Fruit support prices to continue: CM
SHIMLA, June 23 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, today said that support price for apple and other fruits would continue this season. During last year the state had procured 78,000 metric tonnes of apple and given Rs 31 crore as support price to apple growers.

Plea to form policy for martyrs’ kin
CHAMBA, June 23 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has appealed to the Union Government to form a national adoption policy for the protection and welfare of families of Army soldiers who have sacrificed their lives to save the nation.

Chamba Dharamsala Mandi Shimla

Several HP officers shifted
SHIMLA, June 23 — In a major administrative shake-up the Himachal Government today appointed Mr Ajay Prasad, Financial Commissioner- cum-Secretary, Tourism, Youth Services and Sports, as Financial Commissioner-Secretary, Home and Vigilance, relieving Mr Harsh Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, of the additional charge.

Shrine of contention
DHARAMSALA, June 23 — A small shrine of "Pir Baba Dumbe Shah" seems to have become the bone of contention between two groups of Nagrota town, with one claiming it to be a Hindu shrine, and the other saying that it was the grave of a Muslim saint.

Blood camp in memory of Shyama Prasad Mukerji
MANDI, June 23 — A blood donation camp was organised here today under the auspices of the youth wing of the BJP on the occasion of death anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerji.

Fruit growers' plea to Finance panel
SHIMLA, June 23 — The Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has urged the 11th Finance Commission to review the irrational system of granting a fixed amount under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund introduced by the Ninth Finance Commission and make suitable recommendations to ensure that fruit growers were also covered under the broad spectrum of agriculture and entitled to relief from the fund.

ABVP stir in HP from July 12
SHIMLA, June 23 — The state unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has decided to launch a statewide agitation in support of its demand from July 12.

Fruit support prices to continue: CM
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 23 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, today said that support price for apple and other fruits would continue this season. During last year the state had procured 78,000 metric tonnes of apple and given Rs 31 crore as support price to apple growers. All outstanding payments of the growers had also been cleared.

Addressing a public meeting at Rekong Peo in the Kinnaur district, the Chief Minister said that land revenue for the district would be exempted for this year as was done in other parts of the state.

A sum of Rs 45 lakh would be spent on the water supply scheme for Rekong Peo and its work completed this year. Alternative link roads would also be constructed. Works on micro and mini hydel project would be speeded.

The tribal sub-cadre has been introduced under which vacant posts in the tribal areas would be filled shortly. As many as 118 posts would be filled shortly.

He asked people to contribute liberally for the Chief Minister’s Sainik Welfare Fund.

Mr Dhumal, while addressing, officers of the district, stressed the need for completing development works within the scheduled time. He said that employees should not feel their postings in difficult area as punishment. The government was aware of the difficulties being faced by employees posted in the tribal areas. Winter allowance and CA of the employees had been increased recently.

The Chief Minister said that Rs 39 crore was being spent under tribal sub-plan in Kinnaur district and it would be ensured that men and material is provided sufficiently for carrying out development works.

Plea to form policy for martyrs’ kin
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, June 23 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has appealed to the Union Government to form a national adoption policy for the protection and welfare of families of Army soldiers who have sacrificed their lives to save the nation.

Speaking to reporters here yesterday, Mr Harsh Mahajan, Vice-President of the HPCC, said the government paid attention to the problems of Army men only till the time there was war otherwise the government overlooked their travails and families of defence personnel were forced to move from pillar to post.

He asked the government to take immediate steps to form a policy under which the SDM at the subdivisional level, the District Magistrate at the district level and the Commissioner at the state level would be entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the interests of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Mr Mahajan suggested that the government should amend policies for the welfare of Army jawans so that the soldiers families which were still facing difficulties arising out of the complications of the present set-up could be benefited.

He said the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) was committed to stand by the nation firm as a rock in this critical situation but he asserted that the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre would have to answer to the people of the country for the ongoing Kargil episode as soon as the war was over.

Mr Mahajan blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for security lapses and intelligence failure with regard to the Kargil situation. He alleged that the Kargil war was an outcome of a weak government at the Centre.

