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Wednesday,
January 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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With an eye on Assembly elections Move to form front
for Assembly poll Dhumal holds ‘khula darbar’ HP gets 61.48 cr as calamity relief Detonator wires found in Bhaderoah forest |
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Minister: Cong charge motivated Literacy campaign launched in HP Headmasters flay promotion policy Docs seek allowance on Punjab pattern Army recruitment rally from Feb 11
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With an eye on Assembly elections Shimla, January 29 The government, which had suddenly woken up to the threat in the highly seismic zone state immediately after the devastating earthquake in Gujarat and imposed a restriction of constructing only three storeys. Rescinded its decision yesterday when many areas of the state were rocked by an earthquake. It is being said that all this was done by the Cabinet to provide a sop to the builders’ lobby by ignoring the threat of earthquakes. This was also being seen as a step towards regularising the unauthorised constructions by certain influential persons. Himachal Pradesh comes in IV and V seismic zones — the two highest earthquake-prone zones of the country — and with the mountainous terrain the multi-storeyed buildings are not suited to the area. There are more than 11,000 unauthorised constructions in the state and Shimla leads with over 4,000 of them. The government swung into action on February 13, shortly after the Gujarat earthquake, last year when the Cabinet banned the approval of all new building plans until a new building code to meet the threat of earthquakes was prepared. It was also decided to review all building plans of more than three storeys where construction had not started. The rules were finalised by the Town and Country Planning Department on April 17 last year when it was announced that in view of the increased threat of earthquakes in the seismic zones of Himachal, no construction beyond three storeys would be allowed throughout the state. The basements, sub-basements, attic, mezzanine and the terrace were also supposed to be treated as a storey. Experts have observed that hardly anyone was adhering to the recommendations of the Department of Earthquake Engineering, University of Roorke, that all buildings and water towers must strictly be designed and constructed to meet the requirements of seismic safety as per the Indian Standard Codes of Practice. Himachal Pradesh is prone to earthquakes and the most devastating one in 1905, of the magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale, claimed over 20,000 lives in the Kangra belt. The impact of the earthquake was felt in an area of 4,16,000 sq. kms. This was followed by another earthquake of 5.7 magnitude which destroyed about 35,000 houses. The state has been rocked by over 255 earthquakes of the magnitude of 4 and more in the past 100 years. With all these threats, unauthorised constructions have become a fashion here. The new headquarters of the Town and Country Planning Department here, which was supposed to check all irregular constructions, was itself unauthorised. The situation was the worst in this capital of the state where rules have been thrown to the winds by the authorities who have allowed construction of certain buildings without any approval in the heart of the town. Kasauli was the first town where constructions beyond three storeys were banned in 1998. Although the Environment Commission headed by Mr Justice Roop Singh Thakur had taken a serious view of the erratic constructions, particularly around Barog, on the Shimla-Kalka highway, but the report of the commission has been shelved and the green hills in the area were these days being dug indiscriminately to raise concrete structures. Mr B.S. Malhans, convener of INTACH, reacted sharply to yesterday’s decision of the government and said the multi-storeyed concrete buildings will change the character of the hill town. Former Mayor and Congress
counsellor Manoj Kumar, while welcoming the decision of the government, said all previous constructions of four storeys should be regularised. |
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Move to form front
for Assembly poll Shimla, January 29 Mr Mohinder Singh, who had parted ways with Mr Sukh Ram, told TNS here today that he had also invited the HVC to the front. He said the CPM, CPI, Samajwadi Party, BSP, Janata Dal (U), Janata Dal (S), Lok Janshakti Party and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were being contacted. A meeting of these parties was expected to be held on February 6 to hold preliminary discussions on the issue. Mr Mohinder Singh, who heads the Dalit Sena of Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, was hopeful that setting up of the front would be a success this time. The efforts to set up such a front in the past had proved to be futile. He said a coordination committee of all these parties would be set up to finalise the election strategy. Meanwhile, Mr Prem Bhatia, a BSP leader from Una district, today joined the Lok Janshakti Party along with his supporters giving a boost to the move of Mr Mohinder Singh. Mr Bhatia has been appointed senior vice-president of the Dalit Sena. |
