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Cong, BJP try to woo Dalits on Ambedkar Jayanti
Wait for rationalisation of sanctuaries continues
Remote areas turning into drug havens
BJP stresses on good governance: CM
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Tension over construction of extra room in temple
Tributes paid to BR Ambedkar
WB team visits Kangra dist on CCP
Ministers can’t sit on dais at Himachal Day function: EC
Villagers hold protest
BJP inciting religious sentiments: Cong MP
Congress candidate from the Kangra parliamentary constituency Chander Kumar addressing a press conference. A Tribune photo
676 officers get training on EVMs
Two bodies found at Rohtang Pass
Securitymen being briefed before the visit of Vice-President Hamid Ansari to Shimla on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Amit Sharma
Cong flays BJP on cement plant issue
Lab technologists form body
EC directive to defer projects
Opium plants seized
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Cong, BJP try to woo Dalits on Ambedkar Jayanti
Shimla, April 14 It is for the first time since the denial of party ticket and registering of a case in connection with forged mark sheets that former Congress minister has taken part in a political activity. Singhi Ram, a six-time MLA from Rampur, organised a function under the banner of Akhl Bharatiya Anusuchit
Jaati Kalyan Parishad at Rampur. It is for the first time since the case was registered against him that he addressed a public function, giving indications of his keenness to return to active politics. The Congress Committee, Rampur, also organised a function to mark the birth anniversary of Ambedkar. MLA from Kasumpti Sohan Lal was the chief guest of the function. Local legislator Nand Lal and MP Pratibha Singh were also present. The BJP organised a function at Jhakri with Brij Lal, chairman of the Kailash Federation, being the chief guest. As around 34,460 voters (out of total 68,000) in Rampur hail from Scheduled Castes, the parties did not spare any effort to woo them on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. Though still a member of the Congress, there has been a speculation of his joining the BJP. Though he refrained from making any direct attack on anyone, he did not hesitate to say that he had been a victim of conspiracy and he had been let down by his own men. “There is no question of my leaving the Congress as this is the party in which I was born and if I am asked to campaign anywhere outside Rampur, I will happily do it,” he said. BJP leader Brij Lal said it was for the first time that the Congress as well as Singhi Ram organised functions on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, which clearly reflected that it was part of their “vote bank politics”. “The BJP-backed Dr Ambedkar Sansthan has been organiaing a function at Jhakri for the past 18 years, which reflects our pro-Dalit stand,” Brij
Lal said. |
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Wait for rationalisation of sanctuaries continues
Shimla, April 14 The final clearance will be subject to the report of the team visiting the state from April 16. The team will inspect the sanctuaries that are proposed to be de-notified altogether or substantial areas of which are to be excluded. The team comprising Ranjit Singh and a representative of the Wildlife Institute of India will visit Norgu in the Chuhar valley, Darlaghat and Silli in Solan district and Gobindsagar in
Bilaspur, which are proposed to be de-notified. It will also inspect the areas proposed to be included in the Knawar sanctuary. The maps published in anticipation that clearance will be granted by the Centre have been since withdrawn. The proposal of the state to redraw boundaries of the existing protected wildlife areas to exclude inhabited areas and cultivated fields has been hanging fire for the past over six years. Besides completely scrapping four sanctuaries, which are affected by “too much human interference”, the boundaries of 20 others will be redrawn by excluding or including areas. Naina Devi sanctuary will be converted into a conservation reserve. The Darlaghat (6.5 sq km) and Silli (2 sq km) sanctuaries are being scrapped as their areas are too small to serve the purpose of providing safe habitat for wildlife. The Naina Devi sanctuary, where a large number of Bhakra Dam oustees have been rehabilitated, and the Norgu sanctuary have a large human population. The overall protected wildlife area will increase as forests having rich wildlife, which were left out earlier, will now be made part of sanctuaries. The largest area of about 850 sq km is to be included in the Kibber sanctuary in the cold desert of
Spiti. It is a natural habitat of rare snow leopard and marmot. If the proposal is approved, 793 villages, having a population of over 1.12 lakh, will be excluded from protected areas. Residents of these villages have been facing problems due to severe restrictions imposed on carrying out development activities and their timber distribution rights. Even if the Centre clears the proposal, it will have to be put up before the empowered committee of the Supreme Court for the final nod. |
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Remote areas turning into drug havens
