 |
| Tuesday,
March 20, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
|
Rebels may
patch up with Dhumal PM may join HP Govt
celebrations Red alert
in Chamba Stage II
of Parbati project from September Apology
for dispensary |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Karmapa
returns from pilgrimage PWD, IPH
Depts at loggerheads Excise
policy changes increase revenue 50
illegal structures demolished Trains
collide, none hurt SI
probing murder case transferred SBI officers hold demonstration Minister raps teachers Auction revenue registers increase
|
|
Rebels may patch up with Dhumal New Delhi, March 19 The BJP high command is seized of the issues raised by the rebels MLAs, who are in Delhi, and efforts are being made to find a solution by “give and take” from both sides. Party leaders said that solution would be found before the rebels left leave for Shimla to take part in the Budget session of the Assembly which reconvenes on March 26. Sources say that the patch-up being worked out entails that rebels will withdraw their statement against the Chief Minister which will pave way for reinduction of four ministers in the state Cabinet. Sticking to its earlier position that there will be no change of guard in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP high command may accommodate rebels on their other demand of changing party general secretary Narender Modi. However, this is unlikely to be done in a hurry. The change, according to party sources, may come about when the BJP national executive meets or when Mr Krishnamurthi constitutes his new team of office-bearers. The rebels may also get assurance on some of their other demands including “balancing” of state executive, pradesh election committee and disciplinary committee and evolution of a mechanism in the party to check “interference” in their constituencies. Party leaders say that the high command is keen on an early end to the crisis facing the state government as prolonging the issue will have direct bearing on the stability of the government. The rebels are likely to adopt a more aggressive posture and criticise the government in the budget session if some concrete assurance is not given to their demands. The rebel MLAs, including four former ministers, met acting party President Jana Krishnamurthi on Saturday. Senior BJP leader, including Mr P.L. Khandelwal, was also present during the meeting. The BJP government in the state will be soon completing three years under Mr Dhumal and the high command will like to see the party leaders presenting a united face before people in the functions to celebrate this event.
|
|
PM may join HP Govt
celebrations Shimla, March 19 He said efforts were being made to bring the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee, to Hamirpur for the celebration of three years in office of the BJP government.
Mr Dhumal, who was talking to newsmen here today, said that the government went in for a balanced development of all parts of the state. He said the construction of hydroelectric project was accelerated to improve the financial position of the state which will be getting crores of rupees by way of free power and share in these projects. He said the pace of development would have been better if the opposition Congress rose above party politics and supported the government’s efforts in this direction. He said that although the agreement for the 2051-MW Parbati hydroelectric project was signed in 1992, work on it started last year when his government took the initiative to clear the hurdles and Mr Vajpayee said its foundation stone. Work on the
Malana, Larji, Uhl, Kholi, Neugal and some other power project has been expedited. Projects worths about 6100 MW have been taken in hand. Although the foundation stone of the Chamera stage II power project was laid in 1982, work began last year
only. Mr Dhumal said that four new national highways were sanctioned for the state last year. This would help promote industrial activity and tourism. Besides various other achievements, the Planning Commission has sanctioned Rs 30 crore for laying sewerage at
Dharamsala, Hamirpur and Jwalamukhi. A separate grant of Rs 16 crore has been made for sewerage at Bhuntar in Kulu district. The foundation stone of a winery will be laid at Kot Khai in Shimla district on April 6 to benefit the apple
growers. Mr Dhumal said that emphasis was being laid on the development of information technology and biotechnology. |
|
Red alert in Chamba Chamba, March 19 He said the security forces had been asked to be extra-vigilant and intensify the anti-insurgency operations and night patrolling on the border areas to thwart any attempt of militants to sneak into Himachal areas. He said the security forces had been kept on alert following the incident of looting of treasury by some militants at Basholi area near the border. He said the militants had also killed some securitymen in Basholi area which was close to Khairi area of Chamba district. He said the security had also been beefed up as the activities of militants increased with the advent of summer and melting of snow in high mountain ranges.
