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Monday,
November 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India
  
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Dhumal, Shanta differ on delimitation Congress for
5 Assembly segments in Kulu CM’s home district gears up for poll Virbhadra ‘yet to be absolved’ of charges SCs, STs ‘flocking’ to Cong Morcha to highlight govt achievements |
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Special industrial
package for HP PM to visit state this month Drive against fake homoeopathic institutions Stall owners serve
notice on DC Leopards active in Bhoranj area ‘Don’t meddle with panchayat affairs’ Major boost for technical education Musical fountains
for Shimla tourists Special industrial package for HP Festival
for special children
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Dhumal, Shanta differ on delimitation New Delhi, November 10 The Chief Minister Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, under whose leadership the BJP will contest the Assembly elections has been in favour of the completion of the delimitation exercise before the declaration of the poll by the Election Commission. Mr Kumar’s faction is up in arms against the exercise and the party high command has asked national general secretary Arun Jaitley to go to Shimla for convincing the agitated BJP leaders. Incidentally, Mr Jaitley, as Union Law Minister, was instrumental in getting the parliamentary approval of the Delimitation Bill and expediting the formation of the commission. The contradictory stands taken by Mr Dhumal and Mr Kumar on the issue is a reflection of the political struggle between the two ahead of the poll, observers say. The delimitation exercise has affected the constituencies of two former Chief Ministers of the state -Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Kumar, who have been crying foul. While Mr Virbhadra Singh’s Rohru constituency will become reserved, Mr Kumar’s Sulah, which is his home, is being proposed to be rechristened and included in the 41-Thural Assembly constituency. Surprisingly, though 80 per cent of the area of the existing Sulah constituency is being included in the proposed Thural constituency, it is being named 41-Thural. The main opposition party, the Congress as well Himachal Vikas Congress leader Sukh Ram have also urged the commission to postpone the exercise. In a 10 page letter to the Chairman of the commission, Justice Kuldip Singh, dated November 7, Mr Kumar, who represents the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, has sought a five-month postponement of the delimitation exercise. “Any change in the Assembly constituencies at this point of time will vitiate the atmosphere prior to the elections and create many more problems and difficulties for the voters”, the minister said while drawing attention to the allegations and counter-allegations by various individuals and political parties on the issue. While Section 10 (6) of the Delimitation Act 2002 provides that the commission “shall endeavour to complete” the delimitation job “within two years of the constitution of the commission”, political circles wonder why Himachal Pradesh was chosen for the exercise at a time when it was due for poll. |
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Congress for
5 Assembly segments in Kulu Kulu, November 10 It was also resolved that the district should be considered for a fifth Assembly constituency as its population justified five constituencies. The constituency Congress committee announced that whosoever wanted to file his/her claim for the party ticket should deposit Rs 10,000 for the constituency party fund and Rs 5,000 as application fee. Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, Vice-President, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister, said the additional constituency would help in development of the district. Meanwhile, Ms Kamla Sharma was congratulated for her induction into the All-India Mahila Congress Utpirit Mahila Utthan Samiti and her representing women of the state at the All-India Mahila Sashashthi Karan Adhiveshan in Delhi. Mr Dharam Vir Dhami, president, constituency Congress committee, while thanking the participants said party workers should expose the BJP at the village level. Meanwhile, Mr Jhabe Ram Thakur, vice-president, Gram Panchayat, Nathan, and Senior Vice-President, Himachal Vikas Congress, joined the Congress along with 250 supporters. |
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CM’s home district gears up for poll Hamirpur, November 10 The BJP had won all five seats from the district in the 1998 elections. The party is trying to repeat its performance this time too. The party claims it has done a lot for the people of the district in the field of developmental activities. Nearly Rs 500 crore have been spent on various projects in the district during the past 57 months — construction of roads, bridges, buildings and launching of various projects for the agriculture and horticulture sectors. Though work on the delimitation of the Assembly constituencies is on, yet it is clear that the next elections will be held as per the new delimitation. The district may find that three of its Assembly segments have been changed. Half of Bamsan area has been merged with Hamirpur and rest with the newly