 |
|
Fear of
exposure haunts BJP, says Himachal CM Efforts
on to rope in HVC workers Fund
misuse charges baseless, says Shanta Narendra
Thakur’s entry into BJP put off |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ramlal
challenges BJP statement HP Govt
to be dismissed if BJP wins, says Dhumal Group
gains control of gurdwara Himachal
Day celebrations low key Colony
named after martyr in bad shape
|
|
Fear of exposure haunts BJP, says Himachal CM Shimla, April 15 The Chief Minister said that NDA Government had no policies and programmes to benefit the lower and middle classes and the weaker sections of society. Under its rule, the gap between the rich and poor widened. The Congress helped to bridge the gap by formulating policies for weaker sections. He said whenever a non-Congress government was formed at the Centre, the economic condition of people worsened. He said people had realised the mistake of voting such parties to power and were keen to bring back the tried and trusted Congress back to the power. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the BJP had been trying to divert the attention of the people of the state by raising issues which were of little importance to the common man. The BJP leadership proved to be inefficient during the five-year rule of the party. |
|
|
Efforts on to rope
in HVC workers Solan, April 15 Confirming the offer, Mr Roop Chand said a final decision would be
taken after consultations with the party members. Terming the merger
of the HVC with the Congress as a last ditch effort of Mr Sukh Ram to
add fresh lease of life to his son, Mr Anil Sharma’s sagging career,
general secretary of the HVC Sunder Lal Verma said it came as a shock
to the committed party workers. While no communication had reached
them as yet about this merger, he said it had upset the workers of all
17 Vidhan Sabha constituencies.
Spelling out their future strategy, he said they would meet
tomorrow to plan their future course of action. The fact that Mr D.R.
Shandil had won this seat on an HVC ticket, supported by the BJP, the
HVC still maintained some hold in the constituency.
Mr Sunder Lal said the sentiments of the party men should have been
taken into account by their top leaders before the merger. Ridiculing
Mr Anil Sharma of having betrayed their trust he said Mr Anil had
earlier promised that he would not take any decision contrary to their
interests.
Mr Roop Chand, former constituency president, accusing MP D.R.
Shandil of having ignored the party workers, said he did nothing to
solve the local issues like getting support price for stone fruits and
tomatoes. Being the main cash crops of Solan district, this failure
had greatly disappointed the farmers.
He lamented that the MP had concentrated on disbursing funds to the
rural areas and ignored the urban areas. The workers would join any
party which would accord them the respect. |
|
Fund misuse charges baseless, says Shanta Dharamsala, April 15 Releasing copies of documents, he said he had written to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to urge them to order a CBI inquiry into the allegations of misuse and how Mr Shanta Kumar had approached the Dalai Lama for donations without the permission of the Ministry of External Affairs. He said the Himachal Government had given Rs 4 crore and 400 kanals of land worth in crores for a super-speciality hospital at Holta and as per rules, the accounts should have been audited by the CAG. He alleged that the former Union Minister had got the condition removed and entrusted the audit to a private party whose full report was not placed before the trust for approval. He also alleged that Mr Shanta Kumar appointed his elder brother as the chief executive officer of the trust. Mr Alok alleged that the funds were collected through cheques against receipts and coupons were also printed. There was no account of the coupons and how much money was collected through them. PALAMPUR:
Mr Shanta Kumar, senior BJP leader, addressing a press conference at his residence on Thursday said Mr Alok was removed from the trust in June when he was found involved in cases of corruption, gross official irregularities and misuse of trust funds. Mr Shanta Kumar said Mr Alok was the managing trustee till June 2003 and was looking after the purchases and procurement of material. In March 2003, he allegedly purchased steel at higher rates by a fabricating documents and caused a loss of over Rs 1 lakh to the trust. Mr Shanata Kumar said since he was the Chairman of the trust, these facts were brought to his notice. He immediately called the owner of the steel company and he admitted of having paid a bribe amounting to Rs 2.65 lakh to Mr Alok. He said later inquiries were conducted and it was revealed that money was taken on the name of the Chairman of the trust. Mr Alok admitted to have received Rs 2.65 lakh and assured Mr Shanta Kumar that he would return the amount to the trust. However, he did not return the money instead, the steel company returned Rs 2.5 lakh to the trust. Later Mr Alok was asked to tender his resignation. Mr Shanta Kumar said it was a single instance where Mr Alok had been caught but in many other cases, he had misused the funds for his personal benefit. He had drawn over Rs 6.25 lakh from the trust during his tenure and the money was yet to be accounted for, Mr Kumar alleged. He said the trust had decided to sue him to recover the funds. He also released the photo-copies of the fabricated copies of quotation to mediapersons. Mr Shanta Kumar also said when Mr Alok was posted in Nepal in the United Nations office, he was involved in a number of cases of corruption and official irregularities. He was dismissed from service and was facing corruption charges. His pensionary benefits had also been withheld by the Union Government. Mr Harsh Mahajan, Minister of Animal Husbandry, has, meanwhile, sought a white paper from Mr Shanta Kumar on the alleged large-scale irregularities in the trust accounts. In a press note issued in Chamba on Thursday, Mr Mahajan described it as a scam in which Mr Sudarshan Sharma, brother of Mr Shanta Kumar, had been appointed as a trustee. He also released a copy of the letter of Mr Alok and sought a CBI probe into the matter. |
