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Five MLAs inducted in CLP,
HPMC gave undue benefit to private firm, says BJP
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Poll officer’s directive on defacement
BMS flays govt for neglecting social security scheme
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Five MLAs inducted in CLP, says Virbhadra
Shimla, March 15 While Mr Virbhadra Singh asserted that five MLAs who won the last Assembly poll as Independents, had been made associate members with the approval of the party high command, Mr Kuldeep Rathore, the party spokesman, maintained that only four of them had been inducted. Mr Rathore showed a letter of Mr Ashok Gehlot, the central leader in charge of Himachal Pradesh affairs, informing that the high command had granted permission to make Mr Sohan Lal, Mr Subhash Manglait, Mr Kuldeep Pathania and Mr Biru Ram associate members of the CLP. However, Mr Virbhadra Singh said Mr Rakesh Verma, another Independent MLA, had also been made an associate member in consultation with Ms Sonia Gandhi and other central leaders. He said inducting Independents as associate members was the prerogative of the CLP leader as they were not the members of the Congress. Mr Verma has been a rival of Ms Stokes and defeated her as an Independent candidate during the 1993 Assembly poll. Meanwhile, the Congress readmitted seven leaders, including two stalwarts of the Himachal Vikas Congress, to the party today. Mr Prakash Chaudhary, a former minister, Mr Shiv Lal, a general secretary of the HVC, Mr M.R. Chaudhary (Balh), Mr Karnesh Jung (Paonta), Mr Mohinder Pal (Kutlehar), Mr Yog Raj (Pragpur) and Mr Sanjay Rattan (Jwalamukhi) joined the party along with their supporters. |
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Dhumal’s statement
misleading, says CM
Shimla, March 15 Talking to mediapersons, he said, his statement was a “threat” and an affront to the electorate of the state who gave a massive mandate of the Congress. The Chief Minister asserted that in a democratic set up no government at the Centre could deny a state its due. Mr Vajpayee gave Rs 553 crore to the state even though Mr Dhumal tried his best to block financial assistance. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the Congress had adopted a policy of welcoming secular-minded leaders into the party with open arms. Ms Sonia Gandhi, Congress President, had been making relentless effort to bring all such leaders and forces on a common platform to oust the NDA government. He appealed to all like-minded persons to join the Congress without any pre-conditions. |
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HPMC gave undue benefit to private firm, says BJP
Shimla, March 15 Dr Rajiv Bindal, a spokesperson for the party, said here today that the Delhi-based distributor of the corporation had sought Rs 2 lakh in 1997-98 and the dispute was referred for arbitration. However, the firm later gave up its claim and the case was also withdrawn. Thereafter, the corporation appointed a new distributor. After the return of the Congress to power, the corporation paid over Rs 6 lakh to the firm despite the fact that no amount was due to it. Moreover, the corporation removed the new distributor though its period of its contract was yet not over, and appointed the said firm in its place. |
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Poll officer’s directive on defacement
Shimla, March 15 She said without the permission of the building owner writing slogans on walls would be an offence and violators could be prosecuted accordingly. Prevention of Defacement Act, 1985, was also applicable in the state and under its provisions defacement of property was a punishable offence. She said the Election Commission had urged all political parties to avoid the use of plastic and polythene for the preparation of election material. Ms Nanda said instructions had already been issued to all district election officers and police officials in this regard. |
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RS seat: Cong to field Anand Sharma
Shimla, March 15 Mr Sukh Ram had been keen on securing the Rajya Sabha seat for his son, Mr Anil Sharma, whose term in the Upper House expires on April 2. He had been camping in Delhi for more than a month to work out an understanding for supporting the Congress in the poll. |
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BMS flays govt for neglecting social security scheme
Nurpur, March 15 Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Mr Mangal Singh and Mr Ashok Prohit, state president and organisation secretary of the BMS, respectively, stated that the Vajpayee government had launched the scheme to safeguard the interests of the unorganised labour in the country. The state government, however, did not evince any interest in submitting any proposal to the Centre in this connection, they added. The BMS leaders alleged that the Virbhadra government had also failed to enforce the Labour Migrant Act in the state. They said the government had been interfering in the affairs of the registered employees’ and workers’ unions for its political ends”. “The leaders of these unions are being framed in false cases”, they added. Lashing out at the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the BMS leaders said he had been working in a dictatorial manner and his style of working had created unrest among workers and employees in the state. The BMS leaders, who were here to attend the third sammelan of Kangra district unit of the BMS held today, alleged that irregularities were being committed in the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation and it was being mismanaged. They demanded a white paper on the functioning of the corporation. |
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Mobile phones banned from
examination halls
