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Saturday,
March 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Tight security for PM’s
visit Transporters default on taxes, bend rules YC rally: 4 MLAs keep away Virbhadra loyalists seek
expulsions DC: jaundice outbreak
contained |
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50,000 new phone connections in HP Protest against UGC guidelines Oberoi officials granted bail Truckers told not to seek rise
in freight rates CISF takes over security of Bhuntar airport Shrine inmates robbed
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Tight security for PM’s
visit Shimla, March 22 The Ridge, which is the nerve centre of the town, has been
surrounded by the police as Mr Vajpayee is scheduled to address a
public meeting there on March 24 in connection with completion of four
years in office by the BJP—HVC combine government headed by Mr Prem
Kumar Dhumal. Police personnel from the neighbouring districts have
also been deployed here. The Cart Road and entry points to the town
are also heavily guarded. Initially, Mr Vajpayee was to return to
Delhi after addressing the public meeting, but now he is staying
overnight at The Retreat, which is the President’s house, at
Charabra near here. He will leave after lunch on March 25. The
railings on the roads around The Ridge and the route of the Prime
Minister’s cavalcade have been painted afresh. He will land at the
Annandale helipad and on his return to Delhi the next day he will
takeoff from the Kalyani helipad near The Retreat. This is the
second visit of Mr Vajpayee here after becoming Prime Minister.
However, he has been to Manali several times as he owns a house there.
During his last visit he announced a special allocation of Rs 300
crore for the financially-hit state. The ruling BJP activists hope
that this time he might announce a bigger package as the Assembly
elections are due in February. The legislators and office-bearers of
the BJP are vying to outnumber each other as they have been asked to
bring people in strength for the public meeting. The BJP activists
from the adjoining areas, including Theog, Kasumpti, Solan and
Bilaspur are putting in extra effort to show their strength at the
Prime Minister’s public meeting. Meanwhile, concern is being
expressed over the public meeting being organised at the nearly a
century old Ridge which has the city’s water reservoir below.
Sometime ago, all meetings there were banned and vehicles of even the
municipal corporation and ambulances were diverted as cracks had
developed in the reservoir. The summer festival was also not allowed
to be held at The Ridge because of this reason. Christians have
expressed anguish as they will not be able to offer prayers in the
historic Christ Church on Sunday morning because of Mr Vajpayee’s
public meeting near the church. Rev. Uday Singh, priest in charge of
the church, in a statement said the day was a very special occasion
for the Christians as it was a Palm Sunday and they have now to
reschedule the morning prayers to 4 pm after the Prime Minister’s
rally. |
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All set for OBCs’ rally against PM’s
visit Kangra, March 22 Disclosing this at a press conference here today, Mr Pawan Choudary, state president of the OBC youth organisation, which is spearheading the ongoing 56-day-old agitation, said the OBC youths had been on a relay fast outside the Deputy Commissioner office at Dharamsala demanding the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict of 27 per cent reservation as per the Mandal Commission recommendations but the government was paying no heed to their demands despite four ministers being in the Cabinet representing the OBC. He demanded that a Vidhan Sabha Committee for OBC be set up to monitor the welfare programmes for the community besides a liaison officer be appointed in every department to look after the employment opportunities for the members of this community. Mr Pawan Kumar demanded that reservation for OBC youths in the higher educational institutions, professional colleges, including private B.Ed. colleges, in the state. He demanded representation as members in the H.P. Public Service Commission and State Service Subordinate Selection Board. He also demanded amendments in the Constitution of India in order to provide provisions of reservation in all departments on the pattern of S.C. and S.T. |
