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Thursday,
September 20, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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HP Cabinet reshuffle in Oct Himachal hikes DA by 2 pc Cong men jump on Virbhadra’s bandwagon Charges against minister: CM refuses
comment NSUI: no jobs for Himachalis in private companies |
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| Cong to investigate “misdeeds” of Dhumal govt Dharamsala, September 19 Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh, said all cases of irregularities, nepotism and favouritism by the Dhumal regime will be inquired into, once the Congress returns to power. Agro-project
launched Theft of vehicles on the rise
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HP Cabinet reshuffle in Oct Shimla, September 19 It is reliably learnt that at least two new ministers might be inducted and the portfolio of a couple of Cabinet ministers and their deputies might be changed. When contacted by this correspondent here today, Mr Dhumal said the issue was under his consideration and something might mature only during the “navrataras” which are beginning from October 17. It is learnt that to give a wider representation to the Kangra region, Mr Des Raj, who was among the seven legislators who had recently revolted against their own BJP government here, might be inducted as a Chief Parliamentary Secretary or Minister of state. He was earlier considered as a lieutenant of the Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, and had resigned from the post of chairman of the State Finance Commission to revolt against Mr Dhumal. However, he has now come close to Mr Dhumal. There were indications that the portfolios of some ministers who have become controversial might be changed in an effort to clip their wings. Mr Dhumal has already made minor changes in his ministry thrice so far in three and-a-half years BJP-HVC combine rule in the state. He had sacked the four rebel ministers, Mr K.K. Kapoor, Mr Ramesh Dhawala, Mr Rajan Sushant and Mr Harinarayan Singh. All of them were later reinducted in the ministry following intervention of the Centre and a patch up. It is learnt that Mr Dhumal was under tremendous pressure from his party men to expand the ministry to give wider representation to various areas as was done by the previous Congress Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, who had inducted a large number of ministers from the Kangra district. Mr Mohinder Singh, who was sacked as the PWD Minister recently, has now created a controversy by highlighting serious allegations of misconduct against the Minister of State for Town and Country Planning, Mr Harinarayan Singh, who has been accused of minting money out of contracts for installing tubewells by his company even after he became a minister.
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Himachal hikes
DA by 2 pc Shimla, September 19 The announcement was made by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, while addressing a meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee of the Non-Gazetted Employees Federation here this morning. He
said the government would seek fresh option from the employees
regarding a fixed medical allowance of Rs 40 per month or
reimbursement of expenditure by any employee on this account. He announced that a committee would be set up under the chairmanship of the Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, to suggest measures for making the transfer policy more effective. Suggestions would also be sought from employee leaders. He said representatives of Employees Federation and the Press would also be nominated in the hospital welfare societies to enlist their views for providing better services to patients. He
announced that on the demand of NGO Federation, secretariat services
associations and other employees’ unions, the government had decided
to re-introduce the pattern of house building advance which was
applicable before January, 2000, so that employees did not face any
hardship in payment of instalments on this account. The Chief
Minister said the government was actively considering to give arrears
of house rent from July, 1997, to September, 1999, to its employees.
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Cong men jump on Virbhadra’s bandwagon Palampur, September 19 Senior Congress leader and former PCC chief, Mr Sat
Mahajan, held a closed door meeting with Mr Virbhadra Singh, at Dadh near Chamunda last night. Mr Virbhadra addressed an impressive public meeting at Palampur, today. Mr
Mahajan, has so far been keeping a neutral stance by maintaining equal distance from both the rival camps, headed by Mr Virbhadra Singh and the HPCC chief, Mrs Vidya Stokes. Great political significance is being attached to the closed door meeting between the two senior leaders. The coming close of these two leaders is likely to bring about fresh political alignments in the biggest district of Kangra and strengthen the Virbhadra Singh camp. However, prominent Rajput leaders from Kangra were conspicuous by their absence at the rally today. Former ministers in the Virbhadra Singh government, Mr Vijai Singh Mankotia and Mr Kewal Singh Pathania and former MLA and Kangra DCC Chief, Mr
M.R. Goma, did not attend the rally organised by the Mr B.B.L. Butail, MLA from Palampur. |
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Charges against minister: CM refuses comment Shimla, September 19 Mr Dhumal told newsmen here today that the memorandum against the minister was submitted to the Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, by the Lok Jan Shakti Party and Mr Mohinder Singh yesterday and it would not be proper for him to react at the moment. On the other hand, Mr Harinarayan Singh denied these charges and said that he had left the tubewell firm immediately after becoming a minister and in case Mr Mohinder Singh was so confident about the allegations he should have filed a complaint before the Lokayukata. He said that he was not bothered about any enquiry against him. He challenged Mr Mohinder Singh to prove the charges. Mr Harinarayan Singh said that Mr Mohinder Singh was making allegation as he was upset ever since his political boss, Mr Ramvilas Paswan, had been stripped of the portfolio of communications at the Centre. He claimed that all tubewells installed by his firm were sunk to the requisite depth and there was no question of any irregularity. He said that Mr Mohinder Singh should not forget the coaltar scandal which had rocked the state when he was the PWD minister. |
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NSUI: no jobs for Himachalis in private companies Dharamsala, September 19 In a statement issued here yesterday, he said the Himachali youth had been completely ignored while giving jobs in major projects like the Nathpa Jhakri projects and Chamera-II. “Out of 129 engineers recruited by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, not even a single belongs to HP, as the interview was intentionally held in Delhi”, he alleged. He said even in other units and factories, hardly any Himachali youth had been accommodated, a fact which had still not evoked any response from the government. He further said the government had given the contract for imparting computer education in all schools to outsiders, ignoring the claim of the educated unemployed youth from the state. Mr Pathania said there was a concern in every quarter over the falling standard of education in the state. He said one hand the government was making tall claims of promoting tourism in the state. But on the other no entrance examinations had been held for the Masters in Tourism Administration course. He also criticised the government move to shift the examination centre for the HAS examination from Dharamsala to Palampur. He demanded that Baijnath and Thural degree colleges should be taken over by the government. |
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Cong to investigate “misdeeds” of Dhumal govt Dharamsala, September 19 The CLP leader, dared the Dhumal government to make public the list of documents, which were not provided to the CBI, resulting in a clean chit being given to him in all 26 charges made against him. “This statement of the Chief Minister is nothing more than an afterthought and face saving device, as my stand has been vindicated, despite a team of senior officials being entrusted with the task of framing me in some charge,” he stated. Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that it was a conspiracy by Mr Sukh Ram, the forest mafia, the Chief Minister and some of his own party leaders, with the common aim of removing him from the political scenario of Himachal. “I am prepared for any kind of inquiry, of any level, as truth and justice are on my side,” he declared. Mr Virbhadra Singh lashed out at the BJP, for launching a misinformation campaign that he had opened the Tanda Medical College to scuttle a medical college and hospital, which was to be set up at Palampur. |
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Agro-project
launched Shimla, September 19 He said Bilaspur district would also be covered under this five-year project and added that for quick dissemination of technology to farmers, three krishi vigyan kendras had been established at Kangra, Berthin and Kukumseri. He said food parks were also proposed to be set up in the state. |
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Theft of vehicles on the rise Manali, September 19 Similarly a Gypsy was also reportedly stolen from the roadside at Gojra village on the Manali-Kulu left bank road on Monday. It was also traced at Chhiya village on the Rangri-Kanyal link road. |
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