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Sunday,
April 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt in a
fix over notification Water
level falling in ‘khuds’ Rs 8 cr
okayed for Chamera oustees 11 polling
stations hypersensitive Kangra BJP
unit’s appeal to Shanta |
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Two
killed in mishaps 6
gastroenteritis cases in Mandi
Minister
honoured 
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Govt in a fix over notification Shimla, April 26 The Union Ministry of Forest and Environment had in its letter dated February 27 made it clear that the state had no authority to issue such a notification as it had violated the provisions of the Act and asked for its immediate withdrawal. Under the Act forest land could not be used for non-forestry purpose without the prior approval of the Centre. The notification was issued on August 24,1998, to exclude the land classified as “gair mumkin” and “charagah bila drakhtan” from the notified forest areas. The basic purpose of the move was to circumvent the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act so that such wasteland could be utilised for non-forestry use without the approval of the Centre. In its reply to the letter the government has pointed out that various development and welfare schemes in the state will come to a standstill unless such wastelands are taken out from the purview of the Forest Conservation Act. Almost two- third of the state’s area has been notified as forest land and hardly any land is available for
development. It has urged the Centre to have a fresh look on the issue in the larger interests of the people. Mr Chander Kumar, Forest Minister, says that the state is for protecting the forest but the Act is too stringent as it even covers wastelands. He said some way must be found to ensure that the law for preserving forests did not serve as a bottleneck for the development activities. The government also maintained that the previous government had not presented its viewpoint on the issue properly. However, the centre may not find it easy to accede to the state’s request as the matter has also come under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which had ended all ambiguity regarding the definition of forest land. In its interim order on a public interest litigation it had laid down that forest land would not only include forest as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any area recorded as forest in the government records irrespective of the ownership. The apex court had also asked the states to appreciate the correct position and take the necessary remedial measures. As such the Centre, which has to abide by the court order, is not in a position to validate the illegal notification. The state government, however, feels that it was only an interim order and if the case was presented in the right perspective the issue could be solved. |
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Water level falling in ‘khuds’ Hamirpur The department auctions the “khuds” every year for the mining of khaddoo stones, sand and bajri by charging money from the contractors. It issues specific guidelines to contractors concerned but they don’t comply with those due to the reasons best known to both parties, the government agencies and the contractors. Moreover, the grant of permission for the crushing of hard stones and bajri by the crusher owners and that too with the help of JCV machines and other modern equipment has led to pollution in many areas and downfall in the beds of the
“khuds”. There are a number of “khuds” in the district which are auctioned in parts every year. Prominent among those are
Kunah, Maan, Poong, Sunaihal, Shukker and beds of the Beas adjoining the boundaries of Hamirpur district. This reporter visited various “khuds” as well as crushers in operations in the district and found that the crushing work was going on without observing all codal formalities fixed for them by the Department of Industries and the HP State Pollution Control Board. The District Mining officer when contacted said that he had received reports about the use of JCV machines near Kunah khud by a crusher owner and the said matter had been reported to the Shimla-based officer. However, Mr Vijay Chopra, owner of the crusher at Kunah
khud, claimed that he was crushing the material in a scientific manner and that too as per advice of the Mining Department and the State Pollution Control Board. He said that the team of the board had visited the site and given its clearance. People of the district want timely and strong punitive action against those who are responsible for the illegal mining which has resulted in the downfall of the water table as well as damaged environment in the district. |
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Rs 8 cr okayed for Chamera oustees Chamba, April 26 Disclosing this here today, an official spokesman of the NHPC said as a goodwill gesture towards the local people and the state government, the NHPC had accorded this sanction subject to the state government’s undertaking that any such further claimant on account of land shall be taken care of by the state government. The NHPC had agreed to pay financial package to 192 land oustees of the Chamera
