Roads 'top priority' in Rohru
SHIMLA, June 19 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is taking effective steps to get work started on the 70 mw Dhamwari-Sunda hydel project in Upper Shimla at the earliest.

Wife helps carry soldier's coffin
DHARAMSALA, June 19 — Even as men braved to hold back their tears, the young 20-year-old wife of Naik Rakesh Kumar, who was killed in Kargil, helped to carry her husband's coffin to the cremation ground in Lambapatt village, about 20 km from here, today.

Havildar Udham Singh cremated
BILASPUR, June 19 — The body of Havildar Udham Singh Patiyal who sacrificed his life while defending the Line of Control in the Dras sector on June 14 was brought to his Chaihadi village near Ghumarwin yesterday and cremated with full military and state honours.

Father proud of martyr son
PALAMPUR, June 19 — The body of Naik Rajesh Kumar of 13 J&K Rifles, belonging to Lamba Phat village of Palampur subdivision who laid down his life in the Kargil sector on June 14 was brought to the village last evening. His mortal remains were consigned to flames with full military honour. Thousands of people, including civil and military officers, were present.

Hamirpur receives brave son’s body
HAMIRPUR, June 19 — Hundreds paid their last respects to Sepoy Dinesh Kumar of Andral village of the district today. His body was brought here from Chandigarh.

2 cops suspended for abetting suicide
KULU, June 19 — The SHO, Ani and a policeman have been placed under suspension and a case under Section 306 of the IPC has been registered against them on a charge of abetment to commit suicide.

Minorities front for mediation
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 19 — The All-India Tribes and Minorities Front has sought the mediation of the United Nations to solve the vexed Kashmir problem and demanded postponement of the Lok Sabha poll in view of the war-like situation in the Kargil sector.

In a memorandum to Mr K.R. Narayanan, President of India, the front has expressed concern at the situation along the line of control mostly inhabited by minorities and tribesmen and called for a pragmatic approach to settle the dispute. Mr M.S. Negi, president of the front, has pointed out that Pakistan had never accepted Kashmir as a bilateral issue, whereas Delhi had been harping on the same.

He said in such a situation, there was no logic in opposing international mediation for finding a permanent solution to the problem, particularly when the government was constantly seeking condemnation of Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir.

The country should approach the UN Security Council for appointment of a commission to work out a modus vivendi for a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute within the framework of a mutually acceptable agreement.

"It could inter alia include declaration of occupied Kashmir as an autonomous demilitarised buffer zone and deeming the 1949 ceasefire line as the actual line of control which could be frozen for 30 years and kept under the supervision of the United Nations."

In the meantime, he has said, in view of the irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir government should be trifurcated to set up separate states of Ladakh and Jammu.

The memorandum also suggested promulgation of an ordinance to amend Article 85 of the Constitution to defer elections for a period of six months to one year. He said at a time when the country was engaged in a war with an ever-hostile neighbour, political parties should stand united for the national cause.

Roads 'top priority' in Rohru
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 19 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is taking effective steps to get work started on the 70 mw Dhamwari-Sunda hydel project in Upper Shimla at the earliest.

Stating this while addressing a public meeting at Chirgaon in Rohru subdivision, Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said the private company with which a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed would be given a notice to expedite the work and if it failed to do so the project would be entrusted either to the state electricity board or some other agency.

He also announced opening of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Chirgaon so that youth of Chouhra Block and nearby areas could get job oriented education.

The Chief Minister said construction of roads in Rohru area, especially Chouhra Block, would be given utmost priority as the area had been deprived this facility for long. He sanctioned Rs 32 lakh for expediting work on various roads in the area including the Chiragon-Gawnsari, Badiara-Magon, Dhamwari-Ramai-Janglik and Chilla link roads. He sanctioned Rs 1.80 lakh for the construction of a bridge at Seema.

Mr Dhumal inaugurated various schemes during his one-day visit to the area which included Chanshal Tourism Complex at Rohru, constructed at a cost of Rs 90 lakh, a new block in the Civil Hospital, Rohru (Rs 70 lakh), Circuit House building at Rohru (Rs 55 lakh), 7 km long Seema-Rantari road, Bijori irrigation scheme, Badiara bridge over the Pabbar and Senior Secondary School building.

