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Sunday,
January 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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CM backs
Kainthla panel report Kainthla objects to remarks BJP
‘fabricating’ cases against Virbhadra Virbhadra
not to attend Kangra rally |
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HP to
reward good performers Woes of
Nepali migrant labourers No respite
from encroachments Cold wave
sweeps Himachal Pradesh Two
leopard skins seized JE shoots
wife, grandchild before killing self RSS
leader killed in accident 2 Kenyans
held ‘Supply seed potato to farmers’ Mandi
‘powerless’ for 4 days Plea to
revive Nahan foundry
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CM backs Kainthla panel report Hamirpur, January 19 He said it was a matter of surprise that the commission was set up on the demand of the Congress and it had appointed three senior advocates to cross-examine the sufferers. Now, the leaders of the Congress were not accepting the findings of the commission. He said that the law would take its own course as the BJP leaders and legislators were forced to flee Shimla on March 5 and 6, 1998, and had to take shelter in Haryana and Punjab. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a gang hut at Brahlari costing Rs 4.73 lakh and a primary health centre building at Nalti costing Rs 35.47 lakh. He said that though the foundation stone of the PHC building was laid by the previous Congress government only Rs 1 lakh was given for the project. The pace of work on this project started after 1998, when his government came to power and gave adequate funds for the construction of the building and that was being dedicated to the people today. The Chief Minister said that the BJP government was committed to narrowing down the gap between old and new areas of the state. Equal and balanced development was being carried out in both parts. While subsidy was given to apple under the marketing scheme, the same was also adopted in case of mangoes and citrus fruits, the crops of the lower hill areas of the state, so that farmers and orchadists of both areas flourished on the same manner. Prof Dhumal blasted the previous Congress Government for a developing the state on regional basis and creating imbalance between various parts of the state. |
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Kainthla objects
to remarks Shimla, January 19 In a statement here today he said the comments of various leaders had hurt him and brought the functioning of the commission into disrepute, which was contempt of the commission in its judicial functioning and an offence under Section 10-A of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The penalty for the same was six-month imprisonment or fine or both. He said the campaign of the issuing of statements to the newspapers by some leaders and their supporters had been going on. It appeared that they had been doing so, either due to ignorance of law or without knowing his five decade-long standing and experience in legal and judicial fields. The political persons and the police officials participating in the inquiry did not object during the inquiry proceedings extending over one year and now, when the judgement was not to their liking, it did not behove them to attribute motives or partiality on my part, he said. On taking up the inquiry proceedings, affidavits from all persons concerned in the know of such incidents, were called and in response thereof about a dozen affidavits were received. Further, other material concerning such incidents was called from sources like Vidhan Sabha secretariat, Governor secretariat, police, newspapers and from the office of Divisional Commissioner, Shimla, to whom this inquiry was entrusted earlier. Since the material available, including the affidavits showed that there were allegations against some politicians and some police officials, notices were served on them requiring them to give their versions. |
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BJP ‘fabricating’ cases against Virbhadra Dharmasala, January 19 Mr Pathania said the fact that the report had come out after four years is a clear indication that the BJP wanted to use it to its advantage in the elections. Any move by the government to fabricate cases against Congress leaders would boomerang as the people were completely disillusioned with the BJP rules, he added. He said the government was now waging a political vendetta as it had sensed the mood of the electorate. He demanded that the government must tell the public that what action had been taken on the corruption charges and other allegations levelled by some BJP MLAs and ministers against the government last year. |
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Virbhadra
not to attend Kangra rally Shimla, January 19 While reiterating that he had not received any letter from Mrs Vidya Stokes, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, regarding the rally, Mr Virbhadra Singh asserted that the invitation he received today from Mr
