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| Tuesday, November 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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WTO: India to seek level playing field Hawker missing in
scribe case HP earmarks 715 cr
for education HP Congress factionalism
to fore again ‘Fill’ SC quota vacancies Reservation goes to
village sans OBCs |
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Power engineers'
rally on Nov 15 Martyr cremated
with honours Gowda to visit HP
to revamp party Plea for ICHR
branch at Shimla Women panel
chief to visit Nari Niketan
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WTO: India
to seek level playing field SHIMLA, Nov 13 — India will press for reduction in the subsidies being given by developed countries to the farm sector, providing an unfair advantage to them, during the mandate review of the agreement relating to agriculture under the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This was stated by Mr Nitish Kumar, Union Agriculture Minister, to newsmen here today. He said the cost of production in developed countries was very less because of the huge subsidies being given to the farm sector. This practice which could not be allowed in the globalised trade regime as it would be unfair to the developing countries. The country would also demand elimination of export subsidies on agricultural produce which provided a competitive edge to the developed countries. They would also demand that subsidies given under the Public Distribution System, which was part of the food security programme, should not be counted. Without this subsidy, the poor would not have access to food. Earlier, presiding over the concluding ceremony of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of Central Potato Research Institute, here, Mr Nitish Kumar said the interests of farmers would be protected at all costs and the government would not hesitate to impose import duties and anti-dumping duties. Mr Kumar lauded the role played by scientists of the institute in the development of potato technologies suitable for different areas and familiarising them among the farmers. Mr Narender Bragta, Minister of Horticulture, assured that state would continue to cooperate with the institute in its endeavours. Dr R.S. Paroda, Secretary, Agriculture and Director-General ICAR, and Dr S.P. Ghosh, Deputy Director-General (Hort), honoured scientists and other staff members of the institute by giving them awards for their significant contributions towards potato improvement. Former directors and heads of regional stations and divisions were felicitated for their outstanding contributions in furthering the cause of potato. The minister also laid the foundation stone of the new administrative block. SOLAN: The Union Ministry of Agriculture has decided to introduce a single integrated scheme for the disbursement of incentives and subsidies to the farming community in the place of present 27 different ones. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Nitish Kumar, while talking to mediapersons here today, said that the integrated Micro Management Scheme had been formulated with a view to make central aid to the agriculture sector more effective and relevant to region specific needs. The Centre would contribute 90 per cent and the states 10 per cent of the cost. He said that his ministry was also planning to get the Seeds Act amended to curb the sale of substandard seeds in the market. In addition to enforcing rigid testing and subsequent certification of seeds, it would be made mandatory for each trader dealing in seeds to obtain a certificate of registration. Mr Kumar said that another novel scheme under which farm graduates would be trained to set up agriculture clinics in the rural areas was in the offing. Earlier, Mr Kumar laid the foundation stone of a Rs 68-lakh modern compost unit at the National Mushroom Training and Research Centre here. He also announced a grant of Rs 1 crore for the upgradation of the Centre’s laboratories. |
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Hawker missing in
scribe case DHARAMSALA, Nov 13 — The disappearance of a newspaper hawker of Kangra town has given a new twist to the ongoing tussle between the press and some anti-social elements. The issue had been settled amicably after the state government ordered a judicial inquiry into the attack on a reporter and prevention of a silent procession by mediapersons in Kangra. With hawker Rajinder, alias Raju, missing since yesterday morning from his house in Old Kangra, the matter has once again come into fore. According to the Additional SP, Mr N.D. Sareen, a telephone call was made to the Jalandhar office of Amar Ujala, laying down four conditions for the release of the hawker. The demands include cancelling the transfer of the DSP, Mr Pritam Thakur to Kulu, withdrawal of judicial inquiry and removal of Dharamsala and Kangra-based correspondents of Amar Ujala. The police said Rajinder used to hawk other newspapers as well. He left home at about 11 a.m. yesterday and is untraceable. Mr Sareen, however said Rajinder was of a dubious character and the police was trying to trace a case against Rajinder registered by the Punjab police. A case has been registered under Section 364, IPC, on the basis of a complaint by the mother of Rajinder. The police has constituted two teams to trace Rajinder. |
