P R A D E S H
Wednesday, July 21, 1999
|
H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
|
Wednesday, July 21, 1999 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
|
|
HVC, BJP agree on poll
pact Torture victims tell their tale to
CM |
 |
|
|
Inquiry ordered into bus
mishap ABVP activists threaten stir Life term for killing aunt Two killed in mishap Cop, wife commit suicide 5 benami land deals detected Curbs on printing of posters,
handbills Mankotia for Kargil intrusion
probe Postal staff hold gate meeting |
|||||
 |
||||||
HVC, BJP agree on poll pact SHIMLA, July 20 — Decks have been cleared for the BJP and the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) fighting the Lok Sabha poll jointly in the state with the latter giving up its claim on the Mandi seat and agreeing to contest only the Shimla (reserve) constituency. Highly placed party sources said an understanding on seat sharing between the two parties had already been reached and a formal announcement would be made after the approval of the accord by the parliamentary board of the BJP. Dispute over seat sharing had strained the relationship between the two coalition partners as the HVC had staked claim on two seats, whereas the BJP was insisting on contesting all four seats. The general house of the HVC which met early this month, had even authorised the party President, Mr Sukh Ram, to start talks with other parties in case the BJP refused to leave any seat for the party. Mr Sukh Ram had a series of meetings with the central BJP leaders, including, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, Mr L.K. Advani, Mr K.L. Sharma and Mr Narinder Modi and impressed upon them that the BJP could not win any seat in the state without the support of the HVC which secured 12 per cent votes in the last Assembly poll and paved way for the installation of the coalition government. The central leaders appreciated the role of the HVC in the formation of BJP-led government in the state and agreed to leave one seat to strengthen the alliance and ensure that the coalition completed its full term. However, the state leadership of the BJP was unwilling to part with the Shimla seat and at one stage even offered the Mandi seat to the HVC. It wanted Mr Sukh Ram to contest from Mandi parliamentary constituency and vacate his Mandi (Sadar) Assembly seat for his son, Mr Anil Sharma, who was to be made a minister. In return Mr Maheshwar Singh, who represented the Mandi parliamentary seat in the dissolved Lok Sabha was to be given the Rajya Sabha seat presently held by Mr Anil Sharma. Mr Sukh Ram turned down the proposal as he wanted to stay in state politics. Besides, the HVC from the very beginning had an eye on the Shimla constituency, the only seat held by the Congress in the state. The party did not want to disturb senior BJP leaders like Mr Shanta Kumar, Mr Suresh Chandel and Mr Maheshwar Singh, who were to seek re-election from the other three seats. Its ministers have been extensively touring the constituency with an eye on the poll. A deputation of BJP leaders led by Mr Narinder Bragta, the Horticulture Minister, today met Mr Sukh Ram and urged him to leave the Shimla seat and agreed to contest from Mandi. However, Mr Sukh Ram maintained that only the HVC could wrest the seat which had been won by the Congress for the past six times in succession. The pradesh election committee of the BJP is meeting on July 24 at Nurpur to finalise its candidates and formalise the seat sharing arrangement. The party is certain to nominate Mr Shanta Kumar from Kangra, Mr Suresh Chandel from Hamirpur and Mr Maheshwar Singh from Mandi. The HVC will decide its
nominee from Shimla after the seat sharing agreement is
approved by the parliamentary board of the BJP. |
Torture victims tell their tale
to CM SHIMLA, July 20 — About 12 harassed residents of Nanhar village, who were allegedly being tortured by the Chopal police, met Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal here yesterday and urged him to put an end to their ordeal. They also demanded an inquiry into the brutalities inflicted on them by the police over the past fortnight using the murder of Mr Jagdish, a constable of the same village, as an excuse. The policemen, namely Mr Sham Lal, Inspector; and Mr Madan Lal, ASI, and Surjeet have used every possible method to torture them. Even women were not spared, they told the Chief Minister. Almost all of them had suffered injuries. While Mrs Vidya Devi had a swollen eye, Mrs Ramla Devi had been having fits ever since she was severely beaten up and had to be admitted to the Civil Hospital, Chopal, Shamsher Singh had also been admitted to hospital with serious injuries in nose and stomach. Another victim, Devinder Singh, found the police torture intolerable and thought of committing suicide. The local police, they alleged, were acting at the behest of Bhupinder Singh, a brother of the deceased, and a local advocate who were out to settle old scores with them for their refusal to support the candidate of their choice in the panchayat elections. The police had been forcing them to make false statements even though as per its preliminary investigations the deceased was killed by a leopard. Forensic experts had also confirmed this. The police, which had failed to find out the real culprits, was subjecting innocent people to torture to create an impression that it was making efforts to nab the culprits. The Chief Minister
