Paid handsomely for no work
SHIMLA, Oct 29 — At last 12 top-level bureaucrats are being paid hefty pay packets by the cash-starved Himachal Pradesh Government without taking any useful work from them.


'India Reserve Battalion by year-end'
SHIMLA, Oct 29 — Decks have been cleared for setting up an India Reserve Battalion in Himachal Pradesh and it would come into existence before the close of this year, the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, announced after his meeting with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in New Delhi today.

Red Cross mela on Divali eve
SHIMLA, Oct 29 — Ms Sheela Dhumal, Vice-Chairperson, HP Red Cross Hospital Welfare Section, has lauded the role of the Red Cross in serving the suffering humanity.

School celebrates annual function
SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The annual function of the Military School, Chail, was celebrated with enthusiasm today.

NSUI district chiefs appointed
SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The NSUI state president, Kewal Singh Pathania, has appointed presidents for six district with the prior approval of the All-India NSUI chief.

Paid handsomely for no work
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — At last 12 top-level bureaucrats are being paid hefty pay packets by the cash-starved Himachal Pradesh Government without taking any useful work from them.

Most of these bureaucrats were holding important positions during the previous Congress regime but have virtually been dumped by the present BJP-HVC government headed by Mr P.K. Dhumal.

Two of the bureaucrats are senior to the Chief Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami.

Mr O.P. Yadav, a 1965 batch IAS officer, who was made Chief Secretary by the present government, was removed from the post within a few months and sidelined as Principal Adviser, Industries. However, during this era of industrialisation, Mr Yadav has hardly been given any role to play.

Mrs C.P. Sujaya, another 1965 batch IAS officer, who was Additional Chief Secretary during the previous regime, was appointed Chairperson of the HP State Industrial Development Corporation. She has been on leave since November last.

Three officers are practically without work and office. They are Mr Vinod Lal (1968 batch), Mr K. Lal (1973 batch) and Mr Rajmani Tripathi (1979 batch) who was recently stripped of all his assignments.

It is being said some officers have not been given assignments as they face enquiries regarding corruption and misuse of office.

A top-level police officer, Mr P.J.S Kumar, who is of the status of Additional Director-General of Police, was recently appointed Managing-Director of the Minorities Development Corporation. The office of the corporation had been shifted to Nahan.

Mr Kumar, who was till recently ADGP, Enforcement, was suddenly shifted to the corporation.

Mr Deepak, Bagai, an officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police, has been made Managing-Director of the insignificant Backward Classes Development Corporation with its headquarters at Kangra.

Mr B.D. Goma, who was Director, Agriculture, during the previous regime, is now dumped as Adviser, Agriculture.

Mr M.L. Sharma, who is Director, Technical Education, is without any useful work.

Condemned to abject poverty
From Balkrishan Prashar

DALHOUSIE: Thanks to government, apathy the Dhougris have been living in dirt and squalor and till now, no scheme has been formulated for their uplift by the state government. It is perhaps due to the fact that the land on which they have been living in hutments for over a century has not yet been transferred to them.

Dhougris live at Lakkar Mandi village (altitude 2450 metres) tucked under thick forest of deodars in the suburbs of Dalhousie. The Dhougris, who were a denotified Scheduled Tribe (nomads), have been declared a Scheduled Caste of Himachal Pradesh.

A recent visit by this reporter to this village shows that the Dhougris, who had migrated from Kangra more than a century ago, have since been living in penury and squalid conditions. Their only work is cutting of trees and extraction of charcoal, which has diminished over the years with the ban on the felling of trees.

They live in small shacks made of wood and sand. These huts are unfit for living. During rains, the water seeps through the roof of their huts and their belongings are damaged. As a sequel to unhygienic living conditions in the dark dingy rooms, They fall prey to various diseases. They have no healthcare facilities.

One of the local youths, Kamlesh Kumar, explained that there was a government primary school in the village, having 55 students on the rolls with three teachers. Twenty-five per cent of the residents here are literate, five matriculates and one graduate (but still without jobs). At present the Dhougri population is about 400 from nearly 100 families.

According to official sources in 1954, when Pandit Nehru visited Dalhousie to preside over a function, he observed the wretched condition of the Dhougris and promised to help in their betterment.

Consequently, a plan was prepared by the government for the construction of wooden huts at a cost of Rs 47,000. Under the plan, 26 huts costing Rs 1330 each, were constructed on an area spread over five bighas six biswas under reserve forest. These huts, were allotted to 54 Dhougri families. Now their population has virtually doubled with the passage of time.

India Reserve Battalion by year-end: CM

SHIMLA, Oct 29 (PTI) — Decks have been cleared for setting up an India Reserve Battalion in Himachal Pradesh and it would come into existence before the close of this year, the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, announced after his meeting with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in New Delhi today.

He said that he had apprised the Home Minister of the stepped up vigilance along the 230-km-long border of Chamba district, adjoining militant-infested Doda area of Jammu and Kashmir, to check spillover of militancy into the state.

