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Monday,
November 25, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Industries dot mountainscape Chief
Minister on wooing spree BJP to
check indiscipline Sofat’s
party goes on Karmapa’s
sister may face action |
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Residents carry the Cross of poor sewerage Cement
plant to get environment clearance soon Man
arrested for murder Stone
for trauma unit laid
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Industries dot mountainscape Shimla, November 24 Over the past five years as many as 3448 industrial units, including 21 large and medium scale industries, with an investment of about Rs 520 crore and a potential to provide employment 21740 persons, have come up in the state. Besides, another 77 industrial units in large and medium scale sectors with an investment of about Rs 837 crore are in the pipeline. The new industrial policy guidelines-1999 formulated with a view to encouraging the private sector participation has indeed provided the much needed impetus to industrial growth. The policy envisages encouragement of investment from NRIs in a big way. Income tax holiday has also been extended from April 2000 to March 2004 to attract entrepreneurs to the state. On the request of the state government, the union government has also extended the transport subsidy up to March 2007 for the new industrial units. The procedure for setting up of medium and large scale units has been simplified. The industrial projects approval and review authority has been abolished. A new concept “Escort Services” for large and medium scale units has been introduced. An officer of the Industry Department is nominated as the Nodal officer for each project to assist the entrepreneurs in overcoming hurdles of different agencies. Special emphasis is being laid on promoting information technology in the state. Besides, announcing an information technology policy. Single-window clearance for setting up of such industries was being ensured. The information technology units have been granted full exemption in sales tax and centre sales tax up to March 2007. Exemption from payment of electricity duty has also been given for a period of eight and five years in industrially backward and industrially developing areas, respectively, from the date of commencement of commercial production. Many others benefits like 3 per cent price preference to medium and large units and 15 per cent to tiny and small scale units, capital investment subsidy and especially interest subsidy for 6 years to small scale units in industrially backward areas have been extended by the state government. Corporate income tax up to year 2010 and all the imports in software technology park (STP) units have been made duty free. Central sales tax is being reimbursed while re-export of capital goods bought on loan is also being permitted. Efforts are afoot to set up an STP in the private sector in Baddi area, while a software technology park has already been set up at Shimla at a cost of Rs 6 crore to provide high speed data communication facility. An international call centre has also been set up at Shimla with an investment of Rs 3.50 crore, besides an Information Technology University, having an academic tie up with the University of Berkley California, has been set up at Vaknaghat in Solan district at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The Union Ministry of Commerce, has introduced a new scheme to involve the states in exports efforts by providing assistance for creating appropriate infrastructure for the growth of exports. An amount of Rs 7 crore has been sanctioned to Himachal Pradesh for 2002-03 under this scheme. Plots are being allotted in the Export Promotion Industrial Park that has been developed at Baddi at a cost of Rs 20 crore. The Growth Centre at Sansarpur Terrace in Kangra district is being set up at a cost of Rs 22 crore has been made partially functional, an industrial area is being developed at Golthai in Bilaspur at a cost of Rs 4.32 crore. |
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Chief Minister on wooing spree Hamirpur, November 24 This time, he has started this process in the Hamirpur assembly segment, from where he wants to contest the elections. He contested the previous Assembly elections from Bamsan, which has been split into two parts. One part has been merged with Hamirpur and the other with newly created Sujanpur Assembly segment. During functions, the Chief Minister gives a clarion call to the people to repose their faith in the BJP, which, according to him, is the only party that can provide them development. He says that the BJP and development are complementary to each other and if the Congress comes to power again, development will come to a standstill. Prof Dhumal will spend three days in Hamirpur by taking part in various functions and thereafter return to his native village, Samirpur, for the marriage of his elder son, Anurag Thakur, the president of the state cricket association. Thakur is engaged to Shaiffaly, daughter of Mr Ghulab Singh, Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. The marriage will be solemnised on November 27 and a feast hosted for the people of the area on November 28 at Samirpur. The decision of the party high command to contest the Assembly elections under the leadership of Prof Dhumal has also helped him to bring his flock together in the district. None of the sitting BJP legislators have so for raised a banner of revolt against him. Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman, however, has expressed his resentment over the shifting of some of his areas to the Hamirpur and Nadaunta Assembly segments under the delimitation exercise. He, however, has yet not said any word against the Chief Minister. He, too, is keeping his cards close to his chest as he feels that the decision of the Chief Minister regarding tickets will be final and there is no need to oppose him at this juncture. Party dissidents, however, have put the Chief Minister and his supporters in a state of dilemma. They organised a function at Patlander today and decided to oppose the “dictatorial designs” of the Chief Minister in the coming elections. The function was organised by the Narendra Thakur, son of the late BJP leader, Jagdev Chand Thakur. Meanwhile, the way the Chief Minister has started his pre-election campaign has caused heart-burning in the Congress camp. The Congress, which is a divided house, has so for failed to go to the masses jointly so as to give an impression that it can fight the BJP politically in the elections. Only its prospective candidates are canvassing for them. They are, however, not sure whether they will be able to get the party’s nomination for the elections or not. They are, however, hopeful that the decision of the party to organise a state-level training camp for workers and leaders at Hamirpur in December will help them to unitedly face the challenge of the ruling party in the elections. |
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BJP to check
indiscipline Dharamsala, November 24 Mr Sharma was addressing mediapersons after a meeting of Kangra district BJP leaders and legislators here today. Mr Sharma said that the party had taken a serious view of all acts of indiscipline. A committee headed by the party spokesman, Mr Ganesh Dutt, had been constituted to go into it. He said the committee had submitted its report. Action would be taken on it. Chaudhary Vidya Sagar, who had recently raised the banner of revolt against the Chief Minister, was isolated during the meeting. The agriculture minister left the venue. |
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Sofat’s party
goes on Patlander (Hamirpur), Nov 24 Nearly a thousand persons were present at the function that was followed by a lunch hosted by Mr Thakur at his native village today. Prominent among those who took part in today’s meeting were Mr Kamal Nanda, Pradhan of Gram Panchayat, Dhaneta, Mr Yashwant Rana, and president Teachers Mahasangh, Mr Pavan Thakur, Mr K.D. Ahuja and Mr Bakshi Ram, member Zila Parishad. Mr Sofat said that the delimitation process for the Assembly seats of state was highly defective and added that it should be completed after the next elections. He said that the Chief Minister manipulated the delimitation of Assembly seats in his favour and put all others, including Mr Shanta Kumar and Virbhadra Singh in lurch. |
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Karmapa’s sister
may face action Dharamsala, November 24 According to the Additional SP, Kangra, Mr Santosh Patial, the Home Ministry and the state government had put restrictions on the visit of Karmapa and his six close associates including his sister Ms Nagdup Palzon from visiting Rumtek monastry in Sikkim, which is the seat of the Karma Kagyu sect headed by the Karmapa but it appears that Ms Palzon tried to go there illegally under false pretence. He said certain officials of the Tibetan Reception Centre helped her in this and the liaison officer of the Home Ministry attached to the Dalai Lama was misled in issuing a letter of introduction for Ms Palzon. The Additional SP said on November 8 she applied to the Tibetan Reception Centre for permission to visit Sikkim which was granted the same day. He said such permission to her had been refused earlier. With the help of the Director, Reception Centre, Ms Palzon was able to get a letter from the liaison officer of the Home Ministry asking people to help her during her visit to Sikkim. The fact that Ms Ngadup Palzon was the elder sister of the 17th karmapa and was not allowed to visit Sikkim was not disclosed. Without obtaining permission from the local police to go out of Himachal, which is mandatory for all Tibetans registered with the Foreign Registration Officer of the local police, Ms Ngadup Palzon left Gyuto Monastry quitely on November 13. It was only on November 14 that the local authorities were made aware that Ms Palzon was missing and an alert was issued. Though there is no official confirmation, but according to sources, she was detained at Siliguri and has since been brought back to New Delhi from where she will be brought to Dharamsala. |
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Residents
