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Wednesday,
March 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Oppn grills Transport Minister Congress walkout over Tourism Bill House passes demands
on education ‘Outbreak of hepatitis E contained’ Caught in crossfire, they go without water |
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BJP hails decision to save Himalayas 20 lakh sought to release girl 72 posts of teacher vacant in IGMC VC wasting money: SFI Election to RS seat from
HP today
Workshop on material management ends Rs 5000
compensation for phone disconnection
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Oppn grills Transport Minister Shimla, March 26 The grilling came during Question Hour when Mr Kapoor, in reply to a question of Mr Kaul Singh (Congress) said 2,216 routes in the private sector and 1,583 in the government sector had been approved till January 31,2002. Mr Kaul Singh said the applicants were waiting for route permits in Mandi district where no meeting of the STA had been held for the past about a year. Mr Harsh Mahajan (Congress) alleged that hundreds of persons had been issued permits despite a ban. Temporary permits were being issued according to the wishes of the minister without following any rules, he added. Mrs
Viplove Thakur (Congress) pointed out that many private operators did not ply buses on the assigned routes. Mr Kapoor assured the members that action would be taken against those who were not operating their buses on the permitted routes. He was again grilled during a question of Mr Harshwardhan Chauhan (Congress) who pointed out that though the Deputy Commissioners and the SP were themselves retaining the registration numbers of the old series, they were ordering others to get these replaced. Mr Kapoor said the numbers of the old series had to be got replaced before June. In a written reply to Mr Chander Kumar (Congress), the Chief Minister said 97,83,142 tourists visited the state between 2000 and January 31,2002. In a written reply to Mrs Asha Kumari (Congress), the Minister of State for Urban Development said owners of 13 unauthorized constructions had been fined by the Municipal Committee, Dalhousie, since April 1, 1998. Mr Manvinder Vir Singh , who deviated more than 100 per cent from the sanctioned plan while constructing Hotel Guncha, was fined Rs 40,000, the minister added. In a written reply to a question of Mr Raghu Raj (Congress), the Chief Minister said an expenditure of Rs 52,18,666 was incurred on the 72 helicopter flights of the Chief Minister and ministers between April 1, 2000 and January 31, 2001. Replying to Mr Kaul
Singh, the Chief Minister said his ministerial colleagues made 575 inaugurations during 2001-2002. As many as 133 foundation stones were laid in the Kangra district. |
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Congress walkout over Tourism Bill Shimla, March 26 The first walkout by the Congress during the current Budget session was staged as the Treasury Benches turned down the plea of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and a Congress member, Thakur Kaul Singh, to either refer the Tourism Bill to a select committee of the House or postpone discussion on it as it was introduced yesterday and the members did not get enough time to study it. The Congress members remained out in the lobby as the House passed the Bills. Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that the BJP government was trying to trample the rights of the Opposition. When the members returned in the House, Thakur Kaul Singh alleged that the BJP government had sold the interests of Himachal Pradesh to the Jaiprakash Industries by having reserved only 5 per cent seats for itself in the information technology university that was being constructed at Waknaghat, near here. He accused the Treasury Benches of having made a mockery of the House. There were wordy duels between the Opposition and Treasury Benches as the latter accused the Congress of having sold the interests of the state when they had been in power. The Opposition members were not satisfied with the ruling of the Speaker, Thakur Gulab Singh, that moving the Bill for consideration and passing was within the rules. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the Congress was not principally opposed to the Tourism Bill under which a tourism development board would be set up to regulate the tourism activities, but this would result in making the Tourism Department further top-heavy. Thakur Kaul Singh urged the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal to provide ample opportunity for a purposeful discussion on the Bill. The Chief Minister said creation of the board would in no way make the department top-heavy. Representatives of those connected with tourist trade would be made members of the board, he added. He said through the Bill provision would be made to regulate the adventure sports and grant licences for such activities as the tourist season was approaching. Uttaranchal had appointed a board for regulating tourism activities, he added. The Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, Mr Parveen Sharma, introduced a Bill seeking to lease out the collection of toll from the vehicles entering the state. The Minister of State for Rural Development, Mr Parkash Chaudhary, introduced a Bill seeking to amend the Section 145 of the Panchayati Raj Act to suspend the office-bearers found guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Mr Dhumal, informed the House that under the border area development scheme the Centre had made a special allocation of Rs 15.15 crore to the state government for the current year. He said the state was brought under the scheme in 1998 during the BJP-HVC rule and an allocation of Rs 16.32 crore besides the special grant of Rs 15.15 crore, had been made in the past four years. The Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, in a statement said the Rs 60-crore forest sector reforms project had been approved. The project would be implemented throughout the state and institutional reforms and capacity building of the Forest Department and communities would be strengthened. |
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House passes demands
