CITU seeks probe into firing incident
SHIMLA, July 8 — Activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions observed a strike today in support of their demand for a judicial probe into the recent firing incident in the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Project resulting in the death of a worker.

Cong MLA seeks fresh survey
SHIMLA, July 8 — A Congress MLA, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, has demanded a fresh survey of IRDP families living below the poverty line in the state, and has criticised the government for cutting their number to 25 per cent.

Congress blamed for woes of apple growers
SHIMLA, July 8 — The state unit of the CPM has blamed the policy of economic liberalisation implemented during the Narasimha Rao regime responsible for the woes of applegrowers who had been exposed to international competition.

HP Cong election panel formed
Tribune News Service and PTI

SHIMLA, July87 — The AICC General Secretary, Mr R K Dhawan, said here yesterday personal loyalties would not be the criterion for allocation of the Congress ticket to anyone in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Dhawan, who was talking to mediapersons here, said the winning prospects and clean image of the candidate will be the basis for the party ticket.

He did not rule out the sitting MLAs being given the ticket, but clarified that the recommendation had to come from the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC).

Mr Dhawan said the PEC would meet here on July 18 to finalise its recommendation of candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats. The sitting MPs would be given the ticket as far as the general policy of the party was concerned.

He predicted that the Congress would win all four Lok Sabha seats because of the "misrule" of the BJP-HVC combine government.

Senior Congressmen, including Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mr Sat Mahajan and Mr Ram Lal, were also present at the news conference.

Mr Dhawan ruled out any electoral understanding with the HVC leader, Mr Sukh Ram, and said the stand of the Congress party vis-a-vis Mr Sukh Ram had not changed from its earlier one.

Replying to questions regarding the reported breakfast, meeting between the Congress MLA, Ms Vidya Stokes, and the HVC Chief, Mr Sukh Ram, he made it clear that the meeting between the two leaders might have been because of their personal and social contacts and this should not be viewed in the political light.

Mr Dhawan said the Congress would expose the "misdeeds" of the BJP government in the state.

The AICC office-bearer, who had come here to address the general house of the PCC, said many partymen had complained that they were being harassed and attempts being made to lure them away by the state government.

He said there was unanimity that all partymen should remain united to win the coming Lok Sabha elections. Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Mahajan have been asked to tour certain areas of the state together to give the message of unity among-Congressmen.

He said the option of making efforts to topple the BJP-HVC combine government in the state was always open as the Opposition had to expose the failures of the government.

Mr Dhawan said the Congress party stood by the demand of Mr Virbhadra Singh that the state government should issue a white paper on the Rs 300 crore grant received from the Centre.

A 20-member state Election Committee headed by HPCC President Sat Mahajan has been constituted for Himachal Pradesh.

The committee included former Chief Ministers, Ram Lal and Virbhadra Singh, former Vidhan Sabha Speakers Vidya Stokes and Kaul Singh Thakur, former ministers J B L Khachi, N C Parashar, Rangilla Ram Rao, Gangu Ram Musafir, Ram Lal Thakur, Asha Kumari, Viplove Thakur and Vijay Singh Mankotia, President of the All-India Mahila Congress, Chandresh Kumari, HPCC Vice-Presidents M. R. Goma and R K Gaur, former Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma and Krishana Mohini and G S Bali, MLAs.

The PEC would send its recommendations to the party high command and the Central Election Committee would make the final decision, Mr Dhawan said.

Dialogue only solution, says Dalai Lama
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, July 8 — The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, today said it was only through dialogue that a solution to the Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, can be found.

Speaking at a special prayer meeting held at the main temple in McLeodganj in memory of those killed in Kargil, the Tibetan leader said a patch of conflict and confrontation could never be a permanent solution as it prove to be counter-productive. "We have always looked towards India as ‘guru’ as the theory of non-violence and peaceful co-existence emerged from here, " he observed. He added that even Mahatama Gandhi stuck to the path of non-violence for achieving freedom.

The Tibetan leader expressed concern over the amassing of weapons by different nation. This could pose a big threat to peace in the world. "I am deeply concerned seeing the Kargil conflict as after having spent 39 years in India, I consider it my own country", he said. He added that all Tibetans were deeply concerned over the Kargil conflict and considered it very unfortunate.

The Tibetan Minister for Home, Mr Tashi Wangdi, said it would be very unfortunate if we entered the 21st century in an atmosphere of blood shed and violence. "It is the moral duty of each one of us to usher in the next millennium in an era of peace and harmony," he opined. He handed over a cheque of Rs 1.83 lakh to the district administration for the families of the Kargil martyrs on the part of the Tibetan Administration. He announced that each and every Tibetan living in India would make contribution for the Defence Welfare Fund.

