P R A D E S H
Thursday, February 11, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Thursday, February 11, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Tanda
college: Dhumal assures enough staff 'HP
govt's fall linked to Centre' More
parking lots planned |
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Delhi-Shimla flight from
February 15 AIR
announcers' stir hits broadcast Employees
resent frequent transfers SDM:
rehabilitation process on Five
get RI for murder |
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Tanda
college: Dhumal assures enough staff DHARAMSALA, Feb 10 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today said that efforts should be made to have adequate teaching faculty at Tanda medical college. While holding a high-level meeting to review the progress of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda near Kangra, he said the project was prestigious and the government would make all efforts to make it one of the premier institutions in the country. Mr Dhumal, said to meet the teaching faculty requirement, the government would not hesitate to go in for the four tier system. As such there would be enough teaching staff in the college comprising Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor and lecturers. He also directed that steps should be taken to solve the residential problems of the staff at the college. Thanking the Medical Council of India for granting recognition to the Tanda medical college, he directed that the construction work should be speeded up. The Health Secretary, Mr Arvind Kaul, detailed the progress made in respect of the various works. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Rs 3 crore mini secretariat. With the laying down of the foundation stone of the mini secretariat, a long pending demand of the people of Kangra has been fulfilled. Mr Dhumal, later inaugurated the building of a sports hostel and training centre of the Sports Authority of India. The building which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore has boarding and lodging facility for 72 sportspersons. He also inaugurated the building of the vikas bhavan, constructed at a cost of Rs 75 lakh. Later, speaking at the reception organised by the Gurkha Vikas Parishad, he said the nation must always draw inspiration from the sacrifices made by martyrs like Subhash Chander Bose, Bhagat Singh and Sardar Patel. Paying tributes to shaheed Dugra Mal and Dal Bahadur, he said people of the state would always remain indebted to them for the sacrifices they made in attaining freedom. Mr Dhumal, lauded the Gurkhas for their bravery and the active role they played in freedom struggle, and assured that he would take up the matter of the inclusion of the Nepali language in the Constitution, with the Centre. As a mark of respect to shaheed durga Mal and Dal Bahadur, he said that Rs 5 lakh would be spent on the beautification of the place where their statues have been put up in Dari. He also announced that the Dari Mela would be accorded the district-level status and Dari ground would be named as General Bhandari Ground. The Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, said that BJP government had always safeguarded the interest of the Gurkhas and solved their problems on priority basis. The Chief Minister, later inaugurated the langar bhavan in the Chamunda Temple complex. Mr Ravinder Thakur, Mr
Praveen Sharma, ministers and Mr G.S. Bali, Mr Dulo Ram,
Mrs Sharaveen Chaudhary, all MLAs were also present. |
HP Government's fall linked to Centre's:
ex-CM JAWALAMUKHI, Feb 10 — The present Dhumal government in Himachal Pradesh would fall under its own weight, once the BJP-led government at the Centre fell, Mr Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Minister, said while talking to reporters at the local rest house today. He said since the BJP-HVC Government was formed with the intervention of the Centre its fall was also directly linked to it. The Congress leader said the party would initiate any move to form a government in the state after a change of guard at the Centre. "We have many options but we will act well in time", Mr Virbhadra Singh said, adding that the BJP's staying in power for even a single day was a threat to the democracy and unity of the nation. The party was trying to penetrate in various aspects of life, including the services, the bureaucracy and the armed forces. "The sooner it goes the better it is for the nation", he added. He also said the country's future was in jeopardy because the class of politicians that had come to dominate it used every illegal means to remain in power. The Constitution should be amended in a way that prevented anti-social elements from contesting elections, he suggested. He made it clear that criminalisation was bad publicity for any functioning in democracy but all political parties had in recent times adopted this formula for winning elections. This amorality had legitimised many a crook and no political party, least of all the BJP, was free from this. As regards Mr Sukh Ram coming into the Congress fold, he said the Congress code of conduct formalised at the Pachmarhi conclave did not allow this as it debarred anyone from facing criminal charges in a court of law to get the Congress support. He added that Mr Sukh Ram instead was the main issue in the recently concluded Assembly poll. He said the Congress would seek the inclusion into its fold of other HVC MLAs minus Mr Sukh Ram. He also disclosed that there were certain BJP MLAs also from whom the Congress could seek support after the fall of the BJP government at the Centre. He said the BJP in Himachal was on the verge of collapse due to growing groupism and dissensions in its fold. He ruled out the possibility of any Congress MLA deserting the party and said the party was united in the state. Accusing the BJP of hatching a "conspiracy" against Congress President Sonia Gandhi to impair her secular image by dragging her in the Christian issue, he said the BJP was behind the attacks on the Christian missionaries in different parts of the country. He said the BJP had a well-planned move to make it an election plank that Sonia was projecting Christianity. Criticising the Vajpayee
government, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the VHP and the
Bajrang Dal should not be allowed to ruin communal
harmony. |
Town devoid
