 |
|
BJP seeks sack of Tourism Minister
Chamera lake’s tourist potential not tapped
Ranjit Singh trust plans modern complex
Staff ‘gherao’ panel member
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Teachers resent shifting of headmasters
Dhumal misleading people on ski village
1 killed, 6 hurt in road mishaps
|
|
BJP seeks sack of Tourism Minister
Shimla, August 24 Addressing a press conference here today, he said the government had all along maintained that it was a private show and the Tourism Department had nothing to do with it. However, when Mr Ramesh Dhawala, president of the Kangra district BJP, raised the issue, the government admitted that Rs 70,508 were spent by the Tourism Department. Besides, it was mentioned on the tickets that the Tourism Department sponsored the show. He said the private company, Next Victory Media and Films, which organised the show, had initially said that the estimated expenditure on the event would be Rs 54,70,000 and that it would help raise Rs 51 lakh for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund but only Rs 31 lakh had been deposited in the fund. He alleged that crores of rupees were swindled through the sale of un-numbered tickets and the minister also misused his position to raise funds from industrialists for the show. A criminal case should be registered against the company, which is owned by a close relative of a minister, for cheating and fraud and inquiry should be entrusted to the CBI. He said Mr Bali had also committed many of irregularities in the Transport Department in the purchase of buses for the state road transport corporation, allotment of bus routes, attachment of private buses and doling out prime properties to favourites under the scheme to construct new bus stands on BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis. Referring to the high court verdict quashing the appointments of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries, he said Mr Virbhadra Singh should resign in view of his severe indictment by the court, which termed his action as unconstitutional and beyond jurisdiction. |
|
Chamera lake’s tourist potential not tapped
Chamera Lake (Chamba district), August 24 The agencies responsible for tourism development have not yet explored the prospects of places in the area, which can attract tourists. Though certain plans to harness tourism in the lake have been drawn up and of late a “tourism cooperative society” has also been formed, all these remain on paper. According to official sources, the land use within 200m of the edge of the reservoir has already been frozen. The dam site is at Chaurah and the two tails of reservoir extend up to Sundla on the Siul and up to Kiyani on the Ravi. The area narrow and does not have wide banks, except at a few places near Udaypur, Kiyani and Rajpura. At both these places, the tail of the reservoir is not deep enough for various activities. However, rides along the river on boats or a ferry can be made an attraction. Fish farming can be developed in the reservoir besides water sports. The poor accessibility around the lake will remain the biggest hurdle in the way of development. The tourist infrastructure includes a properly constructed and well-maintained road network, parking facilities, hotels, restaurants and a commercial shopping facility and, above all, an affordable transport. |
|
Ranjit Singh trust plans modern complex
Manali, August 24 Talking to The Tribune here yesterday, Mr K.S. Bains, (IAS), Chairman of the trust said a plan had been submitted to the DDA for its approval. “The complex will come up at the prime Rouse Avenue on the 1000 sq yard land on the DDU Marg in New Delhi”, he said. He said the complex had been designed by Jasbir Singh Sachdeva, an architect who designed Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the Siri Fort, New Delhi. The complex would involve an initial investment of Rs 3 crore” . The Trust had bought the land during the tenure of the Vajpayee government for Rs 26 lakh. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is expected to lay the foundation stone for the complex, he said. He said the Trust
was commemorating the 200 years of the famous Saragarhi battle in which over 22 Sikh jawans of the Sikh Regiment died, fighting the strong 10,000 Afgan tribal bravely as they refused to surrender. Sponsored by the Indian Airlines, the Trust had planned conduct the 2nd Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Gold Cup at the Shivaji Stadium, in Delhi, in January. The Trust had also sought the approval of the India Polo Association to hold a polo competition. |
|
|
Staff ‘gherao’ panel member
Shimla, August 24 The employees said the allegations were attributed to a member and at present Mr Katoch was the only member in position as the rest had retired. They maintained that such reports lowered the image of the commission in the public. Mr Katoch, however, said he had nothing to do with the news item but admitted that members of the commission had written to the Governor regarding the functioning of the commission. While the employees claimed that they
gheraoed Mr Katoch, Mr Arvind Kaul, Chairman of the commission, said there was no gherao and the employees had only gone to his room to express their resentment . He said that he was prepared to look into the complaints of irregularities if specific instance were brought to his notice. He said he had already met the Governor and explained his viewpoint to him. |
|
Teachers resent shifting of headmasters
Nurpur, August 24 Mr Onkar Rana, president of the Kangra
district unit, in a statement released here today said that the step would increase the problems
in the schools. He asserted that the principals of the senior secondary schools had to discharge the duties of administrative heads, inspecting officers and drawing and disbursing authorities. Mr Rana lamented that it would also decrease
the promotional opportunities for the trained graduates teachers. He opposed the
decision of disbursing salaries through cheques and bank accounts as this system would pose
practical difficulties to the teaching staff serving in the far-flung and rural areas where
the bank facility was not available. He urged the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, to intervene to revoke these decisions as these were anti-employee. |
|
Dhumal misleading people on ski village
Shimla, august 24 The party had approached the government with the proposal and it had been told to submit detailed project report after which it would be examined on merit. Mr Bali said that the present government was in no hurry to sign agreements like the BJP government which had signed a number of MoUs for hydel projects without environment clearances. |
|
1 killed, 6 hurt in road mishaps
Kangra, August 24 Kangra district police chief S.P. Singh said that a jeep (HP 34- 2539) overturned at Baid Khud leaving one occupant dead on the spot. Two persons sustained injuries. The deceased was identified as Rawat Ram, a resident of Matlaidoo. He said a case under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A, IPC, was registered in Shahpur police station and driver of the jeep Kamal Din of Rampur Chawari, Chamba, was arrested for rash and negligent driving. Two injured were admitted to Shahpur hospital for treatment. Mr S.P. Singh said that four persons were injured in another accident this morning on the outskirts of this town when a truck (MP-09-K-2494) fell into the Baner khud, 4 km from here. He said all the four injured occupants of the truck, which was on way to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, were admitted to the local Civil Hospital for treatment. The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 337, IPC, and arrested driver of the truck Gurmeet Singh of Anandpur Sahib. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