Batahar/Jadingcha (Kullu), April 14 From Jadingcha in Lug valley to Khanag-Jadang areas in Ani subdivision, poor villagers remain mute witnesses to their political maters’ “blame game” on the issue of development. They continue to live in abject poverty in these isolated pockets. Neither BJP candidate Maheshwar Singh nor Congress veteran Virbhadra Singh talks about improving their lot. “We have been cultivating opium and cannabis since ages. But now, lure of easy money has caught the fancy of
the youth. Hybrid seeds are procured by smugglers and even some foreigners and the poor villagers grow these crops,” villagers said. They blamed politicians for their plight. “Several villages in the Tirthan valley have been included in the Great Himalayan National Park. This has devoid us of our traditional rights of collecting forest herbs, fuel and fodder,” they said. “The law is meant for us only, it seems. Nobody touches big smugglers who have raised big buildings, hotels and enjoy a life of luxury under the nose of the police, while we are struggling hard to make both ends meet,” rued villagers in remote Jadingcha village in the Lug valley. “Drugs from outside are also finding their way into these areas. These drugs have takers not only in Mandi, Kullu and Manali towns, but even the youth in remote villages like Tirthan, Sainj, Lug and Seraj areas are becoming addicted to these,” villagers said. “The road connectivity to these areas is minimal and we hardly have any alternative avenues of earning livelihood. But our political masters are hand in glove with big smugglers, who have penetrated even into the police force,” local residents said. The villagers do not have the courage of revolting against their political masters as they protect them from the police and legal hassles. “We are encouraged to cultivate cannabis and opium as they are trying to legalise cultivation like the government has done in Madhya Pradesh,” an elderly villager said. “There are no roads in more than 10 panchayat areas and the drug mafias ensure that the police and other law enforcing agencies cannot reach them on foot,” they said. |
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BJP stresses on good governance: CM
Palampur, April 14 Besides, in one-and-a-half year tenure the BJP government had taken up various development projects in the state. It had also laid stress on good governance, as a result of which the people of the state would repose their faith in the party during the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Talking to mediapersons at Alampur, about 35 km from here on Sunday, he said the honour and financial assistance of the BJP government provided to the Kargil martyrs proved beyond doubt that it was the party which was concerned about the welfare of soldiers and their families. The dependents of each of 52 martyrs from the state were given Rs 5 lakh, whereas those with more than 50 per cent disability were given Rs 2.5 lakh each and in the case of less than 50 per cent disability the dependents got Rs 1 lakh each. Further, 37 dependents had been given government jobs and for remaining 15 it was decided that jobs would be provided as soon as the dependents completed their education. Also, wards of the martyrs were being given free education up to graduation. As regards ex-servicemen, around 1,234 ex-servicemen had been given class III government jobs and another 78 class IV jobs. Similarly, 26 dependents of ex-servicemen had been given class III jobs and three class IV jobs during the BJP regime from 1998 to 2004. Later in 2004, the Congress assumed power and completely forgot about the welfare of the ex-servicemen. In the science and technology sector, the BJP government had succeeded in getting central university and IIT for the state, which was a major achievement of his government. Besides, several medical and engineering colleges were also coming up in the private sector in the state in next two years. He said all these achievements would enable the party to win the elections.
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Tension over construction of extra room in temple
Hamirpur, April 14 According to information, “trouble started when a group of people led by Sondhi assembled at the Shiv temple situated in the Pattan bazaar of Nadaun and started opposing the ongoing demolition of an existing minaret in the temple.” After hearing this news “another group of people supporting the proposed construction in the temple led by Kapil also reached the temple site and said the construction is being carried for creating additional room.” Both the groups tried to argue over the issue and large number of people assembled at the place. They continued arguing till filing of this report. Raj Kumar Sondhi said, “Few people are trying to destroy the original structure of the Shiv temple and are bent upon building a room by pulling down a minaret which will not be allowed at any cost.” On the other hand, president of the temple committee Subhash Bhatia said, “The construction of additional room will create additional accommodation in the temple.” Meanwhile, efforts were on to settle the issue amicably but both groups were sticking to their position. Hamirpur DC Abhishek Jain said, “None of the parties have brought the matter to my knowledge yet, but I will get the matter inquired from the Nadaun SDM and take appropriate action.”
