 |
| Wednesday,
July 25, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Cong
trying to shift blame: BJP Suspended
councillor defies Mayor’s order CM:
monitor cases of atrocities on SCs, STs 3 tunnels
to ease Shimla traffic Shillai to
host state I-Day function |
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Filling
vacancies or eyewash? Double
HP Kargil martyrs’ relief: Mankotia HP’s
state bird dies of diarrhoea STATE OF ROADS Non-gazetted
staff hold rally
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Cong trying to shift blame:
BJP Shimla, July 24 Reacting to the allegations of the former Chief Minister, he said that Mr Virbhadra Singh, who “mismanaged” the state’s finances for 12 years, should have tendered a public apology for plunging the state into a debt trap. Instead, he was trying to shift the blame on the present government. While Mr Virbhadra Singh failed to come out with a white paper, despite repeated demands of the opposition, Mr
P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, lost no time in doing so after assuming office. The white paper presented by him in the Vidhan Sabha more than a year ago had revealed that the Virbhadra Singh government raised indiscriminate loans at exorbitantly high rates of interest to bridge the Budget deficit. During its four-year term from 1994 to 1998 as many as Rs 3318 crore were borrowed at an interest rate of 18.26 per cent at a time when loans were available at an interest rate of 13 to 14 per cent. These were raised at high rates of interest to benefit some favoured parties. The state’s financial position started worsening ever since Mr Virbhadra Singh concealed the actual Budget deficit before the Ninth Finance Commission in 1989. The folly cost the state dearly as central assistance to the state was cut down drastically on the recommendation of the commission. The present government was virtually “paying back through the nose” to the loans raised by the Virbhadra Singh government, he alleged. Mr Sharma accused the Congress of adopting double standards on user charges. The Congress ruled states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra had imposed users charges but the party was opposing these in Himachal Pradesh. He also refuted the allegation of favouritism and nepotism in recruitment for government jobs and reminded him of the “chit
raj” when jobs were given on recommendatory notes during the Congress regime. He advised Mr Virbhadra Singh to exercise restrain while criticising statutory institutions like the Subordinate Service Selection Board. |
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Suspended
councillor defies Mayor’s
order Shimla, July 24 On the other hand, the Disciplinary Committee of the Pradesh Congress Committee, which met here has summoned all municipal councillors of the party at its next meeting. The DCC (Urban) had complained against 14 of the 23 councillors for not coming to a meeting which was convened by it for settling various disputes among them. The general House of the Municipal Corporation witnessed noisy scenes as soon as it assembled with the controversial issues of imposing parking fee on its agenda. Mr Chauhan was suspended from the House for 125 days in the last meeting for allegedly manhandling a former Mayor, Mr Manoj Kumar. Mr Shiv Kumar presided over the meeting of the Disciplinary Committee. Besides, other members, Mr A. N. Vidyarthi, Mr Nek Ram, Mr Rattan Singh and Mrs Sulakshana Arya, participated in the meeting. The committee directed all senior partymen not to air their grievances in public and discuss these at the party forums. A former MLA, Mr D.D. Thakur and Mr Ghuman Singh of Mandi, appeared before the committee to explain that they never issued any statement against the PCC chief, Mrs Vidya Stokes. It was decided to summon Mr Roshan Lal of Sirmaur and other leaders of Paonta in the next meeting to settle their grievances against each other. |
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CM: monitor cases of atrocities on SCs,
STs Shimla, July 24 Presiding over a meeting of the state-level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee here yesterday, he said it should be ensured that provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act were implemented and adhered to strictly. Mr Dhumal said cases of atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be monitored and reviewed in the state and district-level committees set up for the purpose. It should be ensured that the meetings of these committees were convened in a time-bound manner, he said. The meeting was informed that the state government had declared district and sessions courts as special courts for speedy trial of cases of atrocities and for every special court, the state government had appointed public prosecutors for the cases. Mr Dhumal said 72 awareness camps were organised last year in different parts of the state, especially in areas where Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were concentrated, to educate the people about the provisions of the Act. He suggested that a pamphlet on it should be brought out and distributed in all panchayats. A protection cell had been set up in the office of the Director-General of Police to monitor and review the cases of atrocities, the meeting was informed. |
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Portrait
row: panel to meet on July 27 Shimla, July 24 According to the Secretary to the Governor, Mr Lalji Singh, the meeting will be held in Raj Bhavan under the chairmanship of the Speaker, Thakur Gulab
Singh. |
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3 tunnels to ease Shimla
