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| Tuesday, March 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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CM
has ‘mafia support’ |
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| Law officers' conference in May KANGRA, March 13 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will hold a one-day state-level law officers' conference in the state in the first week of May. HP hotels body hails Budget CHANDIGARH, March 13 — The President of the HP Hotels and Restaurants Association, Mr Ajit Butail, has hailed the Himachal Budget saying Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has for the first time recognised the true value of the tourism sector by announcing major concessions.
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CM has
‘mafia support’ SHIMLA, March 13 — The leader of the Opposition, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has accused the BJP of surviving in power in Himachal Pradesh with help of the forest mafia. Mr Virbhadra Singh was initiating a debate on the state Budget proposals in the Vidhan Sabha today. He alleged that the leaders of the forest mafia had become chief advisers of the ruling BJP. Over 10,000 cases of illicit felling and smuggling of trees had been detected ever since the BJP came to power. However, over 6000 cases had been compounded by the Forest Department without challaning those. He took exception to the earlier remarks of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, that the forest mafia flourished during the Congress regime. Mr Virbhadra Singh said corruption had been institutionalised under the BJP regime and the public exchequer was being "looted" by influential contractors who were executing sub-standard works. He alleged that with corruption touching an alarming level, the revenue of the state was also adversely affected. The recent bitumen scandal in the PWD set-up at Mandi was just a tip of the iceberg. He came down heavily on the functioning of the PWD where, he alleged, corruption was prevailing not only in purchases, but also in awarding contracts. Thousands of new contractors had been registered during the past two years. He said that instead of taking action against the corrupt elements and making random checks of the PWD works, the Chief Minister gave a clean chit to such elements. Referring to the downsizing of administration in the fund starved state, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that Mr Dhumal should not stop at the doorstep of bureaucracy, but should make efforts to reduce the size of his ministry and also cut the number of chairmen and vice-chairmen of various boards and corporations. He urged the Chief Minister to fix the priorities for cutting wasteful expenditure. There was no mention of the specific steps which Mr Dhumal intended to take to reduce wasteful expenditure. Mr Virbhadra Singh said that the move of the government to grant autonomy to various departments would create administrative problems. He suspected that the autonomy exercise was just to mop up funds for the government as was the aim of creating four new corporations last year. He wondered whether the BJP Government intended to saffronise higher education by giving it in the hands of private sector. He said there was great scope for privatisation of education, but that could be done only when the targets of universalisation of education were met. The Congress leader described the Budget as "directionless" and which has hit hard the rural as well as the urban people. The poor people would not be able to bear the burden of fresh taxation of Rs 24 crore. He claimed that although Mr Dhumal claimed to be a farmer, but he has badly hit the farming community by proposing a hike in the sales tax on diesel, tractors, agricultural implements, pesticides, insecticides and various other items of their use.
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1,225
officers face vigilance cases SHIMLA, March 13 — As many as 1,225 officers and employees of the Himachal Government are facing vigilance cases in the state. Giving this information to Mr G.S. Bali, in a written reply during question hour Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, said that while the State Vigilance Department and the Enforcement Department had registered cases against 164 class-I officers, 284 class II officers and 776 class III employees, one officer was booked by the CBI. In another written reply he told Mr Chander Kumar that various government departments had recruited 18,984 daily-wage workers during 1997-1999. The maximum number of 16,148 workers were recruited in the Public Works Department. The Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor, informed the House that out of the State Road Transport Corporation total fleet of 1731 buses, as many as 371 had completed the stipulated mileage. However, these buses had not been condemned so far and the corporation was plying them on various routes. Answering a joint question of Mr Kaul Singh, Mrs Viplove Thakur and Mr Singhi Ram, Mr Dhumal informed the House that economy measures taken by the government to curtail unproductive expenditure, were likely to save Rs 190 crore during the year 1999-2000. He said the measures were reviewed from time to time and appropriate steps were taken to achieve the objective. He ruled out any possibility of downsizing the ministry and asserted that it was adequate to ensure all-round development of state by giving representation to all sections. As far as the downsizing of the administration was concerned, he said, the strength of the IAS and state administrative services cadre had been reduced by five and 20 posts, respectively. It would lead to a saving of Rs 1.33 crore per annum. Replying to another question he said the government released Rs 73.47 crore during 1998-99 and Rs 74.85 crore during the current year up to February 29 under the backward area plan. The funds had been placed at the disposal of the respective deputy commissioners. Mr Ram Lal Markandey, the Rural Development Minister, informed the House that as many as 7331 families were given assistance and other benefits from April 1, 1998 to February 29, 2000 under the Integrated Rural Development Programme. Mr R.D. Kashyap, the Urban Development Minister, told Mr Gangu Ram that as many as 564 applications for regularisation of constructions were received from the residents of the new areas merged in the Shimla Municipal Corporation. Out of these building plans had been approved in 197 cases, 361 cases had been returned for clearing objections and 61 were under consideration. Besides, 2136 cases were transferred to the municipal corporation.
