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Govt move to rope in tourists fails to take off
CM monitoring development schemes
Rs 2,000 crore to be spent on roads: CM
Setback to Cong in panchayat samiti poll
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BJP to approach President on ‘misuse’ of power by Cong
Cong charge against BJP in panchayat poll
Cong-backed candidates capture posts
Work to set up SADA in Baddi area begins
Residents’ plea on mini-secretariat
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Govt move to rope in tourists fails to take off
Mandi, January 14 The Himachal and Punjab governments have given land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The terminal building is complete. The link road is being constructed. Air-India is expected to give its nod for the Boeing flights this year, revealed officials. The neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed an advantage over Himachal last year when the government managed the big flights of Air Deccan to Srinagar, giving a boost to tourism in the valley. But Himachal is yet to rope in the more domestic airlines to boost tourism in the state. Sources in the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation (DTCA) reveal that Air Deccan, which was planning to operate the Delhi-Kulu 40 seater flights last year, has postponed it till April this year. As the AAI has taken permission to operate the Pathankot defence airport for civil purposes, it will give a boost tourism in the Kangra-Dharamsala sector and the Dalhousie-Chamba tourist circuits, said top officials. “Dalhousie and Dharamshala are just 100 km away from airport,” they added. The present 18-seater Jagsons International operates its Delhi-Kulu flight daily, but tourists do not find seats. “The proposed Air Deccan 40- seater can bring in high-budgeted tourists in the Mandi-Kulu-Lahaul circuits, revealed the officials. The private airliner had already operated experimental 40-seater flights a few years ago as the Bhuntar airport runway was big enough to operate the flights, said the Commissioner, DTCA, Mr Tarun Shridhar. The terminal building of the Bhuntar airport is being expanded to accommodate over 200 passengers. But the Rs 117 crore runway extension project has been grounded for the time being as it needs a bridge across the Beas, although the IIT Roorki, has submitted the feasibility report to the state government, revealed officials. On the other, the Gaggal airport runway has been extended from 3900 to 4200 ft and can operate 52 seater ATR flights. Work on the boundary wall is in progress. At present Jagsons International is operating thrice-a-week flights to Dharamsala via Kulu, revealed officials. |
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CM monitoring development schemes
Kangra, January 14 He was addressing a mammoth public meeting at Takipur in this subdivision after laying the foundation stones of the PHC building to be constructed at a cost of Rs 66.30 lakh, water supply scheme for Daultatpur Jalari to be implemented at a cost of Rs 1 crore and combined office building at Kangra to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.17 crore . Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state government held the historic Vidhan Sabha session at Dharamsala. The winter practice of overseeing developmental projects, laying foundation stones of other schemes and discussing future needs besides listening to various grievances of the public had been a grand success, he said adding that during the sojourn, efforts were made to provide relief to the people who did not have to travel to Shimla for their genuine problems. He said every day he had been dedicating development schemes worth crores to the people and listening to the public grievances. The Chief Minister said the winter sojourn had helped in taking the government to the doorsteps of the common people. Mr Chander Kumar, MP from Kangra, said the UPA government had formulated the Bharat Nirman Programme to create basic infrastructure of education, health, road, water supply and other civic amenities in rural areas of the country. He said the programme would supplement the efforts of the state government in achieving this objective on priority. Mr Surender Kaku, MLA-cum-chairman, OBC Finance and Development Corporation, welcomed the Chief Minister and urged him to provide funds for expansion of the Takipur ground, opening of IPH Division in the area, funds for Mahila Mandal Bhawan and upgrdation of various schools in the area. Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, president, state NSUI, and other prominent people of the area were present. |
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Rs 2,000 crore to be spent on roads: CM
Dharamsala, January 14 Earlier, he inaugurated the Rs 1.06 crore 33/11 kv substation in the area, which would solve voltage problems of 16 gram panchayats consisting of over 25,000 persons. He laid the foundation stone of Government Senior Secondary School, Surani, to be built at a cost of Rs 26 lakh, Govt. High School building at Paisa. He later inaugurated Khappar Nullah bridge constructed at a cost of Rs 1.02 crore in the area. The Chief Minister said road connectivity was being given top-priority and efforts were being made to connect all the gram panchayats, villages and the left out areas of the state with motorable roads so that the areas were connected with the mainstream road network. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state government preferred to set up a special economic zone in the Kangra-Una and Chamba area with an investment of over Rs 5000 crore. He said the zone would have quality industries which would be export-oriented and class industrial facilities would be made available to the entrepreneurs. Efforts were also afoot to construct Dharamsala-Una express way to facilitate the vehicluar movement, he added. |
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Setback to Cong in panchayat samiti poll