PTI |
|
Stage II of Parbati project from
September Chamba, March 19 During a brief visit to the 300 MW Chamera hydroelectric project (Stage-II) near here today, Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the NHPC, said that the third stage of the Parbati project envisaged the generation of 501 MW, totalling to 2051 MW of power to be generated from these three stages of the Parbati project. The CMD said that the 2051 MW Parbati project was expected to cost around Rs 10,000 crore. Besides this, the NHPC had been spending Rs 100 crore on the conservation and improvement of environment in and around the hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh, he asserted. The NHPC had drawn up a long-term comprehensive plan to develop 30 major hydroelectric projects totalling 44,218 MW of generating capacity all over the country, the benefits of which were likely to accrue in the Tenth Plan and beyond. He disclosed that the Union Power Ministry had okayed the 22,000 MW Siang and Subansiri Basin Projects in Arunachal Pradesh which would cost more than Rs 1 lakh crore. He said that the execution of these projects had been assigned to the NHPC, adding that the corporation was keen to commence work in the near future. The NHPC was among the top 10 companies in India in terms of investment and had been a scheduled ‘A’ enterprise of the Central Government as a public sector outfit with an authorised share capital of Rs 5,000 crore and an investment base of Rs 10,033 crore in the country. He further said that the NHPC would have minimum surplus of Rs 10,000 crore by 2010, and need not depend on equity and assistance from the Government of India. The NHPC was committed to becoming self-sufficient at the earliest possible. In the next financial year’s budget, the NHPC was going to make a provision for Rs 3000 crore for the speedy execution of various hydel-power projects all over the country. He expressed the satisfaction over the recovery of electricity arrears from the beneficiary states. |
|
Apology for
dispensary Kumarhatti, March 19 Mr Ramesh Chauhan, the newly elected president of the local Chewa panchayat, has decided to shift the dispensary to the panchayat secretary’s government accommodation as a temporary arrangement. “We can not risk life of residents as well as of staff”, said Mr Chauhan adding, “We will run the dispensary in the temporary accommodation till the authorities concerned took action in this regard.” Big cracks have appeared on the walls of first floor and one can imagine the plight of the staff of dispensary doing duty in such a building that can collapse any time. “The cracks have been widening with the passing of each day and a tragedy could happen any time,” lamented a staff member. The quality of the material used in the construction can be gauged from the fact that the roofs of the dispensary leak even during moderate spell of rain. The staff have to face great ordeal in the rainy season when the rooms of the dispensary virtually become the pool of water. The flowing of the water in the rooms of the dispensary has been damaging medicines. The ground floor of the dispensary being used as a store of the dispensary was filled with the stink of dampness even in the current prevailing dry weather conditions when this correspondent entered the store room. A pillar had to be erected two years back to save the upper portion of the building in the ground floor. The plaster on most parts of the wall has peeled off due to delay in the timely repair. The back portion of the building has become unhygienic where wild growth occupied most of the place. The Director of Ayurveda had sanctioned Rs 80,000 for the repair and maintenance of the dispensary two years ago that had never been spent on it, said a staff member.
Hospital repairs hit patients Shimla, March 19 The unit president, Mr Vikas Thapta, stated that patients are not examined as the rooms meant for OPDs are filled with dust and sand. He added that when a few patients reported the matter to the Chief Medical Officer, Shimla, he allegedly said that he could not help to start the OPD early.
