Sack Maharashtra Govt: HPCC
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Feb 14 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) today demanded from the Centre to dismiss the Maharashtra Government where atrocities are constantly being committed on the minorities like Christians.

Addressing mediapersons at Chamba today, Mr Sat Mahajan, President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, stated that if President's rule could be imposed in a non-BJP state like Bihar, it could also be imposed in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh where the Constitutional machinery had already failed to safeguard interests of minorities and to improve the prevailing law and order situation.

Mr Mahajan alleged that the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre was a completely biased government which was sheltering its governments is Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Mr Mahajan lambasted the BJP-led coalition government for going back on its stand. The party had promised in its election manifesto that the BJP would not impose Article 356 of the Constitution in any state.

Mr Mahajan questioned the Himachal Pradesh BJP-HVC coalition government to make public the whereabouts of six persons who had been kidnapped by ultras during the Kalaban-Satrundi carnages in Chamba district last year. Mr Mahajan said since the BJP was sheltering militants in Chamba and Doda districts, it was difficult to trace whereabouts of the six persons.

Mr Mahajan asked the Dhumal government to confess its inability to trace the six persons by declaring them dead so that the bereaved families get government benefits and facilities. He said the issue of the six persons had also been raised in the state Assembly. He advised the BJP-led government not to protect militants, but unmark the terrorists responsible for the killings.

Mr Mahajan described the Himachal BJP government as an arena for testing the strength of Dhumal and Shanta. He also described the Dhumal government as anti-Dalit, anti-poor, anti-farmers and anti-people. Mr Mahajan stated that Mr Goma, a senior officer of the state government was removed from a top post because he was a Dalit and a brother of Mr M.R. Goma, an MLA of the Congress from Kangra district.

Mr Mahajan alleged that people of Himachal Pradesh were not getting employment opportunities in the Chamera project in Chamba district.

He also alleged that the Congress during its regime wanted to bring Dalhousie on the world tourism map by constructing an airport at Banikhet but the BJP government seems to have shelved the proposal. The BJP government was doing nothing to promote tourism in Himachal Pradesh as it had failed to create any infrastructure. There was not a single Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus plying to any important city of the neighbouring states, Mr Mahajan added.

Mr Mahajan announced that the HPCC would hold rallies in 68 constituencies of the state on March 1.

13,612 rooms for HP schools
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The Himachal Government has prepared a three-year plan to construct 13,612 new rooms for 7271 primary schools in the state.

The Rs 136 crore "Saraswati Bal Sankalp Pariyozna" launched last month will be implemented from the next financial year to achieve the target of providing at least three classrooms for each primary school, including the 350 new schools to be opened in three years. Besides, one additional room will be constructed for 808 primary schools being opened in Chamba, Sirmour, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti districts covered under the district primary education programme.

The number of primary schools has increased in the state from 268 in 1949 to 10,484 last year. In all there are 23,869 rooms for these schools out of which 13,989 are kucha and 9880 pucca.

In the first year 4638 classrooms for 2457 primary schools will be constructed followed by 4488 rooms for 2407 such schools in the second year and 4486 rooms for the same number of schools in the final year of the scheme.

For ensuring public participation at the village-level, the construction work of rooms in the primary schools will be executed though village education committee. The pradhan of the panchayat of the primary school concerned will be the patron, and the president of Parent Teacher Association will be the chairman of the committee. One member each of the Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes, backward classes and one representatives of handicapped childrens, teachers of the school concerned and local anganwari worker will be among the members. Head teacher of the primary school will be the member secretary of the committee.

Apart from this, more primary school buildings will be constructed under the "vikas main jan sehyog". For this, 15 per cent amount be contributed by the people and 85 per cent by the government in the rural areas. In the urban areas the contribution of the people will be 30 per cent.

With a view to ensuring better quality of construction and design and completion of construction work within the stipulated period, the progress of work will be monitored and supervised by the existing engineering staff of the district primary education programme in Chamba, Kulu, Sirmour and Lahaul Spiti districts and the services of junior engineers at the block level and assistant engineer at the district-level will be obtained in other districts.

CAPART to widen area of operation
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Feb 14 — Mr Rangan Dutta, Director General, Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) asserted here today that modest efforts made by the organisation had proved successful over the past decade.

