Stricter law for NBFCs on anvil
SHIMLA, March 15 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will table a bill during the current session of the Vidhan Sabha to regulate the functioning of private finance companies.

"Earth dance" in 100 cities to highlight Tibet's issue
DHARAMSALA, March 15 — Tibet support groups, in 100 cities all over the world, will perform "Earth Dance" simultaneously on October 2, to create awareness about Tibetan issue, especially amongst the youth.

Rs 4 cr special grant for HP
SHIMLA, March 15 — Himachal Pradesh has been brought under the Border Area Development Programme for which grants will be provided by the Centre.

Ban sought on slate mining
CHAMBA, March 15 — The Chamba Welfare Association has demanded a ban on slate mining in the district with a view of protecting the green belt from landslips.

CBI team arrives in Shimla
SHIMLA, March 15 — A two-member investigation team of the CBI reached here today to conduct a preliminary enquiry into charges against Mr Virbhadra Singh, a former Chief Minister, levelled by the Himachal Vikas Congress.

4 burnt alive

Stricter law for NBFCs on anvil
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 15 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will table a bill during the current session of the Vidhan Sabha to regulate the functioning of private finance companies.

This was announced by Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, in the Vidhan Sabha today during question hour while replying to supplementaries regarding the certain fly-by-night private finance companies fleeing with depositors money.

Mr Dhumal said that the police had registered 22 cases against companies which had vanished with deposits of Rs 3.35 crore.

Relying to a question tabled by Mrs Viplove Thakur (Cong) Mr Dhumal said that 69 private finance companies had closed their offices in Himachal Pradesh between April 1998 to March 8, 1999.

He said that the state government has already acted on certain guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India and authorised the district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates to take action against defaulting companies.

Mrs Vidya Stokes and other Congress members protested against posts of teacher lying vacant in many schools. Mrs Strokes said that students suffered because of the shortage.

In reply to her question, Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister said that of 34 students who appeared in the middle standard examination from the school at Deothi in Theog tehsil, only 4 were declared successful and 2 were placed under compartment.

The minister said that the shortage of staff could be one of the reasons for the poor result, but added that vacant posts of TGTs had already been filled and orders issued for rationalising staff.

Mrs Stokes said that the schools in the interior were hardest hit and atleast a minimal required staff should at least a minimal required staff should at least be posted in each school.

Mr Virbhadra Singh (Cong) pointed out that the shortage of teachers was limited to some areas of the state while there was surplus staff in other areas.

He said that if there was any bona fide shortage it should be throughout the state and not restricted to any particular area and added that the government had failed to solve the problem over the past one year and as a result the interior was suffering.

In reply to another question of Mrs Stokes, the Education Minister said 2985 posts of teacher in 1862 educational institutions were lying vacant.

The minister informed her that among the vacancies were those of 795 school lecturers in 338 schools, 299 college lecturers in 36 institutions, 444 trained graduate teachers in 300 schools, 61 school principals and 44 head masters.

The minister said that 805 trained graduate teachers had been selected departmentally for filling of vacant posts.

Earlier, the Chief Minister informed the house that five persons had been arrested in connection with the dacoity in the village Dogri Salwala in the Poanta Sahib area of Sirmour in which two persons were killed and nine injured.

The matter was raised in the house under Rule 62 by Mr Kaul Singh and Mr Harshwardhan Chauhan (both Cong).

Relying to the issue, Mr Dhumal said that ornaments and clothes worth about Rs 6000, which were part of the looted property, had been recovered on the information provided by one of the accused, Alijaat, who is one of those arrested. He is a resident of Dehradun district of U.P. The others arrested are, Rajesh Kumar, Tufail, Reazul and Kuldeep Singh.

The Chief Minister said that two persons, Ravinder Nath and his brother Ram Kumar, were killed by the dacoits who took away ornaments worth about Rs 65,000 and Rs 20,000 in cash. He denied that there was an atmosphere of panic in the Poanta Sahib area following the incident.

Raising the matter in the house, Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) said that anti-social elements were active in the Poanta Sahib area where people were living in fear.

Mr Harshwardhan Chauhan (Cong) pointed out that criminals from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana fled over the state border to Poanta Sahib whenever the police in these states mounted pressure on them.

The Education Minister said, that the previous Congress Government violated the budget by opening more schools than indicated in its budget. He said against the budgeted 20 senior secondary schools, 142 were opened and in place of 50 high schools, 174 were actually opened.

