P R A D E S H
Friday, July 2, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Friday, July 2, 1999 |
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Gen Saklani hints at Pak
designs |
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Stop 'saffronisation' of
HPU: Virbhadra
Delhi-Jogindernagar train soon:
Dhumal Himachal PCC meets on July 6 Court orders action against jail
officials
CITU fomenting lawlessness, say
Cong MLAs 25 lakh for free medical aid to
poor Hundreds watch "Badal"
shooting Minjar fair from July 25
Aid for Hamirpur Rotary Club NGO leader escapes attack by
leopard Scientists refuse salaries |
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Gen Saklani hints at Pak
designs SHIMLA, July 1 — Permanent occupation of areas in Dras, Kargil and Batalik subsectors may not be the long-term aim of Pakistan. The larger objective behind the intrusion is to revive militancy in Kashmir by pushing in infiltrators deeper into northern Doda, Srinagar and Pahalgam, while keeping the major portion of Indian armed forces engaged in the eviction operations, says Lt. Gen D.D. Saklani, a former Adviser to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and an ex-General Officer Commanding of the Ladakh sector. The mass killings of civilians in the Kupwara, Anantnag and Poonch areas clearly indicate that it has greater designs which, if not foiled, could plunge the valley into a renewed phase of militancy. Thus the foremost task of the paramilitary forces and the state police was to deny deep infiltration and if it has already taken place, then it should be detected and destroyed immediately, General Saklani, who is in the city, told TNS. An expert on Kashmir affairs, General Saklani, who has also authored book entitled ‘‘Kashmir Saga — A Bundle of Blunders’’, observed that Pakistan would soon realise that the sustenance and holding of positions for long was not feasible, except for those encroached posts which were in the vicinity of Pakistani posts. It would rather try to establish administrative, logistic and communication basis in the forested heights of Doda and Srinagar to foment militancy. Simultaneously, the existing militant groups, which had been lying low for the past sometime, would initiate an anti-government propaganda and discredit the administration and try to exploit the unemployed disgruntled youth. The armed forces had two main tasks in hand. First to evict the intruders and second to deny any deep infiltration into the valley. Given the difficult terrain, with hazardous snow-clad high mountains, lack of vegetation, paucity of oxygen, thin ridge line, which make movement very slow, total eviction would be tough, costly and time-consuming. To check deep infiltration, the intelligence set up would have to be revamped and resolute search detect and destroy operations launched immediately. Special vigilance would have to be maintained in Doda, north Kashmir and areas of Himachal bordering the troubled state. This task was no less important than the eviction of intruders from Kargil. From the Dras sector the intruders could move deep either to the Srinagar valley via Baltal and Sonamarg routes or to Pahalgam and northern areas of Pulwama district, taking the Amarnath yatra route and to Doda through Shuru and the Sankoh valley. The sector was strategically significant to India as any intrusion in this area could adversely affect the security of Ladakh, for Pakistan the sector provides tempting option to isolate Ladakh and grab it. It made an unsuccessful attempt at this and tried to capture Zozi La during 1947-48. It harbours an ambition to annex Kashmir and tried to achieve this militarily thrice but as its attempt did not succeed, it ventured to wage a proxy war in 1989. However, the proxy war also failed to yield the desired result and the holding of free and fair assembly elections, which saw a massive turnout of voters and led to the installation of an elected government in the state, gave a death blow to its plans. The country could not digest it and tried to push in infiltrators through the Poonch and Rajouri sectors. But the effective response of the security forces foiled it. A desperate Pakistan then drew up a plan to invade Kargil leading to the present conflict he explained. General Saklani said
diplomatically, the world opinion was already in India's
favour and it should have a dialogue with Pakistan on its
own terms and stick to its stand ‘‘vacate first
and talk later’’. |
HP BJP not divided: Nadda KANGRA, July 1 — The Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, a close confidant of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal held a meeting with the Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor, and the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, in the local PWD rest house here yesterday. The meeting gains importance because Mr Kapoor had recently expressed his resentment to the Chief Minister regarding a meeting with transporters which was chaired by Mr Parveen Kumar and not by the Transport Minister. Mr Vidya Sagar and Mr Kapoor are said to be staunch supporters of former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar. When mediapersons here approached the ministers they refused to comment but on insistence Mr Nadda addressed the media. When asked whether