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| Friday, September 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Norms fixed for SC
funds China under ‘pressure’ on
Tibet Nod to relief plan
for landless Mohinder faction floats
party Website on status of
FIRs “Raid Himalaya”
rally from Oct 1 |
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NGOs ‘deviating
from goals’
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Norms fixed for SC
funds SHIMLA, Sept 28 — The Himachal Government has formulated norms for allocation of funds under the Scheduled Castes component plan to various districts. Stating this while presiding over a meeting of a high-powered coordination committee on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes here today, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, said the Scheduled Castes in the district would be given 60 per cent weightage and those SC families below the poverty line 30 per cent in the allocation to ensure rational distribution of funds. The meeting was held after a gap of 13 years. He said the Planning Department would earmark 11 per cent of the total state plan to the Tribal Development Department which would further allocate the amount districtwise according to the norms keeping in view local needs and priorities. The funds allocated under this plan would be utilised within the district and there would be no provision to divert these to other districts. This would ensure effective and balanced implementation and utilisation of the Scheduled Castes component plan. Mr Dhumal said so far there had been neither any norms for 11 per cent allocation of funds districtwise under the Scheduled Castes component plan started in 1979-80, nor any directions to utilise the fund on Scheduled Castes alone. As a result, some districts would get less funds. Besides, funds were frequently diverted from one district to another. At times unutilised funds were surrendered. He said the new norms would ensure hundred per cent utilisation of funds of the Scheduled Castes component plan on Scheduled Castes beneficiaries. Reiterating his government resolve on speedy upliftment and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mr Dhumal said the state government had started new schemes aimed at their welfare like the Ambedkar meritorious students scholarship scheme, under which 2000 meritorious students of Scheduled Castes families were being given annual scholarship of Rs 10,000 each in the plus one and plus two classes. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Corporation was giving interest-free loans, the maximum limit of which had been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 to help them pursue higher education. The Chief Minister said another scheme, “Guru Ramdass public utilities upliftment scheme”, had been started under which one ward in each Assembly constituency with the maximum Scheduled Castes concentration would be given Rs 3 lakh for improvement of public utilities. He said an amount of Rs 191 crore was being utilised under the Scheduled Castes component plan in the state. He stressed the need for its optimum and effective use. Mr Chet Ram Negi, Parliamentary Secretary, welcoming the Chief Minister, said out of the total population of the state, 25.24 per cent were Scheduled Castes. The government was taking effective steps for its speedy upliftment. Mr A.K. Goswami, Chief Secretary, said the endeavour of the government would be to bring about qualitative improvement in the living standard of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the state. |
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China under ‘pressure’ on
Tibet DHARAMSALA, Sept 28 — The President of the National Democratic Party of Tibet, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, today said China was under immense pressure from the international community, on the Tibet issue, a fact which was evident during his 49 day “pad yatra”, through France, Italy and Switzerland. Addressing a press conference here today, he said that the Communist regime in China would soon come to an end as the international community had come out in the support of Tibet, in a big way. “Disintegration of China is imminent as it is faced with the triple problem of Tibet, Taiwan and Tianamen square,” he opined. The Acharya said his 700-km-long journey from July, 9 to August, 26, passed through the terrain of the Alps. “It was heartening to see people living in the European countries were already aware of the Tibetan issue and were keen to make their contribution to the struggle in their own way,” said Acharya. He disclosed that the yatra organised by the European Tibet support Group, started from Neice in France and concluded at Geneva outside the UN headquarter. “Though we were joined by people from Belgium, Canada, Holland, Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, but only a group of 200 persons, covered the entire yatra,” he said. He said the yatra’s aim was to make the people aware of the Tibetan problem. “For this we launched a signature campaign, which was sent to the UN Secretary,” he stated. Acharya Yeshi, said the kind of awareness people have on Tibet, world over was really surprising. Some of them have visited Tibet or Dharamsala, but practically all of them have great reverence for the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama. He revealed that 360 Mayors in France unfurl the Tibetan national flag, atop their offices, on March, 10, every year to register their support for the issue. Acharya Yeshi, said the Tibetan community, all over India, will observe October, 1 as the “black day” for Tibet. He said that it was on this black day in 1949, that the Chinese regime entered into Tibet. |
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Nod to relief plan
for landless CHAMBA, Sept 28 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has approved a relief and rehabilitation plan for affected persons on account of land acquisition for the construction of a cement plant at Sikridhar in the district. Stating this here today, an official spokesman said 38 families would become landless and 192 rendered homeless as a result of the acquisition of land. He said a liberal scheme on the pattern of the Kol dam was worked out and approved by the state government for the affected families. He said the mining lease to the proposed plant had been okayed by the Union Ministry of Mines and efforts were on to get clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The project report pertaining to the plant had already been submitted to the Union Environment Ministry, he informed. The Himachal Pradesh Government had been granted a one-year extension to get its memorandum of understanding from the Environment Ministry with regard to the cement plant in Chamba district, with a view to complying with all requisite formalities adding that these formalities were now almost complete. He pointed out that the Sikridhar hills had 70 years’ deposits of limestone and the per day limestone extraction would be about 6,000 truckloads, with an annual production of 1.5 million tonnes of cement from the plant. He said the plant, expected to cost about Rs 700 crore, would be a milestone in the development of the region and was likely to provide employment to about 10,000 persons directly or indirectly. |
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Mohinder faction floats
