P R A D E S H
Sunday, October 17, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Sunday, October 17, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Cong, CPM flay bus fare
hike |
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Kangra Telecom Dept plans
expansion NR-HPTDC tour gets going Work begins on Chamera stage II HP YC to meet on Oct 20 |
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Cong, CPM flay bus fare hike SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The 20 per cent hike in bus fares and shifting of various boards and corporations to other districts from here has been criticised by the CPM and the Himachal Pradesh State Corporate Sector Workers Coordination Committee. The CPM Secretary, Mr Mohar Singh, has criticised the government for increasing the bus fares which he described as disproportionate to the actual hike in diesel prices. He said the increase would hit the poor and the working class. He demanded the withdrawal of the hike stating the CPM would organise demonstrations in this regard on October 18. On the other hand, the Corporate Sector Workers Coordination Committee, General Secretary, Mr Rameshwar Gripta, expressed resentment over the decision of the government to shift six boards and corporations to other districts. He urged the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, to review the decision. The Pollution Control Board Employees Union said the decision to shift the board to Bilaspur would create problems for employees. HAMIRPUR (FOC): The decision of the government to enhance the bus fares has evoked sharp reaction here. Mrs Anita Verma, Vice-President of the HP Congress termed the decision of the government as an election gift to the people who had given it their support. Student leaders have
condemned the hike. |
No plan to quit HVC:
Mohinder SHIMLA, Oct 16 — PWD Minister Mohinder Singh, today said that there was no question of his deserting the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) and joining the BJP. Mr Mohinder Singh told TNS that rumours about his intention to join the BJP were baseless and he would remain with his own party. Reports had been circulating here for the past few days that Mr Mohinder Singh might join the BJP because of his proximity to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. There had also been reports of Mr Mohinder Singh developing differences with HVC chief Sukh Ram. While it was being alleged that Mr Sukh Ram wanted to get his son, Mr Anil Sharma, inducted in the Vajpayee Cabinet, Mr Mohinder Singh pleaded the case of Lt Col (Retd) Dhani Ram Shandil, who won the Shimal (reserved) Lok Sabha seat on the HVC symbol. However, the Prime
Minister did not oblige the HVC. |
No sign of horticulture
station HAMIRPUR, Oct 16 — There is no sign of the horticulture research station proposed to be set up in Hamirpur district. The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal had made an announcement about the station at Bhoranj village of the district immediately after taking over as Chief Minister. He had announced that the horticulture station would be set up at a cost of Rs 10 crore near Bhota Kaswa in the district shortly. Highly places sources in the state government say that the failure of the district administration and the scientists of the HP Horticulture-cum-Forestry University, Solan to locate a suitable piece of land for the purpose has led to the delay. The University authorities are reported to have rejected the Bhota site, as unfit. This land is demarcated forest land (DPF) land. Under the Indian Forest Conservation Act, such a piece of land cannot be given to any department without the approval of the Union Ministry of Environment. The Act also states that no forest land can be used for non-forestry purposes. More than four hundred huge pine trees would have to be felled for the centre. Insiders in the government say that the university authorities want land adjoining the Herbal Garden near Neri village on the Hamirpur, Dharamshala highway for the research station as it is located near Hamirpur town and the climate is better suited to their research work. The university scientists have also suggested another site near Dhaneta Kaswa in the foothills of the Solahsingi Dhar. There is no dearth of water in the area which falls on the boundaries of Hamirpur and Una district and is connected with all parts of Hamirpur and Una district. Sources say that Chief
Minister, Dhumal is upset over the delay in the setting
up of the research centre and is reported to have asked
the Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur to co-operate with
the horticulture university authorities and locate a
suitable site so that work can be started. |
Kangra Telecom Dept plans