the Chief Minister had deputed him to have meeting with the two ministers in view of the groupism gaining momentum with the BJP, Mr Nadda said he was in town in connection with the second inspection of Dr Rajender Prasad Medical College, Tanda. Regarding the displeasure the Transport Minister had shown with regard to chairing transporters' meeting by N. Parveen Kumar, Mr Nadda said things had been sorted out between the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister. He said the meeting of transporters chaired by Mr Parveen Kumar was in no way an official meeting but when asked about the decisions taken at the meeting and whether they had been accepted by the government Mr Nadda said Transport Minister had given his nod before hand. Mr Nadda said in the past 18 months the performance rate of the government was high. He said when people had no issue left to talk about a mischievous move was started by some vested interests to raise baseless issues. Regarding groupism in the BJP, he said the issue was created in order to create confusion among the cadres and expressed his determination to see that this political design would meet its fate in the coming days. He said the cabinet, the government and the workers were united and would see that the Congress would be shown is right place in the forthcoming poll. He said, "It is not a government of any rajwada like Mr Virbhadra Singh where the scope of political discussion and independence was not allowed, rather he throttled it. The present government was a common man's government. He said the Cabinet members of the Dhumal government were free to express themselves which sometimes was wrongly interpreted. He said the government
was doing everything for the OBCs and was committed to
the construction of the Appolo Hospital at Palampur.
Regarding the allegation of the Congress leadership that
the BJP had ignored OBCs, Mr Nadda said, We do not want
to react on the aspirations of those who were shedding
crocodile tears for OBCs. He alleged the Congress tried
to mislead OBCs, SCs and STs but had never tried to help
them. |
Stop 'saffronisation' of HPU:
Virbhadra SHIMLA, July 1 — Former Himachal Chief Minister and leader of Opposition, Virbhadra Singh has sought intervention of the Governor to stop "unabated saffronisation" of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and other academic institutions in the state. In a statement here yesterday, he alleged that "unqualified and incompetent persons of dubious merit" were being appointed to academic positions simply on the basis of their proximity to the Sangh Parivar and BJP leaders in the state, ignoring the claims of meritorious and experienced candidates. Giving a recent example, he specifically cited the case of appointment of lecturers in the Department of Physics in the university where 57 candidates were called for the interview on a single day.Screening of the candidates was deliberately dispensed with to accommodate some influential but otherwise "unqualified" candidates with poor academic record. It was strange that persons placed on top of the panel of selected candidates two years ago who had been working in the university since then had been ignored in favour of candidates without Ph.D., and with poor academic record, he alleged. Mr Virbhadra Singh stated this had put a question mark on the very process of selections in the university. He urged the Governor to intervene in the matter in her capacity as Chancellor of the university to save the university from academic degradation. Meanwhile, the state unit of the Students Federation of India has also urged Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, to intervene and check saffronisation of Himachal Pradesh University by the BJP-HVC regime. In a memorandum submitted to her here yesterday, the federation expressed concern over the falling academic standards and alleged that appointments were being made on political considerations. Over 100 post of teachers were vacant in various departments and this was affecting the teaching work. It also pointed out several irregularities in the selection of candidate for various posts for which interviews were held recently. It demanded an inquiry into these irregularities and urged the Governor to restrain the Vice-Chancellor from placing the recommendation of the selection committee before the executive council for approval. The federation also demanded the constitution of a recruitment board for the selection of candidates for teaching posts and it should follow the rules of the State Public commission. The federation
underlined the need for holding immediate elections to
the student central council. |
HP to set up 4 herbal
