P R A D E S H
Monday, November 23, 1998
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Monday, November 23, 1998 |
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BJP
govt ‘hindering spread of education’ |
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Virbhadra accuses BJP of
code violation Joshi
was not invited in place of Sen Hotel
staff union alleges torture by SHO Widen
inquiry scope: Verma |
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Sukh Ram
decries delay in CBI probe PALAMPUR, Nov 22 — A former Communication Minister and the Himachal Vikas Congress President, Mr Sukh Ram, announced here today that his party would continue to support the BJP-led Dhumal government. Addressing a news conference here this morning, he said that the BJP-HVC government in the state would complete its full term of five years and there was no question of formation of any other government with the help of the Congress. He said he had earlier offered his support to the Congress party through the AICC and the state PCC on the condition that Mr Virbhadra Singh would be kept out of the government. This condition was not acceptable to the Congress. He said he had read statements of the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, in the press regarding formation of an alternative government in the state, but clarified that he never had any discussion with Mr Mahajan in this regard. Mr Sukh Ram said it was not proper on the part of the government to 'delay' the CBI probe against former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as it was resulting in misunderstandings. He, however, expressed full faith in the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. He claimed that raids conducted at his residences in Mandi and Delhi by the CBI were 'politically motivated' with the intention of 'tarnishing his image'. He said the CBI started its investigation in to his case in 1993, but conducted the raids in 1996, when he was out of power. The CBI had failed to explain the delay of three years, he said and alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Rajesh Pilot were behind these raids. Earlier, talking to newsmen at Baijnath, the former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said he was not afraid of a CBI probe since most of the charges levelled against him had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court and Lokayukta. Still, if the CBI probe was ordered, he would face it. He said his political life was an open chapter and the people of the state whom he served for 40 years, knew him better, he claimed. He alleged a van mafia headed by Kewal Ram Chauhan had conspired against him to demand the CBI probe. During 1985-1990, when he was chief minister, he had launched a battle against the van mafia in the state and special courts were set up to try the accused. A number of cases were registered against Chauhan, who was the worst hit by his orders. He alleged that Mr Dhumal
was under constant pressure from Mr Sukh Ram to harass
and victimise him and his kin through a CBI probe. |
BJP govt
‘hindering spread of education’ KANGRA, Nov 22 — Mr M.L. Khanna, General Secretary of the DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi, today criticised the BJP government for bringing private educational institutions under the purview of Section 10 (22) of the Income Tax Act. He described it as anti-people and an interference in the spread of education. He was addressing a press conference here today where he said that even after 50 years of Independence a huge segment of population remained uneducated and the government could not reach this segment without the help of private institutions. Instead of encouraging the private institutions it was putting a stumbling block in the spread of education by bringing these institutions under the income-tax purview. He said that he had met the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Mr Jaswant Singh in this connection. He had also met the HPPCC Secretary, Mr G.S. Bali, to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha through Congress MPs. Nearly 700 DAV institutions were imparting adult, vocational and academic education with a Rs 225 crore annual budget in India, Nepal, London and Mauritius and the DAV management was eager to set up institutions in the USA and Pakistan, he added. Mr Khanna was critical of government policies which were, by and large, governed by dogmas. He later addressed the annual convocation function at the local MCM DAV College where graduates were awarded degrees. He said "every one seems to be for sale with a price tag". He asked the youths not to succumb to the present evil forces but reverse the trend by developing one's character. Mr S.K. Sharma, principal
of the college, gave a briefing about the achievements of
the college saying that it set a landmark every year in
the academic history of the state. |
Virbhadra
accuses BJP of code violation JAWALAMUKHI, Nov 22 — HP Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh has alleged that the BJP government has violated the code of conduct for the byelection by misusing the state government machinery and transferring employees on political grounds. While talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that the government had ordered large-scale transfers of employees who were sympathetic to the Congress. The BJP government had proved to be undemocratic. He said Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, had made several promises to the people before the elections but had forgotten them after assuming power. He said the Congress party would win the Baijnath byelection with a comfortable majority. Top BJP leaders would be the main factors of the defeat of the HVC-BJP candidates. He lashed out at the HVC
