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Stokes
asks HVC to quit NDA for Corruption-free
governance to Merger of DA into basic pay: HP to Improve
products, CM tells PSUs |
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State
for holistic approach to wildlife 29 hurt
in 4 mishaps Work on
Sewa (II) power project in full swing Balak
Nath temple mahant found dead Sufficient foodgrains in
snow-bound areas
HPPSC member objects to final list of candidates Cash
room of medical college set on fire Body of
another youth found 
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Stokes asks HVC to quit NDA
for poll pact Shimla, February 4 Talking to newsmen here today, she said talks with Mr Sukh Ram were meaningless as long as his party continued to be a member of the NDA. She said Mr Sukh Ram had not met her, but he had held talks with Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, in this regard. The matter had not been discussed by the PCC so far and a final decision would be taken only by the high command. Mr Kaul Singh, the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, expressed the same view and said the Congress was not keen to have an alliance with the HVC as it was strong enough to contest and win the election on its own. Only Mr Sukh Ram seemed anxious for an alliance and he had even met the Chief Minister. Mrs Stokes expressed her disappointment over the Budget saying that it overlooked the concerns of hill state like Himachal Pradesh. The Centre discontinued the transport subsidy to hill states and did not compensate them for it. The state was losing revenue from forests running into crores of rupees due to ban on tree felling but it was not being given any special consideration in allocation of funds for protecting environment. Horticulture was the mainstay of hills, but there was nothing to promote it in the Budget. |
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Corruption-free governance to be Cong’s plank Shimla, February 4 Talking to newsmen after releasing a booklet on development activities brought out by the Public Relations
Department, here, he said the thrust of the government had been on providing a corruption-free and transparent administration along with speedy development. The party had a long list of achievements to seek a positive vote from the people on these issues. He said the performance of the government in the social sector compared to that of the Dhumal regime, was remarkable. Beneficiaries were given pension only on the death of an existing one. The present government had cleared all pending pension cases to extend the benefit to over 27,000 new beneficiaries. The government had also decided to fill 10,000 posts in the Health, Education, Animal Husbandry and other departments. During the Dhumal regime the posts were either not filled or doled out favourites. Besides hydel power projects with an aggregate generation capacity of 8,000 MW would be commissioned in the next five years. A sum of Rs 550 crore was being spent on the construction of roads and an investment of Rs 15,000 crore was targeted in the industrial sector. The user charges in hospitals had been rolled back and 148 doctors and 187 nurses had been appointed and 375 posts were being filled in the ayurveda department. |
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Merger of DA into basic pay: HP to follow Punjab Shimla, February 4 Talking to newsmen he said the hill state was committed to follow the Punjab pay scales and it would continue to do so. He said the decision of the Centre to merge 50 per cent of the additional dearness allowance into basic pay was not a concession to the employees, as was being claimed by the BJP, but part of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. He said the feel-good factor was only propaganda ploy to mislead people, ground realities were entirely different. The pro-industry policies of the NDA government had hit the middle class, farmers, rural poor hard. Even the states were finding it difficult to implement schemes for the economic uplift of minorities, other backward classes and other deprived sections as banks, which were controlled by the Centre, were not coming forward to grant loans for self-employment ventures. There was an urgent need for changing the attitude of the banks. Referring to the Lok Sabha poll he said the party had prepared a list of candidates for every seat and a final decision would be taken by the high command keeping in view various factors. Prospects of victory would be the main criterion. Replying to a question he said the decision regarding merger of Mr Sukh Ram’s HVC into the Congress or having an alliance would be taken by the high command. The party had decided to have alliances with other parties during the “Shimla Shivir”. He said Mr Sukh Ram was a natural Congress man and his attitude towards the party had been more friendly. |
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Improve products, CM tells PSUs Shimla, February 4 Presiding over a meeting of the Board of Directors of the HPMC and Agro India Packaging Industries here yesterday, he said there was need to concentrate on marketing strategies for gaining wider markets for products. Besides exploring more outlets for marketing of the products, the public sector undertakings should curtail their unfruitful expenditure and strive to emerge as profit-oriented organisations. The Chief Minister said that despite many odds the growers were provided with adequate packaging material and transportation to market the bumper apple crop in the state last season. He said the packing material manufactured by Agro India Packaging Industries was made available to the growers through authorised agencies. He said the HPMC must safeguard the valuable property it had acquired in metropolitan cities and utilise these for commercial activities. The Chief Minister directed the HPMC to pay the growers for the apple procured under the market intervention scheme in the last season. |
