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Tibetan refugees resume protest march
Road construction under scanner
Sundernagar
Cement Plant
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Now, inspectors can take action against ‘corrupt officers’
Cabinet meeting today
Cong to hold public meetings in districts
Poll Expenditure
Transfer Policy
Lok Sanskritik Utsav held
10-yr RI for killing brother
Cattle dead
Lt-Gen visits Yol cantonment
Seminar on women
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Tibetan refugees resume protest march
Dehra (Kangra), March 15
Today’s protest was resumed from here, as the first group of 100 refugees were forcibly stopped and arrested on Thursday morning from here. Presently, they are under judicial remand for 14 days and kept in a state-run yatri nivas near here. A local court had asked them to sign a bond that they would not participate in any further protest activities for the next six months, but they refused to do so, as a result of which, they were not granted bail. The Tibetans protesting said the march was re-launched in wake of China’s crackdown on their fellow demonstrators in Lhasa and other areas of Tibet. The local Tibetan media quoted Chime Youngdrung, president of the national democratic party of Tibet, who was one of the core marchers saying, “The brave protests by Tibetans inside Tibet have made us more determined to see this march through to the end”. “As we witness a violent escalation on the part of the Chinese government in Lhasa, we know that it is even more important now for us to complete this march and return home to be reunited with our brothers and sisters, who are battling to survive under the Chinese occupation,” he added. Kangra SP Atul Phuljhele said the protesting Tibetans had in the evening crossed the boundary of Kangra district and entered Una district. Meanwhile, the police had set-up many checkpoints on the roads leaving Dharamsala town and many other parts of the district to keep a strict vigil on the activities of the Tibetans. Police was also keeping a close eye on all buses coming in and out of Dharamsala/McLeodganj. In Dharamsala and McLeodganj, the Tibetan Youth Congress members launched a hunger strike later in the day.
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Dalai Lama may call off violent protests
MCLEODGANJ: Supreme spiritual and political authority of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama, here has called a press conference at his residence on Sunday afternoon following growing tension in Tibet.
It was learnt that he was likely to give a call to stop all violent activities in Tibet and across the globe so that peace could be restored there. He was likely to ask his community living here to hold back the ‘Return March to Tibet’. Sources close to him revealed that he had a long talk with his core group of advisors along with Prof Samdong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, today, to examine the situation. He had also spoken to some of the top leaders of the US to apprise them of the growing tension in Tibet and seek international support for a peaceful resolution of the problem. The US government had deputed a top functionary to visit McLeodganj on coming Friday and meet the Dalai Lama to hold a discussion on the current situation in Tibet after which further course of action by the US would be decided, revealed the sources. The Tibetan leader had appealed the Chinese leadership to address Tibetan people’s resentment through dialogue. |
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Road construction under scanner
Solan, March 15 The minister while interacting with mediapersons after examining the progress of this scheme made it clear that while vigilance inquiry had already been instituted into 16 such roads constructed in the state. Even this exorbitant expenditure would be inquired into. While such irregularities had led to swindling of the government funds they had also led to substandard work. Expressing satisfaction over the progress of the scheme he said they would endeavour to commission the scheme in April so that the area does not suffer water woes in the ensuing summers. He also directed the IPH Department to prepare a detailed project report of the total distribution system of Solan and announced that Rs 54 lakh would be spent on laying new pipelines at Kather, Bajrol and degree college area of the town. With a view to ensure availability of adequate irrigation facilities to the farmers a detailed survey would be undertaken in the entire state. This would ensure that the farmers get assured water from a nearby source and would further provide employment to the youth he said. Terming availability of water to all rural habitations as the government’s priority he said people should not hesitate to contribute a little extra as even the smallest irrigation scheme required crores of funds. He gave stern message to the lax attitude of the field staff and said complaint registers have been provided at the Centrally located places. While people should ensure that they register their complaints periodically it would be ensured that accountability of the erring person was fixed. He further directed that the junior engineers should be found at their place of posting so that they were available to address the problems which at times led to inordinate delays in settling the problems. He was accompanied by local MLA and health minister Dr Rajiv Bindal who said the remaining 17 villages had been added in the Giri scheme and they would ensure that all shortcomings were settled before the scheme was commissioned. Kasauli MLA Dr Rajiv Sehgal was also present.
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Cement
Plant Farmers demand Rs 80 lakh per bigha Our Correspondent
Bharari (Sundernagar), March 15 Chuni Lal, president action committee, Farmer Welfare Association, handed over a memorandum of 31 demands to Nachan MLA Dile Ram. It would be forwarded to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in which the farmers have demanded Rs 80 lakh per bighas if their land has to be taken for setting up of the cement plant. While addressing the gathering he said the oustees should also be given share in the project as the Haryana government has done while creating the special economic zones. He also demanded that the rehabilitation committee should be formed immediately and demanded land and houses for the oustees. He said the persons who would be displaced have already lost their land in the Beas-Sutlej Link Project and once again they are being ousted. He said the action committee was making the farmers of the area aware of their rights whereas the company was applying the formula of divide and rule which would be not tolerated. He said if the company was not willing to negotiate with the farmers it could leave the present project. Representatives of farmers from various localities while speaking on the occasion criticised the attitude of the company’s representatives in which they were dealing with the farmers. According to farmers, the representatives of company were alluring, pressurising and misleading the farmers in order to grab the land. They allured them in the past by convincing them that they would be paid heavy amount if they give their land for the cement plant and of the company took no objection from them. But now they were saying that the land acquisition officer would fix the rates. Dile Ram while addressing the farmers said every interest of the public would be watched and if the company was making any misleading statement it was making of their own. But he would not allow the public to suffer at cost of the company.
