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Sunday,
May 6, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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High-level
team to visit Iraq Builder of
border area roads Plea
against Dy Speaker’s election dismissed Tehelka
trap to malign BJP: MP CM
inspects Chamera works |
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Ginger-based
industry planned for Sirmaur district Virbhadra meets research scholars Cleanliness drive
launched DC’s
office in state of neglect UGC team
visits Engineering College Model
code for tribal areas from May 11 Roads
Congress to meet on May 13
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High-level team to visit
Iraq Dharamsala, May 5 “Though the government was not directly involved in the export of wheat to Iraq, since it is a question of India’s prestige in the world market, the matter will be thoroughly probed and the guilty punished,” said Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, here
today. He said that seven private companies had been entrusted with the task of export of wheat by the Grain Board of Iraq under a trade
agreement. Mr Shanta Kumar, said the decision to send a high-level team was taken last night as India had now decided to become a major grain exporting nation. He informed that officials from the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, PDS and Food Supply and the State Trading Corporation would form part of the
team. The minister said if the two companies whose wheat consignments had been rejected were found guilty, they would be blacklisted. The reasons for rejection and the later selling of the rejected wheat in Dubai would be looked into. A company engaged by the Grain Board of Iraq at Bombay had certified the grain before it took off, the minister
said. Mr Shanta Kumar said under the agreement signed with Iraq, a total of 3.50 lakh tonnes of wheat was to be exported in exchange for petrol. He said another
important aim of the team would be to explore the further potential of food grain export to
Iraq. Mr Shanta Kumar said despite an expected wheat production of 120 lakh tonnes, less than last year, procurement by the Food Corporation of India was likely to be higher this time. “As compared to 163 lakh tonnes wheat procured last year, this year this figure is likely to touch 150 lakh tonnes as the farmers are selling their produce only to the government,” he stated. There was 232 lakh tonnes of rice in godowns, 114 lakh tonnes more than the buffer stock. |
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Builder
of border area roads Shimla The organisation borrows a small fraction of its requirement of officers and troops from sister corps like the Corps of Engineers which helps maintain its military character. The bulk of the establishment
is, however, recruited and maintained exclusively for the BRO’s own work. It is called the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF). The BRO also renders assistance to the civil administration in relief work necessitated by natural calamities like flash floods and
earthquakes. The BRO is a constituent of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport for the purpose of general administration. For deployment, however, it is a part of the armed forces. GREF troops are governed by the Central Civil Services Regulations for the purposes of recruitment, salary, leave, promotion, retirement, etc. For discipline and deployment, however, they are governed by the Defence Services
Regulations. The hierarchy in the organisation is a kind of fine mix of that prevalent in the Corps of Engineers and a state PWD. The ranks of GREF officers and other personnel have civilian names but with a well-defined equation vis-a-vis Army
ranks. The administrative head of the BRO is a Secretary of the Government of India. The technical head is an engineering officer of the rank of Lieutenant-General. For deployment, the BRO is divided into Projects, Border Roads Task Forces (BRTFs), Road Construction Companies (RCC), etc. The last two levels can be roughly equated with a state PWD circle and division,
respectively. A BRO Project has a Brigadier of the Corps of Engineers or a Chief Engineer of GREF as its Commanding Officer. A BRTF has a Lieutenant-Colonel/Colonel of the Corps of Engineers or a Superintending Engineer — ordinary grade or selection grade — as its Commander. An RCC is commanded by a Major of the Corps of Engineers or an Executive Engineer of GREF. The GREF troops, being governed by the Army Act, are expected to maintain a high standard of discipline
In 1978-79 a group of persons had resorted to an unauthorised agitation. The situation was soon brought under control. The matter, however, went to the Supreme Court. It had in R. Viswan v Union of India (SC 658 AIR, 1983) directed that the GREF personnel would continue to be governed by the provisions of the Army Act, but any differences in their terms and conditions of service vis-a-vis regular Army personnel should be removed. The terms and conditions of service are thus being improved
gradually. An important issue in the BRO’s administration relates to inadequate promotion prospects for various GREF personnel cadres. On the Army side the Departmental Promotion Committees meet regularly and frequently. They draw up panels of officers and troops fit for promotion to various slots likely to fall vacant during the coming six to nine months. The personnel thus know well in advance about their promotion prospects. That is not so on the GREF side. A large number of posts sometimes remain vacant in the organisation for
years, affecting deserving GREF
personnel. |
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Plea against
Dy Speaker’s election dismissed Shimla, May 5 He had contended in his petition that the total number of ballot papers polled from all polling station of the Kutlehar Assembly constituency were shown as 35,310. While the actually counted votes from these polling stations were shown as 35,318, thus eight votes were more
counted. |
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Tehelka
trap to malign BJP: MP Dharamsala, May
5 Talking to mediapersons at the Press Club here, he said the former BJP President, Mr Bangaru Lakshman, was trapped so that the BJP’s image could be damaged. “Despite the government’s willingness for a debate in Parliament or the constitution of a JPC, the Congress
shirked from it as they wanted to keep the issue alive till the Assembly elections in five states,” he
said. He said even in the tapes it was clearly stated that the money was for party funds and if somebody was found collecting it with wrong intentions, they would be
punished. The BJP leader said there was a big difference in charges being levelled and the allegations being proved. He said the inquiry commission headed by a former Supreme Court judge would make investigations.