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State for holistic
approach to wildlife Shimla, February 4 The monkey nuisance is just the tip of the problem. There are more pressing concerns like increasing incidents of animal attacking the human beings and destroying crops and livestock. On the one hand prowling leopards, bear, wild boars and other animals have been frequently invading human settlements, giving sleepless nights to the people in rural areas, and on the other there is an urgent need to conserve endangered species like snow leopard, western tragopan, and cheer pheasant. The state has urged the Centre not to tackle the monkey menace in isolation and to prepare an integrated action plan to cover the whole gamut of the problem. It has even suggested that the Wildlife Protection Act be renamed as wildlife management and conservation act and make necessary amendments in it to fulfil the twin objectives of reducing the human-animal conflict and conserving the endangered species. It has pointed out that human-animal conflict is no good for the conservation of wildlife. Over the past seven years leopards have killed 27 persons, including 13 in the last three years. As a consequence the leopards, despite being a protected species, have been at the receiving end. As many as 64 of them have been killed by villagers. The population of the spotted animal has increased manifold with the protective measures in place. Their number has shot up from 120 in 1984 to 1004, including 32 snow leopards, in 1997 when the last cat census was conducted in the state. However, the Wildlife Department maintains that more than the increase population, the shrinking of the natural habitat are responsible for the growing human-animal conflict. |
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29 hurt in 4 mishaps Kangra, February 4 They were admitted to hospitals, the police said here today. Dr Aswani Kumar, SDM Kangra, today said a private bus which was on its way from Reddi to Baroh over- turned near Reddi this morning, leaving 20 schoolchildren injured. He said 10 of the injured students were rushed to Nagrota Bagwan hospital and three were being treated at Baroh hospital. Seven had minor injuries and were given first aid at the scene of the accident. Following information received by the subdivisional
authorities here, teams of Dr R.P. Medical College, Tanda and Kangra District Hospital were rushed to the spot and the ADM, Kangra, Mr P.D. Choudhary supervised the relief and rescue operations on the spot. Dr Ashwani Kumar said ex gratia relief of Rs 3000 was given to those who sustained serious injuries, Rs 2000 to those who received minor injuries and Rs 1000 to the other injured children. In another accident an SDO, Irrigation and Public Health of Mashrial sub division, also received injuries when the vehicle he was travelling in met with an accident at Lunj in this sub division this morning and was treated at the PHC, Lunj, hospital sources said. A Kangra police team also rushed to the spot. In another accident, five persons were injured at Nagbani falling under Nurpur police station yesterday when a car hit another car, ASP Santosh Patial said. He said the police registered a case under Sections 337 and 279 of the IPC. Three women were also injured last evening when the tractor in which they were travelling overturned at Tiara under Kangra police station, police said here today. The injured were admitted to the hospital. The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC against the tractor driver. |
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Work on Sewa (II) power project in full swing Dalhousie, February 4 Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the NHPC, said the infrastructure and approaches to various sites of the project were complete while work on the diversion tunnel, surge and pressure shafts and an underground power house was in full swing. Mr R.K. Choudhary, Chief Engineer of the project says that the project is a run-of-the-river project being executed on the Sewa river, a tributary of the Ravi. The project envisages the construction of a 48-metre high concrete gravity dam at Gatti village, a 10-km long headrace tunnel, steel-lined penstocks and an underground powerhouse with three unit of 40 MW each at Mashka village. It will have a 780-metre-long tailrace tunnel. The project would generate around 535.63 million units of power annually in a 90 per cent dependable year with 95 per cent machine available. Power generated from this project will be supplied to the northern grid in terms of the Central power sharing formula for further distribution among the beneficiary states of Punjab, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Besides, J&K will get 12 per cent free power from this project. The project would be completed within four years from the date of sanction with an estimated cost of Rs 665.46 crore with a debt equity ratio of 70:30. The equity component is being given by the Central Government in the form of budgetary support while the balance will be arranged by the NHPC as a term loan. |
