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| Thursday, August 3, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Garbage fouls up holy town JAWALAMUKHI: Despite the local Municipal Council’s claims to the contrary, this town is fast losing its religious image, thanks to the garbage in different parts of this old town. Sanitary conditions are not only bad but the amenities are totally paralysed these days. Dalai Lama not invited
to UN convention 22 rescued from flood area Flood situation reviewed NSUI flays HP
college fee hike 3 pc hike in ADA of Central,
state staff |
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Centre sanctions Rs 100 cr relief Four killed
in accidents Inquiry ordered
into girl’s death
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Garbage fouls up holy town JAWALAMUKHI: Despite the local Municipal Council’s claims to the contrary, this town is fast losing its religious image, thanks to the garbage in different parts of this old town. Sanitary conditions are not only bad but the amenities are totally paralysed these days. Heaps of garbage are lying in most streets. The garbage had not been cleared for weeks together. This is despite the authorities claim that in the past six months over than 60 dustbins had been placed in various localities. But the residents are sore at the dumping of garbage behind the bus stand, Tehsil Chowk and near the Post Office. During the rainy season, the area is water-logged. Sweepers generally dump garbage on both sides of the bus stand. At the bus stand these dhabas and snack bars and the shopkeepers generally throw waste. Most shopkeepers have also encroached on government land behind their shops. A few of them have erected walls on this land. There is a
hand pump amidst garbage dumps and thousands of tourists who approach the
hand pump for potable water have difficulty in drinking it owing to the stink. Officials of the Municipal Council say there is no permanent place in the town for dumping garbage. The garbage is usually dumped in the open area near the bus stand and both sides of the Dharamsala-Shimla highway. The Municipal Council had put up 60 garbage bins at these places. They agreed that the place near the bus stand was not the proper place for dumping garbage. Many a time they disposed of the garbage at Baner Khud. There are only 17 regular safai sevaks for the area. A tractor and dumper is also utilised by the authority. The civic body now plans to hire another tractor from a private firm to lift garbage. It is also going to launch massive cleanliness movement in the town, reveals Mr Darshan Lal Gupta, executive officer of the MC, Kangra. Owing to this, the town and adjoining area are now in the grip of diarrhoea and viral diseases. Several cases have been reported from the local hospital. Last year also, the disease was widespread due to sewage entering tap water. A number of cases were also registered in Purana Kangra last month. Even after 35 persons fell ill due to water disease, the administration was not aware of it! Almost all drains in the town were not properly cleaned for many days. The drain with garbage heaps behind the Tandon Club is an index of the efficiency of the authority. Insanitary conditions prevail in this area. One wonders how people can take refreshments or eat snacks amidst such stink. the Municipal Council earmarked funds for the town’s development. But local residents have asked the council to spend only 10 per cent of the development budget to clean up these places. They have also demanded that garbage dumps should be shifted immediately.
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Dalai Lama not invited
to UN convention DHARAMSALA, Aug 2 — The Tibetan Government-in-Exile, today said that omission of the Dalai Lama’s name from the list of invitees to the United Nations Convention on World Religions, was an insult to every spiritual person, Buddhists in particular. The Minister for Information and International Relations, Mr
T.C. Tethong, said that this clearly indicates that the religious purpose of the Convention was being ignored for political considerations. Accepting that the main reason for the omission could be pressure from China, he regretted politics dominating religious affairs, “With the convention being held at the United Nations General Assembly and China being a member of the Security Council, they are obviously very cautious about the reaction from China,” said Mr
Tethong. He said after following objections from a number of organisations a compromise solution was being worked out although it was
likely that the Dalai Lama would not attend the convention. The minister for Religion and Culture in the Tibetan Government, Mr Tashi
Wangdi, said a number of organisation and individuals, brought the matter to the notice of UN Secretary General, Kofi
Annan, who has now invited the Dalai Lama, to address the concluding session of the convention. He said that it would be very difficult for the Dalai Lama to accept the invitation at such a short notice. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that a reply has been sent from the office of the Dalai Lama, expressing his inability to attend the conventions because of prior engagements and to avoid causing embarrassment to the organisers. The convention is being held from August, 28 to August 31.