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Transporters default on taxes, bend rules Kasauli, March 22 The multifold increase in the number of private vehicles, including taxis and mini buses, over the years in the region has given rise to a new class of tax evaders. An analysis of the figures available from the RTA office in the corresponding period last year indicated that as many as 33 per cent of these private transporters fell in the defaulter category. This number is believed to have multiplied manifold in the absence of a regular RTA here though several efforts to get the figures for this year from the RTA office proved futile. Mr Lokender Chauhan, Subdivisional Magistrate, Solan, who is holding the additional charge of the RTA, when quizzed in this connection stated that only an amount of about Rs 50 lakh was outstanding against the private transporters and this comprised only 30 per cent of the total tax with the remaining 70 per cent having been recovered. While he indicated that out of a total of Rs 2 crore outstanding amount existing since 2000, as much as 70 per cent had already been realised, no figures of this year’s amount were made available. The staff chose to remain tight-lipped and only said that recoveries from defaulters were underway by the department. With field inspections becoming less in the absence of a regular RTA, the private bus and taxi operators are giving the rules a go by. The most discernible trend is the overcrowding of buses, including travelling on the roof, particularly in the late evenings and early morning hours in the private buses. Adherence to the routes and time table is also on the wane with some transporters complaining that those with no permits are seen doing brisk business in places like
Kasauli, Baddi, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib while the holder of route permits are left to suffer. Plying vehicles on profitable routes without paying any tax, they are giving the genuine route holders a run for their money, lament the taxi owners of the region. The SDM, however, stated that the process of impounding vehicles evading tax was going on and in addition to this they were delaying giving permission as well as renewal of time table and route permits in order to bring the tax evaders to book. It was also learnt that the transporters of the Paonta Sahib area had made a representation that they should be charged special road tax as applicable to the plains rather than the hill area as was being done at present. This was likely to bring down the outstanding amount against defaulters opined officials in the RTA office. Another problem of drunken driving was also catching up in the region with the police officials opinion that the presence of a regular RTA would help check this trend in an effective manner. This was also stated to be the reason behind recent bus accident which claimed 11 lives near Parwanoo a fortnight ago. Collection of tax worth lakhs of rupees was a regular feature in the region with the presence of a regular RTA which should be reason enough to fill the post at the earliest for the fund-starved state government. It is learnt that the transporters of, particularly, the Paonta Sahib area, who reportedly wield a lot of political clout, were responsible for getting the RTA removed from here. Their influence can be gauged from the fact that two RTAs were transferred from Solan in less than a year. It is time the government made a regular appointment of an RTA here both from the view of revenue collection as well as the large number of private transporters plying here. |
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YC rally: 4 MLAs keep away Nahan, March 22 All Block Youth Congress Presidents and other functionaries from the district participated in the rally. About 500 Youth Congress workers led by Mr Sukhwinder Singh Sukkhu, state president of Youth Congress, marched up to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and staged a dharna in front of the DC office and submitted a 17-point memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour. In the memorandum, the Youth Congress has demanded immediate withdrawal of the taxes imposed by the present government and to take steps for the development of the district, including the revival of Nahan Foundry. Most of the leaders loyal to Mr Virbhadra Singh stayed away from the rally. Congress MLA Mr Kush Parmar, All-India Mahila Congress Joint Secy Kunjana Singh, District Vice-President Mrs Satya Parmar, senior Congress Kisan Leader Sukhdev Singh Gill, State Youth Congress Vice-President Mahinder Chauhan, State Secretary Pankaj Sood, District Legal Cell President Subhash Tomar and senior leader of the State Youth Congress Vishva Raj were among there who attended the rally. The absence of senior Congress leaders in the rally and other senior workers loyal to Mr Virbhadra Singh has sparked a new controversy in the party which has further widened the trench between the two rival groups in the district.
