In a press release issued here yesterday, Padam Thakur, vice-president of the association said that 1995 onwards the Congress government started the appointment of teachers and lecturers on contract basis with full service equal to that of regular teachers and lecturers besides regularising the services of tenure ad hoc teachers and lecturers after the completion of three to five years services, but even after rendering services for over six years trained voluntary lecturers/teachers were not regularized. Thakur said the voluntary lecturers and teachers were getting a meager salary of Rs 1,700 and 2,000 respectively.

PM nod on tunnel hailed:
BJP president of Lahaul and Spiti district Col (Retd) Hishe Dogia, MLA Ram Lal Markanda, BJP district general secretary M.L. Railingpa and Mohan Singh, the BJP secretary of the district in a press statement issued here have expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for giving nod to the construction of a tunnel under the Rohtang pass from Dhundhi to Sissu (Lahaul valley ). The leaders thanked the PM for the financial aid of Rs 3 lakh for the hops growers of the Lahaul valley.

Earlier, a delegation led by Col Dogia had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister at Manali on Friday.

Speedy construction demanded:
A delegation of Kullu Fruit Growers Association, led by president of the association, Mahender Upadhiyaya, met Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Friday at Manali and submitted a memorandum to him.

The fruit growers in the memorandum urged the Chief Minister to order speedy construction of Ghamrola bridge or hand it over to the Army keeping in view the coming fruit season in Kullu valley. They further asked Dhumal to announce subsidy on the Ahmedabad cartons which are available in the market at cheaper rate than the cartons of Gumma factory.

The fruit growers demanded double and spacious room for stacking of Kullu apples at the Delhi fruit market. The delegation sought repair and reconstruction of Kullu-Manali National Highway and link roads in the valley.