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Wednesday,
September 5, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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HP Dalit
body nails government lie CBI probe
into extortion cases sought 28 injured as bus falls into
khud Steps to
help BPL families HPU unions back
VC |
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HPU students give
ultimatum on poll Health scam: HC
rejects bail plea Dowry
death case against husband HPTDC poll
‘not fair’
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HP Dalit body nails government
lie Dharamsala, September 4 A total of 21 such cases of atrocities against Dalits and other minorities in Himachal Pradesh have been highlighted at the third United Nations World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, being held at Durban in South Africa. The All Scheduled Caste, Tribe, Backward Caste and Religious Minorities Employees Association (ASTBRA) of Himachal has sent all these cases through the Indian National Forum Against Caste Discrimination as well as directly to the organisers of the world conference secretariat, United Nations. The report giving details of the 21 cases, out of which 14 have taken place in district Kangra, highlights how Dalits are barred from entering certain temples in the state. Such temples include the Dev Pata Kosh temple in the Chauhar valley in Jogindernagar and the Balakrupi temple near Jogindernagar, both in Mandi district. The secretary general of the ASTBRA, Mr Subhash Chand Musafir, said that despite approaching the government on these discriminatory practices no interest was shown to remove the boards, restricting Dalits’ entry to these temples. He said that like many other places in India, these practices were still being followed in some of the temples in Himachal also. Among cases listed include a dispute over drawing water from an upper caste spring at Dagoh village in Baijnath tehsil of Kangra district. Mr Musafir said it was not the lone instance of women from the Scheduled Caste being humiliated and threatened for drawing water from the spring. “It was only after efforts made by our activists that a case was registered when a Dalit woman Bishno Devi of Wa Dagoh village, was allegedly beaten up for drawing water from the spring,” he stated. He alleged that though a case was registered by the police under pressure, under Sections 147, 149, 323 and 356 of the IPC and Section 3 of the SC/ST Prohibition of Atrocity Act, 1989, but only one of the 11 culprits was apprehended. Mr Musafir said the claims of the Central Government that there was no caste-based discrimination in India was false as one can find thousands of cases registered under the SC/ST Prohibition of Atrocity Act, 1989 in police stations all over the country. He regretted that whenever the issue of casteism was raised at the world level, everyone was misguided by saying that casteism was a social problem which would die its own death. He said that cases of atrocities on Dalits have been on the rise throughout the country and the government had done little to prevent this discrimination. The other cases highlighted were those of murders, attacks, gangrapes and exploitations. He condemned the Central Government’s stand on the issue. |
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CBI probe into extortion cases
sought Kangra, September 4 This was stated by Mr Bali while addressing a press conference here. He said some ministers who were earlier involved in kidnapping of two women Zila Parishad members now along with a senior minister have allegedly terrorised these employees of their constituencies and have not even spared the employees of his constituency. He said the employees were threatened to be transferred in case they failed to make payment for the project. Demanding a CBI inquiry into the episode Mr Bali criticised the misuse of the government machinery for the extortion of the money from the employees, senior officers and contractors. Mr Bali alleged that even fake
coupons of the medical institute were under circulation. He demanded that the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, should intervene and order a CBI inquiry. He said the name of Mr Shanta
Kumar, who was also the chairman of the medical institute, had been dragged into the controversy should issue a statement that the forcible collection by the some ministers was being done as per his direction or not. He urged Mr Shanta Kumar to clarify his stand about the circulation of the fake
coupons of the trust. He said hundreds of the government employees had approached him with the complains of money at the rate of Rs 50,000 for XENs, Rs 25,000 for SDOs, Rs 15,000 for J.E.s, Rs 5,000 for principals and head masters, Rs 3,000 for lecturers, Rs 2,000 for TGT and Rs 1,000 for JBT teachers was being done on the direction of these minister. He said that even gardeners and Class IV
employees had to pay Rs 100. Mr Bali said on August 31, 2001, 40 per cent employees were forced to pay whereas 60 per cent refused to
pay despite threats. He said if the Dhumal government fails to order a CBI inquiry he would be forced to move the court. He had already written a letter to the Prime Minister in this connection. |
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28 injured as bus falls into
khud Solan, September 4 Four of the critically injured — Om Prakash of Ambala, Rajesh of Dehra Dun, Vijay Kumar of Theda in Nalagarh tehsil and bus driver Gian Chand were referred to the
PGI, Chandigarh. The fifth critically injured, identified as Hon Capt Kishan Dyal was shifted to Command Hospital,
Chandimandir. The presence of trees was instrumental in the providential escape of the passengers. The bus could have rolled down with a greater momentum had it not been repeatedly blocked by the trees. The bus was on its way from Shimla to Chandigarh. Bus conductor Jai Kishan said the accident occurred when the driver tried to steer the bus away from another bus coming from the opposite direction. Mr Virendra
Kashyap, Chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Marketing Board, visited the hospital and supervised relief work. The secretary-general of the Himachal Vikas Congress, Mr Chaman Lal
Gachli, also visited the hospital. The following is the list of injured admitted to the Zonal Hospital here: Prakash Chand (Nahan), Rohit Sharma (Shimla), Indra Sharma (Shimla), Gulab Singh (Shimla), Anil Kumar