Mr Parmar said by constructing a civil terminal at the Pathankot airport at a cost of Rs 33 crore, the government would be using facilities and infrastructure of the air
force. He said with bigger aircraft, tourism would get a boost as due to limited space and topography, it was not possible to extend the air strips at Shimla, Gaggal and
Kulu. In reply to a question about the recent revolt by some BJP legislators in Himachal, Mr Parmar said the issue had been amicably resolved and there was no political party where there were no differences.
He said the BJP would hold training camps for the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha and Mahila BJP and other party workers at district and block
levels. He said he had raised the issues of granting financial help to Himachal following the devastation caused by the Sutlej and construction of national highways in Parliament. |
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CM inspects Chamera
works Chamera (Chamba) May 5 The Chief Minister inspected the completed part of 3.5 km headrace tunnel, coffer-dam and construction work on the main
dam. He was accompanied by Himachal Industries Minister Kishori Lal, State Ayurveda Minister Mohan Lal, State Power Minister Ravinder Ravi, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Yogendra Prasad, and the C.M.D. of Jai Prakash
Industries. Mr Yogendra Prasad, said the Chamera Project was being executed at an estimated cost of about Rs 1700 crore. The NHPC and the contractor
concerned were determined to ensure the completion of the project ahead of schedule.
The remaining 4556 metre of the headrace tunnel was anticipated to be completed by November this year. So far the diversion tunnel had been completed and the flow of the Ravi waters
diverted. Work on the dam had been commenced and the excavation work on the power transformer gallery
was nearing completion. The lining work at the desilting chambers (phase-one and two) was on at a war
footing. The 3.6 km tailrace tunnel was expected to be completed by the end of October this year, the power house by September this year and the dam by May,
2003. Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a four-storeyed (phase-I) edifice of the Zonal Hospital, Chamba, costing Rs 2 crore. The entire cost will he funded by the NHPC. The Chief Minister visited the local Dayanand Math and presided over a meeting of district officers. Local residents presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister aprising him about the scarcity of doctors in the Zonal Hospital. |
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Ginger-based industry planned
for Sirmaur district Nahan, May 5 Mr Dhumal was speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day annual Dr Y.S. Parmar Memorial Fair at Haripur Dhar, 102 km from here. He said the ginger growers in the district were facing problem regarding a ginger disease for the past many
years. The Chief Minister announced that the sanction of Rs 9 lakh
for the construction of the Gahai-Dimaina road in the area. He also
stated that the Renuka assembly segment would get preference.
Regarding the opening of a new government in the district, he did not
give any assurance regarding the opening up of a new IPH. division,
degree college and Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office in Renuka as
demanded by the people of the area. Earlier, Mr Dhumal arrived in a
helicopter and went to perform “pooja” at the temple of Maa
Bhagaini Devi near Haripur Dhar. Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Ms Shyama
Sharma, Vice-Chairperson, HP, Planning Board, and chairman, zila
parishad, were among others present on the occasion. |
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Virbhadra
meets research scholars Shimla, May 5 He also criticised the recent appointments made by the university authorities. He said merit should not be ignored in the selection process. Political consideration should not be the criterion for selection. Mr Randheer Ranta, a research scholar, said research scholars were being deprived of basic facilities. He said they should be paid travelling expenses and stationery costs. A separate hostel should also be allotted to these students, he said. The scholars also submitted a charter of demand to Mr Virbhadra Singh. Their demands include junior research fellowship to outstanding students, weightage to outstanding career records during recruitment, weightage to NET and SET qualified candidates during interview for school lectureship and pre-Ph.D should be treated equivalent to M. Phil in interview. There are around 200 research scholars in the university. |
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Cleanliness drive
launched Kasauli, May 5 The gesture is aimed at arousing a civic sense among the locals who throw garbage in the valleys and open places. Children, who are also members of The Nature Club of India, enthusiastically distributed pamphlets. Employees of the Central Research Institute and Cantonment employees also lent a helping hand by segregating the polythenes and disposing them suitably. |
DC’s office in state of neglect Chamba, May
5 Moreover, the periphery of the office has become a car park and a thoroughfare at
night. |
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UGC team
visits Engineering College Hamirpur, May
5 A spokesman of the college said here today that Dr S.K. Bhowmick, principal of the college, briefed the team about the functioning of the college as well as the facilities available. The team went around the college campus. The members held discussions with heads of various wings of the college.
The college is one of the three engineering colleges in northern India which are to get the status of deemed
university. |
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Model code for tribal areas from May 11 Shimla, May 5 According to the State Election Commission, the dates for the elections would be issued
later. Elections could not be held in these areas earlier as these were snow-bound. |
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Roads Congress to meet on May 13 Shimla, May
5 According to a spokesperson for the Indian Roads Congress, the council will discuss policy and administrative matters relating to roads and transport development in the
country. The meeting will be attended by secretaries and engineers-in-chief of all state PWDs. The Director General (Road Development), the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Highways, the Director-General, CPWD, the Director-General, Border Roads Organisation, will also participate in the
meeting. |
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Chemists’ strike Shimla, May 5 |
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