No compromise on corruption: Kaundal
KULU, May 24 — Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Minister of State for Co operatives said he would not compromise on corruption. He was speaking to mediapersons at Manali after inaugurating Woollen Expo 99", a 10 day exhibition organised by "Him Bunkar" Kulu and sponsored by the Central Wood Development Board.

CM for quick redressal of grievances
SHIMLA, May 24 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today stressed the need for the expeditious redress of public grievances so that people could get speedy justice.

Coop secys: pay panel report soon
HAMIRPUR, May 24 — Himachal Pradesh Minister of State for Cooperation Rikhi Ram Kaundal has said the state government will receive by June 30, the report of a commission with regard to the pay and commission to be paid to cooperative secretaries.

Mahajan to be fielded from Kangra
KANGRA, May 24 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to field Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief, as the party's candidate from the Kangra Parliamentary constituency.

HP ranks second in literacy
KULU, May 24 — Himachal Pradesh with a literacy rate of 77 per cent, at the second position on the all India percentage list.

3-room primary schools likely
MANDI, May 24 — Primary Schools in the district will be provided with at least three rooms under the centrally-sponsored project "Bal Vidya Sankalp Yojna" in the state.

No compromise on corruption: Kaundal
From Our Correspondent

KULU, May 24 — Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Minister of State for Co operatives said he would not compromise on corruption. He was speaking to mediapersons at Manali after inaugurating Woollen Expo 99", a 10 day exhibition organised by "Him Bunkar" Kulu and sponsored by the Central Wood Development Board.

He said keeping in view an acute shortage of staff in Kangra Central Co-Operative Bank nearly 118 posts lying vacant would be filled soon. The government had recently enhanced the pay scales of those "working in Him Bunkar. The minister said there were as many as 50 participants in the exhibition.

The minister urged mediapersons to highlight unreported instances of corruption or scam in co-operative societies. He said the government had already taken action against a housing society and a transport society in Hamirpur district.

Referring to a carpet project sanctioned by the Centre for Himachal Pradesh he said 90 per cent funds would be shared by the Centre. The project is likely to cost over Rs 2 crore.

Mr Kaundal said under the project six carpet industries would be opened in six districts, including Kulu, Lahaul and Spiti, Kangra and Sirmour. He said 40 carpet training centres would be opened in Kulu district. To a query the minister said the experts were bring sent to Scandinavian countries for advance marketing of the carpets to be produced at the proposed carpet project.

In reply to another question Mr Kaundal said out of 4437 co-operative societies nearly 800 co-operative societies "were running in loss.

Earlier, the minister presided over a state level conference of the Himachal Pradesh Co-operative Inspectors' Association at Manali. He was accompanied by Arvind Mehta Registrar, Co-operatives. Dorje Anand, General Manager of Him Bunkar, Chander Sen Thakur, MLA, Ram Singh member of the state Executive of the BJP, Yuv Raj, general secretary of state BJP, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes cell.

CM for quick redressal of grievances
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, May 24 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today stressed the need for the expeditious redress of public grievances so that people could get speedy justice. He was presiding over a state-level Grievances Committee meeting here.

The Chief Minister said efforts had been made to make the administration more responsive to the people's needs during the past one year and "Prashashan Janata Ke Dwar" was a step in that direction.

Reiterating his government's resolve to ensure justice to all, the Chief Minister said the present government amended the Relief Manual to make it more realistic and also to ensure that those affected by natural calamities got adequate compensation.

Expressing concern over the frequent forest fires, the Chief Minister said panchayats and public representatives would have to play an important role in this respect. Strict action should be taken against the defaulters.

He directed that seeds and fertilisers should be made available to farmers in the state in time. Further it should be ensured that people got government subsidy in time.

Mr Dhumal said meetings of the state district grievances committees should be held regularly.

Coop Societies Act amended

SHIMLA, May 24 (PTI) — The Himachal Pradesh Government has amended the Himachal Pradesh Cooperative Societies act to facilitate the formation and finance self-help groups (SHGs) in the state as suggested by NABARD.

There are 2134 PACS (primary agriculture cooperative societies) under the preview of the state cooperative banks in the state which would serve a valuable flatform in the formation of SHGs in the state.

An official spokesman today said so far 654 groups had been formed in the state for the time being, the formation of these SHGs is being facilitated by NGOs. And commercial and regional rural banks are providing loan to these groups. As of now, 350 groups have obtained financial support from these banks.

Coop secys: pay panel report soon

HAMIRPUR, May 24 (UNI) — Himachal Pradesh Minister of State for Cooperation Rikhi Ram Kaundal has said the state government will receive by June 30, the report of a commission with regard to the pay and commission to be paid to cooperative secretaries.

He said on receipt of the report, the state Cabinet would discuss it and thereafter action would be taken.

He was addressing a meeting of cooperative secretaries of this district here yesterday.

The minister said the need of the hour was to strengthen the cooperative movement.

He said the movement had suffered due to its politicisation by a few persons for their own benefit.

Mahajan to be fielded from Kangra
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, May 24 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to field Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief, as the party's candidate from the Kangra Parliamentary constituency.

The H P C C secretary, Mr G S Bali told newspersons here today that Mr Mahajan had defeated Mr Shanta Kumar in earlier elections.

Mr Bali said the Congress was not shy of fighting the poll in Kangra as claimed by the BJP.

He said the HPCC had given full support to Ms Sonia Gandhi and would fight the elections under her leadership.

Mr Bali claimed that the anti-esta blishment vote and the internal divisions in the state BJP would enable the Congress to win all four Lok Sabha seats in the state.

HP ranks second in literacy
From Our Correspondent

KULU, May 24 — Himachal Pradesh with a literacy rate of 77 per cent, at the second position on the all India percentage list.

This was stated by Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for Primary Education, on Sunday, during his meeting with the district unit of the Government Primary Teachers Federation.

The minister called upon the teachers to emphasise upon moral values.

Office-bearers of all block units of the district attended the meeting.

3-room primary schools likely
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, May 24 — Primary Schools in the district will be provided with at least three rooms under the centrally-sponsored project "Bal Vidya Sankalp Yojna" in the state.

Mr Prabodh Saxena, Deputy Commissioner, said here that Rs 1 crore had been allocated for the district to construct 100 rooms in the first phase.

The level of primary education was in such a state of neglect that out of the 1665 schools in the district 351 didn’t even have a room. Schools were being run from rented shabby accommodations.

Despite these, the literacy rate in Himachal has gone up from 64 per cent in 1991 to 77 per cent in 1998. Nearly 875 schools were built in the district at a cost of Rs 4.27 crore, Mr Saxena said.