created Sujanpur Tira segment. Mewa and Nadaunta area have been named as Bhoranj and Barsar, respectively. There will no Bamsan Assembly segment as its residents will become part of the Hamirpur Assembly segment. The BJP has taken a lead in this field. The party recently organised workers’ training camps in all five Assembly segments where workers were imparted training in various fields, including how to tackle the media and the opposition propaganda. The Chief Minister, and the state party chief, Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, were among those who took part in the sammelan held at Tounidevi recently. The Chief Minister gave a clarion call to the workers to be ready for elections and to go to the masses with the policies and programmes of the party and its government. The party decided during the sammelan to approach the electorate with the works done by the party government since its taking over in 1998 and the clean image of the Chief Minister. However, party dissidents, who are actively working in the district, are causing a problem for the organisation. They have decided to field their nominees from three of the five Assembly segments and to support the non-BJP nominees from the rest of two segments. Mr Narendra Thakur, former Hamirpur district BJP chief, who was recently suspended from the party, has decided to contest the next elections from the newly created Sujanpur Tira constituency against his sister-in-law and Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs Urmila Thakur. Mr Thakur, son of the Late Jagdev Chand Thakur, a prominent BJP leader, is spearheading the dissidents’ movement in the district. The party dissidents will organise a massive sammelan at Patlander village of the district on November 24. This village is the native village of Mr Narendra Thakur. The Congress, on other hand, has yet to come out openly on the election front. Its leaders are working in various areas of the district to seek the support of the masses. However, they are not clear about the ticket due to the sharp division in their rank and file. The party is vertically divided into two groups in the district on the state pattern. Mrs Vidya Stokes leads one group, and the other Mr Virbhadra Singh. The grassroots workers are upset over the growing dissidence in the party. They have failed to convince the party high command to ask leaders of both camps to sink differences and unite for the next elections. The party cadre feels that if the party leaders fail to unite, it will help the BJP by default in the coming elections. Other Opposition parties are also trying to unite in the district. The Himachal Vikas Congress that had fielded five candidates from the district last time is trying to repeat the candidates this time. The party will start its campaign in the district from mid-December, according to Mr Deepak Sharma, in charge of the media wing of the party. Left parties are waiting for a joint front with other parties. |
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Virbhadra ‘yet to be absolved’ of charges Shimla, November 10 Addressing a press conference here, he said the cases pertaining to 161 bigha of excess land allegedly retained by him illegally in violation of the Land Ceiling Act, the undue favour shown to a private party while granting online lottery contract and the payment of commission to middlemen in raising loans were either pending with the court or under investigation. However, the Congress leader had been repeatedly claiming that he had been given a clean chit which was far from true. In fact, the high court recently dismissed the petition filed by his daughter challenging the Land Ceiling Act. The former Chief Minister had illegally retained 161 bighas of land after the death of his mother which should have been came to light when he submitted an application to the Financial Commissioner (Appeals) for correction, he said. An inquiry to probe the irregularities in the functioning of the engineering college at Kala Amb, set up by the Aider Services, the main beneficiary of the commissions, paid by the government in raising loans at exorbitant rates of interest was still on. |
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SCs, STs ‘flocking’ to Cong Solan, November 10 Castigating Ms Mayawati for having used B.R. Ambedkar’s name to allure the SC/ST vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, he said her party had done nothing for the man who had drafted our Constitution. Expressing concern over the backlog of unemployment in the SC/ST community, he stressed the need for the enactment of a reservation Act. He also said that if voted to power, the Congress would ensure that the 28 per cent budget allotted for the SC/ST community was not spent elsewhere and used for the uplift of the community. Expressing concern over the fact that justice continued to elude members of the SC/ST community in the country, the national general secretary of the Youth Congress, Mr Mukul Wasnik, said the conviction rate in the country in the cases of atrocities against the community was a mere per cent. This was a sorry state of affairs. He demanded reservation in the appointment of the Supreme Court and high court judges so that community’s interests could be watched. Ms Mohsina Kidwai while addressing the party workers earlier, said the SC/ST votes were equally valued and all other parties had been ignoring this vital section of society. Earlier the PCC chief, Ms Vidya Stokes, assured the SC/ST community of implementing the resolutions adopted today. A resolution was adopted unanimously at the convention stressing on complete implementation of the reservation policy as laid down in the Constitution. |
