 |
| Monday, June 26, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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BJP
honours Emergency victims Rs 90 cr for road links ‘Give more aid to Nathpa
hit’
Roadside dhabas fleecing tourists |
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HP minister slams Cong Farmers to get soil health cards
‘Poster’ adjudged best
play Five killed in three mishaps Rotary
to take up population project Medical staff call off stir Minister threatens to file
defamation case Summer festival begins today Mahseer catch up in Pong Dam
|
BJP honours Emergency
victims SHIMLA, June 25 — The week-long "remember Emergency save democracy" campaign of the BJP started off with a state-level function to honour victims of the Emergency here today. Presiding over the function at which 113 BJP and RSS workers who took part in the satyagrah against the draconian measure were honoured, the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, said that Mrs Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party should apologise to the nation for the crime committed by Mrs Indira Gandhi by imposing the Emergency to remain in power even after the high court had set aside her election. An apology would help her party repose faith in democracy. He said it was the darkest period in the history of independent India during which the fundamental rights of the people were suspended and all types of excesses were committed on political leaders and even the judiciary was not spared. Mr Dhumal expressed surprise that the Congress, which blatantly violated the Constitution during the Emergency, was crying hoarse when the government had set up a committee review it. He said a thorough review of the constitution was warranted to ensure that no future Prime Minister was able to impose Emergency without the approval of the Cabinet as Mrs Gandhi did. Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, party president, asked the partymen to exercise restraint while expressing their opinion on various matters concerning the party and the government. It should be ensured that such issues were not discussed in public. He warned that any action which had a destabilising effect on the government would be deemed indiscipline. He urged partymen not to provide any opportunity for exploitation to the Opposition. Prominent among those
honoured included Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, party president,
and Mr Kishori Lal, Dr Rajan Sushant and Mr Praveen
Sharma, all ministers. |
Rs 90 cr for road links SHIMLA, June 25 — The Centre has sanctioned Rs 89.09 crore to Himachal Pradesh under the Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yozna for providing road links to villages. Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr Mohinder Singh, PWD Minister, said out of the total abut 16,000 villages, over 9,000 had still not been connected by roads. In all about 18,500 km of roads would have to be constructed for linking all roads. The state required about Rs 4,600 crore for the purpose. Besides the funds available under the new scheme, the state had also sought financial assistance from the World Bank for road construction. A Rs 1400 crore proposal had been submitted to the bank. In addition, National Agriculture and Rural Development Bank was also giving funds regularly. The state had urged the Union Surface Transport Ministry to upgrade 11 more roads to national highways. These included Pandoh-Gohar-Karsog-Tatapani Theog-Jubbal-Tiuni road, Una-Bhota road, Drang-Katola-Bijora road, Hamirpur-Sujanpur-Palampur road and Pathankot-Dalhousie-Khajjiar-Bharmour road. Regarding the collapse of the under construction Mangladh bridge in Kinnaur, he said the Engineer-in-Chief had been asked to conduct an inquiry whether there was any deviation from the approved design. In case the contractor had been allowed crib shutterring in place of truss shutterring, the officers responsible for it would be taken to task. He said if the contractor was found at fault, he would have to reconstruct the bridge at is own cost. In case it turned out to be a consequence of flooding, the government was bound to compensate the contractor, he added. PTI adds: Replying to questions, the minister said the road density was very low in Chamba and Kulu districts and the department would allocate special funds to link these areas with other parts of the state. He claimed that during
two years of the BJP-HVC rule, 874 km of new roads were
built while the Congress governments constructed only 200
km roads during its four-year rule. |
‘Give more aid to Nathpa
