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| Tuesday, October 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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HP to spend 50 cr on medical facilities Kasauli roads deplorable Trial by media criticised Woman, 50 head
of cattle charred Settlers upset over benami deal report |
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Defence Minister visits forward areas in HP HC notice to HP
Chief Secretary HP not to reduce
bus fleet Ex-MLA Mahajan
dead Robbery
attempt foiled Class III postal staff start fast
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HP to spend 50 cr on medical facilities KANGRA, Oct 23 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will spend Rs 50 crore under the Health System Corporation with the help of the Public Finance Corporation in the state during the first phase for providing the equipment and buildings to the zonal hospitals and the community health centres, and to increase the strength of beds at zonal hospitals by the end of the current financial year. This was stated by the State Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, while speaking at “Meet the Press” organised by the Trigarth Press Club here yesterday. He said the strength of doctors, particularly specialists, would also be increased. He further said private institution in the state would be set up to train paramedical persons in view of the 2000 posts of the paramedical staff lying vacant in the Health Department. He added that 100 nurses trained from Punjab would be appointed as female health workers in the state on contract basis. He said 200 staff nurses, 150 male health workers and 50 each laboratary technicians and radiographers were being given training. Mr Nadda criticised the previous Congress Government for allegedly initiating politically motivated decisions in the Health Department, which resulted in the mushroom growth of health institutions in the state without proper man power and infrastructure. In reply to a question, Mr Nadda said ad-hocism at high levels in the department would end soon and four posts of the joint director and eight posts of deputy director would be regularised. He blamed legal implications for the delay in these regularisations. He stated that the government had cleared the Rs 3 crore reproduction child health care programme under UNPA in Sirmaur district, a World Bank-aided RCH project for Kinnaur district, Rs 6.39 crore European Commission project for Kangra district, besides German technology programme, GTZ project for Una, Kangra, Bilaspur, Shimla and Chamba districts. Regarding Apollo Hospital at Palampur, Mr Nadda said, “the Apollo group is ‘rethinking’ of its earlier decision and demanded that changes be made in the trust of the hospital”. Dr M.N. Razdan, Director, Medical Education, and Mr Kripal Parmar were also present. |
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Kasauli roads deplorable KASAULI: Roads in this hill town are in a pitiable condition. The digging operations to widen the drains has not only left debris piled up on many spots, but has also increased the number of pot-holes in and around Kasauli. Water standing in the exposed drains has become a ground for mosquitoes. Though the bylane leading to the Upper Mall from the Lower Mall was finally repaired recently, the condition of other roads in the town is worsening day by day. This includes of Lower Mall, Upper Mall and Kasauli — Jangeshu road, which has become vulnerable due to a tree which had fallen across the road. A large section of the Dharampur-Kasauli road was washed away last month following a downpour. The spot has become a traffic hazard especially during the week-ends when the traffic influx increases manifold. A Maruti car had rolled down into a gorge from this broken road a few days back, when a bus coming from the opposite direction had tried to cross the car. Many other points on the same road are reminiscent of poor upkeep by the PWD. Trees which were uprooted by heavy rains last month are still found lying at the sides of the roads obstructing the flow of traffic. The PWD officials when contacted stated that the roads would be repaired after the rainy season. The side drains on the mountains side of the roads are poorly maintained. Due to this the gushing rain water from the mountains flows down with great intensity causing abrupt landslides and washing of roads. The condition of roads on the national highway No 22 between Dharampur and Parwanoo is no better. Concrete laid a few days ago has worn out at many places leaving potholes on the road. This speaks volumes for the work of the PWD. The plight is further aggravated due to landslides which have left a pile of debris at a number of spots on the busy national highway. Though at times the PWD workers are seen digging up drains, the work progresses at a snail’s pace. The roof of a rain-shelter on the way to Kasauli had given way a long time back. It awaits repair even as the people abstain from using the place for fear of a collapse. Another rain-shelter seems to have become the dwelling place of roadside vendors at Dharampur. All these public utility places are poorly maintained and are often strewn with garbage and cow-dung making it impossible for the commuters to seek shelter. |