(Dalhousie), Jitendra (Kasauli), Kishan (Kalka), Ashok Kumar (Chandigarh), Sita Ram
(Chopal, Shimla), Naushad (Dehra Dun), Rajesh (Dehra Dun), Shaukat Ahmed (Shimla), Mohammad Amin (Shimla), Joginder
(Kasauli), Dinesh (Shimla), Rajo Devi, Karam Dev (Bilaspur) and conductor Jai
Kishan. The SDM, Mr L.R. Jhamta, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the critically injured. |
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Steps to help BPL families Mandi, September 4 Addressing officials of the Food and Supply and Welfare department here the minister said as many as 10 lakh persons of two lakh odd families in the state were being supplied ration through the network of 562 outlets of the public distribution system in Mandi district. The minister said in this drought-hit state food for work programme has also been launched. Each labourer was being given 3 kg rice daily at the rate of Rs 7 per kg. This was being done through the Deputy Commissioner, he said. |
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HPU unions back
VC Shimla, September 4 The office-bearers of the Administrative Officers Association, the Non-teaching Employees Union and the Class-IV and Technical Staff Union at a joint meeting discussed the issue and observed that outside forces were behind the “dharna” drama. The employee concerned, they pointed out, was not even an elected representative of any of the associations. As such he had no locus standi to raise the demands and it was an anti-union activity. The three associations further clarified that the demands now being raised by the employee had already been taken up by the respective bodies before the university authorities and most of the demands had already been accepted and some of them were in the final stage of implementation. The present drama was being staged only to get credit for the work done by the elected bodies as also to achieve political and personal ends. The employee was expelled for his anti-union activities in the early nineties and was readmitted after tendering an apology. |
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HPU students give
ultimatum on poll Shimla, September 4 The parishad has constituted a seven-member committee, comprising elected representatives of students’ central associations, to highlight its demands and mobilise support for the proposed agitation. The office-bearers of the students central association of the university met Dr S.K. Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, and urged him to announce the schedule for election at the earliest. They also asked him to take steps to implement its other demands which include withdrawal of fee hike making English as optional subject instead of compulsory up to the graduation level and proper monitoring of colleges. They also demanded transparency in the system of re-evaluation of answersheets by providing for making the answersheets public. The marks were increased by such huge margins in certain cases, causing doubts of malpractice. Members of the committee while addressing a joint press conference said that the parishad would observe a “demands week” from September 12 to 19 during which rallies, dharnas and meetings would be organised all over the state. Its representatives would meet the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Education Minister between September 20 and 30. If no steps were taken to settle the issues raised by the parishad, it would announce the action programme. The parishad, they said, wanted to create an atmosphere conducive to academic pursuits in the educational institutions by forcing the authorities to ensure minimum of 180 teaching days in a academic session and provide other required basic facilities to students. It would honour the meritorious students through the students central association all over the state between October 8 and 12. It would also organise cultural and sports activities, besides general knowledge quiz in November and December. |
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Health scam: HC
rejects bail plea Shimla, September 4 A case was registered against the accused who was reportedly dealing with the purchase of machinery and equipment. While dismissing the bail plea, Mr Justice M.R. Verma said the public money involved and the unlawful manner in which it had been spent to give unlawful gain to few, were the factors which rendered the offence of a grave nature which was required to be thoroughly investigated. The prosecution alleged that on March 31, 1998, sanction for the grant of Rs 2,17,71000 was accorded by the state government to the Director, Health Services, under the head “material and supplies”. The accused and his co-conspirators allegedly manoeuvred the withdrawal of the aforesaid amount and placed supply order on the basis of a fictitious rate list and without calling for quotations. |
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Dowry death case against husband Nurpur, September 4 The case was registered following a complaint by the father of the deceased, Mahinder Singh of Kahnuwal in Gurdaspur district. He alleged that her daughter had married Dinesh on April 26, this year. She had been killed by her in-laws as he could not get them a Santro car as demanded by her husband, he alleged. An FIR has also been registered against Pushpa Devi, Nardev Singh and Shama, mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law, respectively, of the deceased. Dinesh Kumar has been arrested. The other accused have applied for anticipatory bails from the District and Sessions Court, Dharamsala. HPTDC poll
‘not fair’ Chandigarh, September 4 A joint press note, however, issued by Mrs Priti Sharma and Mr Atma Ram Sharma, former president of the HPTDC, however, questioned the election of the union. They said the elected body did not represent a majority of the employees. They alleged that the newly elected body was illegal and demanded fresh
elections. They said they had sent a copy of the resolution to the Labour Commissioner, Shimla, for ordering fresh
elections. They pointed that for the past more than eight years the same group of people had been running the office of the union. They questioned the holding of the elections at Chandigarh and not at Shimla. |
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