hit’ SHIMLA, June 25 — Mr Sukh Ram, President of the Himachal Vikas Congress, has expressed concern over the failure of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation to provide adequate compensation to those whose houses had been damaged due to tunnelling and urged the government to make realistic assessment of the damage and ensure that they get enough financial assistance to construct news houses. Addressing a press conference here after visiting the tribal Kinnaur district where the 1500-MW mega project is being set up, the HVC chief said he was shocked to learn that the corporation had given only Rs 2.5 crore as compensation for hundreds of houses which had been damaged in the blasting carried out in the hills to construct the 27.6-km-long tunnel. Not only that, scores of perennial sources of water had also dried up due to fissures caused in the hills due to blasting. He said most of the damaged houses, which developed extensive cracks, had been rendered unfit for habitation and the poor owners had no option but to built new ones. He said the affected people could not get due compensation because of irrational assessment of damage. There was strong resentment among the local tribals on this account and they had decided to oppose construction of any new project in the area unless justice was done to the sufferers of the Nathpa-Jhakri project. Referring to the havoc wreaked by flash floods in Kinnaur, particularly Burwa village, when 17 houses had been washed away and another 34 extensively damaged, the HVC leader said that no village would be safe in the ecologically fragile tribal district unless adequate soil conservation measures were taken in the entire catchment area of the Sutlej and its tributaries on which many big and small hydroelectric projects were coming up. He said Kinnaur was a cold desert area with very little precipitation but of late it had started receiving heavy rain due to environmental changes. The impending disaster could be averted only by taking effective measures for the ecological rehabilitation of the catchmen area for which funds should regularly flow from the hydel projects. The NJPC had deposited only Rs 2 crore for the purpose which was too inadequate in view of the fact that the project was likely to cost over Rs 10,000 crore. Regarding the split in
the party, he said he had written to the Chief Election
Commissioner of India to give a decision regarding which
was the real HVC before July 6 as both the factions were
holding organisational poll by that day. Much confusion
was being created as both were using the same party
symbol and flag. He said as far as he was concerned there
was no split in the party and only a handful of persons
had deserted it. Both the party MPs and two out of three
legislators were with him. Meanwhile Mr Gurdass Ram party
leader from Pragpur who was present at the press
conference denied that he had joined the splinter group. |
Roadside dhabas fleecing tourists
PARWANOO, June 25 — Owners of dhabas, which have come up in the past four years on the Kalka-Shimla national highway, are fleecing tourists, passengers and truck drivers travelling on the highway and are also health hazards. There are more than 200 dhabas on the highway between Parwanoo and Solan. Their mushroom growth is due to an increase in the number of tourists travelling on this route due to the Kashmir problem. This is the only road which connects Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh to Shimla. The number of trucks plying on this highway is also very high. These trucks carry vegetables and fruits from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana and beyond. According to a source, as there is no check, these dhabas charge high rates from persons and flout rules. The source said most of these dhabas were benami property sold to outsiders. Some of the dhabas do not even have a proper building and they run the business by erecting four bamboos and a tarpaulin on the top. Some of these do not have proper licenses and are not registered. The source said these dhabas did not use good-quality material to prepare the food. The food is kept in the open which attracts dust and flies where they get free food, putting the passengers to a lot of inconvenience. The source said these dhabas did not have proper drinking-water systems and sanitation. The water used in these dhabas is fetched from the nearby natural sources and stored in dirty and rusty containers. These dhabas also employ
minor children for serving food and washing utensils.
They pay them much below the minimum prescribed wages.
These boys work for the whole day without rest or leave. |
Town planning office amid
slush KASAULI: The Town and Country Planning Department, which makes building plans for the entire district, is itself without a place of its own. Originally, this office was situated in Parwanoo but in June, 1997, it was decided to shift it to Solan, the district headquarters, so that it could have better coordination with other departments. But there was no building in Solan that could be rented at PWD rates and the office had to be taken to Chambaghat. But the department continued its efforts to get land for its office in Solan. Finally, the district administration allotted it a plot in Solan. The department deposited Rs 14 lakh with the Himachal Pradesh Housing Board along with a building plan. Before the board could invite tenders for the construction, of the building the plot was given to some other department. Now finally, another site has been found and the mutation done in favour of the Department of Town and Country Planning. The office, however, continues to function from the rented building in Chambaghat on the periphery of Solan. Incomplete buildings and effluents from factories flowing on to the road are the characteristic features of this area. A pungent odour fills the air. A small lane connects the office with the main road. This lane is marked by potholes turned into slush pools with water leaking from pipes. The office suffers from
