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| Monday, June 11, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Bhattal meets Virbhadra Remove Transport Minister: Intuc Modi’s ouster brings
cheer to rebels BJP, Cong at loggerheads over Mahila
Bhavan |
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Parachinaris seek tribal
status Hydel project workers want better
deal Health care suffers at
IGMCH Govt employees seek
federation elections Dhiman promises liberal
funds for Dalit students Red Cross Mela
concludes Remove barricades, orders DC Pensioners seek release of
relief Boy dies in accident 29 hurt as bus overturns
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Bhattal meets Virbhadra Solan, June 10 The meeting, which began at 4.35 p.m. and ended at 6.16 p.m., was marked by attack on the PCC President Amarinder Singh. The visiting Congressmen did not confine themselves to the party’s state affairs but also reminded Mr Virbhadra Singh about Capt Amarinder Singh’s role in
discomfiting the former Himachal Chief Minister at a time when the latter was having problems with the party high command in the early nineties. The Punjab Congress leaders had apparently sought the meeting with the sole motive of lobbying Mr Virbhadra’s support for the candidature of the Bhattal faction men in the Punjab elections, sometime in November. Ms Bhattal alleged that the scion of the former royal house of Patiala had alienated the grassroots workers and also those veteran Congressmen who had remained loyal to the party even during its darkest hour, especially during the days when the SAD-BJP combine was riding a wave of popularity. She blamed Captain Amarinder’s feudalistic outlook for this, charging him with methodically keeping the rank and file “at a distance”. Other leaders present at the meeting criticised the PCC chief for devoting more energy towards promoting his own men, whereas “the need of the hour was to evolve a joint strategy for giving a battle to the SAD-BJP combine”. They also alleged that Capt Amarinder Singh’s style of functioning was responsible for the party’s defeats in the recent byelections held in Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions. The delegation further alleged that the PPCC chief’s stand in favour of the WTO regime and abolition of the electronic voting machines had not gone well with poor farmers and intelligentsia of the state. The farmers lobby was sore at the insensitivity displayed by the PCC chief towards their interests. They felt that the imposition of the WTO regime was going to hit Punjab farmers hard. “The least that could be done in this regard was that the PCC chief keeps quiet on the subject and not air his views on a debatable issue”, they added. The leaders pleaded that only those activists who had a proven record of service to the people and the party and were not mere turncoats — an apparent reminder of the fact that Captain Amarinder had deserted the party in the post 1984 scenario, while loyalists like Ms Bhattal stood by it — be allotted tickets in the forthcoming elections. The Bhattal group was also likely to meet other members of the election coordination committee soon. |
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Remove Transport Minister: Intuc Shimla, June 10 The unit which met here today under the chairmanship of its president Kanta Sud, said the minister had been trying to create a devision in Intuc. The workers would hold rallies and dharnas at the workshop and depots of the State Road Transport Corporation from June 12 in support of their demand. The Congress opposed the new transport policy in which no percentage had been fixed for allocating bus routes to the private sector. The policy of indiscriminate privatisation had severely hit the transport corporation which was incurring losses. The fleet of buses was being reduced and staff retrenched. It also opposed the entry tax which was causing hardships to people living in the border areas like Una, Mehatpur and Parwanoo. It decided to set up a joint action committee in Una district, where as many as 13 tax barriers had been set up, to get the tax abolished. The decision to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58 and introducing contributory pension scheme also came under fire at the meeting. They also discussed the situation arising out of the failure of the government to post requisite staff at the Civil Hospital, Kangra, and decided to stage a dharna on June 15 to press for better facilities. It urged the government to decide on its demand charter, failing which it would be forced take up the course of action. The demands included minimum wages to anganwari workers, regularisation of the services of daily wage workers after completion of five years of service, introduction of group insurance scheme and housing and medical facilities to those working in hydel projects. |
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Modi’s ouster brings
