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HP to
rationalise entry tax: CM Proposal
on Rampur project Ban on
mining forces labourers to leave Service
panel refuses to give records Campaign
to clear pending revenue cases on |
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No
anti-incumbency factor, says Shanta Lathi
charge on Tibetans condemned Pong power
house upgraded
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HP to rationalise entry tax: CM Nangal, February 13 He said the entry tax would be rationalised on the demand of residents of the border areas. The tax was imposed by the previous BJP government. The previous agreement for the entry tax in the state were valid till March this year. After that, rationalisation would be effected and major relief provided to those residing in the border areas. Border residents have been protesting against the entry tax of Rs 30 on their vehicles by the Himachal Government. Mr Virbhadra Singh was here to lay the foundation stone for an irrigation and drinking water scheme at Makari village near Bhakra. The Chief Minister said about 300 villages, mostly of Bhakra oustees, had been facing drinking water problem. The scheme is likely to be completed within a year and would provide water to Bhakra, Makri and Saloh villages, he said. Earlier, addressing a public rally at Bhakra village, Mr Virbhadra Singh condemned BJP leaders for raking up the issue of foreign origin of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in view of the Lok Sabha elections. |
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Proposal on Rampur project Shimla, February 13 The Dhumal government had decided to assign the project to the nigam and an MoU was also finalised in this regard in August, 2002. However, stiff opposition from employees of the state electricity board, who wanted a better deal for deputationists, came in the way and the MoU could not be signed. Subsequently, the Virbhadra Singh government declared that it would allot the project to the nigam only if the interests of the state, particularly regarding employment to Himachalis, were safeguarded. The Centre had also adopted a tough posture and Mr R.V. Sahi, Union Secretary for Power, during his visit to the state last month asked the state to decide the fate of the project within a month failing which the nigam would start sending the surplus staff back to the board. The Nathpa Jhakri project was already in the completion phase and there was no work for such a huge workforce. As per the proposal worked out by nigam all 1,180 employees of the board currently on deputation could be absorbed provided the state government assigned it enough projects to ensure its gainful utilisation. Besides Rampur, the Shongtong-Karcham and Tapan Powari projects, each of 400 MW generation capacity, could be assigned to it for execution. The nigam has offered to absorb the staff in accordance with the latest policy of the Centre not to have staff on deputation which leads to endless disputes because of the different service conditions and pay structure prevailing in the public sector undertakings of the state and the centre. The proposal will be put before the Board of Directors of the nigam, which is meeting on February 17. The board has representatives of the Centre and the state and as such discussion could pave way for an MoU. More so because both partners will be keen on resolving the issue amicably as sending the deputationists back to the board before the Lok Sabha poll could have an adverse political fallout. |
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Ban on mining forces labourers to leave Sundernagar, February 13 Mr Virbhadra Singh, during a visit to the Balh valley on February 7, had ordered a ban on mining operations in the valley. A notification to this effect was issued on the same day. The authorities have implemented the ban on not only in the Balh valley but also in the other parts of the district. Thus, the construction of several buildings has been stopped . The Mining Officer, Mandi, said even lease holders were not being allowed to extract sand and gravel from the leased area, adding that the government was taking steps to cancel the lease as per provisions of the Mining Act. The district administration has formed teams to ensure the implementation of the ban on mining. It has registered more than 40 cases and impounded six vehicles. Mr C.S. Singh, Conservator, Forests, Mandi Circle, said he had issued directions to Divisional Forest Officers to check mining forms of vehicles transporting sand and gravel in the last week of January. Yesterday many vehicles carrying migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar and Jharkhand were seen leaving the district. From Nagchla village in Balh Valley, more than 300 labourers have shifted. In Sundernagar town, more than 4,000 migrant labourers have been rendered unemployed. The ban is also having an impact on the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan as migrant labourers have started withdrawing their children from schools of the district. |
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Service panel refuses to
give records Shimla, February 13 The commission has made it clear that it could not hand over the relevant record yet to any government agency as it was an independent constitutional body not directly answerable to it. It had refused to give the records to the CID wing of the police, which has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the matter. The matter was discussed at a meeting of the commission at which all members, including Mr V.K. Malik, who had alleged that the final list of the selected candidates had been changed, were present. It is learnt that the member stuck to his stand on the issue. Mr Dev Raj Sharma, chairperson of the commission, said he had already apprised the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, of the facts. He refused to divulge what transpired during the meeting but maintained that the rules and regulations of business had not been violated during the selections. He said the commission had nothing to hide but it was not supposed to show records to any department under the rules. |
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Campaign to clear pending revenue cases on Dharamsala, February 13 The minister claimed that computerisation in the Revenue Department was moving at a fast pace and many sub divisions had been linked with e-governance. He said by 2005 all tehsils would be provided computer links and people would not have to rush to district headquarters to get copies of land deeds and related documents.
He said under the new policy, only those encroachments would be regularised where the need was genuine and involved a small portion of land. He said during the past 11 months more than 10,000 persons had been provided jobs and training for various categories was under way. |
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No anti-incumbency factor, says Shanta Chamba, February 13 Talking about his priorities, Mr Shanta Kumar said he aimed to generate optimum employment opportunities in his Lok Sabha constituency by setting up various projects, including a Rs 560 crore cement plant at Sikridhar in Chamba district. He said the cement plant would provide direct or indirect employment to about 15,000 local residents. Mr Kishori Lal, a former minister and senior BJP leader, was also present at the press conference. |
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Lathi charge on Tibetans condemned Dharamsala, February 13 In a statement issued here, Mr Pema Jungney, chairman of the Assembly, expressed shock over the police action on peace marchers, who were on their way to New Delhi to participate in
Tibetan Uprising Day to be observed on March 10. SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Minorities and Social Welfare Parishad had condemned the unprovoked lathi charge on the Tibetans in Dharamsala and demanded an inquiry into the incident. Mr Rajeshwar Negi, president of the parishad, said the Additional Superintendent of Police and the Subdivisional Magistrate concerned should be suspended and those injured in the lathi charge given a minimum compensation of Rs 5,000 each. |
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Pong power
house upgraded Chandigarh, February 13 The work of upgrading of the power house in the BBMB was started during 1998. An official spokesman said here today that it became imperative in view of the resources constraint. The BBMB has so far added 323.85 mw of capacity at Rs 60 lakh per mw whereas the cost of installing new hydro power project was Rs 5 to 6 crore per mw approximately. |
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