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Sukh
Ram’s return boosts Cong morale, says Stokes BJP
unfazed, says chief Shanta
opposed land reform laws: minister Virbhadra
flays Centre over policies |
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Accounts
in order, says medical trust CEO Mr Sudershan Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of the Vivekananda Medical Research and Education Trust, said here today that all accounts of the trust were open to scrutiny by those who had donated funds for the trust. Dry
spell withers vegetable crop Drought-like conditions since early February have severely damaged the vegetable crop in the region. While more than 60 per cent of the pea crop in the mid-hills belt of Solan, Sirmaur and Shimla districts has been damaged, other vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and garlic too have been affected. HC
rejects state govt pardon to homicide convict The Himachal Pradesh High Court has set aside the decision of the state government to grant pardon to Rakesh Malik on the grounds of good behaviour while in custody. Mandi, April 16 Five bodies were found today — four in the BSL Reservoir at Sundernagar and one on the banks of the Beas near here. 
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Sukh Ram’s return
boosts Cong morale, says Stokes Mandi, April 16 Talking to mediapersons, she described Mr Sukh Ram as a national leader and claimed that he had made a big contribution to the development of the state. She said, “Unlike the BJP, which treated him shabbily after seeking his help in the formation of the government, the Congress will give him full respect, which he deserves”, she observed. Earlier Ms Stokes addressed a meeting of Congress workers of Darang Assembly constituency at Padhar and exhorted them to work for the victory of the Congress candidate. Addressing the workers, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Kaul Singh, exuded confidence that the people of the state would rout the BJP in the parliamentary elections, as they did it in the Vidhan Sabha elections about a year back. |
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BJP unfazed, says chief Dharamsala, April 16 Mr Bhardwaj said Mr Sukh Ram’s rejoining the Congress did not matter as most of the HVC leaders and workers had already joined the BJP. Now Mr Sukh Ram and his son Mr Anil Sharma have crossed over to the Congress. The BJP president said the recent excise auctions in the state and allotment of barriers to those close to the ministers was a proof of rampant corruption in the Virbhadra government. |
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Shanta opposed land reform laws: minister Dalhousie, April 16 Ms Asha Kumari alleged that the Laghu Zimindar Sabha led by Mr Shanta Kumar had been formed to prevent the implementation of land reform laws. She said the then Jan Sangh led by Mr Shanta Kumar had always opposed the interests of the state and its tillers. Ms Asha Kumari claimed that the official car of Chowdhary Hardyal, then a Congress minister, was burnt by Jan Sangh activists at Baijnath in Kangra district in 1971-72 in the wake of the implementation of land reform laws by the Congress government. She charged Mr Shanta Kumar with shedding crocodile tears in his election campaign to woo the electorate. Many other changes and reforms in the interest of the population in various fields of development and prosperity of the poor had been opposed by the leaders of the Jan Sangh, she claimed. She said that the formation of Himachal Pradesh, the merger of hill states of Punjab on November 1, 1966 into Himachal Pradesh and the grant of full statehood to Himachal Pradesh had been opposed by Jan Sangh leaders. |
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Virbhadra flays Centre over
policies Shimla, April 16 Addressing a series of election meetings in the Chopal area of
the Shimla parliamentary constituency he said the policies of the NDA
forced hundreds of farmers to commit suicide and the prices of
essential commodities shot up as a result of which the poor found it
difficult to make both ends meet. The policies and programmes
benefited only the rich, while the poor remained neglected in all
respects. He said the Congress was the real benefactor of the poor
and framed several policies for their uplift. Indira Gandhi had
launched a special campaign for the eradication of poverty by giving
the slogan of “Garibi Hatao” Gandhi Kutir and Indira Awas Yojna
aimed at providing shelter to the houseless, were also launched
subsequently. He said that the land reforms were implemented by the
congress. It was during the congress regime that the surplus land was
allotted to landless people. |
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Accounts in order, says medical trust CEO Palampur, April 16 He said daily accounts were maintained and a monthly balancesheet prepared and placed before the trustees and the agencies concerned for scrutiny every month. Mr Sharma, addressing mediapersons here today, said the amount received by the trust in the past three years had been accounted for and all donors were issued receipts. The sums donated had been credited in the bank accounts of the trust. Refuting charges levelled by Mr S.K. Alok, a former trustee, Mr Sharma said he had been associated with the trust for three years. During that period all documents had been approved by him and he had never raised any doubt. He had started making allegations after he was removed from the trust, Mr Sharma added. He alleged that Mr Alok had been removed on the charge of receiving a bribe. Mr Sharma said the hospital was at the completion stage and would be functional within a year. DHARAMSALA:
