 |
Monday,
August 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
BJP heads for crisis over new
districts Rampur project in rough
weather HP accords top priority to irrigation schemes J&K’s trifurcation
to be poll issue: RSS Dispose of cases speedily:
Dhumal |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
BJP accuses Cong of nepotism in petrol pump allotments Land-grab bid: villagers threaten to gherao minister CPM accuses government of ‘divisive’ politics Regularisation move evokes criticism NGO helps 125
ex-servicemen
|
|
BJP heads for crisis over new
districts Shimla, August 11 The cabinet meeting being convened on August 12 on the issue will be an acid test for the government in view of the "irreconciliable" differences that have cropped up among senior leaders, particularly those whose districts are likely to be affected by the exercise. Not only the Shanta loyalists but several leaders of Dhumal camp are also upset over the "ill-advised" move which, they feel, is not in the long-term interest of the state and could spell doom for the party in the ensuing assembly elections. The issue was discussed at the high-level meeting convened by the Sangh Parivar here yesterday to iron out differences between Mr Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar. Mr Madan Das Devi and Mr Prem Goyal, top functionaries of the RSS who came from Delhi for the meeting, heard the viewpoint of both the leaders. Mr Dhumal reportedly maintained that creation of new districts was necessary to win elections, whereas Mr Shanta Kumar raised objections over the manner in which the exercise was being carried out without taking into confidence even the ministers and legislators whose districts were to affected, let alone the party units. Further, the Revenue Minister, who is directly concerned with the matter was also kept in the dark. The ball is now in the court of the Sangh Parivar, but partymen do not have much hope as in the recent past, the RSS leaders have proved as ineffective as the BJP high command in resolving party matters in the state. The cabinet sub-committee on the creation of new districts, which has been asked to submit its report within four days, is in a bind. With no parameters fixed for the creation of new administrative units, the committee is not in a position to carry out the task in a judicious manner. It has received demands for new districts from over a dozen areas. Not only were the demands conflicting but there was also no unanimity over the location of the headquarters. Further, the government’s insistence on having districts as small as the proposed Sarkaghat, with just two constituencies of Gopalpur and Dharampur, has made a mockery of the exercise. If the same parameter is applied, then it would have to create over 25 new districts. For instance, in Mandi district, Sundernagar and Karsog both would have to be accorded district status. The proposed Palampur district would have to be further truncated by carving out a separate Jaisinghpur district, particularly in view of the conflict over its headquarters. For the same reason, Jwali district will have to created from the proposed Nurpur district. In Shimla, apart from the proposed Mahasu, Rampur and Rohru district’s would have to be carved out. Senior leaders who have held a series of meetings with Mr Kishori Lal, chairman of the sub-committee, and its members fear widespread turmoil in the state as and when the new districts are announced. It would not be surprising if their own party leaders were found spearheading these agitations, they warn. |
|
Creation of
dists: report finalised Shimla, August 11 According to highly-placed sources, the sub-committee has not appreciated the idea of creating districts. The proposal to create districts might be deferred for the third time. |
|
|
Rampur project in rough
weather Shimla, August 11 The Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation Officers and Employees Union rejected certain clauses in the agreement, to be signed here tomorrow, on the plea that it violated the order of the High Court regarding equivalence of posts held by direct recruits and deputationists from the state electricity board. The association was also opposed to certain clauses pertaining to deputationists, which, it maintained, were not conducive to the smooth functioning of the corporation. It would not only create problems in the execution of the project, but could delay the ongoing 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project. Mr A.K. Singh and Mr K.K. Upadhyaya, leaders of the association, today announced that the employees and officers would observe a black day tomorrow in protest against the signing of the agreement. The association urged the government to make direct recruitment for the project and gainfully utilise the surplus manpower of the board by taking up some other project. |
|
HP accords top priority to irrigation schemes Shimla, August 11 At present, almost 80 per cent of the area under cultivation is rainfed. Consequently, the fortunes of the farmers have been swinging with the weather conditions.. The availability of assured irrigation facilities will also help in the diversification of crops and the farmers will be able to switch to cash crops. In all, as many as 5.83 lakh hectares is cultivable, out of which 3.35 lakh hectares can be brought under irrigation. In 2.85 lakh hectares irrigation facilities can be provided under small irrigation schemes. So far 1.97 lakh hectares has already been brought under irrigation. The major irrigation schemes undertaken are the Rs 143.32 crore Shah Nehar irrigation scheme, Rs 33.62 crore Sidhata scheme in Kangra district and RS 28.37 crore Anandpur hydel channel scheme in Bilaspur district. These will provide irrigation to about 20,787 hectares. The schemes are expected to be completed in three to four years . Shahnaher is the biggest irrigation scheme with a command area of 15,287 hectares. The Punjab government is providing Rs 88.49 crore while the remaining is being spent by the Himachal Government. So far Rs 3.71 crore have been spent on the Sidhata medium irrigation scheme being implemented in Kangra and the Kuther lift irrigation scheme, part of this major scheme, has already been completed. On the completion the Sidhata scheme, about 3150 hectares will be irrigated. Work on the Anandpur scheme has also started and the Planning Commission has sanctioned Rs 28.37 crore for it. When completed, it will irrigate 2350 hectares in Bilaspur district. Minor irrigation schemes have also been taken up and about 1.85 lakh hectares have so far been brought under these schemes. Nabard’s assistance is also being sought for undertaking these schemes and the bank has given assistance to about 227 minor schemes, out of which 159 schemes have been completed. |