assured them of taking action against the guilty. |
Farmers resent office closure JWALAMUKHI, July 20 — The controversial decision of the Himachal Agro Industries Corporation to close down its divisional office has kicked up a row. The people of the area, particularly farmers, are annoyed against the arbitrary decision and the issue has taken political overtones. According to information, the corporation has decided to close down its local division which was set up here to cater to the needs of the peasantry of Kangra region some years ago. The office was set up here in 1977 and a piece of land measuring 42 kanal was purchased at that time. Agricultural equipment of better quality at competitive rates were being made available here. Moreover, other branches of the corporation spread in region were supplying agricultural equipment, pesticides and insecticides. In pursuance of the agriculture policy of the state government farmers were given subsidy on the purchase of tractors. But due to the recent decision, farmers of the area would not be able to get the benefit and forced to purchase tractors from Punjab. On the other hand, the state government had declared the corporation as "nodal agency". The Public Works Departments and Panchayati Raj Institutions were the main consumers. The Agro Industries Corporation is at present undertaking two types of activities — trading and manufacturing. There are two manufacturing plants of animal feed at Jach and Parwanoo. With the closure of the division, the branches of Kangra region would also be closed and activity of the corporation would be centralised in Shimla and Solan districts. Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that a few years ago the state government had drawn up a plan for the upgradation of infrastructure and the setting up of a processing plant here for the procurement of citrus fruits and mangoes. Procurement and sale of mangoes was started on an experimental basis by the Himachal Agro last year. A petrol pump was also to be started under this plan sanctioned by the Union Government. But the plan was shelved with the change of the government. With the decision of the
corporation to dispose of the building and the adjoining
piece of land, farmers of the area are annoyed and have
decided to launch an agitation. |
BJP leaders relent on Shimla
seat SHIMLA, July 20 — Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, general secretary of the state BJP, and Dr Radha Raman Shastri, a former minister, said here today that partymen would abide by the decision of the high command regarding sharing of seats with the HVC in the Lok Sabha poll. They denied that leaders of Shimla constituency had put undue pressure on Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, for the party contesting the seat. The BJP and the HVC are to contest the election jointly. The two leaders took exception to the statement of Mr G.S. Bali, general secretary of the state Congress, in which he had said that three ministers of Kangra district who conspired against the Chief Minister had no moral right to continue in the ministry and advised him to beware of his own partymen. Mr Randhir Sharma, The state BJP secretary and vice-chairman, Small Savings Advisory Board, also condemned the statement of Mr Bali. Regarding Mr Bali's now
found love for other backward classes Mr Randhir Sharma
said there could no better proof of this than the fact
that in connivance with Mr Virbhadra Singh he had got
himself nominated as a Congress candidate from an other
backward class dominated constituency at the expense of
other backward class aspirants. |
Inquiry ordered into bus mishap NAHAN, July 20 — Mr Rakesh Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Shillai bus accident. Mr Rahul Anand, SDM, Paonta has been asked to hold an inquiry and submit his report at the earliest. A private bus on way to Balikoti had fallen into a gorge on Sunday. So far 21 deaths were reported and 61 injured who were undergoing treatment at PGI, Nahan Civil Hospital, Paonta Subdivisional Hospital and in PHC, Shillai. No fresh death had been reported in the past 24 hours. The Deputy Commissioner,
Sirmour has released Rs 1.5 lakh to the next of kin of
those killed and Rs 1,40,500 to the injured depending
upon the nature of injury sustained. |
Life term for killing aunt SUNDERNAGAR, July 20 — The Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi division, has convicted Jai Ram of Bag village of Chachoit tehsil in Mandi district for allegedly murdering his maternal aunt and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Judge also asked the accused to pay a fine of Rs 5000. The accused was also awarded simple imprisonment of five years for trying to destroy the evidence under Section 201 of the IPC. The case of the
prosecution was that the deceased Puni Devi inherited
property from her mother. As she was a disabled and
single, the accused wanted to grab her property.