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Dhumal holds ‘khula darbar’ Dharamsala, January 29 A number of deputations from Palampur,
Majheen, Sulah and other remote areas met the Chief Minister and presented their memorandums. The Chief Minister, who arrived here today from Shimla, spent almost three hours listening to the grievances of the public. Representatives of the HP Gaddi Union, who constitute a large chunk of the population in and around Palampur, requested Mr Dhumal that they should be granted tribal status, as was the case with the “gaddis” in Old Himachal. They demanded that they should be given proper prices for their wool and a bridge be constructed over the Neugal khud for heavy vehicles. A deputation of the Agriculture Postgraduate Welfare Association, met the Chief Minister and requested him to fill 100 posts of Agriculture Development Officer and 300 posts of Agriculture Extension Officer. A delegation of INTUC also met Mr Dhumal. People from the Majheen area, near Palampur, requested that a regular bus service should be started for their villages. The Chief Minister will hold “khula darbar” for the people of Nagrota tomorrow and for those of the Guler assembly segment on January 31. |
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HP gets 61.48 cr as calamity relief Shimla, January 29 This grant is over and above the fixed annual relief of Rs 45 crore. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, said here yesterday that an additional grant of Rs 19 crore was for the losses due to the recent drought and Rs17.5 crore was as compensation for the floods. These grants were made from the National Calamity Contingency Fund. An amount of Rs 25 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre for meeting the losses caused due to the devastating flash-flood in the Sutlej last year. The state government had sought a relief of Rs 500 crore for the damages caused due to the flash-flood in the Sutlej and had projected a damage of over Rs 100 crore due to the drought. The losses due to the recent floods were projected at about Rs 138 crore in a memorandum submitted to the Centre.  |
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Detonator wires found in Bhaderoah forest Dharamsala, January 29 Ever since the recovery of an AK-56 rifle, a hand grenade and two magazines from the forest, where the militants who killed two Army personnel had been hiding, the police has launched a fresh search operation. The recovery of arms, ammunition and other material has established beyond doubt that the jungle was being used as a hideout. The Bhaderoah forest, adjoining the Army firing range, where the militants first struck on January 1, is close to the boundaries of the three states of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Being very dense, it has proved to be an ideal hideout for the militants active in the area. It was after the visit of the DGP, Mr A.K. Puri, here on January 23, that it was decided to cut down the thick bamboo, which was creating problem in the search operations. The Forest Department is helping the police in the operation by clearing the jungle. The SP, Mr Sanjay Kundu, and the DSP, Mr Sanjeev Gandhi, are camping at the Bhaderoah forest to conduct the search operation. |
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Minister: Cong charge motivated Shimla, January 29 He said the charge that the interests of Chamera dam oustees had been ignored was politically motivated. The fact was that the Dhumal government had resolved all pending issues and got work started on Chamera-II, which had been hanging fire for the past many years. So far as the matter regarding the setting up of cement plant in Chamba was concerned, it was in the final stage and almost all clearances for the project had been obtained. The plant would provide employment to the local youth and help boost economic activity in the backward areas. Regarding providing of cheap ration, he reminded them that “Antodaya Ann Yojana”, which envisaged ration to the poor families at subsidised rates, was started from Chamba. As many as 78,700 families had been covered under this scheme in Himachal Pradesh, he added. The “Annpurna Ann Yojana” under which free ration was being given to persons of 65 years and above had also been launched. Mr Kishori Lal advised Congress leaders to desist from making statements which were not based on facts. |
