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Friday,
March 7, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Cabinet expansion after Budget session: CM Corrupt voted out in HP: Amarinder Journalist turned politician is CPC 3 sets of board
papers introduced Gupta to be HP Chief Justice |
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Cabinet expansion after Budget session: CM Shimla, March 6 Addressing a press conference after taking over as the Chief Minister, he said the state and the instrument of governance had suffered during the BJP rule. He said corruption had been the main issue and it was but natural that the first concern of the new government would be to root it out. He said the intention was not to indulge in witch-hunting, however, cases would be investigated and those found guilty, howsoever powerful, would not be spared. At the same time no innocent would be harassed. The other major issue was unemployment and his government would strive to create job avenues in various sectors. The government would probe irregularities in recruitment and the alleged sale of jobs. Steps would also be taken to ensure transparency in recruitment. It would also be ensured that Himachalis got maximum employment in hydel projects. He said he was against politicisation of services and indulgence of employees in political activities. He said he expected the services to maintain complete neutrality while discharging official duty and any departure from it would be viewed with disfavour by the government. He expressed concern over the closure of a large number of industries over the past five years and said steps would be taken to revive sick industries and accelerate industrial growth. The government would adopt the Congress manifesto as a policy document and implement it in letter and spirit. He said instructions would be issued to departments concerned in this regard. The Chief Minister that the Dhumal government had virtually mortgaged the future of the state by increasing the debt burden to Rs 15,000 crore. He said the apprehensions that the Centre would not give adequate funds were ill-founded as already 15 states had Congress governments. It would be difficult for the NDA government to deprive the Congress-ruled state of funds on political considerations. He said if required, the government would come out with a white paper on funds given by the Centre. He said he would expand his ministry after the Budget session. A decision would be taken soon whether to have vote an account or present a regular Budget for the next year. Regarding the declaration of assets, he said all the Congress legislators were required to submit the details of their assets to the Congress Legislative Party leader within a month. |
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BJP MPs to meet on poll debacle Shimla, March 6 Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, party president, who has offered to quit following his defeat in the Santokhgarh constituency, will preside over the meeting. The newly-elected legislators of the party will also meet on March 8 to elect their leader. Mr Pramod Mahajan, National General Secretary of the party, and Mr
O.P. Kohli, National Secretary, will be present at the meetings. |
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Corrupt voted out in HP: Amarinder Shimla, March 6 Talking to newspersons here, he said corruption was the main election issue and the people of Himachal Pradesh had rejected the tainted Dhumal regime and voted the Congress to install a clean and competent government. He said the factual position regarding the assets of Professor Dhumal would come before the public during the hearing of two defamation cases instituted at Shimla and Ropar. He said exposing corruption of the government could not be termed as murk politics. He said the BJP, which was defenceless on the issue of corruption, tried to counter the Congress attack by highlighting the so-called “sex scandal” of Gujarat to malign his ministers. However, the people of Himachal Pradesh saw through its game and refused to be misled, he said. Replying to a question, he said Punjab was not averse to an ‘out of court’ settlement of the dispute regarding state’s claim in the BBMB projects. He said now that a friendly Congress government was in place in Himachal Pradesh, all issues could be sorted out through negotiations. He also expressed willingness for collaboration between the two states in the hydel sector. He said Punjab would like to have equity participation in hydel projects. However, he refused to comment on Himachal’s claim on the Shanan power project and said it was given to Punjab under the state Reorganisation Act. Capt Amarinder Singh maintained that the crusade against corruption was being pursued in Punjab in the right earnest and as many as 216 cases, involving nine ministers, four IAS officers, two Superintendents of Police and several other officers had been registered in a single year. |
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Journalist turned politician is CPC Shimla, March 6 Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, administered the oath to Mr Agnihottari at a function in the state Secretariat. Meanwhile, Mr S.S. Parmar, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, will be the new Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. He replaces Mr Bhim Sen who will continue to hold the charge of Secretary, Excise and Taxation and Public relations. Mr Subhash Ahluwalia, Special Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, has been posted as Special Secretary-cum-private secretary to the Chief Minister, relieving Mr Arun Sharma of the charge. Mr Sharma will continue to hold the charge of Additional Secretary, Training. |
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3 sets of board
papers introduced Kangra, March 6 Stating this here today, Mr Vikas Labroo, secretary of the board, said last year, the board had introduced three-series papers but about 50 per cent of the questions were the same in all sets. This year, however, the questions in all sets. He said the board had appointed superintendents and deputy superintendents at examination centres from other schools, and none of them had been deputed at the same centre as last year. |
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Gupta to be HP Chief Justice Shimla, March 6 Born in 1947 at Mirpur (presently part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir), Mr Justice Gupta did his LL.B from Delhi University and was enrolled as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council in 1970. He was elevated as a judge of the J&K High Court in 1990 and was transferred to the Calcutta High Court in 1996, from where he was transferred to the Patna High Court. He became the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on December 5, 2000. |
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