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| Tuesday,
October 10, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Hike in gas prices will hit forests: Cong New foodgrain policy soon: Shanta Panchayat chief posts reserved Women protest
against hike in petro prices NSUI to launch stir against fee hike |
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1 killed as bus falls into khud 16 head of cattle die Students against
tuitions in schools 1 killed in accident
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Hike in gas prices will
hit forests: Cong MANDI, Oct 9 — A former minister and chief whip of the Congress party, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, said here yesterday that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people. During an interview with this correspondent he alleged that its anti-people policies had made the life of the common man unbearable. He said twice in its tenure of less than three years the government had enhanced the prices of the petroleum products. Kerosene which was selling at less than Rs 3 per litre in 1997 had gone up to Rs 10 per litre now, he said. Similarly the hike in the prices of cooking gas will force the people of Himachal Pradesh to switch back to burning wood for fuel resulting in destruction of forests. He lashed out the
BJP-HVC government in Himachal Pradesh for demolishing the well-planned trizonal pattern introduced by the Congress government for the faster development of the state and removing regional disparities. The Dhumal government delivered a fatal blow to the zonal system by demolishing the post of the Divisional Commissioners as an “economy” measure. This was an exercise in futility as the staff of the commissioners continues to draw salaries without work and the office and residential buildings have been rendered useless. Following this move revenue cases were piling up and now the government was toying with the idea of appointing one more additional deputy commissioner for dealing with revenue matters. “What sort of economy is this? You are posting 10 deputy commissioners to do the work of two Divisional Commissioners,” he asked. Similarly, the Congress government had planned to open three zonal hospitals in Shimla, Mandi and Dharamsala as referral institutes of the adjoining districts. He regretted that for personal and political considerations BJP leaders were diverting funds to their own areas and pretending that all the district hospitals would be made regional hospitals. They were either ignorant of the regional concept or were being politically dishonest, he alleged. He wondered where had the sum of Rs 900 crore given by the Prime Minister gone. “I have a firm information that the funds given by the Prime Minister were not in the nature of grant-in-aid but an advance payment of plan funds the loan repayment of which had already started,” he said. He said there was no justification for the posts of ADCs in Himachal and the government should shunting out extra officers of the all-India cadre. |
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New foodgrain policy soon: Shanta KANGRA, Oct 9 — The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mr Shanta Kumar, today announced that the Central Government was formulating a new foodgrain policy under the changing agricultural scenario in the country. He said while the surplus foodgrain was being produced by the farmers foodgrain worth Rs 400 crore was getting destroyed annually for want of proper storage facilities all over the country. Mr Shanta Kumar was talking to mediapersons during ‘meet the Press’ programme organised by the Trigarth Press Club here today. He said that the present foodgrain policy had grown outdated and irrelevent under the present circumstances. He further said this policy had been formulated when the nation was facing foodgrain scarcity but now surplus foodgrain was being produced. He said besides a buffer stock of 180 lakh tonne of foodgrain was costing the nation Rs 4000 crore annually for its storage. He said 100 lakh tonne of foodgrain was rotting in the open and foodgrain worth Rs 400 crore was getting destroyed annually. The minister said that he would hold a meeting with the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Punjab, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, at Pathankot tomorrow to discuss the paddy procurement crisis in Punjab. In reply to a question the minister said that it was to be seen as to what was the reason for the production of the substandard paddy in Punjab inspite the weather remaining dry during the pre-harvesting days which was beneficial for the paddy. He said country had to face a loss of Rs 650 crore annually by procuring substandard paddy. He said a six-membered team, three each of foodgrain producing states and that of foodgrain procuring states had fixed the policy and his ministry was simply to implement it. He however said, “We have to safeguard the interests of the farmers and the government while sorting out the issue”. He further said that quality of foodgrain would not be compromised at any cost. |
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NSUI to launch stir
against fee hike DHARAMSALA, Oct 9 — The state president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), Mr Kewal Pathania, today said they would soon launch a statewide agitation against the fee hike in the state colleges, as the ABVP, despite making it an election issue, had failed to do so. Addressing a press conference here today, he said the fee hike was the ‘commercialisation’ of education, which would be opposed by the NSUI.” He alleged that the fee hike was an issue with the ABVP, only before the elections, but now it had forgotten about it. Accusing the ABVP of making false promises he said the NSUI would not remain quiet on the issue. He added that the Regional Centre of the university here had become a victim of the factionalism plaguing the BJP, as the area was represented by Mr Kishan Kapoor, who is a Shanta loyalist. Commenting on the dismal performance of the NSUI in the recent SCA elections he said that efforts would be made to rejuvenate the organisation. “A two-day state-level training camp will be held in the second week of November where 10 students from every college will be invited,” he added. Regarding revolt in the NSUI, he said names of those indulging in anti-party activities had been sent to the all-India president of the
