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Saturday,
September 21, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Pathania’s expulsion may widen gulf in HP Cong Chaos marks Cong rally Cong for financial emergency in HP NHPC gifts to Chamba valley Youth policy for self-help |
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Youth festival inaugurated IT raids reveal
stock concealment
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Pathania’s expulsion may widen gulf in HP Cong Shimla, September 20 Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Congress Legislative Party Leader, has taken exception, to the manner in which Mr Pathania has been expelled, without even issuing a show-cause notice thereby denying him an opportunity to explain his position. The decision, he maintained, was one-sided and taken in undue haste, raising doubts about the very intentions behind the drastic action, which prima facie, was mala-fide. He said Mr Pathania had been ostensibly expelled on the basis of the some new grounds and alleged the account of the some persons who were present on the occasion and whose fairness was questionable as these very persons had been gunning for him since long and waiting for an opportune time to remove him from the party. While he stood for the enforcement of discipline in the party, it should be done fairly, justly and evenly. The party discipline was being violated almost everyday by some party functionaries by issuing press statements against senior leaders but no action, to his knowledge, had been taken against them so far. On the other hand senior Congress leaders like Mr D.D. Thakur, Mr Shonkya Ram Kashyap and Mr Kuldeep Singh Pathania, all ex-MLAs, and some others had been expelled on flimsy grounds without even giving a show-cause notice which proved that discipline was necessary for only a section of the Congress men and others were free to indulge in all sorts of indiscipline with impunity. The present action of the Pradesh Congress was bound to create widespread resentment in the party especially at a time, when forging unity and harmony was the need of hour. Such hasty actions would only create more differences and an atmosphere of distrust and alienation within the party, he cautioned. The leaders of the Stokes camp, however, maintain that action was justified. Mr Pathania, they point out, crossed all limits by trying to disrupt the meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee chief at which several senior party leaders were present. Among gross indiscipline committed in full public view left the party high command with no option but expel him from the party. His action was
indefensible and stern action taken against him would make it clear to one and all that indiscipline in any form would not be brooked. |
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Chaos marks Cong rally Mahre (Hamirpur), September 20 Supporters of warring factions of the party today exchanged blows and raised slogans against one another. Some of them also resorted to lathi blows. Trouble started when a group of Congress persons led by Mr Manjeet Singh Dogra, former MLA from Nadaunta, came in a procession towards the main gate, raising slogans in support of Mr Dogra and Mr Virbhadra Singh. In response, the supporters of Mr Rajendra Zar raised
counter slogans and this clash continued till the arrival of the chief guest. The situation took an ugly turn when some supporters of Mr Dogra who wanted to address the meeting were denied permission. This led to chaotic scenes. Mr Dogra also joined his group in slogan-shouting even as supporters of Mr Zar raised counter-slogans. Sensing trouble, Mrs Viplab Thakur announced on mike that those creating trouble would be punished as there was no place for indiscipline in the party. She said today’s matter would be referred to the party high command for action. Mrs Stokes said today’s rally was not organised to distribute ticket. Those who tried to create ripples in the party were anti-party. The HP Congress party chief said that time had come when all should join hands to oust the “corrupt BJP” from power. She alleged corruption had skyrocketed in the state and jobs were on sale. The HP Subordinate Services Selection Board had become a den of corruption. Addressing reporters at the residence of Mr Zar here, Mrs Stokes hinted at expelling Mr Manjeet Singh Dogra and his supporters from the party for today’s incidents. She said the party would meet the Chairman of the Delimitation Commission and submit its viewpoint. She said the recommendations of the state government to the commission would be contested and justice provided to people of all areas of the state. However, Mr Manjeet Singh Dogra said whatever transpired today was the result of a conspiracy hatched by his rivals to show him down in the eyes of Mrs Stokes and the Congress. He denied any indiscipline, adding that he had the right to speak on stage and when he was denied this right, he had no option but to leave the stage. |
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Cong for financial emergency in HP Kangra, September 20 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Bali said the state was under a debt of Rs 12,000 crore and government employees may not get salaries from next month. He, however, said the Congress was ready to support to state government in getting an economic package from the Centre, despite the fact that it had never taken the Opposition into confidence on the issue. He asked the Chief Minister Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to explain to the people of the state as to how the present level of financial crisis was reached during his regime. Mr Bali said time was not conducive for reorganisation of the Assembly constituencies in the state in view of the Assembly poll early next year. He apprehended that certain shortcomings might crop up if the reorganisation was done hurriedly. He also protested improper representation of the Congress in the Delimitation Commission for the reorganisation of the constituencies. He sought the intervention of the Chief Election
Commissioner in case the voter identity cards were not prepared for all electorate so that people were not deprived of exercising their right of franchise. Mr Bali accused the three ministers and three MLAs of the BJP, who had levelled charges of corruption against the government, of having struck a deal with the Chief Minister to hush up the matter. |
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Break silence on apple growers’ woes, Cong told New Delhi, September 20 The Chief Minister, who met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, indicated that meeting of the national executive of the BJP will be held at Shimla next month. Asked about the denial by the Congress government in Delhi of the claims made by Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta on the abolishment of the excess commission charged from apple growers in Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, the Chief Minister said the Sheila Dikshit government appeared to be backtracking on its promise.
