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Tuesday,
April 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India
  
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Congress
warns rebel nominees Meeting
water shortage indigenous way HP
policies anti-poor: Virbhadra SC notice
to Dhumal Give
pension to Dalit widows: Akademi |
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Pollution
board's order stayed Kulu
students hold function at HPU DC
supporting BJP: Morcha 11
kiosks gutted, mischief alleged 
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Congress warns rebel nominees Shimla, April 22 Mr Gaekwad, who along with a former PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, a sitting MLA, Thakur Kaul Singh, and Mrs Anita Verma, was talking to mediapersons here, said that ticket could not be given to some aspirants on the consideration of age, delimitation of wards and caste. Only six previous councillors in the House of 24 have been given ticket and the others were new faces. The tickets were given on the basis of the chances of winning of the candidates. He urged the rebels to withdraw, failing which disciplinary action would be taken against them. The CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and the PCC chief, Mrs Vidya Stokes, have also made efforts to woo the rebels back. Mr Gaekwad, who is also AICC observer for the SMC elections, said senior leaders of the party in Himachal Pradesh should sit together to clear misunderstandings among them through a dialogue. Disputes over the organisational elections would be settled shortly by the high command. He said that the Chief Minister would be chosen by the AICC chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, if the Congress came to power in the Assembly elections next year. Mr Gaekwad said the credit for keeping Shimla clean went to the Congress-controlled SMC. The Rs 50-crore sewerage of OPEC was also initiated by the previous Congress government in the state. He accused the ruling BJP of having starved the SMC of funds because of narrow-mindedness. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the PCC, Mr O.P. Rattan, said there was tremendous response to the public meetings being addressed by Congress leaders in connection with the SMC election. He claimed that the people were annoyed with the performance of the BJP government which had promised a clean administration and transparency before the elections, but all records of corruption were broken ever since they came to power. Their own ministers made public statements of nepotism, corruption and regionalism against the Dhumal government. Mr Rattan alleged that the BJP was indulging in politics of convenience, bypassing its policies and programmes, just to remain in power. |
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Meeting
water shortage indigenous way Hamirpur However, in Hamirpur district and Sarkaghat subdivision of Mandi and the Changer areas of Kangra district people depend upon “khatri” waters for daily needs. “Khatris” are HAND HEWN CAVES. “Khatris” can be found on both sides of roads in the Bamsan area of the Hamirpur district, the area represented by Himachal Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal in the state Assembly. It is surprising that this system of collecting water is in use in Hamirpur district, known as Veer Bhoomi due to bravery role displayed by Jawans from here on the front while fighting the enemy. Water from these sources is clean, cool and fit for drinking, say local people. The medical officers working in the area dispute this claim of theirs. Most of these “khatris” are kept under lock and key as every family has its own “khatri”. Since there are no permanent water sources in the area, people used to wait for the arrival of rains for water needs. “Khatris” are constructed by digging rocks which are permanent sources of water. Once these ‘khatris’ are dug, these are provided with iron gates which put under locks. There are two types of ‘khatris’ found in Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra districts. In one type of ‘khatris’ rainwater is collected in rainy season by harnessing water from roofs of houses with the help of tins and collected in ‘khatris’. This water is mainly for used the washing of clothes, utensils and quenching thirst of animals. In other type of ‘khatris’, only seeping water is collected and it is used for drinking purposes. These ‘khatris’ are cleaned every year in winter or in early summer season and chlorinated properly. The Himachal government has finalised a big plan with the help of foreign aid to end water shortage in this region of the state, says Chief Minister, Professor Prem Kumar Dhumal. A Rs 55 crore lift drinking water supply scheme would become a reality in the coming years, as the work on the lifting of water from Beas river will start soon. I want to solve the water problem of the local people and help them lead happy and prosperous life, the Chief Minister adds. However, due to sudden fall in water table, the state government has decided to chlorinate all water sources, available with the people including the ‘khatris’. Reports say that the people in Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi districts have started cleaning ‘khatris’ and to chlorinate them to store safe water there with an eye on the drought like situation they are facing this season. Many others have also started digging ‘khatris’ as they feel that these may be beneficial for them in the coming days and it is useful to have more ‘khatris’ at disposal when the state government is also going to help them financially for the construction of new ones. |