supremo, Mr Sukh Ram, for misleading people by issuing a
(false) statement regarding his (Mr Virbhadra Singh)
property. He called for a time frame by the judiciary to
settle cases pertaining to corruption against
politicians. All ministers should declare there assets
within 60 days of taking charge, he added. |
Joshi was
not invited in place of Sen SHIMLA, Nov 22 — While the controversy raised by the decision of the governing body of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study to invite Dr M.M. Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, to deliver the annual Dr Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture refuses to die down, it turns out that the BJP leader was not invited in place of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. In fact the name of Dr Sen never figured in the deliberations of the governing body. Dr Sen had declined the invitation of the institute twice in the recent past and so his name was not considered at the meeting. The institute made the first request to deliver the 1997 lecture on January 28, 1997, which was turned down. He was again extended an invitation for the 1998 lecture but he expressed his inability to deliver it. The institute thereafter invited Dr M.G.K. Menon, eminent scientist and former minister. After keeping silent for about a fortnight the institute clarified today that there was no report made to the governing body on the earlier invitations to Dr Sen and as such there was no mention of him at the meeting. Meanwhile, Dr S.K. Gupta, a member of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study Society said the allegation that Dr Joshi was being invited in place of Dr Sen appeared to be mischievous. He said it was not for the first time that a minister had been invited. He gave the examples of invitations to Prof D P Chatopadhyaya and Dr M.G.K. Menon, who were also eminent academicians. Similarly, Dr Joshi had been a distinguished professor at Allahabad University. There was no justification in imputing motives to the invitation given to Dr Joshi. That the uncalled-for controversy would affect the reputation of the institute needed to be appreciated by one and all, he added. Interestingly, the institute had not even sent a request to Dr Joshi as yet and even his consent had not been obtained so far. At the same meeting the
governing body decided to invite Mr R Venkataraman, a
former President, to deliver another lecture. |
INTUC for
hike in minimum wage SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The state unit of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has criticised the BJP government for its failure to implement the decision on enhanced daily wages in the private sector. Mr Kanta Sood, president of the Congress, said the labour employed in the private sector was being discriminated against in the matter of wages and other benefits as the government was not keen on enforcing the laws. She demanded that the minimum daily wage be increased to Rs 100 in view of the unprecedented price rise. She also criticised the government for ignoring the demand of employees for the grant of house rent, medical allowance and bonus on the Punjab pattern. She said the ensuing
assembly poll in various states would signal the return
of the Congress to power and Mrs Sonia Gandhi would lead
the country into the next century. |
Widen
inquiry scope: Verma SHIMLA, Nov 22 — Mr Gopal Dass Verma, President of the State Non-Gazetted Services Federation, has urged the Chief Minister to bring political leaders, senior officers and leaders of the State Employees Confederation in the purview of the vigilance enquiry initiated against certain office-bearers of the federation. In a statement here today
he said the federation leaders were not afraid of facing
a CBI inquiry as it would only bring the truth to the
fore. |
Hotel staff
union alleges torture by SHO SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The Himachal Hotel Mazdoor Lal Jhanda Union has urged the state Human Rights Commission to take action against the station house officer of the local Sadar police station who, it alleged, had tortured some hotel workers while investigating the murder of an employee of a Gulmarg hotel. In a complaint to Mr Justice P.C. Balakrishna Menon, chairman of the commission, the union said the investigating officers were "falsely" implicating innocent workers and "using third-degree methods". It said Suresh Kumar could not withstand the torture and tried to commit suicide by consuming poison. His only fault was that he took injured Raj Kishore to hospital. His clothes got blood stains in the process but this was being used as evidence to implicate him. Another worker, Lekh Raj, was arrested on November 15 but he was produced before the judicial magistrate only on November 17, it claimed. It requested the
commission to take notice of the alleged illegal actions
of the SHO and initiate appropriate action against him. |
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