P R A D E S H
Tuesday, August 4, 1998
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Tuesday, August 4, 1998 |
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CAG report unfair:
Virbhadra One
gets life term for murder |
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Joint combing operation launched SHIMLA, Aug 3 — The security forces have launched a joint combing operation in the border areas of Chamba and Doda districts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir to nab the Kashmiri terrorists who gunned down at least 35 persons in the Tissa area of Chamba today. Highly placed sources said the Army and paramilitary forces had started the combing operations on both sides. Troops have been rushed to the Tissa area from Dalhousie. One company of the Dogra regiment had already reached the spot and two others were moving there. The Chief Secretary, Mr O.P. Yadav, said on the Jammu and Kashmir side the Rashtriya Rifles had been moved from Batote to extensively comb the areas of Kishtwar and Bhaderwah adjoining Chamba district. The Himachal Pradesh
government has requisitioned a battalion of the CRPF and
has also sought the repatriation of the three companies
of the India Reserve Battalion which are currently on
duty at Delhi.
Central
team
coming today CHAMBA, Aug 3 — A high-level central team headed by the Special Secretary, Home, is arriving here tomorrow to review the situation following killing of 35 labourers by Kashmiri terrorists in the Tissa area today. It is learnt that the Special Secretary, Home, will be accompanied by the Director General, CRPF, and certain other high level officers. The team will visit the Tissa area to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. Terrorists have made four labourers as hostage and have taken them to the Doda area by making them carry geletine sticks and explosive material from the stores of the road construction site.The road is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation, sources said. It is feared that the
hostages might be killed when the looted explosive
material is carried to the terrorist camp in Doda
district. |
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J&K militant arrested DHARAMSALA, Aug 3 — The police today arrested a Kashmiri militant belonging to the Hizb-ul- Mujahideen outfit from Chirkut Thachi village in the Baijnath subdivision. According to the SP, Mr K.C. Sadyal, the militant, Saif Din (27), had been residing in this village along with his wife and child for the past 40 days. He is a resident of Udhampur and belonged to the Ansari Hizb-ul- Mujahideen group. Mr Sadyal along with other police officials and some army officials raided the village and arrested him last night. They covered four and a half hours distance on foot to reach the remote village. Saif Din had been working at a saw mill, where he was cutting trees and making slippers. During interrogation, he told the police that he had come to the remote village as he was no longer interested in remaining a terrorist. He claimed that he had been forced to become a militant against his wishes. A team of Jammu and
Kashmir police personnel will arrive here tomorrow to
interrogate Saif, who is already wanted in a number of
cases in that state. |
Highway sans safety Parwanoo: The Kalka-Shimla national highway between Parwanoo and Solan is sans safety and renovation. The highway at many places is sans tarring, parapets, retaining walls, breast walls and vehicle caution equipment such as delineators and signboards. The highway is full of sharp and risky curves. The curve near Dehunghat and the small curves up to Nagaali are without delineators and adequate parapets. This area, due to the non-availability of delineators, speed limit sign boards and other safety measures, is prone to accidents. This part of the highway is also without retaining and breast walls. The condition of the highway near Parwanoo is also no different. More than half the breadth of the road, lost in a landslide a few months ago, near Shivathene factory in Parwanoo has not been restored so far. The delay in the restoration work, according to PWD sources, is being caused due to a resource crunch. The funds being released by the Ministry of Surface Transport are a drop in the ocean. The sources confirm that the funds cannot even meet the expenses incurred on manpower. The annual grant for the restoration work is just Rs 26 lakh whereas the amount spent on the wages is Rs 48 lakh. In addition, the labour strength is also inadequate to cover the highway part between Parwanoo and Shalaghat. The ministry allows the engagement of only one labourer after every 2 km. The present strength of labourers is just 80. Another reason for the delay in the restoration work is the lame-duck working process of the state PWD and Ministry of Surface Transport. Though provisions are there to undertake immediate steps for the restoration at the state level, these are only initiated in case of a road blockade. The inspection is carried
out only in the August-September months to work out
estimates for the release of grants. The estimates
prepared by the state PWD lick dust in the record room of
the ministry. According to the sources, the estimates
worth Rs 7 lakh prepared by the Solan circle of the PWD
to install delineators are lying unanswered in the
ministry. |
CAG report unfair: Virbhadra SHIMLA, Aug 3 — The Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today alleged that prejudice had been injected into the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) by modifying certain portions regarding raising of loans by the Himachal Government during his tenure as Chief Minister. Reacting sharply to the the episode, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that a "sinister attempt" to distort the CAG report to capitalise on it for political purposes was regrettable. In a statement here, the CLP leader said that an attempt had been made by a section of the Press to blow out of proportion the CAG report for the year ending March 31,1997.This report was basically repetition of the same observations which were made earlier on raising of loans through public sector for meeting budgetary gaps. The position had been made clear earlier also that it was done as a matter of systematic policy decision to keep up pace of development in the state. Mr Virbhadra Singh said he had clarified earlier that the CAG report for the year 1995-96 was "unfair" to the government in the sense that when for the first time an advance para on raising of loans by the HPSEB was sent to the government in 1995-96,it said that the government had violated the Constitution by raising these loans. The para was modified to say that the constitution was bypassed following a clarification by the state government. In all fairness, the Accountant-General should have given the government’s complete version in his report and left the matter open to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). By modifying the para, a sort of prejudice had been injected into the entire matter. He said that the issue would now be viewed by the PAC only and would be sorted out there. Mr Virbhadra Singh reiterated with full force at his command that the Constitution had not been violated and no illegality had been committed in raising these loans. Certain other states had also raised such loans. In the latest CAG report it had been mentioned that improper operation of deposit heads, particularly the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation and passenger insurance counterpart funds were started by the BJP government in 1991. It continued to be operated during the President’s rule. The Congress government only continued the practice. He said many other