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Morcha to highlight govt achievements Mandi, November 10 Addressing a press conference at Forest Log Hut here today, Mr Sharma said employment offices had merely become “registration offices of unemployed” in the past. For the first time the government had started making all information pertaining to employment available in these offices, which yielded astonishing results. He said the Youth and Sports Department had been made the nodal agency for educating the youth about various job avenues in government and government-run undertakings. The sports policy had also been modified accordingly. Mr Sharma said the BJP government had made great strides in different spheres of development is a short span of over four years and added that the Yuva Morcha would launch a vigorous drive to apprise the people of the achievements of the government. He said the units of the youth wing of the BJP would be constituted at the panchayat level to counter the canards being spread by the Congress. When a correspondent pointed out that the prospects of the ruling BJP were bleak in the coming elections in view of the rift and rivalry within the BJP, which had reached its peak due to the alleged bungling done during the delimitation of constituencies, Mr Sharma claimed that the allegations were unfounded and added that stringent action would be taken against the “rebels” within the party who were breaching discipline. “Even during the days of a former Chief Minister, Y.S. Parmar, his constituency had been reserved”, he argued. The Yuva Morcha leader decried the derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister on some posters displayed in Kangra district and demanded action against those who did it. He said a resolution had been adopted at a meeting of the district Yuva Morcha held here today, condemning the insult hurled at the Chief Minister. He said “Sankalp Divas” would be observed on December 13 nationwide against terrorism on a call given by the Rashtriya Yuva Morcha. Mr Sharma said a conference of Yuva Morcha office-bearers of New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttaranchal would be held at Dehra Dun on November 16 to draw a strategy to strengthen the nationalist forces. He also announced the appointment of Mr Abhishek Thakur as in charge of the Mandi unit of the Himachal Yuva
Morcha. |
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Special industrial
package for HP Shimla, November 10 The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, disclosed this to the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, who called on him in New Delhi last evening. The Centre had already sanctioned special industrial packages to North-Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Dhumal requested the Centre to extend tax holiday for industrial units for another 10 years after 2004 so that maximum entrepreneurs opted to set up industries in the state. He demanded 100 per cent exemption on excise duty and facilities like investment subsidy and interest subsidy to industrial units under proposed industrial package on the pattern of the North-East. He also demanded Central assistance for Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre, Golthai, in Bilaspur and Industrial Growth Centre, Sansarpur Tarace, in Kangra on the pattern of the North-East to expedite infrastructure development and create more facilities for the investors. Mr Dhumal requested for the implementation of Deen Dayal Hathkargha Yojna on the pattern of the North-East states for training, upgradation and rehabilitation of rural artisans to boost handicraft and handloom sector which had immense scope for growth. |
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PM to visit state this month Shimla, November 10 Mr Vajpayee conveyed his willingness to visit the state to Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, who met him in New Delhi today. Mr Dhumal said the centre would have facilities for meditation, yoga and nature cure. He said it would also be a centre of excellence for religious studies and host national and international seminars on religious issues besides conducting research on related subjects. The Chief Minister said the centre provided a record financial assistance of Rs 1,200 crore to the state government during the past four years. Besides, projects worth crores of rupees had been sanctioned to help accelerate the pace of development. He apprised the Prime Minister of the financial condition of the state and made a request for additional Central financial assistance. Mr Dhumal also informed Mr Vajpayee about the special measures to preserve and promote the world famous “Kangra paintings” being undertaken by the state. He said a centre had been opened at Dharamsala for imparting training to youth in Pahari painting and Kangra painting. Artists had been provided space in famous temples of Kangra district to facilitate the sale of their paintings. The chief minister said the state government had started work to renovate 142 houses of archaeological importance and three museums at Shimla, Kangra and Chamba. He said the state government had documented and prepared cassettes of folk songs and folk dances of Kinnaur and
