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| Sunday,
July 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Cong, BJP dissidents for CBI probe CM candidate no issue:
Stokes HVC can form next
govt: Sukh
Ram Decentralised grain procurement
begins No division of HP power board:
CM |
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BJP chief asks factions to unite Stress laid on dental health User charges: Left bodies’ dharna
tomorrow VC’s functioning
criticised BBMB celebrates ‘Raising Day’ Woman held, two missing girls found Rains trigger landslides, boy
electrocuted
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Cong, BJP dissidents for CBI probe Shimla, July 7 The political bosses under whose protective wings these officials allegedly committed serious irregularities in the purchase of equipment and other items over the past three years cannot wash their hands off so easily by making junior officers scapegoat. As one of the directors named in the FIR was handpicked by the minister himself superseding more than 12 senior doctors and was allowed to continue ever after irregularities came to light and a vigilance inquiry was ordered. The very fact that no action was taken against the officers involved in the scam even after a Vigilance inquiry creates doubt they enjoyed sufficient political patronage in the government. How serious the government was in pursuing the inquiry can be gauged from the fact that it took almost two years to register a case and that too after the state high court took suo motu notice of the news reports regarding the scam. Investigations revealed that one of the employees named in the FIR has close links with a minister as evident from the frequent telephone calls made by him from his mobile phone to the minister. Observers feel that the tardy pace of investigation was largely due to political interference and the inability of the investigating staff to interrogate properly the persons involved. They feel that it was a fit case for handing over to the CBI and if no person in the government had any link with it the case be got proved by the CBI to ensure
transparency. However, they give full credit to Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, for ordering an inquiry and registration of a case despite pressure from various quarters. The detractors of Mr J.P. Nadda, Himachal Health Minister have already started demanding his resignation besides handing over the case to CBI for an impartial probe. The BJP insiders confide that when Mr Mohinder Singh, former PWD minister, could be dropped in the bitumen purchase scam of much lower magnitude, why the same yardstick could not be applied in the instant case. The dissidents who, had been demanding prompt action in the scam for the past over one year may raise the issue at the meeting of the state executive committee beginning here tomorrow. |
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CM candidate no issue:
Stokes Dharamsala, July 7 Addressing a press conference here today, she said after touring various parts of the state she had gathered that the Congress workers were not interested in who became Chief Minister but the party was voted back to power. “As to who becomes Chief Minister is simply not an issue as at the moment we have to unitedly fight the BJP,” she said. Mrs Stokes refuted reports that Virbhadra loyalists in the district had stayed away from her meetings. She said there was immense enthusiasm among party workers and all had attended the workers’ meetings held in the district. She, however, admitted that there had been some minor problems as some leaders had started vying with each other for the party ticket. She said it had been decided by the party that every block Congress committee held monthly meetings so that the workers’ opinion was taken on various issues. “I will ensure that all party cells are active as giving a party post does not mean mere rehabilitation or making somebody happy,” she said. She said the Congress would soon hold a rally in Kangra to be addressed by the AICC President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. She said: “The government is at the moment being run by a coterie of four or five junior rung officers sidelining senior bureaucrats,” she alleged. The officers were unable to make any impact and improvement in their departments as they were shifted within no time at the “whims and fancy” of the government. She accused that BJP regime of acting with vendetta as family members and relatives of Congressmen in government jobs were being harassed by repeated transfers. “Our Congress government was a stickler for rules and regulations but the present regime seems to have given a complete go by to prescribed norms to benefit their own men,” she regretted. Taking strong exception to the removal of a photograph of Indira Gandhi from the Himachal Raj Bhavan, she said not only did the BJP wish to destroy the Congress, but also historical facts. |
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HVC can form next govt: Sukh