cheer to rebels Shimla, June 10 The loyalists of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal do not consider the removal of Mr Modi as victory for the rebel camp led by Mr Shanta Kumar. They point out that Mr Modi will continue to be the overall in charge of organisational affairs in his capacity as General Secretary. They say that Mr Kohli was abused and derogatory slogans were raised against him by loyalists of Union Minister Shanta Kumar during the organisational elections of the state at Jawalamukhi in 1997. Mr Dhumal was consulted by the central leadership before appointment of Mr Kohli as in charge of Himachal affairs by the BJP high command, they claim. The Dhumal loyalists take pleasure in pointing out that Mr Dhumal had old association with the new General Secretary and was party observer when Mr Kohli was elected president of the Delhi unit of the BJP with Mr Madan Lal Khurana opposing him. Moreover, Mr Dhumal was leader of the teachers union in Punjab while Mr Kohli was his counterpart at Delhi. On the other hand, the dissident camp claims that their three main demands have been met with the removal of Mr Modi from Himachal scene. First, the then PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh and the OSD to the CM, Mr Omkar Thakur, were removed. Thereafter, some dissidents were included in the executive committee of the party. The four sacked ministers of the camp were also reinducted into the ministry. |
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BJP, Cong at loggerheads over Mahila
Bhavan Nurpur, June 10 The Congress supporters are against the construction of the bhavan on the proposed site at Shoh village. They are pressurising the government for its construction at a central place at Kupper village. The government had sanctioned Rs eight thousand for its construction. The Congress supporters had gheraoed the local MLA and Chairman HP Tourism Development Corporation, Mr Rakesh
Pathania, while he was laying the foundation stone of the bhavan last year. They even removed the stone. A police case was also registered in this connection. According to Ms Jagdamba Devi and Ms Kamla Devi, Nurpur block samiti member and village Mahila Mandal president, respectively, the proposed land for the
bhavan, which had been donated by a philanthropist, was most suitable for villagers. They said there was already a dharamshala at Kupper village but the residents of Shoh village had no such facility. As rush the bhavan was a necessity at Shoh village. They alleged that the Congress activists had been creating hurdles in area development and the proposed construction of the
bhavan. |
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Parachinaris seek tribal
status Chamba, June 10 In a press note issued here today, Mr Surinder Kukreja, president of the All-India Akhil Bharatiya Parachinar Biradari, said the organisation had presented the case to the state as well as the Central Government, but to no avail. On August 27, 1999, the organisation had submitted the case to the Backward Commission of Himachal Pradesh, but again had got no response. Mr Kukreja regretted that so far the biradari could neither avail of the benefits under the Displaced Persons Act, nor enjoy the status of tribal category, as a consequence, its members had remained illiterate. He said hundreds of children above graduation were jobless because no incentive was given to them by the government. Mr Kukreja demanded tribal status for the Parachinaris as in case of people of Bharmaur, Pangi, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti. Mr Kukreja pointed out that the timber distribution rights from the Chamba forest depot at
concessional rates which were allowed to the biradari members till 1992, were now being snatched though at the time of allotment of evacuee property to the people of the community, all rights titles, claims or whatsoever the property had been transferred. It was surprising now that timber distribution rights had been allowed only to pre-1939 settlers. This was unjustified. Mr Kukreja asked the Himachal Pradesh Government to reconsider the decision on timber distribution rights. |
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Hydel project workers want better
deal Shimla, June 10 The federation, which met here today, expressed concern over the polight of the workers who were being exploited to the hilt by private companies executing the projects due to laxity in enforcement of labour laws. Not only that, the affected people, whose land had been acquired for the projects, were also being handed out a raw deal. The federation passed a resolution urging the government to make disposal of industrial disputes by the Labour Department in 15 days mandatory. In case of failure of the department to do so, the case should be sent to judicial courts within 30 days. It also demanded setting up of additional labour courts for quick disposal of cases, besides opening ESI hospitals at Jhakri, Kulu and Chamba. Mr Rakesh Singha, president of the state unit of CITU, said the federation would organise construction workers in the state to wage a collective battle against exploitation. |
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Health care suffers at
IGMCH Shimla Patients from interior areas of the state often keep waiting for a long time for doctors at many