its own problems. For years it has been without a regular
director and officers from other departments have been
holding its additional charge. Besides the director, the
department is short of five town and country planners and
70 technical hands. The Town and Country Planning Officer
in Shimla is at present also managing the Solan office. |
HP minister slams Cong SHIMLA, June 25 — Apparently provoked by the charge sheet being prepared by the Congress against the Dhumal government, Mr Mohinder Singh, PWD Minister, today launched can attack on the party and levelled serious counter-allegations against some of its senior leaders. Addressing a press conference, he said the party which patronised corruption while in power had no locus standi to come out with a charge sheet against the present government which had speeded up development in the state by securing additional financial assistance from the Centre and starting work on several hydel power projects. He said some of the leaders assigned the job of drafting the charge sheet had not only amassed wealth but their moral conduct had also not been above board. He said one of the leaders had reportedly set up a stone crusher which had rendered the Bhiuri-Katola road unfit for traffic. He also owned four houses on the Mandi-Katola road, one in Mandi town, one in the outskirts of Shimla, besides an orchard with a farm house in Mandi district. Another leader, too, owned a stone crusher in Rampur, houses at Shimla and Rampur, besides a fleet of buses. He said before coming out with a charge sheet against the government, they should make public their own assets. Mr Mohinder Singh demanded a CBI probe into the construction of the Wazir Babri-Jhakri road in Rampur on which the Nathpa Jhakri Corporation (NJPC) invested about Rs 19 crore. There was no village along the road which was ostensibly constructed to facilitate movement of heavy machinery for the project. However, the project was nearing completion but the road had not been finished. He also alleged that the work for construction of hospital building at Rampur was awarded in violation of rules which also warranted a probe. Directing his attack on former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Mr Mohinder Singh urged Mr P.K. Dhumal, and Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Consumer Affairs Minister, to expedite a CBI probe into the charge sheet submitted to the Prime Minister by the HVC. Regarding the notice
issued to him by the Speaker, Mr Gulab Singh, to clarify
his status after the split in the HVC, he said he had
sought time until the organisational elections of his
party were over. The election process would be completed
by July 6. |
Farmers to get soil health cards SHIMLA, June 25 — The state Department of Agriculture shall provide soil heatlh cards to farmers to keep track of the fertility status of their soil. This was disclosed here today by Dr J.C. Rana, Director of Agriculture. He said the card will also inculcate a scientific temperament and raise general awareness in farmers. The soil health card will contain complete information on soil health, based on soil analysis like soil ph availability of nitrogen, potash and phosphorus status, quality of irrigation water and fertilizer recommendations etc. The soil health cards shall be provided in a phased manner over 3-4 years. Dr Rana said that this
year 70,000 soil samples will be collected and tested in
11 soil testing laboratories in various districts of the
state. One fully-equipped mobile soil testing laboratory
is being procured exclusively for tribal areas. A soil
fertility map of the state is also being prepared. |
‘Poster’
adjudged
best play SHIMLA, June 25 — Meghdoot Theatre Group, Gurgaon, lifted the G.C. Lagan Best Play award for its Hindi play "Poster" in the week-long 45th All-India Drama and Dance Competition which concluded here today. As many as 47 top drama and dance groups of the country consisting of more than 700 artists participated in the competition organised by the All-India Artists Association in collaboration with the Language and Culture Department. Nutan Sanskar Kendra of Baroda, bagged the best comedy play award for its "John John Janardan". Dr Mokeri of Calicut University, Kerala and Maya Bhattacharya won best actor and best actress awards, respectively. Best make up man award went to Mr Badri Singh Kataria of Bilaspur (MP) and Braham Parkash of Gurgaon, got best director award. The first and second place in group dance was won by Nrithyathi, Bhilai (MP) and Amateur Artists Association, Jamshedpur (Bihar), respectively. In the folk dance category P.N. Bhatt and Party, Mumbai got the first prize and United Artists, Patiala got the second prize. Garvita Jain or Kishore
Kirti Kala Kendra, Durg (MP), was adjudged the best in
Kathak dance. Asha J. Nair and Bhavani Raman, K. Bhavya,
and Padminin all from Nrithyathi, Bhilai (MP) were
adjudged best Bharatnatyam, Kutchippudi and Odissi
dancers, respectively. |
