Widow approaches human rights panel
SUNDERNAGAR, Sept 4 — Mrs Maya Devi, widow of Karam Singh, Superintending Engineer, Irrigation and Public Health, who was suspended a few days before retirement and committed suicide on June 24, has complained to the Chairman, State Human Right Commission, Shimla, against inaction of the police.


Dhumal denies charge of regional bias
JAWALAMUKHI, Sept 4 — Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said that the false propaganda of regionalism was being spread by certain frustrated and disgruntled elements. He asserted that his Government did not believe in discrimination with reference to Kangra district in particular.

Swami Krishnanand seeks President's intervention
CHANDIGARH, Sept 4 — Swami Krishnanand (91), President, All India Hindu Mahasangh, has sought the intervention of Mr K.R.Narayanan, President of India, and the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to end his harassment.

Church clock begins ticking again
SHIMLA, Sept 4 — The 139-year-old clock on the historic Christ Church here has once again started ticking after not having functioned for the past about 30 years.

Six more file papers in HP
SHIMLA, Sept 4 — Six more candidates filed their nominations today for the September 25 Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Musafir flays BJP rule
SOLAN, Sept 4 — The Congress candidate for the Shimla parliamentary constituency, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, today acused the BJP of gross incompetence in governance, especially in the areas of maintenance of law and order; economic development and amelioration of the lot of the underpriviliged sections of society.

Nurpur MLA denies code violation
NURPUR, Sept 4 — Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's Vice-Chairman and local MLA, Mr Rakesh Pathania, denied violation of the model code of conduct being alleged in the Assembly segment here.

ABVP "awareness" campaign from September 6
SHIMLA, Sept 4 — The state unit of the ABVP will launch as mass awareness campaign in the state to highlight the main issues of the government from September 6 to 20.

Computer centre in dist courts
MANDI, Sept 4 — Mr Doraiswamy Raju, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court today inaugurated a computer centre in the district courts premises.

Widow approaches human rights panel
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, Sept 4 — Mrs Maya Devi, widow of Karam Singh, Superintending Engineer, Irrigation and Public Health, who was suspended a few days before retirement and committed suicide on June 24, has complained to the Chairman, State Human Right Commission, Shimla, against inaction of the police.

In the complaint, she alleged that the police was not taking any action as the name of a senior minister figured in the case and demanded an inquiry by a senior police officer.

The complaint, a copy of which has also been sent to the National Human Rights Commission, Delhi, alleged that the minister used to contact her husband and ask him not to apply for a petrol station as his son had also applied for it. But when the petrol station was sanctioned to the son of the SE, he got her husband suspended about five days before retirement.

Later the son of the minister filed a case against the allotment of the petrol station which was pending. All these circumstances indicated that Mr Verma was forced to commit suicide, the widow alleged.

Dhumal denies charge of regional bias
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, Sept 4 — Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said that the false propaganda of regionalism was being spread by certain frustrated and disgruntled elements. He asserted that his Government did not believe in discrimination with reference to Kangra district in particular.

Talking to reporters at Geeta Bhawan here today Mr Dhumal said he was surprised that such propaganda was being media in the news paper made to tarnish his image in the state. He added that stern action might be taken in this respect. "Narrow-minded people were playing this game and well planned conspiracy was going on to tarnish his image, he added. He clarified that his Government always advocated uniform and balanced development of the state. Regional discrimination was the handi work of Congress regime.

Criticising the Congress party, Mr Dhumal said that "regionalism" was no election issue in Himachal as there has been equitable development in the upper and lower areas of the state in the past 18 months. He said uniform and balanced development had been the hallmark of BJP policies.

He reminded people that it was a herculian task to rebuild the economy of the state which the BJP had inherited from the Congress government. To gear up development which had been standstill due to anti-people policies of the Congress government was an uphill task, he added.

To a question, he said that there were no differences between him and Mr Shanta Kumar. Mr Shanta Kumar, as member of Parliament was trying and had tried his best to represent Himachal at the national level. I had advocated for his induction in the Union Council of Ministers. However, it was the prerogative of "hon'ble Prime Minister" to choose his team.

