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State to demand capital development
fund
Erstwhile prince seeks probe into
Migratory birds draw
crowds
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BKU for ban on foreign
agro-firms
Private buildings lack quake-resistant
features
Separate Waqf Board for state
planned
Two Haryana roadways buses impounded
Probe points to clerk’s hand in bank fraud
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State to demand capital development
fund
Shimla, November 15 The local legislator, Mr Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, had placed the demand for a special capital development fund for the capital town before the AICC chief and chairperson of the UPA, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, when she visited the town on November 10. “We are preparing project-wise details of the work to be undertaken with the help of the capital development fund that we are seeking from the Centre,” he said. He said he had already sent a written request to Mrs Gandhi, stressing the need for such a fund for the erstwhile summer capital of the British. “So far Orissa, Gujarat and Maharashtra have been the recipients of this fund and I feel Shimla is much more unique and deserving as there is valuable heritage and history in practically every nook and corner of the town,” he explained. Citing examples, he said apart from creating new infrastructure and facilities there was an urgent need to undertake major works to save the structures constructed by the British before Independence. “There are about 13 nullahs in the town which are its lifeline and we will require at least Rs 50 crore to raise retaining walls along these as the old ones are bulging and are the verge of collapse,” he said. The state will pursue the issue of grant of a capital development fund with the Centre as being a small state with its very limited resources, it is practically impossible to undertake the major projects in the town. “With the state government in the process of chalking out an ambitious development plan for the town, a lot of money will be required to create the proposed bypasses, tunnels,” he said. |
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Erstwhile prince seeks probe into sister’s
death
Bilaspur, November 15 Addressing mediapersons here yesterday he criticised the “hostile attitude” of a number of district officials concerned who resisted the post-mortem of his sister. He said only two weeks ago Rajeshwari had come to meet him at Chandigarh and was hale and hearty. He said his sister celebrated her birthday on November 7 and is said to have written or signed a will on November 9 and immediately therefter she was said to be critically ill and rushed to a private clinic at Sundernagar. She was declared dead on November 11 at the clinic. |
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Migratory birds draw
crowds
Hamirpur, November 15 Hundreds of people from Nadaun and other parts of the district are visiting the banks of the Beas to have a glimpse of the birds, which have flown between 5,000 and 6,000 km to reach here. The birds are being disturbed by the movement of tractors and trucks carrying stones, sand and ‘bajri’ and the noise of automobiles. The Forest Department is happy over the arrival of the migratory birds to the interior parts of the district. A spokesman of the department said today that the department would maintain a close vigil over the movement of the birds and of poachers. |
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BKU for ban on foreign
agro-firms
Nahan, November 15 This was announced here at a press conference addressed by the national spokesman of the BKU, Mr Rakesh Tikeit, the co-ordinator of the National co-ordinator committee of the Indian Farmers Movement and BKU’s Delhi unit, president, Mr Yudhvir Singh, and Mr S.S. Gill, president of the BKU’s Himachal Pradesh unit. The BKU leaders demanded a complete ban on foreign companies’ agricultural business in India. They stated that only those seeds and pesticides which suited the climatic conditions of the country and had been prepared by Indian scientists and Indian companies in India should be sold in India. They charged foreign companies with hatching a conspiracy to make Indian farmers slaves and destroying Indian traditional seeds and breeds of cattle. The BKU leaders announced that a nationwide agitation would be launched against the Union Government if the government failed to take a decision to keep agriculture out of the provisions of the WTO. They condemned the recent comments made by Union Minister Kamal Nath to reduce duty on the import of agricultural produce and termed it as ‘suicidal for the Indian farming community’. They said European nations were continuing with 42 per cent direct subsidy to their farmers and the Indian Government was pushing Indian farmers into open competition with European farmers by allowing only 4.5 per cent indirect subcidy to the Indian farming sector. They said US President George W. Bush had recently announced increase in subsidies to the agricultural sector from the existing 67 per cent and the Indian Government had reduced agricultural subsidies from 15 per cent to 4.5 per cent in recent years under pressure from the World Bank and the IMF. Ms Slime of Germany, a representative of People Globe Action, said the farmers movement in India was strong. She was hopeful of a bright future of the Indian farming community after a study of the Indian farmers movement. She said German farmers were getting aid from the government and they were satisfied. |