objections raised in the CAG report were of routine
nature which could be found in any such report. |
Fraudulent land deal unearthed SHIMLA, Aug 3 — The enforcement wing of the state police has unearthed a case of fraudulent land deal in which a Delhi based industrialist acquired 80 bighas of land in Barotiwala in connivance with officials of the Revenue Department, bypassing the provisions of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act. In order to circumvent the Act, which bars non-agriculturists from purchasing land in the state without the prior permission of the government, the industrialists entered into an agreement with the villagers who owned the land. He paid Rs 16 lakh to 34 land owners and procured a will and power of attorney executed in his favour by all of them. While this enabled the industrialist to circumvent Section 118 of the Act, it also deprived the government of stamp duty amounting to Rs 2 lakh. Mr V.K. Malik, ADGP, said investigations into the case revealed a nexus between the industrialist and the revenue officials. The most intriguing feature was that the tehsil concerned visited the village on October 13, 1994 and attested and registered the will and power of attorney documents of the 34 land owners the same day. He said many more similar cases were likely to come to light. The Department had sought information from the Deputy Commissioners of Una, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts, where industrial estates had come up regarding land deals. It also announced that those who gave authentic information to the police regarding such deals would be suitably rewarded. The Enforcement Department
which has been mostly investigating forest cases, has
registered this type of case for the first time. |
Genuine migrant students KANGRA, Aug 3 — The zonal coordinator of the Pannun Kashmir of Mumbai zone, Mr Ashok Pandit, yesterday said that no social organisation was supposed to issue migrant identity cards to those Kashmiri Pandit youths who were born outside Kashmir. Mr Pandit, who was here in connection with shooting of a TV serial, said several Kashmiri Pandits, who were born and brought up in cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, were issued bogus migrant identity cards by a Delhi-based social organisation, thus depriving the meritorious genuine migrant students of good educational opportunities. He said it was found that one such student, who was admitted to an MBA course in a Mumbai institute, born and brought in Delhi, while another Kashmiri Pandit, who had lived in Mumbai all his life, got admission to a Goregaon college under the guise of an immigrant. Mr Pandit claimed the
reservation policy was implemented after the Pannun
Kashmir apprised the Shiv Sena government of the
students' grievances. The government reserved seats in
professional courses for migrants, but the Kashmiri
Pandits living out of the state for 30 to 40 years were
securing admissions on the reservation quota by procuring
bogus migrant certificates. Murder probe: ADGP visits Pragpur DHARAMSALA, Aug 3 — The Additional Director-General of Police, Mr A.K. Puri, visited Kuthiada village near Pragpur to review the progress in investigations in the murder of a Dalit woman, Shakino Devi, last month. Mr Puri visited the village and spoke to the family of the deceased and other villagers. The state government has entrusted the job of holding the inquiry into the matter to Mr Puri. He is learnt to have assured the people that thorough investigation will be held in the case and the guilty shall not be spared. In order to instil confidence among the people of the area, who appear to be terrified after the brutal murder, it was decided to set up a temporary police post at the village. The post has already started functioning in the village where five police personnel have been deployed with immediate effect. Mr Puri also paid a visit
to the palace of the Dalai Lama in McLeodgang, to review
the security arrangements provided to him. The outer
nine-foot concrete wall around the palace is nearing
completion. |
One gets life term for murder SHIMLA, Aug 3 — Mr Surjit Singh, District and Sessions Judge, here today convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on Narinder for killing Ms Kamala, a resident of Khalini locality, on January 19 this year. According to the prosecution, the accused was having an evil eye on the deceased and had been making advances towards her. She even complained to her husband about him but he did not take the matter seriously. Her negative response enraged the accused who attacked her with a log while she was sitting in the sun in front of her house. She died on the spot. The accused who fled the scene, was arrested later. The prosecution was
conducted by Mr Jeewan Lal Sharma, the district attorney. Congress workers hold march HAMIRPUR, Aug 3 — As many as 100 Congress activists, mainly women, led by two former Congress legislators, Mrs Anita Varma and Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, today took out a procession through the main bazar in protest against the steep rise in prices of various essential commodities. The processionists were also raising slogans against the central and the state governments. At Gandhi Chowk, the Congress workers held a rally at which the Central and state governments were criticised for their failure to check the price rise. They demanded punitive action against hoarders and blackmarkeeters, who according to them were amassing money in 'connivance' with BJP. It was the first time after the assembly elections that the Congress men came out on road to show their strength. A Congress spokesman said
the party would continue to focus the attention of the
state government on the genuine problems and difficulties
being faced by the people of the district. |
Mahila Congress leader dead SOLAN, Aug 3 — Ms Champa Rani, a former president of the Himachal Pradesh Mahila Congress and leading social worker of this town, died after a protracted illness here today. She was 80. She is survived by her husband, Captain Tiwana of the Indian National Army, a son and grandchildren. Her funeral was largely attended. 4159 teachers made permanent NAHAN, Aug 3 — Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for Primary Education, while talking to mediapersons at Paonta Sahib yesterday, said that 4,159 voluntary teachers had been made permanent from August 1. The contract period of 4,000 teachers, who were on one year's contract, had also been extended by a year and 2,000 more teachers would be appointed in the state soon on a contract basis. He made it clear that the
government had no intention of closing any school. |
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