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Thursday,
March 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Resolution on rail links rejected by HP House Embezzlement, fake licences to be probed Centre brings hopes to drug addicts Inquiry sought into
employee’s death Minister’s removal sought |
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GOC-in-C for upgrading training Lok Tantrik Morcha’s protest tomorrow Address Tibet issue: RTYC Road linking remote belt
complete Sepoy dies fighting ultras Birla to lay stone of yoga centre
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Resolution on rail links rejected by HP House Shimla, March 6 Thakur Kaul Singh has alleged that the successive governments at the Centre have provided a step-motherly treatment to the state in the matter of laying new rail lines and a meagre allocation of Rs 10 crore had been made for the Una — Nangal section this time. However, he alleged, special favours were being showered on terrorism-affected Jammu and Kashmir where the Centre had allocated Rs 300 crore for laying the Udhampur — Srinagar rail link. He said except for the two narrow gauge rail links of the British era between Kalka — Shimla and the other between Pathankot — Jogindernagar, hardly any new network had been laid. The Una — Nangal rail project, he alleged, was starved of funds. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, while refuting the allegation of Thakur Kaul Singh, said steps for the clearance of the Rs 1200 crore-Bhanupati — Bilaspur — Beri rail link on the lines of the Konkan railways would be taken after receiving the report on the financial aspects. The RITES had submitted the report on techno-economic survey. Despite the assurance of Mr Dhumal that the state government would continue to pursue the issue of strengthening of the rail network with the Centre, Thakur Kaul Singh refused to withdraw his resolution which was rejected by voice vote. Thakur Kaul Singh further said with truckloads of cement being carried to other places from the two cement factories at Darlaghat and Barmana, the highway had got choked and there was a dire need for a rail link which would also be pollution-free. He demanded that the narrow gauge rail link between Pathankot and Jogindernagar should be widened. Thakur Kaul Singh alleged that although the Railways Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, had laid the foundation stone of the 5-km Kalka — Parwanoo wide gauge line extension two years ago but the project was starved of funds. There was no allocation for this line in the recent budget of the railways. Mr Dhumal, however, said Himachal Pradesh should not be compared with Kashmir which was strategic and the rail line was being laid there to meet defence requirements. Meanwhile Mr Rakesh Pathania has demanded that unmanned railway crossings should be manned to prevent accidents. Mr Chander Kumar suggested that the laying of rail lines would prevent the cutting of forests and also reduce traffic which was being generated due to the construction of hydroelectric projects and cement factories. |
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Himachal Budget Shimla, March 6 Mr Dhumal also holds the finance portfolio.
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Embezzlement, fake licences to be probed Shimla, March 6 Dr Sushant underlined the need to change financial rules and procedures for issuing licenses, which posed practical difficulties. He said such frauds had become possible after the implementation of single window system under the Ahmednagar pattern. Earlier, the licence fee had to be deposited with the treasury and the clerical staff did not handle the money. As such there was no scope for embezzlement. He urged members to give their suggestions for amending rules to prevent such frauds. The Opposition members grilled Mr I. D. Dhiman, Himachal Education Minister, over the manner in which the government had introduced computer education in senior secondary schools through the Electronics Corporation of India limited and the Maharashtra Institute of Advance Electronics Private Limited. Mr Mohinder Singh, Mrs Viplove Thakur and other members pointed out that the two companies were not carrying out the responsibility themselves and had engaged locals at very low rates. They were charging a monthly fee of Rs 97.50 for Class IX and X and Rs 130 per month for plus two classes from students but were paying less than half the amount to the sub contractors. This was a clear case of exploitation. Mr Dhiman admitted that in the agreement with the two companies there was no provision for subcontract. He also informed that so far computer education had been introduced in 236 senior secondary school and the case of the remaining schools was under the consideration of the government. As the volley of questions from Opposition continued, the Speaker, Mr Gulab Singh, closed the issue by stating that the members could give notice for a detailed discussion under the relevant rule. Mr Karan Singh, Minister for Primary Education, informed the House that as many as 4135 posts of water carrier, 141 posts of centre head teacher, 452 posts of head teacher and 4070 posts of JBT teacher were vacant in primary schools. He said out of the total 10,633 notified primary schools 10,538 were functional. The remaining 95 could not be started for various reasons. Regarding relaxation in qualification for Gram Vidya Upasak to be recruited by panchayats, Mr P.K.Dhumal, Himachal Chief Minister, said that the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) had prescribed plus two as the minimum qualification. Last year the state government had managed to get one-time relaxation on the ground that plus two candidates were not available in backward areas. He said the government would again take up this issue with the Centre and the NCTE this year. Mr Narinder Bragta, Himachal Horticulture Minister, told Dr Rajiv Bindal that a Rs one crore project would be set up in the second phase of hops
palletisation plant at Parwanoo. The plant processed 18 tonnes hops in the year 2000 and 25 tonnes last year. Mr Dhumal informed the House that the quality of pellets was found even better than that of the imported ones by the breweries, which required it. As such problem to market these was anticipated. |
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Centre brings hopes to drug addicts Dharamsala, March, 6 The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has sanctioned a Rs 20.38 lakh project aimed at the “prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, under which the centre has been