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HP earmarks 715 cr
for education NURPUR, Nov 13 — The Himachal Pradesh Government, has earmarked Rs 715 crore for providing basic infrastructure for the promotion of education. Mr Kishori Lal Vaid, Minister of Industry, while presiding over the annual prize distribution function of DAV Public School at Bagni near here on Sunday pointed out that the state government had launched an ambitious “Bal Vidya Sankalp Yojna” in which 13612 rooms would be built for government primary and middle schools at a cost of Rs 126 crore. The minister called upon the educational institutions to inculcate a sense of respect for womankind in the pupils . He said the state government had launched the ‘Matrishakti Insurance Scheme’ for women up to the age of 75 years to give them social and economic security. The government would bear the premium of this cover, he added. Mr S.K. Sharma, Regional Director of the DAV Managing Committee, said the 662 DAV educational institutions established all over the country were being run with a mission to disseminate the teaching of ayurveda, Hindi and Sanskrit languages to keep them away from undue influence of the Western culture. Mr Rakesh Pathania, local MLA and Vice-Chairman of the state Tourism Corporation, also lauded the role of DAV institutions in the field of education. He urged the Industry Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, to open a government college at Nurpur. |
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HP Congress factionalism
to fore again SHIMLA, Nov 13 — The separate resolutions of the two warring factions of the Congress authorising Mrs Sonia Gandhi to nominate the new president of the PCC have re-fuelled the ongoing tug of war in the party in Himachal Pradesh. These resolutions were signed by both factions yesterday when the delegates came to cast their vote for the AICC presidential election. While the Virbhadra Singh group placed the resolution in the PCC office for the delegates to sign it, the rival faction allegedly got its own copy signed by the delegates outside. The official resolution was signed by the PCC president, Mr Sat Mahajan, while releasing it to newspersons. Mr Sat Mahajan and the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, have already handed over their letters to Mrs Gandhi, authorising her to nominate the new PCC chief, members of the AICC, the executive committee, election committee and disciplinary committee. Mr Virbhadra Singh is likely to leave for Delhi tomorrow to meet Mrs Gandhi and other senior leaders over the issue of the new PCC chief. Many leaders of the rival group have also rushed to the Capital. |
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‘Fill’ SC
quota vacancies SOLAN, Nov 13 — The President of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha, Mr Virendra Kashyap, said here today that the P.K. Dhumal government had earned the gratitude of the Scheduled Castes by allocating a record amount of Rs 19,976 lakh for the implementation of various schemes aimed at their “political, economic, educational and social upliftment”. Mr Kashyap, addressing a press conference here today, said that Mr Dhumal had not only given due representation to the Dalits who constitute nearly 25 per cent of the population of the state in his Cabinet but had also seen to it that the problems and needs of Scheduled Caste communities were speedily addressed. However, he said that there was an urgent need for launching a special drive for filling vacancies in government offices reserved for Scheduled Castes. This could be done by ensuring that eligible Scheduled Caste youths were informed about the availability of suitable job opportunities. He also released the following list of newly appointed office-bearers of his outfit: vice-presidents — Mr Ninzoo Ram and Mr Damodar Dass, both ex-MLAs, Mr Tej Ram (Kulu) and Mr Nathu Ram Shama (Hamirpur); general secretary —Mr Manohar Dhiman (Kangra); secretaries — Pradeep Kashyap (Shimla), Ms Kamla Sandhu (Bilaspur), Mr Jai Singh (Chamba) and Ms Nirmala Devi (Una); treasurer, Mr Roop Singh Ex-MLA (Sirmaur) member of the executive body — Capt Atma Ram (Kangra), Ms Nirmala Devi (Kangra), Mr Ram Chand Attri (Solan), Mr Bachittar Singh (Hamirpur), Mr Ram Lal (Kinnaur), Mr Sat Pal (Una), Mr Brikim Singh (Mandi) and Mr Pratap Chand (Kangra). District presidents — Mr Dev Raj (Shimla), Mr Fateh Singh (Solan), Mr Ram Prakash (Sirmaur), Mr Dhani Ram Dogra (Hamirpur), Mr Sohan Lal Bhardwaj (Chamba), Mr Dhani Ram (Kulu), Mr Pyare Lal (Una), Mr Jagat Bandhu (Kinnaur) and Ms Paro Devi (Mandi). Special invitees — Mr Dele Ram, ex-minister, Mandi, Mr S.K. Justa, Shimla, Mr Joginder Pal, Ex-MLA (Mandi), Mr Alam Chand (Kulu) and Ms Phulma Devi (Shimla). The names of district presidents of Kangra, Bilaspur and Lahaul and Spiti and the remaining members of state executive would be announced later. |
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Reservation goes to
