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Thursday,
August 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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SC, ST
Corpn vice-chief removed Need for rainwater harvesting: CM MLA, 12 others booked for forgery NPA of veterinary teachers hiked |
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Concern over missing apple growers Govt told not to allow encroachments Natak Akademi to sue Shimla DC Alert residents
foil robbery bid IT team checks college records ABVP activists boycott classes
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SC, ST Corpn vice-chief removed Shimla, July 31 The development could bring the already strained relationship between the two coalition partners to a flashpoint. The HVC has been unhappy over the raw deal being meted out to it by the BJP, which not only refused to have common minimum programme but also took policy decisions without consulting it. Mr Sukh Ram, the party supremo, had been under constant pressure from the rank and file to break the alliance. He was authorised by the state executive of the party at its last meeting to take a decision on the issue at an appropriate time. Mr Sukh Ram has also been criticising the government on various policy issues and accusing the BJP of not following the coalition culture but so far had refrained from doing anything, which could precipitate matter. The manner in which Mr Gachli has been removed will put further pressure on him to part ways with the BJP. Mr Gachli was kept in the dark about the decision only his personal assistant was informed about it after a notification had been issued, a fuming Mr S.L.Verma, general secretary of the party, said. He said the party was likely to convene a meeting of the state executive, followed by the meeting of the general house, to decide the future course of action. Before that Mr Sukh Ram, who is already in Delhi, is likely to meet the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and Mr George Fernandes, convener of the NDA of which HVC is a member, to thrash out the issue. The withdrawal of support by HVC will not have any impact on the government as BJP has already secured a majority in the House. However, its support will be crucial for the NDA in the election of Vice-President scheduled for August 12. With the Trinmool Congress already opposing the NDA and the National Conference also in no mood to go with the BJP, every vote will matter. The HVC has two MPs and the NDA will require their support. As such Mr Sukh Ram will be in a position to exert some pressure on the BJP high command. A section of the BJP has also been opposed to the continuation of alliance. They have been upset by the dominance of HVC, particularly in the Mandi and Una districts. Moreover, some party men feel that it would be in the interest of the BJP if the HVC contests the ensuing election on its own as it would mostly cut into the Congress vote. The HVC feels that the Gachli’s criticism of the Dhumal government’s move to create new districts may have cost him the post. Mr Verma said Mr Gachli had only expressed the viewpoint of the party. Besides, the BJP had also been unhappy over the stand taken by the HVC on the 1000 mw Karcham-Wangthoo project in the Kinnaur area. The party had opposed construction of tunnels in the area keeping in view the fragility of the hills. It was in favour of small projects, which could be constructed without tunnelling of the hills. |
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Need for rainwater harvesting: CM Shimla, July 31 In a letter written to Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Shanta Kumar, he suggested that rural families could be provided assistance for the construction of such structures for rainwater storage. Structures with a capacity up to 5,000 litres for individual families and community structures with capacities ranging between 50,000 liters to 1 lakh liters could be constructed. The structures for individual families could be provided free of cost to below poverty line
(BPL) families and a subsidy up to 75 per cent on the cost could be given to all other rural families. The community structures should be fully funded by the scheme. The community-based structures would not only impound rainwater for use but would also lead to recharge of the aquifers and improve drinking water and irrigation projects, he added. He said some rainwater harvesting structures had been constructed in the state under the drought relief programme and these had become very popular with the local population. Structures for harvesting of rainwater would not only meet water consumption requirements but also lead to prevention of soil erosion by arresting the surface run-off. Prof Dhumal said the state government had been pushing the plan of rainwater harvesting programme over the past few years through appropriate policy measures and had made such structures compulsory for all new buildings in the urban areas of the state. As for the rural areas, the technology of rainwater harvesting had been experimented with in different measures but it had yet to make a significant impact. Every year state faces drinking water shortage in some areas of the state and had to deploy tankers for emergency water supply in these areas. The rainwater harvesting scheme would be boon for these areas, he said. |
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MLA, 12 others booked for forgery Dharamsala, July 31 The cases were filed in the court of District and Sessions Judge, Chamba who is also the Special Judge for such cases. The SP, Vigilance, North Zone, Mr K.K. Indoria said the cases pertain to forgery and tampering of revenue records prior to 1994 and by doing so 67.3 bighas of land was fraudulently transferred in the name of Mr Brijinder Singh, husband of Ms Asha Kumari. Mr Indoria said the surplus land was transferred in the name of servants of family and by executing forged wills and tampering of revenue records, it was later transferred back to Mr Brijinder Singh. Ms Asha Kumari had forged power of attorney and using this the land was transferred to her husband. He said revenue officials of lower rank had also tampered with records. Cases under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 218 and 120-B of the IPC and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act have been registered against the accused. |