On the Himachal Vikas Congress, he said that Mr Sukh Ram would never go back to the Congress. Why should he even think of going back to a party which was degenerating? Mr Sukh Ram has denied publicly this at a series of public meetings where we were together and also discounted any rapprochement with the Congress. He said he is grass-roots leader and only rootless leaders merge their parties. The Congress in Himachal was on the verge of major split, he added. The moment its high command started sidelining Mr Virbhadra Singh, there are indications that he would hit back and in the process, split the party. In fact, there is already serious trouble in the PCC and some MLAs are in touch with me to join the BJP. He refused to give the details. Wait and watch positive news would come very shortly, he added. He claimed coalition experiment in the state was working very well. "Both my party and the HVC are committed to the development of the state and fighting the feudalistic forces. The arrangement would continue for five years and even more if needed, Mr Dhumal said.

About the Congress charge of non-performance of his government, he said this was usual tirade of the Congress which was not based on facts. The period 18 months has been of great success during which the state forged ahead in all directions a fact known to all people who voted for the BJP again and again in elections "I don’t think what" non-performance the Congress is talking about.

Let there be a comparison between 18 months of my government and four years of the Virbhadra Singh government. We have been able to instil confidence in people. Our cordial relations with the central government enabled us to get special financial package of Rs 300 crore and solve many issues with neighbouring states. There has also been progress in hydel generation. Hotriculture too got major boost. The government protected the interests of apple-growers and announced incentives for fruit vegetable growers in the lower Himachal areas. Perhaps no other government has done so much in 18 months, he added. He said that the centre had been liberal in providing financial assistance to Himachal.

Swami Krishnanand seeks President's intervention
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 4 — Swami Krishnanand (91), President, All India Hindu Mahasangh, has sought the intervention of Mr K.R.Narayanan, President of India, and the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to end his harassment.

Swami Krishnanand, who belongs to Kerala and is the founder of Sri Naina Devi Gufa and Sadhu Ashram of Himachal Pradesh, says after having come to Naina Devi in May 1954, he had suffered harassment for long years. For more than a decade, he fought for the taking over of religious shrines by the Himachal Government to end mismanagement of the temples.

He has himself started living at Durga Mandir in Old Panchkula but keeps on visiting the Naina Devi Gufa and Sadhu Ashram on the occasion of religious festivals and puja days. For a long time , he says, he has been fighting the district authorities to end misappropriation of offerings in both cash and kind made by devotees during festivals and in normal days.

Raising his voice against misappropriation of offerings, the Swami says, he has been harassed by the district authorities time and again and has even been threatened with dire consequences. That is why he has to seek security from the authorities which the Lokayukt of Himachal had considered necessary for him.

In his appeal, he has requested transparency in the functioning of officials charged with handling of collections of temples in the state.

Church clock begins ticking again
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 4 — The 139-year-old clock on the historic Christ Church here has once again started ticking after not having functioned for the past about 30 years.

The clock tower of the church on the Ridge is the most photographed edifice here. Hardly any tourist loses the opportunity to be photographed with the clock tower in the backdrop.

According to the Christ Church sources, the clock has come alive due to the efforts of Mr M.C. Pandey, Chief Engineer of HPSEB, who during his official visit to Manneheim (Germany) requested Messers Asia Brown Boveri Karftwerke, Power Segment Division, to ensure its revival.

After a survey and designing Asia Brown Boveri procured the equipment and sent Mr Hubert Aschhoff, Mr Herbert Hebling and Mr N.K. Kishore to make the clock functional.

The clock was originally put up in 1860 by Colonel Dumbleton.

The Christ Church was built during the British regime in 1857. Its corner stone was laid in September, 1844.

The church was taken over by the government as a public building in 1856 and various improvements were carried out, including erection of the clock tower and the porch.

