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State plans to amend Roadside Control Act
HPCC meeting at Palampur today
Fight Against Corruption |
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Koshiyari seeks removal of Sibal, PC
State to explore power tube technology
NGO Federation Poll
Anganwadi workers stage protest
Aircraft forced to return from runway
Cash looted from petrol
station
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State plans to amend Roadside Control Act
Shimla, June 11 The issue is likely to be placed before the state Cabinet so that restriction on construction activity within 100 m on either side of the scheduled road can be reduced to about 25 m by bringing about an amendment as per requirement. The logic being given by various agencies is that in a hilly state it becomes impossible to maintain such a huge buffer zone along the national and state highways. The issue was discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Rajwant Sandhu here yesterday. The meeting was attended by principal secretaries of Public Works Department (PWD), Town and Country Planning (TCP) and Urban Development and also officials of the National Highway. It is now being deliberated whether there should be a uniform 25 m buffer zone everywhere in the state or it should vary as per volume of the traffic and on other technical grounds. Officials pointed out that since a lot of construction activity had already come up right along the scheduled roads it would be impossible to stop others for any activity in future. “Moreover, the restriction of a 100 m zone in plains is understandable, but when it comes to hilly terrain it becomes impractical as it will prohibit even creation of wayside amenities,” an official said. Even though the restriction of 8 m buffer zone on either side of the road exists in Himachal, this too is not being adhered to strictly. The condition of eight m buffer zone exits in Himachal under the Himachal Pradesh Roadside Land Control Act, 1968. However, now the Centre is keen to enforce the 100 m buffer zone condition as per the Punjab Scheduled Land Road Act, 1963, which was adopted by Himachal from Punjab after reorganisation of the states in 1966. As such the matter is likely to be placed before the Cabinet as it will not be possible to bar any construction or development activity within 100 m on either side of the road. However, there is no denying the fact that there is immediate need to regulate and restrict construction activity and development along the highways as it also hampers future widening and expansion of roads and other services. |
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HPCC meeting at Palampur today
Dharamsala, June 11 In the resolutions the Congress would try to target the present BJP government on the issues of law and order, corruption and economic policies. The sources said the Congress leaders had screened news reports and information gathered from its leaders to frame charges against the present BJP state government. They said the party leaders would resort to dinner diplomacy tonight to iron out differences among their top leadership. It was a day for a show of strength for various Congress leaders at Kangra today. The entire state Congress leadership, including HPCC President Kaul Singh, Union Minister for Small, Micro and Medium Industry Virbhadra Singh, CLP leader Vidya Stokes and party in charge for Himachal Varinder Singh converged to Kangra for tomorrow’s meeting. Senior Congress leader and Nagrota Bagwan MLA GS Bali put up a show of strength while welcoming Varinder Singh from the Gaggal airport to Kangra. Virbhadra Singh’s supporters also gathered in considerable number to welcome the veteran leader who is putting up a stiff fight to retain his hold over the state Congress. Meanwhile, Kaul Singh launched an attack on the state government. While addressing a press conference at Dharamsala, he flayed the state government for allotting 127 bighas of prime land to the trust headed by Baba Ramdev. “In case the Congress is voted to power in the state it will review the land allotment to Baba Ramdev trust,” he said. He also alleged that the state of the Health Department could be gauged from the fact that the CM had to go to AIIMS for treatment. Once again reiterating the charges of violations under Section 118 of the Himachal Land Tenancy Act, Kaul Singh said permissions
had been given for selling about 2 lakh hectares of land to outsiders by the present BJP government. |
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Fight Against Corruption
Shimla, June 11 Addressing a press conference here, international president of the VHP Ashok Singhal warned that the VHP and other Hindu organisations would soon chalk out a strategy to ensure that the campaign started by Swami Ramdev was successful. “We all have a lot of respect for Swami Ramdev. So we urge him to end his fast as his life is valuable for all of us,” he added. The VHP leader said the misconception and propaganda being made by the Congress that the BJP, the VHP and the RSS were behind the campaign by Swami Ramdev had no truth in it. “We definitely support the fight against corruption and black money launched by Ramdev, but the entire planning for the fast at the Ramlila Ground was
of the Patanjali Yogpeeth and we were not involved in it,” he added. Singhal said the situation in the country was not much different from the days of the Emergency. “It seems that the UPA regime is following in the footsteps of Indira Gandhi so they should know that they too will meet the same fate by being wiped out in the elections,” he remarked. He said the entire nation had been shamed by the manner in which Ramdev was treated, despite the fact that he was peacefully observing a fast. Singhal lashed out at Sonia Gandhi and said she was the brain behind the action against Ramdev and the Prime Minister had practically no say. He said the VHP had launched several successful campaigns, including the pulling down of the disputed structure at Ayodhya and campaign against construction of a bridge across Ram Setu. |
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Koshiyari seeks removal of Sibal, PC