Ram Dharamsala, July 7 Addressing a press conference, he said his party had been able to make inroads into various parts of the state and could not rule out the possibility of the HVC being the main alliance partner of the next government in Himachal. “The success and the overwhelming response I got from people yesterday at Kangra is a clear indication that we could form the next government,” he said. Opposing the setting up of cement plants, he said this would not only harm environment but also destroy self-employment opportunities. Mr Sukh Ram said if steps were not taken to generate resources, the state would enter a debt trap. He said there was need to encourage the concept of community and cooperative. Sounding optimistic about the scheme formulated by him for providing employment to 2.2 lakh families through forestry, he said if there was a will there was no reason why this could not be successful. He said four lakh hectares of land would be taken up for plantation and within 10 years there would be returns amounting to Rs 50,000 crore. He said every family would be able to get about Rs 1 lakh as profit every year. As many as 20,000 families would be able to earn by setting up kisan nurseries and employment could be generated through wood-based industry. Mr Sukh Ram said with India being a signatory to the World Trade Organisation pact, it would have to face stiff competition. “We will have to make ourselves capable to capture the market like China which is already flooding its products in Indian markets,” he added. |
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Decentralised grain procurement begins Shimla, July 7 Addressing a press conference here, he said decentralised procurement had been attempted on an experimental basis in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, where Rs 140 crore per annum was being saved by the Food Corporation of India. He said Rs 2,000 crore would be saved if all states procured foodgrains under the scheme. The difference between the cost and central issue price would be passed on as subsidy to the state. Stating that decentralisation of procurement and distribution activities would benefit farmers as well as consumers in food-deficit states, he said the activities of the Food Corporation of India were at present limited only to a few states and it could not undertake open-ended procurement in all states. The minister said open-ended procurement, coupled with depressed market conditions locally and internationally, had led to the accumulation of excess stocks in the Central pool well above the minimum beffer stock norms, thereby leading to an escalation of carrying cost, making the FCI operation economically unviable. Mr Kumar said at present, the benefit of minimum support price was extended to a few states only and decentralised procurement would benefit farmers all over the country. He said the economic cost of foodgrains procured under the decentralised scheme would normally be less than the economic cost of the FCI. To make targeted public distribution system more effective in the country and ensure availability of food to the poorest of the poor, regional consultative committees of the FCI had been constituted in all states. He said till recently, the role of these committees was restricted to the functioning of the FCI only and they were headed by FCI officers. This year, in order to make these committees more effective, the ministry nominated Members of Parliament as the chairman of these committees. He said these committees had been entrusted with the job of monitoring the interface of the FCI with the public distribution system and the “Antodya Anna Yojan”. Mr Kumar said the states had been asked to implement ‘food for work’ programme effectively to provide gainful employment to below poverty line (BPL) families. He said 16 lakh tonnes of foodgrains had been allotted to the drought affected states free of cost under the food for work programme as an additional resource. This programme which was scheduled to continue till June 30, 2001 had been extended up to September.
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No division of HP power board:
CM Bilaspur, July 7 This was announced by the Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, at a state-level conference of the HPSEB Technical Employees Union in Kisan Bhavan here yesterday. The Chief Minister said he had talked to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on this issue and he had given his consent after he assured the Prime Minister that the state board employees were very hard working and sincere and it was due to their efforts that the state electricity board was one of the few boards in the country which were earning profits. The Chief Minister criticised the statements of some Opposition leaders who were alleging that the government was not taking any steps to exploit power generation potential. His government had started projects which would create 7000 mw within next 10 years. Prof Dhumal announced that the Malana power project in Kulu district which was to be completed in five years, was completed in less than three years. Thanks to the efforts of the pradesh electricity board for providing transmission lines much earlier, this power has been added to the national power grid since yesterday and the state had started earning rupees five lakh daily, he said. The Chief Minister also announced that the government had taken steps to ensure that the first phase of the Nathpa Jhakri power project is completed by December this year. The Chief Minister announced that services of all 5000 work-charged employees of the board would be regularised from September this year while remaining 162 technical employees, who had completed eight years of service, would also be confirmed and danger allowance would be given to remaining 1400 employees in phases. The Chief Minister directed the board management to look into the remaining demands of technical employees and ensure that they get maximum facilities as they were working in very difficult and hostile terrain. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Cooperative Minister Rikhiram Kondal and prominent RJP leaders Krishan Kumar Kaushal, Karamdev Dharmani, Randhir Sharma, Subhash Thakur, Rajkumari Chauhan and Deputy Commissioner Joginder Singh Rana were also present. Earlier the HPSEB Technical Employees Union President Devraj Sharma highlighted the demands of the union and thanked the Chief Minister for accepting the demand for danger allowance. He said the state government was the only government in the country which had sanctioned danger allowance to technical employees of the state electricity board. He assured the support of technical employees to the government. |
