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Saturday,
July 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Virbhadra
tells Dhumal to focus on dry spell ONGC
experts to inspect well Beginning
of end of bus operators’ reign Principal’s
murder case: life term set aside School
vacancies: notice to Education Secy ABVP to
step up stir from today |
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Virbhadra
tells Dhumal to focus on dry spell Shimla, July 26 In a statement, here today, he said the government was not taking the drought seriously and no effective measure had been taken to give relief to the affected people. Crops were withering due to lack of rain and several areas were facing an acute shortage of water. Instead of taking steps to mitigate misery of the affected farmers and fruit growers, Mr
P. K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, and his administration was preoccupied with issues like the creation of new districts. He said popularity of the government had gone down and gimmicks like the reorganisation of districts would not help. He urged the government to declare all 12 districts of the state as drought-hit and take immediate measures to provide relief to the affected farmers. Dharamsala: Former HPCC chief and senior Congress leader Sat Mahajan has accused the Dhumal government of ignoring the drought-hit farmers and fruit growers of the state and presenting “cooked up” figures before the Centre. Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Mahajan alleged that these figures were not supported by ground realities and the Dhumal government was a past master at presenting such data. Mr Mahajan alleged that the present BJP-HVC coalition government had not conducted any survey in the state which may show the actual impact of drought. The senior Congress leader demanded immediate suspension of collection of land revenue and asked for deferment of recovery of loans from the farmers. He said Himachal farmers and fruit growers had different problems and the government should formulate policies according to their needs. |
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ONGC experts
to inspect well Kangra, July 26 The ONGC has sought the assistance of the three-member team of experts which is scheduled to arrive in Baggi village in a couple of days to decide on the issue. The Baggi well had turned alive a fortnight back. The Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Mr Parboodh Saxena, who sought a report from the ONGC authorities stationed at Jawalamukhi regarding the well was told that a team of ONGC experts would decide on the issue. Local residents allege that the well which was left half drilled a decade back despite public protest. The well turned alive about 15 days ago and was oozing gas and gushing out saline hot water with pressure. Mr Rajesh Sharma, former president of the Sangharsh Samiti, which agitated a decade back against the ONGC for abandoning the drilling of the well half way, today told this correspondent that if the ONGC decided to plug the well, the residents here would frame a new sangharsh samiti and oppose the decision. He said they would approach the President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to intervene as he was a scientist and would help them get justice. Earlier, a nine-member ONGC team headed by Mr D.K. Pandey, had inspected the well on July 13. Mr Pandey had told the media that they were pumping out saline water from the well pit to assess the damage and frame the repairing programme so that a specialised team could be deputed to control the situation. |
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Beginning
of end of bus operators’ reign Shimla, July 26 The decision will not only put an end to the monopoly of big operators in the passenger transport sector, but also provide opportunities to unemployed youth, ex-servicemen and other sections of society in self-employment. Although the new Motor Vehicle Act was specifically enacted to end “discretion” in allotment of route permits and promote healthy competition in the passenger transport sector, it was never strictly enforced. The authorities for reasons best known to them continued to issue permits on a pick and choose basis. A subsequent judgement of the Supreme Court, which made it clear that route permits would have to be issued to all eligible applicants, also failed to cut ice with the Transport Department. Consequently, monopoly of established transporters persisted, as the department sought “no objection” from operators before allocation of new routes, a provision in the old Motor Vehicle Act, which has been done away with in the new legislation. A spokesperson of the department said the only limitation in issuing new route permits would be the availability of time slot. Permits would be issued for a particular route only if no other bus was plying on it on the timings sought for the new service. This would not only protect the interest of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation, but also private bus operators and prevent unhealthy competition. Tax defaulters and those violating the conditions of route permits would be considered ineligible. While the private sector would get a boost, the monopoly of existing transporters would gradually come to an end. Already, the share of the private sector in bus routes had gone up to 57 per cent. While the HRTC fleet had come down to 1,742 from 1,810, the number of private buses in the state had crossed the 2500 mark. |
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Principal’s murder case: life term set aside Shimla, July 26 While setting aside the judgement a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice R.L. Khurana and Mr Justice M.R. Verma observed that considering the evidence coming on record the only conclusion which could be drawn was that the prosecution had not been able to bring home the offences against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. So, his conviction and sentence could not be sustained and he was thus acquitted of the offence under Section 302 of the IPC. According to the prosecution, the victim was working as Principal of the above said school and the accused was a Class IX student of the same school. During the annual examination on December 14,1998, an invigilator detected that the accused was indulging in unfair means. He took the accused to the office of the Principal but on reported pleas was pardoned. |
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School vacancies: notice to Education Secy Shimla, July 26 Mr Parneet Gupta contended on behalf of the petitioner that the government school at Pandranoo was facing shortage of staff, endangering the career of the students. State counsel Sanjay Karol stated that as per the instructions received from the Education Department, some teachers had already been posted there and the vacancies were likely to be filled in the near future. Issuing notices, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice W.A. Shishak and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel further directed the respondents to ensure that the teachers who had been posted till date would resume duty at their place of postings unless there was any legal hitch in doing so. |
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ABVP to
step up stir from today Shimla, July 26 Activists of the parishad will gherao the principals of colleges all over the state on July 27 and also hold protest rallies. On July 31 its members will boycott classes. The main demands include uniform fee structure for all private degree colleges and engineering colleges, 75 per cent quota for Himachal students in the Vaknaghat Information and Technology Institute and starting of B.Ed. course for commerce students. |
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