started. "With a large number of local youth falling prey to the menace as there is a huge influx of foreign tourists in McLeodganj, a need was felt to set up a de-addiction centre, which can help those who had gone astray,” said Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabodh Saxena. “Identification, motivation and counselling of the addicts is the aim of the de addiction centre to enable their rehabilitation,” said Mr Saxena. Drug abuse and alcoholism should not be considered a social stigma and people must come forward to get treatment without any hesitation, he added. The Red Cross Society Kangra district, has been engaged as the mother NGO for the implementation of the project. The project will also involve mahila mandals, youth organisations and other local bodies for its effective implementation. Emotional therapy, yoga therapy, clinical and group therapy will be done to bring about the desired results. Even medical practitioners have been engaged to deal with the withdrawal syndrome at the later stages. A psychologist, Ms Kishwar A Shirali, has been associated with the 10 bedded centre. Awareness generation and preventive education will be one of the important features of the project. For this core groups are being constituted and identified. Awareness camps will be organised at the panchayat level Folk groups are also being engaged for holding street plays, especially, in the rural areas. |
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Inquiry sought into
employee’s death Bilaspur, March 6 Addressing a rally at Suharghat, 40 km from here, yesterday, some labour leaders, including state vice-president, INTUC, Parasram Parmar and prominent NGO leader Ramsingh said during the last Assembly elections, all top BJP leaders had promised to hold an impartial inquiry into this alleged murder but now four years had passed and despite repeated requests, no action had been taken. They warned that the employees would be forced to hold a joint convention against the government if it does not order an inquiry. They also demanded that contractor system should be scrapped. Another resolution demanded that all departmental works should be constructed through departmental labour, expertise, vehicles and machinery and that no labourer should be posted away from 8 km from his home village. |
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Minister’s removal sought Bilaspur, March 6 Addressing mediapersons here last night, Dr Kishore alleged that while every Minister of State was entitled to the use of only two vehicles, Mr Kondal was unauthorisedly using a third vehicle of HIMFED, besides two government vehicles. He had caused a loss of Rs 4.57 lakh to HIMFED in one year, he alleged. Dr Kishore said Mr Kondal was not even a member of the Board of Directors of HIMFED and hence not entitled to the facility. |
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GOC-in-C for upgrading training Shimla, March 6 Addressing the delegates from all training establishments of Army on the inaugural function of an interactive session of the army here today. He said the three-day session, the first of its kind was aimed at discussing the various issues relevant in the present and futuristic battlefield environment. He said army was required to be alive to the differing perceptions of battlefield milieu, which would have impact on operational objectives. The Army commander emphasized that future conflicts would be conducted not only in a more intimate pursuit of national interests, but also have enhanced global overtones. He said fluidity of geo-political situations, new technologies and the dynamics of warfare call for a reappraisal of our training methods and contents. |
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Lok Tantrik Morcha’s protest
tomorrow Shimla, March 6 Mr Mohinder Singh, former PWD Minister and convener of the morcha, said that the Congress and the BJP both failed to accelerate the pace of development and solve the problems of the people. As many as 8000 villages were without basic amenities like roads and drinking water. He said the morcha would emerge the third political force in the state and break hegemony of the BJP and the Congress. The activists of the morcha will march in procession from the panchayat bhavan to the Vidhan Sabha and submit a memorandum to the government.
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Address Tibet issue: RTYC Dharamsala, March 6 The general secretary of the RTYC, Mr Nyima Wangmo, said eversince the occupation of Tibet by China, several monasteries, monuments, nunneries and other institutions had been destroyed .”Today’s Tibet faces a greater danger of losing its religious and cultural identity and environmental degradation as compared to the time when it was an independent nation ,” stated Mr Wangmo. He said all this had created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the exiled Tibetans as well as those living inside Tibet. He said the international community, especially the Asian nations, must take up the issue of Tibet, to find an amicable solution to the problem. The RTYC said on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of National Uprising Day, which falls on March, 10, Tibetans the
world over want that an amicable solution should be worked out by entering into a dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. |
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Road linking remote belt
complete Chamba, March 6 A social worker of the area, Mr Navneet Chowfla, said funds to the tune of Rs 76 lakh had been provided for the construction and completion of the Sarahan-Ran-Jumhar road under the Prime Minister Gramin Sarak Yojna. Mr Chowfla said with this development the dream of inhabitants of the belt had come true. He also complemented the local people who extended their cooperation to the authorities for the speedy completion of the road. He said the construction of the road was started way back in 1980 but was completed recently. Now the residents would be able to transport their agricultural and horticultural produce to the main market complex. The completion of the road was also significant from the tourism point of view. Since the area is replete with picturesque setting, the road would pave the way for the promotion of the tourism industry, he added. |
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Sepoy dies fighting ultras Nahan, March 6 According to a message received here today, his body will be brought tomorrow to his village. A large number of people from the Anj Bhonj area went to the house of Sameer Kumar to console his parents.
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Birla to lay stone of yoga
centre Kangra, march 6 In a telephonic talk, Mr Shanta Kumar told this correspondent that the foundation stone of the centre to be built at a cost of Rs 4-crore would be laid by the industrialist and Rajya Sabha member, Mr K.K. Birla. He said the centre would come up on 15 acres under the guidance of Dr H.R. Nagindra, Director, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Therapy Centre Bangalore. The centre would provide facilities like yoga, panchkarma, naturopathy and meditation, he added. |
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IT introduced in HP schools Shimla, March 6 A spokesman for the Education Department said here today that the IT had been introduced in 236 senior secondary schools from Class IX onwards as the fifth additional optional subject. The emphasis was on the hands-on practice for which a student computer ratio of two is to one was being maintained. |
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