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Saturday,
February 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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2nd list of graft charges soon: Cong BJP to focus on
development Cong anti-employee: BJP BJP to pay back in same coin Rajgir Cong to back Pritam Chand 535 nominations at close |
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JEs allege code of
conduct violation
Head Post Office goes online
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2nd list of graft charges soon: Cong Una, February 7 Talking to mediapersons here, he said though he was unaware of the details of the list announced by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Mr Dhumal’s assets in Jalandhar, the Congress was a responsible political party and would never misguide the people. Mr Virbhadra Singh said Mr Dhumal had admitted that most of the property mentioned in the list belonged to his wife or son. He said the Congress would release the details of the chargesheet submitted to the Governor by the Congress party against the Chief Minister and some of his colleagues in August, 2002. He said the Congress had requested the Governor to order a CBI inquiry into each cases. Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that the BJP government was misusing the employees forums for political gains. Pointing towards the recent anti-Congress advertisements by the HP Electricity Board Technical Employees Union that appeared prominently in newspapers, he said the issue had been taken up with the Election Commission. MANDI: Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh on Thursday night showed copies of letters written by Mr Anurag Thakur, President, State Cricket Association and son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, in which he had written his correspondence address as c/o Proximate Steel Forge Pvt Ltd, B-15, Focal Point, Jalandhar. Even though Mr Dhumal had denied having any link with this company, the Congress, Mr Virbhadra Singh said, stood by its charges of amassing huge wealth by the Chief Minister. “Let Mr Dhumal go to court where documentary evidence would boomerang on him”, the Congress leader said. He lamented that the BJP had for the first time introduced a culture of corruption in the state. |
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BJP to focus on
development Mandi, February 7 Addressing a press conference, he described the allegations levelled against Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal as wild, baseless and politically motivated. It seemed that the Congress was contesting the elections in Himachal Pradesh on the Punjab pattern to misguide the voters. In Punjab, the Congress had forgotten the promises to the people just a day after the elections, he claimed. Mr Mahajan claimed that record development had been made in Himachal Pradesh during the tenure of the BJP government because of the cooperation of the state-friendly government at the Centre. He said though Mr Vajpayee did not belong to Himachal Pradesh, he considered it as his home state and had been rendering liberal financial assistance to the state from time to time. He said the BJP had provided a stable and strong government in the state for its full tenure. During its short tenure of five years, it had done what the Congress could not do in 45 years. The BJP was capable of providing stable governments even earlier but the hostile governments at the Centre dissolved the Vidhan Sabha without allowing it to complete its full term on flimsy pretexts. |
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Cong anti-employee: BJP Shimla, February 7 The party lodged a formal complaint with Chief Electoral Officer Manisha Nanda against the advertisement campaign being carried out in newspapers, saying the advertisements did not carrying any mention of who had issued these, which amounted to violation of the model code of conduct. Party spokesman Baldev Sharma lodged the complaint with the Election Commission. Mr Bharadwaj also criticised the Congress for releasing advertisements, showing rates for getting jobs in the state, saying employees of Himachal Pradesh who were the least corrupt, had been denigrated by the Congress. He also said the campaign sought to prove all Himachalis as corrupt. |
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BJP to pay back in same coin New Delhi, February 7 The BJP’s massive advertisement campaign under the title “Chor machaiye
shor” would be launched either tomorrow or day after through the print and audio-visual media in Himachal Pradesh, top party sources said here today. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is likely to be the main target in the ad campaign of the BJP, which, it claims, would expose the opposition party on the corruption front. The BJP is understood to have lined up 10 anti-Congress advertisements to be inserted in various news media during the first phase of the poll campaign. BJP leaders feel that the Congress is trying to counter the ruling party on “so-called corruption” as they can’t attack the Dhumal Government on developmental issues.