traffic Shimla, July 24 Under the project, three major double-lane tunnels will be bored across the main hill to provide shortcuts to the Circular Road, which skirts it. The government has sought permission from the Ministry of Urban Development for preparing a detailed project report so that the scheme could be posed for funding to external agencies. Meanwhile, it has decided to send a proposal to the Union Ministry of Economic Affairs for a tie-up with a foreign agency. As per the feasibility report prepared by the state electricity board, which has enough experience in construction of tunnels in hydel power projects, the longest tunnel (1200m) will connect the Himfed petrol station to Indira Gandhi Medical College. It is estimated to cost Rs 23 crore. The second tunnel will be bored from the Lift to the Himfed petrol station. It will be 950m long and cost Rs 22 crore. The third tunnel from the Lift to the Rivoli bus stand will be the shortest (350m) but cost Rs 35 crore. Since the tunnel will be constructed underneath the heavily built Mall and Lakkar Bazar areas, the engineers will have to deploy a different strategy and more sophisticated technology to construct it. The double-lane tunnels will have a mechanism for air circulation to prevent concentration of toxic vehicular emissions inside. They will also have pedestrian ducts on both sides, which would also be used for basic services like sewerage and water supply lines. The project will be executed on the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis and the cost would be recovered through user charges over a period of time. Mr S.K. Sood, Financial Commissioner, Public Works Department, said the government proposed to hire the services of best consultants to prepare a detailed project report so as to ensure that the debris could be utilised to create parking spaces and reclaim land. Terraced plots would be developed on the valley side which would provide sufficient land for developmental projects. Land was a scarce commodity in hills and it would be a byproduct of this project. |
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Shillai
to host state I-Day
function Shimla, July 24 Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, Minister of State for Urban Development and Mr Ravinder Singh Ravi, Minister of State for Technical Education, will also attend the function at Shillai. Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, will preside over the district-level function at Chamba. Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda will also attend the function. Mr Kishori Lal Vaidya, Industries Minister, will preside over the function at Dharamsala and Mr Rajan Sushant, Minister of State for Revenue and Mrs Sarveen Chaudhary, Parliamentary Secretary, will also attend the function. Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister, will preside over the function at Mandi. Mr Prakash Chaudhary, Minister of State for Rural Development and Dr Ram Lal Markanda, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry will also participate. Mr Kishan Kapoor, Transport Minister, will preside over the function at Shimla where Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture will also attend the function. Mr Ramesh Chand, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, will preside over the function in Kulu. Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Supplies Minister will preside over at Bilaspur, Mr Rikhi Ram Kundal, Minister of State for Cooperation, will also attend the function at Bilaspur. Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, will preside over the function at Hamirpur and Mrs Urmil Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary, will also attend the function. Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, will preside over the function at Solan. Mr Hari Narain Singh Saini, Minister of State for Town and Country Planning, will also attend the function. Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, will preside over the function at Una and Mr Parveen Sharma, Minister of State for Excise and Taxation will also be there. Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for Primary Education will preside over the function at Keylong. While Mr Ram Dass Malangar, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, at Rekong Peo, Kinnaur District. Mr Chet Ram Negi, Parliamentary Secretary, will also attend the function. |
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Filling
vacancies or
eyewash? Dharamsala, July 24 The MCI team is scheduled to visit Tanda Medical College , for the renewal of the recognition for the third session. It is reliably learnt that the authorities have asked doctors from Shimla to be here, at least till the MCI team is here. Apart from this some doctors from the health institutions in Kangra district have also been directed to report at the medical college so that the faculty requirement can be
fulfilled. Some doctors are also being flown in from Delhi for the purpose. This has led to resentment among doctors who feel that this is nothing more than an eyewash as work is bound to suffer in the institutions from where they have been summoned. Moreover, there is no certainty as to how long these doctors will stay in the state. It is learnt that some nurses and paramedical staff from Shimla has been asked to be here while the MCI team is inspecting the college. In the past also some doctors, who had been called from outside to the dental college at Shimla, had left immediately after the MCI visit. The patients at Tanda Medical College complain that even the doctors who have been sent here on a rotation basis from Shimla are rarely seen here as they remain on leave most of the time. As such the medical services as promised by the government are getting affected and the patients continue to be deprived of these. The patients and the local people feel that as far as the question of recognition is concerned there should be no laxity as the career of 50 students was at stake , but at the same time the government should make sincere efforts to run the college smoothly and not make stop-gap arrangements only while the MCI team was here on inspection. The Principal of the college, Dr R.L. Gupta, when contacted said they were sincerely making efforts to complete the faculty requirement and the task was almost complete. He denied that any stop-gap arrangements were being made only for the visit of the MCI team. He informed that most of the conditions laid down by the MCI had been fulfilled and the departments of pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, forensic sciences and community medicine had been fully completed. He added that all eight operation theatres required were also ready. |