Meanwhile, the deceased executed a will in favour of some
third person. This annoyed Jai Ram and he murdered his
aunt and hid the body. |
ABVP activists threaten stir BILASPUR, July 20 — Led by district chief Subhash Sharma, a large number of activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested against "forcible" charging of the "PTA" funds and increase in the library security by Government Postgraduate College here yesterday. The activists "gheraoed" the principal's office and also held a rally. They declared that an agitation would be started if all demands were not accepted "within seven days". Later, a deputation of
the ABVP" met the principal and presented a
memorandum of demands. |
Two killed in mishap CHAMBA, July 20 — Two persons were killed on the spot and eight others injured when the truck in which they were travelling veered off the road and fell into a gorge at Rajnagar on the Chamba-Chakloo road, 14 km from here today. Giving this information here today, an official spokesman said the injured were admitted to the district hospital here of which one was stated to be in critical condition. Police officials have gone to the accident site to carry out rescue operations. Those people who were travelling in the truck were labourers. A case has been
registered. |
Cop, wife commit suicide DHARAMSALA, July 20 — A head constable, Subhash Chand, of the Second Battalion, and his wife committed suicide by taking poison, in their native village, Raja Ka Talab, yesterday. It is reliably learnt
that the constable's wife, Chander Kumari, who had
recently undergone an operation, was disturbed due to her
poor health, and took poison. Subhash Chand (40), who had
gone home on leave, followed suit. Both of them died on
the spot. The couple leaves behind three children. |
5 benami land deals
detected DALHOUSIE, July 20 — The state Vigilance Department has detected five cases of benami land deals pertaining to hotel magnates of this hill station. Sources revealed that these cases were under investigation and the department was also keeping a close watch on some other cases too. These hotel magnates are reportedly running prestigious hotels unauthorisedly on the land acquired through benami transactions by way of fictitious power of attorneys. Amazingly, these hotels have been constructed on the land already leased out to the actual first party. It has also come to light that these hotels are being run unauthorisedly in violation of the HP Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1988, which came into force four years ago. Moreover, the hotel premises are not following the prescribed standards required under the provisions of the latest Act. According to the sources, there are about 60 hotels registered under the Act, by the Department of Tourism. Another case of an
agricultural loan of Rs 16.66 lakh advanced by the HP
State Cooperative Bank to the Lihl and Basu agriculture
cooperative societies in Chamba district is being
investigated by the department. |
Curbs on printing of posters,
handbills CHAMBA, July 20 — The District Magistrate-cum-District Election Officer, Mr K. Sanjaymurthy, has imposed restrictions on the printing of pamphlets, posters, handbills and etc under the provisions of Section 127-A of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the district. In an order issued here to all the printing presses, the District Magistrate said these restrictions had been imposed to establish the identity of publishers and printers of such documents in case these documents contained any material which was illegal, offending or objectionable like appeals on grounds of religion, race, caste, language or character assassination of an opponent. He said these restrictions would also keep a check on the unauthorised election expenditure by political parties, candidates and their supporters on the printing and publication of election pamphlets, posters etc. The District Magistrate
cautioned that stringent action would be taken against
the offenders. |
Mankotia for Kargil intrusion
probe SHIMLA, July 20 — Major Vijay Singh Mankotia (retd), President of the Himachal unit of the Indian Ex-services League, has urged the President, Mr K R Narayanan, to appoint a high-powered commission to look into all aspects of the Indo-Pakistan conflict in Kargil. Mr Mankotia, who was talking to newsmen here today, said that the un-noticed intrusion of Pakistani soldiers and mercenaries on Indian soil was a serious and unpardonable lapse of the government and a failure of military intelligence, RAW and the Intelligence Bureau. He demanded that the recruitment quota for the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan be increased. He regretted that the
dependants of 28 soldiers of Himachal Pradesh who laid
down their lives during insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
and the North-East two years ago have not yet been
rehabilitated and demanded immediate provision for
recruitment of their dependants in government jobs. |
Postal staff hold gate meeting HAMIRPUR, July 20 — Postal employees held a gate meeting outside the head post office here today in protest against the failure of the Union Communications Ministry to implement the accord reached between them and the government on December 17. They raised anti-government slogans and held a demonstration. These employees are demanding implementation of the Talwar Committee report before elections and better pay scales to various categories of employees. Earlier, employees
observed a two-minute silence in memory of the Kargil
victims. They also mourned the death of Indian jawans in
the Kargil conflict. |
Sen nominated to YC SHIMLA, July 20 —
Mr Prithvi Vikram Sen has been appointed vice-president
of the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress. |
 |
||
 |
| Nation
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