Paying tributes to Yashwant Singh of Rohru and other soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation, Mr Dhumal said the people of Himachal Pradesh were proud of the brave soldiers. The Khadkarya-Kewali road leading to Yashwant Singh's village would be named "Yashwant Marg", he said. A rain shelter on this road would also be constructed in his memory. He said Yashwant Singh's sister, would be given a job, besides monetary grant for the family.

Some Congress workers tried to stop Mr Dhumal on his way to Chirgaon. They demanded more steps for various educational and health institutions. There was a minor scuffle with BJP workers.

Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister, said the government had sanctioned Rs 1.50 crore for the hospital at Khanair in Rampur. He said the government had appointed six new doctors for the Civil Hospital at Rohru, thereby raising the strength of the doctors to 15.

Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture, said the people of Shimla district were grateful to the Chief Minister for releasing Rs 29 crore for making payments for apple procured under the market intervention scheme.

Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, Vice-Chairman, Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), Mr R.D. Kashyap, Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr Virender Kashyap, Chairman Marketing Board, and Ms Satya Pitan, President, BJP Mahila Morcha, Rohru, also spoke.

Director for film policy
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 19 — The majestic snowclad mountains, gurgling streams and green slopes of Himachal Pradesh provide ideal locales for shooting films but the lack of a single-window service discourages film units from coming to the state, says Mr Anil Sharma, well-known film director who is in the city these days shooting his latest film "Gadar".

"It is convenient and economical to shoot in Switzerland than Himachal Pradesh", he told The Tribune during a chat. "The air flight to Switzerland costs about Rs 20,000 per person. Coming to Himachal is no cheaper. However, there are several advantages in Switzerland. One does not have to run around for permissions and clearances. Shooting can start within a day after landing in the country", he explained.

Besides, various facilities were availabl. For instance, one could hire a helicopter within minutes. Like Himachal most other states also lacked a film policy and single-window service which was a big damper for film units.

Only the Uttar Pradesh Government had formulated a film policy and made an effort to encourage film units to shoot in the state. The policy and the cooperative attitude of officers has made things much easier. Ministers and senior IAS officers personally contacted producers and directors and ensured that the units did not face any problem.

He said during his last visit to Himachal Pradesh a year ago, he has a meaningful interaction with Mr S.S. Parmar, the then Commissioner-cum-Secretary tourism, who appreciated the need for a single-window service for the convenience of film units. However, subsequently, he was shifted and the matter rested there.

Mr Sharma felt that Himachal Pradesh was frittering away a golden opportunity of promoting tourism by not doing enough to encourage film units to shoot in the state over the past decade when Kashmir was virtually out of bounds for tourists due to militancy. Provided there were adequate facilities, film units would still prefer to shoot in Himachal Pradesh.

He said although his unit was getting all possible cooperation from the administration, it was all at the personal level. A system has to be evolved to take care of the requirements of the film industry on a permanent basis.

Referring to the film, "Gadar" he said it was a love story which started before independence and extended beyond partition of the country. Apart from Sunny Deol, who was in the lead role, and character-actor Amrish Puri, all other actors were new-comers. Ameesha Patel, who played the female lead, was also making her debut in the film.

Mr Sharma, who has directed about a dozen films including "Maharaja", "Shradhanjah", "Elane Jang" and "Hukumat", was confident that the presence of such a large number of newcomers would enable him to lend freshness to the film.

He said he had selected Shimla for shooting the film to create the ambience of the British era.

War veterans sore at HP Govt
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, June 19 — There is a lot of difference in the saying and doings of the successive central and state governments with regard to the promises made to the 1971 war veterans who had brought laurels to the country. While the Indian Government and various state governments are making various types of announcements to the martyrs of the ongoing Kargil operation, the families of the war veterans have yet not forgotten the grief they got as a result of the 1971 war.

The families of these brave men lament that both the central government and the Himachal Government have forgotten to fulfil the promises made to them after the 1971 war was over. Five brave officers and jawans of Hamirpur district had received Vir Chakras for their active role in fighting the enemy and thus saving the pride of the nation. These included Lt-Commander, Megh Nath Sangal, Col Panjab Singh, Havaldar Lekhraj, Havaldar Brij Lal and Havaldar Ramesh Chand. Havaldar Ramesh Chander and Havaldar Brij Lal were honoured posthumously.

