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Thursday,
March 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Suresh
Bhardwaj elected to Rajya Sabha Quota
alone cannot uplift SCs: Bhan Bill on
auction of toll posts passed |
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‘CM’s
new projects political gimmick’ 2.20 cr additional central aid for
HP schemes Rohroo
to house plague control unit Holi
fair begins at Sujanpur Tira Entry
fee for Subathu Cantt goes Seminar
on human values begins Negi
takes over as Parmar varsity VC 12.650
kg of charas seized Benami
transaction comes to light
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Suresh Bhardwaj elected to Rajya Sabha Shimla, March 27 Mr Ajai Bhandari, returning officer and secretary of the Assembly, said that all 68 members voted and not even a single vote was rejected. Although the Congress was not in a position to retain the seat,but what has come as a shot in the arm for the party is that for the first time in the past four years it not only managed to keep its flock united but also mustered two extra votes most probably from the BJP camp. Some Congress legislators had voted for the BJP-HVC combine candidates in the previous election for two Rajya Sabha seats. On the other hand, the senior leaders of the BJP appeared upset over having lost two votes. However, there was rejoicing by the BJP supporters as Mr Bhardwaj is a respected leader and was MLA from Shimla in the earlier regime when Mr Shanta Kumar was the Chief Minister. He has always remained non-controversial and a silent worker. With the success of Mr Bhardwaj, the BJP-HVC Combine has captured all seven Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh. Never before the BJP had won all these seats. The state has four Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha seats. The CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said that crossvoting indicates that the process of disintegration of the BJP had started in the state. He thanked those from the BJP camp who had voted for the Congress nominee. Himachal PCC chief,MrsVidya Stokes, said that crossvoting indicated internal contradictions within the ruling BJP-HVC alliance. Mr Natha Singh has been a supporter of
Mr Virbhadra Singh and an MLA earlier. Senior Congress leaders had been saying this time that their achievement would be in case they
prevented crossvoting from their side. Any crossvoting would have caused humiliation for them as the Assembly elections were coming. The exercise for uniting the warring factions was done this time by the AICC general secretary,Mr R.K.Dhawan, who had been camping here for the past two days and had met the party MLAs individually and collectively. He again met the legislators of the Congress before the polling started this morning. On the other hand, Mr Ganesh Dutt, spokesman of the BJP, said that there was no question of any party legislator indulging in cross-voting because against the party’s actual strength of 35 and an independent supporting them, the BJP candidate had secured 38 votes. The “black sheep” would be identified soon, he said. |
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Quota alone cannot uplift SCs: Bhan Shimla, March 27 The reservation policy has benefited only 50 lakh dalits since Independence, which was like a drop in the ocean keeping in view the fact that their total population was over 25 crore. Dr Bhan, who has been fighting for the cause of the down-trodden for the past over four decades, lamented in an informal conversation with The Tribune, here today. It was high time that the issue was seen in a broader perspective and comprehensive programme prepared to ensure greater participation of the weaker sections in economic activities and raise their social status. He said an effective way to achieve this was to allot the huge chunk of wasteland to them to enable them earn livelihood on sustainable basis. As many as 45 crore acres of wasteland was available in the country out of which 20 crore could be made fit for cultivation. It was, in fact, not wasteland but “wasted land” which had not been put to gainful use all these years. Even if a nominal five acre of it was allotted to every family, 4 crore families will become economically self-reliant in one go. In all over 20 crore poor people, almost one-fifth of the country’s total population, would benefit from it. The allotted waste land could be made cultivable over a period of two years, during which the beneficiaries could be paid minimum wages for the labour put in by them towards the improvement of land. Thereafter they could be encouraged to undertake farming on cooperative basis. The government could provide tractors, fertiliser and other inputs at reasonable price to the cooperative groups for growing crops. Once the beneficiaries know that 5 acre each of fertile land would be allotted to them they would accomplish the task of improving the wasteland in double quick time. Possession of land not only helped in sustaining livelihood but was also a symbol of social status. Such a scheme would not only enhance their socio-economic status but also improve overall economy of the country by increasing agriculture output. Another scheme where some policy decisions were required to focus on the underprivileged sections was the MP’s local area development fund under which every member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha was allotted Rs 2 crore for carrying out development works in his constituency. The total amount came to over Rs 1500 crore annually and it could go up further if the allocation, as was being demanded, was increased to Rs 5 crore for an MP. At present there were no guidelines to ensure that a minimum percentage of it was utilised for the uplift of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. He suggested that it should be made mandatory for MPs to allocate at least 25 per cent of the fund in case of general