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Private buildings lack quake-resistant
features
Dharamsala, November 15 Things are, however, better in case of government buildings, most of which adhere to the code of building construction in the earthquake-prone areas. According to sources, masons will now be imparted training by the district administration so that they can keep these features in mind while taking up construction. The Wadia Institute of Himalyan Geography, Dehra Dun, has, meanwhile, set up 12 new seismic stations across the Dharamsala region for better study of the sub-surface structures, as part of a special campaign. A report will soon be prepared, pointing out that why this region is so earthquake prone. Dr B.R. Arora, institute Director, said earlier earthquake measuring below 3 on the Richter scale was not even recorded. “But now with the installation of new equipment at all these stations, the efficiency will improve. The project is being sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology,” he said. Kangra, Deputy Commissioner, Shrikant Baldi admitted that most private buildings and houses in the district did not meet the conditions of having earthquake-resistant features. But the administration would now ensure that all housing maps strictly adhere to the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act so that they were not vulnerable to earthquakes. The two-pronged approach will include spreading awareness among public to tell them that abiding by the code of building construction is in their interest, besides imparting of training to masons by the Public Works and the Architecture Departments. The problem is that even though the provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards regarding earthquakes are applicable on the government buildings, they do not extend to private structures. “But we now plan to take a serious view of any violation,” he said. The administration has also constituted a sub-committee, which will visit the Wadia Institute of Himalyan Geography for finalising the details of the awareness campaign and training of masons. The Kangra valley was rocked by tremors measuring 4.7 and 4.2 on the Richter scale on the morning of November 11. The first tremor was strong enough to rattle the windowpanes of scores of houses in the region. |
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Separate Waqf Board for state
planned
Shimla, November 15 Addressing the gathering, he said welfare of the minorities was his government’s priority and effective steps were afoot to safeguard their interests. He said the centuries-old mosques and other important Muslim establishments in the state indicated the long association of the community with the state. He said the state had constituted the Minorities Finance and Development Commission for speedy socio-economic upliftment of the minorities. The government was contemplating constitution of a separate Wakf Board for the state for which necessary modalities were being worked out. He said the nominations of the board members would also be announced. He said the state government would help the Wakf Board to get back its properties, acquired by unauthorised persons. The Chief Minister said the interests of the minorities were safe under the Congress which had always been concerned about their welfare. Mr Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, the local MLA, and Mr Sohan Lal, Mayor of the local Municipal Corporation, also spoke. |
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Two Haryana roadways buses impounded
Palampur, November 15 Mr Beni Parshad, Regional Manager of the HRTC told newsmen at Baijnath today that these buses were plying in the state without timetable and payment of SRT. He said Haryana Roadways had been allowed to ply only nine buses in the region whereas it was sending 16 buses daily on this route which was causing a net loss of Rs 18,648 per day to the state exchequer. He said despite repeated warning and written agreement with the Haryana Roadways authorities, it had not stopped the plying illegal of buses. Mr Beni Parshad said earlier too the buses of Haryana Roadways were impounded in the state but after a written agreement between the higher authorities of the two states the matter was amicably solved. Meanwhile a spokesman for the State Transport Department told The Tribune that matter had been reported to the senior officials. |
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Probe points to clerk’s hand in bank fraud
Solan, November 15 Initial investigations have pointed to the involvement of a bank clerk, Yashpal Dhiman, who has been working at the cash counter since the past several years. Dhiman swindled large sums of money from various accounts by forging signatures. Gullible villagers from the surrounding areas who had received lakhs as compensation from the government in lieu of surrendering their land for industrial expansion between 1999 and 2004 had deposited this money in the bank. This is the first case in the region where the working of a nationalised bank has come under a cloud for having cheated innocent villagers. Dhiman continued to forge signatures and withdraw money from various accounts without the knowledge of account-holders. His fraud remained untraced as he never took even a day’s leave and always managed to occupy the cash counter listed for withdrawing money. It was an account-holder, Ram Dass, hailing from the nearby Nandpur village who on one visit to the bank found large sums of money being withdrawn from his account without his knowledge. |
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