Chamba Shimla

Beating of scribe: SP to hold probe
SHIMLA, June 2 — Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, has directed the local SP to conduct an inquiry into the alleged beating up of a Delhi-based journalist and his friend at the behest of the Station House Officer (Sadar) during the Mehdi Hassan nite on Monday last.

Pak has betrayed India: Shanta
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 2 — Mr Shanta Kumar, a former Chief Minister, today said that by sending infiltrators into the Kargil area Pakistan had not only betrayed India but also its own people who wanted friendly relations between the two countries.

Addressing a Press conference here, he said it was a repeat of the 1962 events when China stabbed India in the back. Mr A.B. Vajpayee, Prime Minister, had made a good beginning by his bus visit to Pakistan but the country had let down India.

Infiltration from across the Line of Control was a regular feature during the summer but it had taken place on a large scale this time. During previous years militants entered Kashmir and created trouble throughout the year but the Vajpayee government had shown the political will and acted firmly to push them back.

He criticised the Opposition for raising certain issues at this juncture which could demoralise the Army. The entire concentration should be on pushing back the infiltrators and the lapses, if any, could be discussed later.

Making a strong plea for changing over to the presidential form of government, Mr Shanta Kumar said parliamentary democracy had been a big failure as was evident from the fact that the country had to go to the polls seven times since 1989. Repeated elections were a big drain on the country's resources which was already under heavy debt.

The resources of the country were not enough even to meet the debt liability. As against an income of Rs 1.80 lakh crore, the amount required for debt-servicing was Rs 1.95 lakh crore. Repeated elections would only make matters worse.

Besides, the people of the country were losing faith in the system due to the frequent fall of governments and it was time to have a fresh look at the issue. The BJP-led National Democratic Front would amend the Constitution to ensure that the Lok Sabha was not dissolved before five years, if it was able to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the poll.

Mr Shanta Kumar alleged that the Congress engineered the fall of the Vajpayee government as it had started showing results.He said the BJP-led front would sweep the polls as it had established its credibility in the eyes of the people and had a reliable and undisputed leader in Mr Vajpayee.

Referring to the split in the Congress, he said Mr Sharad Pawar had done well by challenging "dynastic rule" in the Congress and by his stand on barring persons of foreign origin from holding high offices. He had put a question mark on Mrs Sonia Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership.

The BJP leader said he had no differences with the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, and he was doing a good job. Certain decisions, of the Centre like giving priority to hydel projects would prove beneficial for states like Himachal Pradesh.

‘Nehru family’ blamed for Kashmir problem
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 2 —  The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today said the Congress had no moral right to criticise the BJP-led government at the Centre for the current skirmishes at Kargil between India and Pakistan because the Kashmir problem was the creation of the "Nehru family" and successive Congress governments at the Centre.

Mr Dhumal, who hurridely convened a Press conference after his return here from Delhi this afternoon, said instead of criticising the bus journey of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to Lahore, the Congress should support the government for the initiatives which it was taking to remove the intruders from the Kargil area. He described the resolution of the Congress criticising the Lahore bus trip as most unfortunate. Keeping in view the sensitive situation on the Line of Control (LoC), the Congress should not issue statements which demoralised the armed forces.

He said the BJP as an Opposition party had always risen above politics to support the Congress governments during the wars in 1947, 1962, 1965 and 1971.

Mr Dhumal said it was unfortunate that the Congress was trying to grind its political axe at the cost of the national interest.

He said the Congress mishandled the situation during the 1971 Indo-Pak war when it freed nearly 90,000 Pakistani soldiers without pressurising the Pakistan Government to surrender the occupied areas of Kashmir.

Mr Dhumal said the Energy Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramanglam, would lay the foundation of the 300 MW Chamera Stage II project, near Chamba, on June 5.

He said that during the past 52 years successive Himachal Pradesh governments could construct power projects to generate only 3,850 MW of electricity. However, his government within a year of coming to power had managed to get over 4,000 MW power projects cleared for construction. Many other projects were at an advanced stage of negotiation.

Beating of scribe: SP to hold probe
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 2 — Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, has directed the local SP to conduct an inquiry into the alleged beating up of a Delhi-based journalist and his friend at the behest of the Station House Officer (Sadar) during the Mehdi Hassan nite on Monday last.

The direction was issued on the complaint of Mr Jitender Kaushik, a correspondent of India Today, who met Mr Dhumal here today. He alleged that Mr Ramesh Pathania, SHO and brother of a BJP legislator, tried to push him and his friend out of the VIP enclosure despite their having valid passes for the programme.

When they objected to his 'rude behaviour' and 'manhandling" he summoned four constables, who allegedly paraded them through the bazar and beat them up all the way to the police station.

When Mr Kaushik showed his press card, the SHO became more furious and said, "So what? My brother is an MLA".

PM to lay stone of project on June 6
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 2 — Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee will lay the foundation stone of the 2051 MW Parbati project at Siund in Kulu district on June 6.

Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, who returned from Delhi here today, said the project, to be executed in three stages, would cost over Rs 10,000 crore. It would generated 8500 million units of electricity annually and Himachal Pradesh would get 12 per cent of the power generated free of cost as royalty, fetching a revenue of Rs 400 crore.

Work on the 800 MW Stage-II would be taken up first. It involved the construction of a 90m dam across the Parbati at Pulga.

Teachers’ rally tomorrow
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, June 2 — The Himahcal Pradesh Prathmik Anubandh Adhyapak Sangh has decided to organise a rally here on June 4 in protest against the "indifferent" attitude of the state government towards their demands. The sangh will also submit a memorandum to the government.

Announcing this here yesterday, Mr Mukesh Sharma, president of the district unit of the sangh said that they were demanding the regularisation of the services of teachers, working on a contract basis against the posts of JBT teacher in the state. He said there were about 4,200 such teachers working in primary schools for over four years.

The sangh also demanded the implemention of the revised pay scales of JBT teachers.