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Trial by media criticised SHIMLA, Oct 23 — Mr Justice Om Prakash, Chairperson of the State Human Rights Commission has decried the tendency of the media to play up sensitive cases during the period of trial. Inaugurating a two-day seminar ‘Media and Society — Challenges and Opportunities’ organised by the Journalism Department of Himachal Pradesh University here today, he said the media should not take undue notice of such cases once the court was seized of the matter. Trial by media was unfair to those facing prosecution. The media should have patience and to wait for the decision of the court he said. Instead even judges were being chased by mediapersons. As a result they had become publicity conscious which was not desirable. Referring to attempts to curb the freedom of the media, he said the fourth estate has in recent years emerged as the most powerful organ of democracy and was strong enough to face the onslaught. It was independent like the judiciary and no government or outside agency could guarantee its freedom. But a pre-requisite for freedom was that journalists not hobnob with the government or accept favours. He said while the reach of the print media had widened over the years if it was to become an effective instrument for change and development it must ensure that the news carried was relevant to the people. This was most essential for news papers circulated in rural areas. In his keynote address, Mr Shyam Khosla, a veteran journalist and member of the wage board, underlined the need to amend the Working Journalists Act to define the status of free lancers so that they too could be covered under the wage board. He lamented that while work opportunities were expanding as never before, the job market for regular secure jobs was shrinking. Instead the employers were hiring journalists on contract basis, which undermined job security and croded fair wages. He said the institution of the editor, the bulwark against the attack on the freedom of the press had also been seriously undermined and decision pertaining to news and views were no longer taken by the editorial team but by the commercial part of the establishement. He called for replacing the Press council with a media council to bring the electronic media under its fold. He also underlined the need for a transparent and judicious system for nominating members on the council. Dr S.K. Gupta, the vice-chancellor, said the information highway was not only bridging cultures, people and countries but also hopes and aspirations. The media had become an instrument of social change and a catalytic for development. |
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Woman, 50 head
of cattle charred CHAMBA, Oct 23 — A 60-year-old woman, Premo Devi, was charred to death, more than 50 head of cattle perished and 17 houses were razed to the ground in two separate fire incidents at Pragwal in Pangi tribal subdivision and Guddan village near Kalaban-Satrundi on the borderland of the district yesterday, according to official reports. In one report received from the Resident Commissioner, Pangi, 13 houses were razed to the ground. He said on receiving the information about the incident, a team of revenue officials went to the incident site for rescue and relief operations. He added that an immediate relief of Rs 5000 to each of the affected families had been given. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr T.D. Negi, said in another incident four houses got burnt down in fire that broke out at Guddan village. He directed the SDM, Churah, to provide immediate relief to the victims. The loss in both incidents has been estimated at Rs 30 lakh. The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Governor Mr Vishnu Kant, and Industries Minister Kishori Lal has expressed their sympathies to the victims. An inquiry into the incidents has been ordered. |
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Settlers upset over benami deal report BAROG: The reports submitted by the Revenue Department officials to the government regarding the benami land transactions which took place here in the past has led to panic among the settlers and as well as locals. An anti-benami land sale drive launched by the Revenue Department, started earlier this year, had detected 56 cases of benami deal in the two panchayats of Barog and Chewa. The Barog settlers, mostly VIPs such as Commissioner-cum-Secretaries, judges, chief engineers, and high-ranking Army officials, allege the notices under the Section 118 of the Land Reform Act have been served to them due to malicious reporting of the cases by the revenue officials which is well known to all the residents of the Barog. “We settled here to live a peaceful retired life after spending hefty sum of our life earned saving to buy properties but now we are forced to live in the persistent fear of the confiscation of our properties by the government”, rues Col Ajit Singh Bhinder. A similar situation prevails with regard to other settler families here. They allege some of them, who have been staying here for many years, are being declared non-agriculturists by the revenue officials. They are being harassed on the flimsy grounds and penalised for choosing to spend their life in the salubrious heights of Barog. The “malicious” reporting of revenue officials regarding the land transactions have caused resentment among the locals, who are familiar with their practices. An official of the Revenue Department, on condition of anonymity, says there is a provision in the revenue laws that an outsider and a non-agriculturist can buy land in Himachal but it requires clearance from the authorities. Colonel Bhinder admits they committed a blunder. “We were quite unaware of the revenue laws and were cheated by the builders who concealed the real status of the revenue record from us,” he laments. We should be fined to some reasonable extent for our mistakes rather then to put us in this situation, he pleads. There is no provision in the law to impose such penalties, says Mr Sanjay Murty, DC, Solan. Those who had violated the law are liable to be prosecuted. |
