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| Tuesday, June 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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CM tried to split Cong: Virbhadra Girls outshine boys in
middle exams ‘Probe’
forest irregularities
Timber smuggler freed forcibly 40 pc quota for youth sought Kulu’s
ailing zonal hospital Electrohomoeopaths
seek recognition
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CM tried to split Cong: Virbhadra DHARAMSALA, June 12 — Accusing the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, of indulging in the politics of convenience, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today said that this would ultimately boomerang on him. Mr Virbhadra Singh, along with the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, was here today to take part in the rally organised by the party in protest against the price hike and failure of the government on all fronts. Along with a host of senior party leaders from all over the state, Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Sat Mahajan, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to the President of India. Addressing the party workers, Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that when the Chief Minister had not spared his alliance partner, the HVC, it was not surprising that he tried to split the Congress party. “His efforts to split the Congress did bring about some results as three MLAs cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections but this was a malady not just afflicting the Congress but all political parties,” he stated. He demanded that the state government issue a White Paper on the severe financial crunch in the state, giving details of the expenditure made by the government from the money received as loan and aid from the Centre. All development works in the state have come to a standstill as the government does not even have money to give salaries to its employees, he added. Mr Sat Mahajan alleged that the BJP government both at the Centre and in the state was anti-people, anti-poor and anti-farmer. He said that the steep price hike in the rates of foodgrains and other essential commodities had made it impossible for the common man to eke out a living. He said that those Congress men who had cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections would not be spared by the party. The others who were present included a former Speaker and MLA, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, MP, Mr Chander Kumar, Mrs Viplove Thakur, Mr G.S. Bali, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Mr B.B.L. Butail, all MLAs, former ministers, Mr Vijay Singh Mankotia, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, Mr Sujan Singh Pathania, Mr N.C. Parasher and Mrs Anita Verma. Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Mr Virbhadra Singh called upon various political parties and the Election Commission to find a solution to the problem of cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections as it was lowering the sanctity of the Upper House of Parliament. He said that the malady of cross-voting was not just confined to the Congress, but all political parties were afflicted by it. Commenting on the issue of Mr Sukh Ram joining the Congress party, he said that the question did not arise at the moment as the HVC leader had not expressed keenness to join their party. “On the contrary, he has reiterated his stand on supporting the Dhumal government before the Prime Minister and, moreover, the Congress party is not a “serai”, which one can leave and join at his own will,” he stated. He added that there was no difference of opinion on the issue between him and Mr Sat Mahajan. JAWALAMUKHI: Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, Mr Virbhadra Singh accused the Chief Minister of selling the interests of the state to private parties by signing MoUs regarding various power projects of the state. He further alleged that most of the MoUs were anti-Himachal and that the Congress party would re-examine them once it came to power. He also castigated the government for recruiting persons from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana for posts of school and college lecturer while ignoring the qualified Himachali youth. |
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Girls outshine boys in
middle exams DHARAMSALA, June 12 — Sujata Thakur of Adarsh Model High School, Chattakhad, Kangra, has stood first in the middle class examinations, results of which were declared by the H.P. Board of School Education here today. Pass percentage during this year’s examination is 66.57 per cent compared to 58.23 per
cent last year. Girls outshine boys in the top 10 positions of the middle examinations, winning seven of these positions. The following are top five positions: Sujata Thakar (649), the top five positions: Navneet Sharma (644) of Government High School Barota, Bilaspur, Mamta Devi (641) of Adarsh Model High School, Chattakhad, Kangra, Deep Shikha (635) of Navdeep Public High School Galore at Budhwin in Hamirpur and Arjun Singh Thakur (631) of DAV Senior Secondary School, Una. |
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‘Probe’
forest irregularities SHIMLA, June 12 — Mr Ram Nath Sharma, President of the Una district unit of the HVC and former Chairman of the State Forest Corporation, has urged the government to set up an inquiry commission headed by a judge of the high court to look into the irregularities committed in the Kutlehar forests from 1958 to 1996 during which it was managed by Mr Mohinder Pal, the erstwhile ruler of the Kutlehar state. Addressing a press conference here yesterday, he said the fact that Mr Mohinder Pal had not handed over the record of the forests even four years after it was taken over by the government clearly indicated that he had much to conceal. He had been misusing his position as the superintendent of forests all these years and virtually treated the valuable forests spread over 20,000 hectares as his personal property, he alleged. The Supreme Court in its latest judgement clearly held that Mr Pal could not claim ownership of trees as he had accepted the position of
superintendent of forest which clearly established that the state government was the dominant owner of the property and he was merely an officer appointed by it, he said. He alleged that Mr Pal had not paid any income tax by stating that the trees were planted on private agricultural land, which as per the judgement of the apex court, was not true. He said the government should also probe his assets and ask him to reveal the sources of his income.