gardens SHIMLA, July 1 — The Himachal government has drawn up a comprehensive plan to tap the state's vast potential of medicinal and aromatic plants. The agroclimatic conditions in the hill state are ideal for wide variety of flora and out of over 3000 angio-spermic species nearly 500 have medicinal properties. To exploit the potential fully the state has been divided into four agro climatic zones and the government proposes to set up herbal garden in every zone. A herbal garden has already been set up at Jogindernagar spread over an area of 24 acres. The garden has more than 200 species which are used for practical demonstration and identification of medicinal leaves plants to teach students of the ayurvedic college, Paprola. This herbarium also takes care of various aspects of propagation of medicinal plants like collection, utilisation, conservation and cultivation. Another herbal garden where 70 identified species will be grown is coming up at Neri in Hamirpur district. The herbal garden at Sarivase in Rohru subdivision of the Shimla district and herbal garden at Batseri in Sangla valley of Kinnaur district will take care of high altitude species. Of the production of drugs, which was worth Rs 100 crore in 1991 is likely to touch Rs 4000 crore by the turn of the century. In the recent years a growth of nearly 20 to 22 per cent has been noticed in the pharmaceutical industry including ayurvedic pharmacies. With the efforts of the state government the number of ayurvedic pharmacies in the private sector has gone up and there were 80 such units functioning in the state. The state government has decided to establish "vanaspati van" in collaboration with the Union Ministry of health and Family Welfare at a cost of Rs 8.27 crore. A Rs 15 lakh project under the central government assistance programme on the development of agro-techniques of the selected medicinal plants has been sanctioned. Besides training is
being imparted to local people for identification,
application, cultivation, collection and marketing of
medicinal plants. Training involves education of the
people through audio-visual aids, field trips and
practical demonstration in the field. During the year
1998-99, 12 such training programmes cum-exhibitions were
held in the state apart from it special training
programmes were organised at Jogindernagar for the
members of the HP voluntary health Organisation Shimla. |
Delhi-Jogindernagar train
soon: Dhumal SHIMLA, July 1 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister has announced that a Delhi-Pathankot-Palampur-Jogindernagar special train would be started in the second week of July. This follows discussion of the Chief Minister with the Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar in Delhi on Tuesday. The Union Railway Minister had promised to start the train soon during his visit to Shimla. The Chief Minister also requested the Railways to lay the Kalka-Parwanoo broadgauge railway line at the earliest. Mr Dhumal also urged for
starting package tour of trains to Himachal Pradesh at
the earliest so that more tourists could be attracted to
visit the state. |
Himachal PCC meets on July 6 SHIMLA, July 1 — A meeting of the general house of the PCC and presidents of Block Congress Committees has been convened here on July 6 to gear up the party set-up for the coming Lok Sabha elections. The general secretary of the AICC, Mr R.K. Dhawan, will address the partymen. This is for the first
time that a meeting of the general house of the party has
been convened during the past over a year. |
Court orders action against
jail officials SUNDERNAGAR, July 1— The Additional Chief Judicial magistrate, Mr D.S Kehanal, while passing an order against the functioning of jail authorities in Mandi district has directed the Superintendent Police to take necessary action against them. The jail authorities at Mandi had detained Parkash Chand, and undertrial order from any court for three days. The accused was arrested three months ago by the local police in connection with a case under section 302, 201/34 of the IPC and is still in judicial custody at sub jail Mandi. On May 24 the accused was remanded in custody for 14 days and to be produced before the court of the Additional CJM, the court till June 16. No order from any court was obtained to keep the accused in custody for these three days. The court has viewed
this lapse seriously and in its order observed that the
lapse was serious in nature which called for action
against guilty officials. The court has sent copy of this
order to SP for taking necessary action. The case was
taken yesterday but no report from the SP had been
received. |
HRTC driver’s sense of
duty BILASPUR, July 1 — Mr Bhupinder Singh, a driver of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) posted in Bilaspur depot here has again displayed a rare sense of duty as he did earlier a few years ago when he disregarding diktat of four terrorists who stood in the middle of the road near Lalru in Haryana as he was bound for Delhi from Bilaspur with 56 passengers in the night-bus and he did not stop the bus despite a hail of bullets on his bus and virtually saved lives of them. Confirmed reports here yesterday said that on June 20 morning Mr Bhupinder Singh was on the Bilaspur to Jangle-Berry bus-route duty as driver when one tyre of the bus got punctured at Kakkad in Hamirpur district. While attempting to unload a spare tyre kept on bus roof-top, he got his second finger entangled in nylon rope and the heavy tyre’s pull-down-ward resulted in slicing off of his finger, half part of it fell down on the ground below. Finding no medical aid anywhere due to it being Sunday on that day Mr Bhupinder Singh change the tyre with his finger profusely bleeding despite all attempts to contain the bleeding and seeing convenience of the passengers. He rushed his bus to
Bilaspur, a distance of 100 km. His finger still bleeding