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Virbhadra loyalists seek
expulsions Dharamsala, March, 22 The utterances made by the General Secretaries of the Kangra DCC, Mr Ram Swaroop and Mr Jagmohan Sharma, had evoked strong reaction from the loyalists of Mr Virbhadra Singh from all over the state. The Virbhadra faction seems to be in no mood to lie low on the issue as senior party leaders and sitting MLAs , Mr Chander Kumar and Mr B.B.L. Butail, threatened that they would not hesitate to take the matter to the AICC if the state unit of the party did not expel those guilty. They said the kind of statements that had been issued by the Kangra DCC ever since its formation had been against the interest of the party. “Though some people had reservations against appointing Mr Goma as the district chief, he was given the post as a consensus candidate and had a free hand to pick up his team,” Mr Chander Kumar said. “These are the people who worked against her (Mrs Chandresh) in the election to ensure her defeat , despite the fact that their own performance was dismal,” they said. “It is strange that not attending the meetings of Mrs Stokes is termed as opposing the nomination of the AICC chief, whereas double standards are adopted when it comes to taking action against those who made irresponsible remarks against Mrs Chandresh Kumari,” they said. They said terming the rallies of Mr Virbhadra Singh as defiance was wrong as he was only trying to mobilise the rank and file of the party against the misrule of the BJP. “Since it was not possible for all senior leaders to attend all rallies, both Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mrs Stokes were trying to strengthen the party at their own level,” Mr Chander Kumar said. |
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DC: jaundice outbreak
contained Mandi, March 22 He said not a single person had died due to jaundice anywhere in the district and the samples of water taken from taps at various points had been found Bacteria-free. He lamented that the scare of hepatitis-E (jaundice) had been played up out of proportion by the media. Mr Sharma said the most interesting feature of the outbreak of jaundice here was the most vulnerable section — women and children-had not been affected . |
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50,000 new phone connections in HP Shimla, March 22 Mr
N.S. Gill, Chief General Manager of the circle, said here today that new systems would be installed at Kangra,
Mehmoor, Surani, Ashapuri, Dalhousie, Nihri, Mahunag, Jogindernagar,
Cholthara, Naina Devi, Tissa, Kasauli, Thanedar, Solan, Hamirpur,
Bandla, Chail, Kulu, Manali and Banjar. Besides, the BSNL will replace 49,000 old telephone instruments and publish updated telephone directories of all switching areas by December 2002. He said toll free 1094 telephone number was being computerised for registering grievances of subscribers. A number of concessions like the installation of second telephone without registrations charges and advance rental and free ITC card worth Rs 525 with new telephone registration in selected towns would be available up to March 31. The nigam also proposed to open telemarts to be opened in major cities for on the spot booking of new telephone connections. |
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Protest against UGC guidelines Shimla, March 22 Dr Mohan
Jharta, secretary of the HPUTA, said the protest was also against the non-implementation of the UGC package in
toto. He said members of the executive committee of the HPUTA sat on a dharna in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor. The HPUTA expressed anguish over the delay in holding interviews under the career advancement scheme in some departments where the teachers were eligible for promotion. |
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Oberoi officials granted bail Shimla, March 22 All of them have been named in the FIR which has been lodged by the SDM (Rural) who alleged in his complaint that he was obstructed from discharging his duties by these officials. |
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Truckers told not to seek rise
in freight rates Solan, March 22 Dr Dhumal, who addressed a public meeting organised by the Solan, Truck Operators Union at
Darlaghat, about 50 km from here, said the government recently took up the issue of price differential of cement in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring states with the cement producers, who described the paradox of higher prices in the producing state vis-a-vis those in the plains as due to higher transport costs on hill. |
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CISF takes over security of Bhuntar airport Kulu, March 22 Mr B.K. Mehta, Senior Commandant CISF, Chandigarh, was the chief guest at the function organised by the Airport Authority of India at the airport, 10 km from here. Mr Mehta said the personnel posted at airport have been specially chosen and have a good record in the force. He added that the CISF special Security group would soon take over the security of VVIPs. |
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Shrine inmates robbed Solan, March 22 They then locked them in a room before breaking open the lock of the priest’s room and took away some cash and jewellery. Ms Raj Rani, one of the victims, said they were freed by a devotee in the morning. A case has been registered. |
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