Lahaul-Spiti. |
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Drive against fake homoeopathic institutions Chamba, November 10 The District Ayurvedic Officer has already written to the police authorities to take action against these institutions, “which are playing havoc with the lives of people and fleecing students of this area”. It was stated in the circular that some institutions for electro-homoeopathy were being run in the state where many students were taking admission under an “erroneous impression about their recognition”. The circular said these institutions were not recognised by the Central Government, the Himachal Pradesh Government and the Homoeopathic Council. The authorities concerned have been asked to bring these facts to the notice of the public in general and students seeking admission to such institutions in particular so that they do not spoil their career. Meanwhile, according to Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda and Homoeopathy, at present there is no electro-homoeopathy and homoeopathy medical college being run by the Himachal Pradesh Government and nor is there any homoeopathy institute in the state which is recognised by the government. The minister informed that the state government had so
far set up 14 homoeopathic dispensaries in the state, including one in Chamba. |
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Stall owners serve
notice on DC Hamirpur, November 10 The foundation stone of the shopping complex was laid by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, last Sunday. It was announced that in all 68 shops would be constructed on the ground floor and the first. These persons have asked the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the chairman of the society constructing the shopping complex, to allot ground floor shops to 34 stall owners running business from there for the past 20 years. They are registered under the HP Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1969. The stall owners allege that while forming the committee for the complex the administration did not bother to elicit their views. |
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Leopards active in Bhoranj area Hamirpur, November 10 The latest case is of Hem Raj and Rattan Chand of Kakrol village and Badehar village, respectively. Both men were going back to their homes after work when two leopards attacked them from behind and injured them seriously. However, they are now progressing at the CHC, Bhoranj, where they were admitted after the attack. People are upset over the failure of the Department of Forests to check the activities of the prowlers, who are becoming man-eaters. When contacted, a spokesman of Department said efforts were on to locate the animals and cages would be installed at the worst-affected places. However, he refused to tell the exact date and time for the purpose. |
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‘Don’t meddle with panchayat affairs’ Dalhousie, November 10 The chairman of the samiti, Mr Kulbhushan Upmanyu, alleged here yesterday that pradhans of the panchayats in nexus with the ruling party government had become mere contractors. He said contracts of various works were being directly executed between the panchayat pradhans and the contractors of the area. The people had lost faith in the Panchayati Raj system due to the present state of affairs, adding that the panchayats were no more independent. Expressing anxiety over the working of the Panchayati Raj, Mr Upmanyu advised the state government to give power to panchayats as a whole to execute development works in their jurisdiction. This would ensure proper utilisation of funds earmarked for the schemes under the system. With this, the dignity of the post of Pradhan would also be kept in tact. |
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Major boost for technical education Shimla, November 10 The government has given special attention to the promotion of technical education with the twin objective of making adequate technical manpower available and to enable the youth to get employment, not only in the country but also abroad. As many as 18 new technical institutions have been opened in the state during the past five years. The Centre has upgraded the Regional Engineering College at Hamirpur to National Institute of Technology on the request of the state. Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have been set up at Jogindernagar, Paplog, Bagsaid and Karsog in Mandi, Bhoranj and Bani in Hamirpur, Barthin in Bilaspur, Bharmaur in Chamba, Saliana and Dhameta in Kangra, Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti, Sainj in Kulu, Rajgarh and Shillai in Sirmaur, Kumarsain in Shimla and Bangana and Amb in Una. A motor driving and heavy earth moving operators training school had also been opened in Una. Besides, an institute of information technology in the state at a cost of Rs 100 crore in the private sector has been given the status of deemed university. Industrial training centres, one each at Sanouran (Gaggal) Pragpur in Kangra, Loharian and Samirpur in Hamirpur, Bahot in Mandi, Kotla-Khurd in Una and Parwanoo in Solan have also been opened in the private sector. A diploma course in information technology and computer science and engineering have been introduced in Government Polytechnic College at Hamirpur and Kandaghat. Out of 100 ITIs selected by the Government of India for information technology and electronics system maintenance trade, three are in Himachal at Shahpur, Mandi and Nahan. The ITIs at Solan, Nahan, Paonta Sahib and Nalagarh have been brought under a pilot project under which they are being managed with the involvement of entrepreneurs of the area. The management committees set up for the purpose decide the academic and training programme as per the requirement of technical manpower in industries. Similar management committees are proposed for the ITIs at Mandi, Shahpur and Chamba in a phased manner. For imparting technical and vocational training to persons with disabilities under a centrally sponsored scheme, the Government Polytechnic College, Sundernagar, has been selected. A survey to identify useful trades to replace obsolute ones has been carried out. In the first phase training courses for computer operator and programming assistant, plumber, mason, dress making, welder mechanic,
electronics, embroidery and needle work, hair and skin care, cutting and tailoring, motor driving and heavy earth moving machinery operators and painter are being introduced. The ITIs are being equipped with the latest equipment and technical infrastructure under the World Bank aided Skill Development project at a cost of Rs 8.13 crore under a centrally sponsored scheme. The World Bank assisted project for strengthening technical education amounting to Rs 45.75 crore successfully has been completed. A Rs 23.75 crore project has been submitted to the Government of India for seeking assistance from the World Bank under the Vocational Training Programme (Phase-II). So for 15 ITIs and polytechnic colleges have been accredited with the National Open School to help them provide vocational training through distant education. Scholarships are being provided to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and poor students under various schemes. |
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Musical fountains
for Shimla tourists Shimla, November 10 Under this project, places will be selected near the Mall Road where musical fountains will set up. The project report is lying with the Chief Architect and after the state government’s consent, the work on musical fountains will start. The corporation wants to offer something new to the locals and the tourists as well. About Rs 35 lakh will be spent on this project. According to sources, these multi-coloured fountains will be set up on the area lying vacant next to the Mall Road. The places selected by the corporation are behind Ashiana restaurant, Daulat Singh Park and in front of the showroom of Khadi board. The corporation, which is reeling under a financial crisis, has also sent the project report to the Tourism Department. The help of private companies is also being sought. The corporation has also received proposals from private companies to sponsor these fountains. The corporation will take a decision on sponsorship after the project is cleared by the state government. Earlier, the corporation took had taken the help of private companies in setting up rain shelters and hoardings. |
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Special industrial package for HP Shimla, November 10 The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, disclosed this to the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, who called on him in New Delhi last evening. The Centre had already sanctioned special industrial packages to North-Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Dhumal requested the Centre to extend tax holiday for industrial units for another 10 years after 2004 so that maximum entrepreneurs opted to set up industries in the state. He demanded 100 per cent exemption on excise duty and facilities like investment subsidy and interest subsidy to industrial units under proposed industrial package on the pattern of the North-East. He also demanded Central assistance for Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre, Golthai, in Bilaspur and Industrial Growth Centre, Sansarpur Tarace, in Kangra on the pattern of the North-East to expedite infrastructure development and create more facilities for the investors. Mr Dhumal requested for the implementation of Deen Dayal Hathkargha Yojna on the pattern of the North-East states for training, upgradation and rehabilitation of rural artisans to boost handicraft and handloom sector which had immense scope for growth. |
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Festival for special children Shimla, November 10 The event was inaugurated by Rev P.K. Samanaray, Bishop of Amritsar, who took the salute during the march past and declared the meet open. The sporting events included skipping and musical chairs for the blind, softball and assisted walks for the more severely challenged. Medals and certificates were given to all participants, no matter what position they achieved. The festival was fun and leisure for the children. |
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