Timber smuggler freed forcibly MANDI, June 12 — The inordinate delay in implementing the decision to arm the forest staff at check-posts is resulting in large-scale timber smuggling and forcible release of forest offenders. A nine-member gang of timber smugglers armed with lathis and stones raided the Komand forest check-post on Saturday and got mafia leader Kakoo released along with the impounded van after overpowering the skeleton staff. The staff had arrested Kakoo along with the van at night. Some of them had gone to Kataula to inform the Range Officer about the incident. In the meantime nine persons led by Rakesh, Kakoo’s brother, and armed with lathis and stones stormed the check-post and overpowered the staff. Mr Vineet Kumar, DFO, said the police swung into action but the culprits by that time had escaped. Later, a jeep (HP-33-4936) allegedly involved in the crime was impounded from
Kataula.
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40 pc quota for youth sought SHIMLA, June 12 — The state unit of the Youth Congress has demanded 40 per cent representation in the organisational set up of the Congress for youth. In a letter to Mr Sat Mahajan, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, state Youth Congress President, Mr Sukhwinder Singh, has underlined the need to induct young blood in the organisation to strengthen the party so that it could stage a comeback in the state. He said the leaders who had served in various capacities in the Youth Congress for five to 10 years and who strongly believed in the congress ideology should be inducted in the district and state units of the party. The young party cadres are getting restive over the continuation of old leadership, which they feel, had failed to deliver the goods. By the time the next Assembly elections became due, most of the current leaders would have crossed 65 years of age and some senior leaders would be over 70. It was thus time that the organisational elections now underway be used as an opportunity to bring in new leadership, a senior youth leader said. |
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Kulu’s ailing zonal hospital KULU: Though the name of the local district hospital was changed to zonal hospital in 1998, but the management structure, facilities, staff and equipments have remained the same till today. The bed capacity of the hospital has been raised from 70 to 124, but the staff pattern is still that of 70 beds. On an average 250 indoor patients are admitted to various wards. There is no casualty service available. The laboratory and X-Ray technicians do not attend to emergency calls in protest against the government not paying them the 10 per cent house rent allowance (HRA) or any emergency allowance. The ECG technician has not been posted for the pat two years and it is learnt that one Class IV employee has been deputed for taking the ECG. Not to talk of the lower staff of the hospital the zonal hospital here has been without a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the last three months. The administrative problems faced by the hospital are numerous. No emergency purchase of life saving drugs or medicines is possible; staff duties and the staff discipline etc have hampered the smooth working of the hospital. The ambulance service is also reported to be miserable. It is learnt that three drivers have been posted for shift duties but usually, two of them remain absent. The only driver takes his own time for attending to calls. The government zonal hospital here has not been supplied stationery for a long time. Other items like OPD slips, indoor patient charts, X-Ray prescription slips are sought through donations. The hospital laboratories are in a state of affairs. Lack of equipment and other facilities in the laboratories make the technicians raise their hands. The ultimate sufferers are the poor patients. Recently, a new system was introduced in the hospital for various tests. Days have been fixed for particular tests which has caused a lot of inconvenience to patients coming from far-flung areas. Monday is for blood urea, Tuesday for uric acid, Wednesday and Saturday for blood sugar and so on. There is no system of referring cases to specialists through OPDs. Rather all specialists are working as general practitioners in the hospital. One can see patients crowding in front of their doors. The specialist doctor has to regularise the entry of these patients himself as there is no Class IV employee to look after them. |
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Electrohomoeopaths seek recognition CHAMBA, June 12 — The Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Electrohomeopaths Association has demanded the Union Government concedes to its long-pending demand of according recognition to the
electrohomoeopathy system of medicine so that homeopaths, and researchers in the field and working in the private sector could be benefited. This demand was made at a conference held here today, which was presented over by Dr Sanjeev Sharma, president of the Himachal Pradesh Electrohomeopaths Association. As many as 50 homeopaths from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh took part and discussed all aspects of the system of homeopathy. Later, talking to mediapersons, Dr Manjit Singh Dhillon, state president of the Punjab Electrohomeopaths Association, said the Union Health Ministry had already constituted an expert committee on alternative system of medicines, including
electrohomoeopathy and acupuncture, to work out modalities for giving recognition to these systems. The recommendations of the committee were expected to be made shortly and would be conveyed to the Union Health Ministry. Dr Dhillon further said since the state and the central governments had already set up homeopathic hospitals and dispensaries in the public sector with qualified homeopath doctors, he saw no reason in not granting recognition to this system in the private sector. |
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