P R A D E S H
Wednesday, June 23, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Wednesday, June 23, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Dhumal, Shanta close
ranks? |
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RSS critical of bus diplomacy KANGRA, June 22 — The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was critical of the bus diplomacy adopted by the government to improve relations with Bangladesh and Pakistan. HP sets
up panel to go into forest fires Ex-servicemen
told to rejoin Army Procession
against police failure Dhawala
flayed for unkept promises Byelection
for 144 panchayat posts on July 18 Shopkeepers
observe bandh |
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Dhumal, Shanta close ranks? DHARMSALA, June 22 — Himachal Chief Minister P K Dhumal and BJP leader Shanta Kumar are learnt to have had a closed door meeting at Kangra on Sunday. The two leaders are learnt to have met at Kangra Rest House, where the Chief Minister had come to attend a function organised by the Rajput Kalyan Sabha. Great significance is being attached to the meeting, as all efforts to unite them earlier had failed. So far the Shanta and the Dhumal loyalists in the state have remained divided in two separate groups. The differences between the two camps came out in the open at the time of the Baijnath byelections, where the two groups had worked independent of each other. The former Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, has already said that he will be a candidate from the Kangra Parliamentary constituency, and has been canvassing in Kangra and Chamba districts. It is being apprehended that the differences between the two leaders, could prove to be very damaging for the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections, which will benefit the congress. During the coming Lok Sabha elections credibility of Mr Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar will be at stake and the two are learnt to have discussed the need for the sinking of differences so that the party can win maximum seats, at a time when every seat matters at the national level. The government once again has said that the Apollo Hospital at Holta will come up. The Apollo Hospital project was mooted during the tenure of the Shanta government and it is still called Mr Shanta Kumar’s baby. However, the disinterest shown by the Dhumal government in the Apollo project so far, is being considered a direct consequence of the rivalry between the two leaders. The government on its part has been saying that it has entrusted the responsibility of holding talks with the Apollo group to Mr Shanta Kumar, but political observers point out that it is only by taking up matters at the government level that such a massive and prestigious project can come up. As such credibility of Mr Shanta Kumar, is linked with the Apollo hospital, which he had promised would be set up for the people of Palampur. It is being expected that with the latest closed-door meeting taking place the Apollo project could see the light of the day. The supporters of the two leaders are happy at the latest development as they feel that it was ultimately damaging the party interest. "It is a very healthy and timely development and the party will now be able to face elections unitedly", commented a leader from Palampur. The differences between Mr Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar, had reached a point of no return, at the time of the elections of the State Party President, in Jwalamukhi, during November, 1997. Senior BJP leaders, Mr Dhumal, Mr J.P. Nadda, Mr Maheshwar Singh and Mr Roop Singh had opposed the candidature of Mr Shanta Kumar. The situation became so tense that ultimately the high command had to postpone the election. Now, in case the two
leaders are able to sink differences and take on the
Congress unitedly in the Lok Sabha elections, it is the
party which will be the ultimate gainer. |
Long queues greet soldiers SHIMLA, June 22 — The Indo-Pakistan conflict in Kargil has charged the atmosphere in the Mandi and Kulu districts of Himachal Pradesh with people in large number queuing on both sides of the highway to greet and cheer soldiers on their way to the battlefield. Many camps have been put up by volunteers who offer "sharbat" and sweets to the soldiers. Army convoys these days are taking the Pathankot-Mandi-Kulu route to reach Leh. The Manali-Leh road is an alternative approach to the Kargil area as the Srinagar-Leh highway is under artillery fire by Pakistan. With five soldiers of Mandi district having lost their lives in Kargil, the residents are much involved in the developments in Ladakh. Countless number of banners have been put up on the highway to greet the soldiers on their way to Kargil. Army convoys can be seen moving day and night towards Manali which is the base camp for their onward journey to Leh by crossing three high passes. The Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Mr Parbodh Saxena, has brought the volunteer camps at one place near the bridge where Pathankot and Chandigarh highways meet. This has been done on the request of the Army authorities as stoppage of the convoy at all camps was disturbing their schedule. At certain places women can be seen applying "tilak" on the forehead of the soldiers and praying for their victory. Most convoys come from Pathankot and occasionally from Chandi Mandir. The Mela Committee of Jogindernagar in Mandi district today presented a sum of Rs 11,000 to the Speaker, Mr Gulab Singh, for the Chief Minister’s Sainik Welfare Fund. The Deepak project of the Border Roads Organisation is maintaining the 222 km stretch between Manali and Sarchu on the strategic road. The Chief Engineer of the project, Brig B M Bakshi, is camping there to ensure that there is no hurdle in the smooth movement of the convoys. Restrictions have been
put on plying of tourist and civilian vehicles around the
Rohtang Pass so as to avoid any obstacle in the way of
the Army convoys. |