NSUI.@ |
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1 killed as bus
falls into khud KANGRA, Oct 9 — One person was killed on the spot and 19 others were injured, seven of them seriously, when a Baijnath-bound Haryana Roadways bus coming from Ambala fell from an altitude of 150 feet on the rocky bank of the Banner khud near here this evening, the police said. According to the Deputy Superintendent, Mr Pritam Singh Thakur, the bus which was on its way to Baijnath fell into the 150 feet deep khud killing a 40-year-old man and injuring 19 others. The injured were immediately shifted to the Kangra subdivisional hospital where Mr R.C. Kapil, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, supervised the rescue and relief operations. |
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Panchayat chief posts reserved BILASPUR, Oct 9 — Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chander Sharma has issued a notification under the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, declaring the posts of president of the following gram panchayats in Bilaspur Sadar Development Block: Barmana, Dhaunkothi, Suinsurhaad, Banola, Seehada, Kallar, Kauchali, Kutehala, Tarwaad, Dharot, Majari, Roadjaman and Makari — all reserved for women belonging to the general category. The posts have been reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes for the following panchayats: Rajpura, Bandla, Kuddi, Kothipura and Tanbol. The presidents will be from the Scheduled Castes for the following gram panchayats: Dobha, Mehathi, Kandraur, Chandpur, Raghunathpura, Chhadole, Tahali, Nakrana and Lehadi. The posts of president of the following gram panchayats have been declared unreserved: Punjgain, Harnoda, Dhartatoh, Ranikotla, Saikharasi, Soldha, Chhakoh, Sikroha, Punjailkhurad, Namhole, Ghiyal, Deoth, Kotla, Jukhala, Markand, Deoli, Nichali Bhated, Bamta, Reeh, Swahan, Behal, Kotkhas, Ghawandal, Saloa, Bhakra, Dabhat and Tarsooh. Through another notification under the same Act, the Deputy Commissioner has reserved for women in the general category the posts of president of the following gram panchayats in Jhandutta Development Block in the district: Kotalubrahimna, Barthin, Amarpur, Jhandutta, Malagan, Gharan, Daslehada, Kalol, Santhra, Bhadolikalan and Ghandir. The following posts of president have been reserved for Scheduled Caste women: Kaphaada, Auhar, Daahad, Jagwin and Dudian. The posts of president of the following gram panchayats will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes: Bakroa, Badole, Nakhlehada, Gehadwin, Salwaad, Dhani, Malraon and Sunhani. The following gram panchayats have been declared unreserved: Paplah, Karoloti Chhat, Badgaon, Samoh, Fatoh, Behnajattan, Hirapur, Damhali, Jangia, Galian, Rohal, Behna Brahimna, Balghaad, Paploa, Kulzar, Kosarian, Badgaon Galu, Naghiyar, Jnabola, Baloh and Balhseena. |
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Women protest
against hike in petro prices SHIMLA, Oct 9 — The Mahila Congress held a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan here today in protest against the hike in the prices of petroleum products. Activists of the party led by Ms Krishna Mohini, president of the Frontal Organisation, took out a procession from the PCC headquarters and held a rally in the town before submitting a memorandum to the Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri. The memorandum accused the BJP government at the Centre of playing politics. This was the third hike in the prices of petroleum products ever since the Vajpayee government came to power. It said the price of kerosene should not have been hiked as this would put a financial burden on the common man. |
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16 head of cattle die NAHAN, Oct 9 — According to an information available here, at least 16 animals, most of them milch cattle have died in Badahana panchayat in Paonta Sahib tehsil after the break out of haemorrhagic septicaemia and foot and mouth disease in the area. The Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry of Sirmour district, told this correspondent over the phone that he had no official information of the break out of the disease. He said he had already ordered field staff to carry out vaccination of cattle in the area. When it was brought to his notice that no vaccination had been done according to villagers even after repeated requests, he said he could not take disciplinary action against the employees who were not appointed by him. He also said he had directed incharge, doctor of the Bhagani Animal Husbandry dispensary, to visit the site, carry out the vaccination and report. The Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour, Mr Rakesh Kaushal, has asked the SDM, Paonta Sahib, to visit the site and supervise relief work. |
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Students against tuitions in schools SHIMLA, Oct 9 — The Students’ Central Association of Himachal Pradesh University has condemned the state government’s move to allow teachers to take private tuitions in schools. Deploring the proposal, it said the introduction of tuition classes in schools would give a licence to the teachers to fleece students. It would also make education costlier for students. The association urged the government to drop the proposal and withdraw the hike in fee. |
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1 killed in
accident KULU, Oct 9 — Shashi Sharma (45) was killed in an
accident at Gandhi Nagar here today while his motor cycle, skidded off
the road. It was learnt from eye-witnesses that he was killed on the spot due to head injuries. Main market shopkeepers downed the shutters to mourn the death of the victim.
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