Can flash floods be prevented in HP?
From Kanwar Yogendra

CHIRGAON: Today no one outside Chirgaon remembers the wrath of the natural disasters this village suffered two years ago. More than 300 people died in the flash floods of August 1997. Chirgaon village lies in Rohru tehsil of Shimla district. "On the night of August 11, 1997, flood waters of the Andhra Khud swept the village and, supported by a cloudburst, the floods mauled the whole village in a short span. By morning the beautiful riverside hill town was reduced to rubble.

But unfortunately, public memory is short and virtually no one remembers the memory of those who failed to survive these natural hazards. No institution, no government, no political party or any other organisation have showed any concern to the bereaved families or affected people. Some high government officials have not visited the site till now, although their sub-offices in the area were washed away along with the employees' houses.

What initiated the catastrophic process in this area should be a matter of concern even two years after the disaster and should be investigated properly.

The environment has always had an impact on human beings. But deliberate intervention is sometimes dangerous. Although the most obvious concern is about natural hazards including floods, droughts and earthquakes. In Himachal Pradesh also natural hazards cast a wide shadow on human life. Every year top soil cover erodes and washes away, causing massive landslides, resulting in loss of human life and destruction of property. The intensity has increased in recent years. Though it is very difficult to stop natural hazards but their intensity can be reduced by taking appropriate steps, as some of the human activities have a definite impact on the increasing instability of the environment.

Increased human interference in the delicate ecosystem of the upper regions has also contributed a lot in initiating disasters. According to an estimate in the higher alpine pastures, more than 4000 sheep or goats graze every year for more than six months per year. Overgrazing causes serious damage to the forests as it reduces aeration of the soil, upsets the water regime and increases runoff and risk of erosion.

Another human factor which is affecting the hills is the over-extraction of medicinal plants. For the past two decades some locals as well as outsiders are extracting "dhoop roots" in Chirgaon. Every year for more than two months, people extract roughly 300 kg of roots per day. They dig a 0.5 m trench for this purpose and then leave it open. A large network of these trenches later leads to landsliding, slumping and heavy soil erosion.

Water-induced disasters of varying intensity and magnitude affect various parts of Himachal regularly with monsoon as the major factor. Due to high variability in the rainfall pattern, this area is prone to conditional instability leading to cloudbursts every year. A similar weather phenomenon took place on August 11,1997, at Shatul Ghati. One should not be surprised if such a phenomenon occurs again.

The slope already saturated by prolonged rains failed under the impact of final cloudburst. Absence of a protective vegetative cover in this geo-fragile area and sudden downpour induced a series of landslides. Three major blockades and a number of landslides occurred between Rohal and Chirgaon villages. These blockades were also due to presence of big uprooted trees during the recent flash floods. A number of trees had fallen in the catchment as a result of flash floods over the past few years.

These trees clogged the narrow steep valley of Andhra Khud at three places. All types of debris thus blocked the meandering course of the stream, causing the water level to rise. When the pressure on these temporary dams increased these burst, giving vent to a turbulent jet of turbid, debris charged water that violently shifted the course of the river.

Somewhat ahead at Goskwari the blockade caused a big reservoir. After smashing its way through these blockades, the water gushed forward speedily and devastated the downstream course damaging all settlements on its way. As the last temporary dam gave way, a high flood washed everything, threw big boulders far and wide. Not only was the roar from the deep gorge deafening, even the sparks which rose when boulders collided were visible at night. That is what was termed as "pralay" by the local people. "The river is reported to have risen by 30 to 50 metres above the normal level at certain places", remembers Tapesh Chauhan, an eyewitness, who lost his wife and one another member of his family in the disaster.

It is very difficult to correlate human interference directly to any natural hazards. From the above analysis it is clearly evident that most of the factors which were responsible for the Chirgaon disaster were generated due to man's excessive intervention in the area. Widespread devastation was also a direct result of human negligence, which could have been avoided.