Kangra, March 15 Mr B.R. Rahi, Chairman of the board, said today that during checking of an examination centre, he found members of the flying squad carrying mobile phones inside the examination hall and their ringing disturbed the students. He said all kinds of mobile phones had been banned from being carried in side the examination centres. Meanwhile, the flying squads today detected at an examination centre of a private school in Kangra town, with a student strength of four in the business study examination of plus two, that a student was indulging in copying even as a superintendent and a deputy superintendent were supervising. According to sources, an unfair means case was registered against the student. Mr Rahi said today three students of the same subject were caught using unfair means in the same subject in another private school of Kangra town. He said so far 617 students had been caught copying and the board registered cases of unfair means against them. The maximum number, 184, was from Kulu and Kangra figured next with 159 students. He said in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur no student was found copying. In Bilaspur 67, Chamba 24, Hamirpur 38, Mandi 43, Sirmour nine, Shimla 42, Solan 17 and Una 34 students were caught copying and use of unfair means cases were registered against them. Mr Rahi said the board had cancelled the chemistry and accountancy examinations of plus two held at Government Senior Secondary School, Jawali, on March 8. Fresh examinations would be conducted on March 17. The examinations were cancelled as the students were indulging in mass copying. He said a
supervisor of the Una centre was removed. He also visited the Government Senior Secondary School, Kangra, examination centre where an outsider had assaulted a superintendent on Saturday. He said he gathered facts related to the incident and asked the SDM, Kangra, and the police to take preventive steps to check such incidents. |
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Central School may be shifted from Subathu
Subathu, March 15 Mr Harsh Mahan Caire, Commissioner, Central School, New Delhi, who yesterday inspected the alternative site near Guga Mari mandir along with Mr D.K. Saini, Assistant Commissioner, Central School, Chandigarh, indicated refusal to shift the school of the alternative site spread over 13 acres. The school, set up in 1987 here, at present runs from Army buildings spread over 4.22 acres. A few years ago the authorities of 14 Gorkha Training Centre had asked the school authorities to vacate the Army building. Two years ago Mr D.K. Saini inspected the alternative site. He had also rejected the site. Mr Caire inspected the site and rejected it due to its location. Moreover, the alternative site requires a huge investment to develop it for school’s purpose. Mr R.P. Singh, principal of the school, who also accompanied Mr Caire, told The Tribune that had the Army developed the site the school authorities would have preferred to shift the school. There has been decline in enrolment in the school in the past few years, said Mr R.P. Singh. In current session the school registered only five children for class first, he pointed out. The school’s strength, recorded over 1000 in the past, now has reduced to only 600, he said. It would be better to invest at a new place like near Solan or Dharampur where the school could receive more students rather investing here on shifting the school, he asserted, maintaining that poor enrolment was not the reason to shift the school from here. Brig S.S. Sambyal, Commandant, 14 GTC, could not be contacted despite attempts. However, a senior official of the Centre said that it was for the school management to decide about the school’s shifting. The Commandant called up Mr R.P. Singh after the school officials left for Kasauli from here. The principal informed the Commandant on the developments. Meanwhile, according to confirmed sources, Mr R.P. Singh, Principal of Central School, Subathu, has written a letter to 14 GTC authorities today giving details about yesterday’s developments. In the letter the Principal clarified that failing to get suitable alternative land at Subathu the Central School authorities could shift the school from Subathu to another place, sources said. |
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FAO experts to train apple growers
Shimla, March 15 Ms Radha Singh, Secretary (Agriculture) to the Government of India, while inaugurating a two-day workshop in this connection here today, said under the 18-month programme, the FAO would provide technical support and experts would train the apple growers in the latest techniques. The emphasis would be on maximising the use of the horticulture area, water harvesting and introduction of new high-yielding apple varieties. Himachal Pradesh was known as an apple state but there was a vast scope for improving both the quality and production of apples. In foreign countries, the production of apples was much higher. Dr Denial Gustafson, the FAO representative in India, said diversification of agriculture and horticulture was the need of the hour. |
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Abduction case solved; 6 held
Nahan, March 15 Mr Sharma said Nayyer, a resident of Uttra Pradesh, along with accomplices entered the house of Mr Bhajan Singh had kidnapped his 8-year-old son Parminder. However, the boy was released after three days at Yamunanagar. The SP said though the boy was released, the kidnappers were demanding ransom for this release. They threatened the father to kidnap his child again. The police tapped the phone call for ransom and arrested Nayyer, Kamil and Sahid with the help of Uttar Pradesh police. Later, the police arrested Dharam Singh, Ram Lal and Ashwani Kumar. |
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Liquor shops’
auction fetches Rs 19 cr
Una, March 15 Later, the DC told mediapersons that the continued auction of Una district, which was divided into three units, fetched more than Rs 19 crore. This was Rs 1 crore 29 lakh more than last year’s auction of Una district. M/s Universal & Interprises made the highest bid and got all three units. |
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3 die in mishaps
Paonta Sahib, March 15 In an another accident Harbhajan Singh (26) son of Mr Mohinder Singh of Brotiwala died in an accident last night and his friend Makhan Singh of Haripur Tohana village was injured seriously and he has been referred to Lemon Hospital Herbertpur. The accident took place near Shubkhera village, when they were going on motor cycle No (HP-17-0851) and the motor cycle hit the parapet of the road. In an another accident, Bahadur Singh of Hallan village, Shillai tehsil was involved in accident with (No HP-17-7216) and died on the spot. |
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Jagriti yatra enters J&K
Nurpur, March 15 Convener of the yatra, Mumal Pant, NSUI national spokesman, Kuntal Krishan and Himachal Pradesh NSUI president Kewal Pathania while addressing mediapersons here said the objective of the yatra was to educate the youth about the failures and misdeeds of the NDA government.
— OC |
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