constituencies and 40 per cent in case of reserved constituencies for works and schemes benefiting these sections. There are number of scholarship schemes to help scheduled castes and scheduled tribes students to pursue studies. However, they still suffered as it took a long time to sanction the amount. In most cases they received it at the fag end of the academic year and by the time many of them were forced to give up studies. This problem could be solved if a revolving fund was created in every state for grant of scholarship. The eligible students could be paid the amount at the start of the academic session, when they needed it the most, and it could be deposited back into the fund once the sanction was received. One of the main reasons for the failure of various schemes introduced over the years to yield the desired results was their faulty and indifferent implementation. There was no uniformity in implementation as it was a state subject. Much of the problem could be solved if it was shifted from state list to the concurrent list. At present even the funds allocated under the special component plan were not being utilised fully by the states. Government effort alone was not sufficient there was need to mobilise the dalits and involve them in the task of social reconstruction. In this regard he had made a beginning by setting up the All India Ambedkar Mission Trust. It was a non-political body but had representatives of all political hues. The trust planned to raise resources by seeking donations from dalits. For instances those who were in jobs would be urged to donate a day’s salary once every year. This would help raise up to Rs 500 crore annually. The funds would be used for imparting education to poor dalit students. Besides giving financial aid to deserving students the trust would also provide books, uniforms and other necessary items. A book bank would be set up for the purpose. Subsequently, the activities would be diversified to enable dalits to take up self-employment ventures. An effort by relatively better-off dalits to help their brethren would raise the self-esteem of the entire community, he added. |
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Bill on auction of toll posts passed Shimla, March 27 Thakur Kaul Singh of the Congress said that instead of offering these entry barriers on contract, the state government should continue the existing system of collecting the toll through the Excise and Taxation Department. Mr Praveen Sharma, Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, who had introduced the Bill said the government had an open mind on the issue and the suggestion would be kept in mind while taking the final decision. The House also passed the Bill seeking to amend the Panchayati Raj Act to empower to government to suspend any elected representative of the Panchayati Raj institution found involved in offences pertaining to the NDPS Act. Earlier, in a written reply to Mr Kaul Singh of the Congress, the Minister of State for Excise and Taxation informed him that 309 kg of charas and 207 gm of smack had been seized, among other contrabands, in the state during the past one year. In a written reply, the Minister of State for Horticulture informed Mr Virbhadra Singh of the Congress and Mr Mahender Singh, an independent, that the HPMC, the AIPIL and HPAIC, which had suffered a cumulative loss of Rs 90.76 crore in the past four years, spent Rs 32.52 on gifts, samples, business promotion, advertisements and publicity. The Forests Minister informed Mr Raghu Raj of the Congress that 2,955 head of cattle were killed by wild animals in the state during the past two years. As many as 1698 head of cattle were killed during 2000-2001 and 1257 during 2001-2002. |
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‘CM’s new projects political gimmick’ Kangra, March 27 Mr Goma, while addressing a press conference here today, said these announcements were gimmicks to win over voters and the
liabilities of these projects would be passed on to the next government. He said the BJP, which had opposed the Emergency and MISA, was now imposing a more draconian law, POTO. Mr Goma said the results of the Delhi Municipal Corporation should act as an eye-opener for the BJP. These results would have a direct impact on the Municipal Corporation poll in Shimla and the state Assembly elections, he said. He challenged that if the Chief Minister was confident of winning the Assembly poll, he should dissolve the state Assembly and hold the elections in May. Mr Goma said that youth in the state were laying their lives on the border due to the wrong policies of the Central Government. He alleged that Rs 40 crore, including its interest, collected by the people of the state for Kargil war heroes and others had not been distributed among the deserving and demanded transparency in its account. He said due to the apathy of the government, families of the martyrs were suffering. Mr Goma said that the Rs 200 crore financial package given by the Prime Minister was a drop in ocean of Rs 10,000 crore deficit. He described the BJP rally at Shimla as a failure and said that the official machinery was misused and people provided free transport to go to Shimla. |
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2.20 cr additional central aid for HP schemes
Shimla, March 27 The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, stated today in the state Assembly that Rs 2.20 crore was in addition to the central assistance of Rs 7 crore already released by the Planning Commission. He said a total amount of Rs 9.20 crore had been given to the state government besides the Plan outlay. Prof Dhumal informed the House that the amount would be spent on zonal hospital, Mandi (Rs 1 crore), on the construction of bridge on the Mehray Nehram Pukkhar road, (Rs 30 lakh) and a bridge on the Saal river in Chamba district, (Rs 30 lakh) for a bridge on the Nehri Baleyta road (Rs 60 lakh).
