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Wednesday,
June 5, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Creation of dists a poll
gimmick: Cong Minister warns timber mafia Canwest opens office in Shimla HP to install 300 new handpumps Peace group flagged off |
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4 held for raping 35-yr-old woman Pensions worth 1.74 cr to be distributed
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Creation
of dists a poll gimmick: Cong Dharamsala, June 4 Addressing a press conference here, he said his party was not against the creation of new districts but the move should not be an election gimmick, which was the intention of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. “It is an unnecessary controversy raked up by Mr Dhumal. The move requires serious thinking,” he opined. Terming Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s Shahpur rally as unprecedented, he said it was organised to forge unity in the Congress and bring about a political change in the state. In an oblique reference to his detractors within the party forum, he said the attendance at the rally had given a befitting reply to all those forces who were out to create doubts and controversies among people. “Despite the fact that our rivals tried to prevent people from attending the rally by spreading rumours of a possible militant attack and bomb explosion at the venue, party workers turned out in large numbers as they all view Mrs Gandhi as the future Prime Minister,” he stated. Mr Mankotia said the gathering at the rally was an indication that the Congress was all set to regain the lost ground in the districts of Kangra, Chamba, Una and Hamirpur, which constitute almost fifty per cent of the total 68 assembly segments in the state. He said there was an urgent need to have industrial infrastructure in Kangra district so that employment was generated. The Congress if returned to power, would set up an institute of defence training, engineering and nursing college, information technology park, power projects and new hill stations in the state. Mr Mankotia said that in order to provide irrigation facility for the rainfed areas in Kangra district, there was also need for setting up a canal from the waters of the Beas in the Ladh — Bhadol area of
Baijnath. |
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Minister
warns timber mafia Mandi, June 4 He said the Kandi project being executed in parts of Kangra, Una, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib had yielded good results and the areas of Parwanoo and Bhadroya of Kangra were also being included under this project. He said the Satlej valley integrated watershed management project would soon be launched in Himachal Pradesh. It would be implemented in five phases in a period of 15 years and the total cost of the project was likely to be over Rs 100 crore. Another Rs 174-crore Swan river integrated watershed project was in the pipeline. A project for Rs 225 crore had been drawn up, envisaging plantation in one lakh hectares of forests involving beneficiaries of 1,500 villages. He said the objective of the joint forest planning and management was to enlist the participation of the people in designing, monitoring and evaluating forest activities by empowering them to take decisions. He advised forest officials to draw up small projects at the circle and division level for which funds could be provided by the Centre and other agencies. He stressed the need for extensive touring by senior officers to monitor the progress of plantation and other forest activities and to mobilise people. |
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Canwest
opens office in Shimla Shimla, June 4 Stating this here today Mr Anoo Lal, president, Alliance, a Canada-based immigration consultant company, said increased security concerns had made most countries adopt stricter rules and it now took a long time to get the applications for visas cleared. Although the overseas job market, which had slumped due to global economic slowdown, had started looking up, but immigration had become more difficult. He was talking to newspersons after opening a regional office of Canwest here, which represents Alliance in India. Further, the eligibility criteria for immigration was also being amended to ensure that only well-qualified and more experienced candidates fulfil it. Australia had enhanced the minimum points (based on qualifications work experience, age and other parameters) for immigration from 110 to 115 last month. On June 28 the Canadian authorities would announce the revised criteria and the minimum qualifying points for immigration were likely to be increased from 70 to anything between 75 and 79. Similarly, the revised eligibility criteria for immigration to New Zealand would be enforced from July 1. Mr Lal said his company, which had been granted licence by the Government of India as consultant for overseas settlement, was being represented by Canwest in India and it had as many as 31 regional offices across the country. On an average the company was helping about 1,000 persons to go abroad for jobs and education. It charged between Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per case. It took the entire responsibility right from arranging visas to temporary accommodation and job after arrival in the new country. |
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HP to install 300 new handpumps Dharamsala, June 4 The minister said till now, 25 per cent of the traditional water sources in the state had dried up, aggravating the water problem. He directed the officials of his department to cleanse these traditional water sources so that there was no fear of outbreak of water-borne diseases. He further said that in view of the acute water shortage, no new water connections would be given till July 15. He said since Changer, Dehra, Nurpur, Chadiar, Jwali and Fatehpur had been severely hit, 36 water tankers had been pressed into service to fulfil the requirement of the people. He informed that the department had so far challaned 12 persons for wasting water and advised them to desist from such acts. |
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Peace group
flagged off Shimla, June 4 Addressing the members, Mr Dhumal said they would be meeting members of various sections of society and spread the message of communal harmony and universal brotherhood. He said the trip would be beneficial to the people who would not only visit the religious places but also some historic towns. The Chief Minister said such trips provided a unique opportunity to the people of rural and backward areas to witness the development that had taken place in the country. The group was led by Mr S.S. Banolta, Mr Narender Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture and Mr Rakesh Verma, a former MLA, were also present. |
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4 held for raping 35-yr-old woman Dharamsala, June 4 According to Mr Ram Lal, Additional SP, Kangra, the hapless woman, mother of two children, had come to Alhilal from her native place Joginder Nagar in Mandi district. Her husband had been earlier working at Alhilal, near Tashijong. The woman was lured by two youth who raped her. They were later joined by four others. The matter was reported to the police and the woman was medically examined. According to Mr Ram Lal, the youth arrested had been identified as Arjun, Kamlesh, Suresh, Chunni, Bal Kishan and Sonu. A case under Sections 376 and 34 of the Indian Penal code has been registered against them. |
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Pensions worth
1.74 cr to be distributed Hamirpur, June 4 Mr Babu Ram Mandyal, MLA, said this while presiding over a meeting of the zila welfare samiti here today. Mr Balbir Singh Badalia, Additional District Magistrate, and Mr Amar Singh Walia, District Welfare Officer, also attended the meeting. He said 20 per cent of the total budget under various welfare programmes would be completed in the first quarter. |
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