Shimla, June 11 Addressing a press conference here, the BJP leader demanded that owning moral responsibility for the undemocratic action, the Prime Minister should also remove senior Delhi Police officials for the pre-dawn swoop. “The statement by Manmohan Singh that it was a very unfortunate incident does not end matters and if he really regrets it then he should remove both Chidambaram and Sibal,” he demanded. He said the BJP had launched a nationwide campaign against such acts, which violated the fundamental rights of a citizen and massive protest rallies would be held after June 23. |
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State to explore power tube technology
Shimla, June 11 They invited Dhumal to visit the USA to see the project sites and interact with other experts. The Chief Minister said the state had a vast potential to generate hydel power potential, which was non-polluting and cost effective in the long run. He said a large number of hydel projects were under execution in different parts of the state and there was a target to harness the entire potential by 2020. He said the state government had also been exploring the possibility of generating power through non-conventional methods so that the state was in a position to meet the power requirement of neighbouring states. He said Himachal was also working on solar and wind energy generation technologies and would explore the possibilities of experimentation with power tube, to meet the power demand of the state. |
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Villagers protest against power project at Jogini waterfall
Manali, June 11 All shops and business establishments in the area remained closed today as a mark of protest against
the project. The protest started from Vashisht village and the protesters marched to the tourist town of Manali where they submitted a memorandum to the Manali police station and the Manali SDM. The villagers also dispatched a copy of it to the Chief Minister, local MLA Govind Singh Thakur, Kullu DC, Kullu SP, Manali DSP, secretary and director of the Him Urja, Shimla. Many foreign tourists also participated in the protest. The foreigners were seen holding banners which read “Save Jogini Waterfall”. The Jogini waterfall is near Vashisht village. Every day a large number of domestic and foreign tourists visit it and the Jogini temple. The villagers from the valley visit and perform their rites at the temple and till date follow the custom of serving food in plates made of stone. In the resolution, the villagers of 18 panchayats of the upper Kullu valley also raised objections against the setting up of the micro hydel power project at
Jogini waterfall. They said in spite of several complaints made against the power project the departments concerned turned a deaf ear to their complaints. The villagers were also upset since a NOC had been obtained from the village panchayat, they added. The villagers said the setting up of such a project would cause ecological imbalance and environmental degradation and also hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees who come to pay obeisance to Goddess Jogini at the Jogini waterfall. |
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NGO Federation Poll
Hamirpur, June 11 Bharmoria, who was holding the post of district president of the federation in the outgoing body, did not turn up for the election. About 200 delegates representing different unions across the district elected new office-bearers of Hamirpur district in the presence of officiating president of the state NGO federation NR Thakur. The main argument of employees opposed to Bharmoria was “he can’t hold any post in the federation after his promotion to the rank of an officer, since as per the constitution of the federation he cannot remain a member now”. Bharmoria said: “Though I had been promoted to officer rank, I had worked for the federation for 38 years and it had authorised me to conduct new election across the state”. In the election held in the NGO Bhawan here yesterday, Joginder Verma was elected district president, Roshan Lal Sharma senior vice-president, Ashwani Sharma, Jitender Rana, Kamal Mankotia, Jagan Nath and Kudeep vice-presidents and Arvind Modgil general secretary. Meanwhile, employees raised the demands for giving promotions after four, nine and 14 years, paying medical allowances and clearing the pending 60 per cent arrears. |
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Anganwadi workers stage protest
Palampur, June 11 Krishana Patial, district president of the Anganwadi Workers Association, addressing the rally said their demands included regularisation of their services. The anganwadi workers and helpers should be declared as state government employees. They should be given all pensionary benefits at par with government employees. Patial criticised Social Welfare Minister Sarveen Chaudhry and said despite signing an agreement by which their demands were accepted, the minister failed to implement the same. She said the association would organise rallies at Dehara Gopipur, Dharamsala and Baijnath on June, 13, 14 and 15, respectively, in support of their demands. |
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Aircraft forced to return from runway
Kangra, June 11 The passenger was brought to the passenger lounge as there was no doctor available at the airport. Later, a doctor was called from Gaggal town. The doctor concerned issued a certificate to her after which she was flown to Delhi in the second flight of the Kingfisher aircraft. Resentment prevailed among passengers due to lack of medical facilities in the aircraft and at the Kangra airport. Sources, however, stated that the reason for bringing back the aircraft from the runway before take-off was “purely a technical one”.
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Cash looted from petrol
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Solan, June 11 Then they came back with two other youths. They attacked employees Yograj and Manjeet with sharp-edged weapons and fled after snatching Rs 10,000 from them. The police reached the scene at 4.30 am after being informed by the petrol station staff. The police has registered a case under Section 395, IPC.
— OC
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The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) is going to gather at Palampur tomorrow to draw the road map for Assembly elections in the state in 2012.
Highly-placed sources told The Tribune that the party would pass resolutions in tomorrow’s meeting that would decided the course of its campaign for the coming year.
Shimla, June 11