PTI |
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Rohroo to house plague control unit
Shimla, March 27 In a suo moto statement in the Vidhan Sabha here, he said the unit would undertake continuous surveillance in the endemic area. He said a microbiologist to head the unit had already been approved and supporting staff for the unit identified. The National Institute of Communicable Disease, New Delhi, had at various inter-state plague coordination meetings, held since 1985, recommended that the state should establish a plague surveillance unit for effective surveillance in endemic areas. Mr Nadda said following confirmed incidents of plague, it was of paramount importance that a surveillance unit should be immediately established in the affected area. This unit, after becoming functional, would plug a gap in the state’s disease surveillance system. Mr Nadda said the Union Health Ministry had decided to include Shimla district in the national pilot project for surveillance of communicable diseases.
UNI |
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Holi fair begins
at Sujanpur Tira Hamirpur, March 27 Ms Thakur offered puja at the Murli Manohar temple, located on the eastern side of the Chaugan Maidan, and prayed for the well-being of the people of the district. Members of the nagar panchayat, Sujanpur Tira, and other district officers were present on the occasion. Ms Thakur also inaugurated the exhibition stalls set up by various government and semi-government departments. |
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Entry fee for Subathu Cantt goes Kumarhatti, March 27 At a meeting held here, the entry fee that fetched the board an annual revenue of around Rs 7 lakh, was decided to be discontinued from April onwards. The parking fee, that generates an annual revenue of around Rs 2.50 lakh has been reintroduced. Parking fee was replaced with the entry fee last year. Keeping in view the objections against the entry fee, the board discontinued the entry fee, said civilian members of the board. Moreover, the funds collected by the way of the entry fee had not been utilised for the purpose it was introduced for, they added. |
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Seminar
on human values begins Shimla, March 27 Inaugurating the seminar, Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, stressed the need to promote human values in life. He said the preservation of ethical, moral and spiritual values was essential for building a humane world order. He said the regeneration and restoration of time-tested values of truth, non-violence, cooperation, peace and compassion for the needy and disadvantaged had become necessary for achieving the goal of healthy and happy living. The Governor said every person possessed inherent goodness which needed to be preserved by providing a healthy social environment. He called upon teachers and others to promote purity of character and conduct among children. He said education was necessary for all as an instrument of awareness and social change. It signified self-culture and self-improvement and was a perennial source of enlightenment and illumination, the Governor said. Prof B.H. Briz Kishore, Chairman, National Council of Rural Institutes, underlined the need to revive values which were the core of all achievements of human society. Terming humanity as the highest value, he called upon all to uphold it in earnest. Prof S.L. Sharma, Director, Institute of Correctional Administration, Chandigarh, in his keynote address, reiterated the importance of values to any social organisation. He said values formed the basis of every human society. Values could be imparted through education by making them part of the educational ethos rather than part of the curriculum, he said. The seminar is being jointly organised by Academic Staff College of Himachal Pradesh University and the Ford Foundation of the USA. |
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Negi takes over as Parmar varsity VC Solan, March 27 Dr Negi is also credited with having done outstanding research work in grapes cultivation for which he was awarded a gold medal by The Grape Growers Federation of India in 1992. He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Horticulture Sciences and also of Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding. |
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12.650 kg of charas
seized Shimla, March 27 In another incident, the police arrested De Candia, an Italian national, during traffic checking at Bajaura and seized 150 gm of charas from him. The police said that over 1.25 quintal of hashish and 7 gm of drug powder has been seized and as many as 60 persons, including 14 foreigners, arrested in the district till date this year.
UNI |
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Benami
transaction comes to light Nurpur, March 27 According to the Sub-Registrar, he withheld the mutation of the sold land and initiated an inquiry in this connection. He said it was found that the sale deed had been executed by producing two fake witnesses. |
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