on education Shimla, March 26 Replying to the debate on cut motions, Mr I.D. Dhiman, the Education Minister, asserted that the government was making all efforts to provide adequate staff in schools, particularly those in the remote and difficult areas. He said over the past four years 11,783 teachers had been appointed. Out of these, 2,954 teachers were recruited under the sub-cadre for tribal areas. Concerted efforts were being made to improve the quality of education. Handsome stipends were being paid to students of weaker sections to enable them to pursue higher studies through various new scholarship schemes. A new education code had been framed and enforced, the minister added. He said only 307 posts of School Lecturer, out of a total of 6,194 were lying vacant. Similarly, in case of trained graduate teachers 304, out of 11,822 posts, were lying vacant. He, however, admitted that there was a shortage of classical and vernacular teachers. He said the present government had opened 569 middle schools, 110 high schools and 113 senior secondary schools. There was a proposal to open 200 middle schools and four new colleges next year. The allocation for education had increased from Rs 358 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 960 crore for 2002-03. Earlier, speaking on his cut motion, Mr Kaul Singh expressed concern over the failure of the government to post teachers in backward areas. He said it was strange that the minimum qualification for Vidya Upasaks recruited last year was matric and this year Gram Vidya Upasaks the qualification had been raised to plus two. Ms Viplove Thakur said while the government had launched a scheme to ensure a minimum of three classrooms in each primary school, it was unable to provide teachers. The effort should be to make available at least one teacher for each class. She demanded setting up of a college in Sansarpur Terrace. Students had to cover 40 km to study at the nearest government college at Dhaliara. Mr Mohinder Singh said home science should be introduced in all schools and a student-teacher ratio of 25 to one should be ensured. |
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‘Outbreak of hepatitis E contained’ Mandi, March 26 A government spokesman said water sources in the town had been chlorinated and cleaned and awareness created among the people about the precautions to be taken check water-born diseases. The team analysed the graph of the cases during the fortnight and expressed satisfaction over the measures adopted and treatment given and added that the disease had been brought under control. It is felt that the outbreak of jaundice had been due to contaminated water in certain functions or marriages where water containers could have been unclean. Had the tap water or natural spring water been contaminated the number of jaundice cases would have been in thousands. Massive cleanliness drive has been launched in the wake of the outbreak of jaundice all over the district. |
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Caught in crossfire, they go without water Shimla, March 26 These flats were constructed as part of Phase III of the New Shimla Colony past year and the allottees were caught in a crossfire between the SDA and the SMC. SDA sources said they had deposited Rs 10 crore with the Irrigation and Public Health Department for lifting water for these flats from Ashwani Khud. However, a dispute had now arisen with the SMC. It was refusing to provide water connections on the plea that the areas had recently been excluded from municipal area. Residents were annoyed with the housing board for not providing them with basic facilities. Residents alleged that after paying huge amounts for these flats to the housing board, they were leading miserable lives due to non-availability of drinking water. “We are buying mineral water as no water connection has been provided to us. For washing clothes we go to the outskirts of the town”, said Ms Shusma Kanwar, a Phase III resident of SDA complex. For everyday consumption, families pay Rs 100 for a labourer who fetches a few litres of water from distant areas. “After paying Rs 13 lakh for this flat, we are paying Rs 100 everyday for water,” said a resident. The cement walls have also started peelingoff. Residents are renovating their flats. Heaps of garbage can be seen on the other side of the SDA complex. Litter is scattered on the road. When contacted the Commissioner of SMC, Mr H.N. Kashyap, said would be supplied in bulk to these residents. Further distribution would be through the housing board, he added. |
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BJP hails decision to save Himalayas Shimla, March 26 The office-bearers of the party who met here today under the chairmanship of the President, Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, passed a resolution thanking the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee for taking landmark decision and providing the much-needed financial package to the state. It was for the first time that a sincere effort was being made to check the degradation of the Himalayas. The party expressed gratitude to Mr Vajpayee for providing additional Central assistance to maintain the size of the state’s annual plan at Rs 1,900 crore, approving the Rs 800 crore project for construction of a tunnel underneath the Rohtang Pass, increasing the allocation under the RIDF from Rs 150 crore to Rs 300 crore, granting an additional sum of Rs of 50 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and an other scheme to speed up the pace of development in the state. The resolution also emphasised that successive Congress governments had failed to get any assistance from the Centre as a result of which the state plunged into a deep financial crisis. The liberal funds being provided by the Vajpayee government would enable the state to tide over the perennial financial crisis. |
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20 lakh sought to release girl Kangra, March 26 The district police chief, Mr Sanjay Kundu, told this correspondent that Tenzin Chuda, studying in Tibetan Children’s Village School, was abducted on March 23 when a woman telephoned the school authorities and told them that she was Tenzin’s mother and was sending her maid to fetch Tenzin from the school. Soon a woman came to the school and took away the child, the SSP said. It was only when the mother of the child, Tenzin Dinki, reached the school to pick up her daughter that she found her missing. In her report, she alleged that two women Malti and Sushma, residents of Masoori and daughters of her sister, were involved in the abduction. A case under Sections 363 and 34 of the IPC had been registered. Meanwhile, a man called up the girl’s family from Delhi on Sunday and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh failing which, he warned, that the child would be killed, Mr Kundu said. He said the father of the girl had a well-established business at McLeodgang. Mr Kundu further said a police team had been rushed to Delhi for investigation. |
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72 posts of teacher vacant in IGMC Shimla, March 26 This information was given in a written reply to Mr Kaul Singh (Congress) by the Health Minister, Mr J.P.