of amenities BAIJNATH: This ancient religious town of Himachal Pradesh is crying for the immediate attention of the authorities concerned as residents are living in hellish conditions. This town, which was accorded the status of subdivisional headquarters in 1995 with the efforts of the then forest minister, late Pt Sant Ram, is still devoid of basic amenities. Pot-holed roads and streets, overflowing street drains and contaminated drinking water tell the tale of the town, which is fast turning into a huge slum. Almost all interior streets are in a bad shape. Due to the over-flowing drains, water collects on the streets making it difficult for the residents to move. Some of the paved streets have been damaged because of the over-flowing drains and leakage of drinking water pipes. Garbage can be seen in every nook and corner of the town. There is no sewerage system, which has caused insanitary and unhygienic conditions. The sanitary condition of the town is unhealthy and deplorable, thus creating a number of health problems. The condition of inner localities is worse. To get rid of the grievances of the residents a proper sewerage system must be laid on top priority. There is also shortage of potable water. There is a general complaint that drinking water being supplied to the residents carries mud and other waste material and is not fit for human consumption. Besides, the narrow Pathankot-Mandi national highway, which passes through the town, has become a major problem for the residents because of frequent traffic jams. Despite repeated requests, the state government has not cleared the project for the construction of a bye-pass to the town. During a visit to the town in November last, though Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had announced a number of plans, these are yet to be implemented. At present the town is being governed by the panchayat, which has no funds to keep it clean. There has been a manifold increase in the local population in the past five years, and the panchayat is finding it difficult to maintain the town with meagre funds allotted to it every year. The long standing demand of the people to set up a municipal council has not been accepted because of personal interests of political leaders. Residents have been urging the government to install one council here for Baijnath and Paprola towns. The residents also want that liberal funds should be sanctioned to the panchayat for the installation of street lights in all localities. The panchayat should also be permitted to charge toll tax from the vehicles and tax on the sale of liquor so that it can raise its own resources for development projects. However, Mr Dulo Ram,
local MLA, says he is well conversant with the problems
of the town and efforts are being made to solve these. He
discloses that adequate funds have been sanctioned by the
Chief Minister for the augmentation of the water supply
scheme. Besides, the government has also agreed for the
setting up of a council. |
More parking
lots planned SHIMLA, Feb 10 — The government will give priority to the construction and maintenance of roads in Shimla district. This was stated by Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister, while presiding over the first meeting of the recently constituted District Grievances Committee. Mr Bragta said parking lots were being developed for the convenience of tourists and locals. He said while work was on to build parking lots near Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital and Rippon Hospital, a major parking lot had been planned at the railway godown near the bus stand. The villages which had yet not been provided potable water and power would be given these facilities on a priority basis, he said. Vacant posts of doctor and
teacher in various institutions would be filled soon and
the matter of opening a police chowki at Vikas Nagar
would be taken up with the government, he added. |
Delhi-Shimla flight from February 15 SHIMLA, Feb 10 (PTI) — Indian Airlines has conceded the request of the Himachal Pradesh Government to start its operations on the Delhi-Shimla-Kulu route and decided to operate the inaugural flight from Delhi to Shimla on February 15. The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Anant Kumar, would travel in the inaugural flight along with the Union Civil Aviation Secretary. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has made changes in his scheduled tour programme to receive the inaugural flight at Jubbar-Hatti (Shimla) airport. A function will be held at
Jubbar-Hatti and the Union Minister will return to Delhi
in the same plane, official sources said. |
Five get RI
for murder BILASPUR, Feb 10 — The District and Sessions Judge, Mr L.N. Sharma, here today convicted and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment five persons including a woman. Additional fines of Rs 1000 each were also imposed on them. The five were convicted of murdering an ex-serviceman Ram Parkash, a son of Sukhram of Dhanather village in a dispute regarding path and drinking water a few years ago. The five convicted persons
are Atama Ram, Narayan Dass, Ram Nath, Jagdish and Soma
Devi. |
AIR
announcers' stir hits broadcast SHIMLA, Feb 10 — Work at various radio stations in the state was affected as members of the All India Radio Announcers Associations observed a strike for the second consecutive day today. A spokesman of the association claimed that broadcasting of various programmes from Shimla, Dharamsala and Hamirpur radio stations was hit due to the strike. The association is
demanding better pay-scales and promotional avenues for
announcers. It lamented that the pay-scales of the
engineering and programme staff had been increased and
the announcers had been ignored. |
Employees
resent frequent transfers SHIMLA, Feb 10 — The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Technical Employees Union has expressed resentment over the frequent transfers of members of the administration. It said such unwarranted
transfers were affecting the functioning of the board and
urged the government to cancel the transfers failing
which it would launch an agitation. |
SDM:
rehabilitation process on DALHOUSIE, Feb 10 — The Centre and the state government are monitoring the progress made in the rehabilitation of 1500 families ousted due to the merging of Ranjit Sagar Dam with the Banikhet area of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. The Punjab Government has already sanctioned Rs 66 crore for the same. Giving this information over the phone here today, Mr R.D. Nazeem, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dalhousie, stated that the state government was "sensitive" to the matter and everything was being done in accordance with the norms of the Relief and Rehabilitation Plan already approved by the Centre. The SDM said 1500 families belonging to 12 revenue mohals — Khairi, Botan, Chaunka, Mail, Tenhi, Lahdi, Sanghar, Shihas, Dal Garh, Chuhan and Minhnu — had been affected. The lists of persons identified for providing jobs (one from each family affected) were being submitted to the Ranjit Sagar Dam authorities. So far 322 persons had been identified out of which 316 persons had been given work on the project, the SDM said. He said so far a
compensation of Rs 10 crore had been distributed among
175 affected families. |
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