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UPA blamed for inflation
Hamirpur Byelection |
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Carbon Credits
Elect Rattan, Virbhadra urges people
SEZs: Virbhadra ‘misleading’ people
Good apple prospects despite hail damage
IRB Sakoh staff demand regularisation
Hamirpur fire station overloaded
Royal property buyer is a waiter
Key posts lying vacant
Science takes back seat
Cafes to keep record of Netizens
Fruit growers oppose privatisation
Cantt Board
50 donate blood for thalassaemics
3 students missing
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Congress policies led to skewed growth: BJP
Shimla, May 18 Giving figures of investment attracted in the wake of the package Ashok Kapatia, convener of the media cell of the party, revealed here today that as much as 80.60 per cent of the total investment of Rs 3598 crore made in the units already commissioned was in Solan and Sirmaur districts. Una had a 5.8 per cent share while Kangra, the biggest district of the state, attracted a meagre investment of Rs 47.50 crore. Bilaspur had only 0.2 per cent and Hamirpur 0.4 per cent which reflected the abject lack of concern of the Virbhadra Singh regime for equitable industrial development. The concentration of units in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh belt without the required infrastructure in place create a plethora of problems. It led to such a situation that the state electricity board was not in a position to supply its surplus power to industrial units during the summer. Similarly, the two districts had a lion’s share in employment generated in the industrial sector. Out of the total 54,733 persons employed in the commissioned units, as many as 37,416 were employed in the two districts. He said the BJP government would ensure dispersal of industries to interior areas and other districts so that the benefit of the package was shared by all. Accordingly, the Rs 106-crore steel rolling mill project of SAIL would be set up at Kandrori in Kangra. He lambasted Virbhadra Singh on the issue of SEZs and alleged the Congress campaign had been virtually reduced to one of disinformation ever since the former Chief Minister joined electioneering. He said it was the Congress government which invited expression of interest for the Gagret SEZ and even decided to award it to the SKIL Infrastructure company but it was now opposing the project during campaign. Though the BJP government had made it clear that it would not allow any SEZ on cultivable land and that such projects would come up only after taking the people into confidence, Congress leaders were misleading the people. |
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UPA blamed for inflation
Hamirpur, May 18 He said the Congress government had opened several schools without the budgetary allocation but the BJP had provided budget and staff in these schools so that studies of students did not suffer. He said the UPA government alone was responsible for price rise. However, the BJP government is doing its bit to provide succour to the poor. |
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Hamirpur Byelection
Hamirpur, May 18 Not only is the number of female voters higher in 10 out of 17 Assembly segments of Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, but the total women voters exceeds the number among the general voters in comparison to the male voters. The number of male general voters is 5, 71,022 while the number of women voters is 5,78,725. In Hamirpur segment, there are 35,907 women voters as against 34,818 male voters. The figures elsewhere are: 34,767 women and 31,079 male voters in Bamsan, 36,730 women and 33,965 male voters in Mewa, 37,443 women and 35,525 men voters in Nadaunta and 32,892 women and 31,743 men voters in Nadaun. Similarly in all three Assembly segments falling under Kangra district of this parliamentary constituency i.e. Jaswan, Pragpur and Jawalamukhi, the number of women voters is higher. In Jaswan segment, there are 28,261 female voters as against 27,543 male voters. The other figures are: 31,423 women and 30,747 men voters in Pragpur, 32,808 women and 32,137 men voters in Jawalamukhi. In Bilaspur district, the women voters are higher in Ghumarwin where the women voters are 36,631 and men voters 35,911. In Una district too, the number of women voters is higher in Gagret segment where their number is 31,588 as against 30,705 male voters. The contestants are trying to woo the women to gain power. The parties are also planning strategies to convince them highlighting their problems and works done by their respective governments in the election campaign.