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HP policies anti-poor: Virbhadra Mandi, April 22 He declared that the Congress government on coming to power would undo all anti-poor measures taken by the government. Addressing a big Congress rally at Basa last evening in the Nachan constituency of Gohar subdivision in the interior of this district, he alleged that the BJP had deviated from the obligation of a democratic government to safeguard the welfare of the people and mitigate their suffering. It had aggravated the woes of the people by levying taxes, stalling development and spreading corruption. He maintained that development and corruption could not go together. The former Chief Minister alleged that corruption in the state had assumed alarming proportions. Jobs were on sale and merits was blatantly ignored. He described the Subordinate Services Board as a den of corruption. It might be the Punjab pattern of corruption, he commented. Mr Virbhadra Singh also ridiculed the statements of HVC supremo Sukh Ram for his “funny stand” that he did not approve of the anti-people policies of the government. He was misleading the people. The HVC was equally accountable for the omissions and commissions of the government. He accused the state Chief Minister of treating the political rivals as his personal “enemies” and misusing government machinery to victimise and harm them. Alleging that employees of the state were being victimised, he said transfers were being made of a consideration and as many as 1,75,000 employees has to suffer hardships due to mid-term transfers. About the officials who were acting as ploys in the hands of the BJP government, he said while they were bound to abide by the directions of the government of the time, they should act within the framework of law. He said the BJP which used to criticise the Congress for raising loans had brought the state on the brink of bankruptcy by raising a whooping Rs 10,000-crore loan. He praised the Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, once his arch enemy, for speaking the “stark truth” on the events in Gujarat and asked the people to see the irony of the “party of fascists” which forced him to apologise for telling the truth. Demanding dismissal of the Modi government and imposition of President’s rule, Mr Virbhadra Singh refuted the argument of the BJP that violence, bloodshed and burning of people alive in Gujarat was the internal matter of the state. A former Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha and sitting MLA, Thakur Kaul Singh, alleged that the government had burdened poor people with an additional Rs 18 crore by enhancing electricity rates and given concession of power tariff to the industrialists to the tune of Rs 25 crore. |
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SC notice to Dhumal New Delhi, April 22 A Bench comprising Chief Justice S. P. Bharucha, Mr Justice S. V. Patil and Mr Justice H. K. Sema admitted the petition filed by one Virendra Kumar, a retired Principal. The petitioner alleged that Mr Vaidya was appointed as a member of the State Human Rights Commission on ceasing to be the Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal on his retirement on October 3, 2001. Before becoming Chairman of the tribunal, Mr Vaidya was a Judge of the state high court. The petitioner said appointment of Mr Vaidya as member of the commission was violative of Section 11 of the Administrative Tribunal Act, 1985, which prohibited appointment of the Chairman of the tribunal in any government job except for other tribunals. The petitioner said as the member of a State Human Rights Commission draws salary and allowances from the government, the retired chairman of the tribunal could not have taken over the new posting.
PTI |
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Give pension to Dalit widows: Akademi Chamba, April 22 Mr Chandra alleged that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees of various municipal committees and corporations had not been granted any pension benefits after their retirement. Mr Chandra accused the state government of step-motherly treatment meted out to the safai-karamcharis. He said most of the retired servants of the committees and corporations had either died or were at the verge of death and added that the widows of such retired servants were in extremely miserable condition. He further alleged the widows of safai-karamcharis had approached the authorities of the state government time and again but no relief had been granted to them in this regard so far. He said some of the widows has passed away while grappling with their woes. |
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Pollution
board's order stayed Shimla, April 22 But on February 28 the Member Secretary withdraw the consent without affording the opportunity of hearing to the parties. While staying the order passed by the Member Secretary, the court also issued notices to the Secretary Science and Technology, and District Food and Supply Officer, Kangra. |
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Kulu students hold function at HPU Shimla, April 22 The Primary Education Minister, Mr Karan Singh, was the chief guest. He congratulated the students on the occasion. Kulu folk dance and songs were performed by the students. The Vice-Chancellor of Palampur Agriculture University and the Vice-Chairman of HPMC were the guest of honour. |
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DC supporting BJP: Morcha Shimla, April 22 He claimed that at least 250 “fictitious” voters were included in the Summer Hill area (Ward 6), although ample proof was provided against them. Occupants of four hostels of Himachal Pradesh University outside the limits of the Municipal Corporation had been included in the voters list. |
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11 kiosks gutted, mischief alleged Nurpur, April 22 The fire victims alleged that the incident was the result of a mischief. These kiosks were unauthorised. Although the victims are not entitled for any relief but they have appealed to the state government to take steps for their rehabilitation. Mr
R. P. Shandal, Tehsildar, said after visiting the spot that a loss of Rs 4.5 lakh had been assessed due to the fire. Mr Rakesh
Pathania, local MLA and Chairman of the HP Tourism Development Corporation, while expressing his sympathies with the fire victims, said all possible efforts would be made for their rehabilitation. Mr Sat Mahajan, a former PCC chief, also expressed his sympathies and demanded relief for those affected. |
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I. S. Thakur
joins Lok Janshakti Shimla, April 22 |
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