Spare parts' theft: one held
PALAMPUR, Nov 23 — The Baijnath Police has arrested a person in connection with the theft of scrap and spare parts from the HRTC workshop. The police is also in search of three more persons including two employees of the HRTC and a vehicle used for the theft.

VC urged to follow up panel reports
SHIMLA, Nov 23 — Mr Subhash Puri, a member of the executive council of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), has demanded immediate implementation of the recommendations of various committees pertaining to the improvement of functioning of the university.

Prayers offered for martyrs
KANGRA, Nov 23 — Prayers were offered for martyrs who laid down their lives during the Kargil conflict at Vindhyawasni Temple at Bandla near Palampur during a hawan organised by the Kashmiri Pandit Welfare Society today.

Bid to revitalise Himachal Cong
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 23 — In a bid to revitalise the Congress after its defeat in the recent Lok Sabha poll, the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, and the Leader of the Legislature Congress Party, Mr Virbhadra Singh, will begin a joint tour of the state on Thursday.

Party sources indicated that the tour was aimed at sending signals of unity in the party.

To begin with, the first workers' meeting will be addressed by the leaders at Una on November 25. This will be followed by a meeting at Hamirpur the next day and at Bilaspur on November 27.

In the second phase, the two leaders will visit Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Kulu districts and in the third and final phase, they will hold workers' meetings at Solan, Shimla and Sirmaur.

This is the first time that the two leaders will undertake a joint tour of the districts. Earlier attempts of the central leadership to persuade them to undertake such tours failed to materialise because of sharp differences among the two factions.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said they would interact with party workers during their visits to the districts.

Although Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Mahajan have ironed out their differences to end demoralisation among party workers, political observers describe the "friendship" as a gimmick which might not last long.

Supporters of Mr Virbhadra Singh claim that Mr Mahajan had deserted him even in the past. They allege that Mr Mahajan had always maintained a soft corner for those partymen who were trying to pull down Mr Virbhadra Singh.

However, the party workers have been in favour of unity eversince the defeat of the Congress in the state assembly and Lok Sabha poll.

Utilisation of resources stressed
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Nov 23 — Dr Yoginder Verma, Director, Adademic Staff College, Himachal Pradesh University has described population growth and pollution as two major problems facing the world.

He said this here today inaugurating a two-day national seminar on environmental hazards and sustainable development at the local Regional Engineering College. Nearly 80 delegates from the country are taking part in the seminar.

Dr Verma said solution to all environmental problems lies in sustainable development aimed at utilisation of resources not exploitation. He, however, said the utilisation of resources was always associated with some forms of negative impacts. Determined effort had to be made to contain or minimise the impact, he added.

He suggested at the primary school level emphasis should be on building up awareness about immediate environment followed by real-life situations and conservation. From the lower secondary stage onward, the quantum of awareness should be increased in favour of increased knowledge about real-life situations, conservation and sustainable development. He said at the tertiary stage emphasis should be on sustainable development, conservation, real-life situation and awareness.

Dr Verma said students should also be made aware about environment, without increasing syllabi and course work. In an environmental education and awareness programme, the perception of 70 people living in villages should be given utmost importance.

He gave a call to environmental scientists to discuss various types of environmental hazards and prepare strategies accordingly for preserving and sustaining environment.

BJP prepares "Vision 2010"
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 23 — The Himachal unit of the BJP has decided to prepare a prospective plan entitled "Vision 2010" to give a new direction to the economy and make the state self reliant over the next decade.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive committee of the party held here under the chairmanship of Mr Suresh Chandel, the President. The plan, will be finalised in after organising a series of seminars and conferences in consultation with experts. Over the next couple of months expeditious exploitation of state's hydel power potential and development of tourism will be the two main objectives of the plan.

The political resolution, adopted at the meeting, hailed the party's unprecedented victory in the recent Lok Sabha poll in the state. The BJP-HVC combine secured over 58 per cent votes which was higher than the votes polled by the Janata Party in 1977. The combine got lead in 64 out of the total 68 Assembly segments, whereas in 1977 the Janata Party led in 54 segments.

The party gave credit to Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, and the organisation for the excellent performance in the electoral arena. The fact that there was no anti-establishment sentiment in the state reflected favourably on the performance of the Dhumal Government, it said.