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Hunt
launched for 12 terrorists SHIMLA, March 13 — The police has launched a hunt for the 12 suspected terrorists of Jammu and Kashmir who have been sighted in border area of Chamba district by a patrol party. This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, in the Vidhan Sabha today. Giving a suo motu statement on the incident, Mr Dhumal said that it appears that certain terrorists have taken shelter in the area. All security arrangements have been strengthened and additional patrols have been mobilised. The J and K Police was being consulted. He said the Superintendent of Police, Chamba, has rushed to the area along with the local commandant of the ITBP to personally talk to the police patrol which had sighted the two groups of terrorists. It has not been confirmed whether these terrorists were armed or not. The Chief Minister said
that 10 persons suspected to be terrorists were spotted
on March 8 from a distance by a police patrol at Dibru
Mandrala in Chamba. They were in plain clothes carrying
bags on their backs. Again on March 9, two suspected
terrorists were seen in Padari Gali clearing snow from
the roof of a Gujjar kotha. Mr Dhumal said that the
government was fully seized of the problem and all
necessary steps were being taken to meet the situation. |
Kripal
Parmar may be RS nominee SHIMLA, March 13 — The ruling BJP is likely to field Mr Kripal Parmar, a loyalist of the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, for the lone Rajya Sabha seat rejecting the claim of the Shanta Kumar faction. The election for the seat will be held later this month. On the other hand, the Congress party is learnt to have cleared the candidature of Mr T.S. Bharmourie, a former MLA from the tribal area of Bharmour in Chamba district. The Rajya Sabha seat is falling vacant with retirement of the Congress MP, Mr Susheel Barongpa. The BJP faction led by Mr Shanta Kumar was reportedly making last minute efforts to get the ticket for its nominee as tomorrow is the last day for filing nominations. The BJP has sent a panel of four names for consideration to the high command. The panel includes name of Mr Kripal Parmar, Mr Virender Kashyap and Col Dogia (retd). The panel did not contain the name of a former Speaker, Mr Radha Raman Shastri, who was a hot contender for the ticket. Mr Shastri was camping at Delhi making last ditch efforts to secure a ticket. It is learnt that the Shanta supporters were trying to convince the party high command that instead of the Dhumal group nominee should be given the tickets. They maintained the former had been given tickets for the five Assembly seats after the BJP-HVC combine government came to power in the state. It is learnt the Mr Virender Kashyap was trying to muster support of Mr Shanta Kumar for his candidature. The HVC had initially supported Mr Kashyap's candidature as he had opted out of contest for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat in favour of the HVC candidate, Col Dhani Ram Shandil. A section of the BJP pointed out that both Mr Kashyap and Mr Shandil belong to the same community and it might not be in the interest of the party to give him the ticket for the Rajya Sabha. The Congress leaders claim that their contest for the seat would be symbolic in view of the higher numerical strength of the BJP-HVC combine. The BJP was planning to repeat its performance of embarrassing the Congress by winning over some votes of their group. In a cross voting, the Congress had lost two votes during the election of Mr Anil Sharma, son of the HVC chief, Mr Sukh Ram, for the Rajya Sabha seat about two years ago. The Congress leaders were keeping their fingers crossed on the "black sheep", who indulged in cross voting, have not yet been identified.