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Balak Nath temple mahant found dead Hamirpur, February 4 Rajendra Gir, disciple of the late mahant performed all religious rites. Though the Barsar police has described the mahant’s death as a suicidal act, parents of Shiv Gir have demanded an inquiry into the circumstances which led to his death. A deputation of the people of Hareta village and brother of Shiv Gir met the SDM, Barsar today in this regard. They suspected foul play into mahant’s death. However, no suicide note was found from the place of crime. The SDM assured them that he would order an inquiry once the post-mortem report was made available and studied in detail. Mahant Shiv Gir was not in good health for the past two years and had repeatedly gone for the medical check-up to the PGI, Chandigarh. He had taken over as the mahant of the temple on March 5, 1974, after the death of his guru, Mahant Shakti Gir. He was 48 years old. Mahant Shiv Gir had made Rajendra Gir of Karloti village of Bilaspur as his successor in 1990. He was, however, unhappy with the shabby treatment being meted out to him by the district administration and the state government since the temple was taken over by a government owned trust. He had shown his displeasure with the media and even with the people who used to meet him. All shops in and around Deotsidh remained closed today as a mark of respect to the deceased mahant. Rajendra Gir, the disciple of late mahant, told The Tribune at his residence that he and his guru had together eaten the dinner last night. However, when he didn’t wake up in the morning, two of his aides, Harbans Lal and Rattan Chand, informed him about it. Ultimately, he broke open the door and found the mahant hanging with a fan. |
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Sufficient foodgrains in snow-bound areas Shimla, February 4 It was informed at the meeting that sufficient stocks of foodgrain and other essential items were available in Pangi, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Dodra Kawar and Bharmour. As many as 8342 quintals of rice 11,295 quintals of wheat, 1518 quintals of levy sugar, 143 quintals of edible oil, 144 lt. of kerosene and 1055 cooking gas refills were available in Pangi, 7547 quintals of rice, 4440 quintals of wheat, 704 quintals of levy sugar, 9842 cooking gas refills in Lahaul and 4776 quintals of rice, 4294 quintals of wheat, 292 quintals of levy sugar and 5136 cooking gas refills were stocked in Kinnaur. Similarly, adequate stocks of these commodities were available in Bharmour and Dodra Kawar for distribution. |
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HPPSC member objects to final list of candidates Shimla, February 4 According to sources, a members had, in a letter to the Chairman of the commission, Mr Dev Raj Sharma, pointed out that the final list of the selected candidates had been completely changed. Certain names, which did not figure in the list prepared on the basis of written test and interview, had been included. A copy of the letter had been forwarded to the state Chief Secretary. Mr Sharma, however, maintained that he had not received any letter until the final list was released. He also maintained that it was an internal matter of the
commission, which was an autonomous body. Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the government would look into the matter and if required an inquiry would be ordered. |
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Cash room of medical college set on fire Kangra, February 4 Mr Virender Singh Thakur, Subdivisional Police Officer, said today that Gurdev Singh, chowkidar of the Administrative Block in which the cash room was located was allegedly sleeping when someone entered the room and destroyed the files and documents and escaped through the window. He said there were Rs 7 lakh in the cash room’s chest, which were left untouched. Mr Thakur said the police was informed in the morning who found the room locked from outside. But the chowkidar said the lock of the door was replaced by the person who set the documents on fire. He said Gurdev Singh, chowkidar, was being interrogated. He said the connivance of the medical college staff members could not be ruled out and some of the employees were being questioned. |
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Body of another youth found Kangra, February 4 The Kangra District Additional Police chief, Mr Santosh Patial, said the search teams spotted the body of Aman Awasthi, 18, a resident of Devgran Palampur, today in the Suppa da Nullah, 1 km upstream from the spot where the body of Rohit Katoch was found yesterday. He said the body of Aman was handed over to his parents after a post-mortem today. The three youths — Aman Awasthi, Rohit Katoch and Vivek Rana had gone to the Chamunda temple when they were trapped following heavy snowfall. |
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Nepali workers arrested Shimla, February 4 The three, Gagna Rana, Maheshwar Rana and Arjun Rana, stole household article from the residence of Kedar Lal for whom they were working in Rampur. On reaching Kharapani, they threw the stolen items into a khud and proceeded to Khamadi. They broke into the local panchayat ghar. |
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DIG (Mandi Range) goes on deputation
with CRPF Shimla, February 4 Mr Sunder Lal, Additional Superintendent of Police, Hamirpur, has been posted Additional Superintendent of Police First Indian Reserve Battalion, Una. Mr Gulab Singh, DSP, 2nd Armed Police Battalion, Dharamsala and Mr Sukh Dev Singh, DSP, leave reserve, Salooni, swap places. |
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In video: Heavy snowfall affects normal life in Shimla. (