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Wednesday,
May 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Employees rush to Shimla HP may roll back domestic power tariff hike Dhumal seeks security for HRTC buses from J&K Advani must quit, says Mankotia 2.43 cr allocated for Lahaul valley |
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Prove charge or apologise, BJP dares Virbhadra Mall
gets its first liquor shop Class XII (Sc) results out
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Employees rush to Shimla Shimla, May 14 The ban was lifted yesterday and much activity could be seen in the corridors of the Secretariat today as employees have started reaching here to either get themselves transferred to the place of their choice or get their shifting stalled. While the corridors of the two buildings of the Secretariat have started humming with activity, not many ministers were available in their chambers. The ban will remain lifted till May 31 and the number of visitors is expected to go up day by day. This is the time when many of the ministers avoid coming to their offices as employees from their respective constituencies throng their chambers in the hope of getting themselves transferred. Many of them bring the local leaders with them and the volume of traffic outside the Secretariat becomes unmanageable whenever the ban on transfers is lifted. Most of the employees are afraid of getting transferred to the far-flung tribal areas which are snow-bound during winters and remain cut off from rest of the world for about six months. The employees posted in these areas, who have to serve there for a fixed tenure, hanker to get out of
there, but many a times they do not succeed as those transferred in their place do not join their duty. Rules provide that any official transferred out of the tribal or difficult areas is relieved only when his substitute joins the duty. Successive governments have failed to come out with a workable transfer formula in favour of those serving in the tribal and difficult areas. Transfer of employees have generally been a controversial affair here and allegations of political vendetta have been made whenever large-scale transfers were ordered. A high-level committee set up by the BJP-HVC combine government to formulate a new transfer policy has not yet submitted its report. An order of the Personnel Department has said the transfers should be restricted to the barest minimum of 3 per cent and a category-wise report of transfers should be submitted by each department to the Chief Minister latest by June 7. The Chief Minister has the discretion of ordering transfers in relaxation of rules relating to tenure at one particular place or distance from the earlier place of posting. All transfers of Class I officers will be ordered with the prior approval of the Chief Minister. |
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HP may roll back domestic power tariff hike Shimla, May 14 The sudden U-turn by Mr Dhumal on this important issue concerning the power sector reforms is not unexpected. The government has been in the “election mode” from the very start of the current year. Offering sops and concessions before elections to woo the voters has over the years become a normal practice. However, the BJP-HVC outdid all previous regimes in this regard when it announced all sorts of concessions and benefits, hardly leaving any section of the electorate untouched. Despite all this, the BJP suffered a humiliating defeat in the Shimla Municipal Corporation poll, with its vote-share plunging to the lowest-ever level. The election result came as a shock to the party, which is now resorting to desperate measures to hold on to its fast-shrinking support base. A few days ago, the government decided to regularise about three lakh encroachments on government land. As the government has already announced that there would be no winter surcharge on electricity from the ensuing winter, the power tariff hike withdrawal would entail an annual additional burden of Rs 50 crore. The state electricity board collected Rs 25 crore as the winter surcharge in the past financial year and the hike in domestic tariff netted another Rs 22 crore. Thus, to make up for the loss of revenue the government will have to provide a subsidy of Rs 50 crore to the board, a tall order for the fund-starved government, which has been raising loans to pay salaries. Further, the tariff review could be carried out only by the state electricity regulatory commission. The tariff order announced by it last year was valid up to March 31. To seek any change in the tariff the board will have to file a fresh application before the commission. A decision could take a few months as the commission will hear the viewpoint of various categories of consumers and the government, besides the board, before arriving at a decision. Last year the government refused to give any subsidy to the board as a result of which the tariff for domestic consumers was increased. Resuming the subsidy within a year of its withdrawal will put the ongoing power sector reforms in the reverse gear and send wrong signals. At a time when the Vajpayee Government is pressing the states, most of which are under Congress rule to accelerate the pace of reforms, it will be a matter of embarrassment if a BJP-ruled state does exactly the opposite. However, political parties do not hesitate in adopting such double postures when it comes to winning elections. |