HP convenes meeting of doctors Shimla, March 19 The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, said today that the meeting would be convened shortly to settle the demand. The doctors are agitating against the decision of the government to lift the ban on private practice. |
|
Karmapa returns
from pilgrimage Dharamsala, March 19 The Karmapa had gone on a pilgrimage for the first time ever since his arrival here on January 5, last year. He was granted the permission to visit monasteries and other religious places in India after the Indian Government gave him the refugee status. On his return from Delhi today, the Karmapa drove straight to the Dal lake in McLeodganj to offer prayers. He was received by the Minister for Religion and Culture in the Tibetan Government, Mr Tashi Wangdi, at the Gyuto monastery along with other officials. Mr Wangdi said after this the Karmapa would be visiting Rewalsar in Mandi district. He was likely to leave for Rewalsar on March 24 and spend five days there. He said the Tibetan Government was very keen that the Karmapa should be allowed to move to the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. “The request of the Karmapa and the Tibetan Government to allow the head of the Kagyu sect to go to Rumtek was still under consideration of the Indian Government, and we were hopeful that very soon permission will be given,” Mr Wangdi said. He added that right from the beginning the Karmapa had been keen to pay a visit to the Sherabling monastery at Bhattu near Baijnath as the place was closely associated with the Kagyu sect. Mr Tenzin Namgyal, secretary to the Karmapa, said the Karmapa had visited all monasteries and religious places in Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, where he was given a very warm welcome. He also gave public teachings and initiations, which were well-attended. Regarding the controversy of the Karmapa entering the monastery with his shoes on at Bodh Gaya, Mr Namgyal said the District Magistrate had apologised for the mistake of the temple trust secretary, who had not welcomed and received the Karmapa. Later, in the evening the Karmapa, was once again received at the monastery by the District Collector himself, he stated. |
|
PWD, IPH Depts at
loggerheads Kangra, March 19 Nurses have been complaining of the erratic water supply to the hostel and have levelled charge of misbehaviour against a Junior Engineer of the PWD Department, who is in charge for the internal water supply at the hostel. These allegations were, however, refuted by the Executive Engineer of the PWD, Dharamsala, Mr S.C. Dhiman, saying that the water supply to the hostel was the responsibility of the IPH Department and the Junior Engineer against whom the charge of misbehaviour was levelled was found not guilty in an inquiry conducted by him. The Executive Engineer, IPH, Mr Rattan Chand Verma, said the IPH Department was responsible for the water supply up to the main tanks on the premises and the internal distribution of water was the job of the PWD Department. He, however, alleged that the PWD officials had given few illegal connections at the complex to some senior hospital authorities affecting the proper water supply to the hostel. He said the PWD officials had been using the control valves to provide better supply of water to the senior officials thus depriving the nurses of regular water supply. Mr Verma disclosed that during his personal visit to the complex, following the complaints by the nurses, he broke the control valves which were used allegedly to restrict the water supply to the hostel. He said the water supply had now been restored to the hostel. Meanwhile, Mr T.C. Koundal, president of the Kangra zone of the Himachal Junior Engineers Association, in a statement issued here had threatened to move court against those who had levelled charge of misbehaviour against the Junior Engineer. |
|
Excise policy changes
increase revenue Shimla, March 19 Auctions of liquor vends conducted in some district last week indicated an increase of over 25 per cent, the highest ever. Normally, the revenue rose by 12 to 15 per cent. For instance, in Kangra, the biggest district, the auction money shot up from Rs 32 crore last year to Rs 41.5 crore this year, in hike of over 30 per cent. Similarly, in Una, it increased from Rs 11.05 crore to Rs 13.29 crore and in Hamirpur from Rs 10.20 crore to Rs 12.65 crore. The decision to allow contractors to send bids for liquor vends by post and reduction in size of units (group of liquor vends) to be auctioned has been mainly responsible for unprecedent hike in revenue. While bids received in form of tenders virtually wiped out possibility of pooling during open auction, the reduction in size of units ensured greater competition as small contractors could also participate in the auction. The bids were opened only after completion of auction to ensure fair play. The government cut down excise duty by Rs 2 per proof litre to reduce issue price of country liquor which was very high compared to Punjab. The total loss of revenue on this account was Rs 60 lakh which was more than covered by an increase in auction money from a small district like Una. The waiving of limit on production of country liquor and abolition of quota system and fixing the issue price on the basis of detailed cost analysis also helped in bringing down the issue price. In all, the price was reduced from Rs 165 to Rs 130 per case which was still high compared to Rs 105 per case in Punjab. However, the difference is that the prices have been reduced considerably which would discourage smuggling and thus increase sales through liquor vends. The excise officials hoped that total revenue from auction of vends which stood at Rs 143 crore last year would increase by Rs 32 crore to Rs 35 crore. |
|
50 illegal
structures demolished Dalhousie, March 19 This move has created panic among the people involved in encroachments or raising structures unauthorisedly. Everything that was happening here was “nurtured and nourished” by its own functionaries, or it happened under the very nose of the local administration. Will accountability be fixed and all those found guilty be punished? This correspondent tried to contact the President of the Municipal Council, Dalhousie, Ms Renu Chadha, but she was not available for comments. However, it is reliably learnt that efforts are being made to settle and rehabilitate the encroachers somewhere in the town.