He lashed out at the BJP leaders who were indulging in useless criticism of the Congress party "to hide their mistakes" which caused the Kargil occurrence.

Several HP officers shifted
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 23 — In a major administrative shake-up the Himachal Government today appointed Mr Ajay Prasad, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism, Youth Services and Sports, as Financial Commissioner-Secretary, Home and Vigilance, relieving Mr Harsh Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, of the additional charge.

In all departments of nine senior officers, including six of the rank of Financial Commissioner were shuffled.

Mr Harash Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, will now function as Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Secretary, Industries, Labour, Employment and Training, Technical Education and Printing and Stationery.

Mr Arvind Kaul, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Transport, has also been given the charge of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation.

Mr Shamsher Singh, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Welfare, Language, Art and Culture, Printing and Stationery and Cooperation, will function as Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism, Youth Services and Sports, Language, Art and Culture.

Mr Ravi Dhingra, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Urban Development and Food and Supplies, has been appointing Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Urban Development and Cooperation).

Mr S.S. Negi, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Revenue and Tribal Development, will function as Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Food and Supplies and Tribal Development).

Ms Harinder Hira, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Labour, Employment and Training), takes over as Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Welfare).

Mr Deepak Sanan has been appointed Secretary, Institutional Finance, Expenditure, and Director, Institutional Finance, under the overall control of Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Finance), relieving Mr Rajmani Tripathi of the charge.

Mr Ajay Tyagi, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Power, Finance Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Himurja, takes over as Secretary, Power, under the overall control of the Chief Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Himurja. He will also continue to hold the charge of Secretary (Finance Commission), till further orders.

Fund to help martyrs’ families
From Tribune Reporters

SHIMLA, June 23 — The Deputy Commissioner Office Employees Union, Shimla, has contributed Rs 31,000 towards the Chief Minister's Sainik Welfare Fund. The amount was presented to the Chief Minister here yesterday by members of the union.

The Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Mr Ram Subhag Singh, also donated Rs 5,100 for the fund.

The employees association of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission has contributed Rs 27,100 to the fund and the amount was presented to the Chief Minister by the president of the association, Mr B.R. Verma.

BILASPUR: Police personnel posted in the district have announced to contribute their one-day salary for the Chief Minister's Sainik Welfare fund.

This was announced here on Tuesday by Mr Anurag Garg, SP.

Members of panchayat samiti, Jhandutta, held a meeting on Monday and unanimously decided to donate their one-month allowance to the Chief Minister's Sainik Welfare Fund. This was announced by committee Chairman Shankar Dass Verma.

The Ram Natak Samiti, Diara, also donated Rs 1,000 to the fund.

The district unit of the Himachal Ayurvedic Medical Officers Association decided to donate one-day salary to the fund.

Members of the district unit of the HP State Cooperative Bank have decided to contribute one-day salary for the fund.

CHAMBA: Residents of Chamba held a procession here on Wednesday and raised slogans against the Pakistan Prime Minister for sponsoring an aggression in the Kargil sector.

Meanwhile, employees of the All India Postal Employees Union (Class III and IV) have decided to donate one-month salary to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

MANDI: Members of para-medical staff and medical officers, police personnel, employees of the State Bank of India, teachers of the Government Primary Teachers Union have announced to contribute their one-day salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and expressed their solidarity with the armed forces engaged in flushing out Pakistani intruders.

DHARAMSALA: Telecommunication employees of district Kangra and Chamba have decided to donate their one-day salary towards the relief fund.

A spokesperson of the employees, Mr Hari Singh, said they were also willing to go to the Kargil sector for providing telecom services to the soldiers.

HAMIRPUR: The District Congress Committee has set up a committee headed by Dr Vinod Sharma, Vice-President of the party, to collect funds from party workers and public to help the war victims. A sum of Rs 2,000 was collected at the meeting held on Tuesday.

Shrine of contention
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, June 23 — A small shrine of "Pir Baba Dumbe Shah" seems to have become the bone of contention between two groups of Nagrota town, with one claiming it to be a Hindu shrine, and the other saying that it was the grave of a Muslim saint.

The dispute over the shrine reportedly arose only about ten days ago when some residents of the town said that from now onwards it should be called "Bir Baba" and not Pir Baba. The two groups of the locals have even approached the police and the administration in this regard.