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Literacy campaign launched in HP Mandi, January 29 Mr Jagdish Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, who is also Chairman of the District Literacy Committee, said here today that panchayats would be involved in the literacy campaign in future to achieve better results and the existing literacy units would render full assistance to the panchayats. The literacy movement, which has been spearheaded by the Literacy Committee for the last 12 years had suffered a setback due to the shortage of funds. The Central Government has now sanctioned Rs 2.39 crore for Mandi district. Mr Sharma said the literacy campaign would be intensified from the next month through the new literacy committees constituted by the panchayats and the budget would also be allocated to the panchayats. At the division level the SDMs would head the literacy committees. |
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Headmasters flay promotion policy Bilaspur, January 29 At a meeting presided over by associations’ state general secretary Mohan Singh, here today, members demanded that all ad hoc promotions should be regularised, vacant posts of headmasters and principals should be filled and all posts of deputy directors and joint director and additional director be given to deserving senior officers on promotions. They also demanded separate examination centres for private students in interest of discipline and check on copying. |
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Docs seek allowance on Punjab pattern Kangra, January 29 Dr Susheel Sharma, spokesperson for the H.P. Medical Officers Association in a statement said here today that the Punjab Government notification in this regard was given to the Health Minister and the Health Secretary two months ago but to no avail. Dr Sharma said doctors in the state be given 6 per cent rural health allowance on the Punjab pattern. He said for the last 20 years doctors in the state were being given only Rs 150 as rural health allowance. Dr Sharma demanded that the post of the Director, Health Services, be immediately filled on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee. |
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Army recruitment rally from Feb 11 Shimla, January 29 He said recruitment for Shimla district candidates would be held on February 11, Sirmaur and Kinnaur on February 12, Solan on February 13, Mandi on February 14, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti on February 15, Una and Bilaspur on February 16, Hamirpur on February 17, Kangra on February 18, and Chamba on February 19. Colonel Kakra said willing candidates would have to bring matric pass certificate while candidates from Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti Class V pass and Gorkha Class VIII pass, character certificate from the village head, bona fide Himachali certificate from SDM or Executive Magistrate, NCC and sports certificate, if any, six copies of latest passport size photograph in white shirt, discharge book or serving certificate from the competent authority by sons of serving soldier, exservicemen, widow or war widow. He added that candidates reporting to the rally site after 8 am would not be entertained. |
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Cold wave on
despite sunshine Shimla, January 29 Shimla and its adjoining areas reeled under severe cold wave conditions with the temperature
plummeting to 3.3°C at the historic Ridge during the day. The nights were colder as the mercury dropped to below 0°C. Several areas in the capital town were still covered under snow hampering mobility on roads. Water taps in some localities of the town have frozen. Roads leading to Chopal and Rohru in the district were blocked due to the recent snowfall. However, roads to tourist resorts of Kufri and Narkanda were open for traffic. A biting cold wave lashed the tribal belt with the temperature ranging from minus -18°C to -20°C. However, the tribal areas experienced a clear weather today.
UNI |
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Charas seized Shimla, January 29 District police chief N. Venugopal said the charas, wrapped in polythene packets, was concealed in a briefcase. The driver of the van and his accomplice, however, managed to escape while the search was on. The district police had seized 15.87 kg of charas and arrested eight persons including four foreigners, during the past 10 days, Mr Venugopal said.
UNI |
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2 bodies found Nahan, January 29 The body of Sat Pal Singh (27 years), resident of Subkhera in Paonta tehsil was found in a drain on the Paonta-Rajban road. Sat Pal Singh was a truck driver. The body of 17-year-old boy, Manoj, son of Bhim Dutt, resident of Bharog Baneri village under Paonta subdivision, was found today in Nahan town on Villa Round. According to the police, the body had fractures on legs and arms and some liquor pouches were also found near the body. |
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AVSM
for Pathania Nurpur, January 29 President K.R. Narayanan has
awarded him with the ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’. General Pathania
is also the recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal. |
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