Mr Kaul Singh said the present government had also not made any budgetary provision for new schools.

Mr Ram Lal, a former Chief Minister, today urged the government to review the agreement with the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) for execution of the Parbati project to ensure the state's participation in the project.

Participating in the discussion on the budget he said it was necessary to ensure the state's participation to keep a control on the execution and cost of generation of power. The cost of Nathpa Jhakri Project, in which the state had a 25 per cent participation, had increased manifold. It was Rs 2500 crore when work started and as per revised estimates the cost had shot up to Rs 7500 crore.

The state is to get 15 per cent power at generation cost in the Parbati project but may not be in a position to purchase power if it's too expensive.

He urged the government to expeditiously complete transmission lines for evacuation of power from the ongoing projects as it would enhance its capacity for bargaining.

He welcomed the decision to downsize the government machinery and said that it should not be a token effort but a comprehensive exercise covering both the political and administrative set up.

Mr Babu Ram Mandyal (BJP) said the Chief Minister had tried to fulfil the aspirations of every section despite the limited resources at his command.

He strongly defended the increase in power tariff and said taxation was an essential requisite of government functioning.

"Earth dance" in 100 cities to highlight
Tibet's issue
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, March 15 — Tibet support groups, in 100 cities all over the world, will perform "Earth Dance" simultaneously on October 2, to create awareness about Tibetan issue, especially amongst the youth.

Chris Decker, a musician and promoter of dance culture in England, is visiting McLeodganj, along with 30 team members, to discuss formalities about the mega event, proceeds from which will go to the local Tibet groups in various nations. "We have chosen dance as a medium of expression of peace and it is for this reason that we are holding the event on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an apostle of non-violence and peace," he stated. The holding of the dance simultaneously in 100 cities is a form of prayer for the freedom of Tibet and peace in the world, he added.

"It will be a global dance party in aid of Tibet, where the whole world will unite on the dance floor", he stated. He disclosed that it was the most cost effective way of bringing the whole world together, as one million people would be watching it on website.

The dance was performed at 22 locations in 18 countries in 1997, when it was first started. The next year the number swelled to 61 locations in 36 countries. "Seeing the overwhelming response in the past two years, we have decided to hold it at 100 locations simultaneously," says an enthusiastic Chris. Even countries like Bolivia and Kazakhasthan have been included on the list of nations. Efforts are on to hold the dance here in McLeodganj, which is the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, as it was not possible previously, due to objections by the Indian government. "What would be even more significant is the holding of the dance by Tibet supporters in China or Tibet itself, for which we are trying to get in touch with people" disclosed Mr Chris.

Mr Chris said that he was very moved when he got to know of the suffering of the Tibetan people. "Not only it is shameful, but it hurts to see the suffering of the Tibetan people by the Chinese in their homeland," he lamented. He clarified that nor were they against China or the Chinese people, but against the policies being pursued in Tibet.

Mr Chris informed that this year they had added a new feature to the event. During the day time, there will be peaceful protests outside the Chinese embassies, in every city where the dance is to be performed. He added that through Tibet is the focal point of their effort, but in the larger perspective it is meant for world peace. He said that there could not be world peace seeing the repression and torture of the Tibetans in their homeland. "We wish to create such a pious environment that the youth on their own willing to give up drugs and alcohol and focus attention on issues which needed focus and concern," he felt.

Recall of officer voted
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 15 — Two Congress councillors of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mr Sukhwinder Singh and Mr Vijay Chauhan, violated the party whip and abstained from the crucial meeting which was convened here today to discuss a resolution for recall of the Commissioner of the corporation, Mrs Nisha Singh.

However, the resolution was adopted with 21 voting in its favour and one BJP councillor voting against it.

The Mayor, Mr Manoj Kumar, said that he has written a letter to the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, and the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, seeking disciplinary action against the two members who abstained from the meeting. Mr Sukhwinder Singh, who is president of the state Youth Congress, is also considered as the right hand man of Mr Mahajan.

Mr Manoj Kumar said that besides sending written invitation to the two councillors for attending the meeting for which a whip had also been issued, he talked to Mr Sukhwinder Singh on the telephone at Delhi.