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NHPC gifts to Chamba valley Chamba, September 20 Both projects, which are nearing completion, are part of the NHPC’s commitment to the development of people of the area, where it is already running three prestigious 1038 MW hydel projects and where its Chamera project (Stage II) is likely to be commissioned next year. The new bridge, ready for opening, will replace the 100-year-old narrow Shitla bridge, while a new ultra-modern OPD hospital being built by the NHPC on the premises of the Zonal Hospital here would be ready by next April. It has dedicated both of the projects to the people of Chamba with the objective of strengthening its 25-year-old ties with the people. Giving details about the projects, Mr. S.K. Dodeja, NHPC Executive Director, said the OPD building was planned after taking care of the needs of people and after feeling that the existing Zonal Hospital building was not enough to accommodate a large number of OPD patients belonging to far-flung areas of the valley. The basement and the ground floor of the three-storeyed quake resistant hospital building has already been completed. Mr Umesh Kumar, Assistant Manager, said apart from an eight-bed emergency section, the hospital would be equipped with gynaecology, ultrasound, immunisation, physiotherapy, skin, chest, audiometery and paediatric blocks. To ensure safety of patients, the building would have two fire escape routes. Referring to difficulties faced by the NHPC authorities during the hospital’s construction, Mr Umesh Kumar said the biggest problem was that since the area was densely populated, there was no space for dumping excavated material and for heavy machinery. “We had to employ labourers for cutting huge boulders, excavated from the site. But despite this, we are going to complete the projects in about 12 months, much ahead of schedule of 18 months,” said Mr Katoch, a senior official. Mr Umesh Kumar said after completion, the hospital would be handed over the Health Department. Apart from the bridge and the hospital, the NHPC was contributing to the development of the area by constructing another Rs 1 crore bridge, which would connect a number of villages with the district headquarters, and was widening 55 km of narrow roads. According to Mr Dodeja, being the environment conscious, the NHPC authorities have already planted 2.3 lakh trees around dams. |
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Youth policy for self-help Shimla, September 20 The policy draft was released by Mr Praveen Sharma, the Minister of State for Youth and Sports, here today. It aims to promote self employment, and activities which keep the youth off drugs. The other major areas of focus include providing right education and vocational training, health awareness, elimination of gender bias, environmental education, sports and other outdoor recreational activities. The policy is for making physical education, sports and games part of the learning system. The educational institutions should have adequate sports and recreational facilities. The post-secondary level education should have a high vocational component. Programmes will be undertaken to upgrade artisanal skills. New trades and training programmes, particularly non-traditional ones, will be introduced. The existing facilities for advanced technical training will be strengthened. Career counselling will be an integral part of the higher education system. A data bank on employment opportunities will be created. The education system in general and technical education system in particular will be reviewed every five years in light market demands. The government will provide liberal grant to trained youth and self-help groups. A 34-point action plan has also been formulated for the implementation of the policy. The Department of Youth Services and Sports will be the nodal department for the implementation of the policy. Youth hostels will be constructed at the district headquarters. A youth cell will be set up in the Planning Department. Each government department is expected to make allocation in the Budget for youth welfare. |
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Youth festival inaugurated Shimla, September 20 Prof Sharma underlined the need for co-curricular activities with studies and called upon the teaching community to motivate students for additional activities for overall personality development. Dean of Students Welfare, Prof H.S. Baniyal, said the competitions in the items included debate, symposium, elocution, poetic symposium and poetry recitation. Mr P.N.Chauhan, Director, Physical Education and Youth Programmes, presented details of the festival, which would be held at different colleges of the state. |
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IT raids reveal
stock concealment Nurpur, September 20 Six IT teams raided the business premises of M/s. Bawa Dutta Mal Parshotam Lal and its sister concern M/s. M.K. Steel Traders on Wednesday with the cooperation of the local police. They found a concealment of unaccounted stock, amounting to nearly 70 lakh. |
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Two students crushed to death Nahan, September 20 According to information, the accident took place in a street of the village when nursery students of a local school were returning home. The tractor driver lost control and crushed Rohit to death, while Pragian died on way to the hospital.
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RCC-HP pact Shimla, September 20 |
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