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Rs 78 cr for Shimla water scheme
Charge sheet filed in question paper scam case
Benami land cases unsettle Barog settlers
Legislation to curb unscientific mining in the offing
Traders observe complete bandh against VAT
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Revoke unfair counselling: parents
Governor returns after Pak visit
Settlers at Barog, a harassed lot
Notices to video
parlour owners
Staff shortage in Health Dept: federation
HC orders status quo in shops’ case
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Rs 78 cr for Shimla water scheme
Shimla, March 31 This was stated by the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, in reply to a question by Mr Harbhajan Singh Bhajji of the Congress in the Assembly today. He said keeping in view the acute drinking water shortage faced during the summers, the 12th Finance Commission had given Rs 38 crore for the scheme. “Since Rs 40 crore has also been sanctioned by HUDCO for the scheme, work will be expedited so that water availability in the capital town can be improved”, he informed the House. He stated that seeing the water problem in the town, which had to cater up to one lakh tourists each summer every day, 10 tubewells had been installed. He said a detailed project report (DPR) had been prepared and land was being acquired for a treatment plant and a storage tank. Tenders were being floated for starting work on the pumping site a provision had been made for sufficient pipes for the scheme. In reply to a question by Mr Surender Bhardwaj, the IPH Minister informed that a target had been set for providing drinking water to 1,750 partially covered villages in the state. “Last year, against a target of covering 1,500 villages the department was able to reach out to 1650 villages”, he said. Mr Thakur further said two urban water supply schemes, six major irrigation schemes and 49 small irrigation schemes had been approved by the centre for improving water supply in various towns of the state. Besides this, 42 drinking water schemes worth Rs 19.37 crore and irrigation schemes worth Rs 42.29 crore had been sanctioned by NABARD. To another question by Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, Transport Minister, Mr G.S. Bali informed that the 40 fuel-efficient buses purchased by Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) had registered profit. These superfast buses were mainly being plied on main routes connecting the state capital with district headquarters. Mr Bali said as compared to ordinary buses whose running cost worked out at Rs 21 per km, the cost in case of these TATA-709 buses worked out to be Rs 14 per km.
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Charge sheet filed in question paper scam case
Shimla, March 31 The three other accused in the case are Mr P.N. Bhardwaj, deputy registrar who was looking after the secrecy work, Mr L.R. Jindal, a relative of Dr Sharma, and Ms Poonam Singh, printer. Dr Sharma has been charged with defrauding the university of over Rs 74 lakh by awarding the job of printing question papers to his relative, Mr Jindal, at exorbitant rates in connivance with Mr Bhardwaj. The printing work was entrusted to Mr Jindal who got the job done through other printing units. During investigation, it was found that as per the prevailing rates, the cost of printing should have come to about Rs 22 lakh but the university paid over Rs 96 lakh for it. It was also established that the printing units, which actually carried out the job, were paid small amounts. When the Vigilance Department registered a case, an attempt was made to hide the identity of Mr Jindal, who is a relative of Dr Sharma, by introducing Ms Poonam Singh, who also owned a printing unit. Records were changed to show that she was awarded the work. The four accused have been charged with cheating, fraud, and falsification of records under Sections 420, 218, 467, 471 and 120 B of the IPC and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of the Corruption Act. The question paper scam was a major issue during the 2003 Assembly elections. The Congress, which had promised to probe all cases of corruption pertaining to the BJP regime, asked the Vigilance Department to investigate the scandal soon after coming to power. The police had a hard time completing investigations as Dr Sharma first refused to answer any queries and later went underground to evade arrest.
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Benami land cases unsettle Barog settlers Parwanoo, March 31 The registering of the benami sale deed cases under the Tenancy Act has come as a bolt from the blue for the settlers who until then were unaware of the status of the land. The registering of cases have forced most of the settlers to abandon their plan to invest more on their purchased flats or huts. It is being alleged that the revenue officials had recorded whatever they were able to lay their hands on as evidences without waiting to record the exact status from the owners of flats and cottages. The cases were registered in 2000 but till date most cases were pending. The situation has come to such a pass that most of the flats remained vacant throughout the year. Generally these settlers used to throng here in summer but now except in one or two cases the settlers avoid visiting their flats which they had purchased between Rs 4 lakh and 20 lakh. As per a survey by this correspondent, the condition of over 20 flats was deteriorating as its owners had failed to spend a single penny on its maintenance. Most of the flats have no electricity and water connection, thanks to the registering of the benami cases against it.
