Reacting to the plan size fixed by the Planning Commission yesterday at New Delhi, Virbhadra Singh said the annual plan for 1997-98 was finalised and approved by the Planning Commission in mid-March 1998. ``Thus, from Rs 1,225 crore, fixed for last year the present increase up to Rs 1,440 crore for 1998-99, was just 18.03 per cent,'' he asserted.

Accusing Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of trying to camouflage and mix-up of the financial figures, the former CM, who also had held the financial portfolio during his tenure, said Dhumal was silent on vital facts about financing the new plan, including state's own resources and Central assistance and loans.

``All this has been deliberately surpressed by the government,'' Virbhadra alleged. He also expressed surprise over wrong figures given by the Chief Minister on the Eighth Plan i.e. Rs. 1213.10 crore and the Ninth Plan. He said the Eighth Plan was closed at Rs 3,480 .40 crore against actually approved Rs 2,502 crore. The approved outlay for the Ninth Plan was Rs 5,700 crore, he asserted.

Former CM advised Dhumal not to mislead the people on financial figures.

Warrants against Principal: The HP High Court today issued bailable warrants against Director Principal Rama Sinha of College of Engineering Kala Amb. The college, which is in Sirmaur district, is run by the International Institute of Telecom Technology. The warrants were issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice D. Raju and Justice L.S. Panta. The court had issued notices twice including one through the district judge, summoning records of admission against a sport seat. The petitioner, Gunjan Kapoor claimed the seat in first year of the degree course. The warrants have been issued to secure her presence on October 28, when the petition will come up for hearing.

Age limit fixed for YC membership: The All India Youth Congress has decided to remove all the office bearers at the state and national level, who have crossed the age of 35 years.

This was disclosed by Shoba Thomas Ohja, general secretary of the party here today. Addressing a press conference after the meeting of the state unit, Shoba however ruled out the possibility of removing Kuldeep Pathania, president of Himachal unit before the Baijnath bypoll scheduled to be held on November 25 next. She said the party had already started search for suitable persons to replace the people who had become ineligible after they had reached the age of 35 years.

The general secretary of the IYC said that two-day national convention of all district youth presidents and state president would be held at Delhi on October 26 in which many issues would be discussed as a follow up action after the Panchmari conclave of the parent body. AICC president Sonia Gandhi would also be present at the convention, she added.

Shoba said that many programmes were being conducted for training the Youth Congress workers. She said that IYC had approved a criterion for holding offices in the party right from the block level. She said workers from now onwards would graduate to state level after serving a term at the block and the district level. He said that the IYC would impress upon the AICC the need to appoint Youth Congress presidents of state unit at least general secretaries in the party.

She said that the IYC would also adopt five-point social agenda and launch a campaign against infanticide of female children and use of narcotics.