M. R. Goma, the Kangra district Congress President, was an after-thought. He said the letter was posted as late as January 17 when the invitation controversy had already become an issue in the Press. The district unit had been preparing for the rally scheduled for January 21 for the past about one month but he was not even informed. The belated invitation was a mere formality. Moreover, his name had not been mentioned in any poster or publicity material brought out by the party for the rally, the Congress leader said. He could not make it to the rally at such a short notice, Mr Virbhadra Singh said. Meanwhile, the party office released to the press a copy of the letter along with the fact transmission report, sent by Mrs Stokes to Mr Virbhadra Singh on January 16. Emphasizing the importance of the rally, which was being held in Kangra where the party wanted to improve its base, Mrs Stokes said in her letter that she would not only like him to be the “star speaker” but also make efforts to make the show a success. She expressed confidence that despite unusually hectic schedule, he would manage to participate in the rally and throw his full weight behind. Mr Virbhadra Singh, however, said that he had not received the fax. Even otherwise the letter had been faxed to him on January 16, which was too late, he added. Differences between the Stokes and Virbhadra Singh camps have been widening despite efforts by the party high command to forge unity. It not only set up a coordination committee under the chairmanship of Ms Moshina Kidwai, in charge of the party affairs in Himachal, but also sent Mr Bhajan Lal to Shimla to help bring the warring factions closer. |
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HP to reward good performers Hamirpur, January 19 He said this while addressing a rally at Patlander village of Hamirpur Assembly segment. He said those who shun work would have no place in the present set-up. He said only those would be successful who were able to adopt the work culture in the real sense. The Chief Minister said the government was determined to help the hard-working people. He said the work-shirkers would have no place and those performing well would be rewarded. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a bridge over the Poong khad, built at a cost of about Rs 66 lakh and a lift water supply scheme at Chabutra costing Rs 63 lakh. He also laid the foundation stone of the Ree-Banal drinking water supply scheme. Prof Dhumal lashed at the Congress for non-uniform development during its rule. He claimed that the state would be able to produce 2,226 MW additional power by 2003. Local MLA and HP Parliamentary Secretary, Ms Urmila Thakur blasted the Congress party for neglecting the development of the district. The Chief Minister announced the upgradation of Patlander High School to senior secondary school and a grant of Rs 10 lakh for the construction of PHC building at
Patlander. |
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Woes of Nepali migrant labourers Kumarhatti Non-assurance of permanent employment, makeshift huts that leak in the rainy season, negative approach towards their children in schools, non-payment of wages by those who engage them in work and sharp decline in their income due to swings in weather conditions that hit the agriculture badly are some features that mark the present life of most of the
Gorkhas. Studies reveal that in the past decade the inflow of these migrants has increased manifold as more and more
Nepalis, even of tender age, are leaving their country either in search of better living standards or because they are not on good terms with their parents. The increase in their population can be gauged from the fact that a cinema hall in Solan used to run a morning show of a Nepali film almost every week. Most of the Gorkhas regret having taken such a decision as they have failed to achieve what they had dreamt of while leaving their country. The prospect of good earnings has declined drastically in the past few years due to the unfriendly weather conditions, says Chander Bahadur, a migrant from Nepal, who used to take fields on contract from the locals to produce tomatoes and other off-season vegetables. The absence of timely rain in the past few years has reduced the margin of profit from agriculture considerably, he rues. From October to February most of the migrants virtually remain idle due to the lack of adequate work. Most of them can not manage even a return fare to their homes in Nepal. The step-motherly treatment is being meted out to their children in schools, allege most of the migrants. Some migrants have even accused the authorities of primary schools of denying their children mid-day meal of rice. They further allege that money is being charged from their wards to get facilities of free immunisation in schools. Though the Nepali Ekta Samaj
(NES), an organisation to fight the cause of migrants from Nepal, has come into existence, they are not even aware of the officials of the NES at the district level. Interestingly, Gorkha female labourers work harder than their male counterparts. During the vegetable season from May to September, these migrant women can be seen sitting in makeshift vends along the Kalka-Shimla national highway selling tomatoes, capsicums and other seasonal vegetables, besides roasted bobs of maize and cucumbers. Moreover, during pulse polio campaigns the migrant Gorkha women have often outnumbered the local women. |
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No respite from
encroachments Shimla, January 19 The Commissioner of the SMC, Mr