Ms Meena Devi (46), wife of Havaldar Ramesh Chand, was in tears when this reporter reached her residence and started talking to her about her husband and his role, while fighting the enemy. The mother of the two children the middle aged lady said while she gave away everything to the nation in the shape of her husband, the state government had yet not fulfilled the promise of entering mutation of the land in her name that was given to her by the state government.

She said she went to every possible office for the mutation of the land but got no response from there. She was told that land was in her possession and she should not worry about anything. She, however, lamented that for want of ownership of land in the official revenue papers, she was unable to get benefits of TD rights of trees and on one occasion she had to pay penalty to the Department of Forests for cutting a dry tree even from her own land.

The wife of the war veteran blamed the bureaucracy for her sad plight. She said no political leader ever came to her to listen to her plight. She, however, was all praise for the BJP leader, Mr Raghubir Singh, who helped her from time to time.

She also said that for the past six to seven years she was not even invited for any official functions, the tradition that was being followed earlier.

Another war veteran, Havaldar Lekh Raj of Dhamani village in the district was aggrieved over the maltreatment being meted out to him in the matter of allotment of land. He told this reporter at his residence that although many promises were made to him at the time of awarding of Vir Chakra, yet nothing concrete had been done to fulfil those. According to him, whenever, he approached the district administration regarding his land allotment case, he was told that no land was available with the state government and the district administration and hence his claim could not be accepted.

He said another promise to make his village a model village had yet not been fulfilled. Havaldar Lekh Raj, war veteran of the Sialkot sector, said the state government had nothing for those who had fought the enemy for safeguarding the borders of the nation but had everything for those who looted the country and had done nothing for the nation.

The war veteran was also sore with the attitude of political leaders and bureaucrats. He said from time to time he had inquired about a job to his son but there was lukewarm response from the administration. He said the people of India had given all sorts of affection to them and there was no need to criticise them.

Another Vir Chakra winner and Director of the HP Sainik Welfare Department, Col Panjab Singh, who had fought the war in the western sector and had won this medal for his dynamic efforts, said the state government had made a number of changes in the awards and other benefits given to war veterans. He said he had been given cash instead of land. He said he was satisfied with the facilities given to him by the state government.

In an interview with this reporter recently, he said there was a lot of differences in civil and Army services. "We should not expect much from civilians, who are not well-informed about Army matters and procedures", he said. He, however, lamented that no proper facilities were being given to ex-servicemen or war veterans, for state-level and district-level functions.

Ms Vidya Devi, wife of another Vir Chakra winner, Brij Lal, and hailing from Aled village of the district has been living in Una district after the death of her husband. However, nothing had been provided to her by the state government. Water was the scarce commodity in her village and no steps had been taken to end the water shortage despite a number of complaints lodged by her family members to the district administration from time to time.

Wife helps carry soldier's coffin
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, June 19 — Even as men braved to hold back their tears, the young 20-year-old wife of Naik Rakesh Kumar, who was killed in Kargil, helped to carry her husband's coffin to the cremation ground in Lambapatt village, about 20 km from here, today.

Even men broke down as the young Vimla, decked up like a bride, complete with "sindoor", became a pall-bearer on her husband's last journey.

Naik Rakesh Kumar (24) of J and K Rifles was killed in the Kargil sector fighting the Pakistani infiltrators. His body was brought to Palampur from Jammu, last night, and was kept in the military hospital there before it reached his native village this morning.

Naik Rakesh Kumar had been married for only three months, and had come home last for his marriage, which took place on March 9. His father Roshan Lal and brother Sibia are both ex-servicemen. Thousands of people had assembled in the tiny Gaddi village having barely a dozen houses to pay their last respects to the brave soldier.

Naik Rakesh Kumar's three younger sisters fainted as the body was taken out of the house to be taken to the cremation ground. His proud parents were inconsolable.

People from the surrounding areas had lined up all along the 3 km route to the cremation ground at Bhartrihari. A large number of women too were present at the cremation ground. Naik Rakesh Kumar's elder brother Sibia lit the pyre amid the chanting of Vedic mantras. Anti-Pakistan slogans and cries of "Rakesh amar rahe" rent the air.