Several preventive steps can be taken to lessen, if not stop, such natural disasters in the future like preventing intensive grazing, deforestation, unscientific extraction of medicinal plants, construction of big buildings and projects in the abandoned courses of river. What is needed is to identify disaster prone areas and monitoring all types of geo-morphic processes. Otherwise, excess human interference will keep disturbing the delicate eco-system and increase the intensity and occurrence of natural disasters.

Six more file papers in HP

SHIMLA, Sept 4 (UNI) — Six more candidates filed their nominations today for the September 25 Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh.

With this the total number of nominations filed so far has risen to 18 in the state.

The highest number of three candidates filed papers for the Shimla (SC) seat, followed by two at Hamirpur and one at Kangra. No nominations were filed for the Mandi seat.

Mr Krishan Dutt filed his nominations as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate while Ms Asha Chauhan submitted her papers as the nominee of the Shiv Sena.

An independent Leela Shandil also filed her papers for the Shimla (SC) seat.

Capt Pratap Choudhary (retd) filed his papers as the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Kangra. Mr Gian Chand filed papers as the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate while Mr Prem Chand submitted his nominations as the covering candidate from Hamirpur.

The filing of nominations will continue till September 6. The scrutiny of papers will take place the next day and the last date for the withdrawl of candidature has been fixed as September 9.

Musafir flays BJP rule
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Sept 4 — The Congress candidate for the Shimla parliamentary constituency, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, today acused the BJP of gross incompetence in governance, especially in the areas of maintenance of law and order; economic development and amelioration of the lot of the underpriviliged sections of society.

Mr Musafir, while addressing a press conference here today, said that crimes like the burning alive or murdering, with total impunity, of priests of a minority community were unheard of things during the long Congress rule both at the Centre and in the states. Such incidents had instilled a sense of insecurity amongst sizeable sections of society. Even the general law and order situation in states like Himachal Pradesh had deterorated. Even the country's international borders had become insecure as had been proved by the infiltration of Pakistanis into Kargil.

The BJP-led rule had also been marked by unbridled increase in prices at times and widespread adulteration.

Mr Musafir came down heavily upon the state government, charging its leaders with taking the simple Himachalis for a ride every now and then. In this connection he said that the PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, had announced projects valued at Rs 12 crore for Sirmaur district alone. Not a single such project had progressed beyond the foundation stones stage till date.

Nurpur MLA denies code violation
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Sept 4 — Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's Vice-Chairman and local MLA, Mr Rakesh Pathania, denied violation of the model code of conduct being alleged in the Assembly segment here.

In a press conference here yesterday, Mr Pathania said work on development schemes announced or sanctioned before the notification of the Lok Sabha poll was not in violation of the model code of conduct. The Congress leaders, he said, were turning this into a political issue ignoring the fact that the overall development of the area had come to a halt during the past decade. The development work had now been accelerated by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Mr Pathania pointed out that Rs 70 lakh had been allocated for development activities in the Nurpur Development Block during the past one year. He said a blueprint for a sewerage scheme for the town had been prepared and the scheme would be approved by the Union Urban Development Ministry after the Lok Sabha poll. He said the local historical pond beautification project would be completed by the Public Works Department.

ABVP "awareness" campaign from
September 6
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 4 — The state unit of the ABVP will launch as mass awareness campaign in the state to highlight the main issues of the government from September 6 to 20.

According to Mr Kamal Nayan, secretary of the parishad, over one lakh pamphlets will be distributed, rallies and corner meetings will be organised in the educational institutions in order to make the public realise the value of their votes.

Computer centre in dist courts
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Sept 4 — Mr Doraiswamy Raju, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court today inaugurated a computer centre in the district courts premises.

Computerisation was started about seven years ago in the Supreme Court and extended to all high courts.

The new computer system equipped with multiple terminals installed here is linked with the NIC's District Computer Centre, LAN, which is further connected to over a thousand NICNET VSAT nodes spread across the country, including the Supreme Court.

Later talking to mediapersons, Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju said efforts were being made for the construction of a new judicial complex in Mandi.