OPDs. At times there is no senior doctor available and postgraduate students have to attend to the patients on their own. At the Orthopaedics and X-ray Departments scrores of patients queue up right from the morning. Most indoor patients in the Orthopaedics Department have to bring various items which are not provided by the hospital. Two X-ray machines cater to the needs of more than 500 patients daily. Staff members complain that no recruitment has been made in the department since 1983. “At that time 100 patients were examined daily but today the number has increased but not the staff strength”. Even emergency and extra duties are being performed by the same staff. The authorities say that more staff are required. The CT scan machine installed at the hospital remained non-functional for many weeks because of a fault. In such a situation poor patients are affected the most as they do not have enough money to get the scan done at a private establishment. Patients are referred to either Chandigarh or the local hospital for the CT scan. On an average 25 patients get the scan done daily. The general charges are Rs 300 to Rs 750 for the scan. But in special wards these range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 Interestingly, there are no regular staff members to handle the ultrasound and CT scan work, which is also done by the X-ray staff. There are a total of 30 special wards out of which only seven have their own basic facilities while the rest of the wards have to share such facilities. The charges in the special wards are Rs 200 per room. There are a total of 666 beds and 17 OPDs in the hospital. Many times two patients are asked to share one bed, say officials. The Eye, Skin and Orthopaedic OPDS are still being run in congested sheds. Overcrowding adds to the problems of patients. The parking of vehicles is another problem. Most of the time staff members do not find space for parking on the premises. Officials say that taxis unauthorisedly occupy the parking area at night. The funds provided by the state government are inadequate. Even items like cotton and bandages are not available to patients and they have to make their own arrangements. The hospital requires about Rs 250 crore annually to ensure its smooth functioning. |
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Govt employees seek
federation elections Hamirpur, June 10 Prominent among those who attended the meeting included Mr Prem Chand Verma, district president of Hamirpur, Mr Ghanshyam Sharma and Mr
T.C. Kaundel, president and general secretary, respectively, of Kangra district, Mr Satpal
Thakur, president of Chamba unit, Mr Rajinder Chauhan, president of Shimla unit, Mr Gita Ram
Tomar, general secretary, Sirmaur district unit, Mr K.S. Parmar, general secretary of Mandi district unit, Mr Manohar Lal
Kanungo, additional general secretary of Hamirpur district unit. The leaders in a statement issued under the signs of Mr Ved Sharma and Mr Prem Chand Verma maintained that Mr Ganga Singh and Mr Prem Singh Bharmauria had no right to continue as president and general secretary, respectively, of the state unit as their tenure had ended much earlier on February 28. They have alleged that these two leaders were trying to victimise employees in connivance with the state government. They have demanded immediate cancellation of transfers of the employees made at the behest of Mr Ganga Singh and Mr Prem Singh
Bharmauria. They also demanded an inquiry into these transfers. The meeting decided with one vote to oust Mr Ganga Singh Thakur and Mr Prem Singh Bharmauria from the federation in the coming elections and to field own candidates, the decision for which would be taken on June 30. |
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Dhiman promises liberal
funds for Hamirpur, June 10 Mr Dhiman was addressing a public meeting at Mehal village of the district today. He said computer education had been introduced in 236 selected senior secondary schools of the state from the current academic session. The main aim of the government was to prepare students to compete with those studying in metropolitan cities, he added. Mr Dhiman asked teachers to work with utmost dedication and help students to become good citizens. He said only teachers could make or mar society. |
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Red Cross Mela concludes Shimla, June 10 In the competition of different stalls, the first prize in skill games was bagged by the Police Welfare Women’s Association, the first prize in eatables went to Bharatiya and the informative prize was awarded to the Forest Officers Women Association.
PTI |
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Remove barricades, orders DC Nahan, June 10 Mr Kaushal also restricted the loading and unloading of material around Ranital, near Mahlat, Cantonment School from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. In Naya Bazar restriction would be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. These orders would not apply to the fire brigade, ambulance and loaders of the municipality, he said. |
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Pensioners seek release of
relief Shimla, June 10 The pensioners, it said, were finding it difficult to cope with the rising prices with their meagre pension. It also demanded various benefits on the pattern of Punjab like travel assistance allowance, old-age enhancement in basic pension at the rate 5 per cent at the age of 65 and 75 years and a medical allowance of Rs 250 per month. Boy dies in accident Parwanoo, June 10 According to information, the HRTC bus (HP-10-0397) which was coming from the Shimla side hit the scooter near the hotel. Devi Dayal a son of Mr Sant Ram of Kalka, died on the spot and his uncle, who was driving the scooter, escaped with minor injuries. The police has registered a case under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the IPC. Pawan Kumar, the driver of the bus, is absconding. |
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29 hurt as bus overturns Nurpur, June 10 The bus was bound for Pathankot. All injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. According to eyewitnesses, the bus was being driven at high speed. |
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