|
J&K’s trifurcation
to be poll issue: RSS Shimla, August 11 At a seminar on “Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir need of the hour organise by the “Matri Vandana Sansthan” here last evening he said the people of the state had been agitating for a separate state of Jammu and converting Ladakh into a union territory. This would be the main issue in the Assembly poll in the state. He said the Jammu and Ladakh were not only geographically separate entities but also entirely different culturally and linguistically. He said after the valley the Hindus were being driven out from Jammu under a conspiracy. The population of Hindus and Muslims were almost equal but 46 MLAs were elected from the valley and only 37 from Jammu and four from Ladakh. People of the two regions were discriminated against in jobs.They wanted that systematic campaign to settle Muslims in Jammu and Ladakh to change demographic composition should be stopped. Not even five per cent of the Budget was being spent on the two areas leading to a demand for scrapping of Article 370 for complete merger into the country. He said that reorganisation of the state would not benefit Pakistan but help confine terrorism to the valley. Mr T.R. Mahajan, a former Himachal DGP, blamed the “jehadi” mentality of Muslims for the Kashmir problem. |
|
Dispose of cases speedily:
Dhumal Shimla, August 11 Stating this while addressing the annual conference of the lawyers’ association here last evening, the Chief Minister, Prof
P.K. Dhumal, said a large amount of money allocated by the 10th Finance Commission for modernising the police force had been unutilised by the previous government. The Chief Minister said all departments which had cases pending in courts should cooperate with the prosecution department so that the cases could be decided at the earliest. He said laxity on the part of the heads of the department in providing information to prosecution agencies would be viewed seriously. He said reorientation courses to update the knowledge of lawyers would also be held periodically. Mr Chander
Shekhar, Director Prosecution, said the department was working to pursue all pending cases to ensure justice to the affected people. |
|
|
BJP accuses Cong of nepotism in petrol pump allotments Shimla, August 11 He said several Congress leaders and their close relatives own petrol stations and LPG agencies in the state. He named some of them also. |
|
|
Land-grab bid: villagers threaten to gherao minister Kangra, August 11 President of the temple committee Prabhat Choudary said the government land was used by residents of various panchayats every year during Holi, Divali and other festivals and to grab it was illegal. The protesters threatened to block the Pathankot-Mandi highway and gherao the Agriculture Minister if the land was not allotted to the temple or the panchayat within a week. In view of the tension, the police had been deployed at Zamanabad village, the native village of the Agriculture Minister, to guard the minister and his residence. Some BJP leaders, including Mr Ved Choudary, spoke against the Agriculture Minister. |
|
CPM accuses government of ‘divisive’ politics Shimla, August 11 Mr Mohar Singh, secretary of the committee, alleged today that the exercise was not being undertaken for administrative convenience, but to achieve political ends. The economic policies pursued by the government had isolated it from the people and fearing defeat in the Assembly elections, the BJP was trying to create division among the people. Besides, the matter had been raked up to draw the attention of people away from the real issues of corruption, unemployment, failure to regularise daily-wagers and user charges. He said reorganisation of districts should be based upon a political consensus without breaking the linguists cultural identity of the people. The party would not accept the creation of new districts if created without consensus, he asserted. |
|
Regularisation move evokes criticism Nurpur, August 11 Encroachers having muscle power and money power, on the other hand are upbeat since the initiation of the process of regularisation of encroachments in Nurpur and Jawali subdivisions. Long queues can be seen in front of the offices of Patwar circles for seeking and filling in encroachment applications. Patwaris who measure and examine the encroached land have allegedly been minting money offered. Encroachers have become active in nearby areas. There is ambiquity in the manner in which the market value of encroached land is assessed by the authorities. There is apprehension that the open courts, which have to be organised to decide on applications relating to regularisation of encroachments, will fuel enmity among local residents. The Himachal Kranti Parishad has opposed the encroachment regularisation policy of the government. |
|
NGO helps 125
ex-servicemen Dharamsala, August 11 This was disclosed by Col S.C. Sharma (retd) while addressing the general body meeting of the organisation at Sidhbari, near here. He said that in a short span of 10 months, the organisation had made its presence felt amongst retired servicemen and their families. He said earlier exservicemen and the families of deceased soldiers had to run from pillar to post to get their normal official works done, but now the organisation was helping them. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