|
Narendra Thakur’s entry into BJP put off Hamirpur, April 15 Mr Narendra Thakur had unsuccessfully contested the last Vidhan Sabha elections as an Independent. There are reports that a majority of the leaders and workers of the Hamirpur mandal as well as the district unit are against the entry of Mr Thakur without an apology to the former Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. Meanwhile, the Hamirpur mandal unit of the party today decided to fight the Lok Sabha elections jointly and inflict a crushing defeat on the Congress. Mr Kartar Singh Thakur, general secretary of the mandal, said here today that the meeting exhorted workers to reach Hamirpur in large number on April 22 at the time of filing of nomination papers of party candidate Suresh Chandel. A massive public meeting will also be organised on that day at Hamirpur. |
|
|
Ramlal challenges BJP statement Bilaspur, April 15 Addressing mediapersons here last night Mr Ramlal Thakur lambasted the BJP and said this was a classic example of false propaganda and rumour mongering launched by BJP. He said the fact was that he himself was keen to contest the election because he wanted to avenge his earlier defeat. He said there was no doubt that this time he would floor his opponent. |
|
|
HP Govt to be dismissed if BJP wins, says Dhumal Solan, April 15 Instead of providing jobs, the government tried to mislead the youth by
presenting conflicting figures of government jobs provided to the state’s youth, he alleged. Ridiculing the decision of the government to grant permission to open 68 arc furnaces, he said it would burden the power sector with little gains for the state. He later addressed a rally at Shaktighat in the Kasauli constituency in favour of the Mr H.N. Kashyap. |
|
|
Group gains control
of gurdwara Kumarhatti, April 15 The drama started when the trust was announcing the nominations of a new committee with Mr Nanak Singh, vice-president of Dharampur panchayat, as its new president. The group, most of them were youths, snatched mike from the rival group and announced its committee. After holding mike the group started questioning the existence of the trust. According to the group, the trust was functioning illegally. Only a few opportunists had formed the trust for their vested interest and taken the control of the gurdwara, it said. The Gurdwara Sahib Dharampur Trust that was founded on October 22, 1946, has five trustees with Mr Gursharan Singh Jeji, maternal uncle of the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, as its Chairman. The trust was a legal body, said Mr Gurdev Singh, secretary of the newly nominated gurdwara committee of the trust. Since 1946 the trust had been managing the gurdwara, he added. The group had complained to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). The SGPC had raised objection over the name of Mr Mulak Raj Verma, a non-Sikh, as president of the local committee who had now resigned. Otherwise it had appreciated the role of the trust in managing the gurdwara in a god way, maintained Mr Gurdev Singh. Now when the group had left no other way it resorted to such forceful act, he said. The trust asked the group to accommodate its member in committee for which the group had given its nod, he said. “We were cheated by the trust on the nomination of the new local committee,” said Mr Dalbir Singh Sethi, vice-president of the group. “Most of the trustees were outsiders whereas it should be local. Moreover, we have asked the trust to form a new committee through election this time. But the trust has tried to impose its own committee by ignoring its assurance,” he said. Meanwhile, the trust had lodged a complaint with the police and the DC, Solan, against the group. |
|
Himachal Day celebrations low key Shimla, April 15 Unlike previous years, no district-level functions were organised because of the model code of conduct. Only a state-level function was held here, which was presided over by Mr
V.S. Kokje, Governor. Normally, the Chief Minister presides over the state-level function and ministers over the district functions. The state come into existence on April 15,1948, with the merger of 30 princely states. The state of Bilaspur was merged in 1953, while Punjab hill areas were merged into it in 1966. Addressing the gathering, Mr Kokje underlined the need to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state and the largely pollution-free environment. He said the state had made rapid strides in various spheres of development, especially health, education and communications. Earlier, the Governor unfurled the National Flag and took the salute at an impressive march-past by contingents of the police, home guards and the NCC. A cultural programme was also presented on the occasion. |
|
Colony named after martyr in bad shape Palampur, April 15 In a press note here yesterday, Mr K.B. Ralhan, president of the forum, said despite assurances by the state government, no steps had been taken to develop the colony. Roads leading to Sorabh Nagar were in a bad shape and those that had been dug up for laying telephone cables and water pipes had still to be repaired. He urged the Chief Minister to look into the matter. |
|
4 govt officials honoured Kangra, April 15 Mr G.S. Bawa, District Governor of Rotary Club, during a visit to the town on Tuesday, gave away these awards to Mr Baboo Ram for traffic control, Mr Ram Kumar for attending to electricity complaints, Mr Subhash Chand of the Telephone Department and Mr Makholi Ram of the Postal Department. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Video
