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Saturday,
September 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Sale nod to tea planter puts govt in
spot CBI’s clean chit: Sonia congratulates
Virbhadra Govt to take suggestions seriously:
Dhumal Vaidya dares Cong
leaders Action sought
against protesting hotel workers |
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Sale nod to tea planter puts govt in
spot Dharamsala, September14 It was in response to a request by a tea planter of Kangra, Mr Santosh Kumar, seeking permission for selling his land under tea cultivation, that the Secretary, Revenue, directed the Deputy Commissioner to seek government sanction in this case. With the revenue authorities stating that the person in question was entitled to sell land, a delegation of the Kangra Valley Small Tea Planters Association met the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, seeking similar directions for all tea planters who have not taken exemption Under Section 10 of the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act,1972. The Chairman of the Palampur Cooperative Tea Factory and member of the Tea Board of India, Mr Joginder Pal Butail, said only a handful of tea planters had taken exemption under the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act,1972, and as such all others should be allowed to sell their land at present under tea. A tea planter from Darang, Mr Naveen Bhandari, Chairman of the Sidhbari Cooperative Tea Factory, said over 90 per cent of small tea planters had neither opted for nor received any exemption under Section 10 of the HP Ceiling On Land Holdings Act,1972.” Since the government after studying the case of Mr Santosh Kumar, has no objection on sale of land under tea by those planters who have not taken exemption under the Act, all others falling under this category should not be barred from selling their land,” he argued. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabodh Saxena, is learnt to have told the tea planters that he will have to seek further clarifications before issuing directions to the revenue authorities at the sub-divisional and tehsil level to allow land transactions of land under tea. The state government, on its part, had put a complete ban on the sale of land under tea along with restriction on change of land use through the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment)Act, 1999. The government has been trying to promote the tea industry and has also invited outside companies to enter the field. The government had brought an amendment in the law as some individuals had sold off land under tea cultivation. The planters say that if permission has been granted to one person, the same rule should be applied to all. They are sore that despite being owners of the land, they can neither sell nor change the land for a more profitable venture. Moreover, the government should come to rescue of tea planters and factories if they are so keen to promote the tea industry. The tea planters say the latest directive of the Secretary, Revenue, to the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, if applied to all , will lead to largescale sale of land under tea. Some of the tea gardens, will fetch very high prices as these are located close to the commercial areas in and around Palampur. On the other hand, the tea industry in Himachal is facing a bleak future as some of the biggest tea estates, like the Chambi Tea Estate, Baijnath Tea Estate and the Wah Tea Estates, have closed down, during the past few months. This has pushed the four tea factories in Kangra district to the verse of closure as these face severe financial crunch. With very low prices prevailing in the market, the four tea factories have a stock of about 40,000 kg, each. The latest directive of the Secretary, Revenue, might lead to largescale sale of land under tea as under the prevailing circumstances this seems to be the best option available to the tea planters. |
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CBI’s clean chit: Sonia congratulates
Virbhadra New Delhi, September 14 Mr Virbhadra Singh, who met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here, briefed her about the political scenario in Himachal Pradesh where the Congress has launched a “dharam yudh” against the Dhumal government. Ms Gandhi congratulated Mr Virbhadra Singh on the “cleanchit” from the CBI on the charge sheet submitted against him by the BJP-HVC combine. Maintaining that CBI’s closure of case was a setback to both Mr Sukh Ram and state Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Mr Virbhadra Singh said attempts would still be made to frame cases against him to malign him politically. “I am prepared to face any inquiry,” he said. Mr Virbhadra Singh said though the state government had given loads of documents to the CBI in the past three years regarding the 26 charges against him contained in the charge sheet, nothing had come off them. He said the BJP-HVP combine leaders were on record saying that CBI officials had been given all the relevant documents during their visits to Shimla. “For the BJP-HVC combine leaders to say now that all documents had not been submitted was nothing but an attempt at face-saving,” the former Chief Minister said. Stating that the charge sheet against him was also an attack on the Congress in the state, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the party had launched an agitation to dislodge the BJP-HVC government. Mr Virbhadra Singh also met Ms Mohsina
Kidwai, party general secretary and in charge of Himachal Pradesh, and urged her to expedite decisions on the petitions regarding organisational elections in Himachal Pradesh.
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Govt to take suggestions seriously:
Dhumal Shimla, September 14 The government would consider to enhance the period for the sale of land allotted to landless persons so that the allottees did not become landless again. The Chief Minister directed the Industries Department and the Pollution Control Board to ensure that the pollution was not created due to industrial waste at Mehatpur. Mr Harsh Gupta, Chief Secretary, also spoke. The Public Work Department sub-division would not be shifted from Sarswati Nagar in the Jubbal-Kotkhai area of Shimla district. This was told by Mr Dhumal to a deputation, led by Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture, which called on him here on Friday. The Chief Minister said that the government’s endeavor was to start work on the 145 MW Sawra Kudu hydel project. |
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Vaidya dares Cong
leaders Shimla, September 14 Terming the charges as false, baseless and politically motivated, he said the infighting in the Congress had reached a stage where everybody was trying to project himself as the leader and issuing statements not only against the government but also fellow partymen. |
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Action sought
against protesting hotel workers Dharamsala, September 14 Mr Kuldeep Patyal, and Mr Ashok Mankotia, president and general secretary of the association, respectively, said due to the agitation of workers in front of the Mcllo Hotel at the McLeodganj bus stand tourists way to the hotel was being blocked. The representatives said on Wednesday night some persons allegedly beat up a hotel worker and misbehaved with the owner. The Indo Tibetan Friendship Society and the Taxi Union, McLeodganj, have also requested the administration to intervene.
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