Discontent in Shanta camp
SHIMLA, Jan 3 — The Shanta Kumar faction in the ruling BJP in Himachal Pradesh is getting restive over the "deliberate" steps of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal to corner them. It is learnt that certain supporters of the former Chief Minister and a sitting MP, Mr Shanta Kumar, have sounded the party leadership of the "stepmotherly" treatment they were getting at the hands of Mr Dhumal. Many of them are learnt to have threatened to resign their party positions in case the ruling "coterie" did not mend its ways.

Discontent in Shanta camp
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 3 — The Shanta Kumar faction in the ruling BJP in Himachal Pradesh is getting restive over the "deliberate" steps of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal to corner them.

It is learnt that certain supporters of the former Chief Minister and a sitting MP, Mr Shanta Kumar, have sounded the party leadership of the "stepmotherly" treatment they were getting at the hands of Mr Dhumal. Many of them are learnt to have threatened to resign their party positions in case the ruling "coterie" did not mend its ways.

The latest provocation for the Shanta Kumar supporters is the appointment of the Kangra District Grievances Committee of which the Minister of State for Revenue, Mr Rajan Sushant, has been made Chairman ignoring the three-full-fledged Cabinet Ministers, Mr Vidya Sagar, Mr Krishan Kapoor and Mr Ramesh Chand, who are also from Kangra. All the three are considered to be supporters of Mr Shanta Kumar.

Mr Dhumal came to power only when Mr Ramesh Chand switched over his support to the BJP after withdrawing from the Congress Government of Mr Virbhadra Singh although he won his Assembly seat as a rebel of the BJP, but is considered a staunch supporter of Mr Shanta Kumar.

Shanta supporters have been alleging that Mr Dhumal was deliberately neglecting Kangra, which is the largest district of the state. His whole attention was towards his own Hamirpur district and the apple growing areas of Shimla district where he was trying to make a dent, they allege. Mr Shanta Kumar represents the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency.

Both factions have drawn their swords at each other eversince the organisational elections of the BJP were held at Jawalamukhi last year when hooliganism was witnessed in the presence of certain Central leaders of the party.

It is the grouse of Shanta Kumar supporters that certain legislators of their faction were not given ministerial berths. Mr Ram Dass Malangar was offered an insignificant post of Vice-Chairman of a corporation which he declined.

Certain supporters of the other faction allege that the "anti-Kangra" stance of Mr Dhumal was visible within seven days of his occupying the chair of Chief Minister when he allocated a pittance of Rs 90 lakh as plan additionally for the district on March 31 against a sum of Rs 2.40 crore for Hamirpur. Shimla district was allocated a sum of Rs 2.51 crore till May 20 last.

They point out that although the main plank of the BJP in the Assembly elections was the "stepmotherly" treatment of the Congress government towards the new merged areas, but the Dhumal government was no different, they allege. Kulu district was allocate additional plan funds amounting to Rs 72.45 lakh and Bilaspur got only Rs 10 lakh.

Discontent is reportedly simmering among the Shanta Kumar supporters over the "calculated" moves of the Dhumal group to sideline them.

Mr Shanta Kumar has not come to the state capital here eversince the BJP-HVC combine government headed by Mr Dhumal came into power. He has restricted his tours to Kangra and Chamba districts. He also kept away from the swearing-in ceremony of the Dhumal government about nine months ago.

Red Cross Society turns 47 in Kangra
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Jan 3 — Since its inception in the year 1952, Kangra district Red Cross Society has been rendering a yeoman's service towards providing succour to the poor, needy and deserving sections of society. The society is serving the people of one of the largest districts of the state with a missionary zeal and has earned a prestigious place for itself in the field of social work.

The prime objective of every Red Cross Society is to extend its helping hand and assistance to the destitute, poor and handicap persons, apart from those who are in need of medical assistance. In Kangra district it has more than 300 life members and about 2,000 annual members.

The society provides financial aid for the treatment of the poor. During 1997-98 the society disbursed financial assistance to the tune of Rs 9 lakh among 1,304 persons. During natural calamities and accidents, the society supplements the relief operations conducted by the district administration. In a fire incident in Shahpur last year, Red Cross volunteers did exemplary work in taking the victims first to the zonal hospital and then to PGI, Chandigarh and CMC, Ludhiana.

Rehabilitation of handicapped persons is another area where it has provided succour to many persons. Artificial limbs, hearing aids, wheel chairs etc are provided to handicapped persons. During the past four years, the society has helped more than 100 handicapped persons. An assistance of Rs 10,000 is provided every year to the Bharat Vikas Parishad Viklang Punarwas Sansthan, Nagrota Bagwan.

Mr B.K. Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, and Chairman of the district Red Cross Society, said, "the society has launched a new programme under which all handicapped persons would be provided artificial limbs in a phased manner. A door-to-door survey had recently been conducted by Anganwari workers in all blocks to identify the beneficiaries. One such camp would be held at Fatehpur in Nurpur subdivision on January 10. A team of orthopaedic experts from Dharamsala would examine the handicapped persons at the camp and artificial limbs would be prepared by the Bharat Vikas Parishad Viklang Punarwas Sansthan, Nagrota Bagwan, for which the financial support would be given by the society."

The hospital welfare section of the society is managed by women members and this section is striving hard to improve facilities in government health institutions. Good quality X-ray films are made available to the patients on reasonable rates. During 1997-98 the society supplied films worth Rs 10 lakh. It is also helping schools and other institutions to augment the basic amenities. So for, the society has given 30 water coolers to various institutions, apart from 15 water tanks to schools.

The society in Kangra has also been sponsoring plastic surgery camps every year in Dharamsala. On an average more than 100 operations of reconstructive surgery are done in this camp every year free of cost.

Regular first-aid coursed for the youth are being organised. Every month more than 300 youth are being trained at these camps.

The ultrasound machine set up at zonal hospital, Dharamsala, two ambulances and a mortuary van has also been contributed by the society. In a unique gesture the society recently gave medicines worth Rs 12,000 to an Army division engaged in operation on the Jammu and Kashmir border. With a view to make destitute women self-reliant around 100 sewing machines worth Rs 1.25 lakh were distributed free of cost.

A couple of other activities of the society in the district included free eye operation camps, blood donation camps, medical check-up camps and also cleanliness drives from time to time. Red Cross melas are an annual feature which are held to raise funds.

The Red Cross Society, Dharamsala, has been gradually expanding its activities. Some of its plans are camp for the polio victims, schools for blind children, and deaf and dumb children, ENT check-up camps in villages and baby shows.

Two killed in mishap

UNA, Jan 3 (PTI) — Two persons were killed and 21 were injured, seven of them seriously when a tractor-trolley rolled down into a deep gorge near the Chintpurni temple, 45 km from here today.

The trolley was carrying 30 persons from Talwara and Mukerian in Punjab, who had come to offer worship at the Chintpurni temple, police sources said.
The accident reportedly took place when the trolley detached from the tractor and went off the road.

The deceased were identified as Sanjeev Kumar and Ms Rajani from Mukerian in Punjab.

The injured were admitted to the local hospital. The district police and civil officers rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operations.