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Rajgir Cong to back Pritam Chand Palampur, February 7 The party had allotted the ticket to Dr Milkhi Ram Gomma, a former MLA and DCC President, who was defeated in the 1998 Assembly elections. Mr Amrik Singh, General Secretary and several members of the Congress and Youth Congress assembled here last night and declared that they had decided to support Mr Pritam Chand who had been denied the party ticket. Earlier, over 5000 workers of the party called on Mr Pritam Chand at his residence here and pledged their support in the Assembly elections. Mr Amrik Singh said that the entire Congress party in Rajgir was behind Mr Pritam Chand who is a grassroots worker of the party and served the people in the past five years, Dr Gomma, who had been allotted the party ticket was rejected by the voter in 1998 and Congress workers as well as all sections of society in Rajgir were opposed to him. |
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Ashwani
Kumar AICC observer for Kangra New Delhi, February 7 Mr Ashwani Kumar will coordinate party's campaign in 16 assembly seats of the district till the elections are over. |
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535 nominations at close Shimla, February 7 The total number of nominations till today reached 535 from 68 constituencies, 65 of which are going to the polls this month. Mr Gulab Singh, who crossed over to the BJP from the Congress, filed his nomination from Jogindernagar in Mandi District, Mr Baragta from Jubbal KotKhai in Shimla district, Mr Markanda from Lahaul Spiti on the HVC ticket, Mr Sukhu from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, Mr Brij Bihari Butail from Palampur in Kangra district, Mr Agnihotri from Santokhgarh in Una district on the Congress ticket, Kangra district BJP President Dulo Ram from Baijnath, three-time MLA Yoginder Chand from Chopal and Theog Vikas Morcha supremo Rakesh Verma from Theog in Shimla district were the among those who filed their nominations. CHAMBA: Eight candidates filed nominations in Chamba district on Friday, according to Mr Rahul Anand, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Bhattiyat — Mr Kuldip Pathania (Independent), Banikhet — Mr Hem Chand Chandel (Samajvadi Party), Mr Shauket Ali (HVC), Mr Mehboob (HVC), Mr Vias Dev (Independent). Rajnagar (SC) — Mr Nand Kumar Chauhan (HVC), Chamba — Mr Nand Lal (Lok Janshakti Party), and Mr Chander Mani (Independent). PALAMPUR:
Nine candidates filed their nomination papers from the three Assembly constituencies in the subdivision on Friday. Mr Brij Behari Lal Butail (Congress), Mr Ajit Kumar (LOJPA) and Mr Anil Kumar (Independent) filed their papers from Palampur (Sadar). Dr M.R. Gomma (Congress), Mr Parkash Chand Kaundal (HVC), Mr Uttam Chand (Independent), Ms Vidya Devi (Independent) and Mr Sudesh Kumar (LOJPA) from Rajgir and Mr Jagjivan Pal (Congress) from Sulah. NURPUR:
Mr Rakesh Pathania, the local MLA and Chairman, of the HPTDC, filed his papers as BJP candidate from Nurpur on Friday. He would contest against former PCC chief Sat Mahajan. Mr Harnam Singh Dhadwal a BJP rebel, filed his nomination as an Independent. Mr Amar Singh Koundal filed his papers as BSP candidate. Mr Both Raj filed his nomination as Congress candidate from Gangath. Mr Ashok Kumar, a Congress rebel, filed his papers as an Independent. Mr Hans Raj Jassal of the BSP also filed his nomination. Mr Piara Lal, Lok Janshakti Party candidate, also filed his papers. UNA:
Fourteen nominations were filed in the district on Friday. With this, the total number of nominations went up to 45. Mr Virbhadra Singh was present when Mr Mukesh Agnihotri filed his papers. The following is the list of candidates who filed their nomination papers in Una district: Kutlehar: Mr Ravinder Fauji (Independent/Congress), Mr Mohinder Pal (Congress/Independent), Mr Des Raj Gautam (Congress), Mr Ajay Kumar (Independent); Una: Mr Om Prakesh (BJP), Mr Bishan Swarup (Independent), Mr Kushal Singh Sabbharwal (Indian Samajwadi Janata Party); Santokhgarh: Mr Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress); Chintpurni: Mr Ajit Kumar (Samajwadi Party HP), Mr Kehar Singh (Independent), Mr Rakesh Kalia (Congress), Mr Rakesh Kumar (Congress). BILASPUR: Mr Kashmir Singh Thakur filed his papers at Ghumarwin, near here on Friday. Mr Gian Chand Rattan filed his nomination as HVC candidate and Mr Karam Dev Dharmani as BJP candidate. Mr Rikhi Ram Kondal filed his papers as BJP candidate and Dr Dharmender Dhiman, BJP rebels, as Independent from Gehadwin. Dr Biru Ram Kishore, Congress rebel filed his papers as an Independent candidate. |
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CPI to contest 6 seats Shimla, February 7 Addressing a press conference here, CPI national executive member and party in charge in Himachal Pradesh, Ms Amarjeet Kaur, said the public money invested in the core and social sectors for building public sector undertakings had been gifted to the private sector. The party fielded Mr Ramzar Mohmmed from Doon in Solan district, Mr Sant Ram from Chachiot in Mandi district, Mr Himal Chand from Kangra (Sadar), Mr Rattan Lal from Kotkehloor in Bilaspur district, Mr Rajinder Nirdoshi from Banikhet in Chamba district and Mr Azad Kumar from Guler in Kangra district. The CPI promises giving power projects to the public sector with a condition that 80 per cent of jobs will be reserved for Himachalis. The manifesto promises the shifting of polluting cement plants to other areas with priority to the rehabilitation of the people. It also promises extending scientific, price, marketing and subsidy support to agriculture and horticulture. Setting up of technology missions, developing watersheds, stopping saffronisation in education and turning it into scientific and need-based education, providing free healthcare, improving transportation facilities, better management of forest resources, restoring facilities to employees, stopping political interference in transfers of employees, providing the people the right to information, recovery of royalty from Punjab and getting the states share from Chandigarh have also been promised. |