Mr Dhumal said that the Centre had agreed to waive of the Indian Air Force helicopters used for security-related purposes and to bear all expenses incurred by the state on anti-terrorist operations.

The Chief Minister also asked the Home Minister to hand over the security of the Central Government installations like NJPC, Baira Siul and Chamera projects to the state police and withdraw the Central Industrial Security Force.

The security forces were camping on high-altitude areas of Chamba district after flushing out the militants from their hideouts.

The security forces were fully prepared to launch an offensive and continuing the combing operations without any break.

He said the Alpine areas of Chamba located at an altitude ranging between 2000 m and 4500 m had been fully projected.

Mr Dhumal who also met the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, requested her to start a direct superfast train between Kalka and Mumbai for the benefit of tourists, fruit and vegetable growers and floriculturists and also expedite the work on Nangal-Talwara and Kalka-Parwanoo broad gauge rail lines.

He also pleaded for handing over of unutilised land of the Railways between rail lines and national highways to the state for providing better wayside facilities to tourists.

Red Cross mela on Divali eve

SHIMLA, Oct 29 (PTI) — Ms Sheela Dhumal, Vice-Chairperson, HP Red Cross Hospital Welfare Section, has lauded the role of the Red Cross in serving the suffering humanity.

At a meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society, Himachal Pradesh branch, it was decided that a Red Cross mela would be organised at Raj Bhavan on the eve of Divali on November 6,1999.

Mr B.K. Nehru, former Ambassador and Governor will inaugurate the Red Cross mela and Ms Dhumal and Mr J.P. Nadda Health Minister and Chairman of the state Red Cross Management Committee will be the chief guest.

On the same day, the Himachal Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal will inaugurate ‘Himachal darshan’ at Raj Bhavan.

It was also decided that about 12 stalls for eatables and other items would be installed at the mela.

Mr Jivanand Jeevan, Secretary, Governor, Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Mr H.N. Kashyap, Adm, Shimla, Mrs Malika Nadda, Vice-Chairperson and Mr Deepak Sharma, Vice-Chairman of the society, were also present.

Three killed in car accident
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Oct 29 — Three persons were killed and one was injured seriously when the car (No HP-20-9292), in which they were travelling, met with an accident at Pacca Paroh village, 30 km from Una, today around 4 a.m. The car was on its way to Chowki Miniar from Amb.

According to the police, Rajesh Sahani, Rajiv Kumar, and Balram, died on the spot when their car hit a tree. Rakesh Kumar was injured seriously and was, later, referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Rajesh Sahani, who was driving the car, was crushed between the steering wheel and seat and his body could be extricated only after removing the steering wheel.

In another incident, two persons, Munish Kumar and Malkiat Singh, were injured yesterday evening when their scooter collided with a bus near Una. Malkiat Singh sustained a head injury and is reportedly in a serious condition while Munish Kumar suffered multiple factures in leg.

Both the injured have been referred from the District Hospital Una to the PGI, in Chandigarh.

Three commit suicide
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 29 — Three persons committed suicide and two women living in Nari Sadan at Purana Kangra died during the past 24 hours in this district, the police said here today.

The district police chief, Mr K.C. Sadiyal, today said that a resident of Nagapti village near Bandi in this district committed suicide by consuming poison and died in the zonal hospital at Dharamsala today. The SSP said that the dead was identified as Pardeep Kumar (30). In another incident, Ajay Kumar of Kothar village under Haripur police station committed suicide by consuming poison. He was serving in the Army and was spending his vacation at home. The cause of his suicide was not immediately known.

In another case of suicide, Subhash Chand, 27, of Sandol village in Palampur subdivision committed suicide by consuming poison. He was compelled to take this step owing to poverty, the SSP said.

Meanwhile, two women living in the Nari Sadan in Purana Kangra died yesterday. Lachi Devi, was ailing for quite some time. She was a resident of Cheelan (Tissa). In the same Nari Sadan, Usha Devi, 45, a resident of Gurkari, also died of an illness. She was admitted to the Kangra subdivisional hospital, where she breathed her last.

School celebrates annual function
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The annual function of the Military School, Chail, was celebrated with enthusiasm today. Brig Satnam Singh, Commander, Punjab, Haryana and Himcahal Pradesh sub-area, presided. Mr T.S. Panwar, Principal of the school, highlighted the achievements of school cadets in his annual report.

The chief guest gave away prizes to cadets with distinction in academics and sports.

He awarded a scholarship of Rs 6000 to cadet Pankaj Kumar who secured 100 per cent marks in mathematics and an aggregate of 90.2 per cent in the Class X CBSE examination.

NSUI district chiefs appointed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The NSUI state president, Kewal Singh Pathania, has appointed presidents for six district with the prior approval of the All-India NSUI chief.

The new district presidents are — Rohit Thakur (Kangra), Ravinder Panwar (Shakti) (Solan), Mahipaat Solanki (Nahan), Pawan Thakur (Shimla Urban), Madhu Sudan (Bilaspur) and Neeraj Kapoor (Chamba).