Of a total of 23 Congress members in the House of 25 as many as 21 councillors participated in the meeting and voted in favour of the resolution. Of the two BJP councillors, only Mr Virender Shandil came voted against the resolution.

The special meeting of the councillors was convened to pass the resolution under Section 45 (3-A) of the H.P. Municipal Corporation Act for recall of Mrs Nisha Singh with whom the Congress members are annoyed. The resolution urged the state government to recall her from the corporation.

The Congress councillors have been alleging that that she has only been taking care of the interest of the BJP while posted in the corporation. Unauthorised buildings of supporters of the BJP were regularised by her, they alleged. A shop constructed unauthorisedly by a BJP activist in the heritage zone was regularised and another structure of a BJP office-bearer constructed on encroached land was also regularised, they alleged.

A meeting of the councillors of the Congress was recently held here under the chairmanship of the PCC president in which it was unanimously decided to adopt the resolution to seek her recall.

Tibet peace march ends at Shimla
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 15 — The peace march for Tibet's independence ended here today with a rally at the historic Viceregal Lodge, where the agreement on McMohan line was signed by Tibet as a sovereign nation in 1914.

About 125 marchers, including 20 foreigners from 13 countries, who started off from Dharamsala, the seat of the Dalai Lama on March 10 were accorded a rousing welcome on their arrival by the local Tibetans.

Mr Dawa Tsering, who led the March, said the main objective was to draw the attention of the world community to the blatant violation of human rights in Tibet by the Chinese whose continued occupation of the country was posing a serious threat to Tibetan culture.

He said the march organised by nine non-government organisations culminated at the Viceregal Lodge to highlight the independent status of Tibet at the time of signing of the agreement in 1914.

The marchers wanted India to play a more active role in furthering the Tibetan cause as an independent Tibet was in its interest as it would provide a buffer between China and the country.

They urged the people of India and the government to launch an initiative to resolve the issue of Tibet. Through dialogue and bring pressure on China for the release of all political prisoners, including Ghedun Choekyi Nyima, the eleventh reincarnation of Panchen Lama.

They also urged the Indian Government to review its policy towards Tibet and accord recognition to the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

Rs 4 cr special grant for HP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 15 — Himachal Pradesh has been brought under the Border Area Development Programme for which grants will be provided by the Centre.

This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, in the Vidhan Sabha today.

In his statement, Mr Dhumal said that three development blocks, Kalpa, Pooh and Spiti, situated near the international border have been brought under the programme from the current financial year.

A special grant of Rs 4 crore has been provided under the programme by the Centre.

The Chief Minister said that the state had been brought under the programme because of the efforts at the highest level. Although the programme was introduced during the Seventh Plan in 1985-86, but Himachal was not included in it. The efforts of the previous governments in this direction remained futile. Now the matter was again taken up by the present BJP government and Himachal has been included in the programme from the current financial year.

The speed of development in the three blocks would increase. A population of about 50,000 living in these areas would be benefited.

Ban sought on slate mining
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, March 15 — The Chamba Welfare Association has demanded a ban on slate mining in the district with a view of protecting the green belt from landslips.

Members of the association met the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, Mr K. Sanjaymurthy, a few days ago and apprised him of the gravity of the situation.

They said that the mining in the area was not only damaging the ecology but the state exchequer was also at loss due to under billing in the quarries leased out to the contractors.

The association demanded the removal of illegal encroachments as well as garbage containers put up on the roads around Chowgan.

CBI team arrives in Shimla
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, March 15 — A two-member investigation team of the CBI reached here today to conduct a preliminary enquiry into charges against Mr Virbhadra Singh, a former Chief Minister, levelled by the Himachal Vikas Congress.

Soon after their arrival Mr Prabodh Kumar, superintendent of police and Mr N.S. Bisht, Deputy Superintendent of Police, met the Home Secretary and other senior officers at the state secretariat. They reported to have asked for record pertaining certain charges and started its perusal.

While the CBI officers were not available for comments the state officials were also tight-lipped about the nature of the documents asked for and discussion held.

The 40-point chargesheet was submitted to the Prime Minister about eight months ago.

4 burnt alive

KULU, March 15 (PTI) — Four persons were burnt alive in a fierce fire in Roshal village in the Manikaran area of Kulu district, 40 km from here, today. At least 10 houses were gutted in the fire and few heads of cattle perished, police sources said. Two of the deceased have been identified as Birsen and his son, Budhia.