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Double HP Kargil martyrs’ relief:
Mankotia Kangra, July 24 Mr Mankotia was talking to members of the Trigarh Press Club here. He demanded that the ex gratia relief for the Kargil martyrs, of the state numbering 80, be enhanced from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh on the pattern of Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P., Madhya Pradesh and other states. Also, the 352 persons who attained martyrdom during the past three years in the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir should be given relief on the pattern of the Kargil martyrs. He threatened that if this demand was not accepted, the ex-servicemen’s, league would launch an agitation in the state. He informed that the posts of one director and seven out of 10 deputy directors of the H.P. Sainik Welfare Board were lying vacant for the past few years. Expressing concern over the failure of the Agra summit and the subsequent escalation of terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Mankotia stressed for smashing the terrorist training camps in the PoK. He described the Agra summit as a failure of Mr Vajpayee’s policies and a sellout of national interests. |
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HP’s state bird dies of
diarrhoea Dharamsala, July 24 It is learnt that the monal, which is listed in the red book of endangered species, fell sick and efforts of the veterinary doctors to treat it proved futile. The doctors treating the rare bird said adverse weather conditions were mainly responsible for the monal’s illness. The male monal was taken for treatment to a veterinary doctor, Dr R.S. Kishtwaria, at Palampur, on July 18. The bird was diagnosed to be having acute diarrhoea and was sent back after treatment as the hot and humid weather in Palampur was unsuitable for the bird. According to park employees, the bird died on the morning of July 19, after failing to respond to treatment. A post-mortem examination has been conducted on the bird but the report is yet to come. The Forest Conservator, Mr R.K. Gupta, while confirming the death of the rare bird, said he had not received any official communication about it but had learnt from an employee in the office of the DFO, Palampur. Dr Kishtwaria, who treated the bird, said when the monal was brought to him, it was suffering from acute diarrhoea and was under stress due to unsuitable climatic conditions. He said the same bird had suffered from diarrhoea some time back also, but then it had responded positively to treatment. He said the couple was unable to breed here because of the unsuitable climate at Gopalpur Nature Park. A few months back, a cub had died in the park in the absence of proper veterinary care. Some time back, a pair of monal at the Sarahan bird park in Shimla district was killed when a cat entered its cage. A monal also died in one of the nature parks in Chamba. |
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STATE OF ROADS Our Correspondent Parwanoo The road from the bus-stand to Amar Floor Mills, which was repaired only about 15 days ago has developed pot holes at some places. The road in front of the Nagar Parishad office, which was also repaired recently, has also developed fissures. The road in front of Sandeep Metals, leading to Chemi Plast has gone from bad to worse and it is now difficult to drive on this road. The road from Shivalik Hotel to Sector 1-A becomes a nalla during the rains and knee-deep water flows on it. Pot holes that dot the road make matters worse. The roads in Sector 2 have suffered heavy damage at several places. There is no sign of the metalled surface at some points. It is difficult even to drive a two wheeler on this road. The old Kasauli Road which passes through Sector 2, gets flooded near the railway crossing and vehicles have to find their way through knee-deep water. The culvert near the railway crossing has got choked and that leads to accumulation of water on the road. The roads in Sector-3 are also in bad shape. The approach road to houses parallel to the National Highway was never metalled and now it is full of ditches. Sector 4 which is a purely residential sector, has the longest stretches of roads. The condition here too is no different. The roads have sunk at many places. But the roads in Sector 5 are the worst hit. At many places, there is no sign of the road at all. The condition of the Kalka-Shimla National Highway passing through this town is far from satisfactory. This stretch has been damaged at several places. The industrialists, residents, social organisations and industrial employees have urged the Government of Himachal Pradesh to sanction funds for the repair of roads of this industrial town which earns substantial revenue for the Government and also serves as the entry point to the state for tourists. |
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Non-gazetted staff hold
rally Nahan, July 24 The rallyists took off from Kalistan mandir and reached the Deputy Commissioner’s office. A delegation of the organisation, led by its president, Mr Ganga Singh Thakur, handed over a 12-point memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur. Mr Thakur said the organisation’s district unit, led by its president, Mr Bharat Bhushan, had been recognised by the state body. |
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Soldier
cremated Nahan, July 24 |
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