expansion KANGRA, Oct 16 — The Telecommunication Department is opening 11 new telephone exchanges and releasing 17,000 telephone connections in urban and rural telephone exchanges of Dharamsala in Kangra district. Disclosing this here yesterday, the Telecom General Manager of Dharamsala district, Mr O.P. Sikka, said the department was clearing the pending waiting list and was meeting the anticipated demand of the telephone connections to make the availability of the telephone on demand by March 2000. He said preference would be given to eliminate technically non-feasible areas to pave way for the release of telephone connections to pending applicants already on waiting list since past two to three years. He said once this was achieved the new connections would be provided within 15 days in urban areas and in 30 days in rural and tribal areas. Mr Sikka said with the objectives to extend reliable telephone facility to tough and inaccessible terrains, where land lines cannot be laid, 15 gram panchayats of the Tissa region of Chamba district, including those bordering Jammu and Kashmir and three panchayats of the Bara Bangal region of Baijnath tehsil, would be provided with reliable telecom facilities through the medium of telecom satellite terminals. He said STD facilities to subscribers of the Gehra, Gharolla, Lahal and Durgathi areas would be provided through satellite. The consumer care would
be given top priority by upgrading the status of single
window customer service centres at Dharamsala, Palampur
and Chamba, he said. |
NR-HPTDC tour gets going SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The first group of tourists of the package tour introduced by Northern Railways and Himachal Tourism Development Corporation to the Shimla hills from Delhi arrived here today. The tourists were received by Mr Vijay Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala at Kalka railway station and were given VIP treatment in the executive lounge. At the Shimla railway station, they were received by senior officers of HPTDC and given a warm welcome. The tourists were taken to "Hotel Holiday Home" where they were greeted by senior officers with a traditional welcome ceremony. After lunch the tourists went sight- seeing, to the Institute of Advanced Study, Himachal State Museum, Sankat Mochan Temple, the Ridge and Mall Road. The package includes
sightseeing at Naldehra and staying at the Palace Hotel,
Chail. They will also visit Narkanda before returning to
Delhi. |
Work begins on Chamera stage
II CHAMBA, Oct 16 — Mr Yogendra Prashad, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) today inaugurated works on a tailrace tunnel, and the power house tunnel of the Chamera hydroelectric project (stage-II) by blasting off at the specified points near Chamba town in Himachal Pradesh. The CMD, Mr Yogendra Prashad on this occasion said that the Chamera hydroelectric project stage-two envisaged the generation of 300 megawatt (MW) of power annually. He said an expenditure of about Rs 1700 crore on this project was likely to incurred. Work was expected to be completed within five years. The second stage of the project on Ravi is a rub-of-the-river scheme with the dam being downstream of the existing Bagga bridge and power-house located 6 km upstream of Chamba town, near Jarangla nullah. The project comprises a small concrete gravity dam of 39-metres with four spillways, a circular headrace tunnel with desilting arrangements; a 93 metre high surge shaft and three 210 metre high vertical pressure shafts. These shafts will be connected to an underground power house comprising of three generating units of 100 MW each. The project was expected to generate 1500 million units of power annually on its completion. He said the Chamera project would put Chamba district on the power map of the country. The CMD also inaugurated
a cafe complex-cum-picnic spot at the dam site of Chamera
hydroelectric project (stage-one) to boost tourism around
the Chamera lake. |
HP YC to meet on Oct 20 SHIMLA, Oct 16 — A meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress has been convened here on October 20 to discuss defeat of the Congress party on all four Lok Sabha seats. The party chief, Mr Sukhwinder Singh said the meeting would be attended by all district presidents, block presidents and ex-office bearers of the state unit. The meeting of the
Congress party will be held for the same purpose a day
after. |
HP sectt class III staff
body SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The following have been elected office-bearers of the H.P. Secretariat Services (Class III) Association:— president — Mr Kanti Prashad Sharma; Mr Daulat Ram Chauhan (general secretary) Mr Dalbir Singh Dhaulta senior vice-president (vice-president) Mr Paramjit Singh Thakur joint secretary Mr Man Mohan Jassal and (Cashier) Mr Bal Krishan Thakur. Besides, a nine member
executive committee was also elected: they are: Mr Manoj
Sharma, Mrs Geeta Sharma, Mr Satya Dev Sharma, Mr J.R.
Verma, Mr Surinder Thakur, Mr Yash Paul, Mr L.S. Bhatia,
Mr Balbir Khachi, and Mr J.N.Dogra. |
Pilgrim dies of cold KANGRA, Oct 16 — A 70-year-old woman from Lucknow died here yesterday reportedly due to cold. She had come here in connection with Sharad Navratra along with her family and could not find a shelter in the town. She had to spend the night on a footpath outside the old bus stand and died of cold. Lack of accommodation
facilities are reportedly forcing pilgrims to spend
nights on the footpaths. There is not even a single
toilet for female pilgrims from the new bus stand to the
temple of Bajreshwari. |
Local holidays SHIMLA, Oct 16 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has declared local holidays for the state government employees in Shimla on Dasehra on October 18 and Bhaidooj on November 10. The notification was
issued here today. |
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