profusely. The conductor took him to district hospital
here where he was given a number of injections and
first-aid and was taken to the PGI Chandigarh as his
condition suddenly deteriorated. He was admitted at 1.30
a.m. during the night in the emergency ward at PGI
Chandigarh and was declared out of danger. |
CITU fomenting lawlessness, SHIMLA, July 1 — The Congress has accused the authorities of Shimla district of having failed to tackle the "lawlessness" of CITU leaders in the Nathpa-Jhakri power project which ultimately resulted to the killing of two innocent persons. In a joint statement here yesterday five Congress legislators, namely, Mr Yogendera Chandra, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Mrs Asha Kumari, Mr Kuldeep Kumar and Mr Singhi Ram, said the recent incidents involving violence and murder in the Nathpa-Jhakri project area had shattered the peace and tranquillity of this region. It was well known that trouble had been brewing in this project for some time now to "brash and irresponsible" actions of a CITU leader, Mr Rakesh Singha, aimed at getting a foot hold for himself and his followers in the Nathpa-Jhakri joint venture. They alleged that he had been following a policy of threat, intimidation and violence to all concerned with impunity with the help of some activists imported from outside. In spite of prior warnings the district administration failed to take timely action to defuse the situation. Though the police was deployed in the area. it merely stood as a mute spectator and failed to prevent the incidents. The legislators said
peace should be restored and stringent action be taken
against the guilty. |
25 lakh for free medical
aid to poor SHIMLA, July 1 — Mrs V S Rama Devi, Governor, has said the state Red Cross Society will spend Rs 25 lakh for providing free medical aid to the poor. She was speaking at the Red Cross fair at Rekong Peo in the Kinnaur district today. She said funds would be provided to poor patients under the state illness aid scheme. She called upon various
social organisations to work in harmony and co-ordination
for helping the poor and needy. She said the process of
their welfare and rehabilitation could be speeded up if
all such organisations joined hands and worked
collectively. She asked NGOs to lend constructive support
in development endeavours. |
Hundreds watch "Badal"
shooting SHIMLA, July 1 — Hundreds of tourists and local residents witnessed the shooting of a feature film, "Badal", on The Mall here today. Bobby Deol plays the lead role while Amrish Puri is enacting the role of a policeman. The shooting spot which is the fire station on The Mall has become a favourite of film producers. The film is also being shot in the Woodville Hotel. The shooting is expected to continue for a few days. The police had a difficult time clearing the location. The Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mr Manoj Kumar, said the civic body was charging a fee of only Rs 500 daily for the shooting. The amount was prescribed in the Municipal Corporation Act. He said that some shots
would also be taken on the Ridge. |
Rumour creates panic in village KULU, July 1 — Panic gripped Shilah village, about 25 km from here, on Monday following a rumour that infiltrators from Pakistan had entered a local school. According to a delayed report, the police detained some persons in this regard. The SP said a misunderstanding had caused the panic. Meanwhile, the district administration has asked all Heads of department and the public to keep a strict vigil over the movement of strangers. A special cell headed by
an ASP has been established which will be functioned
round-the-clock. |
Minjar fair from July 25 CHAMBA, July 1 — The Minjar Fair Celebrations Committee has decided to organise the Minjar fair at Chamba hill station, the district headquarter town in Himachal from July 25 to August 1 in an austere manner as compared to previous years in the wake of the Kargil situation. Mr K.Sanjaymurthy, Deputy Commissioner Chamba said yesterday that the fair committee had disclosed that part of money collected for the fair would be donated to the Chief Minister's Sainik Relief Fund for Kargil martyrs. The D.C. said that various sub-committees had been formed, headed by officers as conveners to manage activities like sports, competitions, cultural programmes, during the weeklong fair. Minjar fair is one of
the major carnivals of hill people of the northern
Himalayas held to propitiate the rain God Varuna or it
also symbolises victory of the Chamba's King Sahil Verman
over the King of Kangra according to legends prevalent in
this region. |
Aid for Hamirpur Rotary Club HAMIRPUR, July 1 — The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has approved $ 20,000 for children opportunity Rotary Club, Hamirpur, to help provide immunisation to children under five against hepatitis-B in urban areas of Hamirpur district namely Hamirpur, Nadaun, Bhota and Sujanpura. Dr Vinod Sharma, Chairman of the project, told reporters here last night that it would be the first such project in Northern India and second in India. He said the project known as the Rotary children's opportunities grants project would be started from July 1 and in the beginning a mass awakening campaign would be launched all over the district against hepatitis-B. He said under the project 3,300 children living in the project area would be immunised. He said the first dose would be given in August, followed by the second in September and the third in January, 2,000. The project chairman