Talking to the mediapersons he said the prime objective of CAPART was to augment the voluntary movement and to organise the rural poor and ensure their active participation in all the development activities aimed at poverty alleviation.

He admitted that so far "we have failed to generate awareness among the 85 per cent poor living in villages and slums on sanitation and safe drinking water. No wonder for that reason our country today ranked 164th in the world," he bemoaned.

He said paradoxically each in slums dweller can afford a cable connection for Rs 100 or Rs 150 monthly, but does not deem it necessary to invest a small amount on sanitation and drinking water. They were also unmindful of the impact of TV on children and their studies.

He attributed this to "our failure" to develop a "scientific temper" among the rural poor.

He said a humble beginning had been made to involve and strengthen voluntary organisations for the development and dissemination of appropriate technology in rural areas.

He said this gigantic task of transforming the rural life was being implemented by nine National standing committees headed by non-officials. The beneficiaries were being organised and educated to come forward and actively participate in activities meant for their welfare.

He said CAPART, which had so far confined its activities mostly to Solan and Sirmour districts, would enlarge its sphere to other districts.

Later, accompanied by Prof Sunder Lohia, President, Society for Technology and Development, he visited various centres of activities in the district.

Apple cultivation in Chamba
From Balkrishan Prashar

CHAMBA: Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has a vast potential of apple cultivation because of its most suitable agroclimatic conditions in specified pockets such as Chhattrari, Ulansa, Bharmour, Salooni, Tissa and Basu. However, the productivity level is too low — less than one metric tonne per hectare compared to up to six metric tonnes per hectare in the state. This is basically due to the fact that most of the orchards of this remote district are either unscientifically managed or are in a state of neglect.

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Chamba, is striving for rejuvenation of such mismanaged apple orchards for the past five to six years. From time to time quality planting material is supplied to orchardists under a demonstration scheme and also on cost. In addition scion wood of new improved varieties and pollinisers are also supplied and got grafted in the old orchards to enhance the fruit setting and better fruit yield.

As yet three demonstration plots — one each at Mehla, Mani and Kundi — on exclusively latest improved high-yielding spur varieties of apple have been established by this kendra in farmers' fields.

According to Mr Kishore Khosla, in charge of the kendra, training on training and pruning of orchards (see photo) are organised by the kendra occasionally in different parts of the Chamba region in which demonstrations on pruning and application of fungicidal paste is given to orchardists and professional prunners in the orchards.

During January eight such training camps were organised at Kundi, Sunara, Talai, Himgiri, Mani, Dand, Sandhi and Sahoo. Six more camps in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture would also be organised at Lagga, Salooni, Bhanjraroo, Chhatrari, Ulansa and Shillaghrat in the near future.

Virbhadra supporters join hands in Kangra
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Feb 14 — Supporters of former Himachal Chief Minister and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh at a meeting at Jassur near here today declared Mr Vijay Singh Mankotia a former Minister as a new Congress leader of Kangra district. The meeting was organised by the former Minister and a rival of the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania. The meeting reportedly was organised following the statement of Mrs Vidya Stokes MLA and political rival of Mr V.B. Singh published in a section of press that the CLP leader was being sooner or later replaced by the AICC chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Mankotia, newly declared district Congress leader addressing the Virbhadra supporters and party activists condemned the statement and asked the PCC chief Mr Mahajan to dare to take action against Mrs Stokes. He lamented that such statements would weaken the party.

He called upon the state Congress leaders for not using party’s front for their vested interests. He said that only Mr V.B. Singh was the accepted Congress leader. The meeting was also addressed by the AICC state member, Mr Vikram Singh Katoch who claimed that the Congress would never form its government with tainted leaders like Mr Sukh Ram, HVC chief. Mr Pathania said that the anti-Virbhadra faction in the state party leadership had declared a war against Mr Singh at an earlier stage.

The organisers of the meeting reportedly wooed Mr Ranju Bakshi the defeated MLA of Nurpur to join this political meeting. But he did not turn up.

Mr Ram Saroop, Mr Bodh Raj and Daulat Chaudhry, the defeated MLAs respectively of Dharamsala, Gangath and Kangra assembly segments also participated.

The district leaders also decided to hold demonstrations at block levels on March 1 to protest against rising prices and to expose the failure of the ruling BJP-HVC combine government.