hydroelectric project stage I and 120 land oustees of stage II. The high-powered committee had recommended Rs 3 lakh each to 192 land oustees of stage I in two instalments and Rs 2.5 lakh each family to 120 oustees of stage-II in Karian village in one
instalment. |
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11 polling stations hypersensitive Bharmaur, April 26 Mr D.C. Rana, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, here, who is also the returning officer, said today that the Bharmaur tribal Assembly constituency was going to the polls on June 8 along with Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti tribal Assembly segments in the second phase of Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. The returning officer said Chask Bhatori had the lowest number of electors and at 4,170 m was the highest polling booth in the district. The returning officer said Bhatwara polling station with 1163 voters had the highest number of voters in Bharmaur tribal Assembly constituency. He said there were more than 12 polling stations where the poll officials would have to walk for about 10 km. He further said the Bharmaur Assembly constituency had been divided into Bharmaur, Holi and Pangi sectors for free and fair elections. Mr Rana said the total number of electorate was 48,298 including 23,007 women, in this tribal Assembly constituency having 104 polling stations. |
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Kangra BJP unit’s appeal to Shanta Palampur, April 26 Disclosing this to mediapersons here, Dulo Ram, district president of the BJP, said that these were the unanimous views of the party workers that Mr Shanta Kumar should take over the command of the party in the state and solve the leadership crisis which the party was facing after its defeat in the Assembly elections. He said Mr Shanta Kumar was the only leader who could take the BJP to the right direction. Mr Dulo Ram said Mr Shanta Kumar should understand that he was the only leader who could revive the party and unite the workers in the state. He said all leaders of the district had categorically told Mr Shanta Kumar not to accept the assignment of Governor if offered by the party high command to him. |
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Two killed in mishaps Mandi, April 26 Fiftyfour persons, mostly women and children, were travelling in the bus which was going to Awah Devi temple. The driver was reversing it while giving way to a tempo when it fell into the gorge. In another accident Hoshiar Singh (19) of Maigal village died when he fell from a scooter being driven by another person, who applied the brakes on seeing a bus coming from the opposite direction. In another accident 20 persons were injured, three of them seriously, when a private tourist bus on its way to Rohtang Pass from Manali rolled down into a ditch. |
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6 gastroenteritis cases in Mandi Mandi, April 26 Earlier, four persons had died due to disease. Later, the authorities had claimed that the disease had been contained. Meanwhile, the report of the samples of Nao-Panao drinking water supplied by the IPH, which had been sent to Kandaghat for testing, has been received in the office of the Chief Medical Officer here. He said the water tested had been found “not contaminated”. Doctors believe that the outbreak could be due to lack of domestic cleanliness in the village. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr J.P. Singh, yesterday called a meeting of the officials of the IPH and Health Departments to find out ways and means to combat the disease. |
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Singer enters films Shimla, April 26 Shankar Sahney plays lead role opposite
Bollywood actress Ayesha Julka in the film directed by Inderjit who also features in a negative role. The muhurat shot captured an altercation between Shankar Sahney and
Inderajit. |
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Minister
honoured Bilaspur, April 26 Mr Thakur was addressing a largely attended function at Bamta, near here, organised by the people of the area for felicitating him on his becoming a Cabinet minister last evening. He declared that the government would construct the Rs 47-lakh sports youth hostel in the Luhanu Sports Complex and a Rs 40-lakh international-level wooden floor would be provided for the indoor gymnasium there. |
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Ninth-time father loses panchayat post Nahan, April 26 The order was passed by Mr Sharma yesterday after it was reported to the Deputy Commissioner that Prithvi Singh had become father ninth time on January 7, 2003. |
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Drought-hit farmers’ plea Bilaspur, April 26 A deputation of the district unit of the Sangh met the Deputy Commissioner here today. It demanded, supply of clean drinking water; repair of all collapsed drinking water supply schemes; boring of hand pumps; chlorination of all drinking water sources and fodder on subsidised rates. The deputation also demand a survey of damage to mango trees during the winter and compensation to farmers. |
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Bid to loot bank Palampur, April 26 |
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