Mandi, January 14 The Irrigation and Public Health Minister and Drang MLA, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, got a jolt when the BJP-backed Ms Kusum Devi was elected as the chairperson Panchayat Samiti Drang development block. Congress-backed Mr Chandramani won the post of the vice-chairman. In the Sundernagar block the clout of the Congress MLA, Mr Sohal Lal got a blow from the BJP, which captured both the posts. The pro-BJP candidates, Mr Uttam Chand and Mr Ratan Lal, were elected new chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. But the Congress continued to maintain its position in the Mandi Sadar development block, winning both the posts. Mr J.R. Saklani was elected as chairman while Mr Gulab Singh as vice-chairman. The Congress also got a jolt in the Dharampur block where former PWD Minister and BJP MLA Mohinder Thakur, maintained his hold by winning the top post. Mr Amar Chand of the BJP was elected chairman, while Hem Raj of the Congress was elected vice-chairman. Earlier, in the first round of BDC elections, the Congress had claimed to have won four BDC seats in 10 BDC blocks of Mandi district for which the quorum was complete last week. The controversial Gohar BDC election was postponed due to the political tussle between the Congress and the BJP following lodging of the FIR. The government has yet to announce the fresh date, said officials. |
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BJP to approach President on
Shimla, January 14 Addressing a press conference here yesterday, the state BJP chief, Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, said the Congress government was making blatant use of the district administration, especially the police, to pressurise the elected members to support their party. “Since the Governor has very limited authority in interfering in the affairs of the state government, we will approach President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam so that there can be a check on the high handedness of the Congress leaders,” he said. Mr Bhardwaj said the Congress was so desperate to capture these posts that they were registering false cases against BJP leaders, including MLA’s and former ministers. “I want to warn the Congress government not to make use of official machinery to threaten the BJP-backed elected members or else our party will launch a mass agitation,” he said. He further demanded the dismissal of the Transport and Tourism minister, Mr G.S. Bali, who, according to him, had said that despite BJP’s majority in the Zila Parishad he would ensure that the posts of Chairman and Vice-Chairman won by the Congress. The BJP leader said the ministers in the Congress government were themselves violating the law of the land, amounting to murder of democracy. He claimed that since the BJP had clear majority in most of the Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, the Congress had got the elections postponed at most of the places. “Apprehending their defeat in these polls, the Congress was against the holding of elections on party symbol,” he said. Mr Bhardwaj said when the BJP comes to power, they will bring about major reforms in the election pattern of local bodies and panchayats. “When we come to power we will consider holding of the elections on party symbols and make most of the elections direct,” he said. |
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Cong charge against BJP in panchayat poll
Shimla, January 14 Addressing a press conference here, he said the manner in which the BJP activists led by a former minister, Mr Ramesh
Dhawala, attacked the vehicle of a Congress leader at Nalagarh yesterday provided a clear indication that the party could go to any extent to win the second phase of the elections. He said the Congress had secured almost two-third majority in the first phase of the elections. The party had won the presidents post of the Zila Parishad in three out of the four districts where elections had been held so far. The BJP could win only in Hamirpur whereas the Congress triumphed in
Sirmour, Shimla and Chamba districts. Referring to the “maha
adhivation” of the Congress to be held in Hyderabad from January 21, Mr Rathore said about 125 delgates from the state would attend the three-day mega event. |
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Cong-backed candidates capture posts
Chamba, January 14 In the Chamba block, Mr Amar Singh was elected chairman and Mr Onkar Chand as vice-chairman while in Mehla block, Ms Dhillo Devi was elected as chairperson and Mr Raj Singh Thakur as vice-chairperson.
— OC |
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Work to set up SADA in Baddi area begins
Shimla, January 14 The state government in its last Cabinet meeting decided to set up a SADA in the belt extending from the foothills on the Parwanoo side till the Punjab border beyond Nalagarh on the pattern of Noida. A team, including legal experts, will visit Noida on January 18 to study how the township is developing. The Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh and Parwanoo area, known as the Doon belt, has developed rapidly during the past decade mainly due to the coming up of a lot of industries in the belt. Being close to Chandigarh, having rail and air links, the belt is being preferred by big industrial houses and entrepreneurs for setting up their units, involving a huge investment. |
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Residents’ plea on mini-secretariat
Nurpur, January 14 Mr Virbhadra Singh had laid the foundation stone of the mini-secretariat, renamed as Combine Office Building (COB), on January 10, 2004, during his last winter sojourn in Kangra. Before this he had laid the foundation stone of the mini-secretariat on the premises of the old Civil Hospital on August 13, 1996. With the efforts of the local MLA and Revenue Minister, Mr Sat Mahajan, the dream project was revived again last year and the state government proposed a COB at a new place on the outskirts of the town to be built with the financial assistance by HUDCO. However, the construction of the COB has yet to start due to delay in the sanction of funds by HUDCO, but a lot of resentment is brewing among the residents on the proposed site of the building. The local Town Welfare Committee, the Free Thinkers Club and the Rovers Crew Club have appealed to the Chief Minister to honour the feelings of the residents by building the COB either on the premises of the old Civil Hospital or near the Block Development Office. They pleaded that the town would bear a deserted look if the government offices housed in the town were shifted to the proposed site of the COB on the outskirts of the town. |
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Bar council chief
Shimla, January 14 |
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