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Tributes paid to BR Ambedkar
Bilaspur, April 14 He said though there was still much to be done in the process of making these sections come on their feet in several areas, the Congress had played a pivotal role in the process which is still at the top of its agenda. Later addressing a series of largely attended election meetings at various places, including those at Sai Kharsi, Dhamrada, Malothi, Bag Faglata, Samog, Silla and Sai Noida, Ram Lal Thakur took the state government to task for its false and misleading propaganda. He said the BJP had lifted ban on felling and export of khair trees, though nothing of the sort had happened and it only proved a “hoax”. He said similar had been the case regarding 10 panchayats of the Naina Devi area under the jurisdiction of the Naina Devi Wildlife Sanctuary. The repeated announcements had also not materialised and the area is still under the sanctuary rules and regulations, making lives of thousands of villagers miserable as they continue to be deprived of development facilities. He said all these announcements have repeatedly been made by not only Forest Minister JP Nadda but also by the Chief Minister himself. He said during the Congress rule clean drinking water supply through tankers was assured with the start of April, but nothing like this had happened even till today. The people are suffering as they experience difficulty in meeting their daily water needs. |
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WB team visits Kangra dist on CCP
Nurpur, April 14 The team visited Lagor, Bari-Batran and Banolli gram panchayats in Nurpur subdivision and Seuni gram panchayat in Jawali subdivision. These gram panchayats have been identified by the WB-funded Himachal Pradesh Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project under Dehar Watershed division, Nurpur. The team examined environment and quality of soil in these panchayats. According to information, if WB gives its nod to the CCP about Rs 100 crore will be spent in the hill state on plantation. It will aim to neutralise the carbon dioxide polluting the environment. Under the project plantation will be undertaken on the government land where no plantation has been taken place since 1994. The team reportedly visited gram panchayat in Bhatiyat subdivision on Tuesday. Himachal Pradesh is the first state in Asia, which has been picked up for the CCP. Mid Himalayan Watershed project executive director Arvind Kumar and regional project director RC Kang accompanied the five-member team of the WB.
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Ministers can’t sit on dais at Himachal Day function: EC
Shimla, April 14 The decision was taken following clarification received today from the Election Commission (EC) of India that the Chief Minister and ministers could not even sit on dais during the function. The commission had also stated that the ministers could not preside over such functions. However, they were not barred from participating in the functions and making speeches, provided there was no political content. The clarification given by the commission even more confused the administration as the officers are at loss to understand that if a minister could not sit on the dais what was the point in allowing him to make a speech but without political content. Further, the commission said the minister could participate in the function but for that matter anyone could participate in an official public function like Himachal Day, which is to be celebrated by the people of the state and no permission was required. It will be interesting to see if the Chief Minister and ministers attend the functions, they were earlier supposed to preside over, as ordinary citizens. The opposition Congress, which had raised objection to the Chief Minister and ministers presiding over the Himachal Day function and lodged a complaint with the commission is viewing the development as its victory. General secretary of the party Kuldeep Rathore said it was patently wrong and a blatant violation of the model code of conduct for political leaders to preside over such functions. He said usually achievements of the government were highlighted during such functions and any kind of speeches from the dais would have enabled the BJP to influence the electorate.
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Villagers hold protest
Solan, April 14 The protesters from Bagha, Sehnali and Samtiari villages raised slogans against the plant management. Their main grouse was focused around different rates of compensation awarded to the land owners whose land had been acquired by the plant authorities. While the plant had distributed compensation of Rs 1.25 lakh per bigha and Rs 4.25 lakh per bigha, respectively, for grassland and cultivated land in April, 2005, the owners of land land acquired four months later were awarded compensation at the rate of Rs 4.25 lakh per bigha and Rs 10.25 lakh per bigha, respectively. The protesting women, accompanied by their male counterparts, said there should be parity in the award. Local residents said they had not been provided lists of families to be rehabilitated by the cement plant. Though they were supposed to be provided the list at a meeting at Shallughat yesterday, the villagers had boycotted the meeting on the pretext of holding it at Bagha. They rued that their water sources were yet to be restored and little had been done in that regard despite an assurance from the district administration on January 23. Even the survey to estimate the number of houses buried under the debris dumped by the plant authorities had not been completed yet, rued villagers, including Deep Chand, Nand Lal, Deep Lal and others. |
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BJP inciting religious sentiments: Cong MP
Nurpur, April 14 He said the BJP was raising the issue of construction of Ram temple. He said the construction of mosques or temples was the job of religious organisations and not political parties. He underlined the need to restrain all recognised political parties from creating religious fanaticism in the country. Lashing out at the BJP for accusing him of being partial in the distribution of his MPLAD fund during the past five years, he asked BJP leaders to get exact information under the Right to Information Act from the Deputy Commissioner,
Kangra, before levelling baseless charges. |
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676 officers get training on EVMs
Bilaspur, April 14 He stated this while presiding over a daylong electronic voting machine
(EVM) handling and caring rehearsal-cum-training for election duty officers and assistants of Bilaspur Sadar and Naina Devi Assembly segments in the district here on Sunday at the Luhnu Sports Complex. He said total 676 duty officers, including 176 presiding officers, 191 assistant presiding officers and 309 polling officers were being given training for these two Assembly
segments. Vinay Singh said total 376 officers, including 70 presiding officers, 97 assistant presiding officers and 209 polling officers, would be on duty at the polling booths in the Naina Devi Assembly segment on the election day. He also said the second phase of this training and rehearsal, which was scheduled for April 26-27, would now be held at the Kisan Bhawan in the town here on May 2-3.