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Carbon Credits
Shimla, May 18 In a statement here today he wondered what prompted Congress MP Chander Kumar to seek a clarification from the Union Ministry of Environment regarding the carbon credit project when information could have been easily obtained from the state government. He said that the government was at an advanced stage of finalising the project design document and it was decided at the meeting held with the World Bank at Washington that the purchase agreement would be signed within two or
three months. At a time when the government was making all-out efforts to obtain the support of villagers in protecting and conserving forests, such misleading statements by an MP could negate the progress made so far in
the matter. He advised former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Chander Kumar to desist from making a political issue out of what was essentially an effort aimed at economic uplift of lakhs
of people. |
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Elect Rattan, Virbhadra urges people
Hamirpur, May 18 Addressing a public meeting at Dera Parol, Chuhak and Sujanpur Tihra he said the key of treasury at the Centre lies in the hands of the Congress and the BJP cannot open the treasury and therefore people should elect O.P. Rattan. Attacking the Election Commission he said, “The Election Commission of India and the state are not taking cognisance of their complaints about violation of election code of conduct while they are acting on minor complaints of the BJP.” Virbhadra said the Dhumal government’s three months achievements are nothing but fruits of work done by us since three IRBs cannot be sanctioned overnight. BILARPUR: Addressing mediapersons at the district Congress office here last night in the presence of top Congress leaders Rangila Rama Rao, Satya Prakash Thakur, Major Krishna Mohini, Ram Lal Thakur and Anil Sharma etc. Virbhadra said whatever pro-people announcements were made by Dhumal up to March 31, 2008, were according to the budget already sanctioned for that financial year by his former Congress government. The BJP had nothing to do with
these schemes . He lashed on top BJP leaders for flagrant misuse of government machinery in this byelection. |
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SEZs: Virbhadra ‘misleading’ people
Shimla, May 18 In a joint statement here three ministers -- Gulab Singh, I.D. Dhiman and J.P. Nadda-- said the proposal of SKIL Infrastructure for the development of an international airport cargo hub at Gagret and two other SEZs at Waknaghat and Manali was approved by the previous Congress government on August 3, 2007, and forwarded to the Union Ministry of Commerce. D.S. Constructions was accorded approval in principle by the union ministry to set up an SEZ in Kangra district on April 4, 2006. As such the assertion of Virbhadra Singh that he would lead a struggle against the setting up of SEZs was misleading and such gimmicks did not behove a leader of
his stature. While in power Virbhadra Singh took decisions against the interests of the people and now he was trying to mislead the masses. He said that the present government would not take any hasty decision on the proposal for an SEZ in Una district and it had taken a policy decision not to allow such projects on agriculture land. SEZs would be set up only at a place where local people agreed for
such projects. Regarding the channelisation of the Swan river, they said a Rs 106-crore project was sanctioned on April 4, 2000, when the BJP was in power and it was still under implementation. |
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Good apple prospects despite hail damage
Shimla, May 18 Hailstorms did cause damage, particularly in the mid-hill areas of Kulu and Shimla districts, but the higher and lower hills have largely remained unaffected. However, the total output could be still anything ranging from 2.45 crore to 2.50 crore boxes, provided weather remains favourable over the next two months. It will be about 40 lakh boxes less than last year’s record production of 2.92 crore boxes which took the total fruit production of the state past the 7 lakh tonne mark for the first time. The production this season will be still much on the higher side as the normal production ranges from 1.70 crore to 2 crore boxes. In the worst-hit Kulu district the production was likely to decline from last year’s 70 lakh boxes to 49 lakh boxes. In Shimla district, the crop has been hit in Narkanda and the surrounding areas but the prospects are good in Chopal, Rohru and Kotkhai and other areas. The estimated production in Shimla district has been pegged at 1.65 crore boxes, while Mandi district was likely to contribute over 15 lakh boxes. Kinnaur district, which is known the world over for its high-quality apple, is likely to produce 16 lakh boxes. The good prospects are attributed to adequate and timely snow in the apple belt during the winter. Snow is considered as a white manure for the apple orchards as it ensures minimum chilling of 1600 to 2000 hours essential for a good crop. Besides, it also helps in maintaining moisture content in the soil. The state had a poor crop in 2006-07 when only 1.34 crore boxes were produced. The previous highest of 2.68 crore boxes was achieved in 2005-06. The uptrend in apple production is recent years is a good sign for the economy as the area under the fruit had started declining in the 1990s because of a declining yield, which had come down from 9.5 tonnes per hectare in 1970s to six tonnes per hectare. In fact, the production crossed the 4 lakh tonne barrier as late as 2002-03 when the state produced 4.59 lakh tonnes. For years the state had been witnessing alternate bearing and each bumper crop was followed by a poor one. The trend has been changing in recent years for the good. Over the past six years there has been only one crop failure in 2006-07. The rising trend in production will certainly lead to a gradual increase in the yield. The government plans to bring another 7,000 hectares under apple during the next financial year and increase its production to 7.7 lakh tonnes but it may not achieve the target as hailstorms have hit the crop. Under the horticulture technology mission the apple production is to be increased to 8 lakh tonnes by 2010 which seems beyond reach as of now. |