Congress leaders and ministers Chander Kumar, B.B.L. Butail and G.S. Bali have demanded the accounts of the Vivekananda Medical Research Trust, Palampur, be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India as the funds collected by the trust included money given by the state government and donations collected from people of Himachal Pradesh. Former Union Minister and BJP candidate for the Kangra Lok Sabha seat Shanta Kumar is the Chairman of the trust. The Congress candidate for the Kangra seat and Forest Minister, Mr Chander Kumar, and the other ministers, addressing a press conference at Dadh last evening, said the disclosures by a former trustee, Mr S.K. Alok, about irregularities in the working of the trust and fund management had created doubts among the donors about the fate of the money given for a good cause. Mr Chander Kumar said it was surprising that the former Union Minister was now casting aspersions on a senior retired bureaucrat who was handpicked by him to be the Managing Trustee. Transport Minister G. S. Bali said he had repeatedly issued statements asking Mr Shanta Kumar to clear the doubts, but no one paid heed. Revenue Minister B.B.L. Butail also endorsed the demand for an audit of the accounts and said Mr Shanta Kumar and the BJP were trying to confuse the issue by linking it with the elections. Meanwhile, Mr Alok rebutted the allegations of corruption levelled against him. In a statement issued here today, he alleged that Mr Shanta Kumar was trying to harm his reputation by stating half truths and concealing the facts. He claimed that the UN had absolved him of all charges and he was receiving pensionary benefits from the world organisation. He said all cheques had been signed by the trust Chairman himself and the charges against him of receiving a commission on steel purchase were false. |
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Dry spell withers vegetable crop Solan, April 16 While more than 60 per cent of the pea crop in the mid-hills belt of Solan, Sirmaur and Shimla districts has been damaged, other vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and garlic too have been affected. Scientists at the Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, say that not only has the unusual dry spell led to powdery mildew disease in peas, the crop that did survive has also suffered deterioration in quality. There are few takers for the poor-quality peas in the market. Though farmers have been growing drought-resistant varieties for the past couple of years, the exceptional dry spell this year has still damaged the crop. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Kumar, said a meeting would soon be convened to prepare a report on the entire loss. A visit to rural areas in the district revealed dry fields in which pea plants had been completely damaged. Farmers were preparing the fields for transplanting tomatoes. Scientists say that if it rains within a month, the tomato crop could be saved. Though loss had been
suffered on account of other vegetable crops the quantum of loss was not high as these were harvested in March and April. The dry spell has also affected the size, quality and yield of garlic. |
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HC rejects state govt pardon to homicide convict Shimla, April 16 Malik was convicted and sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment by the high court in 1987 under various sections of the IPC and his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1996. Declaring the pardon as unconstitutional a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta and Mr Justice Kuldip Chand Sood asked what was special about Malik for being chosen as the sole recipient of this pardon when three courts had held him guilty of culpable homicide and had affirmed his conviction and sentence. The court observed that if pardon was on the grounds of good behaviour, it was afraid that every convict, after committing a
heinous and barbaric crime and serving a sentence of imprisonment for life or death penalty, could do anything to wear the mask of good
behaviour. The government would grant pardon to all such persons, the court asked, adding that no such policy had been shown. The Chief Justice, writing the judgement for the Bench, observed that without following any policy, the government could not single out a particular individual for the grant of pardon. The court said it had no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that the grant of pardon was an arbitrary exercise of executive power. |
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4 bodies found in reservoir Mandi, April 16 According to Mr Ajai Yadav, Superintendent of Police, the four bodies that were removed from the reservoir seemed to be cases of suicide. One of the three, Dummu Ram (21) of Kashla village (Jaidevi), had consumed some poisonous substance before plunging into the lake, he said. The three others had committed suicide by jumping into reservoir, the SP said. They were identified as Jai Singh (28) of Kapahi, Karan Dass of Kummi village and Thulma Devi (70) of Harabagh. The fifth body, found on the banks of the Beas, was of Avinash (14) of Sain Mohalla. |
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SASE lab at Bahang ‘unique achievement’ Kulu, April 16 He maintained that the setting up of a laboratory at the SASE complex at Bahang was a unique achievement. Six young scientists were awarded by Dr Arunachalam for meritorious services. |
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Parmar is Addl
Chief Secretary Shimla, April 16 The government also accepted the request of former Chief Secretary Arvind Kaul for premature retirement with effect from April 1. Mr Parmar is a 1971 batch IAS officer and held several important posts during his career, including that of acting Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University. |
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