said the only the World Health Organisation approved
vaccines would be used and the entire work would be
undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Health
and Family Welfare. |
NGO leader escapes attack by
leopard BILASPUR, July 1 — Mr Ram Singh, former president of the HP NGO Federation, and now chief adviser of the Himachal Pradesh State employees confederation, had a narrow escape when he was attacked by a leopard while travelling on the pillion of a scooter being driver by one of his relatives a couple of days ago. Addressing mediapersons here yesterday he said. The incident occurred near Jhamradian village at 9 p.m. when he was going to Talai and the leopard, jumped on their scooter. The NGO leader received
minor injuries on on his back. |
Scientists refuse salaries SOLAN, July 1 — Group ‘B’ category scientists of the Central Scientific Research Institute, Kasauli, the country’s premier manufacturer of vaccines, refused to accept their salaries for the month of June, in protest "against the non-implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission yesterday. A spokesman of the cadre of these scientists told newspersons here that the Fifth Pay Commission had revised their pay scales from Rs 1640-2900 to Rs 6500-10,500. However, the authorities for reasons best known to them had not implemented the new scales. Even the stagnation allowance due to these scientists who had attained the maximum basic pay of Rs 2,900 under the old scales had not been sanctioned. All representations made
the authorities during the last two years had not yielded
the desired result. |
| Diary |
Long
wait for sessions court NURPUR: Nurpur which has witnessed shifting of various government offices during the Virbhadra Singh regime got a ray of hope when the local MLA and Vice-Chairman of the H.P. Tourism Development Corporation, promised to revive the losing identity of this historical town. In June last year, the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, at a public meeting here announced to open the district and sessions court. The residents were happy as the previous government had opened a Sub-Judge court at Jawali, the newly carved out sub-division for which about 40 per cent cases were shifted from Nurpur. The district and sessions court announced by the Chief Minister a year ago has yet to open but the state government recently decided to create a new Sub-Judge court at Indora, the tehsil headquarters in Nurpur sub-division which might pick up over 50 per cent cases at present being taken up in the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Nurpur. The residents fear that the Chief Minister's decision to open the district and sessions court here may have been shelved. Mr Ashok Sharma, Chairman, Nurpur Block Samiti, has assailed the Dhumal government in this regard. * * * The government will shift the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) from here to Rehan. The ITI was opened by the previous government at Jachh, near here. The government's move has evoked sharp reaction in the area. The local MLA, Mr Rakesh Pathania, who had promised to bring Block Medical Office (BMO) from Gangath to Nurpur has failed to do so. At present two BMOs have been functioning in the Gangath Assembly constituency, one at Gangath and the other at Indora. * * * Local residents are facing water scarcity in the town. However, the potable water problem is a regular feature. At the present, the residents get piped water for just 30 to 40 minutes in 24 hours and that too, at low pressure. The situation is grim for those who live at a higher level. The Irrigation-cum-Public Health (IPH) Department had mooted a Rs 2-crore central government-sponsored water augmentation scheme a few years ago in which 120 litres of water was to be provided to each individual daily. But nothing has been done to clear this ambitious project from the Centre. The water supply position in the rural areas in Nurpur sub-division is very bad. The natural sources like wells, baulis and streams have started drying up due to prolonged dry spell. The IPH department has identified 29 water scarcity villages in Nurpur sub-division. * * * The Himachal Pradesh Government will shift the office of the Chief Engineer, Shahnehar irrigation project, from Dharamsala to Fatehpur in Jawali sub-division. The Rs 143-crore Shahnehar project is being built in Jawali and Gangath Assembly segments, but the office of the Chief Engineer was so far functioning at the district headquarters, about 110 km away, from the site. It has a circle office at Fatehpur with two working divisions at Badukhar and Sansarpur Terrace. * * * The Municipal Council
has constructed a number of public urinals in the town
which have been laid with waterpipes and tanks sans water
supply. There is no regular arrangement for keeping
stinking urinals clean. The local administration has also
failed to check the nuisance of stacking building
material like sand, bajri, bricks on the roadsides by
residents. It becomes a traffic hazard. |
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