H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

HP session: unattached MLA to back Cong
Shimla, August 16
In the coming monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, the unattached MLA, Mr Mohinder Singh, will join hands with the opposition Congress members for putting the BJP-HVC combine government of Mr P.K. Dhumal on the mat on the issue of imposing users charges in hospitals in Himachal Pradesh.

Politicians among top defaulters
Shimla, August 16
While the unprecedented drive launched by the state Excise and Taxation Department to recover outstanding tax arrears has started yielding results, it remains to be seen whether it will be able to deal effectively within sharks and the kin of influential politicians whose names figure prominently in the list of top defaulters.

NHPC spending Rs 200 crore on development work
Dalhousie, August 16
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is spending funds to the tune of about Rs 200 crore on various development works such as roads, bridges, health and educational institutions, besides environment conservation activities in and around hydel projects being constructed or commissioned by it in the state.

Ex-MLA Rathore dead
Hamirpur, August 16
Dr Lashkari Ram Rathore, former BJP MLA, died at the regional hospital here last night. He was 60. He had been suffering from diabeties and had a mild attack at Tounidevi on the way to his native village, Mahre.

HP session: unattached MLA to back Cong
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 16
In the coming monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, the unattached MLA, Mr Mohinder Singh, will join hands with the opposition Congress members for putting the BJP-HVC combine government of Mr P.K. Dhumal on the mat on the issue of imposing users charges in hospitals in Himachal Pradesh.

The session is likely to become interesting with Mr Mohinder Singh, the sacked PWD minister who has been supporting the Dhumal government, joining hands with the Congress to highlight the issue of imposing a fee on hospital services in the state.

Mr Mohinder Singh, who had won the Assembly election on the HVC ticket and then deserted Mr Sukh Ram who is an alliance partner of the BJP government, is governed by the whip of the HVC and it is to be seen as how things take shape when he criticises the Dhumal government in the House.

He told the TNS today that his support to the Dhumal government will be issue-based, but he would not leave any stone unturned to expose the wrong policies of the state government which has made the life of the poor people “miserable”.

The CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and the PCC chief, Mrs Vidya Stokes, have made it clear that the Congress will raise the issue of users charges in the Assembly and might also stage a dharna on the floor of the House.

They said that the BJP government had burdened the poor people by imposing users charges in hospitals. The four-day session is expected to be full of fireworks by the opposition Congress which has many issues of public importance in its armoury to put the ruling BJP on defensive.

On the other hand, the BJP is preparing to handle the situation and was also banking on the infighting in the Congress which has embarrassed the senior leaders of the party.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the session was too brief but the Congress would highlight the problems of the common people and expose the “rising corruption and deteriorating law and order situation in the state”.

He said the issue of “discrimination” with the constituencies represented by Congress legislators will be forcefully raised in the Assembly. He said relief had not been given to people in many areas which were hit by floods recently.

Politicians among top defaulters
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 16
While the unprecedented drive launched by the state Excise and Taxation Department to recover outstanding tax arrears has started yielding results, it remains to be seen whether it will be able to deal effectively within sharks and the kin of influential politicians whose names figure prominently in the list of top defaulters.

The decision of the department to put the names of defaulters on the web and simultaneously start proceedings for the recovery of outstanding taxes as arrears of land revenue have had the right impact and many of them have come forward to clear their dues.

However, it may find influential defaulters hard nuts to crack. These include Hotel Piccadily, Manali, which is owned by a close relative of the late Dr S.D. Sharma Tilak Service Station which is owned by Mr Mansa Ram, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister, and Panacea, Kailash Agencies and Surgical Traders companies in which Mr Ajay Mahajan, son of former Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Sat Mahajan, is a partner.

These three defaulters owe Rs 10 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 35 lakh, respectively.

Besides, the outstanding dues of four liquor firms, in which Mr Harbhajan and Mr Madan Lal, both sons of Mr Lajja Ram a Congress legislator, are partners, total over Rs 70 lakh. One of these firms has deposited Rs 4.93 lakh subsequently. In all, the names of 903 dafaulters with outstanding dues aggregating over Rs 63 crore have been put on the web.

The department has initiated proceedings for the recovery of arrears against more than 100 defaulters and in as many as 55 cases, including the companies associated with Mr Mansa Ram and Mr Lajja Ram properties have been attached.

The stern action has started yielding results with many defaulters coming forward to pay the dues. For instance, Hotel Eastborne, Shimla, has cleared its arrears of Rs 50 lakh, Jubilee Highways, a transport company, Rs 20 lakh and Kufri Resorts and Manali Resorts Rs 10 lakh each. In all, over Rs 10 crore has been recovered eversince the names of defaulters were put on the web.

However, big sharks are yet to respond positively. The biggest individual defaulters is Mr S.C. Gupta, a partner in Shivalik Castings Ltd, Barotiwala, and S.R. Forgings, Barotiwala. The two companies together owe Rs 4.45 crore to the Excise and Sales Tax Department.

The top defaulting company is J.K. Leatherite, Mehatpur, with arrears to the tune of Rs 3.80 crore by Shivalik Castings, Barotiwala (Rs 3.03 crore) and Village Paper Mills (Rs 2.18 crore).

Many big transporters are among the defaulters. These include Kapila Bus Service, Hamirpur (Rs 30 Lakh), Krishna Transport, Dhameta (Ts 28.05 lakh) and Laxmi Bus Service, Nurpur (Rs 24.05 lakh).

The 903 defaulters who owe more than Rs 1 lakh each account for 90 per cent of the total tax arrear of Rs 85 crore. The fund-starved state needs every penny and in this regard the effort of the department is laudable. But the success of its drive will largely depend on the political will of the government.

NHPC spending Rs 200 crore on development work
Our Correspondent

Dalhousie, August 16
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is spending funds to the tune of about Rs 200 crore on various development works such as roads, bridges, health and educational institutions, besides environment conservation activities in and around hydel projects being constructed or commissioned by it in the state.

Stating this here today, Mr S.K. Dodeja, Executive Director, NHPC, said the deadline for the completion of the 1500 Megawatt Nathpa-Jhakhri hydroelectric project in Himachal Pradesh had been fixed for June 2003. He said the project would be the first biggest hydel project in the country that was to be commissioned.

He said the NHPC was committed to start the execution of 800 MW (state-II) of a colossal 2051 MW Parbati hydel project in Kulu district by September. He said work on the 750 MW (state-I) of this project, which commenced in 1999, had already been speeded up. The three stages of the Parbati project were likely to cost about Rs 10,000 crore, he said.

Ex-MLA Rathore dead
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, August 16
Dr Lashkari Ram Rathore, former BJP MLA, died at the regional hospital here last night. He was 60. He had been suffering from diabeties and had a mild attack at Tounidevi on the way to his native village, Mahre.

The leader had come to the town to take part in the Independence Day function. The body had been taken to Jalandhar for cremation.