They're remembered only in war
time SHIMLA, June 22 — While the Army personnel and exservicemen are overwhelmed by the massive solidarity by countrymen with the jawans fighting the Pakistani intruders in Kargil and steps announced by the government to help the families of those who make supreme sacrifice for the country, they feel that the valiant soldiers and martyrs deserve to be remembered not only in the hour of crisis but also during days of peace. The war heroes and their families deserve respect and honour in all times, but unfortunately this has not been the case, laments the officer manning the Sainik Welfare Office, here. The brave soldiers and officers are not treated well and neglected and the promises made by central and state governments during the "war time" are seldom kept. The gesture of calling the brave soldiers "war heroes" will be worthwhile only if the bureaucracy changes its mindset so that the soldiers, exservicemen, war-widows and the families of martyrs do not have to run from pillar to post for getting petty works done. The Army personnel want that all the concessions and benefits given by the state and the Centre must be passed through legislature and the officials should have helpful attitude towards them. What the soldiers require is a secured career up to 60 years of age in the defence services or the civil set-up. The government must do something about it. Even small things like getting children admitted to a good school is a major problem, particularly for the officers, says a senior officer of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) here. The Army personnel are shifted every three years and on every posting they face difficulties as central schools are not available at all places and there are limited seats. The problem was more acute in places like Shimla where a large number of officers were stationed. The government should come out with a policy so that wards of Army personnel are given not only preference in admission to central schools only but private schools also, he suggests. Besides the acceptance of the one-rank one-pension, demand, the widows of all soldiers who die in harness should be granted the status of war widows and those disabled should continue to get same benefits. At present disability without cure is reduced gradually by Armed Forces Medical authorities. Referring to demands pertaining to the state they point out that 40-per cent of posts of Deputy Director, superintendents, clerks and welfare organiser in the Sainik Welfare Department were vacant. These must be filled within six months. Besides, the war widows,
should be brought on a par with gallantry awardees for
concessional travel facility in the State Road Transport
Corporation buses. Similarly, the disabled soldiers with
attributability to military service must be issued free
bus passes without civil medical board and all war
widows, gallantry award winners and disabled soldiers be
given a plot for the construction of house. |
RSS critical of bus
diplomacy KANGRA, June 22 — The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was critical of the bus diplomacy adopted by the government to improve relations with Bangladesh and Pakistan. Mr Ram Singh Thakur, chief of the Ithas Sankalan Yojna and senior RSS leader, said this while addressing RSS trainees on the concluding day of the 20-day camp at Gupt Ganga in Kangra town on Sunday. Mr Thakur said the nation was faced with a number of problems which included Kashmir, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Those problems, he said, were the outcome of lack of patriotism among the national leadership of those times. He said China had occupied 1 lakh sq km of Indian territory. Despite a number of dialogues and meetings held not even a single inch of land could be recovered from China. He blamed the national leadership for its failure in not getting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir vacated during the 1971 war when 90,000 Pakistani Army personnel had surrendered before the Indian Army and they were released without getting our territory vacated in lieu of their release. He said history would never forgive those who attached more importance to politics than national issues. Mr Thakur suggested that the only solution to solve the burning national issues was to infuse the spirit of patriotism among the 80 crore Hindus of the country and help in framing "akhand-Bharat". The Chief Minister, Mr
Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar,
Agriculture Minister Vidya Sagar and other BJP leaders
were also sitting among the RSS volunteers in the
audience. |
HP sets up panel to go into
forest fires MANDI, June 22 — The Himachal government has set up a high level committee headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr OP Sharma, to go into the causes of forest fires and suggest ways to control these. Himachal Forest Minister, Thakur Rup Singh said here today that forest fires, of late had assumed alarming proportions. Over 26000 hectares of forest land had been engulfed by the forest fire this summer causing widespread damage particularly to new plantations. He said the most important task was to encourage involvement of people in planning, plantation and protection of the forest wealth. With this thing in view joint forest farming had been started in a big way, he said. He expressed grave concern over the alleged misuse of TD (Timber Distribution) to right-holders virtually free of cost. Over one lakh cubic feet of timber valued at over Rs 60 crore was being given to the right holders every year. He felt the procedure of TD deserved to be modified in such a way that its misuse or smuggling he minimised. He agreed that it was a sensitive political issue and could be sorted out with consensus of all parties. He said TD sanctioning authorities had been directed to allot timber after thorough inspection to the needy persons only. The rights of those misusing TD would be forfeited, he warned. He said Prashar lake in