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Legislation to curb unscientific mining in the offing
Shimla, March 31 Mr Mahender Singh in his resolution said a detailed plan should be sent to the Centre seeking financial assistance for the proper utilisation of rainwater for irrigation and drinking purposes, instead of letting it go waste. The minister while stating that a number of projects in this regard were already being implemented and some others were in the pipeline, said that sending one single plan to the Centre would not be possible. “A comprehensive master plan will be prepared to undertake soil conservation and flood control measures so that rainwater can be properly utilised,” he stated. Mr Thakur, said due to population pressure, development and construction activities and felling of trees, the traditional water sources had dried up, posing serious drinking water shortage during summer months. “A sum of Rs 41 lakh has been allocated under the central macro management plan for the construction of water harvesting structures and check dams apart NABARD assistance,” he informed. He also said that a sum of Rs 540 crore would be spent by the forest department on various soil conservation and other works under Phase III of the World Bank-aided Kandi Project. He said proposals for schemes worth Rs 4.86 crore for the construction of 22 check dams, 31 schemes worth Rs 2.53 crore for the revival of springs, 15 schemes for rainwater harvesting worth Rs 46.55 lakh and four schemes worth Rs 1.46 crore had been sent to the Centre for approval. Mr Thakur, said check dams worth Rs 79 crore had been made in various districts like Kangra and Hamirpur in the recent past. He added that a number of schemes under the Integrated Water Development Project (174 crore), desert development projects (131 crore), increasing of green cover (34 crore), had been approved . |
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Traders observe complete bandh against VAT
Shimla, March 31 Shops and other commercial establishments remained closed in all the major towns and even rural areas, causing much inconvenience to the people who had to go without vegetables, fruits, milk bread and other daily necessities. Tourists were the worst sufferers as even dhabas, tea shops, restaurants and other eating joints were closed. The local Beopar Mandal has decided to hold a rally here tomorrow. UNA: Traders observed a complete bandh in the district. However, the traders allowed the doctors and chemists to open their shops. On the second day of the bandh today, all the hotels and dhabas remained closed in Una, Tahliwal, Chintpurni, Gagret, Amb, Daulatpur Chowk, Bangana and Thanakalan, Bharwani and Mubarikpur. Chamba: Despite the nationwide traders’ strike to protest against the imposition of the VAT the milk supply, newspaper distribution and plying of vehicular traffic was normal in Chamba and Dalhousie towns today. Liquor vends also remained open. Meanwhile, the bandh passed off peacefully in different parts of Chamba district, according to official reports received here today. |
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Revoke unfair counselling: parents
Chamba, March 31 The parents in a representation have urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to issue directives to the council to revoke all unfair selections made at the Kangra centre of the SCVT and conduct fresh counselling so that all the candidates who hail from the difficult-bound areas could also be able to avail the opportunity for admission. The parents have alleged that the seniority wise lists displayed outside the counselling hall were not accessible to a common man as thousands of candidates were called in a single day of counselling on March 20. They also alleged that some lists were torn out and the positions of vacant seats and filled seats were not shown to them. The institutes were allotted to candidates as per the counselling selectors choice without knowing the choice of the candidates. Not only this, even the candidates hailing from difficult and snow-bound areas could not avail the opportunity of counselling either because they did not have information or due to the blockade of roads following inclement weather, they said. The reserve category candidates were included in the general category violating the provisions laid down in the prospectus. Transparency was not maintained as dozen of candidates were called on the stage at one time. This way junior candidates were selected earlier and senior were selected later, thereby giving rise to filling of seats in the local institutions by candidates with lower percentage. The same is the case in mutual migrations as the private institutions are minting money in connivance with the officials, the parents alleged.
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Governor returns after Pak visit
Shimla, March 31 Mr Kokje, who returned after a brief visit to Faisalabad in Pakistan, said he was overwhelmed by the warm reception extended to him by Lieut-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retd), Governor, Punjab, and by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. He attended an international congress on agriculture and convocation at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, in his capacity as the Chancellor of the HP Agriculture University, Palampur. He also held discussions with General Maqbool on various issues of mutual interest. Mr Kokje, during his visit to the Ayub Agricultural Research Centre, asked the scientists to explore areas of mutual interest in the field of farm research for the benefit of the farming communities of the two nations. He said a delegation of farm scientists from Pakistan would visit Palampur in June. Mr Kokje was accompanied by the Vice-Chancellor of the Palampur Agriculture University, Dr Jagmohan Singh, during his visit to Pakistan. He delivered a talk on “Potentials and perspectives of hill and mountain agriculture in Himachal Pradesh”.
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Settlers at Barog, a harassed lot Parwanoo, March 31 Ironically, the arrival of settlers, most of whom are retried bureaucrats and army officers from the adjacent areas of Chandigarh, Punjab and New Delhi, have pushed the commercial viability of
Barog, which of late emerged as a tiny hill resort. From few shops to full-fledged market, the place has become a big draw among weekend tourists. The registration of benami sale deeds under the Tenancy Act has come as a bolt from the blue for the settlers who were unaware of the land status while investing money. This forced most of the settlers to abandon flats or cottages. In most cases malicious reporting of the land status by revenue officials was alleged. The cases were registered in 2000, but till date most cases were pending for decision. The situation has reached to such pass that most of the flats remained vacant. A settler rued that first the builder who constructed high up buildings in complete violation of the norms cheated us and then the state government emerged in picture by describing the sale deeds as illegal.
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Notices to video
parlour owners Nalagarh, March 31 The licenses, which are renewed every year, had been held last year also. The licenses were renewed only after submission of affidavits by the owners stating that they would comply with the norms. Though a few had provided toilets, but most of the other essential conditions remained unfulfilled. The irregularities had been highlighted during various raids conducted by the SDM. The directions, including, provision of a toilet, hall of required parameters, purchase of CDs from authorised dealers, abstaining from playing obscene CDs, among others were rarely abided by, revealed Ms Thakur. There were also reports that certain FIRs had been registered against video parlors running obscene CDs. The SDM said an opportunity had been provided to the owners to put forth their views on the issue and objections had also been invited from the public.
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Staff shortage in Health Dept: federation
Chamba, March 31 Mr Sat Pal Thakur, district president of the federation, said most of the health centres had been locked due to the scarcity of staff. He said some of these centres were being run by pharmacists. Mr Thakur said at present 450 posts, including those of doctor and paramedical staff, were vacant in the Health Department while 195 posts of ayurvedic doctor and other staff in the Ayurveda Department in Chamba district were vacant.
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HC orders status quo in shops’ case
Shimla, March 31 A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta and Mr Justice V.M. Jain also directed the state government to ensure that the shopkeepers were not dispossessed in any manner till further orders. The court also issued notices to the Secretary, Town & Country Planning, the Chairman, Special Area Development Authority (SADA), the Collector, Kinnaur, and the member-secretary, Special Area Development Authority (SADA) directing them to file replies before May 12. |
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