The sitting MLA of the Nagrota constituency, Mr G.S. Bali, today alleged that the shrine had been desecrated by some activists of the Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal on June 10. He alleged that these persons forcibly coloured the shrine saffron in place of the green colour and removed the green flags. "Despite the matter being in the knowledge of the district administration and the police for that past so many days nothing had been done to take action against the miscreants", he alleged. There was a great resentment among the people over the matter.

The caretaker of the place Ram Dass, who is an OBC and an ex-serviceman, alleged that he was attacked by some of the miscreants, who forcibly made him wear saffron clothes and took off his green clothes and painted the place red. "Some of the girls, who had been attending the Durga Vahini camp of the Bajrang Dal, in the nearby college came and took away the music system over which I used to play devotional songs." He had been in charge of the place for the past seven years and people from all over the area used to visit the place in large numbers on Thursday.

The matter has reportedly been brought to the notice of the DSP Kangra, Mr Pritam Thakur. He said that he along with the SDM, Kangra , will be visiting the place tomorrow, to sort out the matter. He added that some of the persons had been saying that the place should be named Bir Baba instead of Pir Baba, as it was a Hindu shrine. The SDM, Mr R.L Rao, too said that he would be going to Nagrota tomorrow to solve the dispute.

After the incident, the prominent people of the town held a meeting and decided that instead of painting the place green or red, let there be the national flag on the wall. The people, on the whole feel that the place should be allowed to continue as it is, as they have great faith on the place.

Blood camp in memory of Shyama Prasad Mukerji
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, June 23 — A blood donation camp was organised here today under the auspices of the youth wing of the BJP on the occasion of death anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerji.

Fifty persons, including Mr Maheshwar Singh, former MP, Mr Kanhaya Lal, former MLA Ranvir Singh constituency president BJP and Mr Rakesh Kumar Jamwal, president donated blood while 50 others registered for donation of blood.

Mr Maheshwar Singh said Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerji, a great son of India had foreseen the turn of events about the Kashmir problem 50 years ago. He travelled all the way from West Bengal to Pathankot to launch an agitation against permit system and ultimately laid down his life. The Kashmir problem would have been solved long back if the then leadership of the country had heeded the advice of Dr Mukerji.

Fruit growers' plea to Finance panel
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 23 — The Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has urged the 11th Finance Commission to review the irrational system of granting a fixed amount under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund introduced by the Ninth Finance Commission and make suitable recommendations to ensure that fruit growers were also covered under the broad spectrum of agriculture and entitled to relief from the fund.

In a memorandum to the commission it pointed out that the amount fixed was too meagre for a state like Himachal which was frequently visited by natural calamities. The amount must be doubled if farmers were to be helped. This year the allocation was Rs 29.89 crore whereas the total loss due to heavy floods amounted to Rs 302.26 crore.

It also sought greater financial support from the Centre for the Market Intervention Scheme. The state, it pointed out, had extended the scheme for apple, mango and citrus fruits, but it did not have the requisite funds to procure the required quantity under the scheme. As a result the growers had to wait for payments for a long time. The Centre should meet the entire cost under the scheme, it added.

It also urged the commission to make a special allocation for the development of infrastructure facilities like roads, grading houses, cold storage, fruit processing plants and terminal markets in the state.

ABVP stir in HP from July 12
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 23 — The state unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has decided to launch a statewide agitation in support of its demand from July 12.

The decision was taken at a four-day meeting of the state Executive Committee of the parishad, which concluded at Baijnath on Monday.

The committee expressed concern over the attempt of the government and Himachal Pradesh University to brush under the carpet important issues which the BJP itself had raised while it was in the opposition. The Sodhi Committee report on charges of a very serious nature against a teacher was not being made public and investigations into the fake marksheet scandal were proceeding at a snail's pace. Even the demand for a probe into the irregularities in recruitments in the university over the past five years had not been accepted.

The other demands include withdrawal of fee hike and inquiry into the misuse of funds under a self-financing scheme.

The parishad will organise dharnas at all colleges and the university campus on July 12 and submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister.