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| Monday,
April 30, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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HP told to
pursue fiscal reforms Declare HP
drought-hit, demands Congress Virbhadra:
HP Govt misusing funds Bureaucracy
saffronised: Cong |
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Minister
for rational transfer policy HP poised for revolution Watchtower
to curb fires BJP
scheme to raise funds 3 die in
mishap Goods
worth 1 lakh looted from house Move to
scrap DIG ranges opposed NGO
launches sanitation programme More
funds allotted for agriculture
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HP told to pursue fiscal reforms Shimla, April 29 The increasing revenue deficit of the state has been cause of concern over the past decade. The situation has become worse as successive governments, instead of raising resources or curtailing unproductive expenditure, have been raising loans to bridge the budgetary deficit. The Union Finance Ministry has pointed out that the state’s borrowing has reached a level which would be difficult to sustain. The interest payment as the percentage of total non-Plan revenue was bound to jump from the present 53 per cent to 118 per cent over the next four years. The state’s total outstanding loans stood at Rs 11,350 crore and they would cross the Rs 22,500-crore mark — which is unsustainable — by 2004-2005, if no corrective steps are taken. It has asked the state government to prepare a five-year restructuring programme to reduce revenue deficit and contain borrowings. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is keen to see Himachal Pradesh tide over the financial crisis. But he has also made it clear that the Centre will be able to help the state if only it pursued fiscal reforms in the right earnest. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal had, during his meeting with Mr Vajpayee yesterday, sought one-time grant to implement the fiscal reform programme, besides an early settlement of the state’s share in the BBMB project and the imposition of generation tax. The state had also claimed Rs 90 crore from the National Hydel Power Corporation in lieu of the infrastructural facilities handed over to it by the state electricity board for the Parbati project. The Finance Department will prepare a comprehensive document for fiscal restructuring, under which reforms will be carried out in a time-bound manner. The exercise might take up to three months. The reforms entail reduction in government staff, freezing of recruitment of daily-wage workers, reduction in pension liability, encouraging private sector participation in development of infrastructure and imposition of user charges on basic amenities like water supply and healthcare. The finance department is in the process of carrying out a survey to exactly quantify the number of employees to be superannuated over the next 10 years so that it could work out a plant for reduction in staff strength. Broadly, 2 per cent reduction has to be achieved annually by not filling the posts falling vacant due to retirements. The government plans to hand over the operation and maintenance of water supply, grassroot-level health and educational institutions to panchayats and local bodies in a phased manner. Before taking steps in this direction, intensive training programmes would be implemented for capacity building. The government has already approached the World Bank for seeking financial and technical assistance for capacity building for the maintenance of water supply. An agreement in this regard is likely to be signed over the next few weeks. A legislation for private sector participation in the development of infrastructure, including roads, townships, tourist resorts and educational institutions will soon be enacted. By successfully implementing the reform programme, the state could get Rs 716 crore from the incentive fund set up by the Centre by withholding 15 per cent of grants recommended by the 11th Finance Commission to bridge the revenue deficit. |
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Declare HP drought-hit, demands Congress Hamirpur, April 29 Mr Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, HP Youth Congress chief, Mr Rakesh Rathore, spokesman of the HP Congress unit, and other state and district-level party leaders also attended the press conference. They said the government had failed to help the farmers and there were no signs of the much publicised crop insurance scheme. They lamented that a Central Government team that visited the state recently did no spadework but played a cruel joke with the people. The state government should constitute its own team and assess the crop loss, they added. They suggested that an all-party meeting should be held to discuss the present fiscal situation in the state and find out ways and means to improve this. They dubbed the present BJP government in the state as anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-youth. The Congress leaders denied any rift in the party on any issue. Mrs Stokes said all rallies in the state were being held to strengthen the party and it was wrong to say that the two factions of the party were holding parallel rallies in state. She claimed that the Congress was a well-knit organisation and there was no groupism. She expressed optimism that the party would sweep the next elections in the state. Mrs Stokes, however, denied the formation of a Congress-led government in the state by resorting to a rift in the BJP. She said the Congress would win the confidence of the people and only then form the government in the state. Mr Ram Lal Thakur on the occasion said he would once again arrange a meeting between Mrs Stokes and Mr Virbhadra Singh to work jointly and take the party forward. However, the decision on party leadership in case of the party coming to power after next elections would be made by the party high command in consultation with the party legislators. Earlier, the Congress leaders were given a reception at Ukhli, Hamirpur. PALAMPUR: Talking to mediapersons at Baijnath, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the BJP government had been blaming him for their financial troubles, but it was far from true. Clarifying the allegations about misrepresentation of facts before the Ninth Finance Commission, he said the commission was working on normative basis and all special category states had suffered due to it. He asserted that the commission had undervalued the liabilities of the state due to interest and pension payments while overhauling the income from forests. He said though the government had put a blanket ban on the felling of green trees to protect ecology of the state, the commission had calculated the annual income at Rs 100 crore, which was wrong. Terming the charges of Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal as false, frivolous and baseless, he said the Chief Minister was in habit of putting blame for everything on the Congress, whereas the reason was mismanagement in the state’s finances judiciously. He said the BJP government had no economic policies and was misleading the people by false accusations. |
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Virbhadra: HP Govt misusing funds Palampur, April 29 He alleged that the BJP government was misusing the funds and initiating new projects with an intention to get political mileage. He disclosed that though the Congress was a major opposition party in the state, its MLAs were not being taken into confidence and not even invited to official functions being organised in their constituencies. He alleged that funds were being diverted from the constituencies of Congress MLAs to those of BJP MLAs. He quoted the example of Palampur Rest House which was under construction for the past five years though the adequate budget was made available in 1997, when he was Chief Minister. Referring to the appointments of clerks in Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, HP State Cooperative Bank and HP University, he said this was a biggest scam of this government where all selections were made on political considerations, ignoring merit. He disclosed that some candidates who never appeared in test or those who were fail in the matriculation examination were selected. |
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Bureaucracy
saffronised: Cong Kangra, April 29 The charges were levelled by Mr G.S. Bali and Mr Haresh Mahajan, General Secretaries of the HP Congress Committee at a press conference here today. They alleged that the Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.C. Kapil, was transferred because as per law he allowed a case to be registered against three ministers and a BJP district chief in an alleged abduction case of two women zila parishad members. Both leaders said the Congress would give a call for a statewide agitation at the Congress rally being held tomorrow against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decisions of the government. The rally would be addressed by Ms Mohsina Kidwai, former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, PCC chief, Ms Vidya Stokes and All-India Women Congress Committee chief Chandresh Kumari, Mr Bali said. He further said the development works in their constituencies had come to halt as more than Rs 70 lakh, which were allotted to each MLA for the above said purpose, were withdrawn by the government. Mr Mahajan alleged that the funds were diverted to some selective BJP constituencies and described it as unfortunate. The Congress said the BJP was a party of opportunists. |
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Minister
for rational transfer policy Hamirpur, April 29 Talking to mediapersons here this evening, Mr Dhiman, however, clarified that all cases of transfers and promotions in the Education Department would be finalised by May 10 next. The department had decided to include more areas of the state under the sub-cadre and in future a person would have to serve for at least three years in the sub-cadre area before coming to the lower hill areas of the state, he said. The minister said that the new education code was being planned and would be enforced from the next academic session. Delay in the
formulation of the code was due to the decision to cover the Department of Primary Education under the same code. Some of the suggestions put forward by the Primary Education Department were being added to the new code, he said. The Education Minister said there was no proposal to open any new educational institution in the state. However, if fiscal health of the state improved, opening of a degree college in the Mewa area would be on priority, he said. Mr Dhiman represents this area in the state Assembly. About the take-over of the private college at Sujanpurtira, Mr Dhiman said services of only those persons who had completed one year in the college and fulfilled all conditions laid down by the University Grants Commission, would be availed. |
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HP poised for revolution New Delhi, April 29 According to Dr
P.K. Khosla, a bio-technology expert with the Himachal Pradesh Government, the state’s yield of apple at 14 tonnes per hectare is far less than that of the USA where it is 64
tonnes. The need of growers in the state is high-yielding and virus-free stock of seeds which can be achieved through bio-technology, emphasises Dr
Khosla. Some work in this direction has already been done at the bio-technology centres at the three universities in the state but this is not reaching the farmers. Experts stress the need for entrepreneurs stepping in to bridge the gap. They also call for diversified farming of high value cash crops and promoting research in bio-technology. A two-day international exhibition is being held at Shimla in June which will focus on the ways to develop the states’s potential in bio-technology, information technology, and entertainment. Experts opine that HP is the state with the richest bio-diversity in the country. Himachal Pradesh has a distinct comparative advantage to support and promote bio-technology based industries. Besides the rich bio-diversity, varied ecological conditions, pollution-free environment, availability of land, water and power, and excellent law and order situation, there are research and development institutions, including three varsities, bio-resource technology centre at Palampur and an institute of Himalayan environment and development at Kulu. Work has started in the state on the development of database on microbial and plant resources of Himachal Pradesh. A project on the domestication, characterisation, conservation and sustainable utilisation of endangered medicinal plant species of the state has also been taken up with assistance from the Centre. An amount of Rs 173.55 lakh has been provided for these projects so far. The state government proposes to accord priority sector status to bio-technology units, including providing them single window clearance. Bio-technology parks are proposed to be set up between Solan and Shimla where developed plots will be offered to entrepreneurs. Labour laws are also proposed to brought in line with the specific requirements of such industry. Special facilities are proposed to be offered to bio-technology projects with an investment of more than Rs 50 crore, say officials. A task force on bio-technology has been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. The Department of Bio-Technology of the state government which is synergising the efforts of industry, R&D institutions, farmers, NGOs and donor agencies, will also help manage intellectual property and patenting issues, the officials add. |
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Watchtower
to curb fires Kumarhatti The Solan forest division claims to be well prepared this season to check the fire menace which causes untold destruction to life, property as well as the flora. Effective steps are being taken by the Forest Department this summer to prevent as well as handle forest fires keeping in mind the longest dry spell, claims the division office. ‘‘We are leaving no stone unturned to minimise the incidence of fire and trying our best to handle nature’s fury during the coming months’’, says Mr S.K. Sharma, Solan’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO). A watchtower is being built at the cost of Rs 2 lakh atop a hill facing this town near Chewa village Chunjri forest. This watchtower, the first in this area, would cover an area of around 300 sq km comprising the two forest divisions of Solan and Kunihar. ‘‘There was an urgent need to construct a watchtower at such place from where we could keep vigil on the maximum forest area prone to fire’’, he pointed out. From this watchtower one could see the Dharampur, Subathu, Solan and Parwanoo forest ranges under Solan forest division and part of Kuthar range under Kunihar forest division. Work on this tower is going on a war-footing and it would be ready by the month-end, he stated. The fire can be located through this tower and action could be taken on time, thus preventing the loss of forest cover, he added. For better communications the watchtower would be equipped with wireless sets, besides a mobile mini truck that can go to the spot as soon as a fire is reported. Three forest workers would be permanently deployed at the watchtower and in case of any fire, these forest workers would contact the base stations at Dharampur, Garhkal and Solan. From these stations teams to control the fire would be deputed to the area affected. Forest officials would have to be on their toes as dry weather since last August remains a threat to the forest cover. The premature falling of pine needles due to the lack of rain has made the forests highly prone to fire. The situation has been aggravated as farmers are burning their fields and land to grow grass. ‘‘We are doing our best to inform the villagers not to set grass on fire as it can prove fatal,’’ says Mr Sharma. Under the Solan forest division, four village forest protection committees have been constituted and Rs 6,000 given for each committee for removal of pine needles from roads and paths near forests to prevent fires, he says. A meeting with the pradhans, yuva morcha and mahila mandal units is being organised. Besides the meeting, pamphlets to prevent fires are being distributed. A publicity drive is on through the cable network in Solan town to check fires. Interestingly the villagers residing adjoining the watchtower are little aware of the efforts of the Forest Department. When this correspondent met them and tried to elicit their view about the watchtower, they expressed apprehension that the department was going to install cameras to check felling of trees. |
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BJP scheme to raise funds Chamba, April 29 Announcing this at a press conference at the local Circuit House today, Mr Ganesh Dutt, media in charge and spokesman of the state unit of BJP, said the scheme had been launched for maintaining transparency in the financial management within the party. He said the BJP intended to make the more a mass movement with a view to strengthening the party. The Chief Minister, minister, state party chief and all office-bearers of the state and district BJP would tour the state adding the BJP panchayat pradhans, panchayat samiti members and zila parishad members would also participate. He said a similar sammelan would be held in the district on May 13. Mr Dutt held Mr Virbhadra Singh, former
Chief Minister, responsible for the financial mess in the state. |
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3 die in mishap Shimla, April 29 The deceased have been identified as Daya Ram of Jaral village Khem Singh of Manglar and Tola Ram of Patheran. The van was on its way from Karsog to Shimla. |
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Goods worth
1 lakh looted from house Shimla, April 29 The youths, two of them carrying pistols and the third wielding a knife, broke into the house from the top floor after removing a window pane of the drawing room. The residents of the house said the miscreants faces were masked. According to Mr Sarbjit
Manchanda, whose house was looted, the youth woke up his 15-year-old son, who was sleeping on the ground floor, and tied him up. Thereafter, they went to the adjoining room, opened a steel
almirah, and took away Rs 26,000 and jewellery kept by his daughter who was away to Chandigarh. The boy was then taken to the upper
storey. When he opened the door, the youths removed all the valuables, including two watches, a camera and a diamond ring at gunpoint. They took the boy along up to the door and locked it from outside before decamping with the valuables. They escaped in a white Maruti car. Mr Manchanda immediately informed the police which arrived at the scene of robbery. A team of forensic experts, headed by Deputy Director, Mr
Rawat, also reached the scene and collected vital clues, including finger prints. Mr
A.N. Sharma, SP, said all exit points were sealed as soon as he was informed about the incident. Mr H.
Bisht, DSP, has been entrusted with the case. |
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Move to scrap DIG ranges opposed Chamba, April 29 In a press note issued here today, Mr Devender Kumar Sharma, district president of the association, said that DIG range officers formed an important linkage between the district police chiefs and the police headquarters. In the case of the sensitive border district of Chamba, he pointed out that from the security point of view adjoins, the DIG play a supervisory role and coordinate functions with police and security officials of Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Sharma said the government efforts to downsize the police administration would adversely affect the police functioning rather then help the state make savings. He sought a reversal of the decision. |
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NGO launches
sanitation programme Nahan, April 29 The programme has been sponsored by the Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour, Mr Rakesh Kaushal, who is also the Chairperson of the District Rural Development Agency. In a statement issued to the Press here today, the organisation informed that it had held total health awareness camps in more than 12 panchayats of the Paonta valley, all 62 panchayats would be covered in next month, it said. Mr Shyam Lal, in charge of the team of artistes, said ‘kala jatha’ artistes of the manch were going from village to village to spread the message of total sanitation through satirical plays. ‘Raju’ ka Sapna, a street play written by its president, skit, film and musical shows were being shown. He said the programmes were attracting large number of audience and some of the panchayat presidents had written to the manch to stage such programmes in every village. |
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More funds allotted
for agriculture Kangra, April 29 He was addressing a press conference at the local IPH Rest House last evening. He said there was 8.65 per cent increase over the last year’s budget provisions for agricultural development. The minister said an amount of Rs 1 crore had been earmarked for providing 50 per cent subsidy on 10,500 quintals of maize seed to be distributed in the drought-affected areas of the state. He said the SC, ST and Backward area farmers would be provided 50 per cent subsidy on the seeds. |
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Six booked for
beating Dalits Nurpur, April 29 The police has registered an FIR under Sections 147, 149, 323, 325 and 506 of the IPC against six villagers. The villagers named in the report are yet to be arrested. |
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