The party decided to launch a membership drive from December 1, which will conclude on December 23. Thereafter the process of organisational elections will get underway from the constituency level. It also decided to conduct training camps for workers. To educate them about the policies and programmes of the party and hone their organisational skills. One worker from each Shakti Kendra will be selected for the training. In all about 2500 workers will be trained.

Mr Narinder Modi, General Secretary of the party, and in charge of Himachal affairs, underlined the need for setting up high ethical and moral standards. The performance of the government should demonstrate that the BJP was a party with a difference, he added.

Mr Shanta Kumar said there was no differences in the party and he, the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal and Mr Chandel were working as a team for the betterment of the state. Mr Dhumal, who was away to Delhi, could not attend the meeting.

PM to lay stone of Parvati project
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 23 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is expected to lay the foundation stone of the 2051 mw Parvati hydro-electric project in Kulu next month.

Stating this, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, said here the ceremony would be attended by senior leaders including the Union Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha.

Mr Dhumal said the National Hydro Electric Corporation would reimburse Rs 100 crore to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board that it spent on investigation on the project.

This was informed by the Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, when the Chief Minister called on him, a state government press note said today.

Mr Dhumal requested the Power Minister to give preference to people from the state in employment in the Parvati project and to issue directions to this effect to the NHPC.

He said the state government had forwarded a panel of three officers in each category of appointment as Directors in the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation and that the Centre had agreed to shortlist a suitable officer through the Public Selection Board in the near future.

The state government had also requested the Centre to accord sanction to its proposal of levying generation tax at the rate of 20 paise per unit which was expected to yield Rs 250 crore annually.

In a separate meeting with the Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Mr Shahnawaz Khan, the Chief Minister requested him for setting up fruit and vegetable-based industries in Himachal Pradesh.

Apprising the minister of the potential of citrus and apple based industries in the state, he said the Centre should send a high-level team to identify various projects which could benefit the state and growers of these fruits.

Spare parts' theft: one held
From Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Nov 23 — The Baijnath Police has arrested a person in connection with the theft of scrap and spare parts from the HRTC workshop. The police is also in search of three more persons including two employees of the HRTC and a vehicle used for the theft.

A senior police officer said here this morning that stolen property 1.6 tonnes valued at Rs 50,000 had been recovered from a shop at Marinade near here.

He said pilferage of scrap from the Baijnath Depot of the HRTC has been going for the past one year but none of the HRTC official reported the matter to the police about the missing goods. A private vehicle was regularly used by the culprits to carry the stolen goods from the workshop. The police had received complaint of only about the theft of four quintals of goods yesterday. However, it was surprising for police, when a shop was raided at Maranda it recovered scrap more than 16 quintals belonging to the HRTC. He said Mr H.K. Gupta, Regional Manager of the HRTC identified the scrap and owner of the shop also admitted that it was stolen from the HRTC and then sold to him. He said a gang was involved in this.

Meanwhile, Mr H.K. Gupta, R.M. HRTC, told reporters that involvement of HRTC employees could not be ruled out. He said all goods were stolen from the workshop with the connivance of the staff. He said he had identified the culprits, but they had proceeded on leave and evading the arrest. He admitted that the HRTC had suffered a big loss due to this pilferage.

VC urged to follow up panel reports
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 23 — Mr Subhash Puri, a member of the executive council of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), has demanded immediate implementation of the recommendations of various committees pertaining to the improvement of functioning of the university.

In a statement here yesterday, Mr Puri urged the Vice-Chancellor, Mr S.K. Gupta, to implement the reports of the Kaw Committee, the Wilson Committee, the Deepak Committee and the Dohroo Committee.

He demanded that steps should be taken for the beautification of the campus and a 'sarva dharm' temple and a shopping complex be built on the campus.

Additional accommodation for employees should be constructed and regular meetings of executive council held.

Prayers offered for martyrs
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Nov 23 — Prayers were offered for martyrs who laid down their lives during the Kargil conflict at Vindhyawasni Temple at Bandla near Palampur during a hawan organised by the Kashmiri Pandit Welfare Society today.

Mr G.L. Batra and his wife and Dr N.K. Kalia and his wife, parents of the late Capt Vikram Batra and the late Cap Saurabh Kalia, respectively, attended the prayers.