Teachers oppose transfer of
college management
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Feb 14 — The Goswami Ganesh Dutt Degree College Teachers Association has opposed the move of the BJP government to hand over the management of the college to its founder managing committee. In a press statement issued here today the association said that any such move of the government would be opposed by the teachers.

In a written statement issued here today, a spokesman of the association said that managing committee had already failed to run the college and an special audit by the state government had established financial irregularities worth lakhs of rupees in past 10 years. He said there was no justification to withdraw the administrator appointed by the government.

The association urged the government that instead of handing over the management of the college to a defunct managing committee, it would have been better to take over this institution where over 90 per cent expenditure were being borne by the state government at present. The association threatened to direct action if the college was handed over to the managing committee on political considerations.

Meanwhile Mr Sudhir Sharma, a Congress leader and secretary of state Youth Congress has supported the cause of agitating teachers and said that the Prem Kumar Dhumal government was unnecessarily intervening in the functioning of this educational institution and trying to hand over the management to BJP-led managing committee which already had caused huge loss to this institution in the past.

Molestation charge

Headmaster gets clean chit
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Feb 14 — A high-powered state-level inquiry team of HP State Government Teachers' Union consisting of senior leader namely Mr Roshan Lal Sharma, Mr Subhash Chandel, Mr Prakash Thakur, and Mr K.C. Sharma, have given a clean chit to headmaster Sunder Singh of Government Middle School, Jainagar, in Solan district. They categorically stated that no incident of rape or rape-attempt had taken place on January 28 and the headmaster was mercilessly beaten up by a mob of local people on alleged charge of molesting a student of class VI.

Addressing mediapersons here on Friday evening these teacher leaders urged the Chief Minster, Mr P.K. Dhumal, to order a high-level probe into the incident and to punish those responsible for hatching a "well-planned conspiracy" against Sunder Singh and for inciting the mob.

The leaders said they had personally visited Jainagar and talked to people concerned, including the girl who denied that she was ever molested or raped by the teacher.

Discharge of dam waters put off
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Feb 14 — The schedule for the discharge of Chamera reservoir waters of the 540-MW Chamera hydroelectric project on the Ravi in the district has been postponed to February 17.

Giving this information over the phone here today, Mr S.K. Dodeja, General Manager of the project, stated that now the discharge of Chamera dam waters would take place from February 17 to 21. He said the postponement was made on request of the Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thien Dam) authorities as they intended to impound water in Ranjit Sagar Dam which was under construction on the Ravi in Gurdaspur district downstream the Chamera project.

Mr Dodeja said earlier the schedule for releasing the Chamera reservoir waters was from February 13 to 15.

Sonia's stand on Bihar decried
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — Mr Suresh Chandel, the state BJP chief, has criticised Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, for adopting a non-committal posture on the Centre's decision to impose President's rule in Bihar and asserted that the Congress could not absolve itself of the moral responsibility for whatever wrongs were committed during the Rabri Devi's regime.

In a statement issued here today, he said Mrs Gandhi was shedding crocodile tears over the massacre of Dalits. Had her party not extended support to the Rabri Devi Government, the ordeals of the people of Bihar, particularly the Dalits would have been over much earlier.

Instead of withdrawing support, the Congress only advised Rabri Devi to quit indicating that the party, which had lost its electoral base in the state, wanted to keep options open for an electoral alliance with the RJD as and when the state went to polls.

Last month Mrs Sonia Gandhi had called upon the allies of the BJP at the Centre to quit if they did not agree with the programme and policies of the government. Since the Congress continued to support the Rabri Government it must also share the blame for its wrong actions.

MLA warned
From Our Correspondent

DALHOUSIE, Feb 14 — Mrs Renu Chadha, a BJP leader and the president of local municipal council has warned Mrs Asha Kumari, MLA Banikhet constituency, to desist from giving irresponsible statements on the Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) oustees issue.

In a press release issued here Mrs Chadha said Mrs Asha Kumari seemed to be worried about the compensation of land in Sandhara and Chuhan revenue mohals where the land pertained to certain BJP leaders and their kin. She said since the quantum of compensation to the oustees in Sandhara and Chuhan revenue mohals had not yet been finalised the question of disbursing money did not arise.