Nadda, in the Assembly yesterday. According to the information provided by Mr
Nadda, 72 posts of teaching staff were vacant in the IGMC, 60 in the RPMC and 14 in the dental college. Besides, 190 posts of non-teaching staff were also lying vacant in these hospitals. In reply to a question of Dr Prem Singh (Congress), the Health Minister informed that 17 posts of female and 19 of male health worker were vacant in the Sangrah block of Sirmour district. 12 posts of female and 11 of male health worker were lying vacant in the Shillai block. |
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VC wasting money: SFI Shimla, March 26 The federation expressed surprise over the fact that Dr Sharma was not willing to live in the official residence of Vice-Chancellor on the campus, on an untenable reason that it was jinxed. His shifting to a rented houses outside the campus, would not only increase the financial burden of the university but also reduce his responsibilities as the head of institution. He would not be held accountable for happenings on the campus. Further, the university, which had not been able to purchase a new bus, urgently required by students was going ahead with the proposal to acquire a new air-conditioned car for the Vice-Chancellor. An air conditioned car was not acquired in the cool hill climes. Not only that Dr Sharma also wanted a mobile phone. It urged the Vice-Chancellor to review all decisions and concentrate on academic activities. Meanwhile, the federation has supported the demands of the Tribal Students Association. |
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Election to RS seat from HP today Shimla, March 26 Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, former MLA, is the BJP nominee, while Mr Natha Singh, former MLA, has been fielded by the Congress. The seat is being vacated by Ms Chandresh Kumari, President of the all-India Women’s Congress. In the electoral collage of 68 MLAs, the BJP has a strength of 35 of its own members and is supported by two of the HVC and an Independent. The Congress has 28 members. Mr Mohinder Singh, unattached member is bound by the whip of the HVC. |
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Workshop on material management ends Parwanoo, March 26 In the inaugural session, Dr R.K. Sood, Director of the NRPC, had thanked sponsors of the workshop. On the first day of the workshop, Dr A.K. Tyagi, senior scientist and head, of the SSS IGCAR of Kalpakkam, talked about useful programmes for material industries. He also read out an address of Dr Baldev Raj, material scientist and Director of the IGCAR. Cap Alok Sharma, senior Vice-President of the Parwanoo Industries Association, highlighted various activities of the NRTC for industries. On the second day of the workshop, Dr R.K. Siddu, Dr K.K. Raina and Mr Surinder Babu of Gabrieal India Parwanoo addressed the participants. Dr
S.K. Sinha, scientist and head of the NRTC, said industries had shown a good interest in the
programme. |
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Rs 5000
compensation for phone disconnection Shimla, March 26 According to the complaint, the abovesaid society is subscriber of telephone No. 23188, it alleged that the telephone was disconnected illegally. The complaint further alleged that the society brought the matter to the notice of the department, which informed that the telephone had been disconnected for non-payment of tariff pertaining to telephone No. 20088 and 20409. It is further averred by the complainant that they have no concern with the above referred two telephone numbers. Directing the Telecom Department Mr
P.D. Goel observed the for the bench that the action of department was wholly unjustified and directed the Telecom Department to restore the telephone bearing No. 23188 of the complainant and to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation. |
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Ex-councillor joins
Him Morcha Shimla, March 26 A spokesman of the morcha said the front would field its candidates in all 24 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation in the coming elections. An emergency meeting of the joint front is being convened here to discuss the issue. On the other hand, Ms Sumitra Chauhan, President of the women’s Congress of the Kotkhai area, has joined the Lok Janshakti Party. |
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Protest against hike in cable
charges Bilaspur, March 26 |
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