H.N. Kashyap, had recently warned that no encroachments on the public streets would be allowed any further and ordered his staff to take action against the defaulters. His orders had come following a contempt notice to him by the high court on a petition against such encroachments. Not only the pedestrians, but also the fire engines and ambulances are not in a position to move on these streets in case of an emergency because of the encroachments. Motoring is banned on these streets, but most of the residents of the town avoid
coming to the Lower Bazaar as even walking is difficult because the road has been narrowed with shopkeepers and vendors encroaching on its both sides. These encroachments were removed a few years ago, but reappeared because of political pressure and the half-hearted approach of the SMC to clear them. The problem has been aggravated due to digging of the Lower Bazaar right in the centre for laying pipes. The SMC created another controversy today by earmarking a major portion of the parking space near the Christ Church for its own vehicles. SMC personnel have marked the place with yellow lines for its vehicles. Other motorists were already finding it difficult to park their vehicles in the area. |
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Cold wave sweeps Himachal Pradesh Shimla, January 19 People in Shimla and its adjoining areas reeled under piercing cold wave with temperature dipping to 3.6°C at the Ridge. The town, shrouded in a thick fog, experienced a brief drizzle as icy-cold winds swept across the town during the day and tourists preferred to stay indoors. Tourist resorts of Wildflower Hall, Kufri and Narkanda also reeled under severe cold-wave conditions. A harsh cold wave lambasted people in tribal areas where night temperature came down from -20°C to -25°C. More snow on the Rohtang Pass, gateway to Lahaul Spiti district, and Dhauladhar ranges, facing the Kangra valley, aggravated cold wave in the twin valleys of Kullu and Kangra.
UNI |
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Two leopard skins seized Dharamsala, January 19 Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kundu said it was on a tip-off that the police raided the house of Santokh Singh and seized the skins. He said the police had specific reports that some persons were indulging in this illegal trade. Inspector Kundu, said while one of the skin appeared to be old, the other one seemed to be very fresh. He said since the skin bore mark inflicted by firearms, it must be a few days old. He said one leopard skin fetched about Rs 50,000 in the market. He said the accused had been arrested and a case registered under Section 379 of the IPC and the Wildlife Act. |
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JE shoots wife, grandchild before killing self Nurpur, January 19 After killing them, he shot himself too. His daughter-in-law Anita Devi reported the matter to the police. She said at about 4 a.m., she heard two gunshots from one of the rooms. Upon reaching the room, she saw the bodies of her daughter and mother-in-law. The JE is reported to have been tensed over something. |
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RSS leader killed
in accident Bilaspur, January 19 All bazaars remained closed here today as mark of respect to him. A state meeting of BJP office-bearers was held in which tributes were paid to him. BJP National Secretary and party in-charge
O.P. Kohali also attended the meeting and expressed grief and shock over the incident. A large number of party leaders and RSS workers, besides traders and transporters attended his funeral today afternoon. Those who paid their respects included Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and state RSS chief
Chetram. |
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2 Kenyans
held Shimla, January 19 On checking their bag, the police found 12 bottles of scotch whisky made in Scotland, he said. |
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‘Supply
seed potato to farmers’ Shimla, January 19 The Farmers and Agricultural Workers division of the party alleged in the memorandum that the BJP-HVC coalition had been neglecting the farmers. It alleged that the government was denying the farmers their due by harping on the financial crisis. The poor people had been burdened with frequent power tariff hike and increase hospital charges it said, adding that the reduction in subsidy on fertilisers had hit the farmers. The Congress urged the administration to ensure immediate supply of seed potato. |
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Mandi ‘powerless’ for 4 days Mandi, January 19 Mr
R.C. Vaidya, SE, Operation, said normal power supply was likely to be restored by the evening. A crane from Chandigarh had arrived in the evening at the sub-station to replace two damaged transformers, he said. |
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Plea to revive Nahan
foundry Shimla, January 19 A deputation of the Nahan Foundry Employees Union led by Mr Subhash Sharma, president of the confederation, met Mr Dhumal here and impressed upon him that the foundry could be revived by taking appropriate measures. He said Mr Dhumal directed the Secretary, Public Works Department, to discuss the issue with the union and explore the possibility of reviving it. |
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Draughtsmen
to refuse salary Shimla, January 19 |
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