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Debris damages 12 drinking water supply schemes
Palampur, May 18 In Dhauladhar ranges, falling between Dharamsala and Baijnath, private companies mostly from Andhra Pradesh, were executing 12 small hydel projects. Since these companies had strong political connection with the UPA leaders in Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi, therefore, they are playing havoc with nature and flouting the terms and conditions of the MOU signed with the state government. Unfortunately there was no government agency in the field that could ask these companies for proper implementation of the MOU. Though the state Forest Department had been made the nodal agency by the state government to keep a check on these companies, in the past two years the department had badly failed to deliver the goods, which resulted in a total disaster in the region. Palampur DFO A.S. Baniyal while talking to The Tribune admitted that these companies had resorted to environmental degradation in the region and indulged in illicit felling of trees. No action had been initiated against these companies in the past two years. These companies have not only caused loss to environment but also damaged 12 drinking water supply schemes in the region. Palampur executive engineer L.R. Chaudhry said he had served a number of notices on these companies but they continue to dump debris in water sources. He said if timely action was not taken, people would not get drinking water in the rainy season. Until and unless the dumping of debris is stopped it is not possible for the IPH Department to supply clean water to the residents. Dr Rajinder Kistwaria, executive member of the HIMUDA Welfare Society, said if the authorities concerned did not wake up from slumber there were chances of spread of epidemic. |
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IRB Sakoh staff demand regularisation
Dharamsala, May 18 The clerk working on contract basis in the Sakoh battalion is getting Rs 4,830 per month whereas class IV employees are getting Rs 3,930 per month each. However, the government of Himachal is receiving a grant of about Rs 7,500 per month against each post of clerk and Rs 7,000 against each post of a class IV employee from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The IRB was brought to Sakoh in 2002. There are 74 sanctioned posts of ministerial and class IV employees here. In the recent past, the state government filled 15 posts on permanent basis by shifting staff from the state forest corporation. However, the employees already working here have not been regularised. They are still being forced to work on half the salary. These employees have been making representations to the authorities concerned to get their post regularised. The commanding officers of the battalion have forwarded their requests to the state home department on many occasions, but to no use. Even the state audit department has objected to employment on contract basis in the IRB against the regular posts sanctioned by the Union ministry. The objection has, however, remained confined to papers only. Commandant, IRB, Sakoh, D.K. Yadav said in his opinion the matter of regularisation of ministerial and other staff had not been clarified explicitly in the sanctioned project. The state was receiving an amount of around 13 crore for raising infrastructure and employing staff in the battalion. Taking into account the rising prices, the amount was insufficient for carrying out the entire development work. “Moreover, the Union ministry is going to provide grant for the battalion only for a period of five years. After that, the state government will have to manage the battalion. So, the policy of state government is being adopted,” he added. However, the affected staff said there are 1,007 sanctioned posts in the battalion and the state was receiving grant against these posts. By deny them the salary that was being transferred to the state by Union ministry, the government was committing an illegal act. The employees also alleged that it was only in the Sakoh battalion that ministerial and class IV employees had not been regularised. In other battalions, the employees had been recruited on regular basis and being paid salary as per the norms,
they claimed. |
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Hamirpur fire station overloaded