party SHIMLA, Sept 28 — Supporters of the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) led by PWD Minister Mohinder Singh floated a party today. Announcing this at a press conference here, the acting President of the new outfit, Mr O.P. Rattan, said the party would support the Dhumal-led BJP government in the state. He said the name and symbol of the party would be announced after October 4 when papers were submitted to the Election Commission for registration of the outfit. He said a four-member committee consisting of Mr Inder Singh, Mr Baldev Sharma, Mr Bhagat Ram Chauhan and Mr Kewal Ram Chauhan would pursue the matter with the Election Commission. He said Mr Mohinder Singh would not hold any position in the new party. However, implications of the provision under the defection law that an unattached MLA shall have to abide by the whip of the original party on the symbol of which he has been elected, would be examined. Mr Mohinder Singh, who was elected MLA on the ticket of the HVC, was recently declared unattached by the Speaker when he broke away from Mr Sukh Ram. Mr Rattan said Mr Sukh Ram should not be “overjoyed” at the decision of the Election Commission as it had no bearing on the status of Mr Mohinder Singh. He said instead of accusing others of being involved in corruption, Mr Sukh Ram should realise he himself was facing serious charges of corruption in court. Mr Sukh Ram had no moral right to seek the ouster of Mr Mohinder Singh from the ministry as it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister. Mr Baldev Sharma, spokesman of the party, accused Mr Sukh Ram of indulging in “double-speak". On the one hand he was sharing power in the government, and on the other publicly criticising every policy of the government. Mr Sharma said Mr Sukh Ram should not “stick to chair” in case he was not satisfied with the functioning of the Dhumal government. |
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Website on status of
FIRs SHIMLA, Sept 28 — A website is being launched by the Himachal Pradesh Police to provide information on the status of FIRs and serious crime. Disclosing this to the TNS here today, the Home Secretary, Mr Ajay Prasad, said the website was expected to be launched in the next 10 days. He said this was a step towards providing the right to information to the people and bringing transparency in the functioning of the police. He said the website was being launched as a pilot project initially covering urban police stations in the state capital. Other areas would be covered in a phased manner. People would be able to get information on the status of their FIRs on the website. The software for the site was being designed by the NIC. To facilitate foreign tourists intending to visit inner-line areas of the tribal districts adjoining Tibet, information would be provided on the website with downloadable forms for applying for permits to visit these areas. Mr Prasad said the government had made it obligatory for the police to provide a copy of the FIR to the complainant free of cost on the spot or despatch it by post within a week of registration of the case. The police shall also have to inform the complainant the status of his FIR after three months. The District Magistrate and the SP of the district concerned had been made accountable by making them responsible for
sending a quarterly report on the status of serious cases to the Home Department through the DGP. He said a poster listing the rights of the citizens vis-a-vis the police had been got printed and send to all police stations, mahila mandals and panchayats in the state so that the common man could know his rights. Mr Prasad, who recently toured areas of Chamba bordering the terrorist infected parts of Jammu, said the morale of the village defence committees (VDCs) was high. He said recruitment for the second battalion of the IRB would be started soon as clearance the same had come from the Centre. |
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“Raid Himalaya”
rally from Oct 1 SHIMLA, Sept 28 — The skills of drivers and endurance of motor vehicles will be put to the test in the “Raid Himalaya-2000” cross-country motor rally beginning here from October 1. The Himalayan Motor Sports Association, which is organising the six-day event, has received over 70 entries — 40 for four-wheelers and 30 for motor cycles. The rally will be flagged off from Kufri, near here, and pass through Theog, Gumman, Chamain, Bagi, Khadrala Sungri, Nogli, Luhri and then move on to the Kulu valley. It will conclude at Manali on the sixth day. In all, the rallyists will cover about 2,500 km in six days. Of this the competitive section of over 600 km will entirely comprise unmetalled roads. The Departments of Youth Services and Sports, Health, Police, Forest and Public Works will provide the necessary facilities, while the adventure cell of the Army will provide logistic support. The Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports will host the event for three days at Manali. |
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NGOs ‘deviating
from goals’ JAWALAMUKHI, Sept 28 — The state Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mr Ramesh Choudhary, today lauded the role of the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) towards the development of the country. He also appreciated the efforts being made by voluntary organisations in nation building and emphasised the need of transparency in their working. Presiding over the inauguration ceremony of the 10-day gram shree mela at local school ground here, he bemoaned that voluntary organisations had been deviating from their goal. He said in politics the past few years had seen the emergence of leaders who were self-serving, ignorant of the needs of the people caught up in the VIP and VVIP culture. This situation can be resolved only when people will be politically awakened, he added. He called upon the people to take action against all social
evils. The member convenor of the Regional committee, CAPART, Dr Arun Sood, said the voluntary organisation have the flexibility and innovativeness for hastening the pace of development and the capacity to reach out to a large number of people. |
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Kangra DSP, wife transferred SHIMLA, Sept 28 — The DSP of Kangra, Mr Pritam Singh Thakur and his wife, Mrs Sunita Thakur, a Sub-Inspector of police, were today finally shifted from their posts as the agitation of newsmen started gained ground in Himachal Pradesh. A spokesman for the government said later that Mr Pritam Singh had been shifted to Baijnath as SDPO, while his wife has been sent to Palampur. |
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New charge for Dutt SHIMLA, Sept 28 — Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, state BJP chief, has appointed Mr Ganesh Dutt, party spokesperson and vice-chairperson of the state housing board, in charge of the Kangra parliamentary constituency. He will look after the party affairs in the constituency comprising 17 assembly segments of Kangra and Chamba districts. |
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1 crushed to
death KUMARHATTI, Sept 28 — A man was crushed to death by a truck (HP-14-4247) near Timber Trail Resort on the Kalka-Shimla national highway, 28 km from here, today. According to police sources, Amar Nath from Chamoli (Kalka), riding his scooter (HPA-1265) had sustained head injuries which caused his immediate death. The police has arrested Munni Lal, the driver, and impounded the vehicle. A case under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC has been registered. |
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