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Two bodies found at Rohtang Pass
Kullu, April 14 Police sources confirmed that two men between the age group of 30-32 years were found dead by some pedestrians who were crossing the pass from Lahaul to
Manali. They informed the check post at Marhi, who further informed the matter to the police at
Manali. Manali SHO Sanjay Sharma said the bodies have been brought to Manali for post-mortem examination. He said the victims did not have any luggage or identity on them and looked to be from either Bihar or Uttar
Pradesh. He further said it was also not confirmed whether they were crossing over to Lahaul or coming back from there as none of the check posts at Marhi (on Manali side) and Khokhsar (on the other side of Rohtang Pass) had any information about them. The police has decided to release their photographs to the press for identification, he added. |
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Ansari coming today
Shimla, April 14 Ansari who has spent two years of his childhood in the here while his father was posted here will land at Annadale at about 11 am tomorrow. He will straightaway drive to St Edward’s School where he studied for two years to spend some time with the principal and staff, who had invited their distinguished alumnus. Security has been beefed up in view of the visit of the Vice-President. “We have deployed over 300 security personnel as his visit coincides with Himachal Day celebrations tomorrow,” said SP RM Sharma. Policemen can be seen deployed on all the routes from where the Ansari will
travel. Ansari will drive straight to Raj Bhawan after the function at the school. He will deliver the S. Radhakrishnan lecture at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies on April 16, before returning to Delhi.
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Cong flays BJP on cement plant issue
Sundernagar, April
14 While talking to mediapersons here today, he said the Congress had signed MoU in 1995 to set up a cement plant at Nalani which was far away from Sundernagar but the BJP during its previous tenure shifted the site to the Chambi area. He said the public was raising hue and cry of this decision but the government was siding with the company which was cheating the farmers of the area. He said with the setting up of cement industry at Chambi it would ruin the Balh valley, which is known for its agricultural land and is also known as mini Punjab.
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Lab technologists form body
Nurpur, April 14 On this occasion the state body of the MLT association was constituted. The following have been nominated office-bearers of the state unit. President Harsroop (Shimla), vice-president- Ashok Thakur (Kangra), secretary- Gulab Singh (Nurpur), treasurer- Suman Thakur and auditor- Rajesh Kumar (Gangath). |
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EC directive to defer projects
Shimla, April 14 The EC asked the government to defer some projects, including heli-taxi, nine flow irrigation schemes and water supply schemes in Pooh subdivision of Kinnaur and grant of essentiality certificate required to purchase private land for setting up of industrial units. The EC, however, gave the go ahead for promotion of superintendents and six posts of principal nursing officers in health and ayurveda departments. The tourism department has been allowed to invite expression of interest for operation of toll free number and opening of tenders for staff canteen in DFC
office, Dharamsala.
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Opium plants seized
Sundernagar, April 14 According to the police, its team was present yesterday at Rissa and on getting information that the accused had cultivated opium plants on his land they went to the spot and recovered the opium plants. The police has registered a case. |
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Suicide by woman
Hamirpur, April 14 |
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Adhere to rules: DC
Hamirpur, April 14 He said the political parties should obtain permission from the concerned authorities and paste it on the vehicle and send its copy to the police authorities too.
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MP and Congress candidate from the Kangra parliamentary constituency Chander Kumar Sitting has accused the BJP of inciting religious sentiments of the people. He said this while addressing a press conference at Dhann in Jawali subdivision this afternoon.