Mandi district at the height of 9000 feet would be
developed as a tourist resort and he had sanctioned Rs 2
lakh for Devtas' shed and ground. |
Ex-servicemen told to rejoin Army HAMIRPUR, June 22 — Ex-servicemen of the state who retired from the Army two to three years ago have been asked by the military authorities to be ready to rejoin the Army and serve the nation. A number of ex-servicemen said here today that they had got letters during past three days and they were preparing themselves to rejoin the Army. They had been asked to wait for the call and report at the place to be mentioned in the call. They said they were fortunate enough be a part of the Army. It would give them a chance to show their worth and defeat the enemy, they added. It is worth mentioning
here that Hamirpur is known as the Veer Bhoomi, and many
jawans from the region have sacrificed their lives in
1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, Parents of many serving
soldiers, including those who laid down their lives in
the Kargil and Batalik sectors of Jammu and Kashmir have
offered their service to the nation. |
Procession against police failure DHARAMSALA, June 22 — More than 500 persons from Bhaled Pasu village, nearby, held a procession in the town against the failure of the police to nab the culprits behind the murder of 27-year-old Hoshiar Singh, on June 9. In a written appeal given to the Deputy Commissioner, the 23-year-old widow of the deceased, alleged that the police was trying to shelter the accused and had so far not even registered a case. She said that her husband, a resident of village Bhaled, was murdered on June 9, after being beaten up and threatened by the accused. She said that her husband had even lodged complaint in the gram panchayat and the Dharamsala police station, against the accused. "It was forcibly and after threatening my husband that he was asked to withdraw the complaint," she pleaded. The deceased's wife, Santosh Kumari, alleged that since the accused were influential persons even the police was hesitating to register a case against them. She alleged that on the contrary, the police was harassing her brother-in-law in connection with the murder. She demanded that the case should be entrusted to an independent agency so that the guilty can be punished. The Deputy Commissioner,
Mr B K Aggarwal, is reported to have assured the people
that after talking to the SP and the SHO concerned
appropriate action will be taken. |
Dhawala flayed for unkept
promises JAWALAMUKHI, June 2 — Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, former Transport Minister, yesterday criticised the state Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Dhawala, for unkept promises regarding getting district status for Dehra, 27 per cent reservation for the other Backward Classes category and setting up a degree college for girls here. Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Pathania said it was strange that Mr Dhawala, who had all those demands on his agenda before his support to the Congress in Himachal months ago had never talked about this while enjoying a Cabinet berth in the BJP-led government. He said Mr Dhawala had tried to cheat the masses by echoing "extra concern" for this constituency at a time when he was important to any party for forming a government in the state. Mr Pathania pointed-out
that the minister was fooling the people at large by
opening a co-educational degree college here instead of a
women's degree college. |
Byelection for 144 panchayat posts SHIMLA, June 22 — Byelections for 144 vacant seats in panchayats of Himachal Pradesh will be held on July 18. According to a spokesman of the state Election Commission, nominations will be filed on July 1, 2 and 3. Withdrawals will be on July 7. He said that byelection was being held for 14 posts of panchayat pradhan, 21 uppradhan, 10 panchayat samitis and 99 vacant seats of Panchayat members. Residents of the Suni tehsil of the Shimla district boycotted election for two vacant seats of the nagar panchayat in support of their demand to downgrade the local body to the status of panchayat samiti. Not even a single nomination was filed for the vacant seats today on the last day for filing the papers. Residents of the area are demanding that the nagar panchayat should be scrapped and a panchayat samiti set up. They were not satisfied with the functioning of the nagar panchayat. They earlier had
submitted a representation to the district authorities in
support of their demand. |
Shopkeepers observe bandh MANALI, June 22 — All business establishments and shops remained closed here in protest against the ransacking of a shop in the heart of town by a group of 20 cadets of the National Defence Academy Pune. Local residents and shopkeepers blocked the vehicular traffic in the main bazar. According to shopkeepers the alleged miscreants stopped the Army colour bus on the main road and all of sudden attacked a servant of confectionery shop and a relative of the owner. The cadets not only ransacked the confectionery shop but also beat up relative and servant with sticks. According to eye witnesses that the attack was so sudden they damaged the deep freezer, food items and softy machine within seven to 10 minutes went away by an Army bus which was standing on the main road. According to the district police chief, Mr Zahoor Zaidi the bus carrying the N.D.A. cadets was caught at Katrain 20 km from here on the Manali-Kulu road by the police. All cadets of the bus were being brought to Manali police station. A case under Section
147, 148, 149, 323 and 452 of the IPC has been registered
against the cadets. The cadets including a Captain have
been arrested. |
Himachal holiday on June 28 SHIMLA, June 22 —
The Himachal Government has declared June 28, 1999, as
restricted holiday on account of Kabir Jayanti for the
employees working in the government offices, boards,
corporations and educational institutions in Himachal
Pradesh. |
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