Trains collide, none hurt Solan, March 19 Miraculously, only two passengers received minor bruises, while nearly 250 others escaped unhurt. The accident occurred when the incoming Down Parcel train and the Up Super Fast Deluxe were involved in a head-on collision. The Kalka-Shimla section is a single-line one, with only loop lines being provided at stations for facilitating crossing over of trains. Sources in the Railways ascribed the cause of the accident to wrong routing of the points which automatically divert the running trains from one track to the other. Sources said the pointsman at Shoghi had failed to set the track points to the crossing-over position which would have diverted the incoming train on to the loop lines, away from the main lines on which the super fast train was stationed. Strangely enough, the Station Master also failed to note the lapse. Railway safety rules mention that all drivers on this narrow gauge section must remain on the lookout for special route indicators provided below the signals as soon as their trains neared one. These indicators, which pointed out the route allotted to the trains, had been built as a measure against any possible error on the part of the pointsman. |
|
SI probing murder case transferred Nurpur, March 19 But the political connections of the culprits have not only scuttled the inquiry but also transferred the EO at a distant place. The body of Deepak Bhardwaj (26) of Chhatar Bassa village under Rehan police post was found in a nearby forest in July last year. He was working with Telephone Exchange at Rehan. Just one-and-a-half month earlier, the body of Onkar Singh, another government employee of the Irrigation-cum-Public Health Department, was found at Nanooh under Rehan police post. The police had registered cases into the mysterious deaths of both employees but failed to trace the culprits. At last, a police Sub Inspector (detective) was assigned the task of investigating the case. He investigated the case and was ready to arrest the culprits when he was transferred. Inquiries reveal that a former minister was allegedly unhappy about the police investigation when the needle of suspicion turned towards his favourites. The minister reportedly intervened in the matter and got the EO transferred before any arrest was made. Meanwhile, a new EO has initiated a probe into the case. There is a demand to order a high-level probe into the murders. |
|
SBI officers hold demonstration Shimla, March 19 The Deputy General Secretary of the association, Mr D.K. Sharma, said the demands included compassionate appointment, improvement in scheme for the reimbursement of medical expenses, review of promotion policy, improvement in welfare schemes for officers, and review of conveyance allowance, and halting allowance. Mr Sharma said the bank management had left them with no option but to resort to agitation. He urged the management to resolve the pending issues. The officers would observe a strike on April 4, which might be followed by an indefinite strike, if their demands were not accepted, he added.
Minister raps teachers Hamirpur, March 19 Presiding over the annual prize distribution function of the local Government Postgraduate College here today, he said that the teachers were not performing their duty well. Earlier, he dedicated to the students the second floor of Kargil Bhavan constructed by the college Parents Teachers Association at a cost of Rs 14.15 lakh. The PTA had donated Rs 3.90 lakh for this purpose. Mr Dhiman announced the starting of MA (Hindi) at the college from the next academic session. Prizes and mementos were given to students excelling in sports and educational and co-curricular activities. |
|
Auction revenue registers increase Mandi, March 19 The total revenue from the excise vends last year was Rs 15,09,65,000 while the revenue this year has swelled to Rs 19,71,52,000. The Mandi and Aut unit was auctioned for Rs 4.75 crore. The auction of Sundernagar unit went in favour of a contractor who had made a bid for Rs 3.27 crore. Interestingly, the party which had submitted the highest tender did not participate in the auction. KULU, There has been a steep increase in the revenue from the auction of liquor vends in the district and the district of Lahaul and Spiti, despite the change in policy of the government in opening up of the beer licences to departmental stores in the state. This was stated by the Assistant Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, here today. He said the increase in the revenue in comparison to previous year was 21.41 per cent in Kulu district and 25.71 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti district.
New GAD Secretary Shimla, March 19 |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