Hamirpur, May 18 A team of 21 firefighters, which includes other staff too, gets additional strength of seven home guards during the summer months. Besides Hamirpur town, other townships in the district like Nadaun, Jahu, Sujanpur, Bhota and Badsar etc. are all looked after by this fire station. The district has total 265.4 sq km area under government and private forests with a large area under pine trees, which is most prone to fire. Last year 109 fire incidents were reported in the Hamirpur fire station. The fire station has been provided with a water tanker, two fire tenders, besides other equipment. The reliability of these tenders can be judged from the fire incident on June 3 last year in which the forest awareness centre was gutted when none of the two fire tenders could reach the spot as their engines got overheated on the way. In another incident on April 3 last year, a fire tender had hit 11 vehicles in the main market of Hamirpur after its brakes failed. However, the officials of the fire department maintain, “We take round the year exercise to check fire hydrant, provide training to our staff from time to time through refresher courses and keep the fire tenders and other equipment in proper order and remain prepared to meet any eventuality.” They, however, added that “we have to cover a very large area and it takes more than an hour to reach some places. By the time we reach the spot, fire is already out of control.” The officials strongly advocate setting up of fire stations at the tehsil level and in every town. “While there is lack of awareness among people about the fire safety, measures like proper fire extinguishers and water tanks have not been taken care of at vulnerable places like petrol pumps, LPG stores, government offices and several other places,” they added. Talking about the preparedness of the Fire Department during any eventuality, chief fire officer of the state S.S. Thapa said, “We always keep our staff on the toes to keep them prepared through training and refresher courses are imparted during the
summer months. We also provide additional staff in every fire station and observe special public awareness week from April 14 to 21 as fire safety week every year throughout the state and involve government officials in fire safety drive.” |
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Royal property buyer is a waiter
Mandi, May 18 He has been absconding from the school for the past four days after his name figured as a “benami dealer” in the deal. School headmaster Christopher Roy Robinson said, “Khub Ram from Chachiot has been working with the school as a waiter for quite some time. He was on leave from April 23 to April 25. He was on leave on May 13 again. From May 14, he has been absent from duty without any sanctioned leave.” Robinson added if the Vigilance Bureau or the district administration wanted any records about him, the school would fully cooperate with them. “We did not know that he has bought such a big property in Mandi,” he added. Though the police has yet to start a preliminary inquiry into his sources of income, Khub Ram’s role in the controversial deal has sparked off a major row. Back in his native village Valeri in Chachiot, Khub Ram’s Dalit parents live in poverty. They could only tell that Khub Ram was employed with BCS, Shimla. Meanwhile, nobody in the DC office knows whether or not Khub Ram figures in the “mandatory photograph of buyers and sellers” attached with the land sale registry dated April 24. Nobody has identified Khub Ram, who bought the prime property measuring 6,659 sq m area in the town, source said. |
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Key posts lying vacant
Solan, May 18 The district headquarters, Solan, has no SHO since the past one and a half month after the officer posted here was transferred to Parwanoo. This has forced the Police Department to make temporary arrangements to deal with crucial investigation works. Similarly, the post of a drug inspector is lying vacant for the past one month as the official who was transferred here is yet to join. With nearly 35 manufacturing units and scores of retail counters in the district, the department’s working has come to a standstill. This was despite the fact that the district was the home constituency of health minister Rajiv Bindal. The key post of MD of Jogindra Central Co-operative Bank is also lying vacant for the past some time. This has affected its working as the bank had failed to take crucial decisions in the absence of a MD. In another case, an officer Avinash Chand Dhani is handling the significant post of the Regional Transport Authority (RTO), Solan, as well as looking after the charge of assistant commissioner (leave reserve). With the officer unable to give an adequate time to the RTO office, the private transporters have been forced to make several visits to get their work done. It appears that the district, which has earned the post of a cabinet berth, has failed to impress upon the government its key requirements of posting officers at least on sensitive posts. According to some highly place sources, the posts will be filled after the Hamirpur byelections. |
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Science takes back seat
