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| Saturday,
April 21, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Dhumal exhibits manoeuvring skills Justice
Shamim meets Buddhists Road mishaps: unhealthy competition the
culprit Order to regularise workers’ services |
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3
biotechnology projects sanctioned for Himachal HP to seek permission for opium
cultivation 
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Dhumal exhibits manoeuvring skills Shimla, April 20 The session concluded today after passing several important Bills, including the one making it obligatory for wards to take care of their aged parents and the one removing tax collection barriers throughout the state, which had become an irritant for motorists. As in the past, the Opposition Congress virtually remained a house divided giving an upper hand to the ruling BJP. Differences among the top leadership of the Congress were visible at times, even on the floor of the House. There was gloom in the treasury benches at the very beginning of the session when the seven rebels boycotted the Address of Governor Suraj Bhan and did not enter the House, demanding the removal of Mr Dhumal from chief ministership. They were dropped from the ministry on the day they revolted against Mr Dhumal. However, they were reinducted after about a month when they dropped their demands and said their grievances had been redressed. The revolt had cast a shadow on the passing of the Budget, supplementary Budget and the Governor’s Address and could have proved fatal for Mr Dhumal’s government, but he was able to overcome the crisis with the support of the Opposition Congress. In fact, the CLP Leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh and a former Chief Minister, Thakur Ram Lal, made it clear that they were not interested in fishing in troubled waters and urged Mr Dhumal to settle the revolt in his party. However, the Congress members did not lose opportunity to embarrass Mr Dhumal, at times referring to the allegations of corruption, nepotism and favouritism made by the rebels against his government. The session did not remain immune to the “Tehelka” expose as the Congress members blocked proceedings of the House by entering into the well of the House where they raised slogans demanding resignation of the NDA government of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee at the Centre. The BJP members retaliated, raising slogans against Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The Speaker, Thakur Gulab Singh, with his capability to handle ticklish situations, made the proceedings go smoothly. The session provided an opportunity to Mr Dhumal to clarify his position on the oft-repeated allegation of Himachal Pradesh being ruled through a “remote-control” from Jalandhar in Punjab and money bags from that state being allowed to purchase prime properties here in violation of rules. Mr Dhumal lashed out at the Opposition for using his “Jalandhar connection” to malign him. The tide turned in favour of Mr Dhumal during a discussion on unauthorised constructions when both Mr Virbhadra Singh and Thakur Ram Lal, former Chief Ministers, lost no time to assuage the feelings of Mr Dhumal and said the hill areas of Punjab had been merged with Himachal in view of their cultural unity. Referring to the longstanding demand of certain areas for allowing cultivation of poppy, Mr Dhumal said he would again approach the Centre on the issue as earlier the suggestion had been turned down by the Narcotics Bureau. The matter was raised by Mr Kaul Singh (Cong). The BJP which has always criticised the Congress for financial mismanagement, has now itself landed into a controversy with the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) indicting it for concealing revenue and fiscal deficit and diversion of funds. |
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Justice Shamim meets
Buddhists Kangra, April 20 Justice Shamim was speaking at a public felicitation function organised by Ramdah Buddhist Society in honour of the National Minorities Commission at Mohili, near Sidpur, in this district on Wednesday. Justice Shamim, who was the chief guest on the occasion, assured that the problems the Buddhists were facing would be earnestly looked into and sorted out. He expressed solidarity with the seven-point charter of demands presented by the society on the occasion. Justice Shamim arrived in the Kangra valley along with Mr Trilochan Singh Vice-Chairman of the NMC, Rev T.K. Lochen Tulku Rampoche, member of the NMC and a representative of the Buddhist community. Besides, Mr Vijay Kumar Dhar, NMC member, and joint secretary of the Government of India, Mr M.S. Sokanda, accompanied him. Rev T.K. Lochen Tulku Rimpoche in speech assured the Buddhist monks and nuns who in hundreds had gathered at Mohili from Spiti, Lahaul, Kinnaur, Kulu, Manali, Sarhan, Zanskar and Ladakh that the commission was making sincere efforts to help the Buddhist minority community in keeping their religion and culture protected. He asked members of the Buddhist community to inform the National Minorities Commission regarding the discriminatory attitude they were facing so that appropriate action could be taken by the commission. Mr Trilochan Singh expressed his gratitude towards the Buddhist community for the love they had bestowed on members of the commission here. Earlier, the society submitted a seven-point charter of demands before the Chairman of the commission and requested him to take up the matter regarding admissions to the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, the Tibetan astro and medical Institute, the Narbolinga
Dolmaling, Nunnery and the Tibetan Children’s Village run by the Tibetan Government in-exile for learning of arts, crafts, culture, music, medicine, language, religion and Buddhist philosophy with the Tibetan temporal and spiritual head, the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile, Justice Shamim along with other members of the commission today called on the Dalai Lama at his place and discussed certain problems the Buddhist community was facing into the state. The members today visited the Sherabling monastery at Baunath and Sobha Singh Art Gallery at Panchrukhi during their three-day tour to this district. Justice Shamim along with the members of his commission would call the 17th Karmapa, Urgyan Trinley Dorje at the Gyutod tantric monastery at Shidbari tomorrow and later in the day they would be accorded a reception by the Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet). |
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Road mishaps: unhealthy competition the
culprit Shimla, April 20 Stating this during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today Mr Krishan
Kapoor, Transport Minister, said that there was an excess of passenger transport vehicles in the state and the cut-throat competition, particularly among bus operators, led to overspeeding which in turn caused mishaps. He said there were as many as 7874 taxis, 1608 maxi cabs, 2108 private buses, 1750 state Road Transport Corporation buses and 219 contract carriage vehicles in the state. As against the national ratio of 31 buses per lakh of population, there were 62 buses per lakh of population in Himachal
Pradesh. He said over the past few years a large number of route permits had been given to private operators and there was no shortage of bus services. However, he said private operators were reluctant to ply buses on “kutcha”
(unmetalled) roads which connect the far-flung areas. The government was taking step to ensure that the operators plied buses on the allotted routes. Any deviation would lead to the cancellation of route permit. He said the operators who failed to ply buses on allotted interior routes would not be allotted new route permits. He said the state Road Transport Corporation auctioned 116 buses during this period and none of these were being plied in the state by private
operators. Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister told Mrs Vidya Stokes, that the government could not procure strawberry at the rate of Rs 23 per kg as demanded by the growers’ association. He said there was stiff competition in the market as the fruit was being produced in large quantities in the neighbouring state of Punjab and
Haryana. The HPMC procured 31 tonnes in 1998 at Rs 20 per kg and 22 tonnes last season at Rs 17 per kg. Given the market situation it could offer only Rs 17 per kg for processable fruit. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar
Dhumal, informed Mr Kaul Singh that the state’s total claim in BBMB’s projects on account of 7.19 per cent share in power under the Punjab Reorganisation Act and 12 per cent power as royalty adds up to Rs 3936.64 crore up to March 31, 2000. The state had filed a case in the Supreme Court under Article 131 of the Constitution in June 1996 which was still pending. Next hearing in the case was likely in May. The House unanimously passed the Himachal Pradesh Maintenance of Parents and Dependents Bill with some amendments. The Chief Minister, said the government had already got the Bill cleared from the Centre and it would get President’s assent instantly. |
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Order to regularise workers’ services Chamba, April 20 Justice Vaidya asked the departments concerned to comply with the directives within three months of the date of announcement of these orders. Sitting as a single judge, he disposed of 29 out of 41 original applications and 29 miscellaneous cases. In certain other petitions pertaining to illegal retrenchment, Justice Vaidya issued orders to the re-engage daily wage staff who had completed more than 240 days and whose services were likely to be regularised. |
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HP to seek permission for opium
cultivation Shimla, April 20 Stating this while replying to debate on a private member resolution brought by Mr Kaul Singh, in this regard, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, said the matter would be taken at the highest level to seek permission for poppy cultivation on trial basis. He said the government would make all possible efforts to ensure remunerative returns to the farmers from their small land holdings. Earlier, Mr Praveen Sharma, Excise and Taxation Minister, said the state was not granted permission by the Centre as the trial cultivation carried out between 1978 and 1981 did not yield encouraging results. Mrs Vidya Stokes, PCC Chief, said the government should make all possible efforts to get permission as the low volume and high value crop could bring prosperity for farmers residing in far flung areas. Mr Dhumal announced in the House that henceforth the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest would tour forest areas and stay in the rest houses of the department for five days in a month and the Conservator of Forest would remain in field for seven days for effective physical inspection. He said this while appreciating the concern of the members for the
worsening conditions of forest roads and rest houses in the state. Senior leader like Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Mr Ram Lal Thakur and Mr Chander Kumar, who participated in the debate, lamented that the forest officers had almost stopped going into forests as a result of which roads, paths and rest houses were getting neglected. |
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New Transport Secy Shimla, April 20 |
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