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BJP chief asks factions to unite Shimla, July 7 On his first visit here after becoming the BJP President, he was addressing ministers, MPs and legislators of the party. He also presided over a meeting of the state BJP executive in the afternoon. Mr Krishnamurthi was accorded a warm welcome by the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, Union Consumers Affairs Minister, Shanta Kumar, state BJP chief Jai Kishen Sharma and Mr Maheshwar Singh and Mr Suresh Chandel, MPs at the state guest house. He was received by party workers at Parwanoo, Solan and Bioluganj. The BJP General Secretary, Mr O.P. Kohli, also accompanied him . Significance is being attached to the visit of Mr Krishnamurthi in the backdrop of the dissidence. His purpose for coming here is to bury the differences between the factions. He said the BJP had replaced the politics of confrontation with the politics of consensus. He sought cooperation of the Opposition in the day to day functioning of Parliament and uplift of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He urged leaders and workers of the BJP to work hard to make Himachal Pradesh an ideally governed state. |
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Stress laid on dental health Shimla, July 7 The Governor stressed the need for creating awareness amongst the masses about dental health and mouth diseases. Underlining the importance that prevention is better than cure, he also urged for adopting preventive measures. He laid emphasis on regular health check-ups so that the disease could be diagnosed in early stage and preventive steps taken. Dr Bhan said that teeth played an important role in food digestion and facial complexion and without proper teeth, a person loses his taste and beauty both. He said there was a need of proper education of the people about oral and maxillofacial surgery. Underlining the importance of conferences, the Governor said that such occasions went a long way to have knowledge about latest advancements in dental faculties. He assured the surgeons that he would take up the matter of introducing post-graduate courses in Dental College, Shimla, with the Chief Minister. He also released a souvenir on the occasion. Dr Arun P.
Setiya, President of the association, detailed the activities undertaken by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in this field. |
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User charges: Left bodies’ dharna
tomorrow Shimla, July 7 Mr Omkar Shad, president of the Kisan Sabha said that the organisation would organise dharna at the state level, district level and block levels in front of hospitals. He said that they would also submit memorandum to the Chief Minister and to the Governor. He has alleged that common man is deprived of the basic facilities. The agriculturist and poor people of the state will be the main sufferer. The multinational companies are being invited by the state government. He has demanded that the status of the welfare state should be maintained. He has threatened that if steps were not be taken by the government, on user charges they would launch agitations in this regard. |
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VC’s functioning
criticised Shimla, July 7 The next meeting of the cell will be held on July 12 at which the president and secretary along with other executive committee will be elected. The teachers also decided to meet the Chief Minister other functionaries of the state government and government nominees on the HPU executive council to apprise them of the prevailing situation in the university. |
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BBMB celebrates ‘Raising Day’ Sundernagar, July 7 Speaking at a function organised by the BBMB, the Chairman said the day was celebrated every year in memory of those who had laid down their lives while working on the Beas-Sutlej link project, now managed by the BBMB. He announced regularisation of the services of 40 daily-wage workers and said the other workers would get regular employment as and when posts were available. He presented medals to 15 officers for meritorious service. |
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Woman held, two missing girls found Nahan, July 7 Mr Singh said the police during interrogation of the girls and the woman had got useful clues. The court remanded Chhadi Devi, the only accused arrested in this case so far, in police custody till Saturday. |
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Rains trigger landslides, boy
electrocuted Shimla, July 7 The police said the body was handed over to his parents after a post-mortem examination. The area experienced intermittent rain last night. Rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of four persons in Himachal Pradesh so far. Moderate to heavy rain lashed Shimla causing landslides in the interior areas and bringing a considerable fall in the temperature. Landslides also occurred at some places on the 320-km Hindustan-Tibet road but vehicular traffic plied unhindered.
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