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NPA of veterinary teachers hiked Dharamsala, July 31 The strike was declared illegal and the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Tej Partap, had asked the veterinary teachers to resume duty or to face action. It appears that in a undisclosed deal, the Vice-Chancellor had agreed to enhance the NPA and the striking teachers had also climbed down from their earlier demand of 25 per cent hike. According to reliable sources, Dr Tej Partap, before proceeding on another foreign tour, sanctioned the payment of additional allowances to veterinary teachers which will benefit each teacher from Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300 per month. The university which is finding it difficult to meet its regular salary bill will have to cough up about Rs 8 lakh annually for this largesse. According to sources, the Board of Management while withdrawing its earlier decision had categorically refused to give the NPA at enhanced rates and even the state government had refused to help the university. It is surprising that despite stiff opposition from university faculty of granting any such largesse to veterinary teachers the Vice-Chancellor issued instructions for the release of salaries with increased allowances. This was opposed by other officials of the university. The state government has not accepted the demand for release of more funds for this. Now when the university on its own has granted enhanced allowance to veterinary teachers, the field staff working in the Animal Husbandry Department may also raise the demand for increase in their NPA which the state government may find difficult to accept. As the Vice-Chancellor is away, when contacted acting Vice-Chancellor Dr V.K. Gupta said he was unaware of any such decision as he was out of station. The Registrar, Mr Chaman Singh, denied that the NPA had been enhanced but confirmed that certain anomalies had been redressed. He refused to elaborate and insisted that only the Vice-Chancellor could give the details or reasons for this increase. The decision has caused great resentment among teachers of other colleges who feel that Dr Tej Partap is acting in a partial way while giving benefits to some veterinary teachers. |
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Concern
over missing apple growers Shimla, July 31 According to information reaching here the two sold off their produce and after taking payment from the “arhtiya” in Azadpur market they headed home wards on Friday last. This information was given to the police by another grower Mr
Padam, who met them in Delhi. The police has been alerted in the neighbouring states and efforts are on to trace the missing fruit growers. Mrs Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, who is in Delhi talked to the local Police Commissioner and urged him to take prompt action in the matter. She said every year a few growers were looted while they return home after selling the produce. Mr Kuldeep Rathore, the Congress spokesperson, urged the state government to ply a special bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation to Azadpur market. He said security guards should be deployed in the bus to ensure safety of the passengers. He also demanded an inquiry into the sale of substandard cartons for packing apple by the state-owned Agro Packaging India Ltd. He said the public undertaking was supplying cartons for Rs 24.50 apiece, despite the subsidy of Rs 10 per cent per carton being given to it by the government. Private manufacturers were selling better quality cartons at a cheaper rate. He demanded that subsidy should be given to the growers so that they could procure cartons from private units. |
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Govt told not to allow encroachments Shimla, July 31 The directions were issued by a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr W.A. Shishak, and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel while hearing the matter pertaining to the challenging of the policy framed by the government recently for the regularisation of encroachments on government land through a public interest litigation filed by Mrs Poonam Gupta and Mr Hridesh Arya. While arguing the matter Mr Rajiv Sharma, counsel for the petitioners said the state may be given the directions in this regard. The court further ordered that the case shall be listed for a final hearing on August 20. |
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Natak Akademi to sue Shimla DC Hamirpur, July 31 Mr Deepak Sharma, Director of the akademi and joint
secretary of the Himachal Vikas Congress, said here today that the
decision of the Shimla Deputy Commissioner to register a criminal case
against him under Section 419 of the IPC was taken only to harm his
image. He said he had not committed any fraud with the Shimla district
administration as had been alleged by the Deputy Commissioner. The
Deputy Commissioner had filed a criminal complaint against Mr Deepak
Sharma and two others for not bringing cultural troupes for the Shimla
Summer Festival recently as reportedly agreed by Mr Sharma and the
others. Mr Sharma clarified that though he had offered to present
cultural programmes from May 27 to May 31, but when his conditions
were not acceptable to the Deputy Commissioner, he withdrew his offer
far ahead of the scheduled time. He said he was made a victim of
political conspiracy because of his links with the HVC. |
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Alert residents
foil robbery bid Dharamsala, July 31 According to ASP, Mr N.D. Sareen, a peon at Government School, Chachian, Ms Satya Devi, was going to deposit Rs 20,000 in the post office. As she alighted from a bus, two motor cycle-borne youths accosted her and snatched the bag containing the money and ran away. Residents immediately raised the alarm and informed the police. The unsuspecting youths were stopped. However, while one was overpowered, the other escaped. The money was recovered. Mr Sareen, said the arrested youth was Aman Deep of Jalandhar while his accomplice Vinod Kumar belonged to Pathankot. He said a case had been registered. |
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IT team checks college records Dharamsala, July 31 The college staff had been complaining against the management, saying that though the college authorities deducted income tax and provident fund from their salaries, but did not deposit it with the bank and RPF Commissioner in time. They said the income tax deducted at source had not been deposited by March 31 for last year and might result in penalty. Mr Lal Chand, Joint Commissioner, Income Tax, Palampur, said on the basis of news reports, a team today examined the records of the college, adding that it was premature to say anything yet. |
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ABVP activists boycott classes Shimla, July 31 According to a report, the boycott affected teaching work in colleges at Karsog, Sundernagar, Kulu, Jogindernagar, Dharamsala, Una, Hamirpur, Chakmoh, Mandi and Solan. The main grouse of the Parishad is that the Vice-Chancellor of the University is seldom available on the campus as a result of which even trivial issues could not be settled. It also demanded restoration of the golden chance for the failed students. |
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Leopard
kills woman
Shimla, July 31 The victim had gone to a nearby area when the leopard, hiding in bushes, pounced on her and took her away in its jaws. The woman, identified as Urmila, cried for help, but the leopard had badly injured her by the time people reached the scene. She died on the spot.
PTI
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