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8 dists
selected for floriculture scheme NURPUR, March 13 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has identified suitable land in eight districts to promote floriculture under a Rs 7.5 crore scheme formulated by the Horticulture Department. Mr Narinder Bragata, state Horticulture Minister, while talking to mediapersons here last evening revealed that the government had formed an apex body of 45 recognised floriculture cooperative societies. He asserted that unlike Virbhadra Singh’s government the present government would initially ensure that proper marketing arrangements of the floriculture produce were made. He pointed out hat the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, had assured to provide suitable marketing place in Delhi. He said the state Horticulture Department would provide latest techniques and facilities to the flower cultivators. The minister said the government had been motivating unemployed youths to set up fruit nurseries. The Horticulture Department would extend assistance and provide quality saplings to the entrepreneurs and buy their produce. At present 125 such nurseries had been set up. Mr Bragata said the government had spent Rs 6.76 crore for promoting horticulture in the sub-tropical areas in the state. He claimed that the government had laid emphasis on the diversification of horticulture by promoting the cultivation of different fruit crops with an objective to convert Himachal Pradesh into a bowl of fruits. The minister said the Horticulture Department had sponsored the visits of progressive fruit growers in other state to educate them about latest developments in the field. Earlier, Mr Bragata laid
the foundation stone of community fruit processing and
training centres here to be built at the cost of Rs 10
lakh. On this occasion he also inaugurated a fruit
growers’ training camp organised by the Horticulture
Department in Bachat Bhavan. He said such centres were
also being set up at Tauni Devi and Nadaun in Hamirpur
district, Amb and Dehra in Una and Kangra district. The
centres would serve as nerve centres of horticulture
development in the state and create awareness about fruit
growing and fruit processing at the grass root level, he
added. |
Medicos
observe protest KANGRA, March 13 — Students of Dr Rajender Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, near here today observed protest against the college management by wearing black badges for failing to providing electricity and water supply to the hostel building where the students were shifted last month. These MBBS students had been demanding electricity and water supply to the hostel building where the rooms were allotted to them by the college management in the last week of the last month. The students said they lack of power and water supply in the hostel was affecting their studies. They alleged that the principal of the college, Dr R.L. Gupta, refused to even hear them whenever they went to him for the redressal of this problem. Meanwhile, students threatened to resort to an indefinite strike from March 18 if by then the electricity and powers supply was not made available to the hostel building. Meanwhile, the Deputy
Chief Engineer, State Electricity Board Operational
Circle, Mr S.K. Sood said that the medical college
authorities had not applied for a connection for the
hostel building and had not deposited money for
installation of a new transformer for the medical
collage. |
Law
officers' conference in May KANGRA, March 13 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will hold a one-day state-level law officers' conference in the state in the first week of May. This was disclosed by the Law Minister, Dr Rajan Sushant, while talking to a delegation of Law Officers (prosecutors) who had called on him last week to press for their demand of designating Assistant District Attorneys as Class I officers. Mr Kuldeep Sen, general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Attorneys Association, said here today that Dr Sushant assured that the issue would be discussed during the Law Officers' conference. Mr Sen said the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, would be the chief guest for the conference. He said the delegation
also met the Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Home, Mr Ajay
Prasad, and Special Secretary, Home, (prosecution), Mr
Sanjeev Gupta, in connection with their demands. |
HP hotels
body hails Budget CHANDIGARH, March 13 — The President of the HP Hotels and Restaurants Association, Mr Ajit Butail, has hailed the Himachal Budget saying Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has for the first time recognised the true value of the tourism sector by announcing major concessions. He said charge of luxury tax on actual tariff and not registered tariff, would have a very positive impact in tourist circuits and would be a major concession to visitors. This had been achieved by not increasing the present rate of taxation or levying any fresh taxes. The proposal to create a tourism promotion board encompassing a tourism destination development fund to be operated independently, would also go a long way in creating the much needed infrastructure. Various concessions for
levy of reduced excise licence fee for bars in smaller
hotels (up to 50 rooms) was a grassroot recognition of
the tourism sector. @@Exemption of sales tax for a
turnover in smaller restaurants (up to 2 lakh) was once
again a recognition of the tiny tourism sector and would
give relief to the consumer at that level. |
4 die in
jeep mishap SHIMLA, March 13 —
Four persons were killed and three injured when a private
Armada jeep fell into a khud near Narkanda, about 60 km
from here, today. The jeep was carrying six girls from
Nagaland, besides the driver. The deceased have been
identified as Kimi Jamin (driver), Ki Kumla, Shilu La and
Mirangla. |
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