Bank Chairman refutes charges
DHARAMSALA, June 10 — The Chairman of the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Mr Babu Ram Mandyal, today refuted the charges relating to irregularities levelled by a Congress legislator into recruitments being made in the bank.

Bank probe panel finalises report
SHIMLA, June 10 — A three member expert committee has finalised its report on the alleged irregularities in the construction of the building of the headquarters of the H.P. Cooperative Bank here.

Dharamsala Shimla

HP job scheme for young widows
SHIMLA, June 10 — The Himachal Pradesh Social Welfare Board has launched a special scheme for the rehabilitation of widows and destitute women.

Shanta misleading people : Mahajan
NURPUR, June 10 —Himachal Pradesh Congress Chief Sat Mahajan has dared Mr Shanta Kumar, former Himachal Chief Minister and former MP to arrange funds for the development promised by him after the dissolution of Lok Sabha in the Kangra Parliamentary Constituency.

Bank Chairman refutes charges
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, June 10 — The Chairman of the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Mr Babu Ram Mandyal, today refuted the charges relating to irregularities levelled by a Congress legislator into recruitments being made in the bank.

Mr Mandyal, while addressing a press conference here today, said the Congress MLA, Mr G.S. Bali, should prove the charges or they would approach the court against him. "Mr Bali should tender an unconditional apology and accept that he has stated wrong facts before the public," demanded the bank Chairman. He added that the charges were completely baseless and concocted as the candidates of Mr Bali had failed to clear the written exam conducted by the bank.

There has been a lot of controversy over the written examinations conducted by the KCC Bank for 150 clerical posts. A total of 70,000 candidates had applied, while 40,000 persons actually took the written examination.

Mr Mandyal demanded that the Congress MLA should reveal the names alleged to have been chosen by the bank. He stated that as per the cooperative Act children of the GM and other high officers could not be selected, but the relatives of others could appear in the exams.

Dismissing the allegation of Mr Bali that Rs 1.50 crore had been collected through applications, he disclosed that a sum of Rs 34.86 lakh had been collected.

He regretted that Mr Bali was making wrong allegations and added that the selections would be fair.

Bank probe panel finalises report
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 10 — A three member expert committee has finalised its report on the alleged irregularities in the construction of the building of the headquarters of the H.P. Cooperative Bank here.

Mr K.K. Kaushal, Chairman, of the bank, told reporters here today that the report would be put up to the Board of Directors for necessary action.

He said that the committee was inquiring into the reasons for the escalation of the cost of building to Rs. 2.25 crore against the initial estimated cost of Rs 81 lakh. Mr. Kaushal said that the bank earned net profit of Rs. 17.92 crore in 1998-99 against Rs 14.02 crore the previous year.

He said that cooperative banks should be allowed to finance Rs 500 crore every year for the setting up of hydroelectric projects.

Mr Kaushal said the bank provided assistance to farmers through cooperative societies, and to public undertakings. Loan of Rs 32 crore was provided to the state Housing Board.

HP job scheme for young widows
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 10 — The Himachal Pradesh Social Welfare Board has launched a special scheme for the rehabilitation of widows and destitute women.

Giving details Mrs Malvika Pathania, chairperson of the board, said the focus would be on young widows between the age of 20 to 35 years who faced problems in earning their livelihood. The board will conduct a statewide survey to identify needy widows and the scheme will be introduced in selected panchayats.

She said in the first phase the scheme would be implemented in 30 panchayats and extended to others later. The widows will be provided vocational training and later employed in self-production units.

Widows who were illiterate or not properly qualified would be provided formal education before imparting vocational training.

The scheme was important for the state as it had a large number of young war widows.

She said the board had also started screening of non-government organisations to weed out non-serious, incompetent and inefficient organisations. Of 500 odd non-government organisations over one hundred have already been blacklisted.

She said the board was running 376 child care centres, five counselling centres, seven computer centres, 40 vocational training centres, 103 balbaris and craft centres and two hostels for working women. Besides, it had launched several schemes for the socio-economic uplift of women.

Shanta misleading people : Mahajan
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, June 10 —Himachal Pradesh Congress Chief Sat Mahajan has dared Mr Shanta Kumar, former Himachal Chief Minister and former MP to arrange funds for the development promised by him after the dissolution of Lok Sabha in the Kangra Parliamentary Constituency. Mr Mahajan while addressing reporters here today alleged that Mr Shanta Kumar had been making false promises and announcing development works to be carried out of M.P.'s fund, whereas there was no money with the district administration against this fund. He said Mr Shanta Kumar had no moral right to announce distribution of funds when the administration had no funds.

Lashing out at BJP leaders of Kangra district who alleged that (Mr Mahajan) had remained on foreign tours when he was an M.P. in 1996, Mr Mahajan alleged that they were misleading the people. He clarified that after being elected an M.P. the then External Affairs Minister, Mr I.K. Gujral had assigned him to accompany the Indian delegation.

He said in these Indian delegations M.Ps of the BJP, the Janata Dal and the C.P.I. were also there. He said it was an honour to a state like Himachal Pradesh which represented various national delegations on international affairs. He quipped why Mr Shanta Kumar was not honoured by accompanying such delegations when his government was also in Delhi. He reiterated that the BJP had sold away state's interests. He advised the BJP leaders to highlight their government's performance.