village sans OBCs MANDI, Nov 13 — Simas panchayat of Bharol tehsil falling in Chauntra block of Jogindernagar sub-division has been reserved for a woman of the other backward classes (OBCs) despite the fact that not a single OBC family lives there, alleged Mr Jyoti Prakash, vice-president of the panchayat. Rajputs and Brahmins are the two dominant castes in the panchayat, he said. He alleged that the reservation lists suffer from many irregularities and there is widespread resentment among the people against the reservation pattern adopted by the BJP government. The office bearers of the panchayat have called upon the government to examine the matter and issue the de-notification immediately in view of the coming panchayat elections. |
Power engineers'
rally on Nov 15 SHIMLA, Nov 13 — The power and project engineers of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board will hold a rally here on November 15 to protest against the privatisation of the power sector. Mr K.K. Vaidya, president, Project Engineers Association, and Mr Suneel Grover, general secretary of the state Power Engineers Association, in a joint statement here today said that the engineers were for introducing reforms within the framework of the Indian Electricity (Supply) Act and setting up of a regulatory authority acountable to the legislature. Besides, the state power boards must be made financially viable by checking power theft and compensating them for any concessional or free electricity supplied. |
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Martyr cremated
with honours JWALAMUKHI, Nov 13 — The mortal remains of 27-year-old Lance Naik Joshil Singh, who laid his life in the Karnah sector of the Tanghdhar area of Jammu and Kashmir on November 9, were consigned to flames in his native village Kanol near Chanour in Dehra subdivision of Kangra district. Mourners started pouring into the village since morning to pay homage. A two-hour delay in the arrival of the coffin did not deter anyone. His body was received amid slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Joshil Amar Rahe”. Slogans against Pakistan were raised when the military truck carrying the coffin entered the village. The pyre was lit by his 5-year old son. Mr Ramesh Choudhary and senior officers of the area laid wreaths on the body. |
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Gowda to visit
HP to revamp party SHIMLA, Nov 13 — Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, President of the Janata Dal (Secular) will visit Himachal Pradesh in the first week of December to revitalise the state unit of the party. Mr Ranjit Singh, a senior party leader, has been appointed coordinator to initiate steps for the formation of third political front in the state. The state executive of the party which met here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Mr I.C. Gupta, president, condemned the WTO-sponsored policy of liberalisation which had hit the farmers. The lifting of import restrictions on 314 agricultural products this year would shatter the country’s agrarian economy, warned Mr Gupta. The meeting criticised the hike in the prices of petroleum products and the imposition of winter surcharge on domestic power consumers. |
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Plea for
ICHR branch at Shimla SHIMLA, Nov 13 — Participants of the three national seminar highlighted various aspects of the social-cultural profile of Himachal Pradesh at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) here. Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, emphasised the spiritual aspects of the Himalayan culture. He appealed to scholars to emulate the life of our seers. V.C. Srivastava, the director of the institute, moved two resolutions that the Himalayan study should be given due importance in the research programme of the institute and a regional branch of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) should be opened in Shimla. The resolutions were adopted. Prof V.C. Srivastava emphasised the historical and cultural importance of Himachal Pradesh in his keynote address. The seminar was attended by 33 scholars from India. Dr Sudha Vasan welcomed the scholars and delegates. Mr O.C. Handa was the convener of the seminar. The seminar was attended among others by Mr B.R. Grover, Chairman, Indian Council of Historical Research, Prof J.S. Grewal, the former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. |
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Women panel
chief to visit Nari Niketan SHIMLA, Nov 13 — The chairperson of H.P. State Commission for Women, Mrs Indu Goswami, will visit the Nari Niketan at Mashobra to see the plight of a woman who has allegedly been confined there. The H.P. Green Forest and Environment Association had moved an application to the commission. Ms Goswami has confirmed the receipt of the application. In the application, Mr Sanjeev Sunta, president of the association, has alleged that the 45 year-old woman, Ms Satya Devi, has been confined in the nari niketan for the past five years against her wishes by her close relatives. He claimed that the woman was keen on returning to her home in the Rohru area of Shimla district. She has two daughters and a son. |
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