Five killed in three mishaps SHIMLA, June 25 (UNI) — Five persons were killed and four others injured in three separate road accidents in Kangra and Mandi districts since last night, police sources said. In a mishap in the district, a truck knocked down to death Narain Singh, at Harabagh in the Sundernagar area yesterday. He died on the spot. In yet another mishap, two persons including a three-year-old child, were killed and three others seriously injured when a jeep carrying them fell into a khud at Khariyan in Kangra district last night. The deceased were identified as Narinder Singh (35) and Rohit (3). The injured were taken to the PGI at Chandigarh. Our Correspondent adds from Mandi: Two persons were killed and one injured when a truck laden with plums fell into Beas, 5 km from here on the Mandi-Kulu National Highway-21 on Sunday near Brindavan. The truck was coming from Kulu. Both persons were presumably washed away in the flooded Beas while the injured person had a narrow escape. The deceased have been identified as Vinod Kumar of Akhara Bazar, Kulu, and Mukesh Kumar PO Sheru of Jogindernagar subdivision. An inquiry has been
ordered. The cause of accident is not known. Mr Prabodh
Saxena, D.C. said relief would be disbursed. |
Rotary to take up population
project SHIMLA, June 25 — The Rotary International will start a project to tackle the problem of population explosion. Stating this at the annual awards function of the Rotary district comprising parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, here today Mr Rajandra Saboo, Chairman of the literacy task force of the Rotary International, said earlier his organisation was hesitant in taking up the problem as it involved the sensitive issues of religion, age-old customs and social taboos. However, there had been a perceptible change in the mind set of people of late which had emboldened the Rotary International to launch population development project from this year. The action plan would be finalised at the international "population summit" to be held in New Delhi. The summit would be followed by two more such summits to be held at Zurich and Barzilia. The literacy campaign would also be intensified simultaneously with emphasis on the concentrated language enterprise technique which had been a great success in Thailand and some other countries. Regarding the polio
eradication project, he said so far 160 countries had
been made polio free. The mission would be complete by
2007 but India was likely to attain zero polio level
within the next two years. |
Medical staff call off stir SHIMLA, June 25 — The agitating employees of Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital called off their three-day-old strike following talks with the Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, and the Horticulture Minister, Mr Narinder Bragta, here today. Mr Nadda assured the employees that proper security would be provided to them so that the incident of the kind in which a nurse was beaten up by attendants of a patient was not repeated. He said instead of home guards, hospital would be provided with its own security personnel in a phased manner. Besides, the department would ply bus services in the morning and evening for the convenience of the staff. Mr Nadda would visit the
hospital within two days to have firsthand knowledge of
the problems. |
Minister threatens to file
defamation case SHIMLA, June 25 — Mr Mohinder Singh, Public Works Minister, has served a legal notice to Mr B.S. Sharma of Nalagarh for initiating criminal proceedings against him for issuing defamatory and scandalous statements against him in the media. Mr Sharma has been asked
to tender unqualified apology for levelling an allegation
that the minister had purchased large chunks of land at
Sandhol in Mandi and Bhattakufer in Shimla, or face
prosecution. |
Summer festival begins today MANALI, June 25 — The North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, in collaboration with district administration Kulu and Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, is organising a three-day summer festival-2000 here at Nehru Park from June 26 to 28. According to the
programme in charge, Mr Jagjit Singh, as many as 300
participants would participate in the summer festival.
The festival plays host to a number of folk dancers and
singers who have come here from all parts of the country.
The salient features of the summer festival are local
folk dances, folk songs, magic show, puppet show mehndi
stall and painting competition for school children. |
Mahseer catch up in Pong Dam SHIMLA, June 25 (UNI) — Golden Fish (Mahseer) catches from Pong-reservoir in Himachal Pradesh have been rising over the past one decade. Its production from the reservoir, was 90 tonnes in 1999-2000 as compared to 50 tonnes in 1993-94. The reservoir is probably the only hope for anglers for hooking "Mahseer", according to an official spokesman here. A total fish production of over 453 tonnes worth Rs 2.18 crore, was recorded from the reservoir in 1999-2000, registering an increase of 26 per cent over the preceding year and the highest during the past decade. The state Fisheries Department realised a revenue of over Rs 35 lakh. The variety of fish
caught from the reservoir were: "singhara",
"mahseer", "rohu", "mirror
carp" and "catla", "Singhara",
accounted for 56 per cent of the total catch, followed by
Golden Fish 20 per cent. |
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