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22 rescued from flood area CHANDIGARH, Aug 2 — As many as 22 persons were rescued by the Air Force helicopter from the flood-devastated area of Karcham in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh
today. The chopper could not make early sortie due to bad weather, but later succeeded and the stranded persons were evacuated to Chandigarh. The rescued persons include 12 Army jawans, 8 family members of Army personnel, including 2 children, and 2 MES engineers .The family members of the jawans were in a state of utter shock after having gone through the near death experience in the face of the unprecedented flash -floods. Rescue operations launched by the Army yesterday in the wake of flash floods in the areas of Karcham, Paori and Pooh were further intensified
today. The isolated garrison of Karcham was provided with the much needed relief of rations, fuel and other supplies by launching air sorties undertaken by the Air Force. Efforts by the Army engineers and the Border Roads Organisation to restore road communication on the National Highway 22 are still continuing. |
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Flood situation reviewed SHIMLA, Aug 2 — The crisis management group reviewed the flood situation in various parts of the state and steps initiated so far for restoration and repairs of damaged property and also requirement of essential commodities in affected areas. Presiding over the meeting of the group Mr A.K. Goswami, the Chief Secretary, said the communication link in Kinnaur district would be restored within two days through wireless sets, so that latest requirements could be ascertained from the areas that had been cut off. Essential commodities to Rampur had been rushed by road and to Kinnaur district by helicopter. The Chief Secretary has directed to restore electricity supply in the areas on war footing. He further informed that the machinery required for the purpose had already been moved from Parwanoo. He said the efforts should be made to supply electricity through solar energy also. It was informed at the meeting that communication link by road was also being improved. The 4-km pedestrian path from Tapri towards Kalpa on the Old Hindustan Tibet road had been restored and the stretch of 4
km would be restored tomorrow. Mr Goswami further directed that ropeways in affected areas should be installed within a week so that communication link within the valleys could be restored. The deputy commissioners of districts affected by floods had been asked to provide tents, eatables and utensils. Meanwhile, two units of the Army, one from Chandi Mandir and the other from Kasauli, have moved to restore the camps ravaged by floods. An advance party had reached Neogli, one of the worst-hit towns by the evening. A team from the Corps of Signals has also left from here to re-establish the communication network. Jawans of the ITBP and the SSB are also assisting the civil authorities in rescuing trapped persons and extricating bodies. |
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NSUI flays HP
college fee hike NURPUR, August 2 — The steep hike in government college fees by the Dhumal government has deprived the poor students of continuing their college studies” said Mr Kewal Pathania, state president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), talking to mediapersons here last evening. He said in the present state of affairs, the poor students could not afford their college studies. Alleging the Dhumal regime of being anti-student, the NSUI president demanded that the Chief Minister should make public the exact member of children of Kargil martyrs who were being provided free education in the government colleges and of those who had got government jobs. Earlier, Mr Pathania held a rally at Government College, Dehri. He lamented the poor infrastructure and shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff in the government colleges and condemned the state government for enhancing the college fees. Mr Pathania pointed out that Mr Shanta Kumar, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, had announced Rs 10 lakh from MPs fund for the
betterment of Government College, Dehri, but had not been released so far. |
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3 pc hike in ADA of Central,
state staff SHIMLA, Aug 2 (PTI) — Central and state government employees will be entitled to 3 per cent additional dearness allowance (ADA) from July 1, 2000. Due to increase of two points in the consumer price index number of industrial workers (base 1896-100) during June, the 12 monthly moving average of the CPI rose to 433.33, Labour Ministry sources here said thus leading to the hike in D.A. The Central and state government employees covered by the Fifth Central Pay Commission would now get 41 per cent of their basic pay as additional dearness allowance. The running index had increased from 440 to 442 points during the month of June while the moving average rose from 431.50 to 433.33, the sources said. |
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Centre sanctions Rs 100 cr relief SHIMLA, Aug 2 — The Centre today sanctioned Rs 100 crore for carrying out relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood-hit areas of the state. A communication to this effect was received by the state government this evening. As per preliminary estimates the total loss had been put at Rs 1000 crore. The state Cabinet had requested the Centre to give a special assistance of Rs 500 crore for the relief measures. |
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Four killed
in accidents MANDI, Aug 2 — Four persons were killed and two others injured in two different accidents near here today. Three persons were killed when two trucks collided head-on at Nagchala on Mandi-Sundernagar road, about 6 km from here. Both drivers died in the accident. Those killed have been identified as Romesh Kumar (36) of
Darang, Pawan Kumar (28) of Paunta Sarkaghat and Rakesh Kumar (26) of Bari village in
Sarkaghat. In another accident a big boulder fell on a tractor near Rani Bain, 3 km from here, today on the Mandi-Sundernagar road killing the driver on the spot. The Deputy Commissioner has given an
ex-gratia relief of Rs 10,000 to the next of the kin of those killed and Rs 2,500 to those injured. |
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Inquiry ordered
into girl’s death SHIMLA, Aug 2 — The Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Judicial Magistrate, Una, to inquire into the mysterious death of a girl at Thadchi village, Una district on April 23. The direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Mr C.K. Thakkar, Chief Justice, and Mr Justice R.L. Khurana on a petition filed by the father of the deceased. Mrs Ranjana Parmar, counsel for the petitioner, contended that the girl was killed by her in-laws for not bringing enough dowry and the police was not investigation the case properly. Even a proper FIR had not been registered. |
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