Sonia as PM ‘a security risk’
JAWALAMUKHI, May 18 — Himachal BJP chief, Suresh Chandel has said the Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership is a security risk.

Virbhadra backs Sonia
SHIMLA, May 18 — Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the Legislature Congress Party and former Chief Minister, has expressed his unstinted support to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Pvt bus operators to go on strike
SHIMLA, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Private Bus Operators Association has decided to observe a token strike on June 5 in protest against the failure of the government to settle its demands.

NGOs federation for higher project allowance
CHAMBA, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh non-Gazetted Employees Federation has decided to take up the demand of project allowance and increase in compensatory allowance (CA) up to Rs 500 minimum and 1000 maximum to the employees of the state.

Claim by NGOs' federation
HAMIRPUR, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh non-gazetted service federation has claimed that the federation led by Mr Ganga Singh Thakur was the only recognised federation of employees in the state.

• Sat Mahajan tenders resignation
• Telecom services restored
• PCC meeting postponed

Industry status for mining in HP likely
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, May 18 — The Himachal government was seriously considering declare mining as an industry. This assurance was given by Ms Shyama Sharma, deputy chairperson, State Planning Board on Sunday while presiding over the concluding function of mine Safety Week at Rajban 50 km. from Nahan. The demand for declaring mining was made by the Mine Owners Association at the function.

Ms Shyama Sharma also declared that the state government would approach the Centre soon for suitable amendment in the Forest Act to facilitate proper extraction and utilisation of mineral reserve amidst dense forest areas. This, she said, would generate more employment opportunities besides contributing to the progress of the state. She also assured that efforts were being made to reopen the lime stone mines in the district which were ordered to be closed down recently for "minor and technical" violations of forest laws.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Dashreth Singh, Deputy Director General, Mine Safety (northern region), Ajmer assured mine owners that his department would extend all possible assistance to open vocational training centre for the mine workers in Sataun area of the district. This demand was made by Mr Rajendera Tiwari, organising secretary, Mine Safety Week Committee on behalf of mine workers and mine owners of this district.

Mr Jai Prakash Kashyap, Director Mine Safety Ghaziabad region urged the mine owners and mine workers to follow sincerely mine safety norms while extracting minerals.

Baldwa Lime Stone Mine Kamrou, owned by Jai Singh Thakur and Sons and Sangrah Lime Stone Mines owned by Mr V.K. Walia, were awarded best overall performance prizes in their respective groups for adopting best mine safety measures. On this occasion mine workers adopting best security measures were also given prizes by the chief guest.

Senior leaders boycott grievances panel's meeting
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, May 18 — The "boycott" of the firstever meeting of the District Grievances Committee here couple of days ago by senior BJP and Congress leaders has angered several sections of people and it has become talk of the town.

The meeting presided by Himachal Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda was also attended by senior BJP leaders Karamdev Dharmani and Randhir Dharma and many village-level BJP leaders. But it was virtually "boycotted" by Minister of State for Cooperative Rikhi Ram Kondal, HP State Cooperatives Bank Chairman Krishan Kumar Kaushal and even BJP state president and former Member Parliament Suresh Chandel. Both Congress MLAs from this district — former Health Minister Ramlal Thakur from Kot Kehloor and former Parliamentary Secretary Kashmir Singh Thakur from Ghumarwin was also not present.

People here feel that all these "absent" leaders lost an opportunity to seek redressal of grievances of people of their areas and failed to attend to their primary duty for which they had been elected.

At the meeting important issues like prevailing drought-like conditions in the district and failure of rains and drying up of natural water sources and supply of drinking water through tankers and fear of water-borne diseases, spreading in remote neglected areas were discussed and Health Minister detailed steps taken by the government to provide relief in all these matters.

Issues like failure of some officers to perform their duties, attending to grievances and difficulties of even elected representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions were also raised and the Minister exhorted officers to ensure that such complaints did not recur and all elected representatives, right from panchayat to Parliament were attended to and their grievances redressed. The meeting was held after six months of the formation of this district committee and was even first after 14 months when the Dhumal government took over.

Cong considering Karan Singh
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, May 18 — The Congress high command is considering the name of Dr Karan Singh, the former ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, for the party candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

Dr Karan Singh has always been keen to contest the parliament election or be nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal. His name has time and again figured as the probable candidate from the Kangra parliamentary constituency in the past also. Dr Karan Singh's mother belonged to Kangra and his son is running a hotel, Taragarh Palace, near Palampur. It is learnt that this time, too , he has expressed his desire to contest on the Congress ticket from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

Despite the fact that majority of the Congress leaders from Kangra are themselves reluctant to contest the election, most of them feel that Dr Karan Singh would prove to be a very weak candidate and above all he would be considered an outsider. The fact that his mother belonged to Kangra, does not make him a local and moreover, he hardly has any contact with the people of the area, said a senior leader of Kangra.