carry the Cross of poor sewerage Parwanoo, November 24 The sewage discharge from the damaged and broken septic tanks constructed in the town is a common scene in all sectors of the town. Almost all septic tanks in the town are either damaged or broken and sullage keeps on overflowing as even the septic tanks do not have lids. Some of the septic tanks have been constructed near the residential areas and the overflowing water ermnates a foul smell and has also become a breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes and other pests. Other septic tanks have been constructed near the local nullahs and the overflowing discharge mixes with the water polluting it. The Kaushalya river , which flows adjacent to this town comes from Dharampur side and has a slope on both sides. All hotels, dhabas and tourist resorts situated along the slope dump their waste on the hilly side, and during the rains, all this waste flows into the river and adversely affects the quality of water, This river is also a source of a drinking water for the town. Some of the industries also
dumpwaste, including plastic material, waste paper thermocol items in the river. Tourist buses which ply on the Kalka-Shimla national highway halt on the roadside and provide eatables to passengers and leave the waste on the roadside, which also add to the pollution of the river. Residents of Sector 5 of the town complain that the drinking water being supplied to the sector is polluted as it is drawn from a polluted nullah adjacent to this sector The sewage line and the septic tank of Sector-1A is damaged near Shivalik cafe and foul smelling water flows into the nullah. The sewage system of the local Sector-4 is also completely damaged and the water keeps on flowing from the damaged septic tank and mixes with the water in the nullah in Sector 5. A huge septic tank has been constructed in Sector 4 but this is lying unused for years because it has not been connected with the sewage system of the sector. The sewerage of this industrial town was laid in 1980, catering for only about 5,000 persons but now the population of the town has grown
manifold but there is no improvement in the system. According to the local doctors, most of the residents of this town are suffering from water-borne diseases and allergies. According to an official of the local Nagar Parishad the parishad maintains the sewerage and has already spent Rs 5 lakh , but the system is old and there are no sufficient to maintain it.” The official said the Nagar Parishad had already sent proposal of a new project. costing about Rs. 35 lakh to the government of Himachal Pradesh for approval but the sanction has not been granted yet. |
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Cement plant to get environment clearance soon Chamba, November 24 Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development stated this to mediapersons in the Circuit House here today. He added that a meeting of the authorities of the Central, State Governments and the private enterprise Larson and Toubro was being convened in the first week of December to find solution to the environment clearance to the Plant. He said that all formalities regarding the plant including forest clearance had been granted. Mr Shanta Kumar said during an inspection by the committee, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation also raised some objections like danger of deposition of silt in waters of the projects, which would reduce the life of power projects of this region. Besides, dust would pollute the nearby hydroelectric projects colonies, he said. The minister said while according environment clearance to the plant, that the cement factory should not give rise to identical factories as lime stone deposits in this alpine region were plenty.. The plant would cost Rs 650 crore and provide direct and indirect employment to more than 15,000 persons of the region. On rural development in the country, he said the Centre was thinking of increasing the present Budget of Rs 22,000 crore giving priority to rain water development, wasteland development and strengthening of panchayati raj institutions in the country. He said the Planning Commission would be providing adequate funds for rural development. The minister said to ensure effective implementation of various rural development schemes, the Centre would review the working of rural development agencies. He said the formation of monitoring and vigilance committees was on the agenda of the Government of India. These would be constituted up to the district-level and the member of Parliament of the area would head the committee. The process would cover 550 districts of the country, he added. |
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Man arrested for murder Dharamsala, November 24 According to Mr Gurmit Singh, Subdivisional Police Officer, Baijnath, Nagesh who had confessed to the crime was a drug addict and according to information, Sarup Chand used to supply hashish to him. On
Friday, Nagesh approached the deceased for a cigarette with hashish. There was an alteration between the two. Annoyed with him, Nagesh stalked Sarup Chand, who was going to Pantehar village and accosted him near the railway crossing. The verbal duel became a fight and suspect allegedly killed him. |
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Stone for trauma unit laid Bilaspur, November 24 He said Rs 58 lakh would be spent on it during current financial year while Rs 80 lakh would be spent on another such unit at Indira Gandhi College Hospital at Shimla this year. The Health Minister said the Himachal Government would launch a “parkikas” (Partwar Kalyaan Ealahkar Samiti) project for the Health Department. These committees would comprise presidents of panchayats, block development committees and zila parishad and male and female health workers. |
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