Dharamsala, May 18 This year just 15,500 students opted for science subjects in all schools functioning under the state board out which just 11,539 passed out. In vocational subjects the condition is even worse. Not even one per cent of the students are opting for vocational subjects. This year just 795 students opted for vocational subjects against about one-lakh students who appeared in class XII examinations. Even out of these just 596 managed to pass. In vocational studies the education board is offering accounting and auditing, computer technique, electronic technology, maintenance and repair of electric appliances and food sciences subjects. The said subjects can prove handy for students to get employment in the industry coming up in the state. However, unfortunately very few students are opting for these subjects. The result would be that the industry here has to look towards other states for skilled labour. In contrast to science and vocational studies the number of students opting for arts and commerce is 63,000. Most of these students generally go for basic courses in college and end up doing B.Ed. While the trend of opting for basic courses is on the decline in other states, the students in Himachal are still opting for basic courses. The sources here attribute that the low percentage of students opting for science is due to the failure of teachers to motivate them to do so. From the results of class X it can be inferred that most of the students do well in science. The pass percentage in science was 84.99 per cent in the results of class X declared this year. Secretary education board Rakesh Sharma when asked about the steps the board was taking to motivate students to take science and vocational studies said the matter would be discussed with higher authorities of the Education Department. |
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Govt to honour Great Khali tomorrow
Shimla, May 18 He will be honoured at a function at Nahan, the district headquarters of Khali’s native Sirmaur district, sources in the Chief Minister’s office said here today. PWD minister Gulab Singh Thakur would honour Khali on behalf of the Chief Minister as he would be busy in connection with the Hamirpur byelection slated for Thursday, sources said. The family and natives of Khali’s Dhiraina village under Shillai tehsil of Sirmaur district are eagerly awaiting his arrival on May 21. Many social groups at Nahan are also planning similar receptions at Paonta, Kamrou, Kafota and Shillai en route to Dhiraina village from Nahan on that day. “All of us are eagerly waiting for his arrival,” Khali’s elder brother Bhagat Singh Rana said on phone from his
village. — PTI |
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Cafes to keep record of Netizens
Shimla, May 18 DGP Ashwani Kumar said today that the police headquarters had issued this order as part of steps to strengthen security in the hill state. Owners have been asked to collect personal details of the user before allowing him to use the Internet, he added. DSP Rajinder Mohan Sharma said he has written separate letters to BSNL and private operators Reliance, Airtel and Aircel, making it mandatory that the Internet users give their personal details. He said cafe owners have also been told to inform the police about suspicious persons visiting their outlets. There are over 36 cyber cafes in and around Shimla. The Shimla SP said he had discussed with the DGP a proposal to install close circuit cameras at crowded places in the state capital. Security will be tightened and cameras would be installed at busy places like the Mall, the Ridge maidan, bus stand, Scandal Point and Victory Tunnel, he said. He hoped that cameras would be installed within this year.
— PTI |
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Fruit growers oppose privatisation
Shimla, May 18 Fruit growers from three districts met here recently to discuss various issues pertaining to the problems of the fruit and vegetable growers. Convener of the federation Ravinder Chauhan said the growers from all over the state would hold a convention here on June 3. He said the growers had urged the government not to formulate a policy for cartons without consulting the growers. “We will also request the government to declare the procurement price for the standard grade fruit on the basis of a price index and cost of production,” he said. He said the government should immediately announce the procurement price for the stone fruits and vegetables in consultation with the representatives of the
growers. He said there should be no further delay as the stone fruit season had already commenced. |
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Cantt Board
Dalhousie, May 18 In ward No.-2 (women) counting was going on till the time of filing the story. While in Bakloh Cantonment Board, Kumari Sharmila Rai has been declared elected uncontested in ward number-one (reserved for women). In ward No.-2, Joginder Paul won by 61 votes defeating his rival Ashok Kumar. |
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50 donate blood for thalassaemics
Shimla, May 18 The initiative was taken by the YUVA-Himachal, a newly formed voluntary organisation. The camp was organised in collaboration with the state chapter of the Society for Disability And Rehabilitation Studies (SDRS) and the State AIDS Control Society. Fifty persons, including some tourists, donated blood on
the occasion. A poster-making competition was also organised in which some six thalassaemic children also participated. They highlighted the importance of blood in saving their lives through posters. In all, 38 students from 15 schools participated in the competition. Manoj of DAV School, Lakkar Bazaar, bagged the first prize, followed by Lagrap of Tibetan Central School, Chotta Shimla, and Kritika Lamba (DAV school). |
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3 students missing
Shimla, May 18 According to the FIR lodged by the parents, Bittu a student of class VIII in Government Senior Secondary School, Kusumpati, Babloo (class VII) and Sonu (class VI), both of Government Middle School, Mehli, did not return home since May 14. The police have flashed their photographs and other details to all police stations to help trace them. |
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