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Now, inspectors can take action against ‘corrupt officers’
Palampur, March 15 Now a police officer of the rank of inspector could initiate action against corrupt officers. Earlier, only DSPs were competent to deal with such cases. He said giving more powers and necessary infrastructure would strengthen the vigilance and enforcement agencies in the state. The government would review the functioning of these departments regularly. Dhumal said he had already announced after taking over the reins of the state in December last that his government would bring transparency in the functioning of departments like PWD, IPH and HPSEB so that all loopholes in the allocation of tenders and supply orders could be plugged and the government revenue would be saved. |
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Cabinet meeting today
Shimla, March 15 Earlier, there was no prior plan to hold any meeting tomorrow as the ministers had met just two days ago. With the Chief Minister scheduled to be on tour for almost a week, the government could be keen to take up some important issues on which a decision had been delayed so far, sources said.
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Cong to hold public meetings in districts
Shimla, March 15 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state office-bearers, District Congress Committee (DCC) chiefs and heads of various frontal organisations today. PCC chief Viplove Thakur and other senior leaders were present at the meeting. The PCC decided that in order to make the masses aware of the pro-people decisions taken by the UPA regime and the announcements made in the recent budget, public meetings would be held at all district headquarters in the state. “The people will be made aware of the decisions like waiving off of loans, increasing the income tax rebate and giving more rights to tribals,” HPCC general secretary Kuldeep Singh Rathore said. The public meetings will be addressed by senior central and state leaders. The first public meeting will be held at Nahan on March 23. It will be addressed by in charge of Himachal affairs R. K. Dhawan. Meetings will also be held at Kangra (March 29), Una (April 12), Hamirpur (April 13), Bilaspur (April 19), Chamba (April 23), Mandi (April 25), Kullu (April 26), Solan (April 27) and Shimla (rural) on April 28. The dates for public meetings in tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti will be announced later. The HPCC also demanded the withdrawal of 25 per cent hike in the bus fares made by the Dhumal regime. A resolution to this effect was passed at the meeting.
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Cong MLA tops the list
Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 15 Chief electoral officer Manisha Nanda today said 269 out of total 336 candidates, who contested the election, had submitted their election expenditure accounts within the specified time limit. She said 58 candidates had yet to furnish these details, while nine had submitted it after the specified time limit.
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Panel holds meeting
Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 15 Chairman of the committee, PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh chaired its first meeting today. Education minister I.D. Dhiman and health minister J.P. Nadda were also present in the meeting. “The government is committed to the welfare of employees and the transfer policy will be formulated keeping in mind various issues concerning employees,” he said. The policy would shortly be placed before the Cabinet, he added. Thakur said the performance and efficiency of employees would also be considered while formulating the policy. The committee also held detailed discussions about on suggestions made by various NGOs and the earlier Cabinet subcommittees headed by Kaul Singh Thakur and Kishori Lal Vaidya.
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Lok Sanskritik Utsav held
Bilaspur, March 15 Deputy commissioner Devesh Kumar presided over the function and also distributed prizes to the winners of various competitions in which 460 members from 70 yuva mandals and mahila mandals drawn from all parts of the district participated. He said mahila mandals were responsible for keeping our traditions and culture intact and these are also giving exposure to the new generation so that they do not forget the richness of their past. The function was also addressed by kendra state deputy director Anil Kaushik and district youth coordinator Som Dat Zard. In group song- Mahila Mandal Bhadrog was first, Mahila Mandal Dhaun kothi stood second and Mahila Mandal Khated was third while in solo song Amar Jyoti Mahila Mandla of Ghumarwin was first, Youth Club Rih-Randoh stood second and Mahila Mandal Barmana third. In group dance Mahila Mandal Mannan-Jhandutta was first, Mahila Mandal Berry-Miyan second and Mahila Mandal Kanjotta third. In solo dace Surekha Kumari of Mahila Mandal Salwan excelled and Bimla Nadda was second while in folklore Mahila Mandal Gatwar was first, Mahila Mandal Raghunathpura second and Mahila Mandal Talsari was third.
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10-yr RI for killing brother
Una, March 15 Public prosecutor Gurdeep Singh Kathore said the accused had dispute over property with his brother. On 17/11/2006 he went to the house of his brother Kuldeep Singh and consumed liquor with him. When Kuldeep got intoxicated, the accused Bishan Dev attacked him with a sharp edged weapon, which later led to death of the former. Bishan Dev was booked by the police under Sections 304 and 506 of the IPC on the complaint of village
pradhan. |
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Cattle dead
Kumarhatti, March 15 Medical treatment was registered to them, but the calf and a cow died today, while the other cow was kept under observation. According to Dutta, the cattle had consumed pesticides. |
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Lt-Gen visits Yol cantonment
Dharamsala, March 15 President of the AWWA unit of the Army Training Command Pratibha Mohanty, along with president of the AWWA of the Rising Star Corps unit Rupa Sharma, visited the vocational training centre and interacted with wives of officers, JCOs, NCOs and other rank officials. She appreciated various welfare measures initiated by the AWWA. |
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Seminar on women
Bilaspur, March 15 Presiding over a seminar organised by the authority for women regarding their rights and privileges here in new judicial complex, Jaswal said evil of dowry is a crime for which an accused can get 5-year jail and an additional fine of Rs 15,000. |
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Despite police restrictions, a second batch comprising 44 Tibetan refugees resumed their ‘Return March to Tibet’ from here, about 60 km from
McLeodganj.