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Dhumal seeks security for HRTC buses from J&K Shimla, May 14 The Chief Minister, Prof P.K.Dhumal, has asked the Chief Secretary, Mr Harsh Gupta, to tighten security in the border areas. He condemned the dastardly attack on passengers by a suicide in the Jammu-bound bus and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, who was at Dharamsala to rush to the site of the incident and take stock of the situation along with the Deputy Commissioner and the SP, Kangra. He asked them to arrange for the identification of the bodies and bringing them back. He also directed the administration and the HRTC to provide relief to the affected families. The authorities have been directed to beef up security at the state’s borders with Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Advani must quit, says Mankotia Kangra, May 14 Mr Mankotia was addressing a press conference here today. He condemned the attack on an HRTC bus and that on families of Army jawans by Pakistan sponsored Al-Mansooran. He said the Home Minister had time and again claimed that cross-border terrorism would be curbed with a heavy hand, but today’s attack belied all such claims. He said Mr Advani had assured the nation that the country’s security and integrity would not be compromised but today’s attack had exposed the hollowness of the tall claims made by the Home Minister. Describing the attack by pro-Pakistan militants on the military area in Jammu as ‘alarming’, he blamed the national leadership for the same. |
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2.43 cr allocated for Lahaul valley Shimla, May 14 Speaking on the occasion, he said all habitations in the valley had been provided with safe drinking water and added that 43 hand pumps were installed in the Lahaul area during past four years. The minister said priority was also being given for repair maintenance and upgradation of natural water resources in the villages as these were still the main source of potable water in the rural areas. Mr Markandya said the Nalda kuhals would be constructed within one month so that farmers could get irrigation facility for their crops well in time. He said the Nalda bridge over the Chenab would be constructed with the assistance of Nabard at an estimated cost of Rs 1.67 crore. He also visited Mooring village and assured people that the Mooring link road would be
completed, before the end of next month. The minister also visited remote villages, including Lahaul, Baring, Chowkhang and Nainghar, and heard the grievances of people. |
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Prove charge or apologise, BJP dares Virbhadra Shimla, May 14 In a statement here yesterday he said levelling allegation of corruption did not behove the Congress leader during whose rule corruption became the order of the day. Mr Virbhadra Singh was himself involved in land grab cases and he had illegally retained hundreds of bighas by
pressurising revenue officials. Similarly, a Congress legislator, Ms Asha Kumari used fake power of attorney and wills to grab government land. Further, huge commission was paid in raising loans during the Congress regime. Mr Kishori Lal,
Industries Minister, in a statement issued here, added that Mr Virbhadra Singh perhaps might have forgotten that corruption was at its peak during the Congress regime headed by him. He said jobs were given to favourites. He alleged that the misuse of high office by Mr Virbhadra to get favour in transfer of land also amply speak about his dishonesty towards the poor of the state, who otherwise would have got the land. |
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Mall
gets its first liquor shop Shimla, May 14 The residents feel it has become an eyesore, particularly for women. An officer of the Excise and Taxation Department said permission had been granted as the government had been mounting pressure on the department to increase revenue. The liquor shop was earlier little below the Mall but had now been allowed to shift on the main road. Another senior officer of the department justified the opening of the liquor shop, saying that at least three bars already existed on the Mall. In its recent liquor policy, the government has liberalised the opening of wine and beer shops and anyone can obtain a licence on an annual fee of Rs 20,000. |
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Class XII (Sc) results out Dharamsala, May 14 Five students of Kangra, four of Hamirpur and one of Bilaspur have made to the first 10 positions. Out of a total of 11,202 students who appeared for the examinations, only 3,688 managed to qualify. As many as 1,653 students have been placed under compartment. |
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No JBT exam on May 26 Dharamsala, May 14 |
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