The police band sounded the last post and Army jawans reversed their arms and later fired a volley to bid farewell to the brave soldier. Those present at the cremation ground included the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidyasagar, ministers Kishan Kapoor and Ravinder Thakur, former Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, and senior civil and Army officers. Wreaths were placed on the body by the Army officials on behalf of the President of India and the Chief of Army Staff.

Havildar Udham Singh cremated
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, June 19 — The body of Havildar Udham Singh Patiyal (42) who sacrificed his life while defending the Line of Control in the Dras sector on June 14 was brought to his Chaihadi village near Ghumarwin yesterday and cremated with full military and state honours.

Amit his only son lit the pyre.

A contingent of the armed forces and another the HP Armed Police reversed arms and fired volleys in the air in honour of this departed soldier. Present on occasion were Himachal Minister for Cooperatives Rikiram Kondal, State 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee Vice Chairman K.D. Dharmani, State Cooperative Bank Chairman Krishankumar Kaushal, Local Congress MLA Kashmir Singh Thakur, BJP state president Suresh Chandel, BJP district President Subhash Thakur, Himachal Vikas Congress district President Major Shivram Sharma, district Congress Chief Rattanlal Soni and General Secretary Pratap Kondal, state Youth Congress Vice-President Hoshiyar Singh Thakur, Zila Parishad Chairman Dilaram Dhiman and HVC Ghumarwin unit President Gianchand Rattan.

Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Kapil laid wreathes on behalf of the Himachal Governor while Minister for Cooperative laid wreath on behalf of the Chief Minister and the SP Mr Anurag Garg, laid wreath on behalf of the Himachal Health and Family Welfare Minister. Earlier the body of Udham Singh was brought to Ghumarwin town by a contingent of the armed forces and was kept at Federation Bhawan where thousands of people paid their respects to the martyr.

Father proud of martyr son
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, June 19 — The body of Naik Rajesh Kumar of 13 J&K Rifles, belonging to Lamba Phat village of Palampur subdivision who laid down his life in the Kargil sector on June 14 was brought to the village last evening. His mortal remains were consigned to flames with full military honour. Thousands of people, including civil and military officers, were present. Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Kangra and SDM, Palampur were also present in the cremation ground.

Mr BK Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh on behalf of state government to the family of slain soldier.

The elder brother and father of Rakesh Kumar are ex-service men and have fought the battle of 1965 and 1971 with Pakistan. The father of Rakesh Kumar told this correspondent that he was proud of his son who had laid down his life for the nation.

Rakesh Kumar is the sixth soldier from this district to have laid down his life for the nation in a Kargil sector.

Meanwhile C.D. Singh Guleria, Vice President, HP State Sainik Welfare League, has welcomed the decision of the state government for enhancing the financial assistance of the slain soldiers from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. He urged the government to relax educational qualification of widows of the soldiers and provide them suitable jobs without delay.

Hamirpur receives brave son’s body
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, June 19 — Hundreds paid their last respects to Sepoy Dinesh Kumar of Andral village of the district today. His body was brought here from Chandigarh.

As the truck carrying the body reached the Bachat Bhawan here people raised slogans of "Dinesh Kumar amar rahe". The Army jawans who had come specially from Jalandhar took the coffin inside the hall. Prominent among those who received the body, included, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, HP Education Minister, Mr Anand Swaroop, the district BJP chief, Mr Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Deputy Commissioner, Mr A.P. Siddiqui, SP, Col (retd) Chet Ram Chauhan, Chairman of the HP Ex-Servicemen Financial Corporation and leaders and workers of political parties and trade union organisations.

The Education Minister and senior district officers laid wreaths on the body.

The body will remain at the Bachat Bhawan hall for the night and it will be taken to the village tomorrow morning for cremation, according to Mr Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur.

2 cops suspended for abetting suicide
From Our Correspondent

KULU, June 19 — The SHO, Ani and a policeman have been placed under suspension and a case under Section 306 of the IPC has been registered against them on a charge of abetment to commit suicide. Mr Zahur Hazzaidi, SP, Ani, said today. The two had allegedly tortured a thief in the police station and he later committed suicide by hanging himself on June 17. The body of the deceased has been sent to the zonal hospital, Mandi for postmortem and identification.

The Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, has initiated an magisterial inquiry into the case and Sub Divisional Magistrate Ani has been appointed the inquiry officer.