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Violations
galore of election guidelines Bilaspur, February 7 Himachal Pradesh has been among the first few states to ban the recycling of polythene. Interestingly, while electioneering on ground has not started as yet, an ad onslaught has been launched in the newspapers. The onslaught is mainly directed against the ruling BJP and its leaders. It is this ad onslaught which is witnessing a serious violation. The insertion of advertisements in newspapers without mentioning their source, agency or party releasing them is in violation of the law, claims the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, saying that certain advertisements have come to his notice. “I will take up the issue with the newspapers concerned. The law requires that the source releasing the advertisement must be mentioned,” he added. The Chief Minister feeling peeved is understandable but at the same time, the ruling party itself is violating its own government’s orders by its increased use of election material prepared from recycled polythene material. Other political parties, including the Congress and the HVC too, are using party flags and buntings made from recycled polythene. Another serious violation of the directive of the Election Commission has been defacement of public property, including public information boards, bus queue and rain shelters, by pasting election posters on them. A Tribune team undertook an intensive tour of Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts. Almost all important intersections on the Bilaspur-Hamirpur state highway have been covered with buntings of BJP party flags made from recycled polythene sheets. At places, overhead arches were enacted presumably to welcome “Vishwas yatra” of the ruling party. At Bagher, near Kandraur, not only the triangular traffic intersection was overflowing with buntings and BJP party flags, even posters carrying pictures of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpaayee and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal defaced not only the milestone, but also the painted signboard about road direction and the rain shelter. Yesterday, after the “auspicious time” started at the end of “panchak”, buntings, overhead arches and party flags of the Congress and the HVC, too, started appearing everywhere. Incidentally, all material used is from banned recycled polythene. The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer of Bilaspur, Mr Chamail Singh, told The Tribune that no complaint about the use of “recycled polythene” has come to the notice of the district administration. Mr Hari Prasad, AICC observer for the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, alleges that the “ruling BJP was making a vulgar display of its ill-gotten money through these buntings and party flags everywhere” . He maintains that “actual campaigning would start on February 11 after the battle lines have been drawn”. “We will launch our electioneering shortly. It will start with the visits of senior leaders besides the Chief Ministers of some Congress-ruled states,” he added, claiming that the position of the “Congress was improving everyday in this stronghold of the BJP.” Mr Hari Prasad alleged that the party was receiving complaints about the “misuse of official machinery” by the ruling party. In a couple of instances, he said, certain Congress workers were approached by the police and asked to see the Chief Minister. Certain influential people, including those known to be either relatives or close to the family of the Chief Minister, have not been shifted out of Hamirpur, he added. |
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JEs allege code of
conduct violation Kangra, February 7 Mr S.K. Angaria state president of the IPH Junior Engineer Association, in a statement here today described it as unfortunate and dictatorial decision of the government to abolish 20 posts of JE. He urged the Election Commission to take notice of the decision and scrap the notification, which was aimed at luring the voters in the state. He said the association had decided to move the court these arbitrary decisions of the government. |
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Cong nominee faces opposition
BJP leaders join HVC
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Head Post Office goes online Chamba, February 7 Mr Puri said the distant hilly region of Chamba was now accessible for information to and from the state postal headquarters as well as other stations of the department of post (DoP). He said the online system would speed up the postal services in this area, which would be of great help to the general public. Mr M.L. Kalia, Director of Postal Services, Himachal Postal Circle, was also present on the occasion. |
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