposition of income tax on agricultural income.

Mr Balwant Singh, president of the association, in a statement said the agricultural sector in the country had been facing a serious crises and if the income tax was imposed on the agricultural income it would be great injustice with the farming community of the country.

He warned the Union Government that the tax would adversely affect the tea industry of Kangra which was presently fighting for its survival.

He said the tea growers would meet the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, soon in this regard.

HP to be made cataract-free
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Feb 7 — Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here today lauded the efforts of the Himotkarsh Sahitya Sanskriti and Jankalyan Parishad, Una, for helping the suffering humanity and in the promotion of literature and culture in the state.

Mr Dhumal was presiding over the 24th annual session of the parishad here.

Mr Dhumal said the state government had accorded priority to social service sectors and efforts of non-government organisations like Himotkarsh would go a long way in supplementing its endeavours, thereby ensuring social justice to the people in the state.

He said the state government had decided to make Himachal Pradesh leprosy and cataract-free state.

Mr Dhumal said primary education was being given utmost priority and the government would approach the Centre to consider a uniform national policy to lessen the burden of school bags at the primary level. He said this would save children from the unnecessary tension.

The Chief Minister thanked the Chief Editor of Hind Samachar Group of Newspapers, Jalandhar, Mr Vijay Chopra for announcing Rs 15 lakh for the proposed Lala Jagat Narain Girls College near Una.

NSUI threatens stir
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Feb 7 — The National Students Union of India has threatened to launch an agitation in case the "saffronisation" of educational institutions are not stopped by the BJP government.

Addressing a press conference here today, the state President of the NSUI, Mr Atul Sharma, alleged that the RSS shakhas were being held in the colleges without any check. He alleged that activists of the NSUI were being victimised by the government in order to strengthen the student wing of the ABVP.

He said the NSUI would hold demonstration in front of the Vidhan Sabha during the coming assembly session.

He said the wing was in favour of holding of student elections so that they could be involved in decision making.

Horticulture students' plea to govt
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Feb 7 — The Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Students Association has urged the government to reserve the posts of Horticulture Development Officer and Horticulture Extension Officer exclusively for horticulture graduates.

The association president, Mr Anil Kumar Verma, told newspersons here today that, at present, the posts were open for agriculture graduates, whereas the posts of agriculture development officer were reserved only for agriculture graduates.

He said the policy had caused large-scale unemployment for Bachelor of Science (horticulture) degree holders of the university of Horticulture and Forestry here. This amounted to wasting large public funds being spent on the institution. He urged the government to curtail the number of seats in B.Sc (horticulture) so that students could be easily absorbed in jobs.