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Defence Minister visits forward areas in HP CHANDIGARH, Oct 23 — The Union Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, today visited forward areas on the Indo-Tibetan border in Himachal Pradesh. During his visit he was taken around the Army garrisons affected by the recent devastating flash floods, and was briefed about the extent of damage caused, a Western Command spokesman said here today. Mr Fernandes lauded the role of the Army in extending prompt help to the civilian authorities and other organisations during relief and rescue operations launched in the flood-affected areas. The minister also joined the troops at a barakhana and informed them that the government was making all efforts to equip the Army well, and extend every possible help to troops who were operating in remote and inhospitable terrains. |
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HC notice to HP
Chief Secretary SHIMLA, Oct 23 — A Division Bench of the high court comprising Mr Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice K.C. Sood has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the state, Secretary, Panchayati Raj, and Chairman, Election Commission, of the state, on the issue regarding one-third reservation for women for the post of vice-chairman, gram panchayat. In this regard on the behalf of the H.P. government, Mr Sanjay Karol advocate general of the state wavied services of notice. The petition was filed by an organisation based at Solan by the name, Society of Social Upliftment, in which they plead to issue the requisite notification regarding one-third reservation for the post of vice-chairman at the panchayat-level for women as they were filled by direct election for the forthcoming elections of the panchayats in compliance wiht the provision of the Article 243 D (3), of 73rd amendment to Constitution and the HP Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. |
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HP not to reduce
bus fleet NURPUR, Oct 23 — The Transport Minister, Mr Kapoor has ruled out any proposal to reduce the existing bus fleet of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). Commenting on the news item published in a section of the Press that in the view of the losses being incurred by the HRTC the state government may consider to reduce its fleet and retrench employees, he categorically denied any such move. He was talking to mediapersons here on Saturday. He stated that during the past two years there had been a decline in the accident rate in the
HRTC. |
Ex-MLA Mahajan
dead CHAMBA, Oct 23 — A former MLA of Bhattiyat assembly constituency, Daya Chand Mahajan, passed away yesterday after a minor illness. He was 85 and survived by his wife, four sons and two daughters. He represented Bhattiyat constituency of the district on the Congress ticket from 1962 to 67. He was cremated today at his native village, Manoota, in Bhattiyat subdivision. Mr J.S. Rana, SDM, Bhattiyat subdivision laid wreath on the body. |
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Robbery
attempt foiled NAHAN, Oct 23 — Two youths attempted to snatch a bag containing Rs 4.48 lakh today after firing and injuring one person in front of the Punjab National Bank in the main market of Paonta Sahib. According to police sources, Mr Naveen Singla, an accountant, at a petrol station along with his helper, Shiv Raj, arrived at the bank to deposit the said amount. On their arrival at the bank the two were confronted by the accused, who threw chilly powder into the eyes of Mr Naveen Singla and Shiv Raj, while the other opened fire. They tried to snatch the bag containing the cash. Mr Singla received bullet injuries on his right hand and his back. However, they managed to get inside the bank along with bag. The youths fled on a scooter. The police reached the spot after receiving the information from the Manager of the bank Mr S.P. Singh. Mr Singla is stated to be out of danger and has been referred to the district hospital. |
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Class III postal staff start fast SHIMLA, Oct 23 — Class-III employees of the Postal Department today started a 48-hour fast in front of General Post Office here in protest against the failure of the government to implement their demands. A spokesman for the agitating employees said that agreements signed between the postal administration and various employees unions had not been honoured. The main demands include grant of higher pay scale of Rs 5500-9000 to all those employees who had completed 16 years of service and Rs 6500-10,500 to those who completed 26 years of service, implementation of the Justice Talwar Committee Report and filling of vacant posts of postal assistants, postmen and mail guards. Employees alleged that there was a move to scuttle or dilute their justified demands. They threatened to start an indefinite strike from December 5 if no action was taken to implement their demands. |
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Shanta opens two
phone exchanges KANGRA, Oct 23 — The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mr Shanta Kumar, inaugurated a 1000-line C.Dot telephone exchange at Dualatpur and other at Rajal village today. Mr Shanta Kumar said in Himachal Pradesh telephone density was 4 per cent and by 2005 it would be 10 per cent. |
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