Wife bemoans neglect of hurt soldier
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, July 8 — While the central and the state governments are taking due care of the families of those killed in battle with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir by giving them financial help and all other benefits, there are many others who have fought valiantly in the battle and survived death but were injured badly.

One of them, Lance Naik Bhupinder Singh of 7 Dogra, was injured in the Akhnoor area of Jammu and Kashmir on June 6 and was admitted to Jammu Military Hospital. He was hit with a bullet in the shoulder which was removed . He remained in hospital for 25 days. Thereafter, he was discharged and sent home for recovery.

He belongs to Biru village of the Barsar revenue subdivision of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh and is at present living in a rented accommodation at Mahre.

This unsung hero of the Akhnoor battle is a shaken person these days. He goes to the Barsar hospital on alternate days for medical treatment on foot. He lives with his wife and the couple is issueless.

Ms Santosh Kumari, the wife of the injured solider, while talking to a group of Hamirpur-based reporters last evening said she was proud of her brave husband who had fought the enemy to defend our motherland.

She said though she did not want any favour from anyone for her husband yet she expected that someone from the civil administration would inquire about the well-being of her husband and extend him some financial aid and facilities so that he be treated without any inconvenience. Her husband again wanted to go to the front.

She said her house had been visited by Mr Manjit Singh Dogra, former MLA, and a few people living near their house. She was pained to inform that though it was in the knowledge of everyone in Mahre town yet no official had taken the trouble to visit them.

The wife of the brave soldier said it seemed care was taken only of those who were killed in battle and facilities were given to their kith and kin. The government conveniently forgot those who were living but were injured badly while defending the motherland.

When contacted, senior district officers expressed their ignorance about the presence of an injured soldier in Mahre.

Kerosene dealership for Himachal youth
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 8 — The Prime Minister's Self-Employment Scheme of Oil Companies will be implemented in Himachal Pradesh.

A spokesman for the state government said here on Tuesday that with a view to providing self-employment to educated unemployed youth and to make available kerosene to consumers particularly in small towns and rural areas without any ration card or permit, block level dealers would be appointed in each block under the Prime Minister's Self-Employment Scheme of Oil Companies in the pradesh.

The spokesman said kerosene would be made available to these dealers through Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Indo-Berman Petroleum Ltd. The process of selection of block-level dealers would soon be initiated by these companies.

The spokesman said the maximum age for general category candidates would be 35 years while for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates, it would be 45 years. He said that provision has also been made for reservation for physically handicapped, security personnel, para-military, police, government personnel, outstanding sportsmen, other backward classes and women besides Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates.

The spokesman said the dealership would be given on the basis of partnership and there need to be at least three partners of the same category for each dealership.

CITU seeks probe into firing incident
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 8 — Activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) observed a strike today in support of their demand for a judicial probe into the recent firing incident in the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Project resulting in the death of a worker.

According to a spokesman of the CITU, the members were also protesting against harassment of their leaders by the police.

The spokesman claimed that the functioning of hotels here had been crippled as CITU workers marched to the headquarters of the NJPC where they held a rally.

They wore black badges and raised slogans against the government.

The spokesman claimed that the strike was also observed in Sirmaur, Solan, Mandi and Kangra by the CITU activists.

Cong MLA seeks fresh survey
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 8 — A Congress MLA, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, has demanded a fresh survey of IRDP families living below the poverty line in the state, and has criticised the government for cutting their number to 25 per cent.

In a statement here yesterday, Mr Rao said the guidelines issued by the government to conduct IRDP survey to identify families which were living below the poverty line were defective. The guidelines state that those families which possess a small house made of stone massionary or having a radio, TV set, an electric fan etc. are to be deprived of the IRDP benefits. These types of conditions for inclusion in the list of the IRDP are not at all justified because even the poor generally possess such small households, he said.

He said there was great resentment among the people who were living below poverty line against the recent selection of IRDP families. The government should revise the guidelines for inclusion in the IRDP.

Congress blamed for woes of
apple growers
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, July 8 — The state unit of the CPM has blamed the policy of economic liberalisation implemented during the Narasimha Rao regime responsible for the woes of applegrowers who had been exposed to international competition.

It alleged that markets in the country had been flooded by apples imported from other countries, due to the wrong policies of the government. The then Finance Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, succumbed to pressure from international funding agencies like the IMF and the World Bank and agreed to open the domestic market to foreign goods.

The resentment among growers had forced Congress leaders like former Chief Minister Ram Lal, who supported these policies, to demand exclusion of apple from the list of items in the open general licence (OGL).

The future of growers appears to be bleak as they were in no position to compete with advanced countries. For the same reason, the hopgrowers of Lahaul and Spiti, had also been suffering for the past four years.