A majority of party leaders and workers are strongly opposed to the candidature of Dr Karan Singh. They say that no doubt he is an intellectual and an eminent personality, but as far as his candidature from Kangra is concerned. It would be a blunder. Being an outsider is his biggest disqualification, they said.

Ever since the days of the first Chief Minister, Dr Y S Parmar, he had been keen to contest from Himachal but the move was opposed by practically all Congress leaders from the state.

In the past, the BJP has sent the senior BJP leader, Mr Krishan Lal Sharma, to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal. Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, had also contested on the Congress ticket from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

The practice of fielding an outsider in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha election from Himachal, has drawn widespread criticism. The people as well as politicians feel that as Himachal has only four Lok Sabha and two Rajya Sabha seats, these too should not be given to outsiders.

The Congressmen point out that the districts of Kangra and Chamba fall under the Kangra parliamentary constituency and Dr Karan Singh would be a completely new face for the people as compared to the BJP leader. Mr Shanta Kumar.

Sonia as PM ‘a security risk’
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, May 18 — Himachal BJP chief, Suresh Chandel has said the Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership is a security risk.

‘‘A foreigner heading the country will have first hand information on Defence and other secret matters of the country’’, Mr Chandel said while talking to media persons at a local rest house today.

He said opposition by Mr Pawar, Mr P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar to Mrs Sonia Gandhi was ‘serious and emotional’ and could not be brushed aside.

Mr Chandel charged the Congress with bringing down seven central governments and imposing elections on the country twice. Admitting that the coming elections would be fought on the Vajpayee Vs. Sonia Gandhi plank and not on other issues, Mr Chandel said the manifesto would contain some important issues.

Replying to a question about state politics, Mr Chandel claimed that there was no groupism and dissidence in the party.

He ruled out the possibility of seat-sharing with any party for the Lok Sabha poll.

Pvt bus operators to go on strike
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh Private Bus Operators Association has decided to observe a token strike on June 5 in protest against the failure of the government to settle its demands.

Private buses will remain off the road for 12 hours from 5 a.m. on that day, a spokesman for the association said here today.

The association is demanding uniform passenger tax at reasonable rates for all operators. At present, those remitting the tax in lumpsum amount are paying Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per month whereas others, on the basis of occupancy, are remitting only Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month. This disparity should be ended and tax imposed at a uniform rate of Rs 5,000 per month.

The association has opposed the new rule to increase the fine from Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,000 with each offence and cancellation of the route permit after fire offences.

This would only increase corruption and provide an opportunity to the police to harass bus operators. The fine should be minimal and, instead of cancelling the route permit altogether its operation should be suspended for a day or two.

It also demanded that tax should be charged for buses plying beyond 30 km on the basis of 33 per cent occupancy instead of 35 per cent and for those plying within 30 km 18 per cent instead of 20 per cent. It opposed the decision to make uniforms compulsory for the bus crew on the ground that operators did not have any permanent staff.

It was also unhappy with the government for its failure to check the harassment of transporters by policemen who had virtually assumed the powers of the regional transport authority. They were illegally checking route permits and time schedules not only that, buses were being impounded unauthorisedly.

It also urged the government to come out with details of the special road tax.

Advocates-General seek
minister's status
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 18 — The Advocates-General Conference of India has demanded that all states should grant the status of Cabinet Minister to their respective Advocates-General.

The demand has been made in a resolution which was adopted in the two-day conference of Advocates-General which concluded here yesterday.

The resolution pointed out that in view of the Articles 165 and 177 of the Constitution, the Advocates-General should hold the status of Cabinet Minister. Six states have already allowed them to fly the National Flag.

The Advocates-General of the state ought to be included in the collegium for recommending names for appointment of judges of the high court.

Advocates-General congratulated Mr H.S. Mattewal, Advocate-General, Punjab, for being unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

The conference also organised a seminar on legal reforms which was inaugurated by Mr Justice S.P. Bharucha, a judge of the Supreme Court, on Sunday.

Claim by NGOs' federation
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh non-gazetted service federation has claimed that the federation led by Mr Ganga Singh Thakur was the only recognised federation of employees in the state. The claim made by Mr Gopal Dass Verma that he continued to be the President of the federation was false and contrary to facts, Mr Subhash Vasistha, Press Secretary of the federation said here yesterday.

In a statement he said that most of the issues concerning employees were discussed at the JCC meeting at Shimla in which Mr M.R. Sangroli, the former General Secretary of the federation led by Mr Gopal Dass Verma was also present. He claimed that employees were feeling secure in hands of new leaders of the federation, as they have not to pay even a single penny to any leader for getting their works done.

He thanked the Chief Minister for releasing another instalment of ADA and to lay the foundation stone of employees bhavan at Una.

Mr Vashistha said that the federation would continue to work under the frameworks of the Punjab pay scales and there was no question of deviation from Punjab pattern. He said that talks with the government for allowances to employees on Punjab pattern were going on.

Virbhadra backs Sonia
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 18 — Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the Legislature Congress Party and former Chief Minister, has expressed his unstinted support to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Virbhadra Singh personally talked to Mrs Sonia Gandhi on the telephone today and told her that the entire LCP in Himachal Pradesh and the party men were behind her.

Mr Virbhadra Singh also sent her a fax expressing solidarity with her.

He said the letter questioning her foreign origin written by Mr Sharad Pawar and two other senior leaders was "unfortunate and untimely".

Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr Harsh Mahajan, MLA and vice-president of the PCC, has expressed shock at the act of "betrayal" within the Congress. He said this was an attempt to damage the cause of the party and the interests of the country, a sentiment which he asserted was shared by every leader and Congress worker in the state.

Telecom services restored
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, May 18 — Telecommunication services in Mandi and Kulu districts remained totally paralysed for over 20 hours due to indiscriminate digging of road by the IPH department.

The telecom services were restored in the evening today by engineers and workers of the department who worked round-the-clock.

The heavy machine engaged by the sewerage wing of the IPH department had damaged the underground cable as a result of which Mandi, Kulu and Manali remained cut off from the rest of the world. This caused great inconvenience to tourists.

A spokesman of the Telecom Department regretted that the department did not inform them before undertaking the digging as a result of which huge loss was incurred besides inconvenience to public.

He alleged that the IPH department violated the provision of seeking approval of the joint committee.

NGOs federation for higher
project allowance
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, May 18 — The Himachal Pradesh non-Gazetted Employees Federation has decided to take up the demand of project allowance and increase in compensatory allowance (CA) up to Rs 500 minimum and 1000 maximum to the employees of the state.

Addressing reporters at Chamba last evening, Mr Ganga Singh Thakur, state president of the federation thanked Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for releasing the additional dearness allowance (ADA) instalment from January this year. He said that the Chief Minister also agreed to increase the compensatory allowance of Rs 50 to employees in the state in a joint consultative committee (JCC) meeting of the NGOs federation held at Shimla last week under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary where the Chief Minister was the chief guest.

Mr Thakur said that following decision of the JCC, the Himachal Chief Secretary had directed all heads of departments to finalise recruitments and promotion (R&P) rules and submit the report to the government by September 30. The Chief Secretary warned that there should be no delay in sending the Vigilance Clearance Report (VCR) and Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of employees in time.

Other demands put up before the JCC last week were the enhancement of medical allowance from Rs 40 to Rs 250 fixed on monthly basis, tribal and winter allowance from Rs 100 to Rs 500, increase in house rent allowance at block, subdivisional, district headquarter and state headquarter levels, said Mr Thakur.

Mr Thakur denied factionalism in the NGOs federation. Himachal would not deviate from the Punjab pattern pay scale, added Mr Thakur.

Sat Mahajan tenders resignation
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA: — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, on Tuesday sent his resignation from the post of state president to the AICC in view of the decision of Mrs Sonia Gandhi to resign.

Mr Sat Mahajan told TNS that he was leaving for Delhi today to compel Mrs Gandhi to change her decision in the interest of the party and the country. He said he had faxed his resignation to Mrs Gandhi as well as the General Secretary of the AICC, Mr R.K. Dhawan.

Mr Mahajan said he had requested Mrs Gandhi to change her decision of stepping down from the post of party president or else accept his resignation from the post of HPCC chief. He added that he had sent his resignation as he would not be able to work under any new person.

PCC meeting postponed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 18 — Mr R.K. Dhawan, general secretary of the AICC, has postponed his meeting with the general house of the PCC due to the developments in the Congress in Delhi.

Mr Dhawan was scheduled to arrive here on May 23 to meet senior party men and hold preliminary discussions regarding Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha poll.